An inconvenient truth for eBay and Amazon sellers

Your business is fraught with risk when you rely 100% on online marketplace sales. Just because you are busy with marketplace sales doesn’t mean that your business is in good shape. In many ways, those eBay and Amazon sales are like a diet rich in sugar. They will give you a short-term energy boost but, in the long run, will potentially leave you feeling empty and prone to a crash. eBay and Amazon Suspension Consider what would happen if a marketplace you were selling on suddenly became unavailable to your business. This isn’t some distant threat. We regularly receive emails from retailers desperate to re-instate their eBay or Amazon account after being temporarily or even permanently being suspended from selling.… Read more »

How to Build, Support and Grow a Profitable eCommerce Business

When Frooition’s eCommerce design and build team hands over a new eCommerce site to a client, we do so on the understanding that the project is never truly finished. An eCommerce site is so much more than a static sales venue. It’s a living, breathing, ever-evolving marketing channel that will require ongoing care and attention to flourish in the long term. The question of ongoing support is a concern for many online retailers hoping to make the leap from marketplace seller to fully-fledged eCommerce business. That’s why Frooition offers all of their eCommerce clients two different support options that can be tailored to the individual needs of their business. It’s also why so many online retailers come to us after… Read more »

How to optimise your product images for eBay search

A picture might be worth 1,000 words, but a single image is not enough for eBay search. eBay recommends sellers use multiple images (between six and twelve) in their listings to maximise their chances of being found in eBay search. This approach isn’t a nice to have eBay strategy. If your listings don’t have a minimum of six product images, there’s a good chance that your potential customers will never find your listings. Is it any wonder why your eBay listings have fallen off a cliff? Like many other eBay optimisation strategies, the correct use of images depends on several factors, including the category you are selling in. Still, as a general rule of thumb – more is always better.… Read more »

Auto Apply: Optimise Your On-Brand eBay Listings No Matter How You List

If you are a seller that wants to stand out from the crowd on eBay’s marketplace, clean design templates ensure that all of your product details, images, shipping and returns policies, branding and company information are professionally presented.  In a world where customer trust is hard-won, these elements are essential. This strategy is all well and good if your eBay listings are all created by the same person, using the same technology. But what if you have multiple people adding products to your eBay listings regularly using various technologies? How do you ensure that all of your listings remain on-brand and are fully optimised for the trading conditions of today’s marketplace? These questions are a particular problem for eBay sellers… Read more »

Partner Spotlight: Q&A with Harry Nixon from Huboo

eCommerce businesses are just like swans. Above the water, they are all about elegant design and slick technology, while under the surface (in the warehouse), things are typically a lot more chaotic. Picking, packing and shipping is a business-critical process, especially when selling on online marketplaces like eBay and Amazon. Same-day dispatch is often an essential component to guarantee visibility. But it’s also a labour intensive and therefore expensive process with warehouse and staff costs eating into your budget. The fact is, eCommerce businesses don’t make money by stuffing envelopes. They make money by selling more — so what area of your business would you rather focus on? Thankfully, eCommerce businesses have the opportunity to outsource the fulfilment side of… Read more »

Custom eCommerce Design and Functionality for BigCommerce Stores

The eCommerce team at Frooition pride themselves on being able to fit a square peg into a round hole when it comes to BigCommerce design projects. That’s why so many clients with custom build requests find themselves calling on the Frooition team after less capable agencies let them down. While every online retailer comes to Frooition with a “unique” problem, in reality, there is very little that our in-house team of developers and designers haven’t seen before. And when something a little out of the ordinary does come in, our creative and technical skills can usually find a solution. In this respect, we like to think of our design and build process as entrepreneurial. Essentially, we invest time, effort, and… Read more »

eBay UK Reminds Food and Beverage Sellers of Legal Responsibility to Display Ingredients and Allergen Information

eBay item specifics are not just about following the latest eBay best practices. They could be a legal requirement and may even help protect your buyers’ health. eBay UK has published a reminder to its sellers of their legal responsibility to display ingredients and allergen information when selling food and drink products online. The requirements are designed to protect consumers who may be allergic or have an intolerance to specific ingredients by ensuring that they are fully aware of any potential risks associated with their purchases. Guidelines set by The Food and Standards Agency in the UK (FSA) state that the following allergen groups must be declared by law: Celery Cereals containing gluten Crustaceans Eggs Fish Lupin Milk Molluscs Mustard… Read more »

eBay Opens UK Marketplace to Approved CBD Sellers

eBay has reversed its global ban on selling CBD (Cannabidiol) products on the UK marketplace for approved sellers. The growing CBD market in the UK was worth a staggering £690million in 2021, with demand for CBD products soaring during the lockdown. The UK is now the second-largest global market for CBD products, and eBay clearly sees an opportunity in the highly regulated industry. Approved business sellers only Sellers will need to apply to sell CBD products. To sell in the gated CBD category, retailers must be registered business sellers on eBay and comply with UK laws and the marketplace’s rules and policies relating to cosmetics, food, and illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia. The CBD category is not currently available to… Read more »

Amazon Allows US Brands to Target Customers with Themed Email Campaigns

Amazon has long prohibited its sellers from sending promotional email campaigns to their customers acquired on the marketplace. However, according to a recent announcement, that stance is now shifting for a select group of sellers. US sellers that are part of Amazon’s Brand Registry program are now able to send themed promotional email campaigns to customers who have opted to “follow” their brands. Permitted campaign strategies include notifications about new products or promotions. Manage your customer engagement Email campaigns are managed using Amazon’s “Manage Your Customer Engagement” tool which is designed to increase repeat business and help brands build a more robust following on the Amazon platform. Amazon explains: “The Customer Engagement tool empowers brand owners registered in Brand Registry to engage… Read more »

Celebrating a BIG Week of eCommerce Design at Frooition

We’ve had a BIG week at Frooition. Not only were we recognised by BigCommerce as a top-performing agency partner for our “extraordinary and innovative” work. We also launched three new eCommerce sites for our clients within just a matter of days of each other. The first nomination came in the EMEA Best B2B Solution Award. Finalists in this category were recognised for having a proven background in B2B problem solving, driving efficiencies and utilising B2B-centric product features like Price lists, customer groups and the organisation of an abundant amount of SKUs. If you visited us at the recent Spring Fair event in Birmingham, you’d know the world of B2B eCommerce is a particularly exciting proposition for the Frooition team. Because… Read more »