Targeting Tips for Quality Website Traffic

Posted on October 8, 2025October 27, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

More Isn't Always Better: Targeting Tips for Quality Website Traffic

Why reaching fewer people can deliver stronger campaign results, gain quality website traffic, and bring in better bidders.

When it comes to paid advertising, it can be easy to get stuck in the mindset that bigger is always better. But, contrary to popular belief: it’s not. After launching a campaign, it’s hard to not get excited when thinking about the surge of new website visitors and traffic that the campaign is sure to bring in. However, it’s important to manage expectations and realize that while hundreds or even thousands of new website visitors may seem like a great thing at first, it’s not always what it seems.

Would you rather get 100 users on your website that don’t bid on anything, or 20 users who bid in your auctions with a few who even end up becoming winning bidders? That’s right – you’d choose the 20 over the 100. This is something to keep in mind when it comes to choosing audience targeting and website traffic results for digital marketing efforts.

Read on to learn why a smaller audience and less website traffic may be more ideal in the long run.

Audience Targeting

Before your auction marketing paid ad campaign is published out into the world, it’s important to consider your target audience and who you want to see your ads. It may be tempting to want to run your campaign with the widest reach possible and have your ads shown to as many people with as many different interests as possible, but that won’t get you the results you desire.

For example: when running a campaign for an antique auction, it wouldn’t be wise to target people who are looking to buy farm and construction equipment. Instead, it would be smarter to target people who like and want to buy antiques and collectibles. Even though the targeting options for antiques and collectibles may be smaller, the audience seeing the ads will be more receptive to them and have a higher chance of clicking on the ads, going to the website, and bidding in your auction!

Location Targeting

The same thing goes when it comes to choosing location targeting. If your antique auction is in Tennessee, and you don’t offer shipping, it’s a smart idea to keep the targeting more local to Tennessee, instead of targeting the whole United States. People in California are not going to be interested in buying items from a company in Tennessee that doesn’t offer shipping. While the number of people available to target in Tennessee is smaller, the audience seeing the ads would be more local and therefore more likely to bid on items and make the drive to pick them up if they win.

On the other hand, if you do offer national shipping and want to target a broader audience, that could work. Just make sure to refine your target audience based on interests as well to still have your ads seen by only the most relevant people.

If you are interested in slowly expanding your location targeting to be larger after running a few successful campaigns, always start local, test and monitor performance, then expand as budget and logistics allow. Remember, running a campaign over a larger geographic area also requires a larger ad spend budget, to adequately saturate the available audience. A $500 ad spend budget concentrated on one state will achieve stronger results and saturate the intended audience better than the same budget spread across multiple states.

Campaign Results

If you’re showing your ads to as many people as possible, with very loose targeting specifications, your campaign may receive a higher amount of reach and impression results, but those aren’t the best things to base the success of your campaign on. Just because more people see an ad, it doesn’t mean more of them are going to want to click on it. Getting an Impression means that someone simply saw your ad on their screen. If the ad isn’t relevant to them, they are going to keep scrolling past it and not take any further action to click to your site.

A better indication of increased website traffic is either link clicks or landing pages views. Both of those campaign stats will give a more accurate reflection of how your campaign is performing and how many users are really clicking your ad to get to your website and auctions. While seeing hundreds and thousands of impressions might feel good, it’s link clicks and landing page views that will really bring bidders to your site. While link clicks and landing page views are more costly than impressions, they hold more value and bring more quality traffic to your website.

Ultimately, it’s up to you to determine what audience and geographical area that you want to target for your ad campaigns and what website traffic is beneficial to you. It’s okay to start slow and not have the biggest audience or amount of website traffic right away. The key is to focus on a target audience that is genuinely interested and likely to engage with the ads, as well as the kind of users you really want on your website and bidding in your auctions.

If you stay consistent in your campaigns and marketing efforts, both your audiences and website traffic will grow with quality users who keep coming back!

Need help getting started? Our marketing team is waiting and ready to help! Sign up today to start implementing effective auction marketing campaigns and bringing quality traffic and bidders to your auctions!

5 Tips & Tricks for Optimizing Online Auctions

Posted on August 22, 2025September 19, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

5 Tips for Enhancing Your Online Auctions

Standing out to bidders in a competitive auction industry filled with other online auctions and online auction companies means more than just listing items with hastily taken pictures and a few sentences and calling it good. You’ll need to optimize your auctions to appeal to both humans and search engines if you wish to have your auctions rank on the first page of Google’s search results. Read on to learn about 5 ways to enhance and optimize your online auctions!

1. Promote your auctions by showcasing what they offer and giving potential participants a chance to engage. Share details through posts, emails, and your website to ensure interested buyers stay informed and ready to participate. Effective promotion increases visibility and boosts engagement.

2. Keyword optimization – Using the right keywords helps your auction listings rank higher in search results. Focus on long-tail keywords like “vintage Rolex auction” or “rare Pokemon cards bid” to attract serious buyers. Incorporate product-specific keywords in titles and descriptions, such as “authentic Louis Vuitton handbag auction” instead of just “designer bag.” If targeting a specific area, local SEO can help, using phrases like “estate auctions in New York to attract regional bidders.

3. Clear, high quality content for each lot – Clear and detailed listing improves both user experience and SEO. Use unique, keyword rich descriptions that include specifications, brand details, and conditions. SEO-friendly titles should be descriptive, such as “19th Century Chinese Porcelain Vase Auction” instead of just “antique vase”. Engaging meta descriptions should summarize the auction and encourage clicks, like “Bid now on this rare hand painted porcelain vase – auction ends soon!”

4. Optimize your website for mobile users, as more people browse on their phones than on computers. Ensure your site is responsive or consider developing an app to provide a seamless experience for users on the go.

(click here to learn more about our mobile bidding app)

5. User engagement and retention – Search engines reward sites with high engagement and interaction. User reviews and ratings build trust and provide fresh content. A helpful FAQ section can attract informational searches, improving SEO. Countdown timers create urgency, keeping users engaged and increasing time spent on the site.

Optimizing online auctions in 2025 means more than just listing products—it’s about creating a user-friendly, SEO-focused, and engaging experience. By promoting effectively, using smart keywords, writing clear content, optimizing for mobile, and encouraging user interaction, you’ll attract more bidders and drive higher participation in your auctions.

Need some help getting with optimizing your online auctions? We can help!

How CRM Software Can Streamline, Scale, and Supercharge Your Business

Posted on July 24, 2025July 24, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

What is CRM?

CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management and is a software system that was built to improve business communication, collaboration, and customer relationships. CRM software can benefit your business in many ways by helping to improve processes that tend to be timely, unorganized, and unpredictable. It allows you to have new insight into opportunities, and what your customers are up to when purchasing, viewing your page, and if they have any issues or questions. Implementing this system can also help you anticipate customer needs, develop a successful marketing strategy, and even gain new leads just to name a few.

How can Customer Relationship Management Software help you?

Customer Service

Communication is one of the most important things in all kinds of relationships, so when businesses have simple and easy ways to communicate, you view them better. It has the effect that the business is willing to help with whatever you may need. CRM gives you the opportunity to have simple ways to communicate by having all your information in one place. This great organization can allow businesses to solve issues quickly, anticipate needs and, track changes.

Analytics

When you can see how people interact with your business and your marketing techniques, you get a better understanding of what people are drawn too, and what they don’t typically engage with. This will assist you in creating different strategies, so you can see what works better for your business.

Marketing

CRM helps you understand where you are getting your business from, and what marketing tactics seem to bring in more customers. This will also help you cut out strategies that don’t seem to be working, which will end up helping you save money. By getting a better look at these insights, you can cater more specifically to your clients, and practice what receives the most attention and sales.

Sales

Organization through CRM really benefits the sales process, since you have everything all in one location. Salespeople can map out exactly what’s going on with a customer, when to market to them, when to provide them with more information, and how to best aid customers. Considering you can see their information; you are able to reach out to leads in an efficient and timely way.

Types of Customer Relationship Management Software

Collaborative

Collaborative CRM enables all service professionals to access the same customer information. You can see previous and future services, sale dates, any questions or complications the customer has had, and how those have been answered or handled. This grants everyone the same power of problem-solving. You will have all the information right in front of you, organized so you are able to provide quality customer service.

Operational

Positioned more around benefiting the sales and marketing departments, operational CRM creates a personal experience for the customer. It lets you store, manage, and keep track of interactions with a customer, making it easier for everyone on the team to be great assistance. Sales and marketing can identify and reach out to more potential customers mindfully, which can help save money in the long run, knowing where and how to spend your money. Operational CRM works to improve customer communications, support, and approach.

Analytical

This is a perfect system for being able to predict the needs of your customers. By keeping track of your customers’ interactions, what they respond well to, what they seem to be uninterested in, and applying that to your new strategies, you will be able to effectively meet their needs. This system revolves around gaining insights and understanding about customers based on the analytics that are important for creating brand loyalty and promoting future sales.

CRM Recommendations

Hubspot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, and Monday (AI-Powered)

These are the most used CRM’s across the world for bringing your team together as one. With the ability to integrate a website builder, communication systems, and stay up to date on all leads. These CRM’s allow insights that are very helpful to marketing teams to read the patterns of clients’ choices. Categorizing lost leads and placing them into email nurturing to lure them back. Your team can then understand customers’ reactions when face-to-face communication is a rarity.

Conclusion

Using CRM your business can grow in a way that benefits both your business and the customer. You can make positive changes and cater the system around the needs of your business. CRM can really help to make improvements and make sure that you aren’t wasting valuable time or money, doing something that isn’t benefitting you and your team.

Interested in Implementing a Marketing Strategy for your Auctions? We can help you out!

Cybersecurity: Website and Client Protection

Posted on June 17, 2025September 30, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

Why Cybersecurity Matters More Than Ever

Cybersecurity and hosting might not seem like the most exciting topics, but ignoring them is risky in today’s digital world. Hosting services create the digital foundation that supports your website, storing and managing all your data.

Everything from your daily operations to your clients’ personal information relies on secure hosting. Without high-level cybersecurity, that data is exposed to threats. Every purchase a client makes comes with the unspoken expectation that their information is safe.

Cybercrime is no longer just a threat to large corporations. Hackers now target any business with weak security. The cost of cybercrime has become a trillion-dollar issue worldwide.

Yes, investing in cybersecurity may seem expensive. But the cost of a data breach can be far greater. Financial loss, reputational damage, and loss of customer trust are all on the line.

At Auctioneer Software, we prioritize your auctions and customers’ security. We invest heavily to ensure every bid and transaction is protected. It's a smart, efficient cost that saves businesses from the chaos of data breaches.

"Cybersecurity Ventures expects global cybercrime costs to grow by 15 percent per year over the next five years, reaching $10.5 trillion USD annually by 2025, up from $3 trillion USD in 2015."

The Most Common Cyber Attacks in 2025

Phishing attacks remain the most common and dangerous form of cyber attack. These usually come through emails or texts that impersonate trusted businesses. The goal is to steal information like passwords or install malware through harmful links or attachments.

In today’s fast-paced digital world, these scams work because people often act quickly. Hackers may copy a real professional’s email and change just one letter. For example, turning "Johndoe@mail.com" into "Johndo@mail.com" to trick contacts into giving up payment info.

Once a hacker gains trust, they can do serious damage—both to a business’s finances and its reputation. Since phishing emails can be sent in endless numbers, the risk is constant. Just one mistake from a client or employee can lead to a major breach.

"3.4 billion phishing emails are sent daily according to AAG IT Services"

How to Protect Your Website and Customer Data

Start with the basics: use strong, unique passwords that avoid personal details. Update these passwords regularly to stay ahead of potential leaks.

Enable two-factor authentication. This adds a second layer of security by requiring a code sent to your phone or email when logging in.

Think of your hosting service as your house. It keeps everything online and running smoothly. Cybersecurity is like the lock on that house, preventing break-ins and protecting your assets.

Secure servers and data encryption are key. Encryption turns your data into unreadable code that only your business can unlock.

Even with these protections, no system is completely safe. Always back up your website in case of an attack. Review all emails carefully and avoid opening links or files from unknown senders.

Cybersecurity Tips

1. Train Employees and Security Policies
Train your staff on core cybersecurity practices, including recognizing suspicious emails, using strong, regularly updated passwords that avoid personal information, and enabling two-factor authentication for added protection.

2. Systems and Software Secure
Antivirus software is essential for detecting and removing malicious malware that may already be on your devices. To enhance protection, firewalls should also be implemented for both on-site and remote employees, helping to block unauthorized access before threats reach your systems—lightening the load on your antivirus defenses.

3. Manage Data Access, Backups & Payment Security
Limit employee access to only necessary systems, backup critical data weekly (preferably automatically), and isolate payment systems while using trusted anti-fraud tools.

Cybersecurity Solutions for Small to Large Businesses

Large companies often act quickly to invest in top-tier cybersecurity. Smaller, family-owned businesses may delay due to cost concerns, making them easy targets for hackers.

Regardless of your business size, cybersecurity should not be ignored. Whether you manage it yourself or partner with a company like Auctioneer Software, taking action is essential.

Solo business owners may benefit from host-based security, which protects individual devices. If you manage a team, network-based security is a better fit, securing multiple devices across your system.

If your business runs online auctions, cybersecurity must be a top priority. Partner with a provider that focuses on robust hosting and digital protection. It’s a vital investment in your long-term success.

"For small businesses, cybersecurity budgets typically range from $10,000 - $100,000 annually. Mid-sized companies may spend $100,000 - $500,000, while enterprise organizations often invest millions. According to industry benchmarks, organizations should allocate around 7-10% of their IT budget to cybersecurity." (Framework Security, 2025)

Auctioneer Software Services

Auction Website Hosting

Auction Development

Auction Website Design

Primary Cybersecurity Sources

https://cybersecurityventures.com/
https://www.cisa.gov/
https://thehackernews.com/

Use Google Search Console to Improve SEO

Posted on April 7, 2025April 28, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

Google Search Console and other Google tools are great to use for monitoring SEO and keeping track of users, their intent, and how to best solve user’s queries. Handling SEO can seem like a daunting task but when you break it down into pieces like this and use beneficial tools, it makes the process more manageable. These tools are valuable and can help with figuring out what kind of content users are interested in, which makes creating content and answering questions a whole lot easier. Keep reading to find out all the great ways Google Search Console can help with SEO.

What is Google Search Console?

Google Search Console is a fantastic free tool that can help oversee a website’s search performance and SEO health. Getting data straight from Google can help improve search rankings as well as user experience. Using GSC to troubleshoot performance issues so that sites can become more search-engine friendly. It is a beneficial tool for Business Owners, SEO specialists and marketers, site administrators, and web developers. Websites have a great opportunity to grow from the use of this tool because you get to see how Google truly views and assesses your site and make improvements accordingly. Google Search Console is different than Google Analytics which is another great free Google tool. Google Analytics has a greater focus on how visitors behave on a site, how they reach your site, what kind of traffic you are receiving and more data points to categorize “who”. Google Search Console tracks the site’s performance how search engines react to the site and content, and what can be done to improve in hopes of a better ranking.

How can we use Google Search Console to Improve SEO?

Find New Content Ideas

Google Search Console is a great tool that can help discover new content to create that would help gain traffic. Taking a look at the top-performing pages and seeing what achieves the most traffic and visibility you can expand on sub-topics, and link to the overarching content so users get all their information in one place. Seeing what pages and content have ranked well and what content users are drawn to make it easy for you to branch off of those topics to boost traffic. By showing content that you can expand on that is already on your page, you can edit, revise, and republish older content to freshen up your page and increase traffic. Another strategy to use is changing the content form, using or adding new pictures, videos, statistics, etc.

