eBay Tools and Services Guide
2011
Chris Dawson and Sue Bailey
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2011 Tamebay
All rights reserved
Published by The Thought Leader Press
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Table of Contents
Platinum Listings
ChannelAdvisor - LeSports: ChannelAdvisor Makes Online Marketplaces Manageable
Gold Listings
Alibaba - Products and Services
ChannelAdvisor - Going Global: A Guide to the Challenges and Solution
ChannelAdvisor –Premium Webstore
DzineHub - eBay Bulk Listing Services
DzineHub - eCommerce Website Design
Tradebox – Sage Software Overview
Silver Listings
As Was - eBay design and consulting
Frooition - Froo Productivity Apps
Bronze Listings
Jane Bell- eBay Specialist Consultant
Complete eBay Tools and Services Directory
Newsletters and Email Management
Product Sourcing and Drop Shippers
Discount Vouchers
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TameBay is owned and written by Chris Dawson and Sue Bailey, two British ecommerce professionals. Between us we have traded on eBay for over two decades, and have more than 70,000 positive feedback comments (and just 2 negs!).
Chris and Sue met on eBay UK’s PowerSeller forum longer ago than either of them like to admit. By October 2006, both had become frustrated with eBay’s inability to keep their users informed of new features on the site, with the impenetrability of eBay’s help pages, and with the lack of a UK- and Europe-centered news site for all things ecommercial. In a moment between classes at eBay University, Dan Wilson said what were to be fatal words: “you need a blog”. TameBay is the result.
Since the launch in 2006 TameBay has grown to be one of the definitive sources for eBay news, tips, tricks and trading advice. Over 50,000 readers visit the site each month making TameBay one of the best places on the Internet to keep up to date with everything eBay and to network with fellow eBay professional sellers.
We’re thrilled to publish the first edition of the TameBay eBay Tools and Services Guide 2011 which brings together all of the tools we’ve used to run our businesses over the years.
As an eBay business grows there becomes a need to simplify and automate many of the day to day tasks you will be undertaking. Everything from listing an item on eBay, printing and posting your sales, managing your customer communications and expanding your eBay business onto other marketplaces, your own website, shopping comparison sites and using paid search can be done manually. However the use of appropriate tools to manage these processes can automate the functions, perform tasks more effectively and save time and costs freeing you up to manage your business.
Many of the tools in this guide are little known apps which can make a huge contribution to the way you run your eBay business. Others are better known, but you may not have had time to fully investigate the products and services they offer. Whether it is a utility to make printing your labels and invoices automatic, or a fully fledged multi-channel ecommerce management platform you’ll find what you’re looking for in the following pages.
We’d like to thank all of the companies who have supported us in creating this guide, the many people who support us with content for the site, Dan Wilson for the original suggestion that we should launch TameBay and most importantly of all, you and all our many other thousands of readers who visit TameBay, comment on TameBay and who have made the site what it is today.
For the very latest eBay and ecommerce news don’t forget to visit us at TameBay.com.
Best wishes
Sue and Chris
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247 Top Seller offer a bespoke solution that is cost effective, high quality andefficient for multi-channel ecommerce. Our services include:
- Sell into multiple channels such as eBay (eBay Certified), Amazon, Play.com, Pixmania, Priceminister, your own website and more from one inventory
- Fully Managed Ecommerce – technology, design, strategy, account management, customer service and reporting
- Design Services - eBay shop, eBay template, eBay About Me, Amazon WebStore, Facebook
- Full design and integration of Amazon WebStore with multichannel solution (if required)
- Integration of Fulfilment by Amazon for Multichannel order fulfilment by Amazon
- Search Engine Optimisation
- Paid Search
- Feeds Management – Google, comparison shopping sites, affiliate feeds, specialist feeds
- Comprehensive reporting
- Integration with third-party fulfilment, shipping and accounting partners
- Social Networking
- Consultation and advice
- Integration with Sage 50 and Tradebox
- Full integration with multiple couriers like Royal Mail, Parcel Force, FedEx, DHL, Business Post, Home Delivery Network, DPD and more.
Our solution allows you to sell efficiently into multiple channels which will save you valuable time on everyday operations, increase your ROI and cut your overheads.
We operate with integrity and honesty and have a passion for exceeding customer expectations, working to achieve unbeatable standards of quality, productivity and innovation. We pride ourselves on the quality of our Support both in the initial set-up phase and ongoing and will work with you to grow your business to ensure our partnership is a success.
Our HQ is in London and we also have a fully-owned development centre based in India with dedicated staff experienced in application development, design services, managed services and search engine optimisation.
247 TopSeller have developed a great relationship with Amazon, eBay and all the major marketplaces and work closely with them to bring you the solution you need to operate successfully. Our developers are constantly updating the solution with new functionality and we work very hard to keep ahead of the game, which is essential in a fast-moving market.
You can take the complete multi-channel solution or just the parts you require. The Amazon WebStore is offered as a standalone website or as part of the full multi-channel ecommerce solution.
Amazon Webstore
247 Top Seller have worked closely with Amazon to integrate the WebStore into our solution. The WebStore is an ecommerce platform hosted by Amazon and powered by the same technology as Amazon.co.uk, Marks and Spencer, Mothercare and lots more. The WebStore allows you to run your online business in a secure, reliable and scalable environment with minimal financial investment.
Below are some key features of the Amazon WebStore:
- Quick, simple and cost effective.
- Proven track record - uses the same platform as Amazon.co.uk and other major retailers.
- Secure, reliable and scalable.
- Card payments processed by Amazon using the same checkout as their own customers.
- 105 million+ customers can buy without a new account and can use card details already stored with Amazon.
- Highly powerful drag and drop widgets like Best Sellers, Customers Who Also Bought and many other cross and upsell widgets.
- We have a dedicated inhouse WebStore Design and Integration Team who will work with you on a consultative basis.
Amazon Seller Central and Marketplace
Below are some key features of our Amazon solution:
- Allows multiple Marketplace and/or Seller Central accounts for same and/or different countries.
