| The Online Seller | Vol. 4, Issue 22 |
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Brad and Debra Schepp chat with Internet marketing consultant Chris Brogan to learn how Google+ changes everything … Miriam Otto stresses the importance of information for online success … Dennis L. Prince uncovers the opportunities within eBay's microeconomy … Plus, selling tips to help you save time and money during the holiday season, the latest industry news and more! |
Special Features: Auctiva Blog Ask Auctiva Auctiva User Profile Auctiva Commerce Spotlight Weird and Wacky Listings Feedback Forum |
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An interview with bestselling author Chris Brogan
by Brad and Debra Schepp
If you're still on the fence about Google+, you probably will be ready to pick a side after reading this interview with Chris Brogan, The New York Times bestselling co-author of Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust. Read story.
Information is King
The more you know about selling online, the more successful you can be.
by Miriam Otto
Evolution of the eBay Microeconomy
How this ever-changing marketplace enables and challenges entrepreneurs
by Dennis L. Prince
Holiday Selling Tips and Tricks
Save time and money while increasing your sales.
Unloading Storage Unit Finds
So you bought a locker full of stuff, now what?
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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Logo meant to give buyers more assurance of quick delivery.
eBay began adding "Fast 'N Free" icons to listings late last week to let holiday shoppers know at a glance that items displaying these icons ship free and will arrive quickly. Read story.
Online Sales to Grow 14% in December
'Super Sunday' transactions to double last year's, eBay U.K. predicts.
Smartphone Users More Likely to Buy Online
Reviews, coupons, selection draw buyers.
Online Holiday Shoppers to Spend More
Non-gift buyers are expected to play a big role this season.
FedEx Preps for Busy Holiday Season
Package carrier says it will hire 20,000 seasonal workers.
Amazon Patents a 'Smart' Gift Card
Technology enables product recommendations and purchase restrictions.
Q3 Proves Profitable for eBay
Marketplaces, PayPal and GSI all contribute to gains.
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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Before leaving the second storage locker we bought, Communications Manager Robert Green and I went through the items we had acquired at that day's storage unit auction and divided them into three piles: trash, donations and resale items.
We had found a lot of great products… Read more.
Ask Auctiva
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Do you think there will ever be a realistic alternative to eBay?VP of Engineering Tom Urbanowicz answers this and other questions from Auctiva customers. 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.
Auctiva User Profile
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For breast cancer survivor Cindy Monaghan, selling online has meant being able to bring in a second income for her family while working at her own pace.
Monaghan was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005, six years after she began selling on eBay. After three surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation treatment, the seller was pronounced cancer free, though she continues to be treated with hormone therapy.
Going through such a recovery, it was tough to hold down a "regular" job, says Monaghan, who sells cell phone charms and other decroative accessories as cin_designs on eBay. Luckily, with eBay, the Top-rated seller could be her own boss and determine her schedule. 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 Private Collection Diecast and Memorabilia, shoppers will find an array of signed and unsigned model cars, motorcycles, race cars and more.
Owner Craig Boyce, who has been selling online for more than nine years, even has a few models of racing helmets for sale.
"I have many exclusive signed models from Formula One, MotoGP, movies and TV series," he adds. "We have official signings, and supply photos of the merchandise being signed as proof of authenticity."
Some of his top-selling items include Minichamps Formula One models, Minichamps Valentino Rossi models and Autoart one-eighteenth road cars, he says.
Boyce says he entered the model selling world because he saw a need for a seller specializing in models in Australia, where he lives. And sales have been good. Boyce gets between 140 and 160 orders every month.
The seller strives to make shoppers happy by providing them with good service, and upfront payment and shipping terms. He even lets them know they can call him if they have any questions.
He tells shoppers about his items on eBay, through his newsletter, local marketing, Google and Facebook, where he lists some of the items he has for sale.
Visit Private Collection Diecast and Memorabilia.
Set up your own Auctiva Commerce Store and get complete freedom over your shop.
Weird and Wacky Listings
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In a sticky situation and need a way out? The Excuse Ball may be able to help. Just as you entrust the Magic 8 Ball with your most important decisions, this mysterious orb will always have just the answer you need to get out of a jam, such as "My fish died," or "What memo?" So simple yet so clever. And totally believable!
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If you find the marathon of holiday decorating, from October through December, to be an exhausting ordeal, why not decorate just once in a way that covers all your major holidays? This zombie turkey should help you get your all-purpose decorating off to a good start. Let us be the first to wish you a happy Hallothanksmas!
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Why settle for an ordinary tablet PC when you could have the iPad 2 Gold History Edition, priced for a mere $8 million? This model features 53 flawless diamonds set in a 24-karat gold Apple logo, while its main front frame is made of 75 million-year-old stone embedded with Tyrannosaurus rex leg-bone fragments and—for good measure—an embedded 8.5-carat flawless diamond. Because you can't have too many of those.
Feedback Forum
In response to "Sourcing at Storage Unit Auctions," one reader writes: "As a mini-warehouse owner, I have seen a huge increase in the attendance of our auctions, thanks to these types of TV shows. There have been some real treasures in some of them, though I tell people to bid cautiously and set a limit on what they intend to bid. I would suggest that you never bid much more than what you can tell the unit contents are worth from the items that are within view. Good luck!" 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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