| The Online Seller | Vol. 4, Issue 21 |
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Dennis L. Prince provides a plan to help you get a head start on holiday selling … Brad and Debra Schepp examine the potential benefits of Google+ for eBay sellers … In a continuation of our report on sourcing at storage unit auctions, we share tips for selling storage unit finds … Plus, the latest industry news, seller success stories and more! |
Special Features: Auctiva Blog Ask Auctiva Auctiva User Profile Auctiva Commerce Spotlight Weird and Wacky Listings Feedback Forum |
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A plan to help you prepare your goods in time to greet holiday shoppers
by Dennis L. Prince
When the summer wanes and the air carries a scent of the turning of the season, along comes the annual chorus of "let's get ready for the holidays!" These days, holiday marketing seems to begin even before the summer heat has subsided. Take this as your motivation to get a head start on holiday readiness, following on the actions of other sellers and merchandisers around you. Read story.
Google+: Must or Bust for eBay Sellers?
Some features of this emerging social-networking site make it worth a look.
Unloading Storage Unit Finds
So you bought a locker full of stuff, now what?
Sourcing at Storage Unit Auctions
Learn secrets of the pros for finding items you can resell for profit.
Get Green to Help You Grow. Kabbage provides cash to online merchants selling on eBay, Amazon and Yahoo. By looking at your seller history, seller rating and transaction history, Kabbage looks at more than just your credit score. Get the cash you need today to source inventory, market your site, update your technology or anything you need to grow your business! Learn more at Kabbage.com.
News Stories
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Image-recognition feature coming soon, Donahoe says.
eBay hopes that, by the end of the year, shoppers will use their mobile devices to snap pictures of items they want to buy to easily find them on the eBay marketplace.
eBay President and CEO John Donahoe introduced this concept at last week's X.commerce conference when he announced a new image-recognition feature that will be available on an eBay app later this year. Read story.
PayPal Unveils PayPal Access
Log-in technology meant to make shopping faster, easier.
eBay Adds Shopping Cart to U.K. Site
Feature to debut on U.S. site soon.
Slight Rise Expected in Holiday Sales
Economy still shaky, but shoppers haven't 'thrown in the towel,' NRF says.
Google Pilots 'Trusted Stores' Program
Company hopes badges will ease online buying jitters.
Free Holiday Shipping Survival Guide! Stamps.com has released the Holiday Shipping Survival Guide for eBay sellers! The FREE, downloadable guide provides online sellers with best practices and industry data to optimize their shipping and increase sales during the 2011 holiday season. Download the free guide today!
Auctiva Blog
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After our first-day scores, we (myself, Auctiva Product Analyst Rebecca Miller, Communications Director Robert Green and our cameraman Sam Johnson) were raring to go at the second storage facility auction we attended.
We decided that a second auction would help us better understand this sourcing venture so we could share tips with Auctiva Blog and Auctiva EDU readers. Read more.
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In this guest blog, eBay celebrity Betsie Bolger discusses a popular charity auction in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Bidding wars are heating up on eBay for the third annual Bling My Bra breast cancer charity auctions. Held throughout October in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Bling My Bra features handcrafted one-of-a-kind art bras created by individuals, companies and celebrities. Read more.
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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Paul Connor began his eBay selling venture in 2005 in the back room of a family restaurant he owned, as a way to keep the establishment afloat.
Business at the 5-year-old Iowa eatery was beginning to slow, and an entire room sat full of unused, unwanted and unneeded restaurant equipment, recalls Connor, now the owner of EZ Sell USA on 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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At WhatWig, shoppers will find an array of premium full lace and front lace wigs that look completely natural, notes store owner Atuche Onyia, an online seller of seven years.
"My store is named WhatWig because when someone is wearing one of my wigs, you will not be able to tell that it is, in fact, a wig," she says. "All of my wigs allow my buyers to have their own unique style and, if anyone asks them if they are wearing a wig, they will be able to say, 'What wig?'"
All wigs come ready to wear and don't require shampooing, conditioning or bleaching.
Onyia has worn wigs for years, and knows how hard it can be to find the right style and a fit that looks natural. Her shop aims to simplify the process by carrying an array of wig styles in several colors, and helping buyers find the right fit.
The store's Helpful Information page helps shoppers order the right size wig with a standard size chart and tips on getting the right head measurements. But if customers have questions, Onyia is more than happy to answer them.
That isn't a surprise. The site notes that Onyia understands how hard it can be to buy a wig without seeing and touching it, so she promises to "take extra steps to ensure you are provided with the best description and most accurate listings."
Onyia advertises her store on Google to attract new clientele, but she has a very loyal group of repeat customers, she says. They spread the word about her shop to their friends, and add to the store's buyer base.
To show her appreciation, Onyia regularly holds wig giveaways and is currently having one, which customers can enter until Nov. 30.
Visit WhatWig.
Set up your own Auctiva Commerce Store and get complete freedom over your shop.
Weird and Wacky Listings
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Wish you could have a pet without the added responsibility? Try a pet rock. This little nugget even has what looks like a head of hair, making it seem cuddlier than the average stone. And, with no known behavioral issues, it should get along well with other animals, and kids, too!
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Zombies, we're told, are making a comeback this year. So it seems fitting that there should be Jell-O brains and other squishy, jiggly organs on your Halloween snack table. Not looking forward to zombies invading your home? Put the gelatin body parts on the front porch to keep the monsters busy noshing while you make your escape.
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For the nature lover who has everything: a hummingbird feeder bicycle helmet. Get an up-close-and-personal view of the little birdies while you enjoy a nice bike ride through the landscape. Just try not to get too distracted by Mother Nature's beauty. It can make for some nasty spills.
Feedback Forum
In response to "Listing Titles: Less is Still More," one reader writes: "I have to strongly disagree. I am an experienced PowerSeller of seven years on eBay. I can honestly say that more is more when it comes to title keywords. The more keywords you use that buyers might search for, the more chance you have of having at least one person checking up your auction. Also, positive descriptive words definitely help. I was really happy to see that we are able to use more words in the title, as I tend to usually run out!" 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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