Bonanzle Blog Team – A Great Way To Drive Traffic!
October 30, 2008 by Scott Pooler · Leave a Comment
The Bonanzle Blog Team has been born!
What is a Blog Team, you ask?
It is a term we just dreamed up for the enthusiastic members of
Are You a Member?
Bonanzle who want to promote both the site and their own Bonanzle items in their Bonanzle Booths.
Many Bonanzle sellers have jumped at the chance to promote the site around the Internet in whatever spare time they happen to have. These members are part of the Bonanzle Action Team, they post comments and links on friendly blogs and discussion boards all over the Internet.
We thought, why not take some of that time and devote it to your own website? But many Bonanzle sellers do not have websites, what to do?
iBusinessLogic.com created a special website development deal for Bonanzle members. The idea is to create multiple off Bonanzle websites with blog capabilities and feed those sites with the stock the Bonanzle members already have in their individual Bonanzle Booths. In essence, each Bonanzle seller who becomes a Bonanzle Blog Team member will concentrate on creating content about what what they know, what they sell, what they are experts about in thier own space on the Internet. This content generation will draw in traffic looking for each persons individual content. That traffic will then be funneled back to Bonanzle through each Blog Team members Bonanzle Booth.
Sounds simple, and it is…
Those who choose to invest in their business will reap the highest rewards, but overall every seller on Bonanzle will benefit from the increased traffic and page rank all of these outside websites will transfer to the main site. We have Two New members just today and I will personally help them set up their new websites and blogs.
Why not check out the website blog offer made to Bonanzle members either o the BusinessLogic.com/blog or over at Bonanzle in the Services Discussion Forum (if you are a member).
Below is an example of the Bonanzle product feed we would insert in these off Bonanzle - member websites. This “feed” consists of live items in our own Bonanzle Booth. Click on any item and you will be taken directly to our booth where the transaction can be completed if you choose to purchase one of these items.
Bonanzle is a very efficient and easy shopping cart system with features which would be very hard to duplicate at such a low cost. From social marketing features, easy item insertion, free photo hosting, and multiple methods of payment (Google Checkout or PayPal or Both, plus all forms of Paper payments). Bonanzle in effect is a low cost, high efficiency selling machine which simply needs a traffic feed.
We think each booth owner can create that traffic with good content!
Bonanzle Booth Feed:
Chrysler Joins GM on eBay – Will Local Car Dealers Be Affected? How to Compete WIth the Big Guys
June 14, 2008 by Scott Pooler · 1 Comment
Chrysler has reached a partnership with eBay to market over 15,000 of its dealers certified pre-owned vehicles.
Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge brands will be initially offered on the eBay Motors site. One could wonder how long it will be before dealers entire inventory of used cars will be included in the deal?
The announced agreement follows General Motors stunning coo last February to list all of its dealers inventory of certified pre-owned cars from over 3,900 GM dealers on eBay.
GM said on Thursday that its listings are now live on eBay.
As a small non-affiliated used car dealer competing in this Internet landscape has become more important than ever. Initially it was the small local dealers who utilized online selling through places like eBay. Now the big three are doing more than looking at these small local dealers successes, they are joining the fray in a big way.
Chrysler’s eBay showroom presents consumers a view of its used vehicles within their local area within a classified listings format. eBay motors is not just for bidding on used car auctions anymore.
Chrysler’s certified pre-owned vehicles cover models from 2003 to 2008 with less than 65,000 miles and are reconditioned to meet the automaker’s standards. They carry an eight-year, or 80,000-mile powertrain warranty, roadside assistance and rental car allowances. A great deal if your shopping for a used car…
Chrysler sold more than 122,000 certified used cars in 2007, up 5 percent from a year earlier. With this announcement and eBay affiliation the used car sales should grow at a higher rate. The auto company’s used car sales are up 8 percent so far this year, new vehicle sales have dropped more than 20 percent in the same time frame.
How will local non-affiliated dealers compete with the likes of GM & Chrysler?
The entire U.S. auto industry has been hit hard by reduced demand for gas-guzzling trucks and SUVs. Finding new and innovative ways to market used vehicles is a key to economic survival. Check out All Business Auctions Auto Dealer programs on our main website, we have some very interesting programs designed to equip local dealerships with an eBay “storefront” which will engage the buying public more than simply listing a vehicle in the middle of hundreds of thousands of Chrysler or GM certified used cars.
