Created by Noadi (contact me)
Hi! I'm Sheryl Westleigh, a 25-year-old artist from Maine. I've been selling my sculptures and jewelry designs... (more...)
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Creating a Store on eCrater is Easy and Fun
ECrater is a free webstore service that is easy to set up and charges no fees for standard services. ECrater is easy to learn and is a perfect solution for anyone brand new to selling online.
About eCrater
ECrater is a 100% free online marketplace and a free ecommerce website builder. Sellers get a customizable online store and can list an unlimited number of items which are shown both in their own individual store and in eCrater's marketplace.
ECrater was founded by Dimitri Slavov and first launched on September 27, 2004.
ECrater was founded by Dimitri Slavov and first launched on September 27, 2004.
Introduction
What this lens is for.
This lens is about how to set up your store on eCrater. It can be a little overwhelming at first but it's really simple once you get going.
Remember that easy to use doesn't mean no work. Running a business is a lot of work, you need to be prepared to spend a lot of time on your store.
What this lens isn't about:
I assume that if you are here you have products to sell, if you don't go find some then come back.
I also can't give you any help with the legal and/or tax aspects of running a business in your state or country. You should contact your local government, small business administration, or chamber of commerce.
Remember that easy to use doesn't mean no work. Running a business is a lot of work, you need to be prepared to spend a lot of time on your store.
What this lens isn't about:
I assume that if you are here you have products to sell, if you don't go find some then come back.
I also can't give you any help with the legal and/or tax aspects of running a business in your state or country. You should contact your local government, small business administration, or chamber of commerce.
Get Organized!
Before you start setting up your store gather everything you need together.
1. Create a new folder on your computer somewhere easy to find. Name it eCrater or something similar. Inside this folder create new folders for the following: product descriptions, product photos, texts, banners.
2. Have the products you are planning to add prepared ahead of time.
3. Do some research. Make sure your products are priced competitively.
4. Get good photos. Do not use photos which are out of focus, grainy, or lit badly.
Basic Selling Online Links
- Small Business Planner
- Manage your business from start to finish. Careful planning is fundamental to success. The Small Business Planner includes information and resources that will help you at any stage of the business lifecycle.
- 10-step Tutorial for Starting an Internet Business
- Free online tutorial on starting and managing a successful online business.
- ABC's of Small Business--Small Business Basics & Advice
- ABC's of Small Business offers helpful information on starting up your own business, finding money, marketing your business and even business jokes in a welcoming easy-to-navigate format! We welcome your visit.
Setting Up your eCrater Account
First Steps
Open the eCrater Login page and click on the "Sign Up Now" button.
The following form is easy to fill out but there are some important things to consider.
eCRATER Store ID: This is very important, the ID you choose will be part of your eCrater url in the form of http://storeid.ecrater.com. So take your time and pick an id that you like because if you change your mind eCrater will charge you $10 to change it.
Contact Person, Address, Phone Number, etc: These must be real for eCrater to be able to contact you. I'm also pretty sure most places require you to provide accurate information about your business or it's considered fraud.
Contact Email and Email for Orders: These can (and probably should) be the same. These are the email addresses that eCrater will use to contact you about account details and orders so it should be an email you use on a regular basis not a junk address.
The following form is easy to fill out but there are some important things to consider.
eCRATER Store ID: This is very important, the ID you choose will be part of your eCrater url in the form of http://storeid.ecrater.com. So take your time and pick an id that you like because if you change your mind eCrater will charge you $10 to change it.
Contact Person, Address, Phone Number, etc: These must be real for eCrater to be able to contact you. I'm also pretty sure most places require you to provide accurate information about your business or it's considered fraud.
Contact Email and Email for Orders: These can (and probably should) be the same. These are the email addresses that eCrater will use to contact you about account details and orders so it should be an email you use on a regular basis not a junk address.
Customizing Your Store Appearance
Give it some style.
Pick a Template: Click on the Color Template link in the left menu. Pick the color theme you would like by clicking the little circle under the image and then clicking update.
Upload a Store Image: After you've selected the color template you want click on the image of that template. This will take you to the form to upload your store image.
Your Store Image must be 175x196 pixels.
Upload a banner: Click the link in the menu on the left of the screen that says Upload Logo.
This banner must be 250x68 pixels and should have the name of your store in it.
Upload a Store Image: After you've selected the color template you want click on the image of that template. This will take you to the form to upload your store image.
