eBay Workshop August 17th - "Holiday Sales 2010: Tips & Prep for a Successful Selling Season"

Topic: "Holiday Sales 2010: Tips & Prep for a Successful Selling Season"

Host: Lisa Suttora , ecommerce strategist and Founder/CEO of WhatDoISell.com

Date: Tuesday, August 17th

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

Location: eBay Workshop Board

Description: Holiday profits come to those who are prepared, and now is the time to gear up! From inventory selection to marketing there’s a lot to do over the next few months to maximize your holiday sales.

Please join Lisa Suttora, Founder & CEO of WhatDoISell, and learn how to showcase your best holiday inventory, how to reposition “everyday” inventory into hot holiday sellers and creative ways to market your merchandise this holiday season!

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.

Thanks,

Ginger

eBay Certified Provider Program

http://certifiedprovider.ebay.com/

Preparing for the Back-to-School Sales Rush on eBay

Back-to-School is just around the corner. According to the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), American consumers will be spending $38.4 billion on back-to-school merchandise in 2010. Meanwhile, the National Federation of Retailers are pegging it at a higher amount, approximately $55.12 billion with each American family spending $606.40.

Here are some tips for starting your eBay marketing campaign for back-to-school season:

• Discounts. Discounts. Discounts. One of the prime reasons consumers will want to buy from you is because you are offering a good deal. Create promos for products, give special discounts on themed items and offer savings on bulk shipping.
• Advertise early. Back-to-School season marks a big event for most retailers. It is also the start of the third quarter of the year as well as the fall season. Several advertisers will start their online marketing efforts early and so should you. The second week of July is the ideal time to start. (Start now!)
• Communicate to your customers why they should buy from you. Competition can be tough and the big retailers will definitely be your major contenders for school supplies and other must-haves. So, hype on what makes your eBay store/inventory different – be it the price or your delivery options.
• Target the right audience. During Back-to-School season, you actually have two major audiences: the students and the parents. Between the two, it’s the parents that have control of the budget, but do not discount the purchasing power of the students.
• Highlight the right products. School bags, backpacks, shoes, shirts and school supplies are the top sellers during this season. Make sure you are offering a good deal on the bare necessities such as pens and paper products.

Happy selling!

Article from the Shopster blog

Shopster is an eBay Certified Solutions Provider providing additional product and inventory for eBay sellers through drop shipping. Shopster has customers in 22 countries and provides full service drop shipping to both the United States and Canada.

The Pivot Points in Your Online Business (Critical Points Where You Must Make a Change in Your Strategy)

For those living in the U.S. the 4th of July is a long holiday weekend – but for eBay and online sellers July 4th is a “Pivot Point” for your 2010 online sales.

In sports, a pivot point can set an athlete up to make the winning shot or run the distance for a touchdown. In business, “Pivot Points” are critical points where you MUST make a turn in your strategy in order to stay AHEAD of the needs of your online buyers.

I first identified the concept of Pivot Points(tm) in my own business back in 2002.

I realized that there had been several selling opportunities I’d missed because I wasn’t prepared. I started charting these Pivot Points on my business calendar my first year in business so that the following year they didn’t sneak up on me OR even worse, I didn’t miss them completely.

From that point on, JULY 4th was one of the most important Pivot Points in my online sales success. In fact, by acting on that one Pivot Point alone, I more than doubled my holiday sales that following year.

The next Pivot Point for etailers is the change of focus from summer sales to planning for fall and holiday sales.

So even though you’re currently in the middle of summer sales – it’s time to TAKE ACTION on this Pivot Point and shift a part of your attention to prepping for what you’ll sell this fall.

Here are Your Pivot Point Actions
==> The Back-to-School selling season starts July 5th.
==> 69% of holiday shoppers START their holiday shopping in SEPTEMBER.

Pivot Point Action #1: Take a look at what Back-to-School related merchandise (or information) you are selling. The beginning of July is the time to move that merchandise front & center. You have to start advertising this merchandise now. Capture the early bird sales. Don’t wait for the procrastination shoppers. Or you’ll lose a ton of income.

Pivot Point Action #2: What Fall/Holiday merchandise do you CURRENTLY have in your inventory? Start grouping that merchandise together on a spreadsheet so you can see where the gaps in your inventory are and determine what inventory buys you want to make this month. If you wait to order holiday merchandise, your suppliers will be sold out of their hot selling seasonal merchandise by Sept.

Benjamin Franklin, a very successful entrepreneur in his own right once said: “By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail.” Taking action at Pivot Points will prepare you to SUCCEED!'

