Creating, promoting, and completing auctions through third-party sites can have its benefits for sellers. Generally, sellers end up earning more on the items they sell than if they had attempted to sell the item at a fixed price. They also can save time by selling online instead of in a brick and mortar venue and can attract interested bidders from all around the world, instead of just from their small corner of it. However achieving all of those benefits isn't always a simple matter. For that reason, many successful sellers use auction management software to help them run better and more successful auctions on third-party auction sites.
There are a number of types of auction management software generally available and each type is designed to handle specific needs of the seller. For example, ad creation software makes it easier for sellers to design and post their product listings. Because many sellers are not skilled in HTML, they often make mistakes when preparing their ads themselves and those mistakes can cost them money in the auction. Ad creation software streamlines the process and automatically converts the finished ad into HTML for the seller. Another type of auction management software is monitoring software. Monitoring software makes it easier for sellers to track their auctions by checking with the third-party site regularly for updates related to the seller, including new bids, new viewings, and new feedback.
Besides ad creation and monitoring software, there are a number of other programs designed specifically to make the administration of the auction easier, particularly for sellers who are juggling dozens of auctions simultaneously. Most of these types of software have a variety of useful features. One popular feature is the ability to calculate the total-cost of the auction, including fees for posting, shipping and handling, and product value. Normally, trying to track all of these figures and stay on top of the auctions' progress can be quite a challenge, but the software does the work for the sellers to ensure accuracy and efficiency.
Another feature of these types of programs are their ability to assist in the final stages of the auction process. Most of the software can generate invoices for customers, which can be sent via email automatically. Also, the software can send out pre-created messages congratulating the winning bidder on his victory and providing payment instructions. Furthermore, many of the programs currently available allow sellers to print out the shipping labels to reduce the chances of human error and to expedite the delivery of the goods.
Auction management software, such as that described above, also provides a number of other benefits for users. With most programs, ads can be posted to the third-party sites with just a few clicks of a button, even if the seller has had little or no previous computer experience. Reports on the progress in current auctions and data regarding recently completed auctions can also be downloaded from the third-party sites using the software and can be exported to spreadsheets or other programs for convenient filing. Also, the software allows sellers to post feedback in bulk. This feature is definitely a plus for sellers who manage dozens of auctions at one time. For example, if the seller has 20 auctions that just closed and has 20 successful transactions with the buyers that would normally mean he had to leave positive feedback 20 separate times. With the software, however, that is not the case. He could create one standard statement and could post it for all 20 buyers at one time in order to save him time and to show his buyers that he appreciates their business.
The bottom line is that casual sellers may not need to worry about sending out bulk feedback or exporting auction data into a spreadsheet, but individuals who use third-party auction sites for business need the extra time-saving features offered by auction management software. Regardless of their level of auction experience, many users will be able to reap the benefits of these programs almost immediately.