Improve Core Web Vitals

Core web vitals are a very important part of SEO, you’re ranking in Google search is impacted greatly by your metrics from core web vitals. The primary focus of core web vitals is to measure the user’s full experience on the website but it also checks interactivity, visual stability, and loading performance. The slower websites are the lower the ranking will be on Google. Another tool that can help with this is PageSpeed Insights, which can assist in double-checking the site’s vitals. Being able to see a report along with suggestions for improvement will help and allow you to make the necessary changes to get back on top of the Google search. Google uses the information they get from experience on the site directly in their algorithm, so then it directly affects SEO score.

Identify a New Keyword Selection

To find new keywords click on the queries report under the performance tab to see what queries have been driving in the most traffic. Make sure to check click-through rate, and average position so it’s easier to target keywords and create content based on the popular queries you already have. It can also help to try focusing on pages that have a lower ranking to try and boost them up. Seeing what category rates the best across the board, if informational topics can bring more clicks, then add more content based around informational text using those new keywords. It’s also possible to use a tool to generate new related keywords or phrases that can be added to an existing article to gain more traffic. It’s also a good idea to create a new article based on these new keywords to gain even more attention. Make sure to take a look at queries that have a higher position to use and edit those along with creating new content.

Find New Back Link Opportunities

By looking at the link reports, and looking under external links you can then look further to “Linking Sites” to create a clearer picture of what pages have the most backlinks. Backlinks provide great opportunities for getting discovered and opening the doors to new users which increases traffic and visibility. When using Google Search Console check the domains that link to the website, it will also show relevant content and after doing some research and finding viable sites, it’s a good idea to reach out to them by email. There’s also an option to open the opportunity directly to see if it’s possible to link to the site or ask if they could put one to the site you’re looking to rank for. Domains are helpful because they prove the information is valuable. After all, the content is linked by other reputable sources shows you have importance.

Compare Mobile vs. Desktop

A lot of times mobile traffic and optimization are overlooked but it is a very important part of SEO to pay attention to, especially since Google uses mobile-first indexing. Most people use their phones for searches rather than desktops, so Google started to rate sites based on mobile versions of the site. This is where Google Search Console comes in handy, take a look at its feature that shows core web vitals to see if there are any errors, and what can be improved for better mobile optimization. It will display the responsiveness, load time, rating of URLs, and more. You can also see your desktop activity and compare the reports to make it more friendly to your users. Using this tool can help to improve mobile and desktop possibilities as well as create an easy-to-navigate and responsive design so it can increase optimization and ranking opportunities.

Conclusion

Google Search Console is a great way to improve SEO and understand what needs to be fixed to improve Google ranking. Having the ability to get a closer look at what your user’s experience is truly like is a big benefit. Make sure to track the different strategies used to see what kind of effect it has. Track the dates on when these changes are applied, Google takes 10-14 days to crawl your pages so after that you can have a clear idea of the effect your changes had. Compare keyword click-through rate, mobile performance, external links, and anything else that had adjustments. Using a timeline and set of dates from before changes occurred and after changes occurred is a great way to gauge change. With Google Search Console fixing problems that occur very quickly while also improving your site is possible. Understanding how a website functions is much easier with Google Search Console which gives clear explanations, and thorough ways to fix what’s wrong.

Want Assistance with your SEO & Marketing Needs?

How to Increase a Websites Authority Score

Posted on November 25, 2024July 29, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

How to Increase a Websites Authority Score

Authority score can be tricky to get a hang of when starting out and depending on what kind of topic and content the website revolves around. If websites have more niche information, something that won’t have a lot of competition, then a higher authority score will be easier to achieve. On the other hand, if there is highly competitive content, take a few extra steps to stand out! Read on to find out the different ways to increase authority score (even if there’s a good amount of competition).

What is an Authority Score?

Authority score was developed by Moz, an SEO company that offers SEO tools and services. Moz has been around since 2004 and helps businesses navigate SEO and content strategies to rank higher on search engines. The authority score is determined by comparing sites with similar content. The higher the authority score ranking, the more valuable the content. The score ranges from 1-100, a higher authority score will also result in a better ranking on SERP(s) meaning the kind of information that is on a site and the kind of content it holds provides valuable information that helps users. Based on other pages and information that comes up with the search can show how well different sites will do compared to each other. Checking the ranking between you and competitors shows the strength of your domain, your authority score doesn’t have to be 100 to be valuable. Check your direct competitors and see how they score, if you have a higher ranking than them, then you have more valuable content. Although this isn’t a metric that can directly help your SERP ranking, domain authority is supposed to help understand the quality of your content versus competitors. This practice is not used by Google, but it is still very helpful and will assist in other parts of a site’s improvements. SEMRush, Moz, and Ahrefs (businesses that offer SEO tools, and assistance) use this metric to evaluate your content quality, while also offering tools to help. With extra assistance, checking out what improvements can and should be made and how to follow through with the necessary steps is an easier job.

How to Increase Authority Score

Adding High-Quality Backlinks

Backlinks are really important and can offer more value to a site, but also remember quality over quantity for this tactic as well. Backlinks are important to Google “90% of websites that don’t get any organic traffic don’t have backlinks.” (Ahrefs) So how does a site attain backlinks? Check the top referral sites which are sites that already link to specific pages. Then it makes it easier to broaden the search and look at their competitors. This may make it easier to get backlinks for their pages since similar content will help expand on certain topics, which will also help user experience. The more a website can refer to quality information the more users are able to learn. Referral traffic will add up and increase engagement and users overtime which can lead to a higher conversion rate as well. This update won’t change an authority score overnight but over time it will add up.

Create Link Worthy Content

Make sure that content is consistently published and create content that will make people want to link to the site. This will also boost linking root domains which boosts domain authority. Having trouble with what kind of content to make? Check past content and see what has been popular and what got the most traffic, and pick something that relates. Revamping and updating older posts/ pages to improve content and add more value to it. Updating content will show that the site is a current and important place to get meaningful information from. This will also make it easier to get natural backlinks which will improve the domain authority as well.

Audit the Site and Remove any Bad Links

Having bad links can result in a negative impact on the site. Having spammy websites attached to a site can bring down the credibility as well as domain authority. It can also unfortunately give a penalty from Google which can also cause damage to the authority score. Make sure to make regular audits weeding out the links that have the potential to bring down your credibility. Always check new links to see if they are healthy and aren’t connected to pages that will give a toxic authority score. There are many different SEO tools that can help to identify bad links so they can be removed as fast as possible.

Improve Page Speed

Page Speed is a really important factor in domain authority and impacts the quality of a site quite a bit. Mobile page speed being just as, if not more important than regular web page speed. Google recognizes and rates mobile performance first, so make sure that it is performing quickly and simply. If a site takes too long to load, or if some aspects on the page take too long, the user will move on and hop to another site. Although updating this feature can be a bit harder to make improvements to, it is a really important strategy that should be fixed. It is something that directly impacts the website’s quality and is a simple result of if someone is going to view your page or choose another.

Improve Internal Links

Keep visitors engaged while linking to other pages on your site, by creating topic clusters this is an achievable goal. Groups of pages that all relate to an overarching title or topic are topic clusters and are a helpful way to let users navigate a website and find out more information. Internal links also make it easier for search engines to crawl the website.

Having too many links could result in over-optimizing a site, which will hurt domain authority and ranking. Too many links on a page will raise some flags with search engines, and make a specific page or even a whole site seem spammy and overwhelming. This will also make it harder to crawl for search engines.

Final Thoughts....

After going through these steps make sure to keep in mind that the authority score will not be improved in a day, it takes time for search engines to notice and make updates. Also, these are steps that need to be continued so keep track of the completed steps and make regular updates so that authority score is always moving forward. Make sure to continue to work at it, and never let the site lie unchanged for too long. Sites should remain fresh and have high quality so that you get more traffic and offer a positive user experience. This is a long-term process you have a lot of moving parts to stay relevant. Having an increase in domain authority will increase ranking and offer a boost to site credibility. Domain authority will also drive in more traffic which can lead to a higher engagement rate on the site.

Want Assistance with Improving Authority Score? We Would be Happy to Help!

Livestock Auction Software: Maximizing Efficiency

Posted on January 29, 2024June 24, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

Livestock Auction Software: Maximizing Efficiency

Taking your livestock auctions online presents a myriad of advantages that revolutionize the traditional livestock trading landscape.

The digital platform introduces unprecedented convenience, allowing sellers to reach a broader audience without geographical constraints. Online auctions facilitate efficient and transparent transactions, providing real-time bidding and pricing information. Utilizing auction software marketing curates an audience near you with similar interests.

This accessibility not only attracts a diverse pool of potential buyers but also ensures fair market value for your livestock. Additionally, the streamlined process eliminates the need for physical presence, saving time and resources.

Embracing online livestock auctions translates into a modern, cost-effective, and secure approach to trading, ultimately maximizing the market potential for your valuable livestock.

Interested in Livestock Auction Software?

Wide Reach and Accessibility

Online auction platforms play a pivotal role in broadening the reach and enhancing accessibility for sellers in the livestock industry. By leveraging a digital platform, sellers can transcend geographical limitations, effectively connecting with a larger and more diverse audience. The process involves listing livestock on the online platform, and providing comprehensive details about the animals. Sellers can set parameters for the auction, including the starting bid and duration. This approach facilitates participation from potential buyers situated anywhere, significantly increasing the chances of finding suitable purchasers for the livestock. The seamless engagement of buyers from various locations contributes to a more expansive and efficient marketplace for livestock transactions.

Detailed Listings in Livestock Auction Software

Creating detailed listings is a crucial aspect of utilizing online auction platforms for livestock transactions. Sellers have the capability to generate comprehensive listings for each animal they are offering, providing essential information such as breed, age, health condition, and any distinctive attributes. This step involves a meticulous process of accurately representing the characteristics of the livestock. Furthermore, sellers can enhance the listings by incorporating high-quality images and videos, offering potential buyers a clear and comprehensive understanding of the livestock’s physical features and overall condition. The combination of detailed textual information and visual content contributes to a transparent and informative representation, aiding buyers in making well-informed decisions during the auction process. This emphasis on detailed listings enhances the overall transparency and trustworthiness of the online livestock marketplace.

Bidding and Price Transparency

The bidding and price transparency aspects of online auction platforms significantly contribute to a dynamic and equitable marketplace for livestock transactions. The bidding feature enables active participation from buyers, fostering a competitive environment that benefits both sellers and buyers. Participants can place bids in real-time, creating a dynamic and engaging auction process. Importantly, the platform provides real-time updates on bidding activities, ensuring complete transparency throughout the auction. This transparency is crucial in maintaining fairness in pricing for both sellers and buyers. By having immediate visibility into the ongoing bidding process, all participants can make informed decisions, leading to a more efficient and trustworthy livestock auction experience. The combination of bidding functionality and real-time updates enhances the overall integrity and competitiveness of the online livestock marketplace.

Secure Transactions

The implementation of secure transactions is a fundamental feature within online auction platforms for livestock. Integrated payment gateways within the auction software play a pivotal role in guaranteeing the security of financial transactions. This entails a seamless and protected process for both sellers and buyers involved in the livestock transactions. Sellers can have confidence in receiving prompt payments through the integrated payment system, streamlining the financial aspect of the transactions. Simultaneously, buyers can trust the platform for handling transactions securely, fostering a sense of reliability and confidence in the online auction process. The integration of secure payment mechanisms enhances the overall integrity of the platform, contributing to a trustworthy and efficient environment for conducting livestock transactions.

Mobile Compatability for Livestock Auction Software

Mobile compatibility is a crucial aspect of an online auction platform, enhancing the overall user experience and accessibility. In today’s fast-paced world, where individuals are constantly on the move, having the ability to participate in auctions through mobile devices is essential. This convenience caters to users who prefer the flexibility of bidding or monitoring auctions while on the go. Whether they are commuting, waiting in line, or simply away from their desktops, mobile compatibility ensures that users can stay engaged with the auction platform at their convenience. It not only broadens the reach of the platform but also aligns with the evolving trends in digital engagement, providing a seamless and efficient auction experience for a diverse user base.

Documentation and Certifications

Documentation and certifications play a pivotal role in fostering transparency and trust within an online auction platform, particularly in the context of sellers. By allowing sellers to upload pertinent documents like veterinary certificates, the platform ensures that crucial information about the items being auctioned is readily available to potential buyers. This not only enhances the credibility of the sellers but also instills confidence in the buyers, knowing that they have access to authentic and verified documentation. The transparent sharing of certifications creates a more informed marketplace where buyers can make educated decisions based on the documented history and condition of the items. Ultimately, this practice not only builds trust between buyers and sellers but also elevates the overall integrity of the online auction environment.

Conclusion

From wide reach and accessibility, detailed listings, and bidding transparency to secure transactions, mobile compatibility, and the significance of documentation and certifications, each element plays a crucial role in shaping a dynamic and trustworthy marketplace. The integration of these features not only caters to the evolving needs of participants but also ensures a transparent, efficient, and competitive environment for livestock transactions. As technology continues to reshape industries, embracing these key components becomes essential for fostering integrity, reliability, and confidence in the online auction process, ultimately enhancing the overall experience for both sellers and buyers in the livestock market.

Social Media Engagement: Nurturing Connections in the Digital Era

Posted on December 27, 2023December 18, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

Social Media Engagement: Connecting With Your Customers

In the ever-evolving landscape of digital connectivity, social media engagement stands as the linchpin for building meaningful relationships between brands and their audience.

From understanding the intricacies of audience preferences through analytics to crafting content that resonates authentically, the journey unfolds with deliberate steps. This blog navigates the nuances of social media engagement, delving into strategies for fostering genuine connections.

Join us on this exploration as we uncover the principles that underpin successful social media engagement and encourage ongoing interactions for the cultivation of enduring digital relationships.

Digital Marketing Solutions for Your Auctions

Understanding Your Audience

Uncovering Insights Through Analytics

In the realm of social media engagement, the first step in truly understanding our audience involves the strategic use of analytics. Analytics tools offer a window into the behavior and preferences of our audience, providing invaluable insights that shape our digital strategy.

By examining metrics such as engagement rates, demographics, and content performance, we gain a nuanced understanding of what resonates with our audience.

For instance, if analytics reveal a surge in engagement during specific times or with particular types of content, this information becomes a guiding force in optimizing our posting schedule and tailoring content accordingly.

Craftsmanship of Tailored Content

Tailoring content is an art that goes beyond generic posts, requiring a deep understanding of our audience’s preferences and desires. This involves the thoughtful curation of content that speaks directly to the unique interests of our followers.

For instance, if analytics highlight a particular affinity for user-generated content or a specific theme, we can strategically incorporate these elements into our content strategy. By aligning our messaging with the aspirations and values of our audience, we create a resonance that transcends the digital screen.

This personalized approach transforms our social media presence into a meaningful dialogue, where followers feel a genuine connection and sense of belonging to a community that understands and appreciates their individuality.

Strategies for Meaningful Engagement

Creating Conversational Content

Fostering Two-Way Communication

In the realm of meaningful engagement, fostering two-way communication is pivotal. This involves going beyond one-sided broadcasts and actively encouraging dialogue with our audience. By posing questions, seeking opinions, and responding to comments, we create a conversational space where followers feel heard and valued.

Encouraging Dialogue Through Thoughtful Posts

Thoughtful posts act as catalysts for meaningful interactions. Crafting content that sparks curiosity, resonates with emotions, or provides valuable insights prompts followers to engage in thoughtful discussions. By infusing our content with substance and relevance, we lay the foundation for interaction.

