Yext Free Scans Good or Scam?

By now many of you have run across an ad for "Yext" , the service that claims it will show you search site you are listed on and what is wrong with the listings for free.  And for a fee, which is at $500 per year now, will fix all of the errors that maybe keeping people from finding you and help your listing stand out.

Now, you go, and you do the free scan and bam - all the listings have something wrong with them.  Ahhh, but do they?

I do all my own listings for my DJ company, 2Wolves DJ Service, have manually posted everyone, from Yelp to Local.com and beyond.  So when this 'free' service tells me all my listings have errors, and they found 139 errors, it caused suspicions to arise.  So I ran the scan again - Now it shows 144 errors.  And one more time for a 140 errors.  Hmm

The main red flag was right at the top.   It stated my listing on Yelp had no photos.  Really now.  I know there are some places they do not allow photos or they charge way to much for the privilege , but I know I was able to add photos to my Yelp listing.  Same with my Merchant Circle account

Even more alarming is when you search "Yext" and Scam together, the pages and pages of articles and complaints about this service.

Feel free to use their "Free Scan" - but I would be wary about signing up for this service.
I simply used the information of the various search sites that they have in their list and added my business myself to the ones I felt were relevant.

Has anyone had dealings with this company - Yext?  Feel free to share your thoughts.

Ship Free or not Ship Free - that is the Shipping question

"Free Shipping" - eBay pushes it - many sites like Amazon offer it, but the question is, just how important is it??  how can it effect the bottom line??  Can the smaller sellers offer it without cutting their own throats?

Shipping items sold online costs - pure and simple.  And the cost is not just the postage - it is packing material, boxes, tape, ink, paper or labels, gas to the post office and - oh - your TIME.  Now, in order to offer "Free Shipping" this cost ends up in the overall cost of the item, and if it doesn't, then you are losing money on every sale.  Sadly, many forget to do so and wonder why their profit is little if nothing at all.  Also, sadly, for those items shipping is separate charge, consumers knee jerk at the cost, even when it is just the postage.  

According to Retail's Big Blog "Consumers now expect free shipping. Fifty-five percent of consumers expect free shipping on all orders. Also, shipping clubs such as Amazon Prime and ShopRunner are growing. "

 Granted - that is mostly the "Big Boys" - but how can this trend impact the smaller merchants? 

That is the BIG question.  What are your thoughts?  Are shoppers more inclined to buy with "Free Shipping"?  When you shop online do you look for "Free Shipping"?   Are you one who offers "Free Shipping", if so - your input is gratefully appreciated.

The Funny thing is a $7 item with $3 shipping costs the buyer $10 - that same item a $10 with "Free Shipping" also costs $10.   People - "Free Shipping" isn't "Free" ( hence the " " marks)

Need help? go to the Google+ Kit

Google+ Has been the buzz lately.  It is a newcomer to the social media scene, with people wanting to know what it is, how it works, why should I add it, how do I get on it, is it right for me?
The last question - is it right for me? - can only be answered by YOU.  Try it and see if you like it.  BUT I personally recommend if for no other reason than Google is the top search engine - and it is narcissus, and so a Good Google profile can go a long way in search.

But for all the other questions, there are hundreds of articles written about Google+.  www.Mashable.com  has serveral, ( and I recommend Mashable for great tips on anything in the social media/web world), But I highly recommend taking a look at the Google+ Kit .  Written in straightforward plain English, this site explains it all.  Also has links for some cool tools and extensions for Google+ along with a list of some social and friendly folks you might want to add to your circles.  I am proud to be listed among the first  100. :)

Kudos to Paul J Whom I met on Google+ ... now , who was wondering if it was worth looking into Google+?

Custom URLs for Facebook and Google+ the easy way

Having custom URLs for your spots on social media is very easy to do and makes it easy for you to share and of course, easy to remember.
The best thing, of course, is if you use the same user name, then all your places on the web show up across the board when someone searches for you.
How to set a custom url for some places is not as obvious as others.  Twitter for example, uses your user name so it is done for you.  Here I will cover a couple of the more elusive ones, namely FaceBook and Google plus.