- Full control over shipping price for auto-pricing calculation with competitors.
- Option to exclude specified sellers to avoid competition with trade partners.
- Option to compete with all sellers or those above a certain seller rank assigned by Amazon.
- Manage all types of item condition eg new, used, collectible, refurbished etc with their sub- conditions.
- Assign default item condition notes to all items based on item condition.
- Restrict the inventory from listing by defining minimum threshold quantity.
- Unlimited access of Amazon database with no restriction of call limits per hour.
- Manage Amazon inventory for all accounts in a single dashboard.
- Synchronise active live listings on Amazon to dashboard.
- Update item details like Item name, Category, Sales Rank, Prices and more direct from Amazon database.
- Easily create new existing item on Amazon for different categories including items with variations like size and colour.
- Change quantity on all channels using a single feed.
- Search various options instantly with live or cached data using Exact, Like or Contains feature.
eBay Marketplace
Below are some key features of our eBay solution:
- Create multiple eBay accounts with different details within the solution.
- Provision for setting shipping, payment, listing design template, listing type, listing days, item specific details, items location etc by account. No need to define these details at item level. Pre-configured item settings to make data entry easier.
- Synchronise active live listings on eBay to the dashboard. No need to end listings when you start using the application.
- Option to change item details in bulk to edit large amounts of inventory in Excel. Can be done using Web-Service integration as well.
- Change quantities on dashboard with live effect.
- Export Selected/Export All Items directly from inventory dashboard.
- Assign shipping and payment profile to a number of items at once.
- Easily manage your item variations by assigning parent child relationship.
- Schedule items for auto listing which can be defined by the seller.
- Monitors and manage all your messages, disputes and and feedbacks from the application itself.
We have launched professional eBay store design from £12 per month. There is a free 7-day trial period and the user can apply the store design from many options to their stores in matter of minutes. We are also about to launch a listing tool, so that listings have a matching template design, on 1st Feb 2011. The listing tool combined with the store design will cost from only £25 per month.
Contact us for a no obligation expert consultation.
Our Contact details: Phone: 08000 474 247
Email: request@247topseller.co.uk
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Helping small and medium businesses to trade internationally
The ever changing world of technology: whether you see it as a positive or it terrifies you, there is no denying it opens up a world of new opportunities for businesses.
As an online trader, you are now able to find and make contact with companies that you would never have had the opportunity to work with even a mere five years ago. And no company is too small to take advantage of the global market – everyone can benefit from finding lower priced, better quality products and services, or by selling to an increased customer base.
Maggie Choo, Director of International Business Development and Marketing for Alibaba.com globally, comments: “When it comes to a business experimenting with international trade for the first time, it’s easy to overestimate the potential difficulties and underestimate the potential pay back. Thanks to the internet, sourcing opportunities have never been more abundant or varied, allowing small and medium-sized businesses to find all kinds of goods and supplies that they may struggle to source offline. By using online trading platforms and internet searches, they can quickly and easily find off the shelf or bespoke items at a far lower cost.
“Similarly, if you’re looking to export, there is a whole world of buyers out there who could be just a couple of clicks away from finding you.”
Alibaba.com has compiled the following top tips and insight for companies considering international trade for the first time.
Getting started
- A simple internet search will often bring up a wealth of information. If you’re looking for a Chinese manufacturer to help you produce a widget, then type in your search terms and see what happens. Online trading platforms, such as Alibaba.com, can also help to put you in touch with millions of businesses worldwide who are ready to trade in that specific category.
Communication
- When communicating with people whose first language is not that of your own, no matter how word-perfect they seem to be, do not over-estimate their language skills. Mistakes can sometimes be made so double confirm all the details. Use simple sentence structures, avoid using jargon, acronyms and slang words and make sure you are specific, clear and concise.
- With time differences, communicating has to be well planned and bear in mind this may add extra time to negotiations. Consider local holidays too, when organisations may be closed for an extended period.
- Utilise modern technology to speed the process up. For example, if you’re waiting for a product sample from a potential new supplier, ask them to send you a video of it before it is shipped. There may be glaring problems which need addressing, which can then be sorted without waiting for the product to go through transit. Or if you’re trying to explain some changes you would like to be made, consider using animation, diagrams or video to explain exactly what you mean.
Embracing differences
- Many people worry about the cultural issues involved when working with a company based in a different country. It’s always wise to be sensitive to cultural differences, but don’t let those differences put you off getting in touch.
- Avoid making judgments or assumptions about people based on where they are from – instead, do a bit of research on Chinese business values, for example, if you plan on dealing with companies in the Far East.
- You may have your mind set on finding the lowest possible price, but don’t forget that it is equally (if not more) important to build the relationship as it is to make the deal. Remember you (presumably) are not just in this for a quick fix. You want to find a business partner you can depend on to help your business grow.
- Check if the supplier is already working with businesses in your country for references and to gauge their understanding of your culture. For example, if you’re looking at producing clothing, companies in the Far East may not always be geared up to deal with European sizes. Their idea of XL may be very different to yours.
Finances
- Get specialist advice on the financial aspects/tax implications of importing and exporting and make sure this is factored into the price you can afford to pay/charge.
- Be sure to clearly agree payment terms before any transaction takes place. In you are purchasing, be cautious of businesses that ask for cash payment, as that can be a favourite with scammers because a cash transfer is not protected and it’s basically like handing cash over to a stranger on the street. Never wire money to a personal rather than a business account. Preferably, use an escrow payment service such as PayPal or Moneybookers that will protect both parties’ interests, or speak to your bank about wiring funds. But be aware these are hard to recall once the process has started.
- As a buyer, spread out payments if you can, and as a seller make sure you don’t leave yourself exposed. You will have to negotiate with your partners to find a payment solution that is agreeable to both parties. Some people work on the basis of 30% payment before production begins, allowing final approval of samples before any more cash is paid. When it comes to final payments, some people ask for proof the full order has been produced, perhaps with a photo, or wait until the order has been dispatched. Remember, there is risk on both sides and some trust will have to be involved. This is why the due diligence process at the front end is so important – ask for references, do a simple internet search for posts about the vendor/buyer in public forums and follow your instincts – if something doesn’t work for you and your business then choose a different avenue.
