Auctiva is a free auction hosting service that you can use to help your eBay items to sell. The site also offers free listing templates and free auction scheduling services. When you use Auctiva, a free scrolling gallery will appear in each of your eBay listings. Auctiva can seem a bit complicated at first glance. However, it's simpler than it appears. Before you get started using Auctiva you will need to photograph your eBay items and download or scan the photos to your computer.
Instructions:
1) Get a full-featured image processing software program such as Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro. If you don't want to invest in software, download and install GIMP, a free open-source graphics program. Crop your eBay images so that they're nicely framed. Punch up the brightness and contrast, as bright, clear pictures will help your eBay items to sell for more. Rotate them if necessary. Resize the photographs so that they're no longer than 600 pixels on the longest dimension. Name your images appropriately so you can find them easily when you go to create your listings.
2) Log into your Auctiva account on their website. Select the "Images" tab. Click "Manage Image Folders." Click "Create Folder." Type the name of your new Auctiva folder. For best results, base this name on the type of eBay merchandise you will be using the folder for. Type a brief description of the image folder. Then choose a color for the folder and click "Save." Create as many folders as you think you will need for your eBay items.
3) Select the "Images" tab again. Click the "Upload Images" link. If you're using Internet Explorer with ActiveX enabled on a Windows computer, use the "Auctiva Uploader." Click the Information Bar to install the ActiveX control. Select "Install" when prompted. Use the left pane to navigate to the eBay images on your computer. Click on the pictures you would like to upload to Auctiva and select "Add." Alternatively, you can drag and drop your eBay images into the bottom pane. Choose the folder you would like to use and click "Upload."
4) Select the "Basic HTML Uploader" if you're not using Internet Explorer or if you only want to upload a few images at a time. Select the "Browse" button to navigate to the image on your hard drive. Choose the Auctiva folder you'd like to use on the right. Click "Upload."
5) Select the Listings tab. Create a new eBay listing, create a listing from a Master Profile, or create a similar listing from another eBay listing you created previously on Auctiva. To create a new listing, click on the "New Listing" link. Select whether this is an auction, fixed price or store eBay item. Type the title and item description. Ensure that you use well-researched keywords in your title and description; they will increase the chance that your eBay item will sell, and will increase the final selling price. Then select one of 24 images from your uploaded images. Set the price and choose a free Auctiva template for your eBay listing. Select "Preview," "Estimate eBay Fees," "Save," "Post" or "Schedule" at the bottom of the window. To create a Master Profile, import your closed eBay listings by clicking "Closed" on the right side of the page, then clicking "Import Listings." Select the "Listings" link again and click on "Saved Listings" to choose one to use as a template for your new listings.
Tips and Warnings:
Auctiva offers a free listing tool called "Mister Poster." However, this program doesn't have as many powerful features as eBay's Turbo Lister, which is also free. You can also use the "Auctiva Uploader" if you're browsing with FireFox on a Mac with Java enabled.
Source - eHow