Google+
There is one spot I found that makes getting your own custom URL a breeze.  Check out  gplus.to  Carefully pick your name.  I recommend using YOUR name.  Google+ is planning on business accounts as well in the near future, so you will want to reserve your business name for it.
I can be found at http://gplus.to/SusanLeak

FaceBook
For your personal account, first log into Facebook.  Then go to: 
http://www.facebook.com/username/ or to http://apps.facebook.com/personalurl/ Both will help you set your user names.
CAUTION!!! Choose carefully - for you can not change once it is set.
Find my personal one at : www.facebook.com/renagades

For your business page, you will be given the chance to chose one when you set it up.  Once you receive 25 fans, it should allow you to use your chosen name.  If not, go to http://www.facebook.com/username/  
and set it.
AGAIN! CAUTION! You can not change the name, so choose wisely.
Mine are found at:
www.facebook.com/renagadesmusic and www.facebook.com/2wolvesdj

One other point I would like to stress - Profiles are important! (Read : Your Google Profile - what does yours say )  Fill out your profile as much as you feel comfortable with.  Add your background, achievements, yes.... brag a little!  Your profiles are meant to help others in their decision of whether or not to deal with you.  So, as a seller, use this to sell them your most priceless item .... you and your reputation!

Google Plus Profiles - what does yours say about you?

 Google profiles have been around for awhile, and has always carried some importance in online presence and branding. But with the addition of Google Plus to the crazy world of social media, the importance of a strong Google profile has taken a new meaning.

Google is the number one search. The term 'Google me' has become mainstream. When someone searches for you, they will find all the places you have been online, any comments you may have left on blogs etc, any pictures, videos you may have posted, and anywhere you have a spot on the web, from Facebook to twitter to, of course, Google. And Google, preserving their power of the web, will be showing the Google profiles prominently.
So, what constitutes a good profile?

Some tips:
Fill out as much as possible
Not saying you need to add your street address or phone number, but adding where you live, and have lived, your name, etc is a no brainer.

Fill out a little Intro
Tell people some of what makes you, you. Use the editor and add links.

Occupation and Employment 
If you work for a company, and prefer not to let world know where, leave blank. But if you are in business for yourself, this is vital . Do not leave blank, or get all cutesy here. Unless you are a psychic medium by trade, "I see dead people" is not an occupation. Nor should you put employed by "Yo Momma" if you're not a babysitter. I recommend coming across as professional as possible.

Links
Anyone who uses the internet for business in any way needs to add as many links as you can. All the marketplaces are supported, along with the other social media hot spots, so again, a no brainer.

Add a profile picture
A Good one. again, if your business uses the web to reach the masses, you need a good picture or logo even. It should be reflective of your style. But, unless you sell costumes, I don't recommend the one of you dressed as a poodle.

And if you think you can keep your profile private, like on Facebook, think again. As reported by Mashable.com, Google already has announced that private profiles will be deleted soon, so make to effort now and get looking good .

Feel free to visit mine :

Renagade is now a wolf - Re- branding

With Renagades Music I offer branding for musicians.  Well now it is time for some Re-Branding of the Renagade.

 For years I have flown the eagle and loved it.  He has gained me recognition and helped me establish myself in the eCommerce world.  But in the last couple of years, I have started a DJ Service called 2Wolves DJ Service, Branded in with 2 howling wolves.  Wanting to somehow join the two brands, something had to go, so the eagle is set free. The new Logo is still one that shows the "Renagade" in me.  And being a wolf, brings the two companies more together as a brand.

Branding is important in the world of online sales.  Your logo, your color schemes, your name should reflect you and your product line. All three show blend together, creating an image before the customer sees the product.  For example, calling yourself Mama, using a pic of  baby booties on a baby blue color scheme creates the image of baby items.  Imagine your surprise to discover that the seller deals in car parts.  Since I deal mostly in music, a howling wolf is fitting, their song to me is one of the most musical nature offers.

Re-branding is tough, you have to work to get it back to where people recognize you, and you also have to run all over to change the logo at spots where you promote.  Not to mention changing business cards, etc.

Re-Branding is a good way to shake things up a bit, but I recommend you do it rarely and stick with it, change it everywhere you go.  And make sure the picture and scheme fit you .

Be my Friend? - Why to friend or follow within Social Media

This week once again, the do's and don'ts of social media has come to the forefront of my life. I addressed the issue for bands and musicians in 7 tips for Bands on my other blog - Renagades Music. Actually the tips there can be used by all, even those in eCommerce. This here is to address a big issue within social media that still need addressing or clarifying.

To Follow or Not to Follow
      call it what you want - Follow (Twitter), Friend (MySpace and Facebook) , Like (Facebook), connect (linkedin), the question is WHY are you following them?

