Adding HTML to Your Auction Listing

Adding a little bit of HTML coding to your auction will make your listings more readable and add a little spice to your offering. HTML stands for hyper text mark-up language and is the language in which (most) web pages are written. You don't have to be a computer whiz to add simple codes. If you are listing on Ebay, the newer version of the SIY form includes a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor to allow you to add basic HTML without adding any coding. You will be able to add colors, lists, and change fonts all from the menu at the top of the form. When listing on other venues, first make certain they accept HTML in their listing. While you can compose your HTML ad in any text editor, the best and simplest method is to use and HTML editor. With an HTML editor such as Macromedia Dreamweaver you can quickly add code and see the results of your work. A considerably less expensive but quite effective editor is Coffee Cup HTML Editor It is beyond the scope of this page to offer you a tutorial on how to write HTML. Go here for a quick one page tutorial on how to write basic HTML. We also highly recommend HTML, XHTML, and CSS, Sixth Edition (Visual Quickstart Guide) for a easy to use HTML guidebook. One word of caution. Writing in HTML can be fun, but it is easy to let it get out of hand when writing auction ads. Your objective in adding HTML should be to make your auction stand out just a bit, make it easy to read, and to highlight your selling points. Refrain from large colored fonts and distractions that will lead your buyer away from your product.