Your Store Image must be 175x196 pixels.
Upload a banner: Click the link in the menu on the left of the screen that says Upload Logo.
This banner must be 250x68 pixels and should have the name of your store in it.
Banner and Logo Making Links
- How to design an awesome logo
- Learn how to design great looking logos by watching 5 step by step, from start to finish video logo tutorials.
- Professional Banner Tutorial - Best Adobe Photoshop Tutorials On Tutorial Guide
- As a designer, many people may request an awesome, yet professional looking banner for their website. Here is a walkthrough of how I do mine.
- Banner Tutorial for Paint Shop Pro
- This is a banner tutorial on how I made my banner for my homepage in PSP (Paint Shop Pro). I use all sorts of effects found in seperate tutorials, so this is an example of what everything can do also. In this tutorial, you can learn to make cool backgrounds, sigs (signatures), banners, and wallpapers. Learn effects such as transparent lines and shapes, clouds filter in Paint Shop Pro (PSP), and scanlines and grids.
- Cool Text: Logo and Graphics Generator
- Cool Text is a free graphics generator for web pages and anywhere else you need an impressive logo without a lot of design work. Â Simply choose what kind of image you would like. Â Then fill out a form and you'll have your own custom
- Free Logo Design ? Logo Maker
- Free logo maker software. Vector logo design tool
- BannerBreak.com - Free Banner Maker - Free Banners
- BannerBreak is a free banner maker where you can quickly and easily generate free banners. Free banners, Banner Maker, Banner Generator, Free banner, Banner designs, Banners, Banner ads, Banner advertisements, Web banners
- Free Banner Maker | Home
- BannerSketch.com is a 100% free web Banner maker where you can generate free design web banners, headers, avatars and much more without watermarks.
Setting Up Payment Options
Every payment method has it's risks and benefits. None are 100% safe it's one of the risks of running a business that you need to accept and take the appropriate precautions to protect yourself and your business.
To choose what payment options to accept click the Payment Options link in the menu on the left.
Google Checkout: Fairly new option by Google for processing payments, lower processing fees than Paypal but it requires buyers to have a Checkout account which may turn off some customers. Also if you choose this option eCrater will show all other payment options in a separate link to comply with Google terms.
Paypal: The most popular site for paying by credit card or e-check. You need a Business or Premier account for selling online, as a Personal account only allows you to do a small number of transactions per year. The downside to Paypal is higher processing fees and limited seller protection.
Money Order: Money orders are pre-paid payment orders for mailing in. However they are sometimes forged so I would only accept US Postal Orders from a Post Office and should always be cashed at a Post Office (they can more easily spot a fake than a bank).
Cashier's Check: This is a check drawn on a bank and guaranteed by the bank to be payed. Counterfeit cashier's checks are a risk of this method.
Personal Check: This is a check drawn on a customer's personal bank account. The benefit of accepting checks is that most every adult in the US has a checking account. If you accept personal checks I recommend waiting until the check clears with your bank before shipping out an order to make sure it doesn't bounce.
Cash on Delivery: I DO NOT recommend this option. In my opinion if someone can't pay in advance for your product there's something shady about them.
To choose what payment options to accept click the Payment Options link in the menu on the left.
Google Checkout: Fairly new option by Google for processing payments, lower processing fees than Paypal but it requires buyers to have a Checkout account which may turn off some customers. Also if you choose this option eCrater will show all other payment options in a separate link to comply with Google terms.
Paypal: The most popular site for paying by credit card or e-check. You need a Business or Premier account for selling online, as a Personal account only allows you to do a small number of transactions per year. The downside to Paypal is higher processing fees and limited seller protection.
Money Order: Money orders are pre-paid payment orders for mailing in. However they are sometimes forged so I would only accept US Postal Orders from a Post Office and should always be cashed at a Post Office (they can more easily spot a fake than a bank).
Cashier's Check: This is a check drawn on a bank and guaranteed by the bank to be payed. Counterfeit cashier's checks are a risk of this method.
Personal Check: This is a check drawn on a customer's personal bank account. The benefit of accepting checks is that most every adult in the US has a checking account. If you accept personal checks I recommend waiting until the check clears with your bank before shipping out an order to make sure it doesn't bounce.
Cash on Delivery: I DO NOT recommend this option. In my opinion if someone can't pay in advance for your product there's something shady about them.
