| The Online Seller | Vol. 4, Issue 12 |
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Brad and Debra Schepp share eBay selling insights from eBay's own dean of education … Lisa Suttora maps out a 5-point strategy to expand your product line … Dennis L. Prince gets to the point on sharpening your sales pitch without scaring off buyers … Plus, a new social commerce site debuts, Part 2 of our series on using video to spice up your listings, the latest industry news, and more! |
Special Features: Auctiva Blog Weird and Wacky Listings Ask Auctiva Auctiva User Profile Auctiva Commerce Spotlight Feedback Forum |
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Strategic seller advice from 'Griff,' eBay's dean of education
by Brad and Debra Schepp
When we were in college, we can remember people saying, fairly or not, that once a professor gets tenure he can take it easy a bit. That's because the pressure is off (aside from all that "publish or perish" stuff), in that it's much more difficult for a university to dismiss a tenured professor than it is to fire one who hasn't gotten his or her tenure yet.
We bring this up because eBay has its own professor of sorts in Jim "Griff" Griffith, who is certainly not sitting back now that he's "tenured." In fact, he's as in touch with sellers as he's ever been. Read story.
5 Ways to Expand Your Product Line
Fuel your business' growth with these proven methods.
by Lisa Suttora
Sharpening Your Sales Message
Follow these 4 steps to create an effective sales pitch.
by Dennis L. Prince
Marketplace Focus: Copious
New site aims to make buying and selling a social experience.
Going Viral with Video, Part 2
Planning and shooting your marketing clip
Going Viral with Video, Part 1
How to use video to boost your sales and marketing efforts
Affordable Peace of Mind. Did you know that one in five products malfunctions within the first three years of purchase? BuyShield Extended Warranties offer great coverage at 30% less than retail shops. Insure a variety of items from electronics to tools to gardening equipment—and insure them longer. Get an instant quote.
News Stories
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Acquisition will be a key part of PayPal's X.Commerce program.
eBay has announced it will acquire 100 percent of Magento Inc., a leading open-source e-commerce platform, of which it already owns a minority stake.
According to officials, Magento will continue to serve its customers but will also form part of eBay's new X.Commerce program. The deal comes just two months after eBay acquired e-commerce service provider GSI Commerce." Read story.
UPS to Add Returns Service
Package exchange program aims to streamline merchandise returns.
Buyer-Seller Disconnect Proves Costly
Retailers could be missing out on millions in online sales.
Mail Strikes Roll on in Canada
Rolling strikes not expected to cause significant delivery delays.
U.K. Shoppers Prefer Amazon, eBay
Survey finds these sites are top two destinations for buyers.
Auctiva Blog
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This guest blog comes from Donna Tonelli, the second-place winner of Auctiva's Best Shot photo contest for the month of May. In it, she shares some of the photo techniques she uses to capture great eBay images. Read more.
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Like many people, I get an urge to start some serious cleaning in the spring. Last weekend was no exception. My garage was full of boxes (some filled with random items, others totally empty). I had tossed them in there because there was nowhere to put them in the house. After doing this all winter, I thought it was time to clean out all the empty boxes and go through miscellaneous items from around the house. Read more.
Free eBay Shipping Service! Stamps.com allows you to easily print all USPS mail classes, including First Class Mail International labels! Import your order data directly from eBay—no cut and paste needed. Also, Stamps.com posts-back your delivery confirmation number into your My eBay account. Customs forms are integrated in the software. Sign up today.
Weird and Wacky Listings
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Call him the Warren Buffet of online journalism, or a dirty, rotten scoundrel. Call him anything you like, just don't call him late for lunch. Because, if you're the winner of this auction, you and seven other top-bidders will get to dine at one of London's finest restaurants with Julian Assange, the notorious editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks. Oh, and some famous philosopher will be there, too. But whose brain would you rather pick?
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Naturally occurring likenesses are normally reserved for religious icons, but to some, Elvis Presley may be just that. If you're a believer, this tree stump may seem like a godsend, with its silhouette of "the King" wearing his signature neck scarf. As famous ghostly images go, it could be right up there with the grilled cheese Virgin Mary!
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Are you prone to boredom? Then these '80s, retro Rubik's Cube earrings are sure to keep you entertained for hours! Both earrings are fully moveable puzzles, so if you can't seem to solve one side, you can always switch to the other side for a while. You'll never go back to playing Angry Birds again.
Ask Auctiva
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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.
Auctiva User Profile
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For Jackie Greene, selling on eBay was love at first sale.
"I was collecting antique linens, and I had a small pillowcase that I purchased for $1," the seller recalls. "I listed it on eBay, and it sold for $50! I fell in love with the gross profit and how easy it was to sell on eBay. From that moment on, I looked for things to sell."
At the time, selling was a hobby, but Greene admits that she couldn't stop talking about all things eBay. More than 11 years later, as owner of The Steinsburg Store, one of Greene's favorite topics of conversation continues to be 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
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Webstationten offers rocks, gems, minerals and fossils for people working in the laboratory, jewelers creating new pieces, or those just looking for unique gifts and metaphysical items.
Rich Heath has been selling, both online and off, since 1996. He decided to hit the Internet to bring in a little extra cash after retirement.
"A great opportunity awaits those who can understand the workings of the Web, both commercially and personally," he says.
Initially, Heath was an eBay seller, but when the desire struck to start his own store, he chose Auctiva Commerce. While sales on his store are still growing, the software's ease of use, its affordable price and its good customer service have made Heath happy, giving him another venue to sell his items.
Minerals, gems and fossils have always been a draw for him.
"I have always had an interest in and friends in this field," he explains.
The seller previously offered his items at local rock shows throughout the country to see what buyers wanted, and has used that feedback to fine-tune his current business. Today, he markets his business by including business cards and handouts in all of his shipments, as well as through word of mouth. So far, his biggest star has been his gemstones, though, he admits it's still too early to know for sure which products will do the best.
His aim is just for shoppers to leave his store feeling they got a good value and a unique product.
Visit Webstationten.
Set up your own Auctiva Commerce Store and get complete freedom over your shop.
Feedback Forum
In response to "5 Listing Mistakes You May Be Making," one reader writes: "When I go into a listing and it has three lines of description and 25 lines of why they can't ship to your country, what their rules and regulations are, how hard it is for them to get to the post office, no returns, etc., that turns me right off. … [T]heir listing looks like the Declaration of Independence with all their 'shall nots.' It is too long and boring. I get out of that listing ASAP." 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.
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