- Make the most of incentives for business growth offered by your local or national government – funds are available for those entrepreneurs looking to actively grow their business. Now is the time to invest in your company, to make the most of the positive momentum for small/medium businesses in today’s economic climate.
Exchange Rates
- As an example, in the UK, the depreciation of sterling has boosted exporters’ profits as firms have not passed all of the fall in the pound on to their buyers. This remains a good reason for firms to enter the UK export market. According to the Treasury, the corporate tax measures introduced in the emergency budget and the subsequent release of resources from the government should further support supply-side activity.
- Until recently China tied its own currency to the dollar however it no longer pegs its currency. As a result it is now more favourable for countries outside of the US to trade with China.
Security
- As you would when dealing with any new business contact, do some research. Check the background of the company. Are they members of a trade association or do they have any kind of verification/certification for the products they are developing? Do a credit check. Are they happy for you to speak to references? Beware of companies who just have a PO box or where the phone always goes to voicemail during the country’s standard working hours – bear in mind you may have to get up during the night to try this!
- Keep paperwork clear – spell out what you expect in terms of delivery and the product itself.
- Beware fraudsters and scammers – although a tiny proportion of people are untrustworthy, it pays to be sensible. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Transportation/Logistics
- If you are importing, your supplier is responsible for safely packing the order and completing the paperwork necessary to clear the port on their side of the transaction. If you are exporting then the responsibility is in your hands. The seller will usually get the product to a port and then the purchaser needs to organise shipping.
- Assuming this is going to be an ongoing arrangement, it makes sense to try and find transport partners you will be able to build an ongoing relationship with. Ask for quotes for shipping via sea and air and make sure they include all duties and fees involved, as these can have a sizeable impact to the end price of a product.
- If you are the buyer it is your responsibility to ensure the goods can legally be imported into the country and to get the products through customs.
- There is a wide range of shipping/duty terminology and acronyms you may need to familiarise yourself with as you go along - http://www.acronymfinder.com/ is a useful resource. And make sure you double check the small print.
- Ensure either you or your supply chain partner has insurance in place to cover the goods whilst they are in transit.
- Factor in the time needed to import/export and plan accordingly. Don’t overpromise.
- You could consider working with an import/export professional to manage the process for you, especially if this is something you intend to start doing more frequently.
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LeSports: ChannelAdvisor Makes Online Marketplaces Manageable
“We have settled all these channels with just one bit of software. It makes life so much easier.”
-LeSports Director, James McIlvenny
New Mills, England
Online Sportswear and Equipment
Overview
When LeSports was founded in 1980, the sportswear and equipment provider supplied independent sports retailers with the latest trends in sportswear. However, as the independent retailers dwindled due to the large sportswear chains moving in, LeSports changed its direction and moved to selling directly to the consumer. Even as its products moved to online stores like eBay and Amazon, LeSports never changed its mission statement: to supply quality branded sports clothing, footwear and accessories at competitive prices with excellent customer service.
Situation
Transitioning from supplying retailers to selling directly to consumers online was an extremely tedious process for LeSports. The marketing director of LeSports, James McIlvenny, explained, “Prior to using ChannelAdvisor, we had no other solution in place. Everything was done manually. We had some staff members doing schedules and other staff carefully monitoring where products were best selling. It was very time-consuming.”
LeSports found it difficult to distribute and manage its inventory across its own webstore and multiple marketplaces. The company had no strategy for listing merchandise—they were listing the full inventory on eBay yet listing very few products on Amazon. The company also had difficulty managing orders as they were coming in from multiple sources—they needed a central platform from which to manage orders to track inventory properly.
“Amazon ran out of stock, eBay ran out of stock. We needed a solution to combine both channels into one—we could not manage the inventory,” he said. The sportswear and equipment provider stood at a crossroads with two options left: to fall at the feet of sportswear giants or revive its online resources with an e-commerce strategy.
Solution
LeSports implemented ChannelAdvisor’s Premium Marketplace and Premium Webstore solutions to manage and distribute its inventory. Knowing that its retail client base was diminishing, e-commerce was flourishing and its ChannelAdvisor solutions were working, LeSports knew it was time to shift its sales entirely online.
The decision to use ChannelAdvisor came easy to McIlvenny; the technological experience and customer support capabilities were just what LeSports needed.
LeSports, for the first time, had one place to monitor all inventories across multiple channels. Using the Inventory Juggler feature of ChannelAdvisor’s Premium Marketplaces solution enabled LeSports to list inventory from a single source across eBay, Amazon and its own webstore. The Inventory Juggler feature tracks the inventory to make sure that if it sells out on eBay, it is not listed for sale on Amazon. This ensures that LeSports is no longer listing products for sale that are out of stock, improving the customer experience and LeSports’ seller status.
LeSports also uses ChannelAdvisor’s Premium Webstores solution. “We were at a point where we had our marketplaces going well—we wanted to grow the business online,” he said. Using ChannelAdvisor’s Cross-Channel Dashboard LeSports can compare how products are performing on its webstore, eBay and Amazon and make performance-based product decisions. For example, if a product is selling particularly well on Amazon, LeSports can quickly shift inventory from eBay to respond to the demand.
Results
Since using ChannelAdvisor, LeSports has seen year-over-year growth of 49% on marketplaces, and is forecasting that the company’s growth will continue. LeSports also anticipates continued growth on its webstore as the company works with ChannelAdvisor to develop the comparison shopping strategy and eventually a paid search strategy as well.
“With ChannelAdvisor our e-commerce strategy is completely automated so we spend no time at all on the tedious tasks of listing products online, reviewing product performance and chasing down orders and inventory to ensure that that we are not out of stock,” McIlvenny said. “ChannelAdvisor gives us more time to focus on our overall strategy and the ability to analyse and review product performance, too. Without ChannelAdvisor, we would probably need to recruit another two or three people purely to manage what the software is currently doing.”
