They say the eyes are the windows into people's souls. You can agree or disagree with this statement as much as you'd like, but Auctiva's free Scrolling Gallery is definitely the window into your Auctiva Store. This store contains all the items you list on eBay, and giving buyers a glimpse at your other products is always worth doing.
The Scrolling Gallery is a favorite among Auctiva users—those who use the site to list their goods and those who don't. It's not hard to see why. Having a rotating display of your items can increase sales significantly. And did we mention the tool is free?
"In a nutshell, Auctiva's Scrolling Gallery maximizes your products' exposure while avoiding the costs you would normally incur from enhancing your eBay listings," reports SaleHoo, a directory for eBay product suppliers.
We all know added exposure is always good in the eBay world. So if you don't have a Scrolling Gallery in your current listings, you might consider adding one to increase the visibility of all your items.
Cross-sell, anyone?
After working so hard on your listings to catch buyers' attention, wouldn't it be great to generate multiple sales? You could with your gallery. For instance, let's say you sell camping gear and a buyer clicks on your listing for a tent. That buyer may be planning a trip, and could be in the market for sleeping bags or a portable burner as well. If you've got other camping gear rotating through your Scrolling Gallery, and the price is right, you could make an additional sale.
Auctiva product analyst and eBay seller Rebecca Miller uses the Scrolling Gallery in her listings.
"I get a lot of sales from the same buyers," she says. "It's likely that they saw other similar items I had for sale—without having to click on the link in the listing that says 'view seller's other items for sale'—and went ahead and bought those, too."
And if buyers click on the original eBay listing that caught their eyes and decide that item is not for them, they might find something else they like in your Store and purchase that item instead. It may not be multiple sales, but it's a sale you might not have otherwise had.
Less work for you and buyers
The gallery is also easy to set up, and it's easy to use. For instance, you can customize the gallery by going into your Auctiva account, clicking the Store tab and clicking on the Scrolling Gallery. From here you can choose the style, colors, as well as text and placement for your gallery. It's that simple. Auctiva will automatically match your gallery to your template style, if you desire.
For your buyers, the gallery means getting access to additional items without having to do extra work. They just have to click on the listing they're interested in. Then they can decide if they want to peer into your Auctiva Store or not.
Add a friendly message inviting buyers to check out the other offerings you have
Get the most from your gallery
Now that you know the benefits of the Scrolling Gallery, let's take a look at how you can get this tool to work for you.
- Customization: Add a friendly message inviting buyers to check out the other offerings you have. Think about the times you've gone shopping—not just online, but at brick-and-mortar shops. Did you enjoy shopping more when the salesperson was friendly and courteous? Probably, so do everything you can to make your Scrolling Gallery as "courteous" as possible. That means putting a welcoming message at the top of the gallery to encourage buyers to look inside. It can be general ("Welcome to XYZ Store" or "Click here to see more great deals") or more specific ("Welcome international buyers").
Also be sure the colors you use complement each other and won't turn shoppers off. Ask yourself if that vibrant red you chose for your gallery isn't a bit overwhelming next to the purple background of your eBay template. Also be sure that the text is easy to read. Remember, sometimes simplicity is the way to go.
- Select products: You can have up to 14 items displayed in your Scrolling Gallery at any one time. Items are refreshed every two hours and although items ending soonest are typically displayed in your window first, you can decide which products you want to feature and which you want to hide. Hidden goods will never be displayed in your window. To feature items, simply go into your Store tab, click the Manage Items link and check the box next to the products you want to feature. Or you can hide goods by clicking the Make Hidden button to hide items.
- Placement: Miller suggests positioning the gallery below your listing descriptions. This allows buyers to first browse the items that initially interested them—the items they want to buy or bid on. Although it's good to show off the other goods you have in your store, you don't want to turn off buyers by presenting them with other items too soon. They want to see the product that drew them in originally. Later, they can look through the rest of your offerings. So don't be afraid to put the gallery at the bottom. Believe us, it won't get lost.
Follow these guidelines and the Scrolling Gallery is sure to work for you. The tool is free and could bring you additional revenue, so why not give it a shot?
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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