If you want people to have a serious think about buying the goods that you are advertising you need to write a great ad. We've put together some guidelines to help you write ads that sell.
Brief description
The brief description appears in the search results as the headline of each ad. It's probably the first thing people will look at so it's really important that you describe your advertised goods accurately using just a few words. Do not use all UPPERCASE in your text, most people find that very annoying to read and it won't help you sell your goods any faster.
Description
The description is where you're given the opportunity to go into as much detail as possible about the goods you are trying to sell (up to 1,000 characters of text). You will significantly increase your chances of a successful sale if you describe the goods well. Again, do not use all UPPERCASE in your text, people really do find it very annoying to read.
Details to include:
- type of item
- what it looks like
- make/model/brand
- information from product spec
- colours
- material/feeling/texture
- the condition it is in
- size and measurements
- what comes with it
- box/packaging
- age
- warranty details
- original price
- new/unwanted gift/unused/second hand
- faults/scratches/issues you are aware of
Other details:
- Are you open to negotiation?
- Times you’re available to be contacted.
- Texts or no texts/private numbers.
Add photos or video
Adding photos or a video makes your ad even more effective. These give potential buyers a very good idea of what you are selling. An up-to-date photo shows the current state of the goods you are selling and gives your potential buyers realistic expectations. A video can be used to show that an item is in perfect working order. Allowing potential buyers to be able to see goods with their own eyes can reduce the number of time wasters and unnecessary time consuming enquiries.
Price
Including the price you are seeking for the goods you've advertised means you won't have to deal with phone calls and emails asking how much it costs. It is also a good idea to state in the description whether the price is negotiable.
Contact
All ads must contain a valid phone number, i.e. a phone number you can be contacted on. You can also include your email address so people can enquire by email. Your email address will not appear on the ad but your phone number will.
One item per ad
Selling more than one item? It's best to put each item into a separate ad. This makes it easier for potential buyers to find the items you are selling. Also, you can remove the ads as the goods are sold rather than dealing with enquiries for an item that already has a buyer.
Links
You can include links in your description that describe the goods being advertised. However, these should not be to another classifieds or auction website or any website that does not give more information about the goods.
Remove ads
It's your responsibility to delete ads when the goods have been sold. In this way you avoid unnecessary calls and emails. Otherwise ads are automatically removed after two months.
An email address is required to publish an ad, even if you choose to be contacted by phone only in your ad. All communication from DoneDeal in relation to the ad is sent to the email address you provide. We do not give out your email address to anyone else, and we only use your email to communicate with you about your ad. Please add support@donedeal.ie to your email address book to help ensure you receive any emails we need to send to you.