About 43 million used vehicles were sold in the United States last year, well over double the 16.2 million new vehicles sold. Used car profit margins are also generally better than they are for new vehicles. eBay is a good place to be for small used car dealers. The big car makers are trying to help thier dealers survive with these eBay deals. Small dealers have an edge and if they want to keep that edge we suggest investing in online and eBay marketing programs.
Dealer Blogs Part of the future of used car marketing?
A dealer blog could be a very effective method of lead generation. Under utilized until now but certainly an area to explore for any dealer of used vehicles. A blog will outperform any web 1.0 static or flash website when it is measured head to head in terms of traffic generation. Enticing the buying consumers interest is the name of the game and on the Internet, pure content is king. Blogs are ideally suited to tell the story of a dealership.
Ideas for blog development at an auto dealership include:
- Meet the sales manager – Special articles from the sales manager about his job, his family, his time selling cars and why it is important to buy from an honest dealer.
- Owners Corner – the dealership owner is usually the face of the organization – give him a voice as well
- Service Managers Shop – Open up the world of service to the consumer, let them know the many reasons why the best service is found at the best equipped dealer service organizations.
- Car of the Day or Car of the Week – Pick a car of the day or week and completely describe the features of that car. Photos, video, and text… Attract buyers with information.
If your local dealership is
searching for innovative ways to compete in this new Internet sales
landscape give the good people at All Business Auctions and iBusinessLogic.com a call, new web 2.0 methods of lead generation like social media marketing blogs and websites are our specialty.
Scott Pooler – CEO iBusinessLogic Corporation
Tags: chrysler, ebay, car dealer, used cars, social media marketing, auto dealer ebay store, auto sales on the internet,
eBay To Go Partner Network Send Traffic to eBay Listings and Get Your Fees Back!
June 11, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
The eBay to go widgets were not very user friendly when first announced late in 2007. Now it seems the entire interface has improved. Using these widgets to promote eBay items on your blogs or websites can only help on eBay sales. And if you become a part of the eBay partner network, driving traffic to your own listings or (anyone else’s) can pay you back handsomely! Read more
eBay Live 2008 Packaging Vendor Offers Air Bag Solution to eBay Sellers
June 11, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Packaging and shipping is one of the most time and expense oriented parts of the eBay seller experience. Finding the right deals on packaging materials and making sure the goods an eBay seller ships to a buyer, survivesduring its journey, across town or across continents in one piece, is becoming more and more important with each new emphasis on the shipping aspect of the eBay buyer experience.
When a recent press release came to my office from Mini PAK’R , I started to think about the changes which have come to all of us at eBay in the last several years. In 2006 I went to eBay live in Las Vegas and one of the items I was looking for was a way to use Air Speed bags in my shipping department. Just two short years ago there was only one vendor on the solutions floor offering Air Speed bag equipment. Read more
eBay Five Star Service Banner – Logo Free for readers of the ABA/Blog or Trading Assistant Journal
May 30, 2008 by Scott Pooler · 1 Comment
Free for Readers of this Blog and The Trading Assistant Journal
We asked our design team at iBusinessLogic to create this five star service eBay customer service for our own eBay Store because rather than plant negative ideas or images in our customers minds about feedback on eBay, we would rather have them thinking about the 5 Star DSR ratings we hope to earn on each and every transaction.
As a service to our clients and our readers we would like to offer this logo to eqach and every one who sells on eBay for your use under a creative commons license. This means you can use it, as long as you refer back to us when asked where you the logo came from. The logo is hosted on our Flickr account and the code is available there, but we will paste the actual code in a box below.
Please use this free 5 Star eBay customer service logo for all of your listings! (remember – you will have to remove any links from your eBay listings before the end of next month).