Instead of chasing the seasonal sales, start early with preparation and watch your sales soar while others are playing catch up!

Blog post by Lisa Suttora, CEO & Founder of WhatDoISell.com

Since 2004, Lisa Suttora of WhatDoISell.com has provided thousands of online sellers with the skills, knowledge and support they need to build a unique, thriving business on eBay.

11 Hot Selling Holidays eBay Sellers Should Be Ready For (April - June) by Lisa Suttora

Article by Lisa Suttora, CEO & Founder of WhatDoISell.com

You may think that the “holiday selling season” runs November-December, but take a look below and you’ll be surprised at all the selling opportunities you have for your online business coming up in the next few months. No matter what you sell or where you sell it, capitalizing on these HOT spring and summer selling seasons can make a huge difference in your income during the 2nd quarter of the year! From April to June there are 11 different selling holidays that you’ll want to ramp up for! Miss these and you’ll leave money on the table…

April
April may be the kickoff to spring, but in the world of online sales, there’s a whole lot of shopping goin’ on!

• Bathing suit season: It’s still too chilly to wear them but sales of bathing suits are skyrocketing now. In fact, shoppers who wait much past May will find that all the best selection is gone! If you sell beachwear, it’s time to get it on your store homepage
• Prom wear: Online searches for prom wear are on the rise this month. Even though most proms don’ t happen until late May or early June, prom wear sales are increasing quickly with online searches up 60-80% from last month according to Google Insights
• Wedding season: Wedding season is in full swing as we approach June, one of the biggest wedding months of the year!
• April 4th: Easter: Easter is April 4th. And there is still time to make last minute sales. According to BIGResearch the average amount Easter shoppers are expected to spend is $118.60, slightly up from the 2009 average of $116.59.
  April 22nd: Earth Day: Earth Day is April 22nd and sales of eco-friendly and green products abound during this time. Don’t just look to sell traditionally “green” products. Look for the green in everything you sell. A bicycle is not only for entertainment and exercise, it is an eco-friendly way for your customers to commute to work or around town.

May
But that’s not all people are buying…

Bathing suit, prom wear and wedding season continue, but Mom boosts the sales this month!

• Sales of summer products ramp sharply in May (and June): Products for outdoor activities, clothing and outdoor living products for the home. Don’t wait until June to feature these in your store or you’ll lose a lot of sales!
• May 4th: National Teachers Day. A week long celebration honoring teachers, if you sell gifts and decorative accessories your store should have a promotion around National Teacher’s Day.
• May 9th: Mother’s Day: Mother’s Day is one of the biggest spending holidays of the year. Because it’s not just about buying a gift for your mom… there are grandmas, aunts, nieces, friends, co-workers and friends who are like a mom, who will all be getting gifts on this holiday too. Recognize all the moms in your store promotions and you’re sure to increase sales!
• May 31st: Memorial Day: It vacation time, camping time, fun in the summer time and your last chance to make big inroads in summer product sales!

June

• June: Graduation. Grade school, middle-school, high-school, college and technical college – sales of graduation gifts increase in May and June! And don’t forget the little ones! Pre-school graduation parties are all the rage. What do you sell that would make a perfect gift for the graduate?
• June 20th: Father’s Day: Dad doesn’t fare quite as well as mom when it comes to Father’s Day spending but Father’s Day gift shoppers will be out in full force. Put together a Top 10 Father’s Day gift list and watch your sales of those products soar!
• June: 4th of July products: Remember the majority of product sales happen in advance of the holiday, so if you wait until July to pull out the red,white and blue – you’ve just lost sales to the savvy seller who merchandised their 4th of July products in June. So get those 4th of July products out early, so your inventory is sold out come July.\

As you can see there’s a whole lot of selling you can do from April through June! So it’s time to get out there and capitalize on these spring and summer holiday selling seasons. Looking for creative ideas on how to merchandise your products or source products for these selling seasons? You’ll find them in the WhatDoISell Business Growth Center!

Since 2004, Lisa Suttora of WhatDoISell.com has provided thousands of online sellers with the skills, knowledge and support they need to build a unique, thriving business on eBay.

eBay Certified Provider KYOZOU Helps Sellers Maximize Efficiency

eBay Certified Provider Spotlight

Kyozou is a full featured listing management solution helping eBay sellers to automate and organize many aspects of their eBay business, other online channels and their brick-and-mortar store.

Many of eBay’s larger sellers (Gold, Platinum, Titanium and Diamond) use a solution such as Kyozou. Kyozou allows for multi-channel inventory management, online ad creation, shopping comparison site feeds and all post-sale activities (on eBay and other channels).

