In this month's article, I'm going to give you an update on some exciting Stores news, as well as provide you with some tips on how to boost exposure for your Store and Store Inventory in 2006.

Store Inventory listings displayed on all eBay search results
Have you heard the great news about Store Inventory listings? In a letter to the Community last month, Bill Cobb, President, eBay North America, announced something that many Store owners have been wanting for a long time. At the end of any eBay search, all matching Store inventory listings will be displayed. This change will go into effect soon. Whether 5, 50, or 500 results appear when buyers search on eBay.com, Store Inventory listings that match their search will appear at the end of those results. (Store Inventory items could start on page 1 or page 20 depending on the total number of results returned.)

For Store owners, this means much more exposure for your eBay Stores and Store items – for buyers, every search will return many more qualified listings. As Bill said, "It's a win/win for everyone."

Up to 300 custom categories for Stores
Bill also announced that this spring we're increasing the number of custom catgeories for eBay Stores from the current 19 to up to 300 custom categories in three levels of categories and sub-categories.

More ways to increase your Store exposure in 2006
Any Store seller would love to have more buyers visit their Store, and eBay Stores has several tools which help you increase the visibility of your Store. Here are some tools and tips you can use to increase your Store visibility in 2006.

• Cross-promote your eBay Store in your Auction & Fixed Price Listings
  Did you know that as a Store seller you get free cross-promotion placements on your auction-style listings on eBay? You can promote your Store on all of your item pages, as well as on the Bid Confirm and Purchase Confirmation pages. This means that every time a potential buyer looks at one of your auction-style listings, places a bid or sees a purchase confirmation, you also have the opportunity to plug your Store.
  
  The tool is simple to use and gives you control over exactly which items from your Store display to buyers who are viewing or bidding on your auction-style listings. Take the Cross-Promotion tutorial to learn more.  
  
• 
  
  
• Take advantage of eBay Reviews & Guides
  eBay's new feature Reviews & Guides can not only help rank your Store higher in Search engines, but can also help you build credibility among buyers. Reviews & Guides helps you share your knowledge on the items you're selling or on related topics. You can build up a reputation for yourself as an expert in these areas, which can lead to creating loyal buyers who come back for more. Ultimately this can help you gain more exposure and drive significant traffic to your Stores.
  
  You can link each review or guide that you write to your Store items, your auction-style listings, your About Me page, etc. Your reviews and guides are not only very useful for readers and visitors, but also for search engines.

• Optimize your eBay Store for search engines
  Another way of having your Store rank higher in search engine results is to optimize your Store content. As with keywords, a descriptive store name not only lets buyers know what you sell but also helps search engines find your eBay Store when buyers are looking for the products you offer. eBay's Learning Center has useful tips that help you optimize your Store for search engines.

Increasing Store exposure offline
Every package you send to your buyers is also an opportunity for you to advertise your eBay Store. A few personal touches can go a long way in giving your customers a great purchase experience and have them come back to you for more. 

• Promotional flyers
  Including a promotional flyer highlighting your eBay Store in your buyer's package can help you build a strong relationship with them. It helps build your eBay Store's brand and can also help create a growing base of loyal repeat buyers.
  
• Create collateral for your eBay Store
  Printing business cards for yourself and making other professional-looking business collateral also helps you build your Store's identity. Just download the templates and customize them with your own personal information. This is one more tool to let your buyers know they are dealing with a trustworthy eBay Store seller!