1. I know Them through other websites
2. I know them personally
3. I want/need more friends ( Followers etc) and need them to follow back
4. I need for them to buy - promote - or otherwise help me succeed
5. They are Famous
6. I like what they say and what to hear more

Really the only correct answer is number 6. I know, you are saying WTH?? (What The Heck??). But it is true. Whomever you persue - you better like what the say. At least, respect what they say or do. Now, not saying not to accept a friend request, or not to follow back etc anyone that approaches you, what I am saying is when you initiate the friendship, etc, you are saying, "I like what you offer - tell me more"

For Example - I am all about music - I sell music - I promote musicians - I have a DJ and Karaoke Service. If you follow me, expect alot of music related stuff and fully expect me to tell you what is up with the musicians I promote. Know that , among other things, I am going to chat about music. Now, I will chat about tons of other things, and offer up anything I think my friends and followers will like, and I will help them promote up their things too, but my main focus is music. So the choice is yours, like music, love music - follow. I will friend you back.

Now, I am not saying don't friend your family, real world friends etc - By all means do. They should know you well enough to know what you are like, and still like you anyway. But for expanding your reach in promoting yourself, or your business, reach out to those that you are actually interested in.

In Social Media, often it is not what you carry to the table, but what it is you walk away with.

Social Media, a dog, and a dumb mistake - Bonanza Social Media Lesson

It was something I was just going to let go by the wayside.  People can and do make mistakes.  But once it goes almost viral on facebook and becomes a hot issue with people I consider strong sellers and social media experts, I felt it was time to address the issue.

First of all, Social media is a term referring to spaces like facebook, twitter, MySpace, etc where people can interact with others in a social setting online.  A Social Media representative is someone whom handles theses accounts for a company or a celebrity, or anyone else that wants to hire someone to handle one or more of those online accounts.  Social Media is one of the fastest growing ways for a company, etc to spread the word about something, whether it be a a product, music, or in this case, a marketplace.  There are Social Media Reps and there are the wannabes.

My take of the issue at hand is the fact that a company has hired someone to represent them as there social media representative that gave what many would consider a rude response to a friend request on his personal facebook account.  Now the person making the request knew this was the reps personal account, because the rep put his personal facebook account out on the companies website, in doing so, basically gave permission for friend requests. It being his personal account, he does have the right to accept or deny the request in however he chooses rude or not.  But, as a representative of a company, does he always represent the company?  In a way, yes, especially in any social setting when all or part of your job is interaction with the public. Online or off.

Two people I hold in the highest regard in the world of online sales and social media,  John 'colderICE' Lawson and Phaedra (Perkins) Stockstill (@ the Boutique and The Bonanza Boardroom ) have an in-depth discussion on this.  You can listen to it from colderICE Blog.  I agree with many of their points, and is well worth a listen. One main point is the line between of WHO you are, and WHO your work for is often intertwined.  This is true in many aspects of business and in many businesses.  On a personal note from one of my businesses, Renagades Music, I have had the same discussion with musicians and bands that everyone from the frontman to the soundman is often representing the band at almost every minute of the day.  They need to walk a finer line than the every day Joe.  And when you hold yourself out as a Social media specialist, as the Rep in question has, now you need to be 'on' in your social media persona 24/7.

Now the one point I disagree with the points made in the above recording is the fact that the person making the friend request has a picture of their dog as their facebook picture, and the question was raised about whether or not its appropriate.  I personally have my personal picture, but I have friends that use everything from their kids, to their dogs, to their logo.  Personally I don't care.   And personally I fully understand that many, especially online sellers and businesses use logos or one picture across every spots on the web, doing so, establishing the brand they want and the image they chose to be associated with.

In conclusion it is very important companies, no matter whether they handle their own company, band, etc social media or you hire someone to handle social media to tread carefully.  Once you send something, post something online, it can ether  work for you , or it can tarnish the image you try to establish.  Words hard been known to go running across the web.

You have been warned ..... Renagade 
Visit Russ Kawecki Facebook thread for background information about this issue

Whats in a name? Bonanza - Bonanzle - Bon-whatever

This a big day in Bonanza history.  Bonanza?  Don’t you mean Bonanzle?  Actually, no.  Today we changed our name!   Check out the new URL at www.bonanza.com and keep an eye out tomorrow morning for the press release on the newly designed site!
That is what I awoke to this morning and at 4am, no it was not a welcome sight. 