Kyozou's Unique Features -
1. Consignment
Unique tools and features for consignment and Trading Assistant sellers allowing them to track their consignors, sales, commissions and even print checks.

2. Multiple Location and Warehouse Management
Supports inventory management, tracking and shipping from multiple warehouse locations. Know which warehouse has the product and ship direct from that warehouse location to the buyer.

3. Bar coded inventory and warehouse management system
Kyozou supports the most common and easy to find printers and barcode scanners on the market. Allowing sellers to easily scan in inventory and manage sales with current bar coding products or system.

4. Kyozou Widget
Kyozou’s Widget allows all eBay sellers to promote their products across many online forums, social networking sites, blogs, etc…

Benefits of Kyozou:

• Sell more efficiently
• Automated integration with online marketing venues
• Single shopping cart integration over multiple selling venues
• Supports Third Party Checkout for eBay
• Free auction templates, counters, galleries and web hosting
• Automated integration with online marketing venues
• Multi-user access and live production monitoring
• Multiple currencies, languages and international tax profiling
• All major payment and shipping carriers supported
• Ship with ease and keep track of all shipments from multiple warehouse/store locations

eBay sellers looking for a tool with comprehensive multi-channel listing and inventory management should look into Kyozou.

Sales – Contact Kyozou through sales@kyozou.com or by calling toll-free at 1-877-596-9681.

Sellers can request a live Demo of Kyozou - http://www.kyozou.com/request-a-demo.asp

Kyozou provides a robust application to help eBay sellers manage their sales online and offline while increasing efficiency.

eBay Seller HelloBaby Grows Business with Terapeak Research

Article from the Terapeak Blog

A Terapeak interview with Trevor Ginn of Hello Baby (http://stores.ebay.co.uk/hellobabydirect)

How long have you been selling on eBay?
I’ve been selling on eBay as Hellobabydirect for about 18 months. Before that I was working for Auctioning4u who were the UK’s largest eBay trading assistants. All in all I’ve been selling on eBay as a business for about 4 years.

What got you started there?
At Auctioning4u I provided consulting services to businesses to help them use eBay as a sales channel. With online sales experiencing strong growth most of my clients were doing pretty well, much better than me it seemed. I was itching to give it a go as I was sure I could build a successful online retailing business.

I choose baby products as my research showed that the industry had healthy margins and was not as competitive as areas like electronics. I also wanted to be in an industry which I knew something about (my first daughter had just been born), was largely non seasonable and mostly recession proof.

What sort of things do you like to sell?
We sell a wide range of baby and nursery items. Items range from small toys nursery and baby safety items like safety catches to larger, more expensive items like prams and cots. We sell a lot of our items internationally, especially to Europe as the strong Euro makes our products good value for our friends in the Eurozone. We sell on eBay and other online channels.

How do you use Terapeak to help build your business?
We use Terapeak to research products and also to investigate the tactics and best selling product of our competitors. eBay data, provided by Terapeak, is the only source I know of actual sales data about online sales. Other, very expensive, reports from companies like Mintel make broad statements about market sectors, but this is not much use when a merchant is looking to make purchasing decision at the brand or product level.

When we are analyzing new products we will use a product search on that particular brand to establish what items are selling well and then drill down to individual products to establish average selling prices. We then put the sales data into a spreadsheet which allows us to calculate the profit we can make from selling the item by taking into account cost like sales tax, PayPal and eBay fees. This process saves us from buying product for which the market is very competitive and there are poor margins.

We also make extensive use of the seller report. This allows us to see the products which our competitors are selling successfully and how their business is performing.

Terapeak Tips from Matt – What else Hello Baby can do to build their business using research?

Trevor mentioned a good portion of his business is targeted at international marketplaces. A lack of availability for products in certain regions can create excellent opportunities to sell your goods for a higher price. Terapeak’s International Report compares statistics for 6 eBay marketplaces around the world including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany and Australia.

The International report provides charts detailing buyer and seller location and helps identify which eBay site represents the highest potential margin.

I (Matt with Terapeak) would recommend Trevor try using the International report for some of his products and see if he can expand his offerings into more eBay sites around the world.

Terapeak is an eBay Certified Provider and a member of the eBay Market Data Program. Terapeak 5.0 is a full, web-based solution providing real-time market research and data analytics on eBay. Terapeak 5.0 provides eBay sellers and buyers with two years worth of trending data.

Increase Sales and Reduce Labor Costs with Custom Development by JDT Technologies

eBay Certified Provider Spotlight

JDT Technologies provides consulting services and custom eBay programming to help high-volume sellers achieve the next level of success. JDT can integrate eBay and other channels listing and post auction processes with your inventory, sales order/fulfillment, CRM or accounting solution.

