eBay Workshop July 20th - "Create eBay Motors Parts Compatibility Listings with Auctiva"

Topic: Create eBay Motors Parts Compatibility Listings with Auctiva

Host: Auctiva

Date: Tuesday, July 20th

Time: 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. PST (Pacific Standard Time)

Location: eBay Workshop Board

Description: Auctiva has added support for eBay Motors Parts Compatibility!

Learn about Auctiva's new Parts Compatibility Tool, which gives users a fast and simple way to create parts compatibility listings on eBay Motors. We'll walk you through two different ways to create these listings, including screen shots of what the process looks like.

Get all your questions answered about Auctiva's new Parts Compatibility Tool as well as their other products and services.

Visit http://certifiedprovider.ebay.com/ to learn more about eBay Certified Providers and the services and solutions they offer to help an eBay seller grow their business.

Why Keywords Still Count on eBay and in Search

Why Keywords Still Count
Keys to making the 55 characters in your listing title add up to profit

What's in a word? Well, when it comes to the titles of the items you post for sale or bid on eBay, there could be gold in them thar' words—or not. The truth is your potential to get your item seen—or, better yet, bid on, or purchased—depends upon how well you choose your words.

In listings on eBay, "keywords" are those words and terms that buyers search for, found within your listing title. If you haven't given much thought to this aspect of marketing your goods, or if you wonder whether you're making optimum use of your item titles, consider these keys to choosing keywords, why they're critical to your sales success and why you should literally make every word count.

Understanding searches and indexing
At eBay (as well as within the major online search portals), listings are "indexed" in a search engine that identifies the words within the item title. When a user performs a search using a particular word or term, the search engine uses the index to locate and return a listing of items that match the user's search terms.

You're listing in the vast sea of offerings at eBay. Your challenge is to be seen among the millions of other items up for bid or sale.

55 characters or less
When you list on eBay, your listing title is limited to 55 characters, including spaces. Each word needs to serve a purpose, both as an effective search keyword and also as an accurate descriptor of your item for sale. Yes, you'll want to include a bit of marketing "pull" in your title to help encourage potential buyers to take a closer look.

For now, begin crafting your title to include as many pertinent keywords shoppers are likely to search for. Here, you need to know your commodity well, and know what terms buyers are using to locate these sorts of items. Review other active listings or closed listings to see what words others have used—did those words translate into a sale? Also, look for effective keyword combinations and other details that will help your listing get more hits.

As a guiding principle, you'll want to include as much of the following information within your listing title:

• Brand name
• Item origin
• Year (or period) of production
• Manufacturer
• Item color, size and other descriptive attributes
• Item condition

While that may seem like more than can be communicated within 55 characters, consider this example:

Polar Lights Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine model kit 2000 MISB

In the above example, a model kit of the iconic Mystery Machine van from the Scooby-Doo cartoon is being offered. Note that the title includes manufacturer (Polar Lights), item identification (Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine), item type (model kit), year of production (2000) and item condition (MISB, or Mint In Sealed Box). And, after all of that, there are still four characters of the available 55 left to use.

Don't get cute
Simply enough, don't waste valuable title space on words that do little to describe your item or properly identify it to buyers. Useless words like "cute," "adorable," "desirable" and the like often do little to help attract, let alone convince, any buyer. Words like "rare," "hard to find" and so on are not only unneeded (especially when buyers are already aware of the scarcity of an item) but they can also expose a seller's misguided (or, at best, misunderstood) attempt to wrangle a higher price. And, visual come-ons like "L@@K" and its sort are nothing short of obnoxious and should be avoided always.

Remember you're working to specify recognizable and understandable terms within your item titles, the sort that search engines have indexed and for which buyers are searching.

Condensed blog post from Auctiva Education

Auctiva is an eBay Certified Solutions Provider offering listing management solutions and features for beginner -to mid-to high-volume eBay sellers.

What You Need to Know to Take Advantage of eBay's Best Match

Best Match on eBay is a complicated search algorithm that helps buyers shop from the best sellers on eBay first. It has been eBay's default search for more than a year now.

The main criteria that affect your ranking for any type of listing in any category via Best Match are:

• Seller track record
• Competitive pricing and shipping costs
• Relevance of the listing to what the buyer is looking for

eBay says there is no "silver bullet" that will get you ranked on page one, but I guarantee there are some definite areas that you need to look at and fix if you want a fighting chance at beating the competition. These variables are not consistent across all categories and eBay constantly updates them as it learns more about how the buyers search and what they are looking to purchase.

Auction-style listings are treated a bit differently than fixed-priced listings in Best Match search. The main ranking factor for auctions would be time ending soonest. This means that doing research using a tool like Terapeak on "best ending times" is still in effect for this type of listing.

For fixed-priced listings, the main factor is sales-to-impressions ratio, also called "Listing Performance Score." An impression is when a buyer sees a page that includes your listing. Newly listed fixed-priced items get a temporary bump in search to help level the playing field. Also, time recently listed is an important factor for fixed-price listings in the following categories: Art, Antiques, Coins & Paper Money, Collectibles, Dolls & Bears, Pottery & Glass, Toys & Hobbies, Stamps, Sports Memorabilia, Cards & Fan Shop and Entertainment Memorabilia. Hey, I didn't say this was going to be easy.

Grouping identical items into one listing not only helps you save on fees, but it may also increase your sales-to-impressions ratio.