Leveraging Interactive Features

Polls, Quizzes, and Contests

Interactive features such as polls, quizzes, and contests inject an element of fun and participation into our social media strategy. Polls enable followers to express preferences, quizzes challenge their knowledge, and contests incentivize engagement. By incorporating these features, we transform passive observers into active participants, creating a dynamic and engaging online community.

Increasing Engagement Through Participation

Participation is key to meaningful engagement. By encouraging followers to actively participate in interactive features, we not only boost engagement levels but also foster a sense of community. Whether it’s voting in a poll, taking a quiz, or entering a contest, participation transforms the digital space into an inclusive environment where every voice contributes to the collective conversation.

Responding to Your Audience

Timely responses to comments and messages are the cornerstone of building rapport through genuine interaction. By promptly acknowledging and responding to audience input, we create a dynamic and responsive online environment. This fosters a sense of connection, demonstrating that each interaction is valued and contributes to the ongoing dialogue.

Beyond timeliness, responding with authenticity involves acknowledging feedback in a meaningful way. Whether it’s positive comments, constructive criticism, or suggestions, taking the time to express genuine appreciation demonstrates a commitment to open communication. This not only strengthens the bond with the audience but also showcases a brand’s responsiveness and appreciation for the diverse perspectives and contributions of its followers.

Measuring Success and Adapting Strategies

Evaluating Engagement Metrics

Successful social media engagement hinges on a thorough evaluation of engagement metrics. By scrutinizing key indicators such as likes, shares, comments, and click-through rates, we gain actionable insights into the effectiveness of our content. Understanding which types of content resonate most with our audience allows us to fine-tune our strategy for optimal engagement.

Adapting Strategies Based on Performance

The adaptability of our social media strategy is paramount. Armed with insights from analytics, we can proactively adapt our engagement strategies to align with what works best. This may involve tweaking content themes, adjusting posting schedules, or refining the use of interactive features. The ability to pivot based on performance ensures that our engagement efforts remain dynamic, relevant, and in tune with the evolving preferences of our audience.

Wrapping Up on How To Connect with Your Customers Through Social Media Engagement...

In conclusion, nurturing digital connections through social media engagement revolves around several key principles. From understanding your audience through analytics to creating conversational content and responding with authenticity, the journey is marked by a commitment to building genuine relationships. By tailoring content, leveraging interactive features, and adapting strategies based on performance metrics, we create a dynamic and engaging online community.

As we wrap up, the emphasis shifts to the importance of ongoing engagement for fostering long-term relationships. Encouraging continuous interaction, dialogue, and participation ensures that the digital connection remains vibrant and meaningful. By sustaining a commitment to authentic communication, brands and individuals alike can cultivate enduring relationships that withstand the test of time in the dynamic landscape of social media.

Auction Software Features Explained

Posted on November 27, 2023July 24, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

Simulcast Auction Software Features

Simulcast-style events have become a staple in the auction industry, seamlessly blending the traditional with the digital for a more inclusive bidding experience. While many providers offer simulcast auction software, we’re here to introduce you to a unique perspective—one that places your profits front and center.

In this blog, we’ll explore simulcast auction software features and shed light on what sets us apart: we don’t give your commission away. Unlike conventional approaches, Auctioneer Software is committed to ensuring that every successful bid contributes directly to your bottom line. As we delve into the intricacies of our software, you’ll discover how our user-friendly interfaces, cutting-edge technology, and commitment to transparency redefine the landscape of simulcast auctions.

Join us on a journey to revolutionize the way you approach simulcast auctions, where your profits are as important to us as they are to you. Let’s make every bid count, and every dollar earned stays firmly in your pocket.

Auction Website and Application Development

What is Live Simulcast Auction software?

Simulcast auctions, in essence, allow participants to bid in real time, whether they are physically present at the auction site or joining virtually from anywhere in the world. While this concept has become familiar, our commitment to preserving your hard-earned profits distinguishes us from the rest.

Our simulcast auction software is a seamless blend of cutting-edge technology and a commitment to transparency. The bidding process is intuitive and engaging for participants, whether they are engaging through a web browser or a mobile app. We prioritize user-friendly interfaces that enhance the bidder experience, making it easy for them to participate and compete.

Furthermore, our software provides comprehensive features that go beyond the basics. From real-time bid tracking to robust reporting tools, we empower auctioneers with the insights and tools needed to run a successful simulcast auction. We understand the importance of a smooth and efficient process, and our software is designed to deliver just that.

Choosing Auctioneer Software means choosing a partner dedicated to your success. Experience the difference in simulcast auction software with us—a difference that lies in your ability to retain every dollar you’ve earned. Join us in revolutionizing the auction industry, where commission stays where it belongs – in your pocket.

Multi-Parcel Real Estate Auction Software

Our multi-par real estate auction software enables you to present properties in their entirety as one lot. This option provides a comprehensive approach, simplifying the auction process for both you and your clients. Alternatively, you have the flexibility to auction off individual parcels, allowing for a granular and tailored approach to real estate sales. The true magic happens when you combine these options, offering a unique and customizable auction experience that meets the diverse needs of your clientele.

But that’s not where the benefits end. Our multi-par real estate auction software is designed to maximize your profits by selling real estate for the highest possible dollars, ensuring that more goes into your pocket. Seamlessly integrating with your current website, it becomes an additional service offering for auctioneers, expanding your reach without complicating your online presence.

Tailored specifically for you and your business model, our software sets you apart from the competition with its user-friendly interface for bidders. We understand the importance of standing out in a crowded market, and our easy-to-use platform ensures a positive and engaging experience for bidders, ultimately contributing to the success of your auctions.

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What Makes Us Different

Our dedication to meeting the unique needs of auction companies led us to craft a simulcast auction software that stands out from the crowd. Developed based on the feedback and desires expressed by auctioneers frustrated with existing software limitations, our platform is tailored to fulfill those “I wish it could do this” and “I wish it had this” sentiments.

Unlike other platforms, we believe your success should be yours to keep. That’s why we charge a one-time setup fee along with a monthly payment – no commissions on your profits. We’re in the business of empowering you to run as many auctions as you want without eating into your hard-earned gains. Our ultimate goal is to make you self-sufficient in the administration of the auction process, putting you in control of your success.

Simplicity is key, and our software reflects that philosophy. With a single bidder database, your participants need just one username and registration to engage in all auction types. Your bidders are exclusively yours, avoiding the risk of them being added to a shared pool with your competitors. It’s about giving you the competitive edge.

But we don’t stop at auctions alone. Our comprehensive services extend beyond the standard live and online auction offerings. Imagine having a dedicated Search Engine Optimization and Marketing team at your disposal, ready to elevate your auction site’s visibility on Google and expand your reach through savvy social media marketing. We’re not just a software provider; we’re your partner in maximizing the potential of your auctions. Explore the possibilities with us and witness the difference.

Simulcast Auction Software Features

Online Only, Live, or Simulcast

Whether you’re conducting auctions exclusively online, in-person, or a combination of both, our software adapts to your needs. The flexibility to choose between online-only, live, or simulcast auctions ensures that you have the freedom to cater to diverse bidder preferences.

Combination Bidding

Unlock a new level of flexibility with combination bidding. Our software allows bidders to participate in various ways, whether it’s bidding on individual parcels, the entire property, or any combination of parcels, creating a customized and dynamic auction experience.

Interactive Map

Visualize the auction landscape with our interactive map feature. Displaying individual parcels and their details, the map enhances bidder understanding and engagement, providing a clear overview of the auction inventory.

Low Latency Livestream

Bridge the gap between in-person and online auctions seamlessly. Our low-latency livestream feature ensures that online bidders experience the auction in real-time, creating an immersive and synchronized experience for all participants.

Per Acre & Total Dollar Bidding

Cater to diverse bidding preferences with the ability to bid on a per-acre basis or in total dollars. This feature adds granularity to the bidding process, accommodating the preferences of a wide range of bidders.

Messaging System

Foster communication and engagement with our integrated messaging system. Bidders, auctioneers, and administrators can stay connected throughout the auction, facilitating a streamlined and interactive experience.

Live Bidder Registration and Bidder Approval

Simplify the registration process with live bidder registration, and ensure a secure and controlled environment with bidder approval. Our software puts you in charge, allowing you to manage participant access with ease.

Admin Clerking Screen

Stay in control of the auction with our admin clerking screen. Monitor bids, manage registrations, and oversee the entire process from a centralized and efficient interface

Auctioneer’s Toolkit: Must-Have Software for Running Successful Online Auctions

Posted on October 26, 2023September 22, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

Auctioneer's Toolkit: Must-Have Software for Successful Online Auctions

In the dynamic realm of modern auctions, the role of software has evolved into a linchpin for success.

This article dives into the pivotal role that software plays in contemporary online auctions, shedding light on the tools and technologies that empower auctioneers to conduct seamless and prosperous events.

From user-friendly platforms to sophisticated bidder management systems, each facet of online auction software contributes to creating an immersive and efficient bidding experience.

Let’s embark on a journey through the essential components that comprise an auctioneer’s toolkit, illuminating the path to hosting successful online auctions.

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Streamlining Auction Operations with Automation

Efficiency and precision are the keystones to success. This segment delves into the transformative power of automation in modern auctions, showcasing how cutting-edge software can revolutionize the administrative landscape. From inventory management to timely notifications, and seamless listing updates, each aspect of automation is a cornerstone in achieving a well-oiled auction machinery.

Inventory Tracking and Replenishment

Advanced software solutions now offer robust inventory tracking capabilities, providing auctioneers with real-time insights into the availability of items. This not only prevents overselling but also allows for timely replenishment, ensuring that coveted items are consistently available to eager bidders. Through automated alerts and notifications, auctioneers can rest assured that their inventory remains finely tuned, delivering a seamless and reliable bidding experience.

Scheduled Notifications and Reminders

From notifying bidders about upcoming auctions to sending timely reminders for bid closure, automation ensures that no critical moment is missed. This feature not only enhances bidder engagement but also fosters a sense of trust and reliability, setting the stage for successful auctions that leave a lasting impression.

Automated Listing Management

Managing a diverse array of listings can be a daunting task, but with the right software, it becomes a breeze. Automated listing management tools empower auctioneers to effortlessly update, categorize, and showcase items to their fullest potential. Whether it’s adding detailed descriptions or uploading high-quality images, this feature streamlines the process, allowing auctioneers to focus on curating an exceptional auction experience.

Enhancing User Experience for Bidders

Auction software’s impact on user experience is palpable through its intuitive user interface. A clean and navigable design ensures that bidders can effortlessly explore the auction platform. They can seamlessly search for specific items, view detailed descriptions, and place bids without encountering any confusion. This ease of use transcends devices, allowing bidders to participate in auctions from anywhere, at any time. This real-life application of software elevates the bidder’s experience, fostering a sense of confidence and trust in the platform.

By prioritizing an intuitive user interface, auctioneers not only attract a wider audience but also create an environment where bidders feel comfortable and empowered to engage in spirited bidding wars. The software acts as the bridge that connects bidders to the excitement of the auction, ensuring a memorable experience that keeps them coming back for more.

Real-Time Analytics and Reporting:

Having real-time insights at your fingertips can make all the difference. That’s where robust analytics and reporting come into play. With the right software, you can tap into a treasure trove of data that empowers you to make informed decisions on the fly. Whether it’s tracking bidder activity, monitoring item popularity, or gauging the overall success of your event, real-time analytics provides a live pulse on your auction’s performance.

Reporting is a cornerstone of any successful auction, and our toolkit ensures you’re covered. We’ve got a suite of basic reports seamlessly integrated into the system, giving you instant access to critical metrics. But here’s the real game-changer: our software is fully customizable.

That means we can generate tailored reports specifically designed to meet your company’s unique needs. Whether you’re looking for in-depth financial breakdowns, bidder demographics, or item performance trends, we’ve got you covered.

The power is in your hands to extract the precise insights you need to drive success in your auctions. Say goodbye to one-size-fits-all solutions and hello to a reporting system that works for you. Elevate your auctions with data-driven decision-making and watch your results soar.

On Site Bidder Registration

A seamless bidder registration process is the cornerstone of a successful event. Our toolkit empowers you with two flexible options to streamline this crucial step. When you’re on-site, you have the freedom to choose from two hassle-free registration methods, ensuring that every potential bidder is accounted for.

The first option allows you to effortlessly select from a pool of bidders already registered on your auction site. This feature comes in handy, especially if you’ve built a dedicated community of repeat bidders. With just a few clicks, you can swiftly integrate familiar faces into the auction, making the process a breeze for both you and your participants.

For new bidders eager to join the action, our software provides an equally user-friendly alternative. You have the capability to register a fresh bidder by simply entering in their information. This straightforward approach ensures that no one is left out, opening up the opportunity for a wider audience to engage with your auction items.

With our intuitive bidder registration system, you have the flexibility to cater to both seasoned participants and newcomers alike. This inclusivity sets the stage for a dynamic and thriving auction experience, setting you on the path to success right from the start. Say goodbye to registration headaches and hello to a seamless process that paves the way for a stellar auction event. Elevate your auctions with bidder-friendly registration, and watch your engagement soar.

Auction Management Software Conclusion

In the fast-paced realm of online auctions, the right tools can be the game-changer you need for success. With Auction Management Software at your fingertips, you’re equipped with a powerful toolkit designed to streamline every aspect of your auction event. From real-time analytics providing invaluable insights to a seamless bidder registration process, these essential features are the building blocks of a thriving auction. Embrace the future of auctioneering with software tailored to your needs. Elevate your auctions, maximize your results, and watch your events reach new heights of success. Invest in Auction Management Software and set the stage for auction excellence.

The Art of Auction Photography: Showcasing Valuables through the Lens

Posted on October 20, 2023December 18, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

How to Photograph Auction Items

In the world of auctions, the power of a compelling image cannot be overstated. A well-crafted photograph has the remarkable ability to transform a valuable item into a high-priority auction, captivating potential buyers and collectors alike. It’s through the lens that the true essence and allure of these items are unveiled, offering a window into their craftsmanship, history, and significance.

In this guide, we delve into the intricate craft of auction photography, revealing the secrets and techniques that elevate a simple image into a work of art in itself. From mastering composition to choosing the perfect lighting, each element plays a vital role in presenting valuables in the most alluring light. Join us as we explore the steps to maintain consistency across an entire catalog, setting standardized parameters that ensure each item receives the attention it deserves.

Join us on a journey through the nuances of capturing valuable items, from the delicate dance of light to the meticulous attention to detail. Together, we’ll uncover the artistry behind each click of the shutter, revealing how a well-photographed item can transcend its physical form and become an object of desire for discerning buyers.

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Composition Secrets: Framing Valuables for Maximum Impact

When it comes to auction photography, mastering composition is key to capturing the essence and allure of valuable items. The way you frame your subject can make a world of difference in how it’s perceived by potential buyers.

Start by considering the rule of thirds. Divide your frame into a grid of nine equal parts with two equally spaced horizontal and vertical lines. Position the focal point of your item along these lines or at their intersections. This technique creates balance and visual interest, drawing the viewer’s eye to the most important features.

Additionally, be mindful of negative space. Allow ample breathing room around the item to give it room to breathe, preventing a cluttered or overwhelming appearance. This allows the viewer to appreciate the details and craftsmanship of the piece without distraction.

Experiment with different angles and perspectives. Don’t limit yourself to just shooting head-on. Try overhead shots for flat items like paintings or rugs, or capture items from a low angle to highlight their stature and presence. These unique perspectives can add a fresh dimension to your photographs.

