10 Bob Shop tools all sellers should know about

10 Bob Shop tools all sellers should know about

If you are serious about selling on Bob Shop it is strongly recommended to familiarise yourself with the tools provided for sellers on Bob Shop listed below.

1. Bulk load listing tool

If you regularly relist the same items then you will want to take the time to figure out how to use this bulk load tool. It may take you a little while to figure out how to use it the first time but once you have it figured out, it will save you plenty of time in the long run. 

2. Bulk upload images

Instead of uploading new images one by one. Combine them in one zip file and upload them all at once using the image bulk upload tool.

3. Quick multiple item relisting using the pick list

If you prefer using the web interface to relist your items and do not need to change much in a listing then this is the tool to use. Go to your listings in the my account sellers section and select the “Add to Pick list” option under actions on the right hand column for all the items you want to relist. View your pick list selections and adjust the settings as required that will apply to all the items you are about to relist. Submit the items to be relisted.

4. Create CSV file for bulk loading using the pick list

Instead of manually creating the CSV file for relisting items using the bulk load tool, it can be easier to generate this CSV file using the pick list. Once items have been added to your pick list select the items you would like in the CSV file and click on the “Generate Bulkload CSV” button.

5. Prompts

Probably one of the most underutilised pieces of functionality in the Bob Shop system, prompts can be used for up selling additional items on an order or for collecting additional information from buyers for their order e.g. shirt colour and size.

6. bobPay-EFT and -Credit card

bobPay allows your buyers to pay online and receipt of your funds to be confirmed automatically and in near real time. This is saves you the hassle of trying to manually reconcile payments and also removes the inter banks delays present when paying between different banks. Because bobPay is tightly integrated with the Bob Shop system, it allows for better tools for after sales management.

7. Boost

Boost gives your listing greater visibility across the Bob Shop home page, category pages and search results. Choose from three tiers (Basic, Plus, or Premium) and pay per listing or per sale.

8. Automate shipping charge calculations

Configuring your shipping charges at first can be somewhat overwhelming and may require one or two minor compromises in how you ideally would like to manage your shipping, however once set up you will wonder why you did not do it sooner. This will save you a lot of time back and forth as well as potential disputes with buyers on shipping charges. It also significantly reduces potential mistakes from buyers. Once set up, the Bob Shop system will automatically calculate the shipping for buyers when they complete an order from you.

9. Product feeds

If you have an online store or another means to electronically generate an xml file with a list of all your products you can set this up using a product feed to automatically list your products on the Bob Shop web site.

10. XML sales feed

If you would like to integrate your sales on Bob Shop with a 3rd party system such as an online store or another sales / accounting system you can get an xml feed of your successful orders on Bob Shop. Contact hello@bobshop.co.za to request access to this functionality.

Bonus: New after-sales management tools

Bob Shop is currently prototyping tools to assist sellers in managing their sales. The intention is for these to be an all-in-one suite of tools so sellers do not need any other software to manage their Bob Shop sales. These tools will allow sellers to group their orders into their own seller defined statuses, add tracking numbers and notes to buyers and filter their orders based on various criteria.