What does this mean for the average Joe? Not much, Little Joe might be able to remember the name better, but Bonanza -  Bonanzle - Bonanza  ... really folks, is it that much easier? But that is the logic behind this change:
Most of all I want to provide more sales for our fantastic selling community.  And a name that customers can remember and spell will help.
Not to meantion it makes it easier on the Sites owners family to remember it. :
 I want Bonanzle (wait, Bonanza – this is going to take a while) to be a household name.  Two years in and my grandparents still get the name of the company wrong

Now Bill does admit there are sites and products that fared well with strange names:
......sure other companies have done pretty well with less than everyday names (Google anyone?).  However, I believe that in a fragmented world, having a real word that is evocative of our brand is a big step toward our company becoming a household name.

But somehow still feels this is good.  Actually it seems like an easy way out of working a brand.  Even with a 'strange name' of Bonanzle, the site soared past others that started about the same time or have been around longer.  And some of them had more 'common' names - Atomic Mall , eCrater , Blujay, iOffer  just to name a few.  And it is the 'odd' named sites of www.Addoway.com  and www.BooCoo.com  that seem to be nipping at Bonanzle - Bonanza's heels.

Now, what does it mean for the Sellers?  A whole lot.  Changing names on cards, window decals, door magnets, etc.  Going to and trying to remember every place the Bonanzle url to their booth is posted and changeing it.  Sound simple, and yes it is a seemingly minor detail, but it can not only cost alot of time, but in many cases money as well.
Yes the old url of www.bonanzle.com will be redirected for some time to allow the full change.  But dont do a knee jerk at what page opens, for the look of the site is changing as well.  I must say the header is bland with little style, the flashing pictures take a long time to load on my poor dialup, and if I didnt sell on the site, I would look elsewhere for and item when shopping, not having 10 minutes to waste waiting for the front page to load. (one of the draw backs to Addoway and Atomic Mall too)  And yes, many are on dialup, so to ignore them is to ignore a good slice of the market.  Even eBay realized that and lightened their load.

Then there is the final announcement - which is really the one that will affect the small sellers the most, and the one they are most vague on:
Lastly, we have one more announcement.  We recently acquired 1000 Markets and are happy to welcome their merchants into the Bonanza family.  Many of you are likely familiar with their site already and may have items listed there.  They share a number of our values and know first-hand how hard it is to start a marketplace.  Please join me in welcoming them to the fold.  1000 Markets items will soon be listed on the site and their URL will redirect to our own. 

I am still looking into that one.  If they have 1000 new markets where some of us already have listings, will this case us to have items double, triple, etc listed on Bonanzle  - Bonanza - Now?  Who are these 'markets'?  Many sellers list on more than one marketplace, just so they can quickly move off a site in the event the changes of a site , traffic flow, sales, etc dont work for them.

Seems like that option is gone for some.

Welcome to the ranch ....

PS as I commented below:
Oh - I am sorry - I failed to post a link to the announcement ... it is :
www.bonanzle.com/blog/main/A_source_of_great_wealth__a_spectacular_windfall

Instead of sending out notices to THEIR customers - ie - SELLERS - they blog it and are planning a press release today ....

Renagade

EDIT:
another great source for information on this is : AuctionBytes News   Ida clarifies the 1000 markets ... seems its a Artisian site simular to www.esty.com and www.artfire.com

Christopher Thomas adds rhythm to Bonanzle.com

Bonanzle's Band of Techies now has a drummer. Christopher Thomas, full time techie part time drummer joins the band as the official User Experience Designer.


He takes on the daunting task of making sure everyone, both buyer and sellers, experience is smooth as the swish of brushes on cymbals yet exciting as the drum solo in In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.

Joining the Bonanzle Band was a big move for Christopher, a move that took him and his wife from eastern Pennsylvania to Seattle.

Of course we all welcome Christopher to the wild world of Bonanzle, and in his spare time I think he will find taking in the Seattle music scene to be a great way to recharge his tech side.
 
Find out more about Chris on the official Blog of Bonanzle

PR - is it up to the marketplace or the seller?

AuctionBytes the powerhouse of news for online marketplaces and eCommerce sellers, recently posted Open Message to Alternative Marketplaces: Are You There?   addressing the importance of PR.  David Steiner, author, starts off by saying :
One of the most common emails and comments on our blogs that we receive is "Why don't you focus less on eBay and write more about alternative marketplaces?"
and, like, David's response the answer is simple:
EBay gets more ink on this site because they understand the power of public relations. aka PR .
What really gets me more that the fact that small marketplaces are failing in this department, is the fact of how many in eCommerce rely on the PR of the site on which they sell to drive customers to them.
IT IS TIME TO WAKE UP PEOPLE

Like I pointed out in How to drive traffic to your store , the days of list it and forget it are over, and it is up to you, not the marketplace, to drive your business.
Are some marketplaces falling down on the job of PR? Yes.  But, the question is why are you depending on their work to drive customers to you?