Contact us if you are in need of web, blog, eBay Stores or graphics design…
Code – 300 x 146:
<a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/spooler/2534765377/” mce_href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/spooler/2534765377/” title=”fivestar by All Business Auctions, on Flickr”><img src=”http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3087/2534765377_70b4ae5f9b_o.jpg” mce_src=”http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3087/2534765377_70b4ae5f9b_o.jpg” width=”300″ height=”146″ alt=”fivestar” /></a>
Link – 300 x 146
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3087/2534765377_70b4ae5f9b_o.jpg
Code: 240 x 117
<a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/spooler/2534765377/” mce_href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/spooler/2534765377/” title=”fivestar by All Business Auctions, on Flickr”><img src=”http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3087/2534765377_713d2c66cd_m.jpg” mce_src=”http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3087/2534765377_713d2c66cd_m.jpg” width=”240″ height=”117″ alt=”fivestar” /></a>
Link: 240 x 117
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3087/2534765377_713d2c66cd_m.jpg
Code: Thumbnail
<a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/spooler/2534765377/” mce_href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/spooler/2534765377/” title=”fivestar by All Business Auctions, on Flickr”><img src=”http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3087/2534765377_713d2c66cd_t.jpg” mce_src=”http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3087/2534765377_713d2c66cd_t.jpg” width=”100″ height=”49″ alt=”fivestar” /></a>
Link: Thumbnail
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3087/2534765377_713d2c66cd_t.jpg
Consignment Pal Launches New Directory of Resale Businesses – Press Release
May 28, 2008 by Scott Pooler · 1 Comment
Consignment Pal Launches New Directory of Resale Businesses
Making it easier than ever to buy, sell, consign, or donate items.
Marketing your resale business just got easier with the launch of a new online nationwide directory of all types of resale stores. Create a free customized business profile and reach a wider audience today!
Read More Here
SAN ANTONIO, TX May 28, 2008 — Today Consignment Pal (CP) released a new online national business directory of consignment stores, resale stores, antique stores, eBay Trading Assistants, eBay drop off stores, art galleries, business liquidators, non profit stores, and e-commerce websites at www.consignmentpal.com. The Consignment Pal Directory features specialized search options by business name, state, zip code, and distance.
The new CP Directory affords both business owners and resale buyers and sellers unparalleled convenience as compared to existing resale directories. Business owners enjoy a personal profile in which they can list their specialties, upload images, post articles, link to their website, and much more. For instance, Consignment Pal founder Linda Miller says, “I’m excited about our new feature that allows eBay sellers to showcase five active eBay listings on their profiles.” All business profiles include an interactive map to easily locate businesses. Additionally, CP works to protect business owners from email spam. Users can email business owners directly from the business profiles with the click of an icon, which in conjunction with a security code, ensures that business owners only receive emails from legitimate customers. Read more
AuctionLogic eBay Inventory & Listing Management Solution – Now Integrated with UPS Worldship
May 25, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
UPS Worldship Integration
AuctionLogic is now fully integrated with UPS Worldship providing a streamlined shipping processes for those who currently have a daily UPS pickup.
All items awaiting shipment can easily be exported from AuctionLogic and imported into UPS Worldship. Once shipped, users can then export the shipping data back to AuctionLogic in order to update tracking numbers for internal package tracking and complete cost reporting.
This recent upgrade is just one of many which will be added to AuctionLogic courtesy of the programmers and engineers at AuctionSound. We look forward to announcing in the near future a multi-channel capability we know every eBay merchant will appreciate.
Adding Multi-Channel capabilities to our already robust eBay business class inventory and listing management suite is the next logical step. Plans to expand capabilities beyond multi-channel are in motion, but until this major upgrade is complete we will have to simply be satisfied with revealing this major UPS WordShip improvment.
“Amazonation of eBay” Will eBay Successfully Morph Into an Amazon Clone?
May 4, 2008 by Scott Pooler · Leave a Comment
“
Learn to bear bravely changes of fortune”.
The following quote derived from a private forum post – The author granted permission for its use here.
It looks to me like further signs of the “Amazonation” of eBay. Read more
eBay “Flea Market Closed,” Sellers look for eBay Competition – Where to Sell Now?
April 28, 2008 by Scott Pooler · 2 Comments
eBay no longer wants certain types of sellers on their site… Where to Go?
With all of the recent turmoil in the eBay community, mainly derived from comments expressed by the “new” powers that be within eBay, it is no wonder some long-time sellers are expressing more than a little angst over the quick use of terms like “retail experience” and “buyer experience” in conjuction with new performance-based discounts tied in with detailed seller ratings and feedback. It is not as though they were minor adjustments which should be obvious to everyone involved with using the eBay site for the last 10 years or so.
Lorrie Norrington – President of eBay Global Marketplaces – recently stated in a keynote speech: “….However, if you cannot, or will not change business practices to provide a great customer experience, then eBay is not for you.”