Due to its initial success with ChannelAdvisor, LeSports expanded its product availability to list items on eBay in America, Australia, France and Germany and more recently Amazon France. “The inventory is shared,” McIlvenny said, “We have settled all these channels with just one bit of software. It makes life so much easier.”
ChannelAdvisor Solutions
Premium Marketplaces, Premium Webstores
ChannelAdvisor combines on-demand software, integration technology and best practices to help retailers manage the complexities of selling across multiple e-commerce channels – more efficiently and more profitably – all through a single interface.
A powerful part of the ChannelAdvisor platform, Premium Marketplaces helps retailers sell more and spend less on sites like Amazon, Buy.com, eBay, Pixmania and Trading Post. Allowing online retailers to focus on growing their business, Premium Marketplaces automates the tedious tasks of e-commerce from product distribution to post-sale.
ChannelAdvisor’s Webstore solutions make it easy for retailers to up-sell products from eBay stores to their own websites and cross-promote products over multiple marketplaces, effectively driving conversions, merging across-the-board efficiencies and extending retailers’ brands to a broader audience.
To learn more download the video case study at www.channeladvisor.co.uk/lesportsvideo
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The convenient and cost effective way to send your parcels to your customer’s address
The Collect+ service is quite simply the most convenient way for you to send your parcels to any address in the UK. As Collect+ uses convenience stores around the UK which are typically open early ‘til late 7 days a week, you can drop your parcels off at a time that suits you. No more dashing to the Post Office before it closes or waiting in for a courier, the Collect+ service is in tune with how you run your account. Do you arrange most of your sales in the evening and weekends? No problem, just drop them off when its convenient for you and they will be collected next day.
That is why Collect+ is different and why it’s the courier most suited to eBay users. We are open when you do your business – you don’t have to work around restricted opening times & you don’t have to wait in for collections. And there is a Collect+ convenience store near you!
You can arrange delivery to any address in the UK whether it’s a work address or a home address. What could be easier? What’s more, Collect+ customers are strong advocates of our service – in a recent survey, 95% would recommend the service to a friend.
With one of the simplest websites for booking a parcel and with highly competitive prices, it’s simply the easiest way to ensure you and your customers receive the best service.
Use Collect+ and you enjoy all these benefits:
- Choose from over 3,500 convenience stores to drop your parcels off
- Most people live within 1 mile of a Collect+ convenience store
- All stores open early ‘til late 7 days a week
- All parcels are tracked
- Simple, fixed pricing within the eBay shipping caps
- Meets the seller protection requirements
- Trusted by major direct retailers such as Littlewoods, Very, Bodens, ASOS, M&M Direct & House of Fraser
How it works
Booking a parcel and sending is as easy as 1 – 2 – 3!
1: Visit http://www.collectplus.co.uk and print your label. Its quick and easy to book a parcel for shipment – in fact our customers say the Collect+ web site is the simplest on the market
2: Attach your label to the parcel & take it to your nearest Collect+ convenience store (just enter your postcode and the convenience stores near to you will be displayed)
3 : Relax and track your parcel on line. At each stage of the journey, your parcel will be clearly visible.
Alternative delivery options
Using Collect+ means you have the option of sending your parcels to another convenience store near where your customer lives. Ideal if your customer is out most the of the day and is worried about missing the delivery. If you choose this option, we’ll even text your customer when it’s arrived in store.
Simple and easy to understand pricing
Collect+ aims to make sending your parcels as easy and convenient as possible. This includes the pricing. All you need to do is to decide whether you are sending to an address or to another convenience store. After that there are only 2 price levels, upto 5kg, and over 5kg. That’s it. Simple as that. Pricing is (as at Jan 2011):
Upto 5kg
Sending to another convenience store - £3.49
Sending to any address in the UK - £4.99
Over 5kg - £6.99
Included in the price at no extra cost
Not only are these prices very attractive, they automatically include:
- All parcels tracked as standard
- You receive a receipt as proof of despatch
- Insurance upto £50 (more available at additional cost)
- Customer service assistance if necessary
Linked to eBay
Your eBay account can also be linked to your Collect+ account. This enables you to automatically import your orders and download your addresses – meaning there is no need to re-type the customer’s details.
Want to get started?
Visit http://www.collectplus.co.uk
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Give your eBay store the face-lift it needs with our custom design
dZine-Hub puts your eBay store on the map with a custom eBay store design & listing template design. At only £399, you can get your eBay store custom designed by us along with a matching listing template design to list your items with. Now seriously, why be ordinary when being exceptional is an option?
Consistent Branding – Get a state of the art eBay store design with a matching listing template design to achieve consistent branding!
WHY eBay store design & listing template design?
- Branding – Give your eBay store a top-quality design with a unique logo.
- Interface – Give your eBay store easily navigable pages that facilitate a shopping experience to remember for your visitors.
- Cross-Promotion – Creative methods of cross-selling & cross-promotion that makes the difference between a visit and a sale.
Advanced Features- Custom Add-ons:
- Seasonal Themes
Eg. http://stores.ebay.com/PASHION
We offer the provision for you to apply a theme on your eBay store for a holiday season during that period. You can have your eBay store custom themed for Christmas, Halloween et all. Once the particular season is over, we can switch it back to the general theme on the eBay custom store design.
- Category Promotion Boxes
Eg. http://stores.ebay.com/skiwear4u
One of the successful methods of selling is cross-promotion. The best way to do this is to use category promotion boxes - we help you use your space effectively to cross-promote your main categories of items on the listing template and the eBay store design.
- Flash Rotator Banner
Eg. http://stores.ebay.com/FashionRepublicUK
A picture speaks a thousand words – imagine if there were five! Get a dynamic XML based, fully customizable high-visibility flash banner rotating gallery to convey key information about your eBay store!