Features:

• Custom eBay operation software operating in real-time
• Connect eBay listings to your product data
• Accurately tie and track inventory across multiple channels (online and retail)
• Create an order fulfillment and shipment system for your business
• Connect eBay sales to your accounting system/software

Benefits:

• Stick to the platform of your choice
• Implement your business rules
• Increase revenue
• Decrease costs and inefficiencies
• Integrate with your internal or partner systems
• Increase sales and get a custom shipping calculator with a custom built checkout solution
• Create a custom solution from the ground up
• Create a solution to work with current eBay tools
• Create a solution to integrate with current retail business operational solutions

eBay sellers interested in having a custom solution built for their eBay, ecommerce and retail business can look into contacting JDT.

How to contact JDT Technologies for a free consultation

• Phone - 800-252-5519
• Email - info@jdttech.com
• Webform - http://www.jdttech.com/contact.html

Check out JDT Technologies work with eBay sellers and the success of their custom solutions for each unique business.

Three Lessons to Learn When eBay Sellers Look Back on 2009

Blog post provided by Infopia

The economic slump of 2008-09 has taught internet retailers valuable lessons to take into 2010.
When resources became slim, business owners learned how to make much more out of much less.

This all reminds me of a story: A wise high school teacher once told her class about her days of a poor new college graduate starting out her new life on her own. She beamed as she told her students stories of painting cinder blocks to use as side tables, pleating sheets for drapes in her new apartment and creating over 20 recipes to make with ramen noodles. She told her students that the creativity and ingenuity she gained with the experience was invaluable. A student raised his hand to ask, “Would you want to go back and live that way again?” She replied, “No way! But, I’d never want to take that past experience back.”

Many internet retailers may one day feel the same way about 2009 and the economic slow down that preceded. Here are a few lessons to take with you into 2010.

1. Low Shipping Fees are Imperative to Staying Competitive
The recent economy has changed the way that online shoppers buy. Even as the economy recovers, online shopping will still trend this way. Online retailers have become leaders in the battle against traditional brick and mortar stores. One of the factors that contributes to the success is the ability for shoppers to compare rates. Shipping cost has become a large factor in this comparison. Many online retailers have implemented lower cost shipping methods to stay competitive.

2. Cost Control
What business expenses can be cut? What costs can be negotiated? Retail rent space, packaging materials, contractor fees, etc. can all be negotiated. Many internet retailers had to negotiate costs out of necessity. If you don’t ask, you don’t know if you are getting the best cost. Now that retailers have been forced to make these types of requests, they are able to be sure that they are getting the best price in the future.

3. Customer service is priceless
We have all heard the age old saying, ” the customer is key.” Many internet retailers have learned how to retain their customers with email marketing and loyalty programs. Converting new customers has been more difficult in the recession. Competition has driven many retailers to use excellent prices and promotions for hot items. Benefit descriptions and promotional banners also helped internet retailers in 2009 to beat their competitors.

Founded in 1999, Infopia provides (Software as a Service) eCommerce solutions—helping eBay sellers grow their business efficiently and effectively.

5 Tips to Prepare for a Successful 2010 - eBay Radio with WhatDoISell.com

Listen on eBay Radio as Lisa Suttora, CEO & Founder of WhatDoISell.com, shares her insights and tips on how eBay sellers can create a prosperous 2010!

“5 Tips to Prepare for a Successful 2010”

• Look back at 2009 and assess your business
• Review your financials and create goals
• Organize inventory and workspace
• Analyze inventory and reprice or remove slow selling items
• Find new or fresh products and expand in your current niche

Check out www.bizplan2010.com to receive these tips and more from Lisa Suttora. Lisa's Top 10 Tips for a Successful eCommerce Business.

Since 2004, Lisa Suttora of WhatDoISell.com has provided thousands of online sellers with the skills, knowledge and support they need to build a unique, thriving business on eBay.

eBay Certified Provider Spotlight - INFOPIA

Infopia is an eBay Certified Solution Provider providing a comprehensive tool/solution for ecommerce retailers and eBay sellers since 1999.

Many of eBay’s larger sellers (Gold, Platinum, Titanium and Diamond) use a solution such as Infopia. Infopia helps sellers prevent overselling through accurately managed inventory for multiple locations and channels. Infopia allows for multi-channel inventory management, and enables sellers to create set automated listing rules or strategies.

