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| Capitalize on Hot Design Trends | December 2003 |
Whether you read Architectural Digest or watch HGTV, your favorite print and broadcast trendsetters' hot picks are also the hot sellers on eBay.
Increase your Home sales this; sell items related to the hot trends identified below.
Items related to these popular editor picks have earned a conversion rate of more than 50 percent in the last 30 days!*
Styles
• French country
Furniture
• Asian-inspired
• Mid-century modern
Decor & Accessories
• Aromatherapy
• Beaded lamps
• Wicker baskets
• Stainless steel (appliances)
• Wrought iron (lamps, candleholders)
TIP: Follow trends in these pubs: Architectural Digest, Country Home, Dwell, House Beautiful. Interior Design, Wallpaper.
Materials
• Bamboo (furniture, placemats)
• Chenille (pillows, throws)
• Corduroy
• Denim
• Leather (furniture, pillows)
• Toile (wallpaper, bedding)
Design Patterns
• Damask
• Floral
• Paisley
• Tropical
To keep track of trends in your markets, use the completed items option in Advanced Search.
* Percentage based on a sample size of 200 completed listings.
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| Get Ready for eBay Holiday Advertising | November 2003 |
eBay is stepping out this holiday season! To drive qualified buyers to your holiday Home listings, it is readying an aggressive Holiday marketing and advertising campaign.
From October to December, eBay will be advertising the Home category in some the world's premiere home and living magazines, including Martha Stewart Living, Better Homes and Gardens, Country Home, and Budget Living.
In November, Look for eBay advertising in the December issues of:
In December, look for eBay in the December/January issue of:
Equally exciting, eBay is taking part in innovative Budget Living sweepstakes at the Mall of America, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to the benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
As part of the promotion, a life-size country cottage has been built inside the Mall of America. Mall patrons that make a small donation and tour the home will be entered into a sweepstakes to win the cottage and everything in it!
There will be substantial publicity surrounding the effort and eBay will benefit. Here's how:
- As an event co-sponsor, eBay will receive signage inside the Mall of America during a key shopping period.
- The program and eBay will be mentioned in the Oct./Nov. and Dec./Jan. 2003 issues of Budget Living, as well as on the magazine's Web site.
All told, eBay Home category will be marketed to more than 12 million home and living enthusiasts this shopping season. Take advantage of this major opportunity.
- Start studying the above magazines for what's hot in home décor and appliances.
- Stock up on appropriate inventory, vintage and new.
- Boost your Home listings from October to December.
- Include verbiage like "As seen in Martha Stewart Living!" in your listings.
Help your buyers spend smart, but live rich, this Holiday Season with the help of eBay and Budget Living.
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| Showhouse Showcases eBay Home's Sense of Style | September 2003 |
The word is getting out: style has a new address.
eBay Home recently invited six stars of interior design to transform a trendy $4.5-million New York penthouse using only items found on eBay. Each designer was given an eBay ID, a PayPal account and a fixed budget with which to decorate their assigned rooms.
The results, which can be viewed online in a 360-degree virtual tour, offer stunning testimony to the breadth and sophistication of home furnishings to be found on eBay. As you tour the house online, it's apparent that the designers enjoyed their assignment, finding everything from wooden African masks for the hallway to a pair of curved couches in the hot pink living room.
The showhouse project was designed to combat a lingering perception of eBay as a kind of backwoods swap meet. The eBay Home category has grown rapidly into a huge showroom where even the most discriminating tastes can find the perfect solution for any home décor. Recent Nielsen data reveals that shoppers are catching on: eBay Home enjoys far greater traffic than any other home site.
The launch of the show house generated feature articles in a host of media, including the New York Times, Newsday, and Better Homes and Gardens. Typical of the reaction was this comment by the New York Times: "eBay is a treasure trove for people who are prepared to put on a helmet lamp and descend into the site for serious spelunking."
The entire contents of the showhouse will be up for bid after the close of the virtual tour on Oct. 23. The proceeds of the sales will benefit Alpha Workshops, a decorative-arts training program for men and women with HIV and AIDS. Sellers are encouraged to increase listings to coincide with the event and eBay will increase marketing efforts to drive traffic to the home category at that time, including home page banners and graphics on portal pages.
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| Popular Styles for Home Titles |
August 2003 |
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Even the most practical home shoppers want to make a statement and add some style to their abode. Help them do just that-include popular design styles in your listing titles.
Include style words in your listing titles and descriptions so that more qualified buyers will find your items when they search and browse.
