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/.

Etsy Holds ‘EtSEO’ Listing Critique Session on Wednesday

November 10, 2019November 10, 2019 Ina Steiner

Etsy sellers can submit their listings to be considered for a critique by Etsy experts on Wednesday. The “EtSEO” session will provide sellers with advice on how to improve their listings for greater visibility and improved conversion. “With guidance from Read more

From the Editor – November 10, 2019

November 9, 2019November 9, 2019 Ina Steiner

John Donahoe stepped down as CEO of eBay in July of 2015 and got a gig at ServiceNow, an enterprise cloud company. Last month came the surprising news that he is taking over the top spot at Nike. Meanwhile returning Read more

Online Sellers Guide to Flat Rate Shipping

November 9, 2019November 11, 2019 Ina Steiner

UPS is more aggressively targeting small- and medium-sized online sellers and is leveraging agreements with services like Stamps.com and Shippo as it seeks to gain more share in the ecommerce market. That’s significant considering how many small sellers rely on Read more

Ads Becoming Essential for Sellers on eBay, Etsy, Amazon

November 9, 2019November 9, 2019 Ina Steiner

These days, it may not be enough to list an item on eBay, Etsy or Amazon and expect it to be seen by shoppers. Your listing competes not only with scores of rival listings, but with promoted listings (paid ads) Read more

EcommerceBytes Soundoff: Letters to the Editor – November 10, 2019

November 9, 2019November 9, 2019 Ina Steiner

In every issue, readers soundoff about issues important to them. From shipping issues to payment processing, from fees to online marketplace policies, EcommerceBytes Soundoff gives you a chance to air your views. Ina,Just a heads up, the new tax rules Read more

Facebook’s WhatsApp Introduces Catalogs for Small Businesses

November 7, 2019November 7, 2019 Ina Steiner

Facebook’s WhatsApp messaging app has introduced a catalog feature for small businesses. “Catalogs are a new feature for businesses to showcase and share their goods and services directly on WhatsApp so people can easily browse and discover something they would Read more

Amazon Tightens Up Some Policies to Be More Buyer Friendly

November 7, 2019November 7, 2019 Ina Steiner

Amazon is tightening up some policies to be more buyer friendly. The following are some announcements the marketplace made this week. Changes to Return and Refund Process for Seller Fulfilled OrdersEffective November 15, 2019, if you are fulfilling customer orders Read more

UPS Encourages Shoppers to Pick Up Their Packages

November 7, 2019November 7, 2019 Ina Steiner

UPS is encouraging customers to pick up their packages instead of having them delivered. It’s not surprising – residential delivery is more costly for shipping carriers (though they charge shippers a surcharge when they send to a home address), and Read more

eBay Welcomes LyricMerch to eBay Marketplace

November 6, 2019November 6, 2019 Ina Steiner

eBay welcomed LyricMerch to its site, which describes itself as only producer of fully licensed products featuring artists’ lyrics and designs. LyricMerch has begun listing “a range of merchandise bearing lyrics from fan-favorite songs,” and it will offer a curated Read more

ShipStation Offers Holiday Prep Guide for Online Sellers

November 6, 2019November 6, 2019 Ina Steiner

ShipStation has published a Holiday Prep eBook for online sellers on how to make the most of the holiday shopping season when it comes to efficient shipping and boosting conversion rates. The lowest prices won’t be enough to attract customers Read more