Best Match love
Here are some factors that will help your items get some Best Match love and a possible bump in search:

• Price competitively: You can utilize the completed listings on eBay to find out what successful listings similar to yours are selling for on eBay.
• Shipping cost: This doesn't always mean free shipping, although that helps in many categories. This also has to do with keeping your shipping costs within an acceptible range.
• Impressions versus sales: Grouping identical items into multi-quantity/multi-variation fixed-priced listings not only helps you save money on fees, but it may also increase your sales-to-impressions ratio for your listing.
• Relevancy: This refers to keywords in your title and attributes. My last article talked quite a bit about locating the right keywords to have in your title. You can pick up a refresher course here. Also make sure you fill out as many item attributes as possible using Item Specifics.
• Your seller rating: Seller ratings include Top-rated, Above Standard and Standard. Being a Top-rated seller will give you an increase in search. Now, that doesn't mean that someone who isn't a Top-rated seller won't be ahead of you due to relevancy, pricing, or other factors, but it does give you a competitive advantage.

Even with all of this there is no guarantee, but these are the factors we know are included in how you rank in eBay's Best Match. Your best option right now is to utilize your built-in Store and eBay Reports and completed listings to consistently check on these factors and test them on your inventory. Of course there is another way…

Use the eBay Search Visibility Analysis tool in My eBay to find out how a specific item of yours is being ranked on the first page of search for:

• Price range
• Shipping cost range
• Free shipping (or whether you need to offer this for a page-one bump)
• Format (should you offer auction-style or fixed-priced?)
• Seller rating (for this item, in this category, will being a Top-rated Seller provide you small advantage or a big advantage for showing up on the first page?)
• Catalog product details (is this an item that utilizes features from eBay's catalog?)

Search visibility analysis provides information on factors that affect where your listing ranks in search results.

Condensed blog post from Auctiva Education.

Auctiva is an eBay Certified Solutions Provider offering listing management solutions and features for beginner -to mid-to high-volume eBay sellers.

eBay Certified Provider, Auctiva, Now Supports eBay Motors Parts Compatibility

eBay Certified Provider, Auctiva, Now Supports eBay Motors Parts Compatibility

Benefitting Auctiva eBay Motors Sellers

Parts Compatibility for eBay Motors is a more efficient way for sellers to list vehicle parts and accessories fitting many makes and models. Sellers no longer have to create and manage multiple listings of the same item in order to include the names of all compatible vehicles in the listing title for search exposure.

Instead, sellers can now create one listing describing a single part and add an extensive list of compatible vehicles in the new Compatibility tab eBay added in the listing description. The information included in the Compatibility tab will be searchable.

Listing with parts compatibility also helps buyers find parts that fit their vehicles more easily, because buyers will see more precise search results containing exact parts for their specific vehicle.

Auctiva, an eBay Certified Provider, now fully supports the new eBay Motors Parts Compatibility feature. eBay sellers can quickly create listings with parts compatibility right from Auctiva’s easy One-Page Lister tool. Users can find and select their part using eBay's catalog and compatibility data, or enter the information manually. Read more about Auctiva’s parts compatibility feature in Auctiva's Help section.

Getting the right fit
Parts compatibility listings will allow sellers to focus on describing the item they have for sale and not all the vehicles these parts are compatible with. Before parts compatibility, sellers would often create several listings for one product, knowing that buyers expected to see which vehicles these parts were compatible with in a listing's title.

"You can only fit so much into a title. You can't fit 20 different cars," - explains Mohan Patt, eBay Motors Senior Manager of Product Development. "Our sellers are very creative, so they would create 10 different listings for the same product."

Now sellers can create just one listing, pay one listing fee, focus on the part itself in their title and description, and add the compatibility information from eBay’s catalog or manually enter it. Sellers who use parts compatibility will also get a boost in Best Match.

"We are delighted to provide Auctiva sellers the ability to create these listings fully integrated with all of Auctiva tools. We strive to be the listing tool of choice for eBay sellers, and delivering parts compatibility listing capability is an important part of fulfilling that objective." – said Tony Maxey, Auctiva Senior Product Manager.

More details on the updates included in this latest release are available in this Auctiva Community Forum post.

Auctiva is an eBay Certified Solutions Provider offering listing management solutions and features for beginner -to mid-to high-volume eBay sellers.

How to Sell on eBay: The Things We Wear

How to Sell on eBay: The Things We Wear

Clothing, Shoes & Accessories is one of the top-selling categories on eBay.

If you're like most people, you have clothes in your closet you no longer wear. And it's a good bet there's at least one item lurking in there that still has the tags on it. There's nothing wrong with that. We've all made purchases that we've later had second thoughts about, or bought a garment, stored it away and forgotten about it.

But these pieces don't need to be forgotten forever—especially with millions of potential buyers online who would be happy to give them a new home. So why not try selling them on eBay? We'll help by giving you the background necessary should you decide to try your hand at Clothing, Shoes & Accessories.

You may even venture into your own children's closet, your spouse's or your roommate's—with their permission, of course—to beef up your inventory. As long as you ask them first, you'll have little to lose and plenty to gain.

Hot sellers
Over the years, eBay has become a magnet for bargain seekers of name-brand merchandise, both new and used. So it seems natural the Clothing, Shoes & Accessories category has emerged as one of eBay’s most popular categories.

In recognition of this, eBay recently launched the Fashion site, giving all listings in the category a catalog-style interface.