Lastly, consider the placement of supporting elements. If the item is part of a collection, arrange them thoughtfully, ensuring they complement each other and contribute to a cohesive visual narrative. This creates a sense of context and showcases the item in its best possible light. Remember, composition is your canvas – use it to tell a compelling story about the value at hand.

Setting the Scene: Backgrounds and Props in Auction Photography

Opt for neutral backgrounds that don’t compete with the item for attention. A clean, unobtrusive backdrop like a solid color or seamless paper works wonders. This simplicity allows the viewer to focus solely on the valuable, without any distracting elements.

However, for certain items, a contextual background can provide valuable information and elevate the item’s appeal. For instance, an antique piece may benefit from being placed in a setting reminiscent of its era. Just ensure that the background complements rather than overwhelms the item.

Props can be used judiciously to add depth and narrative to your composition. They should never overshadow the main subject, but rather, support its story. Consider using items that relate to the valuable in some way – for example, placing a vintage book beside an antique desk. This creates a visual connection and adds layers of interest.

Remember to pay attention to color harmony. The colors of your background and props should harmonize with the item, creating a balanced and visually pleasing composition. Avoid clashing or overly busy elements that could detract from the focal point.

Ultimately, the goal is to strike a harmonious balance between the valuable item and its surroundings. The background and props should complement and enhance, allowing the viewer to appreciate the item in a carefully curated environment.

Highlighting Details and Textures in Auction Images

Capturing the intricate details and textures of valuable items is a crucial aspect of successful auction photography. It’s these nuances that often make an item truly special and unique.

Lighting

To bring out these details, lighting is paramount. Employ soft, diffused lighting to minimize harsh shadows and reveal fine textures. This can be achieved through natural light or controlled studio lighting setups. Pay attention to the angles of light to emphasize specific features and textures, creating a three-dimensional quality in your images.

Close Ups, Details, Imperfections

Close-up shots are invaluable in showcasing details. Utilize macro lenses or zoom in to capture the finer aspects of the item. Ensure that your camera’s focus is precise, highlighting the intricacies that might be missed by the naked eye.

Moreover, it’s essential to be transparent about any imperfections or flaws. Honesty in representing the item is crucial in building trust with potential buyers. Include images that depict any scratches, wear, or other blemishes. Providing a comprehensive view of the item, both in its glory and imperfections, allows potential buyers to make informed decisions.
When photographing imperfections, be sure to do so in a way that doesn’t diminish the overall appeal of the item. Use lighting and composition to present them neutrally and factually, avoiding exaggeration or dramatization.

In essence, highlighting details and textures involves a delicate balance between skillful lighting, close-up photography techniques, and an honest portrayal of the item’s condition. This approach not only showcases the true essence of the value but also builds trust and credibility with potential buyers, which is why auction photography is so important.

Maintaining Consistency Across a Catalog

Creating a Cohesive Look

Ensure that all images in the catalog have a consistent visual style, such as background choice, lighting, and overall mood. This helps establish a unified and professional appearance.

Setting Standardized Parameters

Establish clear guidelines for framing, lighting, and angles. This ensures that each item is presented in the best possible manner, allowing for fair and accurate comparisons between listings.

Utilizing Editing for Color Correction

Post-processing tools can be invaluable for adjusting colors to accurately represent the items. This includes correcting white balance, adjusting saturation, and fine-tuning hues to present the most faithful representation.

Cropping for Improved Composition

Crop images to enhance composition and remove any distracting elements. This allows the valuable item to take center stage, ensuring that potential buyers focus on its unique attributes.

By adhering to these practices, you’ll not only provide a visually appealing catalog but also instill confidence in potential buyers, as they can trust that each item is presented accurately and professionally. This consistency reflects positively on your credibility as an auctioneer or curator.

Custom Auction Services: Maximizing Returns for Sellers

Posted on September 27, 2023July 24, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

Custom Auction Services: Tailored Auction Experiences

Custom auction services offer a unique approach to auctions, providing tailored solutions that cater to specific needs and preferences.

In the dynamic world of auctions, one size rarely fits all, making custom services a vital aspect of the industry. These services are designed to optimize every facet of the auction process, from marketing strategies to digital platforms and branding initiatives.

By embracing tailored auction services, sellers can unlock a host of benefits that go beyond the conventional auction experience, ensuring their assets receive the attention and value they deserve.

In this blog, we’ll delve deeper into the diverse landscape of custom auction services, highlighting their significance and the impact they can have on auction success.

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What are Custom Auction Services?

Auction marketing is the art of strategically promoting and showcasing items up for auction to attract potential buyers. Its significance cannot be overstated in today’s competitive market.

Custom auction services bring a whole new level of innovation and precision to marketing efforts. By tailoring strategies to the unique characteristics of each auction, custom services maximize visibility and engagement.

Digital Auction Strategies

In today’s fast-evolving market, there’s a shift towards digital auctions, reflecting a broader trend in consumer behavior.

It acts as the backbone, streamlining processes, and enabling a seamless transition into the digital realm. With tailored solutions, auctioneers can leverage cutting-edge technology to optimize bidding platforms, ensuring a user-friendly experience.

The benefits are multifold. Sellers find themselves reaching wider audiences, transcending geographical boundaries. Bidders appreciate the convenience of participating from the comfort of their homes.

Moreover, the dynamic nature of digital auctions often leads to increased competitiveness, driving prices higher. In essence, embracing digital auction strategies through custom auction services isn’t just a choice; it’s a strategic move toward maximizing the potential of your auction events.

Tailored Auction Apps and Customized Auction Software

Tailored Auction Apps and Customized Auction Software have revolutionized the way auctions are conducted in today’s tech-driven world.

These specialized tools bring a level of precision and efficiency that was once unimaginable. Custom auction services leverage these advancements to enhance every aspect of the bidding process.

The impact is tangible; bidders now have intuitive interfaces at their fingertips, making the experience seamless and engaging. Additionally, auctioneers benefit immensely from customized software, as it empowers them with real-time data and analytics, streamlining their decision-making process.

The result? Auctions that run smoother, with participants who are more engaged, and transactions that are more successful. In the realm of auctions, the integration of Tailored Auction Apps and Customized Auction Software through custom auction services is a game-changer that sets the stage for a new era of efficiency and effectiveness.

Online Auction Campaigns

In this digital age, Online Auction Campaigns have emerged as a powerful force in the auction industry.

With the convenience and accessibility of online platforms, more bidders than ever are participating from various corners of the globe.

This surge in online activity has prompted the need for specialized services to truly optimize these experiences. This is where Custom Auction Services come into play.

They are adept at tailoring online auction campaigns to suit the unique needs of each event. From strategic promotion to user-friendly interfaces, these services ensure that online auctions run smoothly and efficiently.

For those looking to run their own successful Online Auction Campaigns, there are a few key tips to keep in mind.

These include leveraging targeted marketing, creating compelling listings, and providing transparent information to potential bidders.

By embracing the potential of Online Auction Campaigns and customizing them through custom auction services, auctioneers can unlock new levels of success and engagement in the digital realm.

Auction Branding Services

In the competitive landscape of the auction industry, strong branding is the cornerstone of success. It’s not just about what you’re auctioning, but also about how you present it to the world.

This is where Custom Auction Services play a pivotal role. They understand that branding goes beyond a logo or a color scheme; it’s about crafting a compelling narrative and a unique identity that resonates with your audience.

Through meticulous attention to detail and a deep understanding of your business, these services help establish and enhance your brand, setting you apart in a crowded market.

Custom Auction Website Design and Auction App Development

In the world of online auctions, design plays a pivotal role in creating an engaging and user-friendly experience. This is where Custom Auction Services truly shine.

Their expertise in Customized Design and Development ensures that every aspect of an auction website or app is meticulously crafted to enhance user experience.

From intuitive navigation to visually appealing layouts, these services prioritize functionality without compromising on aesthetics. Well-designed auction platforms seamlessly guide users through the bidding process while clear categorization makes it easy to find desired items.

Auction marketing services leverage design to elevate the user experience, creating environments where buyers and sellers can interact with ease and confidence.

Digital Marketing for Auctions

In today’s digital age, effective Digital Marketing is a cornerstone of successful auctions. It’s not just about getting the word out; it’s about strategically reaching the right audience. This is where Custom Auction Services truly shine.

They understand the nuances of digital marketing in the auction industry, tailoring strategies to maximize exposure and engagement. By leveraging various digital channels, from social media to targeted SEO strategies, these services ensure that your auction event reaches its full potential audience.

The results are impressive, with increased bidder participation, higher engagement rates, and ultimately, more successful transactions.

This targeted approach not only boosts visibility but also cultivates a community of interested and motivated bidders, setting the stage for a thriving auction experience. With the expertise of custom auction services, digital marketing becomes a powerful tool in driving the success of your auction events.

Conclusion

Custom auction services offer a unique approach to auctions, providing tailored solutions that cater to individual needs. These specialized services go beyond the one-size-fits-all approach, allowing for a personalized experience that maximizes results.

With custom auction services, you have the flexibility to shape the entire process according to your specific requirements, whether it’s for art, collectibles, or any other valuable items. The beauty of custom auction services lies in their adaptability, ensuring that every aspect of the auction is optimized for success.

By opting for these services, you’re not just participating in an auction; you’re embarking on a journey designed exclusively for you. So, whether you’re a seasoned collector or a first-time seller, exploring the benefits of custom auction services could be the game-changer you’ve been seeking. Don’t settle for the ordinary when you can have an extraordinary auction experience tailored just for you.

Auctioneer software provides Full Service Auction Marketing. If you would like help with your next auction contact us!

What is a Buyers premium and how does it impact my Auction?

Posted on September 21, 2023November 29, 2023 by Kurt Kaptein

What is a Buyers Premium, How Does It Impact My Auction?

What is a Buyers Premium and how can it improve your auctions? We've got an answer

Have you ever found yourself pondering the concept of a buyers premium and how it might influence your auction experience? For those new to the world of online auctions, this term may be unfamiliar. However, understanding the dynamics of a buyer’s premium is crucial for both bidders and lot owners.

What is a Buyer’s Premium? A buyer’s premium is an additional fee imposed on the winning bid in addition to the hammer price (the final bid amount). It’s essentially a service charge that helps cover the costs associated with running the auction.

How is a Buyers Premium calculated?

Buyer’s premiums are typically calculated as a percentage of the final hammer price (the winning bid amount) of an item in an auction. The percentage can vary and is determined by the auction house or platform organizing the auction.

For example, if the buyer’s premium is set at 10% and the final hammer price for an item is $1,000, the buyer would pay an additional $100 as the buyer’s premium. This brings the total cost to the buyer to $1,100 ($1,000 + $100 premium).

It’s important to note that the buyer’s premium is in addition to any applicable taxes or other fees. Additionally, some auctions may have different buyer’s premiums for different types of items or categories, so it’s essential to review the terms and conditions of each specific auction.

“Essentially, a buyers premium is an extra fee you pay when you win something at an auction. It is a way for the people who organize the auction to cover the costs of hosting.”

How Does It Impact Your Auction?

The buyer’s premium plays a significant role in determining the overall cost for a successful bidder. Let’s delve into how it influences your auction:

Financial Considerations: When setting your maximum bid, it’s crucial to factor in the buyer’s premium. This additional cost can affect the final price you pay for the item.
Revenue Generation: For auction organizers, the buyer’s premium serves as a source of revenue. It helps offset expenses related to auction logistics, marketing, and administrative tasks.
Transparent Pricing: Including the buyer’s premium in the bidding process promotes transparency. Bidders are aware of the additional cost and can make more informed decisions.
Encourages Competitive Bidding: Knowing that there is a buyer’s premium, bidders may adjust their maximum bids accordingly, leading to more competitive bidding.

What is a Buyers Premium? Conclusion

Understanding the buyer’s premium is pivotal in navigating the auction landscape. A buyer’s premium is like a small extra fee that a person has to pay on top of the winning bid when they buy something at an auction. It helps cover the costs of organizing the event.

This premium influences both the bidding strategies of participants and the revenue generated for auction organizers. By factoring in the buyer’s premium, bidders can make more accurate assessments of their budget, ensuring a smoother and more informed auction experience.

We hope this article has shed light on the significance of the buyer’s premium in auctions. Should you have any further questions or require additional information, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Happy bidding!

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The Power of Social Media Advertising for Auction Success

Posted on August 30, 2023December 19, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

The Power of Social Media Advertising for Auction Success

In today’s dynamic auction landscape, the secret to achieving remarkable success lies in the realm of social media advertising.

As auction houses navigate the digital age, the art of crafting effective strategies for social media advertising becomes an indispensable tool in their arsenal.

This blog delves into the pivotal role that social media advertising plays in propelling auctions to new heights.

From captivating visuals that entice bidders to the precision of micro-targeting, we’ll uncover how harnessing the power of platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram can be the differentiator between a good auction and an extraordinary one.

Join us as we explore the transformative impact of social media advertising on the journey to auction success.

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Advantages of Social Media Advertising for Auctions

Social media advertising for auctions is a valuable tool when leveraged correctly. First, there’s the unparalleled advantage of wide audience reach—where platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn become gateways to a sprawling audience eagerly awaiting your auctions. But it doesn’t stop there.

These platforms empower auction houses with laser-focused targeting capabilities that are a game-changer. Imagine tailoring your message to reach art aficionados in New York or vintage car enthusiasts in California.

The visual splendor of auction items finds its perfect canvas on these platforms, where images and videos can intrigue and captivate potential bidders.

Moreover, social media brings auctions to life through engagement and interactivity. Whether it’s sparking conversations in comment sections, hosting live sessions that take bidders behind the scenes, or running polls that build excitement, the immersive experience of social media turns passive viewers into active participants, igniting a new era of auction engagement.

Crafting an Effective Social Media Advertising Strategy

Campaign planning

To set the stage, clearly defining campaign objectives is paramount—whether it’s fostering increased registrations, amping up bid participation, or creating a buzz around a featured item. Campaign planning begins by establishing crystal-clear objectives. These objectives serve as the North Star guiding your efforts. Whether you’re aiming to drive more registrations, elevate bid participation, or ignite excitement for a flagship product, your objectives set the tone for the entire campaign.

Actionable Insight: Approach objective setting with a laser focus. Ask yourself: What specific outcome do you want to achieve? Who is your target audience, and how will your objectives resonate with their needs? By pinpointing these factors, you create a solid foundation for your campaign strategy.

Research

Next comes the expedition into audience research, a pursuit for insights into the preferences, behaviors, and interests of potential bidders.

Customer Research: Start by conducting thorough research. Collect data on their preferences, habits, and challenges. This might involve surveys, social media analysis, customer interviews, and even studying competitors’ interactions with similar audiences. The goal is to create a multi-dimensional profile of your ideal customer. Create detailed personas that include not only age, gender, and location but also psychological traits. What are their goals? What do they fear? What drives their decisions? These insights will help you craft messaging that resonates on a deeper level.

Unveiling Pain Points and Desires: Every customer has problems they want to solve and desires they want to be fulfilled. Analyze feedback and reviews. What do customers complain about? What do they rave about? Conduct surveys or interviews to directly ask about their challenges and desires. This reveals the gaps your product or service can fill, allowing you to position it as the solution they’ve been searching for.

Mapping the Customer Journey: Think of this as tracing their steps from the moment they become aware of a need to the point where they make a purchase decision. It’s like understanding their thought process and emotions along the way.

Actionable Insight: Break down the customer journey into stages – awareness, consideration, decision, and post-purchase. What questions do they have at each stage? What concerns might arise? Tailor your content and messaging to guide them seamlessly through this journey, addressing their needs at every step.

Create Compelling Content

Imagery and Storytelling:

Visuals are the first thing that catches the eye and sets the tone for your ad. They’re the visual ambassadors of your brand and message.