I did comment on AuctionBytes article:
Great article for sure and it can be applied to so many people and situations.

PR is the responsability of the individual, not the media.
It is up the the individual - in this case owners of marketplaces - to work their PR, to get the word to the media, and press releases is the easiest way to do that. There are a multitude of other ways owners can ramp up the volume around their marketplace using a good PR Campaign .
BUT - I MUST STRESS - NO ONE should rely on ANY marketplace's popularity to sell their products for them. The days of list it and forget it are gone. YOU must work your own PR to drive traffic and sales to YOU.
This is a business folks, and you have a shop on a virtual online mall. the last time I checked, the store in the brick and mortar mall here did their own PR and don't recall seeing the mall doing it for them.

Think about it.  If you list on a smaller venue, is it Bonanzle, eCrater, Addoway etc responsiblilty to build your business or is it yours?

Renagade
renagade offer PR primarily for musicians, but does offer the same high quality PR campaign for eCommerce sellers as well.

Bonanzle Welcomes newest team member - Ryan Hicks

Welcome to the newest member of the Bonanzle team, Ryan Hicks. Ryan has been tapped as a user end experience tech to help improve Bonanzle by assuring everyone who visits find the site fun and easy to use. With the addition of a few face book bells and whistles , Ryan has already kicked the user experience up to the next level.

Ryan comes on board with years of experience in web technology with Wetpaint, Skytap and Blue Nile. A close associate of Bonanzle’s new product techie, Alex Berg, Ryan and Alex have worked together for over 10 years and to have this duo together on Bonanzle is exciting.

Stop by and welcome Ryan . And the next time one of your facebook friends shows you the item you have been searching for and its on Bonanzle, you know who the wizard is that made it possible.

www.bonanzle.com/blogs/Hi__My_Name_Is_Ryan 

How To Drive Traffic to your store

In today’s world of eCommerce, it is tougher than ever to sell online. Many have the idea that it is easy : take picture, write description, post it somewhere and BAM! You are done. WRONG. Sorry folks, your work has just begun.


Gone are the early days of online selling of set it and forget it. Back in the early eBay days that was the case, for eBay was one of the only places you could go to. But today you have new marketplaces popping up it seems like daily. You have Addoway, eCrater, Bonanzle for general merchandise and a host of specialty spots like Esty, Ruby Lane, and Gemms just to scratch the surface. So just how do you drive traffic to your items?

There are countless ways to do that, but fair warning, this does take time, and work. Countless books, DVDs, pod casts, webinars and seminars are available and some are really good sources of information. There is also a gazillion places on the web to find some information as well. But before you run yourself ragged looking for this, let cover some of the basics here.
Make Google Work For You

1.) Be sure your title is keyword rich - Don’t go crazy here, but a simple Title that accurately describes your item. Back away from words like Beautiful, Stunning, Chic, Old, etc. Why? Well when was the last time you typed into Google search ‘Beautiful teacup’ for example, when searching for a replacement cup for your set of Lennox China?

2.) Is the price right? - Don’t expect to sell that used CD of Lady Gaga for $20 when others are selling for $4. Research your prices.

3.) Feed The Beast - The items found onGoogle are not always found BY Google. They are fed to Google via Google Product Search. Luckily many, many marketplaces such as Bonanzle  and eCrater do this for you, that is why they are a get place to set up shop.
Help yourself

1.) Be Social - Social Media is a goldmine of opportunities to promote your  products. You have Face Book, Twitter, My Space, and a ton of Ning Sites, all offering you a way to let a huge audience know about what you sell and where they can find it. CAUTION The KEY word is SOCIAL - BE social. Chat with the people, show genuine interest in what THEY say, and they will return the favor. Above all have fun.

2.) Join In - There are countless site to brainstorm with fellow sellers. Every marketplace has their on Forum, and there are groups on Face Book, My Space, as well as other places such as Multiply , and a wide array of Ning sites. Remember - not only is it good way to find out information, but sellers buy too!

3.) Blog it - A blog is and excellent way to promote without actually doing so. Simply by writing about what you like, or offering up information, poems or recipes, people get to know you a little better, and often will look at the ’Ad’ you have on the side.

4.) Add your two cents worth - You are NOT a Blogger? Then try just leaving comments on ones you read. Agree, Disagree, give Kudos, add your two cents! When you add a comment you can also add a url. Why not use your url to where you sell!
Be your biggest fan

1.)Become a Walking Billboard - Have a T- Shirt made with your Logo. Or a tote bag, bumper sticker, window decal, you name it.