Unique features to Infopia's multi-channel solutions are:

1. Salesforce integration
   Create a 360 degree view of your buyer. Know who your buyer is, issues they may have had with your product, spending habits and create targeted marketing for increase in repeat purchases.
2. Configurator
   Infopia is the only company with the ability and is allowed by eBay to offer the Configurator. Basically the Configurator allows an eBay buyer to custom create an eBay listing to their specifications. Think creating a computer and picking the accessories and upgrades you want.
3. Trade-In Program
   Sellers can take advantage of Infopia’s trade-in program capabilities and accept previously owned items and put the value of that item toward a new purchase on eBay. Example, a seller can accept trade-in of an old golf club from a buyer and give the buyer cash or credit it toward their new golf club purchase on eBay.

Infopia centralizes and automates an eBay seller’s business through a single all-in-one solution:

• Manage listings and descriptions from a single inventory database
• Supports eBay checkout
• Immediate Payment for Fixed Price listings
• Manage order processing, including checkout, payment, authorization and more
• Manage shipping with integrations for UPS, FedEx, USPS and Endicia

Benefits of Infopia:

• Centralize your multi-channel business in one place
• Reduce UPIs
• Attract customers with custom, configurable listings
• Expand buyer base with the Infopia trade-in system
• Maximize your profit potential with detailed analytics
• Automate online business management

eCommerce sellers interested in using a solution such as Infopia to manage their business can contact the Certified Provider and decide if they offer the right tool for their business.

Founded in 1999, Infopia provides (Software as a Service) eCommerce solutions—helping eBay sellers grow their business efficiently and effectively.

New to eBay Selling Manager Applications is Research for eBay by Vendio.

New to eBay Selling Manager Applications is Research for eBay, by Vendio.

Selling more profitably is simple with Research for eBay. For nearly 8 years

Research for eBay from Vendio has given smart sellers the upper hand in the eBay Marketplace. Now eBay sellers can access this powerful research tool within their eBay account! Research for eBay is an application sellers can subscribe to and add to their "My eBay" as part of Selling Manager Applications.

With Research for eBay, eBay sellers will know which items to sell, when to list them, how to list them, and which keywords to use in the listing.

Benefits of Research for eBay:

• Know what, when, and how to list items to for the best sales
• Retrieve accurate data from proprietary clustering technology
• Determine which keywords drive the highest amount of traffic to your listings
• Watch your competitors and stay ahead by learning their strategy
• eBay Motors and Parts and Accessories data included at no additional cost

Research for eBay can increase the sales volume of your eBay listings and reduce relisting costs. Know what to sell, how much it may sell for, when to sell it and how to market the item all before you list. Save time and money.

Below are screenshots of Research for eBay in action. Take a look.


An eBay Certified Solutions Provider since 2004, Vendio provides an ecommerce solution for eBay sellers of all sizes. Vendio offers a series of applications which can be installed on a standalone basis or used to extend the functionality of the Vendio's eBay listing and inventory management solution.

Vendio now brings eBay sellers Research for eBay as part of the eBay Selling Manager Applications feature. Checkout Research for eBay!

Infopia on eBay Radio - Enhancing a Multi-Channel Solution

Listen on eBay Radio as Infopia discusses new enhancements and upgrades made to their all-in-one solution automating eBay sellers and online merchants businesses.

New Enhancements

• Upgrades to Third Party Checkout
• Integrated with PayPal Express Checkout
• Faster eBay listing with eBay Product Catalog integration
• Sales History Maintenance (improve eBay rankings and visibility)
• Full customer history records with Salesforce

Founded in 1999, Infopia provides (Software as a Service) eCommerce solutions—helping eBay sellers grow their business efficiently and effectively.

Proof - How eBay Research Improves Sales and Success by Terapeak

Article by Terapeak

Terapeak Case Study: The proof is in the product!

Over the past several months, Terapeak has been conducting studies that analyze the impact of market research on eBay sellers’ sales and success rate. We’re very grateful to all those who participated, and with the results from our first group of sellers now compiled, we’re excited to present the outcomes!

A little background first: the group of sellers was selected randomly, and features sellers specializing in collectibles, home safety products, antiques and more. Eight performance indicators were tracked for three months for each seller. Statistics related to each indicator were compared on a pre- and post-Terapeak basis, and were then used to determine a percentage of growth or decline.

Some sellers showed improvement in nearly every business facet, while the improvement of others focused on specific statistics. And when averaged across the entire group, every indicator showed at least some improvement.

Here’s a breakdown of the group averages and best results:

As you can see, those are some pretty impressive numbers!

Read the full Terapeak article here.

