Get List'd

While looking for some more RAM for my MacBook, a co-worker of mind stumbled across a great new way for me to search through items for sale on the internet. The website is called TheFind.com and it’s a new service that basically finds what you want on the internet.

“TheFind.com currently searches over 500,000 stores on the Web and finds over 150 million products – that is 5 times larger than most comparison shopping sites. We rank results by the best matches right on the first page, along with the top brands and stores for your search. With one click you can view sale or new items, easily save your favorites in a personalized list called “MyFinds”, or quickly e-mail products to friends.”

Searching for what you want couldn’t be easier. Just type in the item you are looking for, click find, sit back and wait for the searches to populate your screen. If what you start to type is common, a short list of items already used will pop-up allowing you to choose from this list. After you search, you even have the ability to filter your results by price, sale items, and/or new items. The site is still in beta but so far, so good.

I haven’t written about Etsy before here, mostly because what we do is centered around the eBay universe. However, I’ve always really liked Etsy, and think it fills a niche that eBay’s size has made it not viable in – crafts. Etsy’s incredibly dynamic team has built an amazing platform for the buying and selling of handmade goods. They’ve build a great community and I think they’re one of the highlights of eCommerce on the web.

Anyway, they’re off and running on a Version 2 of Etsy, with a new tweak on the look and feel of everything. Check it out below, or go to their blog and see a few more screenshots.

The Current Homepage (version 1):

The New Etsy Homepage (version 2)

BuildV1 is a blog about entrepreneurship, and a lot can be learned there for budding eMerchants. Below are 3 of his 6 ingredients for successful eCommerce:

1. Make it as easy as possible for customers to checkout. Make sure the process is clear and streamlined. Only require the information you need to process an order and don’t force customers to create an account, especially not at the beginning of the checkout process.
2. If you offer special services or promotions, such as free shipping or free return shipping, make sure that customers are aware of these offerings.
3. If products you sell logically require other products or can be complemented with other products, make sure customers are aware of each product’s complementary products.

Read the other 3 at the BuildV1 blog.

eBay has jumped into emerging web technology even further with their launch of eBay MyWorld. Basically, it’s an eBay knockoff of MySpace. More importantly, it’s a serious upgrade for sellers over their current “About Me” page.

After a quick review of the service, I’ve found it pretty easy to use. MyWorld links in well with individuals current profile, listed items, reviews and eBay blogs. What I’d like to see them do is open it up even further and allow people to create links out to their own personal blogs and stores.

If you are a consistent seller on eBay, it would probably be worth trying MyWord out. Test it out and see if you are able to create a network of other sellers and buyers who are interested what you do.