1. Imagery and Videos: Choose images or videos that resonate with your target audience. They should be clear, high-quality, and directly related to your product or message.

2. Branding: Integrate your brand’s logo, colors, and design elements to create a consistent visual identity that fosters recognition.

3. Storytelling Through Visuals: Your visuals should tell a story that aligns with your message. Use them to showcase your product in action, depict real-world scenarios, or evoke emotions that resonate with your audience.

Crafting the Perfect Copy:

Words have the power to convey the essence of your ad, igniting emotions and driving action.

1. Headline: Craft a captivating headline that grabs attention and communicates the core message of your ad in a few words.

2. Body Copy: Expand on your headline with concise, persuasive text that highlights the value proposition of your product or service. Use clear language that addresses your audience’s pain points or desires.

3. Call to Action (CTA): Your CTA is the driving force behind user engagement. Make it clear, actionable, and aligned with the goal of your ad, whether it’s to “Shop Now,” “Learn More,” or “Sign Up.”

4. Personalization: Tailor your copy to speak directly to your target audience. Use relatable language that resonates with their interests and needs.

5. Consistency and Tone: Maintain a consistent brand voice and tone throughout your copy. Whether it’s playful, professional, or informative, ensure it aligns with your brand identity.

6. Emotional Appeal: Craft your copy to evoke emotions that connect with your audience. Whether it’s humor, empathy, or aspiration, emotions can forge a stronger bond between your brand and your potential customers.

Harmonizing Visual and Textual Elements

For a successful social media advertisement, your visuals and copy must work together seamlessly.

1. Alignment: Ensure that your visuals and text are aligned in conveying the same message and value proposition.

2. Balance: Maintain a balanced composition where neither visuals nor text overpowers each other. They should complement, not compete.

3. Simplicity: Keep your message clear and concise. Avoid overwhelming your audience with excessive visuals or complex text.

4. Readability: Choose fonts and text sizes that are easy to read across various devices and screen sizes.

Combining visually appealing imagery with persuasive copy can create an impactful social media advertisement that not only captures attention but also resonates with your audience, driving them to take meaningful actions.

Budgeting

Once the campaign’s blueprint is in place, the allocation of resources becomes a strategic cornerstone. Dividing your budget wisely across platforms and campaigns ensures that you harness the full potential of each platform. We also recommend that you begin by allocating a small portion of your overall marketing budget to your first social media ad campaign. This will give you room to experiment and learn without risking a significant investment.

Testing

Auction marketers will fine-tune their strategy based on performance metrics and techniques like A/B testing. This iterative process ensures your campaign remains on track, capitalizing on opportunities and refining your approach for the highest possible returns.

What is A/B Testing in Social Media Advertising?

A/B testing in social media advertising means creating two slightly different versions of an ad. The results are then compared against each other to see which is the optimal choice. This way, we can make ads that connect better with the people we want to reach.

Through these essential steps, social media advertising transforms from a concept into a compelling narrative, weaving the threads of auction success seamlessly.

From eye-catching images to captivating videos and interactive carousels, these formats capture attention and drive engagement, aligning perfectly with the platforms’ diverse functionalities.

Important Terms in Social Media Advertising

Impressions: The number of times your ad is displayed on social media platforms, regardless of whether it’s clicked or not.
Click-Through Rate (CTR): The percentage of people who click on your ad after seeing it, calculated by dividing clicks by impressions.
Conversion Rate: The percentage of users who take a desired action after clicking on your ad, such as making a purchase or signing up.
Engagement: The interactions people have with your ad, including likes, comments, shares, and clicks.
Target Audience: The specific group of people you want to reach with your ad, based on demographics, interests, and behaviors.
Ad Placement: The location on a social media platform where your ad appears, such as in the news feed, sidebar, or stories.
Retargeting: Showing ads to people who have previously interacted with your website or ad, to encourage them to take further action.
Ad Copy: The written content of your ad, including headlines, captions, and call-to-action messages.
Ad Creative: The visual components of your ad, such as images, videos, or graphics, are designed to catch the audience’s attention.
Budget: The amount of money you allocate for your social media advertising campaign to control spending.

Conclusion on Social Media Advertising

In wrapping up our discussion, let’s recap the gems we’ve uncovered in the realm of social media advertising for auctions.

Remember to include crystal clear calls-to-action and the invaluable insights gained through A/B testing; these are the tools that shape ads that truly resonate. But perhaps the most potent part of this arsenal is the power of engagement—connecting directly with your audience through prompt responses and interactions.

Social media advertising isn’t just an option; it’s the gateway to auction triumph. The integration of social media and auctions holds boundless potential for connecting, engaging, and achieving the pinnacle of success.

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“The Online Auction Platform: The Future of Auctioneer Websites”

Posted on August 24, 2023December 18, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

The Online Auction Platform: The Future of Auctioneer Websites

In the fast-paced world of auctioneering, the digital evolution of the online auction platform has taken center stage, transforming the way we bid and buy. As we delve into this exciting landscape, we uncover the rising prominence of virtual bidding platforms—a game-changer that’s reshaping auctions as we know them.

Today, we’re peeling back the curtain to reveal the significance of these platforms and how they’re revolutionizing the auction experience. Get ready for a deep dive into the world of virtual auctions, as we explore the ins and outs and discuss the future of this transformative trend.

From understanding how virtual bidding works to harnessing its potential for success, this blog is your ultimate guide to embracing the digital wave sweeping the auction world. So, join us as we unlock the doors to a new era of auctioneering, where virtual bidding platforms shine bright on center stage.

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The Digital Transformation of Auctions

The landscape of auctions has undergone a significant shift in recent times, transitioning from the traditional in-person spectacle to the realm of online auction platforms. In the past, auctions were synonymous with crowded rooms, raised paddles, and the palpable thrill of competition.

Today, however, the paradigm has evolved, and virtual bidding has taken center stage. This change is largely propelled by changing consumer preferences, where convenience and digital engagement reign supreme.

With people increasingly gravitating towards online experiences, auction houses have recognized the need to adapt, providing a seamless platform for participants to bid and win from the comfort of their screens.

The benefits of online auction platforms are evident: a wider reach that transcends geographical limitations, a streamlined bidding process that eliminates logistical hassles, and an enhanced ability for both buyers and sellers to track and manage their interactions.

The digital transformation of auctions represents not only a response to evolving preferences but also a gateway to a more accessible and efficient auction ecosystem.

Building Blocks of the Online Auction Platform

When it comes to virtual bidding platforms, there are several key building blocks that ensure a smooth and user-friendly experience.

First and foremost, user-friendly interfaces play a pivotal role. These platforms prioritize creating intuitive designs, making navigation and participation easy for everyone.

Real-time bidding capabilities are another essential aspect. The platforms work tirelessly to guarantee seamless and instantaneous interactions, creating an environment that mimics the excitement of in-person auctions. Recognizing the fast-paced nature of today’s world, mobile responsiveness is also a critical factor.

These platforms are tailored to cater to the on-the-go bidder, allowing participation from smartphones and tablets with equal ease.

Lastly, the integration of secure and convenient payment methods is paramount. This ensures that transactions are not only smooth but also reliable, instilling trust in both buyers and sellers.

In essence, these building blocks collectively form the foundation of a successful online auction platform, enhancing the auction experience in the digital age.

Immersive Auction Experiences

Immersive auction experiences have taken center stage, transforming the way participants engage with auctions. Live streaming and video integration have emerged as powerful tools, seamlessly bridging the gap between auction halls and bidders’ screens.

This dynamic approach brings the excitement and energy of live auctions right to where bidders are, enhancing their connection to the process. Virtual previews and tours have also revolutionized how potential buyers explore auction items.

Through immersive virtual experiences, bidders can closely examine items of interest, making informed decisions from the comfort of their own space.

Ensuring Security and Trust

In the digital realm of online auctions, several crucial aspects come into play to ensure a secure and trustworthy environment for all participants.

Cybersecurity measures take center stage, safeguarding bidder information and transactions from potential threats. This protective layer assures bidders that their personal data and financial details remain confidential. Establishing trust in online auctions goes beyond security—transparency, authenticity, and reputation are vital.

Auction platforms prioritize disclosing all relevant information about items and the bidding process, fostering a sense of confidence among bidders. Moreover, maintaining a strong reputation and upholding authenticity further reinforces trust.

Adequate customer support and clear communication are equally paramount. By providing prompt assistance and transparent information, auction platforms assure bidders of a reliable and reassuring experience.

In essence, these combined efforts form the bedrock of successful online auctions, offering a secure, trustworthy, and user-friendly environment for all participants.

The Data Advantage

In the realm of modern online auctions, data takes on a transformative role, shaping the entire experience. Data analytics plays a key part in making smart, informed decisions.

By crunching numbers and analyzing trends, auction platforms can better understand bidder behaviors and preferences, leading to more effective strategies. Personalization steps in with recommendation engines, providing bidders with tailored experiences.

These engines consider past behaviors to suggest items that align with a bidder’s interests, making the process engaging and relevant. Beyond bidder engagement, data insights optimize bidding strategies and auction outcomes.

By delving into data, auctioneers gain insights into pricing patterns, demand levels, and peak bidding times, enabling them to fine-tune their approach for better results. In essence, the marriage of data and auctioning is not just a technological evolution, but a pathway to more informed decisions, personalized interactions, and improved outcomes.

Conclusion

As we wrap up, let’s recap the key insights we’ve explored in this blog journey. We’ve ventured into the realm of virtual bidding platforms and uncovered the remarkable potential they hold.

From the shift in consumer preferences to the building blocks that ensure seamless experiences, we’ve seen how auctions are evolving. So, to all the auctioneers out there, consider this an encouragement to embrace these digital horizons.

Virtual platforms offer a world of possibilities, from wider reach to immersive experiences. As you embark on this journey, remember that your website is more than a digital presence—it’s a gateway to a dynamic and engaging future. By crafting captivating visuals, interactive features, and personalized touches, you can inspire a whole new level of auction excitement.

It’s not just about adapting; it’s about transforming and thriving in the ever-evolving auction landscape.

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“The Rise of Mobile Auctions: How Smartphone Technology is Transforming the Auction Industry

Posted on July 28, 2023July 28, 2023 by Kurt Kaptein

The Rise of Mobile Auctions

How Smartphone Technology is Transforming the Auction Industry

Over the last decade, the auction industry experienced an exhilarating transformation, and we have smartphones to thank for it! Mobile technology has revolutionized the way auctions are conducted, bringing a whole new level of convenience and accessibility to both buyers and sellers.

With just a few taps on their smartphones, bidders can now join auctions from anywhere, eliminating the need to be physically present at auction houses. This game-changing shift has opened up a world of opportunities for auction enthusiasts and businesses alike.

In this blog post, we will take a closer look at how smartphone technology is redefining the auction industry and explore the myriad benefits and implications of embracing mobile auctions. From increased bidder engagement to the expansion of market reach, we’ll delve into the ways mobile auctions are transforming the auction landscape and shaping its promising future. So, let’s dive into the exciting world of mobile auctions and discover the digital revolution that’s changing the way we bid and buy.

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The Convenience of Mobile Auctions

Auction enthusiasts can embrace the era of convenience and accessibility with mobile auctions! Thanks to smartphones, you can now bid and participate in auctions anytime, anywhere. Gone are the days of being tied to a physical auction house.

With just a few taps on your smartphone, you can enter the thrilling world of auctions from the comfort of your home or even while on the go. The convenience of mobile auctions is unparalleled, allowing you to stay engaged in the bidding action no matter where you are.

But it doesn’t stop there – mobile auctions have eliminated geographical barriers, connecting buyers and sellers from around the world. This global reach opens up a treasure trove of opportunities for both parties, expanding market possibilities like never before.

So, whether you’re a seasoned bidder or a newcomer to the auction scene, join the mobile auction revolution and experience the ultimate convenience and connection at your fingertips.

The Expanding Marketplace

The advent of mobile auctions has undeniably transformed the marketplace, uniting an incredibly diverse community of buyers and sellers from around the globe. This digital revolution has broken down geographical barriers, allowing individuals with unique items to connect with interested buyers worldwide. The result? A marketplace like no other, offering an impressive increase in variety and availability of items up for bidding.

Whether you’re searching for rare collectibles, vintage treasures, or contemporary masterpieces, mobile auctions deliver an extensive selection that caters to every taste and interest. For buyers, this means endless opportunities to uncover one-of-a-kind gems that may have remained hidden in traditional local auctions.

Simultaneously, sellers can rejoice as they now have access to a vast audience, enabling them to showcase their treasures to a much wider market.

Whether you’re an avid collector in search of hidden treasures or a seller eager to share your unique pieces with the world, mobile auctions offer a dynamic and inclusive platform that has revolutionized the way we buy and sell.

Real-Time Bidding and Instant Results

The transition of online auctions to mobile platforms brings a game-changing advantage through real-time bidding. With mobile devices becoming an integral part of our lives, real-time bidding empowers users to bid on items instantly as they pop up on their screens. This cutting-edge approach ensures that every bid is timely, targeted, and highly relevant to users’ preferences, leading to increased conversion rates and optimal value for both buyers and sellers.

The dynamic nature of real-time bidding in mobile auctions keeps participants on their toes, igniting fierce competition and driving excitement throughout the auction process, resulting in a thriving and profitable marketplace.

Mobile auction platforms take excitement and engagement to new heights by offering instant results and notifications. Gone are the days of waiting anxiously for auction outcomes; mobile apps keep participants in the loop with immediate updates on bid statuses and real-time outbid alerts. This instantaneous feedback fosters a sense of urgency, encouraging participants to stay engaged, make informed decisions, and place timely bids.

The thrill of seeing instant progress and receiving immediate notifications of auction results amplifies the overall excitement of the bidding experience. This heightened engagement not only enhances user satisfaction but also ensures higher participation rates, turning mobile auctions into vibrant, action-packed events.

Mobile auction apps play a pivotal role in revolutionizing bidding processes, creating a seamless and efficient experience for users. These apps leverage mobile technology to offer convenience and accessibility, allowing users to engage in auctions anytime and anywhere. Bidders can easily browse through a wide range of items, place bids effortlessly, and monitor the progress of multiple auctions simultaneously.

The user-friendly interfaces and secure payment gateways embedded in mobile auction apps streamline the entire process, ensuring a trustworthy and hassle-free transaction experience for all participants. By facilitating a smooth and efficient bidding journey, mobile auction apps attract a broader audience, drive increased bid activity, and optimize outcomes for sellers and auctioneers alike, shaping the future of online auctions.

Trust and Security in Mobile Auctions

As online auctions make their way to mobile platforms, concerns regarding trust and security have understandably emerged. Users worry about the safety of their personal information and transactions in the digital realm. However, rest assured that mobile auction platforms take these concerns seriously and implement robust security measures to protect users’ data and privacy.

With the use of encryption technology and secure payment gateways, these platforms ensure that sensitive information remains confidential and inaccessible to unauthorized parties. Additionally, continuous monitoring and proactive risk assessments help identify and mitigate potential threats, fostering a secure and trustworthy environment for users to participate in mobile auctions confidently.

Mobile auction platforms leave no stone unturned in safeguarding users’ information and transactions. They prioritize data protection and employ sophisticated security protocols to create a shield against cyber threats. User information is encrypted to prevent unauthorized access, and secure authentication mechanisms are put in place to verify users’ identities.

To further enhance security, mobile auction platforms collaborate with reputable payment processors to process transactions securely. Regular security audits and updates are conducted to stay ahead of emerging threats and vulnerabilities. By investing in cutting-edge security technology, these platforms demonstrate their commitment to providing users with a safe and protected auction experience on mobile devices.