Terapeak is an eBay Certified Provider and a member of the eBay Market Data Program. Terapeak 5.0 is a web-based solution providing real-time market research and data analytics on eBay. Terapeak 5.0 provides eBay sellers and buyers with two years worth of trending data.

5 Costly Mistakes that Put the Scrooge in Your Online Holiday Sales - by WhatDoISell.com

5 Costly Mistakes that Put the Scrooge in Your Online Holiday Sales - By Lisa Suttora, Founder & CEO of WhatDoISell.com

Selling online this holiday season?

If so, then you don’t want to fall into these 5 common traps that many online sellers make… (they’ll put the “Scrooge” in your online sales.)
1. Not preparing your website/online store to look like Christmas.

Imagine what your local mall would feel like during the holiday season WITHOUT all those holiday bells and whistles.

It certainly wouldn’t get you in the holiday spirit would it?

Yet frequently, online sellers do nothing to prepare their stores with a holiday look & feel. If you want potential holiday shoppers to stop and shop on your website, you need to let them know that you are dialed-in and ready for the holiday season.

This doesn’t have to cost an arm & a leg either – there are things you can do to bring the spirit of the season (and the sales) to your website for less than the cost of a dinner out. I talk about several ways to do this in my 2009 Holiday Season Checklist audio training.

2. Merchandising too late.

You cannot, I repeat CANNOT wait until December to start featuring your holiday merchandise.

Otherwise it will simply be TOO late in the season to pick up anything but last minute sales.

3. If you sell on eBay, in order to get the best visibility for your products you need to mix up your listing formats.

If you’ve been selling everything in a Fixed Price Multi-Quantity Format, it’s time to relist or list some new merchandise in a 7 day fixed price format.

4. Not collecting email addresses of your customers.

This is probably one of the most business devastating mistakes I see people make during the holidays.

I recently worked with a client who sold almost 800 items last year during the months of Sept – Dec. and hadn’t tracked any of those customer’s email addresses. That’s 800 people who they never followed up with again!

Now there are certain legalities that you need to be aware of in order to do this so that you’ll be in compliance with the CAN SPAM email laws – but when done correctly, a simple year-end email can build an ongoing relationship with your customers for the following year.

5. Telling your customers what you can’t/won’t do instead of what you CAN do. Nobody likes to be told “We don’t do this or No, you can’t have that.”
Well the same goes for your holiday customers. It’s all in how you say it.

• “We don’t accept checks.” should be “We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover & PayPal


• “We can’t ship overnight.” can be rephrased as “We’re delighted to offer two day shipping.”

Look at your website, eBay store or listings. Count the # of times your copy says “We can’t” or “We don’t” then replace those statements with “We can” and “We’ll gladly.”

It takes 43 muscles to frown and only 17 to smile. The same goes for your holiday web copy – make it smile!

Your customers will thank you by rewarding you with their business!

About the author: Lisa Suttora is an ecommerce expert, noted product trend authority and the Founder & CEO of eBay Certified Provider WhatDoISell.com. With 15 years of online & offline retail merchandising experience, Lisa brings a fresh approach to the topic of "what to sell and how to sell it."

Since 2004, WhatDoISell.com has provided thousands of online sellers with the skills, knowledge and support they need to build a unique, thriving business on eBay.

Save Time Answering eBay Buyer Emails with Hosted Support - eBay Certified Provider Spotlight

eBay sellers may find they are spending a large amount of their time answering buyer questions instead of focusing more on listing and strategy. To help sellers reduce the size of their inbox and save time answering redundant questions, Hosted Support (an eBay Certified Solutions Provider) has created a solution that can help, ezSupport for eBay.

ezSupport for eBay is a customer relationship and email management solution automatically responding to buyer emails through a knowledge base the seller has created. Also, sellers can use Hosted Support’s Searchable (Advanced) FAQs in their eBay listings allowing buyers to find their answer and never needing to email the seller.

For example, if a buyer emails or types into the Advanced FAQs, “What happens if the battery doesn't fit my cell phone?”, ezSupport for eBay will instantly email or display that specific seller's answer, such as, “Cell phone batteries may be returned within 14 days of receipt.”

ezSupport not only saves eBay sellers time but also increases the chances the buyer will bid or purchase an item by giving an immediate answer or response. If a buyer has to wait to hear back from an eBay seller, the chances of them bidding or purchasing greatly decreases.

eBay sellers report up to 80% of buyer questions can be handled by automated emails and FAQs.

Consider the customer and email management solution known as ezSupport by Hosted Support for sellers needing to reduce customer contacts and save money and time on customer support.