Almost any type of clothing and accessories will sell on eBay but—as with any category—there are those that will sell better than others.

Plus-size items and petites are also popular online because they can quickly sell out at brick-and-mortar shops, writes Michelle Angell, an eBay seller of more than 10 years and a writer for Examiner.com. And if you have designer threads you no longer use, definitely put these up on eBay.

"Buyers are looking for bargains, and eBay can be a gold mine for those wanting to look fashionable without paying department-store prices," Angell notes.

However, be sure the brand-name items you are offering are genuine. Regardless of the item you sell, though, condition is a major factor.

Conditional love
Just like with a brick-and-mortar shop, buyers are going to pick the pieces that look the best. That means your description and photos are very important. Shoppers don't have the option of grabbing items off the shelf to inspect them or try them on, so you need to be their eyes and hands to keep buyers happy and ensure smooth transactions.

It's important to tell buyers if an item is new (with or without tags), or gently used, and give them plenty of photos so they know the exact condition and details of the piece. Photograph both the front and back of an item, and zoom in on any intricate detailing to ensure buyers see items in their truest form. And be sure to include shots of any imperfections an item may have.

Dazzling descriptions
Titles are prime real estate in the online selling world. You want to use accurate keywords that will tell buyers what you're offering at a glance. That means you not only need to tell them what you're selling, but also the size and material items are made of, right away. And if you can fit it, include the condition as well so buyers know the important details at a glance.

Once you get them to click on your listing, it's time to tell shoppers everything you can about your piece. Again, size is very important to mention. But remember that sizes aren't universal. One brand's size 8 may be another brand's size 10, so grab the measuring tape. It's time to tell buyers the exact measurements. For tops you'll want to note the sleeve length, chest measurement and the full length of the piece. For bottoms, be sure to measure the waist and the inseam. You'll want to provide measurements for accessories as well. How big is that handbag, belt buckle, shoe charm or hair clip?

Shoppers will thank you for this information, because they'll know if an item is likely to fit or not, and you'll do yourself a favor by reducing the likelihood of a return.

Know your market
As with any category, it pays to do some advance legwork before jumping in with both feet. Subscribing to research services such as Terapeak can give an eBay seller valuable insight into keywords, average selling prices and optimum days and times for ending listings, as well as clue them into the most profitable niches.

However, much of this knowledge can be gleaned for free—with only the investment of time—by studying closed and active listings on eBay.

Multi-variations
If you have a lot of the same items in different sizes or colors, you could try creating multi-variation listings. This can be a big money and time saver since you only create one listing for these items instead of multiple. Auctiva recently began supporting eBay’s multi-variation listings format, saving eBay sellers time and money.

Blog post provided by Auctiva Education. Read full blog post here.

Auctiva is an eBay Certified Solutions Provider offering listing management solutions and features for beginner -to mid-to high-volume eBay sellers.

Wondering What (or What Else) to Sell on eBay?

Blog Post by Lisa Suttora from Auctiva Education

Wondering What (or What Else) to Sell on eBay?

How to activate your product sourcing radar

Are you stuck in a product line rut? Are you selling the same things over and over again, but seeing little growth or expansion in your business? Are your product offerings stale and ho-hum?

Perhaps it's time to inject some life back into your business! After all, there are thousands of new products coming into the marketplace each year, yet all too often people find themselves at a loss for how to expand their business.

And without having the products buyers want, all the marketing, selling strategies and customer service in the world won't sell items people aren't interested in. Without enough inventory to sell, you won't see the revenue growth you desire.

So how do you figure out what to sell, or what else to sell?

1. Understand your customer first; then look at what they want to buy

When you understand who your customer is, answering the question of what to sell, or what else to sell, becomes much easier. Unfortunately, many sellers see their customers as "buyers" rather than people who have a reason behind every purchase they make. Taking the time to know your customer will go a long way in helping you figure out what else to sell.

Here are some questions to ask that will help you with that process:

• Who are your customers?
• What are their wants?
• What are their needs?
• What else are they buying?
• Where else do they shop?
• What are the top products they purchased from you and others last year?

For example, are your customers moms who are snapping up everything they can for their newborns? What are their favorite brands? What colors do they like? What new products are they reading about in parenting magazines? What are they talking about? It's the answers to these questions that will help you decide what to sell next.

Keep in mind that these questions apply to every market! Whether you sell baby products or bongos, you need to know who your customers are.

2. Live in the world your buyers live in
Read what they're reading; hang out where they hang out online. Can you name the top consumer publications in your industry? Online or offline, your customers read magazines, Web sites and blogs on a daily basis. Are you there, too? This is where shoppers are getting ideas about products to buy next. Can you list the top blogs or discussion groups that cover your niche market? That's where your customers are talking about their problems, wants and needs, and where they're discussing the latest gadgets and gizmos they want to buy. A client of mine who sells in the boating niche gets 80 percent of his business and his ideas for products to sell by participating in a top recreational boating Yahoo group.

3. What products are they searching for?
As online retailers, we live in a search-driven world. Fortunately, the answer to what products your customers are searching for can be found for free, and is as close as the Google Keywords Tool. Do a search using Broad Match and Phrase Match for your primary keywords and watch as hundreds of related keywords come up. Products you have never thought about selling will suddenly be displayed right before your eyes!

You can also leverage the marketplaces. Spend some time looking on eBay when you're in the product sourcing mindset and you'll find yourself with more ideas for products to sell than time to sell them!