2.) Address the issue - Make some address labels that not only have your Name and Address BUT your URL on it! I use them on everything, even my bills I pay.

3.) The 3 foot rule - Use the 3 foot rule. Simply put, anyone that comes within 3 feet of you will know you sell online. Find a way when ever possible to talk about your items. And if you follow this up with a business card, you just may get a sale out of the deal.

These are some of the basic steps you can take to try to drive more people to your site, and hence, make more sales. Be creative, be social, and become your biggest fan. Above have fun. It is not rocket science it is common sense. Remember common sense equals dollars and cents.

Feel free to ad your two cents…. What works for you?

Renagade
 
This was originally a guest blog post by Renagade at http://shakeandbaketrading.blogspot.com/  Great Blog - go check it out!

ajc.com - Educating online shoppers or aiding eBay scammers?

Get savvy about the cyber market ajc.com

I have seen articles like this before, and for the most part the tell you things that are common sense, - buyers -always pay with Credit Card, sellers - do not accept checks, etc, so when I saw the headline I thought 'yeah, yeah, OK ...need to just take a peek' , then I noted it was in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. That when I got really curious as to how much detail will this one provide, since I have seen article like this in major papers before and they sometimes have been so generic, you swear they just copied and pasted them.
I must say, this one was good. Although geared towards the buyer of online goods, they did provide insight for the sellers. One thing that really caught my attention was :

Research.
Check the seller’s feedback and ratings from multiple sources.

OK. Now yes, it is important to know who you are dealing with, and yes their are scammers out there. I also encourage you to check the feedback, and not just the numbers, actually READ a few. On eBay I have found countless sellers with high numbers only to discover after reading, the buyer really wasnt thrilled.
On the flip side, I have seen sellers with only a few sales under their belt, but with glowing reviews. Remember folks, everyone has to start somewhere and often the new seller tries harder.

Then the next line is what really got my attention:
With eBay, place a low bid on an item and then get contact information at bit.ly/ahbU7M. Call the phone number to verify and check the address through an online directory such as free411.com

Say what? This in my opinion is a scammers feeding ground. Place a bid on something you dont really want, get the info, and then disappear.
Where is eBay's mind? Did they auction it off? I fully agree with buyer protection, but until the item is won, what business is it of the buyer what my phone number is? And if it is that safe for eBay to give out your personal information, why can't the seller have access to the bidders info? Why must they wait till item is purchased and only go through eBay for contacting them?

Good article and Kudos to Lucy Soto. But bad eBay for abetting scammers with this computerized information feeding bowl, and Ms Soto, I understand your intentions was to educate the consumer, but this practice by eBay was not well known , It caught me by surprise, and I wonder how many con-artists went "yummy!" when they read it.

One thing for sure, it is causing me to rethink just how 'secure' eBay is.

Previous post on this subject:  eBay Gives Out Personal Information

Children's Market Consigment Sale of Northeast Alabama Set for Sept 15 - 18

Every once in a while something goes on in the "real world" that deserves attention. The Children's Market Consignment sale is definately one of those things.  My Daughter will be taking part of this for her 4th year, both selling and, knowing her, buying.  She knows a good thing when she sees one.

If you are from the Northeast Alabama area, you might want to take a trip to this sale.  Great bargains and for a worth while cause!

from their Facebook page:
Children's Market Consignment Sale


Children's Market is a semi-annual children's, teen, and maternity consignment event featuring gently used and new items.

We serve northeast Alabama, including Calhoun, Etowah, Cleburne, Ranburne, and Cherokee Counties. Our next sale is Sept. 15 - 18, 2010, with preview sales on Sept. 14 for volunteers, consignors, teachers & new parents/grandparents. Proceeds from the sale benefit the Children's Ministry of Jacksonville First Methodist Church and other area ministries.

We're the first sale in the area to use a barcode inventory system. Our consignors have the benefit of entering their inventory and tracking their sales online through our partnership with My Sale Manager. Shoppers enjoy finding quality items for their families and a quick and smooth checkout when they're ready to head home with a trunk full of goodies.

How much can you make? Consignors earn 75% of everything they sell. Volunteers can earn up to 85% by helping during the sale.

Make plans now to shop with us in September. In addition to great clothing and other items for kids, we'll have bows & headbands from our bow ladies, plus accessories for Mom and custom outfits and monogramming from Mommy's Castle. We're your one-stop clothing shop for the best deals on quality clothes and other items for your kids.
Please visit us online at www.jaxfumckids.org for more information or to join our mailing list.
 