In the mobile auction community, building trust is essential for fostering successful and sustainable transactions. One of the key factors contributing to trust is the presence of buyer and seller ratings and reviews. These platforms allow participants to rate and provide feedback on their experiences with other users, promoting transparency and accountability. Positive reviews and high ratings boost the reputation of trustworthy sellers, while buyers with good feedback are more likely to gain credibility among sellers.

The visibility of these ratings and reviews helps users make informed decisions, choose reliable trading partners, and avoid potential scams. As a result, a robust rating and review system plays a pivotal role in cultivating a trustworthy mobile auction ecosystem, where users can engage confidently and enjoy the benefits of this convenient and dynamic marketplace.

The Future of Auction Technology

The future of mobile auctions is undoubtedly promising, driven by emerging trends and cutting-edge technologies that redefine the auction landscape. One such trend is the increasing popularity of live-streamed auctions, where bidders can participate in real-time from anywhere in the world, creating a global marketplace accessible at their fingertips. Additionally, gamification elements are being incorporated to enhance user engagement and foster a sense of competition, making the auction experience more enjoyable and rewarding.

Personalization is another crucial aspect, with AI-powered algorithms tailoring item recommendations based on user preferences and past behavior, resulting in more relevant and enticing bids. These trends, combined with advancements in mobile technology and connectivity, are revolutionizing mobile auctions, creating a dynamic and ever-evolving marketplace.

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are poised to take the mobile auction experience to unprecedented heights. By integrating AR, users can visualize auction items in their real-world surroundings before placing bids, providing a unique and immersive shopping experience. VR, on the other hand, can transport bidders to virtual auction rooms, where they can interact with other participants, inspect items up close, and experience the thrill of live bidding as if they were physically present.

These technologies not only enhance the excitement and engagement of users but also boost confidence in their purchasing decisions by offering a tangible preview of the items. The potential of AR and VR in mobile auctions holds immense promise, blurring the lines between physical and digital auctions and transforming the way users connect with the auction world.

Mobile auctions have the potential to revolutionize the auction industry, making it more inclusive, engaging, and efficient than ever before. With AI-driven personalization, real-time interactions, and seamless transactions, mobile auctions are poised to become the go-to choice for buyers and sellers alike. As these trends converge, the future of mobile auctions shines brightly, promising an exciting and transformative journey that will shape the auction landscape for years to come.

Conclusion

As mobile auctions continue to evolve with emerging technologies, their impact on the auction industry is set to grow exponentially. The convenience and accessibility offered by mobile devices have already attracted a vast user base, and the integration of innovative features like AR and VR will further elevate the auction experience, drawing more participants into this thriving marketplace. Mobile auctions have the potential to revolutionize the auction industry, making it more inclusive, engaging, and efficient than ever before. With AI-driven personalization, real-time interactions, and seamless transactions, mobile auctions are poised to become the go-to choice for buyers and sellers alike. As these trends converge, the future of mobile auctions shines brightly, promising an exciting and transformative journey that will shape the auction landscape for years to come.

Due Diligence: Auction Terminology Demystified.

Posted on June 29, 2023December 18, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

Understanding Auction Jargon: Bid and Sell With Confidence

Welcome to our blog, where we will unravel the fascinating world of auction terminology. Whether you’re an auctioneer freshening up on terms, a farmer looking to sell your prized animals, or a prospective homeowner searching for the perfect property, understanding the language of auctions is the key to unlocking success and making due diligence before bidding.

In this blog, we’ll explain the essential terms and concepts that will empower you to navigate auctions confidently. So, please grab a cup of coffee and join us as we embark on this exciting journey into the realm of auction terminology. Let’s dive in!

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Auction Terminology 101

What is a Reserve Auction?

In a reserve auction, the seller sets a minimum price, known as the reserve price, which must be met for the item or property to be sold. During the auction, if the bidding fails to reach or exceed the reserve price, the seller is not obligated to sell. It provides a level of protection for the seller, ensuring they receive a minimum acceptable value for their item or property. The reserve price is typically kept confidential, creating an element of anticipation and strategy for both buyers and sellers.

What is a Starting Bid?

The starting bid is the initial price at which bidding begins for a real estate property. It sets the baseline for the auction and determines the opening point for potential buyers to start placing their bids. The auctioneer announces the starting bid, and from there, interested bidders can increase the price by making higher bids. The starting bid catalyzes the exciting bidding process and acts as a reference point for the value of the property being auctioned.

What is Due Diligence?

Before engaging in an auction, conducting due diligence is essential. It involves thorough research and inspections of the property being auctioned. This includes reviewing legal documents, assessing property conditions, checking for any liens or encumbrances, and understanding the market value. By conducting due diligence, potential buyers can make informed decisions, assess the risks and benefits, and ensure they have a clear understanding of what they are bidding on. Due diligence is a critical step to avoid any surprises or regrets down the line.

What is a Title Search?

In real estate auctions, a title search is a crucial step in the due diligence process. It involves examining public records to verify the ownership history of the property and identify any legal issues that may affect its transfer. A title search helps ensure that the seller has clear ownership rights and that there are no outstanding claims, liens, or other encumbrances on the property. It provides confidence to potential buyers that they are acquiring a property with a clean and marketable title.

What is an Escrow?

Escrow is a financial arrangement in which a neutral third party, typically an escrow agent or company, holds funds and important documents related to a transaction. In real estate auctions, the winning bidder often deposits the funds into an escrow account. The escrow agent ensures that the funds are secure and will only be released to the seller once all the conditions and requirements of the transaction are met. Escrow adds a layer of protection and trust, ensuring that both parties fulfill their obligations before the completion of the transaction.

What are Ringmen?

In the lively world of livestock auctions, ringmen play a vital role in assisting the auctioneer. These helpful individuals work alongside the auctioneer, stationed strategically around the auction ring. Their job is to spot and identify bids from the enthusiastic crowd. Ringmen are like the auctioneer’s eyes and ears, actively engaging with bidders, encouraging them to participate, and relaying their bids to the auctioneer. They help create a dynamic and interactive atmosphere, ensuring that every bid is acknowledged and the auction flows smoothly.

What is a Lot Number?

Each group of animals or items up for auction is assigned a unique identifier called a lot number. This number distinguishes one group from another and helps keep track of the items being sold. Lot numbers can be displayed on boards or screens, allowing participants to easily identify the specific group they’re interested in. Whether it’s a group of cattle, a collection of machinery, or a parcel of land, the lot number serves as a reference point to streamline the auction process and ensure clarity for buyers and sellers alike.

What is a Bid Spotter?

Bid spotters are the attentive individuals who assist in identifying and relaying bids to the auctioneer. Positioned throughout the auction area, they keep a keen eye on bidders, spotting gestures, nods, or any indication of a bid being made. They promptly communicate these bids to the auctioneer, ensuring that no bid goes unnoticed. Bid spotters play a crucial role in maintaining transparency and facilitating smooth bidding interactions, helping the auctioneer keep track of the action amidst the excitement of the crowd.

What is a Backtag?

In livestock auctions, animals being sold are often fitted with a backtag, a form of identification attached to their bodies. This tag helps track and verify ownership, providing essential information about the animal, such as its lot number or unique identifier. The backtag serves as a visual reference, ensuring that each animal can be easily identified during the auction. It helps maintain order and prevents confusion, enabling buyers to make informed decisions based on the specific animals they’re interested in.

What is a Weighing Station?

The weighing station is a designated area where animals are weighed before or during the auction. Livestock auctions often involve animals of varying sizes and weights, and accurate weight information is crucial for buyers. The weighing station ensures that the animals are weighed correctly, allowing potential buyers to assess the value of the animals based on their weight. It serves as a standardized measurement point, providing transparency and fairness in determining the value of the livestock being auctioned.

What is a Health Certificate?

When it comes to livestock auctions, the health and well-being of the animals take center stage. A health certificate is a document that certifies the animals being sold are in good health and meet the required standards. This certificate is typically issued by a veterinarian, indicating that the animals have undergone proper health examinations and meet the necessary health requirements. The health certificate reassures buyers that the animals they are considering are healthy and fit for their intended purpose, promoting transparency and trust in the auction process.

What is Penning?

In livestock auctions, animals need a designated area to be held before and during the auction. This area is called the penning or holding area. It serves as a temporary home for the animals, allowing them to rest and be easily observed by potential buyers. The penning area ensures that the animals are comfortably accommodated and readily accessible for examination. Buyers can assess the livestock’s condition, behavior, and overall quality before making their bidding decisions. The penning area plays a crucial role in facilitating buyer inspections and contributing to the transparency and fair evaluation of the animals up for auction.

What is an Auctioneer?

The auctioneer is the dynamic and authoritative figure who orchestrates the entire auction process. They serve as the conductor of this exciting event, guiding the participants through the bidding frenzy. With their rhythmic chant and skillful gestures, the auctioneer sets the pace, announces the items or properties up for bid, and encourages potential buyers to place their bids. They are responsible for maintaining the energy and momentum in the auction room, ensuring fair and transparent bidding, and ultimately determining the successful bidder.

What is a Bidder Number?

When you participate in an auction, you will be assigned a unique identification number known as a bidder number. This number acts as your identifier throughout the auction, allowing you to place bids on the items or properties that catch your interest. The bidder number ensures that your bids are accurately recorded and attributed to you. It also adds a layer of anonymity, as other participants only see your assigned number, not your personal information. So, keep your bidder number close at hand, as it is your ticket to actively participate in the auction and make your bids count.

What is a Hammer Price?

The hammer price is the thrilling moment when the auctioneer brings down their gavel or hammer, symbolizing the conclusion of bidding and the final price at which an item or property is sold. This price represents the highest bid accepted by the auctioneer, officially sealing the deal between the seller and the winning bidder. The hammer price is a significant milestone that determines the transaction’s outcome and marks the point at which ownership is transferred. So, when you hear that satisfying “thud” of the auctioneer’s hammer, you know that a successful sale has taken place at the announced price.

What is a Reserve Price?

The reserve price plays a crucial role in auctions, especially for sellers. It refers to the minimum price predetermined by the seller, below which they are not obligated to sell the item or property. The reserve price serves as a safeguard, ensuring that the seller receives an acceptable minimum value for their offering. During the auction, if bidding fails to meet or surpass the reserve price, the seller retains ownership of the item or property. Potential buyers need to be aware of the existence of a reserve price, as it can impact their bidding strategy and their chances of securing a successful purchase.

What is a Proxy Bid?

A proxy bid is a convenient option for participants who are unable to attend the auction in person but still wish to participate. With a proxy bid, a bidder can authorize someone, known as a proxy bidder, to place bids on their behalf. The proxy bidder, who is present at the auction, follows the instructions given by the absent bidder, representing their interests and engaging in competitive bidding. Proxy bids allow individuals to be involved in the auction process and compete for items or properties even if they cannot be physically present. It’s a practical solution for those who don’t want to miss out on the excitement of the auction but are unable to attend personally.

Due Diligence: Concluding Common Auctioneer Terms

In conclusion, understanding auction terminology is key to navigating the exciting world of auctions. Whether you’re a seasoned bidder or a newbie, knowing the language helps you make informed decisions and avoid costly mistakes. So, next time you’re at an auction, remember to do your due diligence—research, investigate, and gather information about the items you’re interested in. By doing so, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge needed to bid with confidence and unlock amazing opportunities. Happy bidding!

Auction Marketing near Grand Rapids, MI

The Mobile Advantage: Optimizing Your Auction Website for Mobile Users

Posted on June 26, 2023December 19, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

Mobile Optimization: The Advantage of Optimizing Your Website for Mobile Users

Optimize for Mobile to Enhance User Experience and Auction Results

Mobile optimization has become an essential aspect of creating successful websites in today’s digital landscape. With the ever-increasing use of smartphones and tablets, catering to mobile users is no longer just an option; it’s a necessity. Mobile optimization refers to the process of tailoring your website to provide an exceptional user experience on smaller screens, ensuring that visitors can access and interact with your content effortlessly.

The benefits of having a mobile-friendly website extend beyond simply accommodating mobile users. A website that is optimized for mobile offers a range of advantages, both for your visitors and your business. A well-optimized website enhances the user experience, allowing visitors to effortlessly navigate through your site, read content, and interact with features. This positive user experience fosters engagement, encourages more extended visits, and boosts the chances of conversions, whether it’s making a purchase, filling out a form, or contacting your business.

Mobile Friendly Web Developement
in Grand Rapids, MI

The Need for Responsive Design

Responsive design is a key element in ensuring a smooth mobile browsing experience. It allows your website to adapt dynamically to different screen sizes and resolutions, providing optimal display and functionality across various devices. With a responsive design, your website layout and content automatically adjust to fit the screen, eliminating the need for users to zoom or scroll excessively. This user-centric approach ensures that mobile visitors can effortlessly navigate your site, consume content, and interact with features, regardless of the device they are using.

Mobile-first approach

Adopting a mobile-first approach means prioritizing the mobile experience when designing and developing your website. With mobile devices becoming the primary means of accessing the internet, it’s essential to place mobile users at the forefront of your website strategy. By starting with mobile design and functionality, you ensure that your website is optimized for the smaller screens and touch interactions that mobile users rely on. A mobile-first approach encourages a streamlined and efficient user experience, promoting engagement and driving conversions across all devices.

Understanding mobile user behavior and embracing responsive design with a mobile-first approach is integral to optimizing your website for mobile users. By aligning your design choices and user experience with these principles, you can create a website that caters to the needs and preferences of your mobile audience. In the next sections, we will explore key elements of mobile optimization, provide actionable tips, and guide you through the process of creating a mobile-friendly website that delights your users on every device.

Key Elements of Mobile Optimization

Fast Loading Speed

Mobile users value speed and efficiency, so optimizing your website for fast loading is paramount. Slow-loading pages can be quite frustrating and lead to high bounce rates. To enhance loading speed, consider techniques such as image optimization, minifying code, and leveraging caching mechanisms. By reducing the file sizes of images and minimizing unnecessary code, you can significantly improve your website’s loading performance, resulting in a smoother and more engaging user experience.

Simplified Navigation and Intuitive Interface

Mobile users appreciate websites with intuitive navigation and streamlined interfaces. Simplify your website’s navigation menu by using a concise and hierarchical structure. Consider implementing a hamburger menu for compact mobile displays, allowing users to access additional pages with a single tap. Additionally, optimize the placement and visibility of key elements, such as search bars and call-to-action buttons, ensuring they are easily accessible to mobile users. By simplifying navigation and providing an intuitive interface, you enhance user satisfaction and encourage further exploration of your site.

Optimized Images and Media

Images and media elements contribute to the visual appeal of your website, but they can also impact loading speed if not optimized. Compress images without sacrificing quality to reduce file sizes, ensuring faster load times. Consider using responsive images that adapt to different screen sizes, delivering the appropriate resolution for each device. Additionally, employ techniques such as lazy loading, which loads images and media as users scroll, minimizing initial loading times. By optimizing images and media, you strike a balance between visual appeal and efficient performance on mobile devices.

By incorporating these key elements of mobile optimization into your website design, you can create a user-friendly and engaging experience for your mobile audience. In the upcoming sections, we will delve deeper into each element, providing practical tips and best practices to help you optimize your website for mobile users.

Features to Optimize for Mobile

Scalable fonts and appropriate text size

Text readability is paramount for mobile users, so it’s important to utilize scalable fonts and appropriate text sizes. Choose fonts that are legible on smaller screens and ensure that the text resizes smoothly as users adjust the device’s display settings. Aim for a text size that allows comfortable reading without zooming. Additionally, break up lengthy blocks of text into shorter paragraphs, use headings to provide hierarchy, and employ ample line spacing to enhance readability. By prioritizing legible and scalable text, you improve the accessibility and user experience for mobile visitors.