- Flash header
Eg. http://stores.ebay.co.uk/GLITZYGIZMOS
Enhance your custom eBay store design with a flash animation header to make it the eye-catching eBay store it could be! The same animated header could be used on your listing template design as well.
Features that come with the design package (on request)
- Dependent dropdowns to search items by gender, color category, etc
These are part of the design package and can be included in the design.
A buyers search is made easy with these dropdowns. Here are a few samples stores where we have implemented complex dependent/independent drop down boxes:
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Shoe-Dream
http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/Shu-Crazy-4-Womens-Shoes-and-Boots
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/ShoeFashionista1
Promotion boxes (unlimited)
For cross selling we can create any type of banners (vertical, horizontal, etc) and display your items, categories, featured items, etc in it. and also promotion boxes.
Here are some stores where we have incorporated promotion boxes in the design.
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/PASHION?_rdc=1
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/FashionRepublicUK?_rdc=1
- Variation promo boxes
This is a store we designed with variation promo boxes - http://stores.ebay.co.uk/shoedream
You will notice that each promo box contains a drop-down for color & size.
- nXn Search Matrix- (laptopAid store design)
The laptop aid ebay store is pretty complex, and we may have to work a custom proposal for you in case you need a similar ebay store. The laptopAid ebay store was designed to use a 15 X 15 complex structure, to enables their customers to search across 15 brands vs 15 categories in each brand, and vice-versa.
http://stores.ebay.com/LaptopAid
- Drop down Menus
Simple vertical drop down menus on ebay, to display your custom store categories and sub-categories.
Example of a store with drop-down menus: http://stores.ebay.com.au/grumpybwatertanks
You will notice the header menu containing drop downs which is different from other rollover-menu stores.
Based on your requirements such a header menu can be designed to enable better searching of your products.
- Horizontal Large Menu- Header
This type of menu header is especially useful to display large number of categories & subcategories. On mouse hover, it displays, and disappears when user moves pointer to another location.
Please view this store header where we have incorporated this feature : http://stores.ebay.co.uk/My1stWish
- Search by price box
Give your buyers the option to search items not only by colour or size but also by a price range.
You will find this feature on the right hand side in this store: http://stores.ebay.com/BrinZU/
- Multiple Images Script
We have allowed for the users of our listing template to use multiple images with the listing template to better show-case their item. The images appear as thumb-nails, and when the mouse is hovered over the thumbnail images, the large image populates in the main image section. This can be made compatible even if the seller is using a seller listing tool.
A few of the listing tools we have configured the multiple image module for (with examples):
Inkfrog: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/190480808190
Channel Advisor: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/140490704779
Auctiva: http://cgi.ebay.com/110624206835
eSellerPro: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/150507936376
Vendio - http://cgi.ebay.com/320631633225
WHY choose Dzine-Hub?
Four simple reasons that make Dzine-Hub the only choice –
- Quality - When you choose a design partner, choose wisely. Quality is the focus - a top quality design can encourage a sale, while an amateurish or no design might do otherwise. Actions speak louder than words – visit our website portfolio for the “actions”.
- Service – All your emails, queries and revisions are handled quickly and efficiently. During the project phase.
We answer all emails within 24-36 hours on business working days (Monday - Friday).
Our project managers are available on the phone for discussions for a time-slot, if scheduled to give you personalized support.
Customer Satisfaction is of paramount importance to us – we do not stop revising your design until we find that you are completely satisfied with it.
- Pricing – Our design & quality levels are second to none; we deliver nothing short of the best. And the pricing is no exception – at £399 it is the best you can get for the entire package.
- Flexibility– We do not have any monthly membership plans where a customer could be tied to use any seller tool that we may own. Rather, we customize the listing template to suit the seller tool of their choice like ChannelAdvisor, Inkfrog, Auctiva, BlackThorne, TurboLister, etc.
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Garage Sale 6
http://www.iwascoding.com/GarageSale
Mac OS X users - create outstanding eBay auctions
GarageSale is the most comprehensive eBay application optimised for use on Apple platforms. Whether you are using an Apple Mac computer, an iPhone, iPod Touch or your iPad, you can edit, track and manage all your auctions with one application.
Auction tracking keeps you up to date with all the information about your eBay auctions including current bid, watchers and listing fees. When a listing ends you'll receive all the information you need including the buyer's name, and address. You can add them to your address book and even find the buyer's location through Google Maps as well as leave buyer feedback directly from GarageSale.
Full Apple integration is outstanding with features such as the Media Browser which lets you import photos from different sources easily. You can even access all your images from iPhoto and Aperture directly from within GarageSale.
If you use Apple platforms to run your business, whether that be Mac computer, iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad, than GarageSale is the solution you should be using.
GarageSale offers:
- A completely Mac based eBay selling solution
- Free image hosting for up to 20 images per auction
- No subscription required, one-time
- iPhone/iPad versions available, too
- Pricing from $39.99
GarageSale is a slick, full-featured client application for the eBay online auction system. With GarageSale Mac OS X users can edit, track and manage all their auctions with one single application - easily and fast. Use GarageSale's intuitive and reliable interface to create eBay auctions conveniently. Stop waiting for eBay to lead you through endless web pages step-by-step.
GarageSale is fast, easy to use and comes with everything you need to create, list and manage your auctions. GarageSale also integrates perfectly with iPhoto, offers free image hosting, over 140 free auction designs and comes with a built-in Design Store.
eBay Stores, eBay Motors, PayPal, Twitter and many international eBay sites are supported.
GarageSale Touch and GarageSale HD offer all the features you need to list products onto eBay while you are on the road. You can even start creating your auctions directly from your iPhone or iPad and then import them into GarageSale for Mac to refine them further. You can download GarageSale for the iPhone or iPod touch directly from the Apple App store and there is a separate version of GarageSale in the Apple App store for the iPad.
GarageSale is fully featured with all the tools that you would expect including Inventory Tracking, Batch Editing, Revision, Relisting and Free Scheduling. Support for multiple eBay seller accounts and full integration with eBay stores is built in as standard. Each time you upload an auction you can choose which of your eBay accounts should be used. Each account can be linked to a different PayPal account.