4. Make it your business to be on top of industry trends
Staying on top of industry trends is a fun and exciting process and will infuse your business with ideas for products to sell. Unfortunately, it's one that I find e-tailers often neglect. Do you know about the latest and greatest new products in your market? Are you on top of what's new before your customer is? Do you spend time each week reading industry publications and consumer magazines, and talking to your suppliers about what's hot? Do you attend industry trade shows?

It's in these places that you'll get a plethora of ideas or products to sell and find out what's destined to be the next hot product!

5. Listen to your customers
How often have you received an e-mail from your customer asking if you carry a particular product? Many people might just say, "No, sorry, we don't carry that," and move on. But paying attention to what customers are asking for can be a clue into what you should carry next. WhatDoISell member and eBay seller E.J. Bantz gets some of his best product ideas from his customers.

"They often tell me what they want to buy," he says. "It's my job to then go and source it for them."

6. Get insights from Google Insights
One of my favorite tools for figuring out what to sell next is Terapeak. Terapeak's trending module will lead you to many different opportunities for new products to sell on eBay.

7. Test, test, test!
Before you invest your inventory capital in unproven products, you'll want to test-market new inventory in small quantities. This will allow you to quickly distinguish the winners from the losers. A lot of people source products seasonally. But product sourcing isn't something you can do once a month.

One of the most important steps to being in the Product Sourcing Mindset is to have at least 10 new products in the pipeline at any given time. What you focus on expands, and being in the mindset will ensure you'll have a constant stream of new products flowing into your business.

This blog post has been condensed. Click here to read the full article.

eBay Sellers Can List Faster with Product Details and Certified Providers

List even faster when you use eBay Product Details!

Quickly fill out item descriptions and add photos when listing to eBay with Product Details. Depending on your item and the category you are listing in on eBay, you may be able to include information from our catalogs in your listing, known as product details. Adding product detail information not only makes listing easier, but also helps your items gain added visibility on eBay in our product details page.

Some categories contain items associated with products in our catalogs. If you are listing in one of these categories, you'll be able to add product details along with a stock photo from our catalog to your listing.

Product details can help you create complete listing descriptions that are more visible and appealing to buyers in the categories: Books, Movies, Music, Video Games, Digital Cameras, PDAs and Cell Phones.

Benefits:

• Easier, faster listing
• More complete and detailed descriptions
• Item visibility in product details page—easier for buyers to find your listing
• Can be added to your existing listing templates

eBay Certified Providers provide listing tools supporting product details, thereby allowing you to list even faster, easier and manage your inventory.

Certified Providers work with all levels of eBay sellers from beginners to advanced PowerSellers to online retailers.

Certified Providers:

Kyozou

Mercent

Infopia

Seller Sourcebook

Vendio

Monsoon

ChannelAdvisor

inkFrog

Auctiva

MyStoreMaps Helps eBay Sellers Create Trust and Credibility with Buyers

Blog post from Auctiva Education

A seller's reputation carries a lot of weight when it comes to converting first-time visitors into customers. MyStoreMaps is one company that aims to help merchants build that trust with potential buyers.

MyStoreMaps allows eBay sellers to attach maps to their listings that display the countries and regions to which they have shipped packages in the past. These maps also note the date of a merchant's last shipment and the shipment's destination. Putting this information on a listing can be reassuring for buyers, says company President Brian Lawe, especially among shoppers who live in another country.

"Imagine a buyer from Stockholm looking at two similar items from sellers in Scottsdale and Sacramento," Lawe says. "Both sellers take great pictures, both sellers write great copy, both sellers have clean, professional templates and have nearly identical feedback scores. But let's say the Scottsdale seller uses MyStoreMaps and even sells the exact same item for $1 more. The Stockholm buyer sees the MyStoreMap at the bottom of the Scottsdale seller's listings. It shows the Scottsdale seller has shipped 35 items to Sweden. The Sacramento seller's listing says only 'We ship internationally.' Who do you think the Stockholm buyer will buy from, even for $1 more?

"This kind of information can dramatically alter a buyer's perception of a seller. Not just for international buyers—but also for domestic ones," he adds.


Sellers can use MyStoreMaps for both auction and fixed-priced listings, and choose between attaching a regional or worldwide map to their listings. MyStoreMaps populates maps with markers displaying shipment destinations and maps then loads these onto a seller's listings in 24 hours, updating every two hours. Sellers can manually add past shipments easily. Maps are customizable, so sellers can adjust their colors to keep them in sync with their listings.

The maps have been very helpful for some sellers. eBay seller Doug Sacks says the service provides valuable information and helps his listings stand out from the rest.

"I like the addition of MyStoreMaps to my listings because overseas buyers seem to feel more confident with a seller who has experience in shipping abroad," Sacks notes. "The map clearly shows where you ship to and I believe my sales have increased to certain countries because of MyStoreMaps."

Sandy Hancock, owner and president of It's Good To Be a Girl, says MyStoreMaps is a great resource for sellers.

"What a great way to keep my customers up to date on the latest shipments my company is making," she says. "It shows the diversity of my company in a great graphic presentation."

To add customer maps to your listings, visit www.MyStoreMaps.com.

This article has been shortened. Click here to read the full article.

MyStoreCredit is an eBay Certified Solution Provider delivering a buyer loyalty and rewards program for eBay sellers and PayPal merchants known as, MyStoreRewards. In addition, MyStoreCredit also provides a solution to help sellers reach international buyers with the fun and visual application of MyStoreMaps.

