Guide to Selling On Buya.com Learn the Buya best practices so that your business can increase its bottom line with your omnichannel selling efforts..
If I knew everything I know now about Buya and Bravo, I would have been able to turn items faster by utilizing the ecommerce features. With Buya, everything is easy, seamless, and done at the click of a button. Tom Stout, GNT Jewelry and Loan Introduction Getting Started Listing Inventory Taking Good Photos Web Order Fulfillment Customer Satisfaction Marketing Your Buya Store Conclusion 3 4-5 6 7 8-9 10-11 12 13 2
With growing competition and an evolving economy, it has become increasingly important for pawnbrokers to implement an omnichannel strategy for their inventory. Buya was developed to not only provide an online marketplace exclusive to pawnbrokers, but also to allow Bravo s Pawn Platform users to seamlessly post their inventory online with just a few clicks. The best part? Bravo s integration with Buya allows you to keep your inventory on the shelves while posting online with real-time alerts once an item sells. By having your product for sale across multiple channels you are broadening your market, adding to your bottom line, and allowing yourself to essentially sell in your sleep. By following the tips outlined in this guide, you will set yourself up for ultimate success on Buya and can position yourself to be among the top sellers who ve cut down on employment costs, move their inventory faster, and add to their bottom line. 3
Getting Started on Buya So you ve decided to start listing your inventory online Congratulations! With Buya, it doesn t cost a dime to list your inventory online and your products will now be exposed to a whole new marketplace, both locally and nationwide. There are a few steps you must take before a Bravo Support Agent is able to make your Buya store live: 1. Create your Buya.com Store Profile in Bravo In Bravo s System Configuration, you will find a tab labeled Web. It is important to fill out all the information here very thoroughly as this will populate your Buya Store Profile. This includes providing your website, social media links, and photos of your store. Also, you can select which categories you would like to have automatically posted online from Bravo. 2. Setup your PayPal Business Account If you don t already have an existing PayPal Business Account, you will need to set one up now. We have a PDF available to walk you through this as you will also have to give the Buya shopping cart permission under the API Access of your PayPal settings. 3. Update Info in Web Sales Configuration In System Configuration, under WEB SALES CONFIG you will need to enter your PayPal account email address, your preferred web return period, and your shipping promise. Continued on Next Page >> 4
Getting Started on Buya 4. Make Sure Your Inventory is Ready to List For the categories you selected to be listed automatically on Buya, you will want to make sure that the metadata questions are complete and accurate and that you have good quality photos representing the items. The information in Bravo is used to generate your Buya listings and posting incomplete or inaccurate listings on Buya is grounds for suspension. 5. Contact a Bravo Support Agent Now that you are ready to go live, contact a Bravo support agent so they can turn you on, verify everything is ready to go, and provide you training for ultimate success. At the end of 2015, there were over 180 stores selling on the Buya marketplace and the number continues to grow. Among online shoppers Buya s popularity has also soared, jumping over 10,000 spots in the Alexa U.S. ranking. By listing your inventory on Buya you will also get to take advantage of FREE Adwords marketing across Google, Yahoo, and Bing, driving additional traffic to your product listings. Take advantage of everything Buya has to offer and start adding revenue to your bottom line! 5
Listing Inventory on Buya Now that you are all setup for Buya, let s break down the components that go into a successful online listing: 1. Make Sure to Fill Out Metadata Questions. Complete and accurate metadata questions are crucial in generating a solid Buya listing since that information fills out the condition and details section on Buya. 2. Take Photos of Inventory Before Posting. Photos can make or break an online listing, no matter the platform you are posting on. See the next page for photo taking tips. 3. Fill out Pricing Information in the Item Detail Screen. You can differentiate your pricing for in store and online, with an additional option to place On Sale. The On Sale option is very useful in making your items stand out on Buya. 4. Determine Shipping Options. In the same screen, you will be able to choose between Free or Flat Rate Shipping. Also, you can adjust the Flat Rate Amount to reflect your estimated shipping costs. 5. Type Additional Info in Web Notes. This big empty box is completely editable and a place where you can personalize your listings or write any additional information that would be necessary for an online shopper to know. 6
Taking Good Photos We have found that the cause of most Buya customer dissatisfaction comes from poor quality product photos. If you put yourself in the shoes of the online shopper, you will realize how important an accurate and high quality picture is to the purchase decision. Here are some tips that will greatly improve your listings, the odds of someone buying your item, and overall Buya customer satisfaction: 1. Do NOT Use Stock Images. By using a stock image, you are falsely representing the product you are selling. A customer may perceive that the item they are receiving is brand new and will be surprised and unhappy when they receive it out of its original packaging. 2. The More the Merrier. Bravo allows you to take up to 12 pictures, so why not use it? Take pictures highlighting different angles of the product and any cosmetic flaws so there are NO surprises when the customer receives the item. 3. Presentation is Key. Ideally, you should have a photo staging area with a solid colored backdrop, good lighting, and a tripod/camera to take high quality photos. Be sure to clean the item well so you show the product in its most appealing state. 4. Use the Bravo Mobile App. Place the app onto a smartphone to make taking and updating product photos quick and simple. Scan the barcode in the app and then take up to 12 pictures that will automatically update inside of Bravo. 7
