Considering selling on Ebay. I currently sell at a NZ auction site but want to expand. I am currently using software my husband developed for our NZ auctions. I like what i see so far with AW2000 but being new to selling on Ebay and new to this software i have a few questions as i try to get my head around it all.

I am thinking to full up my inventory then start listing auctions from there. Is that the smartest way to go about it?

How much more traffic does an ebay shop attract compared to regular auction listings outside of a shop?

I was thinking to start off with listing approx 50-100 auctions and building on that. Would that be overwhelming to start off with being in the learning stages and all?

Would i do a mix of Buy Nows and .99c reserves and dutch auctions?

How do i make large pictures through AW2000 the $1.25 ones and is there a way to not have to spend that on large pics?

Also how do you put tables into auction desciptions?

Say i get an auction ready and want to list one almost exactly the same though it has maybe a different size/color or pic can i easily copy it over make the changes and save it?

How does AW2000 deal with combined shipping?

Say i use calculated shipping but say it is an extra $2 per extra item when AW2000 merges invoices when someone buys multiple items does it calculate this?

What is the best way to set up my inventory so i can search easily? I sell clothing and am often asked do i have such and such an item in such a such a size or different color etc. Any ideas? Does AW2000 have a search bar?

I want to sell worldwide. Is it a big drama with customs forms etc for different countries?

At the end of a sale do you have to read 100s of emails to get peoples addresses for shipping? Does AW2000 pull them in somehow?

And is it possible to print address labels with the item# or ref ID or something like that on it so i can identify the stock item simply by looking at the printed labels if that makes sense?

Well thats all i can think of for now. Would appreciate any tips if anyone has any in relation to my questions or just in general about starting up. And

Thanks alot and looking forward to using the software.

One more thing. There is one ebay trader here called bluepennylady. If by any chance you read this post i am wondering how do you manage so many auctions and still find time to answer so may questions? How many hours a day do you spend on your business? And and even looks like you have time to socialize! I know this software looks good but is it really that good? And your feedback is so good too it is very encouraging.

Thanks again
Sharleen

Sharlene,

Welcome!!!! It is so nice to meet you. I will be happy to help you however I can. Aw2000 is a great software. There is alot of power and features in it. Totally amazing at all the things you can do once you get the basics down.

As far as eBay,,, you might consider (after you have registered) taking time to use the "Advanced search | Completed listings" searching for some of the items you are wanting to sell. Just to see what they have been selling for. If they are not selling now, that does not mean they will not sell. It might just mean you need to wait a few more weeks for that item(s) to start selling again. The "Completed Listings" search works very well for research. I use it almost everyday.

You will find the "Advanced Search" link in the upper right hand on the Yellow stripe that contains the regular search. Clicking on the Advanced Search link opens another page which has more filters for narrowing down a search. And that is where you can define to see only "Completed Listings" from the last three weeks or so.

eBay by far, at least in my opinion, attracts far more buyers than any other auction site. More bang for your buck. Even with all the changes, eBay still offers more exposure and opportunity. There are not many businesses that have the budget to advertise their product worldwide and that is what eBay does. Opens up your product to a worldwide marketplace for pennies on the dollar.

Personally, I don't think 50 to 100 auctions is overwhelming at all. I started off with just 10 the first week I listed way back. The next week I did 15 or so. After that I saw it was going to work very well so I started listing more. And looking for auction management software because using any of eBAy's tools was not a good thing. I tried them all. So I went to third party. After literally installing over 26 softwares, I ran across AW2000. When I had a problem or question, the tech support actually answered--the same day usually within a hour or less. And they knew what they were talking about--didn't jerk you around with nonsense answers. After starting to use AW2000, we ramped up our auctions quickly. Within a few months were running around 500. Now it is a rarity we are under 2000 or so. And we have had as many as 4000+ online. It isn't hard to deal with lots of auctions using AW2000.

Yes you can put tables into your auctions. You will want to develop what is referred to as a Listing Template. The Listing template will define where your images will always be displayed. The colors, background images and any information that is always included in every single listings such as Terms and Conditions.

Aw2000 comes with a list of Listing templates which can all be edited to suit your needs.Right down to the colors and fonts. I would strongly recommend duplicating any Listing template you want to edit prior to editing. Then if you make an error and need or want to delete it, the original is still there to duplicate again.