Auctiva Releases Support for eBay's Listings with Variations Format

Auctiva, an eBay Certified Provider and eBay Developers, recently launched support for eBay Listings with Variations or Multi-Variations. Auctiva’s new Multi-Variation Tool builds the option to add variations to a listing right into its One-Page Lister, making the process easier and requiring fewer steps than other tools, says Auctiva Product Analyst Rebecca Miller.

What is eBay Listings with Variations? (also known as Multi-Variations)

Instead of creating a number of separate listings for a product that has a choice of options, you can create a single multi-quantity fixed price listing that includes all the variations you offer. For example, a T-shirt might come in multiple colors and sizes. Buyers can select which variation they want to purchase from the single listing.

Supporting multi-variations was a top priority for Auctiva, says Senior Product Manager Tony Maxey. Customers have been clamoring for multi-variation listing support because it can save them a lot of time and money, since they create one listing with multiple attributes, instead of multiple listings. eBay has also announced that multi-variations will expand into other categories in the future. Currently sellers can create multi-variation listings in Clothing, Shoes & Accessories, as well as Home & Garden.

eBay sellers using Auctiva will find they can create a multi-variation listing just as they would any other, but when they choose an eBay category supporting multi-variations listings, they get a message asking if they want to create a multi-variation listing, and a link to click into the Multi-Variation Tool.

Once a seller clicks on the link, they will be able to create variations by either entering each one manually, or use the Variation Generator. The Variation Generator allows sellers to use up to five attributes and easily generate 120 variations at a time.

Auctiva is an eBay Certified Solutions Provider offering listing management solutions and features for beginner -to mid-to high-volume eBay sellers.

eBay Workshop Feb 25th - "New Auctiva Features to Help eBay Sellers Save Time and Money"

Workshop: New Auctiva Features to Help eBay Sellers Save Time and Money

Host: Auctiva Team

Date: Feb 25th, Thursday

Time: 11AM - Noon PST

Location: eBay Workshop Board

Description:In this workshop, the Auctiva team will introduce us to the new features, enhancements and solutions they created to help eBay sellers increase listing efficiency and save money on fees. Auctiva will also help answer questions and guide eBay sellers on how to use their Auctiva solution for eBay.

Visit http://certifiedprovider.ebay.com/ to learn more about eBay Certified Providers and the services and solutions they offer to help an eBay seller grow their business.

How to Adjust and Update Your eBay Selling Strategies with Tips and Tools from Auctiva

Article from Auctiva Education (Education for eBay Sellers)

More than a week after eBay announced its spring seller update for 2010, many eBay sellers are still digesting the news and trying to make sense of how it will impact their businesses. Major changes on the site will include adjustments to the fee structure on March 30 and phasing out the Store Inventory Format.

If getting a grasp on how you'll be affected by the impending changes is making your head spin, that's understandable. Adjusting to it all will take some time—and some number crunching—but here you'll find a few tools and tips you can enlist to make the transition easier.

Helpful tools

Starting March 30, eBay will allow sellers to list their first 100 auctions for free if they start at less than $1

Keeping this in mind, you might decide to reduce your fees by lowering the start price of your auctions to 99 cents. If you list hundreds of items, this task may seem overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be, especially if you're a user of Auctiva's tools for eBay sellers. The software offers several approaches to edit multiple listings at once.

Bulk Edit: Auctiva's Bulk Edit feature allows you to change the start price of up to 100 saved listings at once—a real time saver for anyone. Think of all the other tasks you could accomplish in the time it would take to do this manually. For instance, you could update your checkout details—something eBay Motor sellers should do in the coming weeks. Remember, come June, eBay will be on the lookout for listings on that site that don't include a handling and return policy.

Auctiva Find & Replace: Luckily, Auctiva's Find & Replace is a handy tool you can use to quickly and easily specify return policies and handling times. (As we've mentioned in previous articles, this requirement doesn't mean you'll have to accept returns, but you will have to let buyers know what your policy is, one way or the other.) This tool is located in Auctiva customers' Saved Listings page and allows users to edit up to 100 listings at once.

Sellers should also think back to any listing upgrades they've added to their listings, such as subtitles. With eBay's Store Inventory Format being eliminated, the subtitle feature will now cost at least $1.50 per listing, and you'll have to consider if the additional cost is worth it to you. If it isn't, the Find & Replace feature will let you edit or delete subtitles for multiple listings at once.

Bulk Live-Listing Revision: Active listings can also be updated right from sellers' Auctiva accounts. Add, remove or change information, such as subtitles and return policies, from live eBay listings using Auctiva's Bulk Live-Listing Revision Tool. This tool is located in Auctiva customers' Active Listings page and allows up to 100 listings to be edited at a time.

Scheduling: But those aren't the only ways you can help your bottom line. If you schedule your listings, consider doing it through Auctiva, since it won't cost you extra. On eBay you'll pay 10 cents a listing for this convenience—$1 if you list on eBay Motors—but this feature is free when you're on one of Auctiva's listing plans. You can also post more than 24 photos with your listings, and get free Supersizing and image security features using Auctiva's tools.

It's natural to feel apprehensive about how the upcoming changes will impact your bottom line. But hopefully now you feel better prepared to tackle what's ahead. March 30 will be here before you know it, so take the horse by the reins and start making the necessary adjustments to your listings.