Where to begin-start with this list of top-searched design and decorating styles:
Victorian: A style and period (1837 to 1901), this aesthetic evolved during the Industrial Revolution. Heavy ornamentation and stark lines are hallmarks of this elegant, formal style. Think gilded walls, dark hardwood floors, balloon-back chairs, and crystal chandeliers.
Country French: An elegant, yet casual style exemplified by the designs of Pierre Deux. Farmhouse tables made of distressed wood, overstuffed chairs in toile or gingham fabric, and clean white French porcelain with rustic scalloping, and chunky glassware are typical of this style
Retro: What's retro is always changing. Today, it applies to vintage material from the '30s to '80s. Often retro items feature the stamp of a specific decade or cultural trend. Think novelty, playful, ironic, futuristic, multi-colored. Hollywood, TV, and old cartoons inform this style.
Asian: The aesthetic of the Far East, incorporating elements of design from China, Japan, and other Southeast Asian nations. Asian furniture is typically made of hard woods, featuring clean lines, bamboo screens, and square plates. Popular motifs: landscapes, flowers, and exotic animals.
Americana: The folk art style of America's founders and pioneers, embodied in antique signs, plaques, pillows, and other home décor items. The colors of the American flag are synonymous with this style. Arts & Crafts furniture (1860 to 1939) also is an important component.
Southwestern: Developed in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, this style is highly influenced by Native American Indian traditions. Its designs often incorporate colored woods, adobe, rich woven patterns, rustic clay pots, and desert scenery.
Tropical: This style or theme is typified by the designs of Tommy Bahama. It evokes the beach-resort lifestyle. Palm trees, wicker furniture, island prints, and bamboo accents set the scene.
Celestial: The zodiac, stars, and sun are central motifs. Look for them on a variety of home décor items, from sun catchers and mirrors to furniture, afghans, and pillows.
Kids: From small-sized chairs to bed sheets with Disney characters and racecar themes, home décor items for children abound. Think whimsical, colorful, and active.
Add some style to you listing titles and descriptions. Your buyers will see you are in the know.
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| Boosting Summer Home & Garden Sales |
July 2003 |
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Those dog days of summer are here, but don't let your sales slow down. eBay Home buyers are on the hunt for quality products at competitive prices all year around.
Try these tips to heat up your sales this summer season:
- Partner Up: Consider outsourcing items to a successful eBay Trading Assistant. For a percentage of the sale, they'll sell your items for you, so can boost your volume and spend more time sourcing product for the fall season.
- Join In: Participate in eBay promotions that attract buyers and merchandise your listings to qualified customers. List smart to leverage increased traffic to popular promotional pages.
Example: Dads and Grads Gift Guide
- Update Inventory: Identify items to liquidate to increase capital and space for your holiday products. Set competitive Buy It Now prices to help move inventory fast and increase cash flow.
- No Reserve: Attract new customers with $1, no-reserve auctions, which work very well for thousands of sellers each day. Drive interest in your auctions and increased sales. Make sure you put $1NR or $1 No Reserve in title.
Example: $4,200 GRANDFATHER CLOCK--$1.00--NO RESERVE!
- Free Ship: Offer this no-lose service, which has been proven to increase sell through. Moreover, most sellers recoup their cost in the final price.
Example: SMEG Stainless Steel Dishwasher - Free Ship!
- Discount It: Offer creative discounts to make your listings more attractive and fun. Example: Award 5% to 10% discounts to first bidders that win your auctions.
Don't let your sales go soft this summer. Make the right moves and see your bottom line climb.
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| Increase Your Sales Volume with Gallery |
June 2003 |
Seeing is believing for discriminating shoppers, particularly when it comes to the Home Category, where buyers purchase everything from furniture to baby formula. That's why it's no surprise that eBay's Gallery feature is increasing seller conversion rates as much as 8%*.
eBay research has found that Gallery items on average are 8%* more likely to sell. Additionally, Gallery listings increase final prices by an average of 11%*.
A 10% increase in your bottom line can pay real dividends. That's $25 of incremental value for each $250 item sold. Learn more.
So, why does Gallery work so well? Like eBay's "Bold" or "Featured Plus" upgrades, Gallery:
- Gives your items wider exposure and attracts more qualified bidders. Thumbnail images of your item appear on category and search pages as well as the category Gallery View.
- Distinguishes your Home items from other competing listings. Additional photos increase buyer confidence, encouraging greater bidding and sales.
- Enables bidders to view your items at a glance, saving them valuable time. Combine Gallery with Buy It Now for even greater buyer convenience.
Adding Gallery to your listings is simple and hassle-free, too. Your images are automatically resized by eBay. And, if you use Seller's Assistant Pro, Gallery is included.
Have a suggestion for a future Home article -- let us know!
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Must use Buy It Now and PayPal.