You will find the Listing templates by looking on the menu under "Tools | HTML Template Manager" The dialog box appears so you can see the list. You can open them up by clicking the "Edit" button which directs you to the editor. And you can "Preview" what the template looks like in your browser by clicking the "Preview" button on the editor toolbar.

I might also suggest that you take an image of something, doesn't really matter what and go ahead and create a single Auction lot, add the image and just write an Auction title line like TEST for Listing template etc. Use that as a Preview example for the LIsting templates. That way you can see how the Title is displayed and the images as well.

Keep in mind if you don't like the colors of a template, they are changeable. YOu will see the color palette link right next to where you change them on the "Page Properties" in the editor.

After you find a listing template you like and get the basic editing done, you can convert it to pure HTML. That ability is in the editor under "File | Convert to Pure HTML"

And you can fine tune the template in the HTML, adding tables, re-defining images etc. You can even use an HTML editor to build a template and paste that code into the pure HTML template.

But remember to duplicate whatever you are working on first so if something goes haywire with your coding you still have to original to start over with.

I think I'll break up these posts so it isn't so hard to read




Judy/blue

Visit my eBay store!
http://stores.ebay.com/bluepennylady?refid=store
Visit our website too!
http://www.pennyworthsales.com

Sharlene,

Okie dokie I'm back

You asked if AW2000 is really that good... And my answer is Yes it definitely is that good. The software is stable, doesn't have a lot of errors. And if there is an error, tech support can have it fixed so fast, it will almost make your head swim. It has been my experience that most errors are user related not software related. Me being the user

And just so you will know, I have a full time staff. Staff that enters in all the Inventory Items, And staff that deals with the packaging and shipping. However, it is me that proofs, creates Auctions and lists Auctions as well as responding to all email inquiries. Well most email inquiries. My shipping staff and I often split up that detail.

We have email templates created in AW2000 for responding to the most frequently asked questions. so all we have to do is hit the "REspond with email template x" type in anything that needs to be addressed outside of what the template message states and hit Queue, Send. Done. Much easier to handle tons of email using templates

I am presuming when you ask "How much more traffic does an eBay shop attract compared to regular listings" You are referring to an eBay store?

eBay stores can be an excellent method to present your product to the Auction site buyers. Only eBay store qualified items show up on eBay Express. I sell a lot through eBay express. But eBay store listings do not show up in the regular search on the main auction site unless there is less than 20 of a particular item in the search.

However, there are other things you can do to promote your eBay store listings. When you open up an eBay store, you are provided with your own eBay store URL. And you can use it to promote your store. Include it on all email templates, printed material, etc. Anyone that clicks or enters your store outside of the marketplace and buys something during that browser session, you get 75% of the FinalValue fee credited back to you. reducing your fees to eBay. It is a rarity that I ever pay for my store subscription and get more than the store subscription back in Store Referral credits.

You just have to do the math and see when it is economically logic to open an eBay store. And that might not be in the first few weeks or months of listing on eBay. Then again it could be a very logical economic move for you to make. You will just have to look at what you list, the price points you use, etc to see.

Only you can determine what auction styles you need to use. But I will say, that you should give each format a try as it has been my experience a mix is usually yields the highest return.

I also will tell you that once you start listing, be consistent. Meaning don't list for a couple of weeks, then stop for a week, then list again. Nothing drives buyers away quicker than coming to your seller's page to find the "This seller is currently not offering any listings".. Think about it in terms of You need a gallon of milk. So you drive to your favorite store to pick it up, They are usually open. but when you get there you find a note on the door they have closed for a couple of days. The next time you need milk, you will think twice before you drive all the way over there to get it. You will most likely consider a closer location for the milk as you just don't have the time to make trips all over the place.

You can most certainly sell worldwide. You might consider, if you are not accustomed to all the custom forms and do's and don't's, to slowly open up your auctions to a worldwide shipping. There are places in the world which present shipping challenges.

Canada and Australia offer tons of buyers to the eBay marketplace. And once you get use to the forms and how it is done, then you can easily add other countries.

As far as the custom forms, we use Endicia to process our shipping labels. And Endicia software, Dazzle, prints out all the custom forms filled out instead of us having to hand write them. Real handy. Naturally we have to enter in all the values into the appropriate fields in Dazzle but it sure is easier than hand writing it, going to the post office only to discover you chose the wrong form As Endicia tells you which form to use

More in a minute.