Key features of ezSupport for eBay:

• Answer 80% of customer email – automatically
• Create an extensive knowledge base
• Auto respond to buyer email from “Ask Seller a Question” link on eBay
• Customizable and Searchable FAQs knowledge base gives buyers immediate answers
• Add, Edit and Delete FAQs at anytime
• Natural Language Search
• Retrieve and archive all eBay messages indefinitely
• Maintain buyer contact records
• POP email importing
• Support multiple logins
• Share knowledge base across multiple ezSupport accounts – Great for eBay sellers with multiple eBay IDs
• Improves feedback and DSR scores
• Responds to buyers who hide their email address
• Adds 24x7 customer support to eBay listings
• Easy 15 minute setup
• Supports Windows and Macintosh
• FREE 30-day trial

ezSupport for eBay with Advanced FAQs can be used FREE for the first 30 days. After the FREE 30-day trial it is priced at $19.95 per month, available on a month-to-month subscription basis.

eBay Sellers that are subscribed to Selling Manager (free) or Selling Manager Pro, can add ezSupport for eBay to their My eBay account with the new Selling Manager Applications. Same functionality and benefits, right in your eBay account.

HostedSupport is a leading provider of affordable customer support automation for web businesses and eBay sellers. Its easy-to-use system can be set up in 15 minutes and eliminates many of the customer support “pains” involved in answering and tracking customer questions, managing the returns process, and resolving customer tickets/cases. Businesses using HostedSupport's products increase their revenues an average of 25% and reduce their manual email workload by 80% or more.

eBay Workshop Sept 29th - Increase Your Repeat Sales with Buyer Rewards and Email Marketing

Workshop: New Selling Manager Applications - "Increase Your Repeat Sales with Buyer Rewards and Email Marketing"

Host: MyStoreRewards
Date: September 29th, Tuesday
Time: 11AM - Noon PST
Location: eBay Workshop Board

Description: It is more cost effective to retain a buyer than it is to attract new buyers. In this workshop, we'll look at how eBay sellers can drive repeat sales, build buyer loyalty and expand their buyer base with MyStoreRewards.

MyStoreRewards is a simple marketing solution enabling eBay sellers to offer cash back and coupons to buyers. eBay sellers can also create custom campaigns and directly market to previous customers and encourage repeat purchases. Sellers can do all of this direct from Selling Manager in My eBay!

MyStoreRewards is an eBay Certified Solution Provider and one of the third party providers included in the new Selling Manager Applications feature. Click here to learn more about Selling Manager Applications. After the material is presented we'll open the board for discussion and questions.

Visit http://certifiedprovider.ebay.com/ to learn more about eBay Certified Providers and the services and solutions they offer to help eBay sellers.

Video Interview with Mercent, Winner of the eBay Star Developer Award "Early Adopter"

Mercent, an eBay Certified Provider, was awarded the eBay Star Developer Award for "Early Adopter" at eBay's 2009 Developers Conference in San Jose, CA June 17th.

The eBay Star Developer Awards are awarded each year to the eBay developers recognized for building applications on the eBay API platform and for their achievements in enabling sellers to improve customer service and help sellers keep pace with eBay's dynamic marketplace. Mercent was recognized by eBay for the early adoption of eBay’s Large Merchant Services for Mercent Retail™ on-demand retail marketing platform.

"Third party partners like Mercent are instrumental to eBay’s growing success. We depend upon developers for early product feedback on new API platform products that help to drive innovation and create tools that drive consumer usage across eBay properties. We’re extremely pleased to recognize Mercent as a top award winner for its strong contributions." - Kumar Kandaswamy, eBay Platform Senior Manager.

Congratulations to Mercent for this distinguished honor and for their ability to easily assist large retailers with managing and expanding their business onto the eBay platform!

Mercent integrates large retailers with eBay using the new Large Merchant Services (LMS) API, providing the ability to handle the scalability requirements of large sellers, including catalogs and transaction volumes and back end integration with current systems including POS.

Fox Business News - eBay and Terapeak Discuss Launch of Selling Manager Applications

eBay just launched Selling Manager Applications, now being referred to as eBay's App Store. Similar to Apple's App Store or how Facebook users add applications to their profile, eBay sellers can now add individual applications to their Selling Manager and Selling Manager Pro that their eBay business needs. Sellers can complete their selling puzzle with these apps and do more.

"...[Selling Manager Applications] is a new App Store on eBay where sellers can go to find applications by third party developers that will help them improve their eBay businesses and increase their selling efficiency and profitability." - Kristina Klausen, Sr. Director of the eBay Seller Platform Efficiency Team.