Good sellers recognize the value of the bargain image that eBay nurtured for many years. In contrast, high volume sellers appreciate the retail experience language, while low volume or one-of-a-kind & consignment sellers have a harder time with this particular message. Is there a place for everyone to be comfortable? Apparently it is no longer going to be eBay.
Mr. Donahoe, who has been running the company since his appointment to the top spot was announced in January 2008, wants the company – the Internet’s largest eCommerce site – to operate less like an unruly flea market and more like a strip mall where buyers are guaranteed to have a comfortable and predictable shopping experience. See NY Times Article
If this message of change is affecting your online business plan or if you are unaware of other venues available to sell the types of goods you feel eBay was built upon (yet now seems to no longer want), we have assembled a short list of alternate venues for your to explore. Some of these marketplaces offer a venue for your online sales of unique and one-of-a-kind items and others could be more appropriate for the types of inventory no longer wanted on eBay.
- Bonanzle.com – The easiest and fasted way to get stuff online – Also the fastest growing eCommerce venue around.
- OnlineAuction.com – Fixed flat rate yearly or monthly price to sell , 13 million listings live on the site.
- eBid – $49.95 lifetime price to sell, international sites. Less active listings than OLA but growing.
- Etsy – Free to list, 3.5% transaction fee if items sell, dedicated to hand-crafted & arts merchandise. Etsy has 870,000 registered users with 160,000 individual artists listing 1.5 million hand-made creations.
- Yahoo Stores – Not an auction venue, but a great place to set up an online store if you do not want to build your own website with a shopping cart. $39.95 a month + 1.5% transaction fee for the basic package.
- BuyitSellit - Buy It Sell It is an Ink Frog product. Many eBay sellers will be familiar with the Ink Frog eBay listing software solution. The BuyItSellIt basic package is free, but there are upgrades available including a digital delivery option for $9.95 per month. BuyItSellIt offers to also feature eBay listings alongside the shoping cart listing created in a merchant’s BuyItSellIt Store.
- Amazon Webstore – While the fees are higher here – $59.99 per month plus a 7% transaction fee – Amazon Webstores provide the Amazon experience to buyers and allows merchant specific branding. In addition, the merchant may operate multiple niche-specific Amazon Webstores all under one account for no additional fees.
Amazon Webstores Details All credit card processing and transaction fees. There are no other hidden fees such as hosting, payment gateways or merchant accounts. Payment Fraud Protection for you. WebStore by Amazon uses sophisticated fraud detection tools in use on Amazon.com. This allows you to benefit from Amazon’s world-class fraud protection services and experience. Purchase protection for your customers. Customers who shop on your WebStore will feel more confident buying from your site knowing they are protected by the same A-to-z Guarantee that protects shoppers on Amazon.com. Creating multiple WebStores within your account. Each WebStore can be a customized and independent Web presence for no additional monthly fee. The option of adding Amazon products to your WebStore. Offer items from Amazon.com through your WebStore and the Amazon Associates Program allows you to collect a referral fee when such items are sold!
Every merchant must make his or her own choices when it comes to multi-channel selling. Using a multi-channel listing service which can feed inventory to many venues is also an option. This option is often the most expensive way to get product online and many small businesses cannot take advantage of the services of a ChannelAdvisor or Infopia multi-channel management solution. But if convenience and automation are your goals these are the types of services you should look into. Merchant Advantage is another service worthy of investigation if you have a large inventory and are interested in placing it in multiple online venues. The point here is that there are multiple options to explore. eBay is not the only marketplace, yet it is also not a marketplace to be ignored or abandoned. Using eBay in a smart and informed way is the best solution. Doing that while exploring the other solutions mentioned above (or many more) is a smart business plan for the future. Diversify, reduce costs, raise efficiency. These are not just terms for large corporations – they will apply to any business. See what you can do to make them apply to your business. Scott Pooler
What’s HOT? Terapeak Upgrades to Version 5.0 – eBay Research Made Easy and Comprehensive
April 16, 2008 by Scott Pooler · 1 Comment
The original and most used research tool for eBay sellers has just released a new edition 5.0 interface.
I have used Terapeak for over 2 years in my business and for my clients. Terapeak Research simply helps eBay sellers and online merchants determine what to sell, when to sell it and at what price. Research is key to successful business operations; eBay sales operations are no different. Terapeak even offers a free product for part time or casual sellers. Read more