Judy/blue

Visit my eBay store!
http://stores.ebay.com/bluepennylady?refid=store
Visit our website too!
http://www.pennyworthsales.com

Sharlene,

Concerning shipping...

Shipping options are defined in AW2000 when you create the Inventory Item or on the Auction lot. Flat rate as well as calculated. You choose whether you want to use Flat rate charging x dollar for each additional item shipped. Or calculated based on weight to buyer's zip code plus the handling fee. When you list your Auction(s), the information is posted to eBay. eBay's shipping calculator uses the information you have defined on each Auction lot so a buyer can determine the shipping charge. The information is not displayed to the buyer such as weight and handling charge.

You also must set up how you want eBay to handle calculated and Flat rate in your eBay account under "Preferences | Shipping Preferences" eBay's shipping calculator and the eBay checkout uses the rules you set up to determine how to combine multiple items and insurance charges.

Keep in mind, the calculator and checkout is not AW2000, it is an eBay tool which is provided for seller's and buyer's. AW2000 simply posts the information you enter in each Auction lot so the eBay calculator can use that information.

You also can and should define a default shipping option on your Auction profile(s). Then for certain items you don't have to mess with adding the shipping options as when you create the auction lot, the defaults are pulled from the Auction profile.

Let's say for instance, you have a lot of First class stuff. 13 ounces and under. So in your Auction profile, you add the Shipping options for First Class, custom weight 13 ounces, $1.00 handling charge, Insurance optional, ship within 2 business days with First class or Priority or Parcel.

International is let's say, First Class International and Priority International.

When you are adding an Inventory item you don't have to add the shipping options if the item weighs the 13 ounces or under because when you create an auction lot, Aw2000 will look first at the Inventory Item to see if you have filled in any shipping options. If you have not, AW2000 will go immediately to the Auction Profile and fill in all the shipping options according to what you set up on the Profile.

AND, if you need to edit the shipping options on an Auction lot after it is created, you can. You can change them around at any time.

Also, let's say you have a new widget that weighs 3 lbs, then you simply fill in the Shipping options on the Inventory Item. When you create an Auction lot, AW2000 will see you have filled in the Shipping options on the Inventory Items and take those values instead of the values on the Auction profile.

I hope that helps make sense.

Creating similar auction lots or Inventory items is as simple as the click of the mouse. AW2000 has a "duplicate" feature. So if the green widget you are selling has an almost identical item except a different color, you duplicate, add the image of the correct color. And you are just about ready to go. Other than excluding the image you don't want on the duplicated auction lot. You don't want to delete images on Auction lots, even if you don't want it there. You exclude it instead. That is easy and I can tell you how later.

The images are managed within AW2000 really cool. If you duplicate or create a new auction using the same images, you are not duplicating the image. That saves tons of space on your hard drive. Instead of duplicating the image you are only referencing the original image.

To better explain how the images work, think about your images in comparison to an old fashioned wagon wheel.

The original image is the very center of the old wagon wheel,, the hub.

All the images on Auction lots are each spoke of the wheel. So every time you create a new Auction lot you are not duplicating the image but rather just adding a reference (new spoke) to the original image. All auction lots are seeing the original image. So if you delete or alter the original, every auction lot sees that change.. I hope that makes sense.





Judy/blue

Visit my eBay store!
http://stores.ebay.com/bluepennylady?refid=store
Visit our website too!
http://www.pennyworthsales.com

Sharlene,

Let's start out by maybe going through the workflow. As that might help provide insight on how Aw2000 handles everything for you. The hardest part of learning any software is simply becoming familar with the terminology and the workflow.

The workflow in AW2000 is designed to be as follows:

Create Stock Inventory Item

Create an Auction lot(s) from Stock Inventory Item

queue Auction lot for listing on x date (and you can queue auction lots for listing literally years in advance. I often Queue seasonal stuff in advance so I won't forget to list it)

List Auction lot(s)

Update Auction lot(s)

Generate Invoices

Notify winning bidders either with winnnig bidder notification. OR the buyer simply receives a Payment received notification depending on when the buyer pays. We can talk about that later.

Print off packing slip/Invoices for paid items, Package items and label.

Send shipping notices out.

