Author: Ina Steiner

Ina Steiner is co-founder and Editor of EcommerceBytes and has been reporting on ecommerce since 1999. She's a widely cited authority on marketplace selling and is author of "Turn eBay Data Into Dollars" (McGraw-Hill 2006). Her blog was featured in the book, "Blogging Heroes" (Wiley 2008). She is a member of the Online News Association (Sep 2005 - present) and Investigative Reporters and Editors (Mar 2006 - present). Follow her on Twitter at @ecommercebytes and send news tips to ina@ecommercebytes.com. See disclosure at EcommerceBytes.com/disclosure/.

Adding Videos to Etsy Listings May Attract Eyeballs

December 11, 2020December 11, 2020 Ina Steiner

Etsy is encouraging sellers to add videos to their listings and said it improves exposure. In a recent update, Etsy said listing videos are now visible to almost all shoppers after taking them out of beta testing. “We’ll continue to Read more

It’s Official: Higher Priority Mail Rates in 2021

December 10, 2020December 10, 2020 Ina Steiner

Online sellers will pay more to send USPS Priority Mail packages and other “competitive” shipping services beginning next month. The higher rates, previously announced, were approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), the USPS announced today. The news comes at Read more

eBay Warns of New Wrinkles when Exporting to UK

December 10, 2020December 10, 2020 Ina Steiner

eBay warned sellers of new rules when exporting goods to the UK as of January 1, 2021. eBay said US sellers who list on the US eBay site don’t have to take any action, while sellers who list directly on Read more

Amazon Updates Sellers on Marketplace Tax Collection

December 10, 2020December 10, 2020 Ina Steiner

Amazon has expanded the number of states for which it collects sales tax, it announced this week, adding an additional 11 states and Puerto Rico. Here’s what Amazon told sellers in Tuesday’s announcement: Marketplace Tax Collection now available in more Read more

How Can eBay Offer USPS Tracking for Under a Buck?

December 9, 2020December 9, 2020 Ina Steiner

eBay is offering a way for its sellers to send lightweight items to buyers WITH TRACKING for under a dollar. The service will become available next month for trading cards priced at $20 or less and weighing up to 3 Read more

UPS Says It’s Beating Rivals in On-time Delivery

December 8, 2020December 8, 2020 Ina Steiner

UPS issued a press statement today to say its network is “running smoothly, with industry-leading on-time delivery performance,” and it pointed to data indicating it is beating both FedEx and the US Postal Service in on-time delivery performance. UPS CEO Read more

WhatsApp Adds ‘Shopping Carts’ to Messaging App

December 8, 2020December 8, 2020 Ina Steiner

WhatsApp is not an online shopping platform, but the messaging app is adding a “cart” feature to facilitate communications between buyers and merchants. The company says people are using its app to discuss products and coordinate sales – a “store Read more

eBay Runs Sale on Commission Fees in UK

December 7, 2020December 7, 2020 Ina Steiner

eBay is capping commission fees for UK “business” sellers in a special promotion that kicked off today. The a £2 cap on Final Value Fees will apply to new listings created between December 7 – 13th, and apply to the Read more

BigCommerce Cyber Week Sales up 74% in 2020

December 7, 2020December 7, 2020 Ina Steiner

Ecommerce platform BigCommerce said it saw merchant sales grow 74% globally during the 5-day shopping period spanning Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday (November 30) compared to the same period last year. BigCommerce shared the following Cyber-Week data: Sunday (November 29, 2020) Read more

eBay Runs Holiday Charity Initiative in UK

December 7, 2020December 7, 2020 Ina Steiner

eBay is running an initiative to encourage people to sell on its UK site and donate a portion (or all) of the proceeds to charity. eBay will give £5 for every £1 customers donate when selling on the platform, up Read more