This article has been condensed. Read the full article here.

eBay Sellers Can Save Time Updating Live eBay Listings in Bulk with Auctiva's Find and Replace (new to eBay's App Store)

Auctiva's new App for eBay, Find and Replace, allows eBay sellers to bulk edit the descriptions of multiple live eBay listings at once. With Auctiva Find and Replace, a seller can search for words or phrases in their listing descriptions, and replace with new content or updated policies.

Sellers can easily update their listings to employ new listing strategies or make changes per eBay policies.

Features:

• Find and replace text in just 1 listing or 1,000 listings
• Edit live eBay listings within minutes
• Search for text by whole-word or partial words
• Change descriptions in some or all of the targeted listings
• Changes are made in accordance with eBay's policies
• Easily undo find-and-replace changes
• Free 24x7 technical support
• International language support
• Completely FREE!

Auctiva's Find & Replace application now available in “My eBay” as part of Selling Manager Applications. Also known as eBay's App Store.

Check out Auctiva's Find & Replace today!

Latest Enhancements to Auctiva's Listing Solution for eBay Sellers

Auctiva, an eBay Certified Solution Provider, has added new features to their software for eBay. The new software enhancements allow eBay sellers to manage more of their eBay selling activities from the Auctiva solution.

Advanced Edit Mode
Edit most fields in your closed listings before relisting them, including title, duration, starting price, reserve price, subtitles, shipping costs, listing format and even category. Save time and preserve your relist credit.

Auto-save
No more losing long descriptions you've worked so hard on. Auctiva will automatically save your work to ensure you won't have to start from scratch if you encounter a problem when creating or editing your listings.

More Templates
Browse through Auctiva's new templates to find the design best suited to your listings and wows buyers at the same time. Auctiva has both holiday themes and others you can use year-round.

International Ship-to Exclusion
Specify the countries you will not ship to when creating a new listing.

Bulk Live-Listing Revision Tool
Revise your active eBay listings right from Auctiva.com. Easily edit the description (including your Seller Details), title, return policy, handling time and more.

New Help Documentation
Quickly find the information you need the most. Auctiva has added new FAQs about their newest features.

For more detailed information from Auctiva about their software update, please read their Auctiva EDU article. eBay sellers with any questions about these new features, or anything else related your Auctiva account, please contact Auctiva's Customer Support team.

Auctiva is an eBay Certified Solutions Provider offering listing management solutions and features for beginner -to mid-to high-volume eBay sellers.

Are Your eBay Listings Holiday-Ready? by Auctiva

Article from Auctiva Education (Education for eBay Sellers)

As the holidays near, buyers will be bombarded with special offers, sales and a bevy of items to choose from. Yes, every seller will be vying for their attention—and that means you have a lot of competition. So now is the time to ensure your listings are in tip-top shape to attract buyers.

Not sure where to begin? Just glance through the following aspects of your listings to make sure your listings pop, entice and give you a very merry selling season.


Try on a new template for size
If you've been to your local mall, or even the mom-and-pop shop down the street, odds are you've seen wreaths, candy canes, twinkle lights or other holiday decorations hanging in the windows as you go by. There's a reason for this: The wintery decor is inviting and it attracts buyers.

The same holds true for eBay listing templates. Templates organize eBay listings into digestible segments, including descriptions, shipping details and payment information, so buyers don't have to read through one massive block of text to find the information they need. It's there at a glance.

Auctiva recently added a number of new themes to its gallery of more than 1,700 eBay listing templates. You could go with a holiday theme, or opt for a template that complements the color of your items.

Try Bing for cha-ching
The Bing Cashback program allows buyers to purchase qualifying items and get a percentage of the item's price as a cash rebate. eBay buyers and sellers have been taking advantage of this program since it began a year ago.

So why not give it a shot? Get full details about Bing Cashback. To qualify for the program, items must be listed with a Buy It Now price, whether you're using the fixed-price or auction format. Be sure to mention the rebate program in your subtitle and description to entice buyers. The cash-back incentive will be very appealing.

Get the Best Match
As we mentioned in an earlier EDU article, relevance is the name of the game with eBay's new Best Match search algorithm. Remember, Best Match tries to show buyers the listings that most closely match what they're looking for, so use focused and appropriate keywords in your titles and descriptions.

"Titles are more important than ever," eBay notes. "Relevant titles will be more important than ever in getting the best position for Fixed-Price listings."

Titles that are too general might get more impressions, or click throughs, but they won't get more sales—and they'll wind up with lower performance scores. Lower scores mean a lower standing in search results.

Also be sure to describe your items accurately; that includes mentioning any minor defects an item may have. The holiday season is no time to surprise your buyers. They should know exactly what they're getting.

Offer free shipping
Budget-conscious shoppers are looking for the best deals this season. Offering free shipping will not only save them money and make them happy, it will give your items a boost in search results.

If you just can't do free shipping, offer the lowest-possible shipping cost. According to eBay, auction-style and fixed-priced listings with excessive shipping will be "demoted" in search results.

Do your research
Yes, prices will definitely matter this holiday season, so take a look at other listings to find out what similar items are going for. Buyers will certainly be doing this, even as the economy starts to improve. In fact, comparison shopping is expected to be the norm in the coming weeks, as shoppers look to buy items for all the people on their holiday lists.

Make use of that camera
Good photos and lots of them can promote trust with buyers. Remember that Auctiva lets you add more than 24 images to your listings.

Make sure photos are clear and detailed. A white background is always a good idea, as is taking photos in direct light to get good images. A picture really is worth a thousand words when it comes to selling online.