Resources about Payments
- Google Checkout
- Google Checkout is a fast, convenient checkout process that brings you more customers and allows them to buy from you with a single login
- Paypal
- PayPal lets you send money to anyone with email
- USPS - Domestic Money Orders
- Postal Money Orders are a safe, convenient, and economical alternative to sending cash through the mail. They can be purchased from any Post Office locations in the United States as well as from any rural route carrier, available up to $1,000 each
- Cashier's check - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- A cashier's check (also known as a cashier's cheque, bank check, official check, teller's check, bank draft or treasurer's check) is a check guaranteed by a bank.
- Cashier's Checks May Not Always Be As Good As Cash - Financial Services
- Cashier's Checks May Not Always Be As Good As Cash by Susan N. LeDuc - Financial Services
- Online Fraud - Warning Signs
- Protect your online business by learning the common characteristics of fraudulent orders. Most fraudulent orders have one or more of these warning signs.
- Fraud Signs and Prevention
- The fraud triangle involves opportunity, pressure, and rationalization. Similar to the fire triangle: oxygen, heat, and fuel, all three must be present for a fraud to occur.
- eCRATER.com :: View topic - What is Cash On Delivery
- CASH ON DELIVERY is a specific term and I believe UPS is the only company that still does it.
The Shipping Matrix
How to make it work.
The Shipping Matrix is a way to set up a shipping scale. For example if you set products weighing 1 pound ship for $2 and 2 pounds ships for $3 and a customer buys two 1 pound items they pay $3 shipping.
Many people find this system confusing because it doesn't allow you to charge the exact amount it costs to ship. I find it to be the exact opposite, I have shipping based on the average cost of shipping for each weight plus an estimate of packaging cost. Some orders will go over the actual shipping and packaging costs, some come in under, but it evens out.
Step 1: Select a weight scale, the available weight scales for eCrater are:
Small - 1 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 16+
Medium - 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 90+
Large - 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 900+
Jumbo - 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000 9,000 9,000+
Step 3: Select Shipping Zones. All eCrater stores must ship to mainland US, but if you ship to Hawaii, Alaska, and other countries select those in this area.
Step 3: Fill in the Shipping Matrix. Insert the shipping price you would like to charge for each weight, except for the last entry which is the amount you would like to charge for each increment over the max weight. In the example it's an extra $2.25 per 2lbs over 16lbs.
Many people find this system confusing because it doesn't allow you to charge the exact amount it costs to ship. I find it to be the exact opposite, I have shipping based on the average cost of shipping for each weight plus an estimate of packaging cost. Some orders will go over the actual shipping and packaging costs, some come in under, but it evens out.
Step 1: Select a weight scale, the available weight scales for eCrater are:
Small - 1 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 16+
Medium - 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 90+
Large - 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 900+
Jumbo - 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000 9,000 9,000+
Step 3: Select Shipping Zones. All eCrater stores must ship to mainland US, but if you ship to Hawaii, Alaska, and other countries select those in this area.
Step 3: Fill in the Shipping Matrix. Insert the shipping price you would like to charge for each weight, except for the last entry which is the amount you would like to charge for each increment over the max weight. In the example it's an extra $2.25 per 2lbs over 16lbs.
Category Tip
Make it easy for your customers to view all your items by creating a root category for them. Create all your product categories as subcategories of this root.
Adding Categories
And Sub-Categories!
Adding New Categories:
You can add unlimited categories and subcategories.
Warning, do not delete categories without first moving the products in them or they will be deleted as well.
You can add unlimited categories and subcategories.
Warning, do not delete categories without first moving the products in them or they will be deleted as well.
Product Tip
I save copies of all my product descriptions as text files. This saves time for similar items such as those which are the same except for size or color, the descriptions can be copied and pasted from the text file.
Adding Products
Adding a New Product:
Click the Products link in the left menu. At the bottom of the page click Add New Product. The Following form will come up.
Editing your Products:
You can add up to 10 images to each product listing. Click the camera icon to start adding more images.
Click the Products link in the left menu. At the bottom of the page click Add New Product. The Following form will come up.
Editing your Products:
You can add up to 10 images to each product listing. Click the camera icon to start adding more images.
Product Description Help
- Writing Descriptions that Sell Product
- How can you increase your sales? Well, how do you describe your merchandise? It's a fact that on-line merchandise with a good description has a better chance of being found and sold, than merchandise with a bad description. This is a basic tutorial on how to write descriptions that will (hopefully) help you improve your on-line sales.