One of the most useful features in GarageSale is Network Sharing – the ability to share your prepared auctions with other GarageSale users on your local network with Apple's Bonjour technology.
Inventory Tracking allows you to now define products and assign product titles, pricing information, images, and quantity. You can link your auction templates or a variation from a variation-enabled listing with your product through the SKU field. Every time an item sells, GarageSale will decrease the remaining quantity for the linked product.
Built in to GarageSale is a Financial Report Geneator to enable you to stay in control of your business. It's crucial to your business success to keep track of your eBay income and expenses so GarageSale lets you create custom reports showing the data you are interested in, including PayPal and eBay fees, for any given date range.
What have other eBay users said?
- This is by far the most awesome app for eBay postings using a Mac. Not only is it powerful, but it is just plain FUN to use!
- Using GarageSale has been instrumental in starting my eBay business. It has worked flawlessly and makes beautiful listing designs seem effortless. The customer support is top notch.
- Quite easily the best eBay Auction manager, by a country mile. Superb software.
- Can't fault it so far, much better than Turbolister.
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Goofbay is an essential bargain hunting companion, whether you are buying, or selling on eBay. As one of the biggest eBay tools specialists on the web, Goofbay has grown quickly since being established in early 2005. Here, we take a look at some of the free tools on offer through Goofbay.
Free eBay Sniper
You've seen it before; your bid is winning as the eBay auction is about to close. You watch in excitement for the eBay winning notification, but...it never comes, you've lost?! In the last seconds of the auction a new bid has appeared, somehow they have managing to outbid you and it's too late for you to respond. You've been sniped!
If you're tired of losing eBay auctions Goofbay eBay Sniper is the answer. Goofbay's free eBay Sniper automates the process of placing a bid in the closing seconds of an eBay auction, dramatically increasing your chance of winning.
There is no complicated software to learn; all you do is enter the eBay item number and your maximum bid. Goofbay will snipe eBay just a few seconds before the auction ends, so you can rest easy knowing you have the best chance possible of winning the auction.
Thousands of buyers snipe eBay auctions every day, if you can't beat them - join them!
eBay Most Popular Tool
This tool allows users to view how popular an item is through the number of watchers it has achieved. With this information, eBay sellers can better understand pricing points and demand for items, whilst buyers can better understand what type of Best Offer a user may accept.
eBay Bid History Tool
The eBay Bid History Tool allows you to lookup what someone is bidding for on eBay. You can see what items they have won, the percentage of auctions they have the winning bid in and how much they have spent in anywhere up to the last 120 days.
eBay Seller History Tool
The eBay Seller History Tool allows you to view a seller's sale history. You can see exactly what a seller has sold, how many they sold, how much their turnover was and how much they spent in eBay fees in up to the last 90 days. The Seller History Tool is particularly useful for eBay Sellers researching which products are selling most effectively online.
eBay Feedback Checker
The eBay Feedback Checker Tool allows you to lookup the entire feedback history of a seller or buyer on eBay. You can filter out positive feedback, negative feedback, withdrawn feedback and neutral feedback, allowing you to easily see the reliability of the seller or buyer you are dealing with.
eBay Best Offers Tool
The eBay Best Offers Tool allows you to view what offers a seller has accepted or declined. You can see exactly how often a seller accepts an offer and the average reduction a seller will accept in up to the last 90 days. Use this tool to better understand how much you can expect a seller to accept on a Best Offer.
eBay Misspellings Search
The eBay Misspellings Search allows you to search for items that have been misspelled by the seller, giving you more chance of picking up a bargain as nobody else can find it. For example if you type in 'Playstation', Goofbay will automatically search for misspellings such as Paystation, Playstaion, Playtation, and more.
If you are searching for a new camera, why not use the advanced filters to filter results by Brand, Model, Zoom, Bundled Kit, Megapixels and more.
eBay Bargains Search
The Bargains search allows you to search for eBay items with zero bids in order of when the auction is ending. You can further refine this search to find specific items which immediate impulse bargains are waiting to be had.
eBay Not In Title Search
This is a totally unique feature, no other site searches this way. You search for example 'PSP Games' and Goofbay lists those games where people have excluded 'PSP' or 'Games' from the title. (Games listed in the PSP category with a title as '2 games' etc. usually go undiscovered on eBay).
eBay Exact Search
The eBay Exact Search allows you to do a regular search on eBay but has the benefit of using the Goofbay advanced search filters to quickly and easily find the perfect item. If you are searching for a new camera, why not use Goofbay's advanced search to filter results by Brand, Model, Zoom, Bundled Kit, Megapixels and more.
eBay Local Search
Use this tool to search for items that are local to you with the eBay Local Search tool. By searching for local items, it's possible to grab a bargain and save on delivery costs by collecting it the very same day.
eBay Impulse Search
The eBay impulse search allows you to quickly search eBay for auction items currently below their perceived auction value. For example, you can search for Xbox 360 related items for under £10. The impulse search allows you to uncover bargains on items you often never expected.
If you've never used Goofbay before, now is the time to have a go with some of the tools. If you are one of the 100,000 people who currently use eBay, then why not take the opportunity to use a wider range of its tools to better identify eBay bargains. You could use tools in conjunction with one another, for example using the 'Not in Title Search' to identify a bargain, before using the Free eBay Sniper to stand the greatest chance of winning it?
In addition to these tools, Goofbay also offers a range of buyer and seller shortcuts, completing its offering as an essential eBay companion. The developers of the site are also looking to bring news of the latest eBay deals and bargain hunting opportunities as they happen. To receive the latest bargain hunting opportunities and for updates on new Free eBay tools, sign up to Goofbay now. You can also receive updates through joining http://www.facebook.com/goofbay, or follow Goofbay at http://www.twitter.com/goofbay_com.
