eBay Certified Provider Spotlight - MERCENT

Mercent delivers inventory management and marketing technology services for retail merchants across many online channels. As an eBay Certified Solution Provider, Mercent provides a solution for retail merchants to integrate eBay as a sales channel or for existing eBay sellers to optimize their sales and efficiency on eBay.

Mercent Retail for eBay is an automated solution allowing retailers and eBay sellers to launch and manage high-volume, fixed-price, and multiple-quantity sales on eBay. Mercent Retail is integrated and able to support eBay Fixed Price listing formats and PayPal.

Features:

Complete product and order feed integration –

• Ensure product listings are always synchronized with back-end systems
• Automated, no manual downloading of order reports or uploading inventory figures
• Accurate real-time product data, inventory and price information
  

Streamlined product catalog management –

• Map products and categories to the best performing eBay categories
• Automated content rules to apply content changes

Comprehensive analytics –

• Track and report on the revenue, profits, cost-per-order, and other key retail advertising metrics associated with orders on eBay and other online shopping channels
• View performance by category, individual product SKU and more
• Generate reports by channel or across channels
  

Benefits:

• Large retailers can easily add eBay as an online selling channel
• Tight integration with existing retail systems for accurate inventory tracking, pricing, fulfillment and order information
• Automated monitoring and management of transactions across all channels
• Reach maximum revenue and profitability

Large retailers SmartBargains and Altrec have successfully incorporated eBay as a sales channel through the technology and assistance of Mercent.

Mercent is a great fit for large retailers or manufacturers to add eBay to their multi-channel solution. They are also a good fit for Diamond and some Titanium eBay PowerSellers.

If interested, contact Mercent at:

• Sales Inquiriessales@mercent.com 206-832-3924
• General Inquiriesmailto:Inquiriesinfo@mercent.com

Mercent is an eBay Certified Provider integrating 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.

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

Mercent, an eBay Certified Provider, Wins "Technology Enabler of the Year" Award

eBay Certified Provider, Mercent, chosen as the “Technology Enabler of the Year” by AlwaysOn.

The “Technology Enabler of the Year” award honors a privately-held, emerging technology company creating new business opportunities in high-growth markets through its technology. More than 500 digital media companies were nominated for the “Technology Enablers” category.

Mercent was named as the “Technology Enabler of the Year” by the AlwaysOn editorial team for their market growth, market opportunity, quality of innovation and customer traction. More than 500 digital media companies were nominated for the “Technology Enablers” category.

“We’re honored to receive this award from AlwaysOn and couldn’t have achieved such success without our customers and dedicated team of Mercent professionals,” - Eric Best, CEO of Mercent. “We’re proud to be noted as an industry and technology leader in the online channel management sector.”

Mercent helps the world's leading online retailers promote their products across ecommerce channels including online transactional marketplaces like eBay; comparison shopping engines; and affiliate networks with their Mercent Retail software.

Mercent Retail is designed for multi-channel retailers, providing merchants the power to reach more than 250 million customers with targeted products, advertisements and promotions through online marketing channels.

Read the full announcement from Mercent.

Mercent is an eBay Certified Provider integrating 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.

5 Best Practices for Handling Online Returns

5 Best Practices for Handling Online Returns

When it comes to allowing customers to return items, some online retailers and eBay sellers find it difficult to manage returns and accurately keep track of their inventory. Below are 5 Best Practices eBay sellers can use in order to increase customer satisfaction and reduce customer support inquiries around returning an item.

Best Practices:

1. Clearly display the returns policy for buyers
   It can make a big difference in the buyer’s mind when contemplating which seller to purchase from. If a buyer is unsure about how an item will look, fit, etc…, then an easy and clearly displayed returns policy, can clinch the sale.
   *note: All eBay sellers are now required to specify a return policy and handling time when they list items on eBay. If the seller's return policy is not to accept returns, it must be specified in the Return Policy drop down menu.*


2. Option of returning to a local store
   For multi-channel sellers with retail stores, customers may find it more convenient to return items at the store.


3. Include return and pre-paid shipping label in the package
   Enclosing instructions on how to return an item along with a pre-paid shipping label reduces customer contacts while increasing customer satisfaction.


4. Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA)
   Buyer contacts the seller and arranges to return items in order to have the item repaired, replaced or refunded. Seller will send a shipping label to the buyer with a specific number on the label for their shipping department. When the item is returned the seller’s shipping department can then accurately record the item’s receipt, evaluate and repair the item and potentially re-sell the item and account for the next sale.