Submit feedback which closed Invoices

If you use AW2000 as intended, every step of the way. all Auction lots and the Invoice status are changed without you touching them to the next appropriate step.

So when Invoices are first generated, the status is "Buyer not contacted"
After you email them with the appropriate email template which is all completed with correct information because AW2000 has all these nifty field tags in them which makes the buyer think you know them personally but the software picks up info from Invoice

The Invoice status will be "Waiting Buyer reply"

When buyer responds, changes to "Waiting for payment
When payment is logged in, status changes to "Waiting to ship"

when shipped, status changes to "Feedback not left"
When feedback is left, status changes to "Closed"

Pretty cool!

I am going on the presumption you already have your own web space? And you can host your own images as you do not really want to host images at eBay. They are way tooooo high. And you must have web space for hosting images to use AW2000. The image hosting part of AW2K is super slick. You don't have to do a single thing after you enter in the information for your FTP account. AW2K uploads images for you and then will delete them when you tell AW2K to delete them keeping your FTP space clean. Totally cool!

Building Inventory is perfect. And AW2K's Inventory tab/window handles inventory wonderfully. You will always know exactly where the Inventory is committed (Auction lots or Invoices) and how many are committed to something and how many are not and are available. I use the Stock Inventory Items for everything, even if there is only one. And there are reasons we do which we can talk about later.

You can enter in as much Inventory as you want. As far in advance of a selling season as you want. Create an Auction lot anytime from any available Inventory.



Judy/blue

Visit my eBay store!
http://stores.ebay.com/bluepennylady?refid=store
Visit our website too!
http://www.pennyworthsales.com

Sharlene,

Concerning printing the Ref ID # or STock Inventory Item number on the shipping label--

I believe you will find the printed invoices will better serve that purpose as opposed to adding that information on a Shipping label. An address label should be used for just that, an address. However, the Printed Invoices can be easily customized to provide every Invoice item's Storage location, Stock Inventory Item number as well as tons of other information. Customizing the "Reports" is not hard to do. You will find the reports on the menu. Tools | Reports.

You should include in every buyer's package at least a Printed Invoice. And that invoice should include the list of what they bought from you. Fields can be added to the Printed Invoices for marketing your auctions. Like your email address, a Thank you line. Or your website. etc. It is also a good idea to include a Thank you card as well. Not just a business card but an actual Thank you card expressing your appreciation for the buyer choosing to purchase from you. Buyers can shop elsewhere so it is important for the buyer to know you geninuely appreciate their business.

There are standard reports which can all be customized. I would suggest you give that a try before trying to add stock inventory item numbers on a shipping label. If a buyer were to purchase numerous items from you well the label could be quite full

Everytime you add an Inventory Item, Aw2000 assigns a new number to it. They are in numeric order. You complete the field values. You can set up Inventory categories and reference Id's which work best for you. And there are tons of ways to set them up. Most likely as your business grows and changes, so will the method you use to keep track of different items.

We have changed our Storage location, Inventory categories and Reference ID methods twice in the last 7 years. As our inventory has grown and changed. So if what you start out with does not work well, you can change it.

AW2000 includes an extensive "Find" utility. IT is on the toolbar. The little magnifying glass that looks like the one Sherlock Holmes uses. Clicking the "Find" tool will open up the filters you can use to find something. Each tab/window will have its own specific filters. Even down to just the description.

So if you know you have a "Razor bike" but can't recall the exact Title line. Simply use the description search and enter in Razor bike. And AW2000 will find it for you.

Invoices can be found by buyer name, first or last, a zip code, address, etc , etc. Super easy to use.




Judy/blue

Visit my eBay store!
http://stores.ebay.com/bluepennylady?refid=store
Visit our website too!
http://www.pennyworthsales.com

Oh my goodness! I can't believe how helpful you have been. Give me a few days to swallow it all and i will be back for more! Thank you soooooo much. You have given such valuable information. I am sooo excited!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

Sharlene,

I am really glad the information was helpful to you... please don't hesitate to ask questions. We will be most happy to help or answer any questions you might have.

I am glad you didn't find it overwhelming too. I was worried you might croak when you saw all the posts

Hope to hear from you again...!!!

Judy/blue

Visit my eBay store!
http://stores.ebay.com/bluepennylady?refid=store
Visit our website too!
http://www.pennyworthsales.com