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Linnworks Order Management and Stock Control
Linnworks allows you to manage all your selling channels from one straight-forward software system. Whether you sell on eBay, Amazon, PlayTrade, Pixmania or your own website, you can manage your entire inventory from one place, ensuring that you’ll never sell something you don’t have in stock.
For example, when you sell an item on eBay, Linnworks will automatically deduct one from your available stock on Amazon. The system does it seamlessly for all your selling channels, making sure you never sell more than you can deliver.
With Linnworks, all your orders from multiple channels are downloaded into one central place, where you can print all invoices, shipping labels, picking and packaging lists at a click of a button, as well as keeping track of order life cycle and manage returns and resends.
Linnworks makes selling across multiple channels simple.
Order management
All your order management can be handled within Linnworks, removing the need to log into multiple websites and marketplaces. Centralised management takes care of everything from downloading orders, producing invoices and shipping labels and handling any returns or exchanges.
- Download orders from eBay all sites, Amazon all sites, PlayTrade, PixMania and many types of websites, including bespoke built e-commerce platforms;
- Print invoices, shipping labels, packing slips and pick lists for multiple orders at a click of a button;
- Automatically mark orders as shipped on your selling channels and upload shipping tracking numbers to update the order details;
- Complete order life cycle – product resends, returns, exchange and customer notes;
- Email notification – send out despatch notifications with PDF invoices attached, as well as create email notifications for every step of the way;
Inventory Management
Inventory management is at the heart of Linnworks. It ensures that you have maximum exposure for your entire inventory but will never oversell when stock runs low as Linnworks will automatically adjust your stock profile on each marketplace as sales are made.
- One Inventory repository for all selling channels - there is no need to manage inventory for each SKU independently;
- Stock level instantly updated on all your selling channels – if you sell an item on one platform the quantity will be updated on the other marketplaces that you trade on;
- Multiple listings/auctions can be linked to single product – if you list the same item but in different quantities or with a different title it will still deplete stock from a single SKU;
- Multiple stock levels for the same product – this gives you flexibility to manage locations and multiple marketplaces;
- Support for bundles, packs and composite products – if you combine multiple products into a single bundle Linnworks can still automate your stock inventory for you;
- Stock Purchasing management as well as support for Just-In-Time ordering (ordering from supplier when orders are placed, instead of stocking internally);
- Support for drop shipping – if you use drop shipping services this can be integrated into your Linnworks management;
Shipping Integration (print labels from Linnworks directly)
With Linnworks all of your invoices, labels and shipping is taken care of from within the software. Linnworks integrates with the major shipping carriers and postal services to enable you to print out shipping labels without the requirement to cut and paste into the carriers own website.
- Royal Mail franking and Despatch Express integration
- Parcelforce
- FedEx
- UPS
- DHL and DespatchBay
- United States Postal Services (USPS)
- Interlink Express (shipping velocity)
- HDNL (shipping velocity)
Listing products
You can use Linnworks to create new listings on eBay, Amazon and Magento-based websites. Once you create an item in Linnworks you can then launch it onto multiple marketplaces and websites and Linnworks will ensure that the correct attributes for each marketplace are included correctly.
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Terapeak for eBay – eBay Market Research for Sellers – http://www.terapeak.com
Make more profit and close more auctions by using eBay market research.
Our sellers sell 65% more on average because they understand what prices buyers are historically willing to pay, what titles get found, and how to optimize their listings. Terapeak users sold a combined 4$ bil
Successful eBay selling involves three things:
- Find the average price of an item, this is what buyers are proven to pay
- Research your competition to see how they succeed – the best sellers consistently sell 80% of their listings – learn from them and compete successfully
- Optimize your listings based on what you find – adjust price, change title key words to rank higher, close more listings
Research and identify the average price of your item:
Terapeak will show the dollar amount most buyers are proven to pay for something. Discovering this will make it much easier to price your items so as to maximize profit and avoid being passed over.
- Get the average sale price for your item and apply this value to your fixed-price listings or a lesser value to your bid auctions. Pricing your items effectively will entice buyers, you should avoid setting a price that is too high as these can quickly get passed over.
- Filter your search results appropriately compare vs. the tiem of year: be sure you are looking at a specific item and not the whole category’s price – then compare the average price this time last year to know exactly what people paid (sometimes prices peak and you’ll make more if you wait to list).
- Price your items using your new insight. Pricing is so vital to making a positive impact on buyers, remember, shoppers want bargains to jump out at them. Price your items fairly and customers will gravitate to your listings to make a purchase.
Find the top sellers and research competition:
Easily find the top sellers for your item(s). Finding them to review their listings will show you how to succeed; you’ll see what listing styles are attractive to customers and what title key words rank highest and get found. Terapeak makes it easy to find all the following information quickly:
- Find the top sellers, Terapeak ranks top sellers for any item for you to look up and analyze. This is the foundation for building a successful listing, learning from the best.
- Review their listings to see what features, keywords and other listing elements they use. This is how you discover techniques that are proven successful. A report will display everything from pricing to a seller’s most-successful day of the week - which you can immediately employ.
- Adapt your own listings to the successful style you find - until you do this you’re not really competing. Remember there is a winning strategy to every item; fortunately uncovering it is fairly straightforward will tools like this.
Perfect your listings:
Use the proven listing features and techniques pulled from both a Terapeak item report and top sellers’ listings to optimize your own listings. This is how you out-sell the top sellers.
- Time your listing, list when items are proven to sell - you need to find the optimal day and time to close your listings. Terapeak can easily show this and any seasonality (best time of year) your item has. End your listings at the exact time when shoppers are paying the most, this way you’ll always maximize your end price.
- Find the most searched keywords - Terapeak’s Title Builder will show valuable words that get the highest end price for an item, and popular words that searchers are already using. Listing as “vintage” vs “retro” can be the difference between a high price and a low price. You can know this ahead of time using Terapeak.
- Cover all your categories, many buyers search at a category level instead of a general search, be sure you use Terapeak to find every category your product should be in. Terapeak will quickly tell you every category an item is listed in and how often it gets listed there and how often it sells. Remember we only show you closed listings, you are only ever looking at stats related to successful listings.
