| The Online Seller | Vol. 3, Issue 24 |
|
|
 |
 |
Use industry channels to locate legitimate wholesalers in your niche.
by Lisa Suttora
Finding quality wholesale suppliers is essential to the success of every e-commerce business. Without reliable sources of in-demand products, getting inventory will be a struggle and your business won't have the power to thrive. Read story.
Sales for All Seasons
Adapt your online offerings to attract shoppers at the holidays, and all year long.
by Dennis L. Prince
'Tis the Season to Be Jolly, Not Hum-Bug
A few tips to help take the stress out of the holiday hustle and bustle
by Danna Crawford
What's New on LinkedIn for eBay Sellers?
The best business networking site has gotten even better.
by Brad and Debra Schepp
Partner to Put Extra Cash in Your Pocket
With the right approach, affiliate marketing is mutually beneficial.
Shop Outside of the Box! Take your shopping experience to a new level. Elefy is the place to find merchandise from thousands of independent sellers, all in one place—including unique and hard-to-find items. A simple search interface makes it easy to find exactly what you're looking for. Shop Elefy today!
News Stories
 |
 |
Additional resources aim to curb storm effects on delivery.
Royal Mail will invest £20 million to help parcels reach their destinations in time this holiday season, despite the recent harsh storms bombarding the U.K., the company announced Monday. Read story.
Holiday Sales Near $22 Billion Mark
Experts say there's still more heavy spending to come.
Auctiva Introduces Message Center
New inbox puts announcements and account-specific information in one easy-to-find place.
Survey: Women Fall into 4 Giving Types
Regardless of type, women say personalization is important.
UPS Requires Photo IDs for Shipments
New policy is aimed at increasing security.
Auctiva Blog
 |
Last Sunday, I wrapped up what I call "Cyber Week"—a seven-day listing, e-mailing, packaging and shipping bonanza. While Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving, is hyped as the biggest online shopping day of the season, we online merchants are finding new and enticing ways to keep buyers shopping, literally, from Thanksgiving Day up until a few days before Christmas. Read more.
Auctiva 101 Webinars. Get a close-up look at Auctiva's newest features and an introduction to our comprehensive suite of eBay listing management tools with Auctiva 101 Webinars. Ideal for new and experienced users alike, these one-hour classes let sellers interact with Auctiva management and developers to get the story behind the software, and learn strategies for success on eBay. Webinars take place every week. To attend the next session, register here!
Weird and Wacky Listings
 |
Ever wish you had money to burn? Get a little of that feeling with this candle in the shape of a stack of $100 bills. Just don't try to spend these Benjamins. The floral sent might make your plan go down in flames. Instead, grab a glass of champagne, a fancy robe, light the flame, and sit back and enjoy the good life. What better way to start off 2011?
 |
Give your do a festive holiday look with this pair of flashing LED hair braids. The shimmering orange, red, yellow and blue lights will wow party-goers at this year's office holiday party, and they'll light your way should you feel a little iffy about driving home. Who knew braids could be so versatile?
 |
Want to relive the college experience and help your fellow man at the same time? Buying a dollar of this seller's student loan debt, which totals $80,000, minus interest, could be your answer. It probably won't come with the keggers of yesteryear, but it will likely stir memories of looking under couch cushions to find enough change for a late night snack. Aww… the good ol' days.
Ask Auctiva
 |
 |
In your mind, what eBay action during 2010 will have the most lasting impact on the marketplace, for better or worse? Director of Engineering Tom Urbanowicz answers this and other questions from Auctiva users. Read more.
Got a burning question about Auctiva, eBay or e-commerce in general? Through our Ask Auctiva program, you can speak directly to Auctiva's top managers. All you have to do is send an e-mail to "AskAuctiva" at the Auctiva dot com domain. Selected questions will be answered by Auctiva managers and published in an article on the Auctiva Education tab. Read some recent Auctiva Q&A articles here.
Please do not submit inquiries requiring an immediate response. Instead, please file a support request for technical or account-related issues.
View all Ask Auctiva Articles.
Auctiva User Profile
 |
When Lynn Maass spotted a few vintage dishes and a designer-label dress at a local church rummage sale, she bought them on the spot, figuring they'd be worth something on eBay. Little did she realize at the time, this simple purchase would be a life-changing event.
She sold the dress and the dishes for a combined $700.
"That was the moment I realized I could make my garage sale hobby into a business," says Maass, owner of The Strathmore Store. "I was surprised by how many bidders there were on the auctions, and I began to realize the power of eBay." Read story.
Get Featured Here
Got a success story you want to share? What amazing garage sale finds have you turned into monster profits online? How has using Auctiva's templates and auction management tools improved your eBay business? Drop a line and tell us in 50 words or less about an outstanding e-sale experience, and perhaps we'll feature your story in an upcoming issue of The Online Seller newsletter. Submit your story.
Auctiva Commerce Store Spotlight
 |
Sprogstogs is the place for toddler clothing that's easy on Mother Nature but will look "chic and unique."
The store boasts plenty of quality "funky," organic garments for children ages newborn to 7, plus footwear, gift baskets and soft, cuddly toys at good prices, says store owner Frank London, who runs the store with his wife.
"The customers coming to our store are basically product driven," the former retail store manager says. "They have searched for an item online, and our version of that item is more appealing than the others. Our Auctiva Commerce Store has a very low bounce rate, so it must be easy to navigate and looks attractive, or people would leave straight away."
Most of the garments found in the shop are made in the U.K. The baby sleep suits and organic baby clothes are big hits, London notes. He and his wife are sure organic clothing will gain popularity in the coming years.
"We feel that at some point we will all have to buy organic clothes," he says. "They are especially important with babies, as some babies have extremely sensitive skin." But there's more to the couple's desire to offer organic products.
"Most people don't realize how much people working on the plantations suffer to give us cheap baby clothes," London explains. "The crops that produce cheap cotton are sprayed with pesticides while the people are working, or the workers are expected to carry on working straight after the crops are sprayed. The plantation workers suffer lung disorders and bronchial problems. These workers have families, too, and their families suffer when they can no longer provide for them. It's a moral issue for us."
So the couple opts for organic items, and as shoppers venture to their store to buy organic items, they'll be treated graciously, drawing on the experience London gained in his 20-plus years in retail.
"We have been selling online since 2004, and have made all the mistakes that you have to make along the way before discovering your place in the market," he says. "We are very particular about what we sell, and concentrate on providing great products at reasonable prices and excellent customer service. All we do, we do with integrity. This is vital to longevity and a successful business."
Visit Sprogstogs.
Set up your own Auctiva Commerce Store and get complete freedom over your shop.
Feedback Forum
In response to "What's Top-Rated About This? Part 3," one reader writes: "If I sold a $70,000 comic book to someone, I would buy a plane ticket and hand deliver it, so I can meet the person who bought it." Read the entire thread, and post your response.
If you'd like to comment on this newsletter, any article contained within, or on topics you'd like to see us cover in the future, Auctiva editors would love to hear from you. Send us your feedback.
Sent by Auctiva Corp.
360 6th St., Chico, CA 95928