Web Order Fulfillment One of the trickiest parts about fully implementing ecommerce selling comes when it s time to fulfill the order. Determining adequate shipping amounts, picking a shipping carrier, packaging the product, and sending it to the customer expediently can be overwhelming, especially for small operations. Luckily, Bravo makes this all simple for you and can scale down these tasks from hours to minutes. The following are tips on how to use Bravo to optimize your web order fulfillment: 1. Estimate Shipping When Pricing Item. Take shipping amounts into account when pricing the item before placing it online. If you aren t sure about the shipping amount for a particular item, check your shipping carrier s website to get an estimate. Consider including the shipping amount into the web price so you can say Free Shipping (which is very enticing to online shoppers) but yet, not have to pay out of pocket for it. 2. Accept Web Offers Quickly. Immediacy is key to the online shopper, so be sure to accept/counter web offers as soon as possible. Download the Bravo Mobile App where you can negotiate from your smartphone, ensuring that all online customers are responded to quickly. 3. Process Sale and Ship Immediately. Once you ve come to an agreed price with the customer and accept their offer, process it through Bravo immediately and proceed to pack it up and ship it out. The faster an online customer receives their package, the higher their overall satisfaction will be. 4. Packing Tips Take care to pack the items so they don t get damaged in shipping. Have packing materials ready and available so you can wrap, pack, and ship. Also, be sure the item is clean, cords are wrapped, packing slips are inside the box, and everything is included before sending it out. Lastly, print your shipping label from your carrier and place it on the box, and include the tracking number in Bravo for your records. Continued on Next Page >> 8
Web Order Fulfillment 5. In-Store Pickup For larger items or ones that just don t make sense to ship, consider using the in-store pickup only option. That way you are still marketing your items online to the local market but not having to worry about high shipping costs or damaging fragile items during shipping. 6. Firearm Transfers Yes, you can sell your guns on Buya! Since you can t process a firearm sale through PayPal, you will have to contact the customer and facilitate the payment through Bravo. Also, you will need to ask where the nearest FFL holder is to them and ship the firearm there, and then the customer can pick the gun up from that location. 7. Communication Throughout the entire transaction, there are many opportunities to communicate with the customer and give a personal touch to your online sales. With open communication you eliminate any unwanted surprises on the customer s end and will give you a chance to deliver excellent customer service, making the customer want to return for more business in the future. 9
Customer Satisfaction We can t stress enough how important it is to process your orders with immediacy and fulfill in a timely manner in order to keep your online customers happy. In this day and age, the typical online consumer expects instant results and interaction, so it is important to manage your ecommerce efforts at least daily, or ideally, in real-time. To guarantee high customer satisfaction, here s some Buya selling etiquette to follow: 1. Don t Be Shy. Open the Lines of Communication. Think of an online sale as a way to cultivate a relationship just like you would with a customer in person. Be personal in your correspondence during and after the transaction. Let them know that you value their business and respond quickly if they reach out to you. 2. Facilitate Returns. If a customer does ask for a return, do it. Buya has a 100% money-back guarantee through PayPal and we want customers to shop in confidence, so don t take a hit to your seller feedback and process the return. If you exhibit great customer service during this process, you might even earn their future business. 3. Keep Seller Feedback High. After every sale, Buya will ask the customer to provide feedback on the transaction/merchant and we take this very seriously. Your store will accumulate a seller feedback rating and your goal should be to keep it at 100%. Do this by being timely with orders, displaying excellent customer service, and making sure you are honest with your postings so the customer is happy with their purchase. 4. Avoid Cancelling Orders. To keep your store in good standing, it is important to honor the orders in Buya, especially if you already accepted their offer. One way to reduce cancellations from duplicate orders is by utilizing the ebay API in Bravo. However, if you are selling manually on multiple online channels, verify that the product hasn t sold elsewhere to avoid double selling. Continued on Next Page >> 10
Customer Satisfaction Sometimes there are customers that are impossible to please no matter how hard you try. If you have documented evidence that you did everything in your power to remedy the situation and yet, a customer still left negative feedback, you can contact a member of the Bravo support team and we d be glad to review the situation to see how we can help. Below is an example of a Buya store that has a 100% feedback and what customers have said about their experience: 11
Marketing Your Buya Store Now that you are selling on Buya and have your inventory out there for everyone to see, make sure to let people know! Having a Buya store is not only great for reaching broader markets, but is also a useful tool for local shoppers to see what new products you have on your shelves. 1. Notify In-Store Customers Even after your in-store transactions, notify customers that they can view your inventory online at Buya.com. For most pawn tickets in Bravo, there is an additional space for advertising that you can customize. Put a QR code or link to your Buya store and let them know they can see their loans on Buya too! 2. Have Button on Website. In the Solution Center, we have banners and buttons that you can download and place on your website. Link that to your Buya store so your website visitors can be directed to your online inventory. 3. Links to/from Social Media. Let s face it, most of your customers are on social media so you should be too. Make sure you cross-promote your inventory on your social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, with the easy sharing buttons located on the product pages on Buya. 12
Conclusion Thanks for reading the Guide to Selling on Buya ebook - we hope the tips provided will guide you in your Buya journey. We are happy to have you as a valued merchant on Buya and please don t hesitate to reach out to the Bravo Support Agents with any questions you have along the way. Your success is very important to us! If you haven t turned your store on to Buya yet, contact us at 888-407-6287 to get started today. 13