- How to Write a Product Description on eHow
- How to Write a Product Description. A well-written product description must be appealing and informative. Follow these steps to create prose that will attract buyers to your product and service.. Business > Marketing & PR > Ma...
- Why you should really write better product descriptions
- Generic product descriptions can harm you search engine position and at worst can send your pages into the supplemental results. Can you afford not to rewrite you products content?
- Google Keyword Tool
- Help pick keywords related to your product.
Miscellaneous Tips
Google Attributes:
ECrater submits all products to Google Shopping automatically, adding Google attributes helps customers searching Google Shopping find your products. Enter them in your product description in this format:
[!attr-name:attr-value!]
Click here for a full list of attributes supported by eCrater.
US Sales Tax:
If you are licensed in your state to charge sales tax add that in this area. For more information on sales tax and whether you need to collect it contact your local state government or chamber of commerce.
ECrater submits all products to Google Shopping automatically, adding Google attributes helps customers searching Google Shopping find your products. Enter them in your product description in this format:
[!attr-name:attr-value!]
Click here for a full list of attributes supported by eCrater.
US Sales Tax:
If you are licensed in your state to charge sales tax add that in this area. For more information on sales tax and whether you need to collect it contact your local state government or chamber of commerce.
eCrater Resources
- Free Online Marketplace & Free Ecommerce Website Builder - get a Free Online Store at eCRATER.com
- What is eCrater.com? eCrater.com is both a free web store builder and a free online marketplace. Sellers can easily create their own free online store in minutes. Buyers can easily browse and compare between thousands of products.
- eCRATER.com :: View Forum - FAQs and Solutions
- FAQs and Solutions for eCrater
- eCrater Community Forums
- Helpful and friendly forums. Share ideas and help with other eCrater users.
- 10 Tips when Using eCrater.com - Associated Content
- 10 tips to help you improve your eCrater store and give your customers a better shopping experience.
- Selling on the Moon, the eCRATER eXPERIENCE
- PDF booklet about selling on ecrater. Great read with lots of tips. Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.
- Tired of Ebay? Try Ecrater. Make Money without the Costs!
- Why Ecrater? With the sudden changes over at Ebay, many sellers are looking for a viable alternative. I believe that alternative is Ecrater. Ecrater is fast and an easy setup and go. It can take you only a couple of hours to set up a store. Ebay has gotten so costly, for many of the smaller sellers.
- Shop Blossom
- Helping small online merchants network and grow their business.
- The Best Stores and Online Selling Sites
- We are excited to be selling online, especially in lieu of the market shift from eBaY as the only game in town. 2BOYSandTOYS and many great sellers have departed from eBaY and ventured out to lower cost or free sites to pass savings along to shoppers. An item selling on eBaY for $10 can most likely
eCrater News from Google
- Should you join the eBay boycott?
- You may check this by looking at the listings increases since February on iOffer.com, eCrater.com an...
- Jenee: An I-can-do-that spirit leads to a creative business
- Now she has online stores called Cutesy Cuppycake (cutesycuppycake.etsy.com and cutesycuppycake.ecra...
- Boycott Fever III: Even More eBay Alternatives
- So we put together a second list that included eBid, eCrater, Ewaey, Google Base Beta, Hoobly, Plund...
- Online Retailers View Multi-Channel Expansion as Key
- I believe the popularity of eCrater among AuctionBytes readers is due to its ability to provide good...
Reader Feedback
Leave your comments and questions here.
If you really like this lens give it some star love.
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AbsolutelyDaisy
THANK YOU Noadi!!! Your lens was my guide when I was setting up my store on eCrater. Great JOB!!! Posted May 18, 2008 |
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FreaksOnBikesVarietyStore
One of the best lenses I have come upon. Great flow, Very informative, Super helpful .... Jeanne Posted May 16, 2008 |
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BookwormBargains
Excellent lens on setting up a eCrater store! Great info I used in creating my own 2 ecrater stores. Great job!! 5 STARS Posted May 12, 2008 |
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funwithtrains
I had not heard of eCrater before -- thanks for all of the good info! 5 stars and a favorite! Posted May 01, 2008 |
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katiyana
For users with a lot of products, I believe Ecrater has a bulk loader that if you can open an Excel file, you can upload your entire catalog at once to save some time. A lens, and I'm lensrolling it to my Ecrater family of lenses. Posted May 01, 2008 |
Online Selling Books
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