Creating a better ad
Presenting your boat or accessory for sale in the best of conditions can make the difference between a quick sale and a long on-market time. Below are a few tips you may find worthwhile considering to produce a better ad and to get better value for your advertising dollars.
- Getting the boat or accessory ready for sale
If you are putting your boat on the market, clean it and tidy up are the first rule. You should clean the complete boat inside out, and even consider to polish the hull, a shiny boat is something like a 'smiling boat'. Remove anything that clutters up the saloon; keep crockery etc in lockers, clean the sink and icebox/fridge, dispose of all garbage bags. Make the beds, tidy the bunks, remove personal items. Keep in mind that the new owner will imagine himself in your boat, and that is easier to do in a boat free of clutter. Make sure everything is in good working order, repair or remove what isn't. If you are selling a boats trailer of liferaft, the same rules about clean, tidy and in good working order apply.
- Photos of your boat or accessory
Photograph your boat (or accessory) in good light conditions as this will produce the best results. Zoom in on details that are outstanding features of your boat. For the interior you may need a flash for extra light. If using photo processing software, photos can be enhanced before upload.
When you set up your marine ad, Yacht Hub's online photo processing function will resize your photo(s) to the display size for the website. The photo(s) for upload must be of .jpg extension. Use your photo processing software to change to this file format if necessary. The ideal photo specifications are 600 pixels wide for a landscape format and 600 pixels high for a portrait format, this will produce a large pop-up image as well. A file size of approx. 200kb will generally produce a good quality photo and ensure fast upload. Be aware that unless you have a high speed Internet connection, a data heavy image may take a while to upload and is prone to transmission disruption, resulting in a broken image being uploaded.
- Describing your boat or accessory
The description box should present a general view of your boat/accessory (example: Popular model in excellent condition, only one owner and regularly serviced. Fitted with all the features needed for extended offshore fishing trips). Keep details for the specific fields; it is faster for the viewer to take in the information from keywords instead of long-winding sentences.
- Specifications & inventory
Enter as much information about your boat/accessory as you have. List the make/model of products of value, this will give the buyer an idea as to the quality of inventory. Be correct and truthful about the condition and inventory of your boat. State if an item is not in working order or has not been fitted yet.
- Your contact details
Take care your details are correct, proof read for errors when your ad is online and correct any typos and spelling mistakes. Remember, you can access your ad as often as you like to make changes. Make it easy for the enquirer to contact you. Your email address will be used for the enquiry from the website, and in addition you may want to give a telephone number. Enter your address (town/suburb/country), so that a buyer knows how far he has to travel if he/she would like to inspect your boat/accessory.
- Reply to enquiries
Reply as promptly as you can. This will communicate that you are serious about the sale of your boat/accessory. Buying a boat involves a considerable amount of money and a buyer likes to be reassured that you can be trusted. Your first impression will set the tone.
- Be aware of fraud
Unfortunately the Internet attracts its share of deceit and fraud. If an offer sounds too good to be true, or the circumstances seem in any way suspicious, it pays to be extra careful. Keep asking questions until you are satisfied that you are dealing with a genuine buyer. Don't be shy about wanting guarantees that you are not being cheated when it comes to the actual point of sale and money changing hands for the goods.
PLEASE READ THIS: None of the above is intended as legal advise and the seller is advised to make his own enquiries as to all aspects of the sale of his boat or accessory.