5. Keep customers in the loop
   Save customers the hassle having to contact the seller. Sellers can save time spent dealing with questions about returns by providing confirmation when items have been received, when replacement items are sent out, and when refunds have been processed.

Benefits:

• Edit and update all listings to include current returns policy
• Track and record returned items for accurate inventory management and profit and loss accounting
• Easily create pre-paid shipping labels to include in package or email shipping label
• Create and manage RMAs for larger sellers and their shipping departments
• Automate buyer communication with confirmation of shipment emails

While some of the above best practices for handling returns require a change in the seller’s policy, most can be easily implemented with a solution from an eBay Certified Provider.

Certified Providers

ShipRush – shipping solution
ShipWorks – shipping solution
Infopia – listing solution with RMA feature
Kyozou – listing solution with RMA feature
Mercent - listing solution with RMA feature
Vendio - listing solution with buyer communication features to stay on top of returns

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.

Tools to Help You Easily Update eBay Listings to Include Return Policy and Handling Time

Update - Sellers on eBay are now required to specify a return policy and handling time when they sell items. This is true even if the seller's return policy is not to accept returns.

eBay sellers can easily update all their listings to comply with eBay’s new policy with the help of our eBay Certified Providers. Easily revise listings in bulk and add your return policy and handling time. Including live listings and stored inventory.

Benefits:

• Bulk search and replace text in Item Description
• Ability to edit any section of an eBay listing
• Edit stored, scheduled and live inventory
• Edit and update listings for multiple eBay IDs
• Will not lose Recent Sales score

While all Listing tools offer bulk management of eBay items, some eBay Certified Providers offer the ability to bulk search and replace, allowing you to efficiently change your listings to adhere to eBay policies.

Certified Providers:

ChannelAdvisor - Premium
inkFrog
Mercent
Monsoon
Vendio

All tools adhere to eBay policies on revising listings, and keep your recent sales where policy allows. See our listing revision policy for more information.

Mercent Awarded as an eBay Star Developer

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.

Large Merchant Services (LMS) is a new eBay API designed to meet and simplify the integration needs of large merchants/retailers on eBay through SKU based inventory management along with other great features.

"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's Press Release
eBay Developers Program Star Developer Award Announcement

eBay Certified Providers Win 4 out of 5 Star Developer Awards

Congratulations to our eBay Certified Providers winning in 4 of the 5 eBay Star Developer Award categories!

The following eBay developers and Certified Providers are 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 our dynamic marketplace.

2009 eBay Star Developer Award Winners:

• DSR Rockstar - Seller Machine CRM by Bengal One
• Most Innovative - Dynamic Pricing feature by Monsoon
• Early Adopter - Mercent Retail for eBay by Mercent
• Rapid Evolution - Sales Manager by inkFrog

2009 Runner-Ups:

• Most Innovative - Vendio Research by Vendio
• Rapid Evolution - ShipRush by Z-Firm

Congratulations again to our Certified Providers for their hard work, innovation and focus on helping eBay sellers grow and improve their business through efficiency.

Read the full eBay Developers Program blog post here.

The eBay Certified Provider Program recognizes third party companies excelling at providing the tools or services an eBay seller needs to grow their business and increase efficiency. The Certified Provider designation helps an eBay seller identify providers with the expertise and experience to assist in growing their eBay business.

Easy Listing Revisions for eBay – Bulk Editing

Following up on the topic of Bulk Editing from eBay’s Webinar, we’d like to provide more information on how eBay Certified Providers provide the tools and assistance eBay sellers need. Particularly on the topic of Listing Revisions and Bulk Editing.

While all Listing tools offer bulk management of eBay items, some eBay Certified Providers offer the ability to bulk search and replace, allowing you to efficiently change your listings to adhere to eBay policies.

Benefits:

• Bulk search and replace in Item Description
• Ability to edit any section of an eBay listing
• Edit stored, scheduled and live inventory
• Edit and update listings for multiple eBay IDs

All tools adhere to eBay policies on revising listings, and keep your recent sales where policy allows. See our listing revision policy for more information.

Certified Providers:

inkFrog
Mercent
Monsoon
Vendio

Please contact the Certified Provider direct and fully discuss your needs to decide if they offer the right tool for you. Or you may post a question on our eBay Certified Provider Discussion Board.