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Blake Lucchesi - Bonanzle.com's rockin new Front End Developer

Bonanzle.com's newest team member Blake Lucchesi is a cool dude. He brings to Bonanzle his skills of web design to the position of Front End Developer. Blake has worked in the past developing websites for Artists on Warner Bros Records and Sony BMG labels. With a rockin job like that, Bonanzle users can expect some really cool additions to the site.


To find out more about Blake, visit the Bonanzle blog.... and while you're there, check out the site as well. The sellers are running some radical sales with their Christmas In July 2010 Sale-a-thon all month.
 
Welcome Blake, we are ready to rock with you!
 
Later......
Renagade
Renagade has been a dealer of music on Bonanzle since Bonanzle's Beta days

Bonanzle kicks it up with Christmas In July Sale

Bonanzle.com has always been a great place to shop, but July is going to be THE month for you to visit. Over 250 booths are joining forces with a huge Sale-a-bration - Christmas In July.


During the entire month you will find great sale and bargains on everything from Christmas décor and gifts to vintage and unique items. Many are running coupons for even bigger discounts.

Since its beginnings, Bonanzle has been more than a marketplace. It is a community of sellers from across the globe whom I have found to be some of the most friendly, helpful, professional people within the crazy world of eCommerce. They work hard to deliver the best service and are dedicated to helping Bonanzle grow.

Now shopping on Bonanzle is better than ever. You can purchase without joining, but if you would like to, you can quickly join and sign in using your Facebook or Google Account. The option of setting up a separate Bonanzle account is still available too.

For the Christmas In July event, you will find the Booths have Christmas-y Banners and the sellers pictures are wearing Santa hats or have become reindeers, elves or snowmen. Coupon codes are available with a click of the mouse in the listings. Some booths aready have their items discounted for you or the discount is automatic at checkout   Look at their ‘Chatbox” at the top of the booth pages to see what they are offering, for some will ‘hide’ special deals there. You may even find a live auction or two.

Since the list of Booths and Promotions is so long, I have posted it on a separate page here in the blog.  Please go view the Christmas in July page via the tab at the top and start shopping!

Would love to hear from all who shop Bonanzle this July! Tell us what goodies you found, and let us know how good (or bad) your experience was.

See you on Bonanzle!
Renagade
Renagade is a dealer of records, CDs, patches, and other collectibles on Bonanzle and other venues.
Renagade has been a member of the Bonanzle Community since 2008

UPDATE!!!
As I mentioned, Bonanzle is more than a marketplace, it is a community of sellers. Many, Many of them have blogged, put together handpicked lists, made banners and avatars, and even put together videos promoting not only the Christmas in July sale, but the site as a whole.  Many of these sellers have jumped in and helped each other out in areas they know one of their fellow Bonanzlers might need alittle help.
I want to say thank you to "Pace" at www.bonanzle.com/paceset9999  , "Critter" at www.bonanzle.com/CritterCreekRanch   as well as the many more whom have used my items in Hand picked lists, mentioned the Renagade in blogs, or have snuck in and tweeted my items.  It is apreciated more than you know.
Special Thank you goes out Starshinin at www.bonanzle.com/starshinin .  Star took the time to crawl around my booth, knowing my dial up internet could not do one, and put together this cool video showcasing some of my items. THANKS!



There are pages and pages of cool videos on youtube by and about Bonanzle  Please go check them out:

Christmas themed Videos
Bonanzle Videos


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Bonanzle WOWs Sellers with sleek new "My Bonanzle" page

Bonanzle tech team are sneaky devils, and love to WOW the sellers with goodies overnight. Well, they did it again with the “My Bonanzle” page . And yes, it is a big big WOW!

They completely revamped this valuable piece of website real estate to make it faster loading, earlier for the seller to find all the information they need to quickly check what’s happening with their items and their booth. Also a nice section highlighting your favorite sellers and what is new at their booths as well.

Today, my first peek at this chic new page, told me that John at Shake and Bake Trading added a neat Christmas candle snuffer NIB and kbarrd added a beautiful  Ruby Glass Ship's Wheel Ashtray Coaster Set . I also discovered that my friend coolshirts2cheap added me to her favorites and BaysideBetty tweeted about my items ( thanks people!) I Also found out that yellowsand1964's booth offering 30% off June 19 at 6pm. Yes, some of this information was available before, but rarely caught my eye on the old format of the page.