Selling Manager Apps are easily accessible as the App Store lives inside Selling Manager. Any eBay seller can subscribe to Selling Manager (for free!) and peruse or subscribe to the various apps their business needs. All apps have a minimum of a 7 day free trial period.

Terapeak, an eBay Certified Provider, is one of the first apps to be included in the new eBay App Store. Terapeak offers real-time market research and data analytics on eBay.

Fred Speckeen, CEO of Terapeak, - "Terapeak has been around for 5 years working closely with eBay and tens of thousands of eBay sellers...to deliver pricing research so that folks who are starting small medium sized businesses selling online can actually see ahead of time what kind of prices they are going to get before they buy their inventory. They can also track market movements, new trends in consumer interest. This in turn makes them much more profitable."

Subscribing to the Terapeak application as part of the new Selling Manager Applications, will give those sellers eBay research and their product performance right in My eBay.

Watch as Kristina Klausen and Fred Speckeen discuss the launch of eBay's new Selling Manager Applications for sellers and the benefits.

Infopia Helps eBay Sellers and Online Retailers Efficiently Manage Return Merchandise

Infopia announced new functionality in their comprehensive solution for ecommerce retailers and eBay sellers, Return Merchandise Authorization.

Infopia, an eBay Certified Solution Provider, centralizes and automates an eBay seller’s business through a single all-in-one solution. Now, sellers can automate more of their business by reducing the amount of time and money they spend handling returns or RMAs.

The new functionality allows customers to create Return Merchandise Authorizations or RMAs inside the Infopia Transact system. This allows an eBay seller or their customer service representatives to:

• Search for and view the orders to be returned
• Select items from the orders to be returned
• Adjust recommended refunds on the RMA by changing prices, discounts and shipping charges
• Apply restocking fees
• Reject returns, with notes on the original order
• Submit the RMA order to the Infopia Transact system, where it is tied to the original order for tracking
• Add notes to both the original and the RMA order, to ensure no mix ups
• Edit the RMA order
• Create replacement orders

The new RMA functionalities will allow for a more thorough and customer friendly return process for Infopia clients.

eBay sellers interested in using a full service, multi-channel solution for their online and retail business should contact Infopia directly and discuss their needs to decide if Infopia offers the right tool for them.

Founded in 1999, Infopia provides (Software as a Service) eCommerce solutions—helping eBay sellers grow their business efficiently and effectively.

eBay Certified Provider Spotlight - CHANNEL VELOCITY

Channel Velocity helps brand name manufacturers, large retailers and distributors sell on eBay by providing a fully turnkey outsourced listing management solution since 2002.

Basically, it translates to a manufacturer or large retailer handing over their inventory to Channel Velocity to manage:

• Warehousing
• Listing
• Payment Processing
• Customer Support
• Shipping
• Returns and Replacements
• Marketing

Options available to sellers interested in outsourcing their eBay selling to Channel Velocity are:

Full Outsourcing: Channel Velocity can sell items for a manufacturer or large retailer on eBay under the current company name. The eBay Store and eBay items will fall under the company’s brand. (i.e. Channel Velocity warehouses, manages, sells and ships items for Phillips Electronics on eBay under the company name of Phillips. The eBay buyer is unaware Phillips has handed off their eBay selling to a 3rd party).

Or, Channel Velocity can take on inventory from a manufacturer, retailer or distributor and warehouse, sell and ship those items on eBay under Channel Velocity’s eBay account. This is to help manufacturers get the best value for their liquidation merchandise without appearing to compete with their resellers (aka no channel conflict).

Partial Outsourcing: Typically involves Channel Velocity working with a manufacturer or reseller client who has fulfillment and operational capabilities. Often, the client also can handle customer support and warranty handoff. Channel Velocity will generally oversee the listing and marketplace management, marketing and design, payment processing and technology as the core services.

Benefits of Channel Velocity:

• Quickly and easily add eBay as an online channel
• Turn excess inventory into cash
• Value added services include testing and repackaging of products that are refurbished to ensure buyer satisfaction
• Save time by outsourcing: just ship the product and receive a check and a report from Channel Velocity

Consider Channel Velocity if you are a manufacturer, retailer or distributor interested in eBay as an added sales channel but unable to manage eBay selling. Also, Channel Velocity is a good fit for large eBay sellers who may need a service to warehouse, ship items and manage returns for them.

Channel Velocity is an eBay Certified Solution Provider providing the services and software multi-channel businesses need to increase profitability, ease of adoption, and efficiency. Channel Velocity has solutions for asset recovery for used and excess inventory, multi-channel management software, online trade-in programs, and branded outlets on eBay.