SEO Considerations to Optimize for Mobile

Mobile-first Indexing by Search Engines

In the realm of search engine optimization (SEO), mobile-first indexing has become increasingly important. Search engines like Google prioritize the mobile version of websites when indexing and ranking search results. This means that having a mobile-friendly website is not only crucial for user experience but also for SEO success. By ensuring your website is optimized for mobile devices, you increase its visibility and chances of ranking higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Importance of mobile-friendly design for SEO

A mobile-friendly design is not only beneficial for users but also for your website’s SEO performance. With the rise in mobile device usage, search engines prioritize websites that provide an excellent mobile experience. Mobile-friendly design factors such as responsive layouts, fast loading speed, and intuitive navigation contribute to a positive user experience. When users spend more time on your website, engage with its content, and have low bounce rates, it sends positive signals to search engines, ultimately boosting your SEO rankings.

Mobile-focused keyword optimization

Optimizing your website’s keywords for mobile search is an integral part of mobile optimization. Mobile users often have different search intents and behaviors compared to desktop users. They may use shorter and more conversational search queries. Conduct keyword research specifically targeting mobile users and identify keywords that align with their search intent. Tailor your content to address these mobile-focused keywords, ensuring that it provides valuable and concise information that answers their queries effectively. By optimizing your website for mobile-focused keywords, you increase your visibility to mobile users and improve your chances of attracting targeted organic traffic.

By understanding the significance of mobile-first indexing, the importance of mobile-friendly design for SEO, and mobile-focused keyword optimization, you can elevate your website’s visibility and rankings in mobile search results. Prioritizing a mobile-friendly design not only enhances user experience but also sends positive signals to search engines. Additionally, optimizing your website’s keywords for mobile search intents ensures that you attract relevant traffic to your mobile-optimized site. In the following sections, we will explore each topic in detail, providing actionable tips and best practices to help you achieve optimal mobile optimization for SEO.

Optimize for Mobile

In today’s mobile-dominated world, optimizing your website for mobile users is no longer an option—it’s a necessity. With mobile usage on the rise and search engines emphasizing mobile-first indexing, ensuring a seamless and engaging mobile experience is crucial for the success of your website.

By understanding mobile user behavior, implementing key mobile optimization elements, and embracing mobile-friendly features, you can create a website that captivates and delights your mobile audience. Responsive design, fast loading speed, intuitive navigation, clear content, and optimized images are essential ingredients for mobile success.

Auction Marketing Metrics: Statistics For Success

Posted on May 26, 2023September 29, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

Auction Marketing Metrics: Statistics For Success

From Data to Dollars: Auction Marketing Metrics for Profitability

In the fast-paced world of auction marketing, measuring marketing performance is crucial. Auctions require careful planning, targeted promotion, and effective execution to attract bidders, achieve optimal prices, and ensure success.

By measuring marketing performance, auction marketers gain insights into the effectiveness of their promotional efforts. They can evaluate data to refine their marketing approach, allocate resources, and make data-driven decisions for maximum auction success.

Interested in Digital Marketing Services for your next Auction?

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Defined for Auction Marketing

KPIs are specific metrics used to assess the performance and effectiveness of marketing efforts in auction marketing. These indicators vary depending on the goals of each auction but commonly include bidder registrations, inquiries, website traffic, social media engagement, email open rates, click-through rates, and the number of qualified bidders present.

By defining and tracking relevant KPIs, auction marketers gain insights into the success of their marketing campaigns, optimize their strategies, and achieve better results.

Overall Marketing KPIs

A. Return on Investment (ROI)

ROI measures the profitability and effectiveness of auction marketing campaigns. It compares the total revenue generated from the auction to the marketing costs.

By tracking ROI, auction marketers can identify which initiatives yield the highest returns, optimize budgets, and focus on tactics with the best results.

ROI = (Revenue – Cost) / Cost

In this equation, “Revenue” represents the total revenue generated from the auction, and “Cost” represents the total cost incurred for marketing the auction.

B. Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

CAC measures the cost associated with acquiring a new bidder or participant. By tracking CAC, auction companies can identify the most efficient marketing channels and tactics, maximizing the value generated from their investments and improving overall profitability.

CAC = Total Marketing Expenses / Number of New Customers Acquired

In this equation, “Total Marketing Expenses” refers to the sum of all marketing expenses, including advertising costs, campaign costs, and other related expenses. “Number of New Customers Acquired” refers to the count of new bidders or participants who were acquired as a result of the marketing efforts.

C. Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV)

CLTV measures the long-term value a bidder or participant brings. By understanding CLTV, auction companies can identify valuable customers, enhance loyalty and retention, and maximize revenue. This involves nurturing relationships, providing exceptional experiences, and offering additional opportunities for repeat participation.

CLTV = (Average Purchase Value) x (Average Purchase Frequency) x (Average Customer Lifespan)

Brand Awareness and Reach KPIs

Website Traffic

Website traffic indicates the level of interest and visibility an auction generates online. By analyzing website traffic, auction companies gain insights into visitor behavior, assess campaign effectiveness, optimize the user experience, and drive higher participation and bidding activity.

Social Media Followers

Having a robust social media presence is vital. The number of followers reflects an auction’s brand reach and popularity. Engaging followers through valuable content and timely updates creates a sense of community, driving interest and excitement. Social media followers also serve as a valuable audience for targeted marketing campaigns, increasing bidder participation.

Impressions and Reach

Impressions measure the number of times auction-related content is displayed, while reach refers to the unique number of individuals exposed to that content. Tracking impressions and reach helps auction companies assess campaign effectiveness, increase brand awareness, generate buzz, and expand the potential bidder base.

Engagement and Interaction KPIs

Click-Through Rate (CTR)

CTR measures the effectiveness of digital advertising and marketing campaigns. By analyzing CTR, auction marketers can assess ad performance, optimize strategies, and drive traffic to the auction website, increasing bidder participation and successful outcomes.

Conversion Rate

Conversion rate measures the percentage of website visitors who take a desired action. By tracking conversion rates, auction marketers gain insights into website performance, user experience, and the bidding process. Optimizing conversion rates ensures effective marketing efforts, driving participation and auction success.

Average Session Duration

Average Session Duration plays a crucial role in auction marketing. It measures the time spent by visitors on your auction website during a single session. This metric reveals valuable insights into the level of engagement and interest that visitors have in your auction offerings.

When the average session duration is longer, it indicates that visitors perceive your content as valuable, engaging, and informative. By analyzing this metric, auction marketers can pinpoint areas for improvement on their website. They can focus on enhancing content, improving navigation, and optimizing the overall user experience.

Increasing the average session duration brings multiple benefits. Firstly, it keeps visitors on your website for a longer period, allowing them more time to explore various auctions, place bids on items, and actively participate in the auction process. Secondly, a higher average session duration contributes to greater bidder engagement, ultimately leading to more successful auction outcomes.

Lead Generation and Sales KPIs

Lead Conversion Rate in Auction Marketing

The lead conversion rate is a vital measure in auction marketing. It gauges how effective you are at turning leads or potential bidders into active participants in an auction. Essentially, it tells you the percentage of leads who complete the desired action, like registering for an auction or placing a bid.

When your lead conversion rate is high, it indicates that your marketing and lead nurturing efforts are paying off. You’re successfully engaging and motivating potential bidders to take the desired action. It’s a positive sign that your strategies are working.

By analyzing the lead conversion rate, auction marketers can pinpoint areas that need improvement. This includes assessing their lead generation strategies, bidding processes, and communication channels. The goal is to optimize lead conversion and increase the chances of success.

To achieve this, it’s crucial to provide clear and compelling value propositions to potential bidders. Addressing any barriers or concerns they may have is also important. Additionally, nurturing leads through personalized and targeted communication can make a significant impact.

Ultimately, increasing the lead conversion rate has several benefits. It leads to higher bidder participation, which in turn increases competition. This heightened competition ultimately improves auction outcomes and can result in better overall results.

Cost per Acquisition (CPA) in Auction Marketing

In auction marketing, Cost per Acquisition (CPA) is a critical metric that measures the average cost of acquiring a new bidder or participant for an auction. To calculate CPA, you divide the total marketing costs for acquiring new bidders by the number of successful acquisitions.

By keeping an eye on CPA, auction marketers can evaluate the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of their marketing campaigns and channels. It helps you identify the most cost-efficient strategies and enables effective budget allocation. Lowering CPA is key to maximizing the value derived from marketing investments and improving overall auction profitability.

There are several ways to achieve a lower CPA. Optimizing bidding platforms, targeting specific audience segments, and leveraging data-driven insights to enhance marketing performance are all effective strategies. By doing so, you not only improve the financial efficiency of auction marketing but also free up more budget to allocate towards other marketing initiatives.

Monitoring and optimizing CPA are vital steps in ensuring the success and profitability of auction marketing efforts. By continually assessing and improving your CPA, you can make informed decisions that lead to better results and a stronger return on investment.

Content Marketing KPIs

Keyword Rankings in Auction Marketing

In auction marketing, keyword rankings are crucial for boosting the visibility and discoverability of your auction website in search engine results. When your website ranks higher for relevant keywords, it increases the chances of attracting organic traffic and potential bidders.

Monitoring keyword rankings allows auction marketers to evaluate the effectiveness of their search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. It helps them make informed decisions to enhance their website’s visibility. By conducting keyword research and optimizing website content, meta tags, and URLs, auction marketers can improve their keyword rankings and attract more targeted traffic.

Regularly tracking and analyzing keyword rankings is essential for identifying opportunities to optimize content, adapt marketing strategies, and stay ahead of competitors in the online auction landscape. It enables you to refine your approach and maintain a competitive edge.

Organic Traffic in Auction Marketing

Organic traffic refers to visitors who land on your auction website through unpaid search engine results. It is a critical metric in auction marketing as it represents an audience that actively searches for auction-related terms and discovers your website naturally.

Increasing organic traffic is a primary goal for auction marketers as it indicates the effectiveness of their SEO efforts and the relevance of their website content. To attract a larger share of organic traffic, auction marketers focus on optimizing the website structure, improving keyword targeting, and creating valuable and engaging content.

Analyzing organic traffic data provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of different marketing campaigns, content strategies, and website optimization techniques. It helps you understand what works and what needs improvement. By increasing organic traffic, you expand your reach, enhance brand visibility, and increase the chances of attracting qualified bidders to participate in your auctions.

Conclusion

In auction marketing, choosing the right key performance indicators (KPIs) is vital for success. These metrics act as guideposts to measure marketing effectiveness and drive desired outcomes. By identifying and tracking the appropriate KPIs, auction marketers gain valuable insights to make data-driven decisions and optimize their strategies.

Regularly monitoring, analyzing, and adjusting KPIs is crucial in the dynamic auction market landscape. Customer behaviors and trends can change rapidly, so consistently evaluating selected KPIs helps identify areas for improvement, seize emerging opportunities, and address potential challenges. Continuous monitoring allows marketers to detect deviations from targets and take timely corrective actions for optimal performance.

Moreover, leveraging KPI-driven strategies is key to maximizing marketing performance in the auction industry. By aligning marketing activities with specific KPIs, auction marketers can focus efforts on areas that have the most significant impact on their goals. Whether it’s increasing bidder participation, driving sales revenue, or enhancing customer satisfaction, KPI-driven strategies provide a clear roadmap to success. Regular analysis of KPI data enables marketers to fine-tune campaigns, optimize resource allocation, and deliver targeted messages to the right audience.

In the fast-paced and competitive world of auction marketing, understanding the importance of selecting relevant KPIs, monitoring performance, and optimizing strategies based on these KPIs is crucial for success. Embracing a data-driven approach and utilizing KPIs as actionable insights empowers auction marketers to drive growth, achieve objectives, and thrive in the dynamic auction marketplace.

Website Security: Why is it Important?

Posted on April 28, 2023November 8, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

If you are an avid, or even average, user of the internet, you may have run into the issue of clicking on a website that isn’t secure. You’re happily scrolling away, checking out new websites, until you find a site that won’t let you see past the search engine results page (depending on your browser and browser settings), coming up with an error message that will most likely say, “This website is not secure”.

What does this error message mean? Most likely, it means that a website has an outdated security protocol. A website with which the scheme of the URL begins with “HTTP” is outdated and is vulnerable to security issues and hackers. Worst case scenario, it means a site is completely compromised, and should not be visited.

It may be obvious, but when someone is visiting your site, upon seeing it’s not secure, may be more inclined to leave the site and never return, as they do not trust the site anymore. When it comes to auctions, people are entering their credit or debit card information, and want to be able to trust that that information is secure.

Having a website that is not secure is clearly very bad for business, as the goal is to keep people on your site long enough to complete a sale or bid, which won’t be happening if no one makes it past the search engine results page.

If you are running your own auction website, you will most likely want it to be secure, as this shows your website is trustworthy and safe for your visitors, keeping them coming back time and time again.

If you are unsure about what website security means, don’t worry! Read on to learn the basics of website security, and what you should be doing to ensure your website is as secure as it can be.

What is Website Security?

Website security is the foundation of a good, solid website that engages in practices and applications to protect your information and technology . Having a secure website proves trustworthiness to your visitors and prevents unwanted attacks to your site. With the internet continuously growing and changing there is always an existence of cyber threats which is why Web Security is taken more seriously.

The most common foundation of a secure site is that the protocol “HTTPS” is enabled. “HTTPS” ensures that all traffic to and from the site is encrypted, so your data and your visitors’ data are more secure. On the internet, you can tell a site has “HTTPS” enabled when you see that they have a little lock symbol next to their URL on the address bar.

What is HTTPS?

It is an acronym for the phrase “hypertext transfer protocol secure”. It is the secure, encrypted version of HTTP. HTTP (hypertext transfer protocol) is essential to the function of the web, and is responsible for the processing, rendering, and delivering of webpages from the servers to the browser of the person searching the internet.

When a person or a browser interacts with the HTTP, a request is being performed. A request is what happens when you perform an action, such as a click, on a site. It is before and after the click that security issues can happen if HTTPS is not enabled. Attackers can intercept the request between the user and the server, manipulating the information, or tweaking the code, to change what the user sees. In a lot of cases, the user can gain knowledge of the user’s login information, thus gaining access to anything within their accounts, such as credit cards and personal information.

Having HTTPS enabled means that the requests are encrypted, so anyone trying to snoop will be unable to plainly see what the user or the server is trying to do.

Check your website security here, to see if you meet Google’s requirements!

How to Make a Secure Website

How do you enable HTTPS? The best way is to have an SSL (now called TLS) certificate installed. SSL stands for “Secure Sockets Layer”. SSL is the older version of this kind of security. Now, most sites use what is called TLS, which stands for “Transport Layer Security”. To clear up any confusion, SSL has become the catch-all term for this level of security, so sometimes TLS is still referred to as SSL.

What Does an SSL or TLS Do?

What they do is ultimately create a form of a key that only the computer of the user who is performing the request, and the server that is reading that request, can understand. If the only entities that can understand this are the user and the server, then it is essentially safe from attackers.

What Else Makes a Website Secure?

It is also very important to know that where you’re hosting your website is secure. At Auctioneer Software, we utilize the largest, and most advanced data center in this side of the eastern US. The Switch Data Center is top of the line when it comes to data hosting. Check out their site to see the location we utilize!

Host with Auctioneer Software

Reliable and secure, Auctioneer Software is the right choice for all your website hosting needs. There won’t be any lost connection during the crucial moments of an auction. Contact us today to get started on your journey towards a more secure website!