Also quickly available is how many views I had in the last week, which used to take some digging to get to.

Personally, I feel this is an awesome move forward, as simple as it may seem. And the over all feedback so far has been the same.

WOW! Boyz! You did it again! Thanks!

Official word from Bill:

http://www.bonanzle.com/system_announcements

Later! ...Renagade

Renagade has been dealing on Bonanzle since the 'Beta Days" and has watched this site grow.

NEW View:

Bonanzle welcomes former Expedia Exec, Alex Berg

Bonanzle has set the web afire yet again. One month after the online marketplace landed $1 million in financing.and winning Seattle's Best Bootstrapped Startup Award,  Bonanzle has hired former Blue Nile, Expedia and Wetpaint executive Alex Berg. Berg, the former creative director at Expedia, will lead product design, strategy and usability as their “Chief Product Officer”.

Bill Harding, Bonanzle’s founder stated on his blog:
Alex caught my attention with his focus on making customers happy. This is how Bonanzle has grown to its current size, and I believe it is how we will continue our rapid pace of growth.

In addition to this talented addition to the Bonanzle Family, Bonanzle also rolled out to exciting improvements to the platform.
First is the eBay Importer feature upgrade that improves the importing of those listings with templates, drastically cutting back on any after import editing, and making what editing needed go smoother for the seller.

Second is the beta launch of the Bonanzle Protection Pledge.
The Buyer Protection Pledge will function as an extension of the already-existing Order Resolution Center, which helps buyer and seller ensure that items get delivered and in the condition they were described. The only difference with the BPP is that we will now officially stand behind our sellers where the BPP logo is shown, giving buyers an additional reason to trust this Bonanzle marketplace that they may have never previously heard of, if they're arriving from Google.

As they roll this pledge badge out, it will slowly be added to more and more items. But even without the badge, I can assure you Bonanzle’s Resolution team is the best on the web, having something other buyer support teams don’t have - the respect of the sellers.

So Thank You Bill, for the great new tweaks to the ‘Ranch’ and Welcome Alex, to the Bonanzle Family. We look forward to seeing what you have in your goodie bag of ideas.

Later...... .Renagade
Renagade a dealer of vinyl records and other collectables on  Bonanzle and has been since Bonanzle was in Beta. 

Bonanzle Raises $1M from Angel Investors - Watch out eCom world !

The latest news on Bonanzle is causing quite a stir across the web.
From Gergory Huang of  Xconomy Seattle:

"The motto of Bonanzle is “everything but the ordinary.” That about sums up the latest news from this Seattle-area startup, which has built a fast-growing online marketplace for niche items and collectibles. I learned through the grapevine that Bonanzle founder Bill Harding has closed a $1 million funding round led by angel investor and venture capitalist Geoff Entress, with participation from a long list of well-known angels around town—plus three prominent venture firms.


It’s a small deal, a classic angel investment, but it’s particularly interesting for this reason: Seattle-area venture firms Voyager Capital (led by Entress) and Ignition Partners (Michelle Goldberg), plus Bay Area firm Matrix Partners (Josh Hannah), have all invested in the deal. All together, the venture firms put in less than half of the total funding amount—but presumably they will be watching to see if this is something they want to put more money behind."
READ MORE AT:
Bonanzle Raises $1M from Angel Investors, Plus Three VC Firms, to Expand Its Online Marketplace
 
Is this good news? bad news?  Honestly it could be either or both.  But after being on Bonanzle since its Beta days, I trust Bill and his judgement.  Yes, there have been times I questioned his ideas ( anyone remember 'Bizzy' ??) , but all in all I know Bill has a vision for Bonanzle and his passion for this will keep him on the right path.
I am strapping in, holding on and getting ready for the ride.  How about you?  What do you think about the extra fuel this little train has recieved?
 
Renagade.
My comments posted on article:
Thank you Mr. Huang for an excellent article on this new and exciting development for Bonanzle.

With the growth of Bonanzle, it is not surprizing that it attracted the investors, they know Bonanzle is a solid investment.
Bill Harding and his small team have build something unique and fresh. And with the growth of Bonanzle it is not surprizing that Harding would seek out investors to help him continue along the path he set his dream on.
Bonanzle is unique. This is what makes it such an attractive place for many in the eCommerce world and what has fueled its growth
One can only hope these investors completely grasp this and think out of the box when developing ideas to further Bonanzle’s footing in the world of online sales.
Or better yet, I recommend they follow Bills lead and throw that box of ideas out.

(Link to article Posted using ShareThis )