Digi Bits

Monday, October 17, 2005

Automating Your Auction Site

If you sell on auction sites, then you know how profitable a small auction business can be. If your products are selling like wildfire and you can’t keep up with the demand of organizing your business, here are some tips.

There are many services that help small auction businesses be more organized and effective at selling their products and these software programs can save an auction business time in managing their customers and payments.

Many auction site software comes with a listing program, check out features, email notification, feedback reminder and shipping software.

Listing software helps the seller list items that may list frequently each day at different times. Many auctioneers list hundreds of items per day. These listing programs cut the time to create listings as well as schedule them. And if a listing does not sell some programs will relist the item.

Check out feature allows the customer to buy the product easily and effectively. If the buyer is using an online payment option, they can easily pay for the item and receive instant notification that a payment has been approved. For the seller, the checkout feature helps them organize exactly what products have been sold, and sends that information to shipping software if available to get the items packaged and shipped. Managing items is important when it comes to inventory control and items that have been won but have not been paid for.

Email notification, helps you keep in contact with buyers, showing them that you are attentive and care. Emails can be sent out when a purchase has been made, when payment has gone through and when an item has been shipped. This leads to a better feedback rating.

A feedback reminder is an email that is sent to buyers to please give positive feedback. Fast and lots of positive feedback will grow your business.

Shipping software is usually through a third company but usually communicates with auction software. Shipping software receives orders and keeps track of orders that have been shipped or waiting to be shipped out.