Find the right format

Lastly, your selling format will matter, too. It may seem difficult to decide if you should list your items in the fixed-priced or auction style, but there are some guidelines.

Auctions typically work well for one-of-a-kind products such as collectibles and antiques. It's also a good option if you don't know the value of an item. This could prevent you from over-pricing a product, since buyers will determine its worth. And you don't want to over-price your items. Buyers will be looking for deals, and so will Best Match.

However, if you have several of the same or similar items, and you can compare your item to others to determine its value, opt for fixed-priced. While several factors go into determining your standing in Best Match search results, Best Match will follow these guidelines.

So take one more good look at your listings to make sure they'll grab buyers' attention, and let the selling begin. Hope you have your packing supplies ready. You'll need them soon enough. Enjoy the sales.

This article has been condensed. Read the full article here.

Increase Sales and Use "Make an Offer" on Fixed Price Listings - by Auctiva

Article from Auctiva Education (Education for eBay Sellers)

Whenever I think about eBay's Make an Offer option, it brings to mind Clint Eastwood's classic "Dirty Harry" movie line, "Go ahead, make my day." Only now I'm saying to my potential eBay customers, "Go ahead and make me an offer!"

Today, I want to encourage all eBay sellers using the fixed-price/Buy It Now format to include Make an Offer. Don't worry about your bottom line suffering. There's no additional eBay fee to add this option to your listing. It hurts nothing, and you can always decline an offer by including a friendly note to the buyer.

I've gotten a few e-mails lately from worried sellers who are not making sales. When I venture into their listings, I often find they have many items that are overpriced that don't include the Make an Offer option.

Sellers, please keep in mind this advice from eBay University: "Think like a buyer!" Particularly now, when shoppers are spending more time looking for bargains online, showing that you're flexible about pricing can work in your favor.

Say you're in the market to buy an item and you see the item priced high from two people, but one of them has the Make an Offer option. Chances are, you are indeed going to "make an offer" to the seller who clearly wants your business, and you are going to walk away from the other one. Which seller would you rather be?

Take the positive approach
Now, occasionally, someone will make an offer that seems silly and unreasonable. So what? It happens. You may feel insulted, but I suggest you turn it around into a social, future customer opportunity!

Write them back with a decline or counteroffer and include a note, something like: "I sure wish I could sell it to you for that price. Heck, I wish I bought it myself at that price! I can't blame you for trying, but realistically, I can't let it go that low."

Communicating instead of ignoring those offers is simply good business practice. It's a golden opportunity to open up the lines of communication and establish a future or repeat customer.

Encourage bidders to make your day by including Make an Offer in all your fixed-price listings.

This article has been condensed. Read the full article here.

Be Memorable - Use Effective and Creative Design on eBay

eBay Sellers can stand out from the crowd by creating a recognizable brand. eBay buyers, especially previous purchasers, should be able to remember a seller, who they are, what they offer, quality of their products and customer support. Sellers can attract buyer attention and provide assurances with a professionally designed listing on eBay.

The new item page on eBay still allows sellers the opportunity to get creative and stand out! Sellers can preview their custom designed listing templates and see how their template “fits”.

Great design not only creates a professional presence when selling online, but also establishes a recognizable brand. Buyers will be more likely to remember “who you are” with unique and memorable design.

Benefits:

• Create effective design
• Build a recognizable name/brand on eBay to suit your target buyer
• Compete effectively with your competition
• Establish professionalism and quality of your business and items for increase sales

Consider enlisting effective design and marketing services of an eBay Certified Provider to help grow your current eBay business. eBay Certified Providers work with all levels of eBay sellers from beginners to advanced PowerSellers to online retailers.

Certified Providers:

Custom Design
As Was

Pre-designed eBay Listing Templates
Seller Sourcebook
Vendio
Auctiva
inkFrog

eBay Certified Provider Fair - Helps Build eBay Customer Support Awareness of 3rd Party Services and Solutions

eBay held its sixth Certified Provider Fair at the eBay Customer Support center in Salt Lake City, UT. The purpose of the event is to expose Customer Support employees at eBay to the software and services available to the eBay Community from external eBay partners qualified to be an eBay Certified Provider.

Over 300 eBay employees attended and viewed product demos, discussed each solution and relayed ideas and feedback on what their eBay sellers needs are. Lots of interest at the Certified Provider Fair on how Certified Providers support SR2 and help sellers adapt and succeed with the new changes.

• Selling Manager Applications
• Bulk revising of all listings to include Return Policy & Handling Time
• Shipping and tracking automation in My eBay

eBay Customer Support teams were impressed at the range of software and services available to help eBay sellers be more efficient and successful -

• business and strategy consulting
• shipping automation for multiple carriers
• customer relationship management
• market research
• listing solutions
• and more!

Certified Providers in attendance:

1. Vendio
2. ShipWorks
3. Auctiva
4. Seller Sourcebook
5. Worldwide Brands
6. Terapeak
7. inkFrog
8. ShipRush
9. Monsoon
10. Selling Manager Applications from eBay Developers Program Team

To learn more about the tools and services from eBay Certified Providers, check out the Certified Provider website.

Click here to view photos from the Certified Provider Fair.

eBay Seller Finds Success Sourcing Inventory with Doba and Managing eBay Listings with Auctiva

Article from Auctiva Education - powerful information for online sellers

To Sherri England of Melrose Best Buy Family Outlet (eBay Store) , there's a certain joy that comes with being able to offer bargain prices for high-quality, name-brand goods people might otherwise be unable to afford.