Finally, keep in mind that your listing appears shoulder to shoulder with all the others and it’s easy for shoppers to move on. Listings that are priced well, with the right keywords and timed to perfection are assured to perform. Your best strategy is to employ the tools that give you this listing intelligence. The good news is that they’re already at your disposal.
Go to http://www.terapeak.com/ for more information, good luck with your selling.
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Overview
The only product of its kind within the UK, Tradebox Finance Manager is a unique accountancy plug-in solution for online retailers wishing to impose financial control over their trading activities. Designed as middleware, Finance Manager acts as an automated bookkeeping tool, importing completed orders from eBay, as well as a range of other online sales venues, and comprehensively accounting for each online order in Sage Instant, Sage 50 or Sage 200 accountancy solutions.
Features
In conjunction with Sage accounts solutions, Tradebox Finance Manager provides the online seller with a powerful package, enabling them to expediently:
- Import and process high volumes of online orders in minutes
- Drastically reduce data entry in Sage
- Create invoices/orders for each online order in Sage
- Create individual or generic customer records in Sage
- Map (matching and non matching) online SKU’s to Sage stock codes
- Automatically calculate correct VAT liability for each individual online transaction based upon what has been sold and where it has been shipped to.
- Create and print invoices, labels and dispatch notes
- Create and print picking and packing lists
- Provide stock control
- Deal with combined ‘packaged’ items assembled from other stock items
- Upload adjusted stock levels back to the online sales channels
- Edit eBay SKU’s (Custom Label Fields)
- Assess and reorder supplies
- Automatically create Purchase Orders in Sage for Drop Ship items
- Provide management information on product sales performance and profitability
- Provide analysis of sales channel performance
- Accommodate entry of direct sales
- Maintain an accurate financial account of the retailer’s online sales
An overview of Finance Manager, containing prices, functionality and compatibility can be downloaded by clicking here.
Benefits
For many businesses, dealing with the logistical requirements of processing, fulfilling and shipping mass orders can be extremely challenging. The ability to financially account for these sales, accurately and transparently is intrinsically time consuming, open to error and can be a significant barrier to growth.
With the ability to download, process and create financial entries in Sage Accounts for large volumes of online orders, in a fraction of the time it would take to do manually, Finance Manager can massively reduce the online retailer’s administration burden and enable them to achieve further growth. By automating the creation of this financial information, Tradebox not only reduces duplication and time costs, it also removes inaccurate data inputs. In an environment where literally hundreds of individual invoices and customer records may be raised manually every day, this is can be a real danger.
- Saves money for retailers
- Dramatically reduces data entry time
- Streamlines post-sales administration
- 100% accurate
- Enables business growth
Assessment & Customer Reviews
Tradebox Finance Manager is available to download as a free, fully supported, 14 day trial for existing Sage users. The Tradebox Installation Guide and Checklist can be downloaded by clicking here. This is a comprehensive step by step guide that provides guidance on:
- Essential Sage configuration prior to installing Finance Manager.
- Advice and recommendations on other Sage configuration
- Finance Manager download and installation instructions.
- How to download data from specific online platforms and any pre-requisites prior to importing sales data.
Tradebox also run a live online demonstration at 11am every Wednesday and Friday where prospective customers can see both Tradebox and Sage in action. This is a really good way to evaluate the impact Finance Manager can have on the online retailers business and assist them in deciding whether to make a purchase, or not. A place at the online demo can be booked via the Tradebox website or by clicking here.
Independent customer reviews of the Tradebox Finance Manager software and support can be found on the eBay Solutions Directory.
Support
An ‘out-of-the-box’ solution, Tradebox Finance Manager can be installed, configured and ready to import sales from eBay within minutes, foregoing the need for any expensive onsite consultancy. A range of step by step guides are provided to customers and prospects to assist them in getting started.
Both pre and post sales support, for both prospects and customers, is accessible via the Tradebox helpdesk, which is available between 9am and 3pm on all working days via telephone and email; 0191 280 4025 or support@tradebox.uk.com.
System Requirements & Information
- Sage Instant Accounts or Instant Accounts Plus, v15 onwards.
- Sage 50 (Sage Line 50) Accounts, Accounts Plus and Accounts Professional (Financial Controller) V11 onwards.
- Windows XP Pro, Windows Vista, Windows 7.
- Import sales from:
eBay
Amazon
Play.com
ChannelAdvisor
Magento
EKM Powershop
Shopcreator
247 Topseller
LiquidShop
Shopify
Aimco
Any other ecommerce website capable of exporting a compatible csv order file. Full specification details of the csv export file can be downloaded here.
Tradebox are constantly developing native connections to new ecommerce platforms to enable integration ‘out of the box’.
Company Background
An accredited and award winning Sage Developer and Sage Business Partner, Tradebox has an in-depth understanding of the functionality available within both Finance Manager and all Sage products. Working within the online retail market since 2005 Tradebox also has a comprehensive understanding of the online retailer’s business practices, placing us in a great position to evaluate the online retailer’s accountancy needs, advise on product selection and assist them in getting started. As a Sage Business Partner, Tradebox can also offer all prospective Sage customers 10% off all Sage purchases.
A company overview of Tradebox, including a customer case study, can be downloaded here.
Tradebox Introducer Scheme
The Tradebox Introducer scheme is an extremely straight forward, low maintenance programme designed to reward Tradebox partners and customers that recommend, promote and successfully introduce new customers to Tradebox. For more details download the Introducer overview document.
Contact Tradebox
Telephone: 0191 280 4025
Email: sales@tradebox.uk.com
Web: http://www.tradebox.uk.com
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Alibaba - Products and Services
Alibaba.com Products and Services:
Alibaba.com’s main product is its online business to business trading platform, www.alibaba.com, connecting more than 56 million small and medium businesses frommore than 240 different countries and regions around the world. As part of its online sourcing platform, Alibaba.com offers the following products and services:
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