Auctiva introduced new features this week that will make image-hosting maintenance easier, give customers another way to increase their branding and just make users happier overall.
Auctiva's latest release is largely focused on simplifying the task of managing images. Enhancements include a feature to delete all images from users' saved listings with just one click, an image auto-delete setting and the option to delete all images from individual folders. These changes will help customers better manage their image-hosting allowance, the company notes.
"Many customers have been asking for these features for some time, and we appreciate their suggestions," says Senior Project Manager Tony Maxey. "We hope this will make managing their images simpler and easier."
Auctiva has received a lot of requests for a "Remove All Images" button, adds Product Analyst Rebecca Miller—and it's a feature she personally championed.
"When I first started using Auctiva I thought 'Gee, why isn't there a button that would get rid of the images in a listing all at once?'" Miller recalls. "I like to add lots of images to my listings, so when I create a similar listing from a saved one, it just makes sense to be able to delete the old images with one click. Even though there was a roundabout way to delete all the images at one time, it just wasn't practical."
Users will now have this option when they go into their saved listings, or they can still delete individual images the way they used to. And if they accidentally click the "Remove All Images" button, images may be restored by reloading the page without saving the changes.
These are just the first steps to help customers keep their image usage down
Users will also welcome Auctiva's new Image Auto-Delete capability, which lets customers decide if and when (e.g., 15 or 30 days) they want their images deleted automatically. This option may be enabled at the time images are uploaded, so there's no need to go back and do it later. Safeguards are also built into the system to prevent images from being deleted that are attached to active listings.
And while in the past, deleting an image folder didn't delete the images it contained, users may now choose to delete the entire contents of a folder. Deleted images will be moved to the customer's Delete folder, where the customer will have 14 days to retrieve them before they are permanently removed.
"These are just the first steps in making image management more user friendly to help customers keep their image usage down," Miller adds.
More in store
Auctiva's developers continue to work on new functions that will make image management even easier.
Other features included in this week's release are the ability for users to display up to 250 images on their Image Management page and the ability to link their Twitter accounts to their Auctiva Stores from their account dashboard.
"Social-networking sites are becoming an important marketing tool for sellers to spread the word about their items," explains Miller. "Twitter is free, it's easy and it's a great way to get word-of-mouth advertising about new merchandise, sales, their Auctiva Commerce store, etc."
Auctiva has also enlarged the images in its help tutorials to enhance the visual examples. And more improvements are to come, the company notes.
Auctiva staff writers constantly monitor trends and best practices of those selling on eBay and elsewhere online. They attend relevant training seminars and trade shows and regularly discuss the market with PowerSellers and other market experts.
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