"It makes me feel good to know I can list items that I get at near-wholesale prices and pass on the savings to buyers," she says.

It's also satisfying that, in doing so, England has grown her business beyond her expectations without sacrificing profits. But the best part, for her money, is that by using the drop-ship sourcing service of Doba, she doesn't have to manage the inventory, or deal with the listing details and delivery logistics.

England has more than doubled her monthly sales on eBay since signing up for Doba's Advanced package five months ago. She first heard about the sourcing service on an eBay Radio broadcast and decided to try the company's free trial after supplies from her overseas source became scarce.

Though Doba's pricing is not as low as having a direct manufacturing source, England finds the drop-shipping service to be cost-competitive and more suited to her needs than other sourcing sites she's tried.

Doba does everything," she says. "It's convenient, because you can push a product to your page without having to buy it first and you can sell items in individual quantities or case lots.

"You do have to watch your inventory lists and check Doba each day and night to see how much quantity is in stock, but Doba provides a listing tool that helps you see right away if something has sold out," she explains.

The one drawback, England notes, is that products sourced through Doba may only be shipped within the 48 contiguous United States. But even for merchants who sell internationally, Doba is still "a good way to supplement other merchandise you already have," she offers.

Because there's no startup investment beyond the membership fee, drop shipping can be a low-risk way for online merchants to expand their product sources. By leaving inventory handling to the drop-ship supplier, sellers can spend more time on product research, marketing, customer service and managing their businesses.

However, drop-ship order fees can cut into your profits, and there's always a risk that hot-selling products will sell out. That's why some sellers opt to work directly with product wholesalers or manufacturers.

But if negotiating with individual suppliers, and purchasing and storing pallets or cases of inventory isn't an attractive option, drop shipping can be a convenient, flexible and profitable alternative. Product sourcing marketplaces, such as Doba, offer customers access to millions of products from thousands of vetted suppliers of brand-name merchandise at competitive wholesale prices.

"We’ve designed our service so that even beginners in online retail can run a successful business," says Brandon Delgrosso, Doba's executive vice president. "Doba is a quick, easy, risk-free way to get started selling online."

"There's still so much to learn," England adds. "But one thing about Doba that's so amazing is they have an education component designed to help sellers be successful with their online businesses. That's so important—I was very happy to know they care about our success.

"I think using Doba selling with Auctiva is a fantastic combination," - Sherri England.

Read the full article titled "Source of Happiness"

About Auctiva - Auctiva is an eBay Certified Solutions Provider offering listing management solutions and features for beginner -to mid-to high-volume eBay sellers.

About Doba - Doba is a product sourcing company connecting eBay sellers and small online retailers with drop ship distributors, manufacturers and wholesalers. Doba is a member of the Better Business Bureau and has been an eBay Certified Service Provider since 2004. To learn more about Doba, check out the FREE 14-day trial membership.

Auctiva Releases New Bulk Listing-Revision Tool for eBay

Auctiva, an eBay Certified Solution Provider, recently announced new enhancements and features to their software for eBay. The new software enhancements allow eBay sellers to manage more of their selling activities with Auctiva.

Auctiva has added new features to provide better functionality and help for eBay sellers as they update listings and selling strategies to adapt to the upcoming eBay policy changes, which take effect later this month. (September).

"Our Auctiva development team tries hard to find ways to help customers be more productive, sell more in their eBay businesses and save money...," - Tony Maxey, Auctiva Product Manager. "We're introducing several new features in this update that many customers have asked us for."

New Features:

• Bulk Listing-Revision Tool - the new tool will help eBay sellers edit, revise and update their listings quickly and easily to comply with eBay's new policies

"This bulk revision feature will come in handy for all of our users who want the ease of changing one listing or 100, without having to log directly into eBay and revise each listing, one at a time," - Rebecca Miller, Auctiva Product Analyst.

• Print Packing Slips - generate and print packing slips with your business logo
• Spell Check - functionality added to Auctiva's listing tool for eBay

For more details on Auctiva's software enhancements, check out their Auctiva Education and Auctiva Community Forums.

Auctiva is an eBay Certified Solutions Provider offering listing management solutions and features for beginner -to mid-to high-volume eBay sellers.

Stand Out from the Crowd on eBay with Great Design

Stand out from the crowd on eBay by creating a recognizable brand. eBay buyers, especially previous purchasers, should be able to remember who you are, what you offer, quality of products and customer support. You can attract buyer attention and provide assurances with a professionally designed listing on eBay.

The new item page on eBay still allows sellers the opportunity to get creative and stand out! Preview your custom designed listing templates and see how your template "fits".

Great design not only creates a professional presence when selling online, but also establishes a recognizable brand. Buyers will be more likely to remember "who you are" with unique and memorable design.

Benefits:

• Create effective design
• Build a recognizable name/brand on eBay to suit your target buyer
• Compete effectively with your competition
• Establish professionalism and quality of your business and items

Consider enlisting effective design and marketing services of an eBay Certified Provider to help grow your current eBay business. eBay Certified Providers work with all levels of eBay sellers from beginners to advanced PowerSellers to online retailers.

Certified Providers:
Custom Design

As Was

Pre-designed eBay Listing Templates

Seller Sourcebook

Vendio

Auctiva

inkFrog