Getting Started With SEO: A Beginner’s Guide

Posted on April 26, 2023April 22, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

A strong online presence is more important than ever due to the rise in the popularity of smartphones, and looking to the internet for all of your answers.

With millions of websites from across the world, it can be a daunting task to make your site stand out from the crowd.

This is where search engine optimization (SEO) can be handy. SEO is the practice of optimizing your website to produce better rankings in search engine results pages (SERPs).

This helps match your company’s products and services pop up quicker when potential customers are searching for them online.

In this Blog, we will cover some of the key reasons why creating an SEO Marketing Strategy is so important.

Auctioneer Software is a full-service Digital Marketing agency located in Grand Rapids Michigan! Check out our marketing services and see how Auctioneer Software can help with your next auction!

Benefits of A Strong and Consistent SEO Marketing Strategy

Increased Visibility and Traffic

One of the leading benefits of SEO is increased visibility and traffic. Your site’s visibility in search results is crucial for getting noticed by potential customers. When your website ranks high on search engine results pages, it’s more likely that people will click through to your site. This can lead to increased traffic, which can ultimately result in more leads, sales, and revenue.

Better User Experience

Search engines like Google place a high priority on user experience because that’s most important. You always want to make your users happy so they continue to use your site and spread the word. Websites that are easy to navigate, load quickly, and provide relevant information are more likely to rank higher in SERPs. By optimizing your website for SEO, you’re also improving the overall user experience for your visitors. This can drastically affect how your customers interact with your site.

Cost Efficient Marketing

SEO is quite economical when compared to traditional marketing methods like print or TV ads. While it does require an investment of time and resources, the long-term benefits of an SEO marketing strategy can be significant. A well-optimized website will provide a better experience and continue to rank higher in search engine results pages. This will continue driving traffic to your site without ongoing advertising expenses.

Increased Credibility and Authority

A website that ranks higher in search engine results will appear more credible and authoritative. This can lead to increased trust among potential customers. By consistently producing high-quality content and optimizing your website for SEO, you can build credibility and domain authority for your topic.

Competitive Advantage

Additionally, SEO can give your business a competitive advantage. If your website is optimized for SEO and ranks higher than your competitor’s sites, you’re more likely to attract visitors and generate leads. This can ultimately result in more sales and revenue for your business.

In Conclusion, SEO is beneficial for the following reasons.

Increase Visibility and Traffic.

Improve User Experience.

Reduce Marketing Costs

Credibility and Authority

Competitive Advantage

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The Basics of SEO

Search engines like Google use complex algorithms to determine which websites should rank higher in SERPs. These algorithms consider factors like the relevance of your content to the search query, the quality of your website’s content and user experience, and the number of backlinks pointing to your website.

Keyword Research

One of the most important things you can do to improve your website’s SEO is to do keyword research. Keyword research is the process of finding the right keywords to target on your website. To simplify, It is optimizing your website’s keywords to match ones frequently used by customers in Google search.

You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush to find the right keywords for your website. Once you’ve identified your keywords, you should incorporate them into your website’s content and metadata.

Optimize Meta Data

Metadata is the information that search engines use to understand what your website is about. This includes your website’s title tag, meta description, and header tags. Your title tag should be a concise description of your website’s content and include your target keywords. Your meta description should be a summary of your web page’s content and include your target keywords. Header tags are used to break up your content and make it easier to read.

Create Quality Content

Creating quality content is key to improving your website’s SEO. Your content should be relevant to your target audience, informative, and engaging. When creating content, keep your target keywords in mind, but don’t stuff your content with them. Instead, incorporate your keywords naturally into your content.

Build Backlinks

Backlinks are incoming links to your page from other websites. Search engines view backlinks as a vote of confidence in your content. The more backlinks you have from high-quality websites, the higher your website will rank in SERPs. You can build backlinks by creating quality content that other websites will want to link to, or by reaching out to other website owners and asking them to link to your website.

Monitor Your Websites Performance

SEO is an ongoing process, and it’s important to monitor your website’s performance regularly. You can use tools like Google Analytics or SEMrush to track your website’s traffic, keyword rankings, and backlinks. By monitoring your website’s performance, you can identify areas for improvement and adjust your SEO strategy as needed.

Conclusion

In conclusion, SEO and creating an SEO marketing strategy can seem overwhelming at first, but it doesn’t have to be. By understanding the basics of SEO, doing keyword research, optimizing your website’s metadata, creating quality content, building backlinks, and monitoring your website’s performance, you can improve your website’s SEO and drive more traffic to your site. If you find SEO to be quite daunting, Auctioneer Software in Grand Rapids, MI excels at all things Digital Marketing!

Still need convincing? Check out this great article 15 Reasons Why Your Business Absolutely Needs SEO from Search Engine Journal!

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Captivate and Educate: How to Create Interesting Niche Content for Anyone

Posted on April 24, 2023November 19, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

Are you trying to draw in the right people for your auction business? Are you looking to create actionable, interesting content? If so, then finding your niche may be what you need. Finding your niche may lead you to a loyal audience that keeps returning for more.

So how do you cater to this audience? One way to find and keep people is by creating content that they will want to read. Creating content for a niche can be a challenge, so let’s make it easier for you by giving you the top tips for writing quality niche content. Read on to learn more!

What Is a Niche?

A niche is a smaller piece of the larger whole. Whether that larger whole is a content topic or the type of target audience you have, it is important to establish your niche. This will give you topics and ideas for content that are easier to target. For example, it is easier to target the niche “small business liquidation auctions”, than it is to target “liquidation auctions” because you have now chosen an exact audience with a particular need. Finding your niche helps you be more specific, thus attracting a more loyal, organic audience and traffic.

When you find your niche, you may want to begin writing and creating content to fit within it. Creating subject matter that targets your niche can help you become known to the audience that fits within that niche.

How to Find Your Audience

Besides basing your content and business ventures on what is most popular for you, it is good to know the demographics of your audience. This can help you narrow down your niche as well. Contact us to learn more about your audience and to see how the Marketing Department can help you target your audience and niche better!

How Can a Niche be Beneficial?

A niche can be very beneficial in many ways.

· Less Competition: There are fewer competing auctions and people fighting for the attention of your audience if you are targeting a niche.

· Brand Advantage: You can be the first brand to establish itself as a leading expert in that niche, giving yourself the opportunity to become as synonymous to your niche as Ebay is to auctions.

· Loyalty: A smaller audience means more opportunities to connect on a personal level.

Niche Content and SEO

If your company wants to pull in and attract more of a specific kind of audience, then you should be using SEO practices when creating your content. SEO stands for “search engine optimization”, and is the practice of placing popular keywords within your content, with the goal of gaining the attention of search engines. This causes you to rank higher on search engine results pages. Ranking higher on results pages means people are more likely to find and click on your content.

SEO allows you to use keywords that are specific to your niche. This lets you target your niche subjects better and put yourself in the view of your specific audience. Contact us today to see how our SEO services can work for you!

How Do You Find Your Niche?

Now that you are aware of the fact that targeting a niche is a good strategy for your auction company, you may be wondering how, exactly, you can find your niche. When looking for your niche, it is important to keep these themes in mind:

· What topics do you want to focus on? What are you passionate about? Knowing what you want to create when it comes to your business ahead of time can help you have ideas about what niche you want to target. For example, if you have a passion for writing about real estate, you can create content to target a specific niche of a specific type of real estate, like farmland, as that would make it easier to gain traffic.

· Research the markets of your interests or business: Knowing your market can help you learn where there is a lack of representation. If you want to target the subject matter of ”auction services” but see there is no one advertising for or creating content for the topic of “land auction services in Colorado” then you have found a niche to target.

· If you already have a business: Research your audience and what seems to be the most popular auction category for you. That can give you an idea of what niche to target.

· Be specific: Broad topics have more competitive populations when it comes to representation online and otherwise.

· Research niche competition: This allows you to gather ideas based on what your competition is doing.

How to Make Your Content for All, While Still targeting Your Niche

· Keep an eye on what’s trending: Following popular trends that fit well with your content to gain the attention of a wider audience.

· Be personable: This helps you reach outside your audience, build rapport with them, and educate them on something they may not know but is still easy to learn due to your overall tone and presentation of the topics. Having a personable tone also shows ease of knowledge and can position you as a popular authority in the niche.

· Be an expert: Asking questions, creating lists, and writing “how to” articles are very popular blog ideas. People who are looking for these types of blogs will see you as a thought leader in your niche, hopefully bringing steady and new traffic. Use visuals and concrete evidence to back up what you are saying, and you’ll be well on your way to being an expert.

· Know how to answer common questions in your niche: This will bring new people looking to get common questions answered to you.

Beware of Going to Niche

If you find yourself with little to no competition or audience, you may have gone too niche. If you are targeting the very specific niche of “green diamond and yellow gold jewelry auctions” rather than “diamond jewelry auctions” you may run into these issues. Remember, absolutely no competition means absolutely no traffic.

No matter the size of your business, you can benefit from targeting your niche with good, quality content. Contact Spectrum Net Designs today to learn more about our content writing services and see how we can increase traffic to you!

Looking for help with your content? Check out our digital marketing services!

Real Estate Auction Listing: How to stand out.

Posted on March 23, 2023May 17, 2023 by Kurt Kaptein

Creating an Exceptional Real Estate Auction Listing.

An auction listing serves as the primary way to showcase and market a property being sold. A great listing provides potential bidders with all of the essential information to bid confidently. The listing should include photos, descriptions, and any other relevant details about the property for sale.

A well-designed auction listing can help attract more bidders and increase the chances of achieving a higher sale price. It can also provide a level of transparency and credibility to the auction process. A great listing sets clear expectations for bidders regarding the product’s condition and value.

Additionally, a real estate auction listing can serve as a legal document that outlines the terms and conditions of the sale. This information is critical for both the buyer and the seller to ensure transparency and that the transaction runs smoothly. This keeps both parties satisfied with the outcome of the purchase.

Overall, an auction listing is essential because it provides critical information about the product being sold. It also helps establish trust in the auction process.

Need Help Marketing Your Next Auction?

Elements of a Well-Crafted Real Estate Listing

1. Start with a catchy headline: Your headline should grab the attention of potential buyers and entice them to check your listing. Be clear and concise, highlighting any unique features that may stand out for your property. Use descriptive language to hit the high points while keeping it clear and concise! Be mindful of popular phrasing and keywords to ensure that your listing is easily searchable.

2. Provide high-quality photos: Use high-quality photos that showcase the property. Make sure to include photos of the interior and exterior of the property; the more the better. Include close-ups of anything that you think potential bidders would like to see before purchasing.

3. Write a compelling property description: Your property description should be informative and engaging. It should also highlight the key selling points of the property. Make sure to include important details such as the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage, and any recent upgrades or renovations.

4. Highlight the location: The location of the property can be a key selling point. Make sure to highlight any nearby amenities, such as schools, parks, shopping centers, or public transportation.

5. Include relevant documents: Be sure to include relevant documents such as floor plans, surveys, or inspection reports.

6. Provide clear instructions for bidding: Make sure to provide clear instructions for the auction proceedings. This includes how potential buyers can bid on the property and any deadlines that they need to be aware of.

7. Be transparent about the auction process: Be clear and straightforward about any fees or commissions that will be charged. Also, be clear of any conditions of sale that buyers need to be aware of.

Create an Exceptional Real Estate Listing: Conclusion

A well-designed real estate auction listing can help attract more bidders and increase the chances of achieving a higher sale price. It can also provide a level of transparency and credibility to the auction process. A great listing sets clear expectations for bidders regarding the product’s condition and value.

Need Help Taking your Auctions Online? Lets Talk!

How to Maintain a Social Media Schedule

Posted on December 5, 2022September 17, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

How to Maintain a Social Media Schedule

If you’ve ever wondered how often you should post to your social media, you’re not alone! That is one of the most asked questions we hear from our marketing clients at Auctioneer Software! We also often hear that people have trouble maintaining a consistent posting schedule, which can be a challenge if you don’t have a system to keep track of your content and when it goes out!

While there is no right answer, and it can vary between each platform, there is a sweet spot of posting frequency that is easy to maintain AND keeps the social media algorithms happy! A perfect way to make sure you aren’t falling behind in your social posts or getting too post-happy is to create and maintain a social media schedule! Read on for tips on creating and maintaining a social schedule as well as our recommendations for the best platforms to schedule social posts!

Consistency is Key!

One of the main reasons to have a social media schedule is to maintain consistency with posting! At the beginning of every month, take time to identify all the content and ideas you have and want to post and space them out on your calendar so there are consistent posts throughout the whole month, across all platforms! Be sure to space out your topics as well, so your content can stay varied, and your followers don’t get burnt out.

How often you post also depends on your average engagement and the number of followers you have on any given platform! If you have only a few followers that don’t engage with your posts and photos very often, you’ll want to stick to one or two posts a week, as to not overwhelm them AND the algorithm. If you post too much, the algorithms on social platforms will start to interfere and not show your post to as many people. However, if you have a strong following with decent engagement, posting every other day to once a day is great!

If you’re searching for a content calendar template, HubSpot offers a great option that is easy to use! If you’re looking for websites that will schedule your social posts to multiple platforms, check out Loomly or Hootsuite! If you use mostly just Facebook and Instagram, and have your accounts connected, Facebook Creator Studio is a great tool as well!

Ready to get started with creating and maintaining a social media calendar but still need some help? Give us a call or contact us today – let’s chat!

Need some help getting started with social media marketing? We can help!

How to Create Powerful SEO Content

Posted on November 14, 2022December 6, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

How to Create Powerful SEO Content

Powerful SEO Content Creation Made Easy!

Doug R Thoma: — “Do as much as you can to establish yourself as an entity, in the sense of having a consistent brand across all your owned properties. For local businesses, this is social media, local listings, and domains & websites.”

Let’s start with the basics: What is SEO?

Firstly, SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, which is the technique to ensure that a site is reachable to a search engine and improves the chances of being easily found.

SEO is a valuable tool for brand awareness, building relationships with prospects, and positioning yourself as a trustworthy expert in your field.

Every business wants more leads; they’re the start of every sales journey… And the only way to make more sales is by acquiring more leads. So, let’s dive into the how!

It is important to build three important key principles:

Relevance: Creating content is like creating stories by the campfire. Storytelling creates a personal connection to a reader – an interaction between a brand and a customer. The main goal is to draw your potential client in by catching their attention. Be Relevant, If they find the information they’re looking for on your site, they’re less likely to return to Google within seconds and explore a different result.

🔑Always keep your audience in mind.

User Satisfaction: Keep the fire going, and create in-depth content that helps the prospect find solutions to problems, quickly. Satisfy the reader’s intent. Understanding search intent can be the secret ingredient that brings your content strategy from okay to outstanding. It doesn’t just stop there… Page speed, and quality content, are important to have all up to standards for the reader’s engagement.

🔑Take a step in their shoes.

Authority: Creating high-quality (educational, shareable, and memorable) content relating to your industry is key to building authority and trust among your customers and potential business leads. Ever heard of the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”? Therefore, visuals like charts, graphs, videos, etc. will help you build a deeper connection with your readers.

🔑Engage! Respond to all queries, comments, and customer service issues openly and quickly.

Regardless of if you’re an SEO expert or just getting started, keeping these three important concepts in mind while creating your SEO strategy will help you go far and see the results you desire!

Need some help getting started with Powerful SEO Content Creation and Search Engine Optimization? We can help!

Utilizing Natural Language for Search Engine Optimization

Posted on February 9, 2022December 6, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

Utilizing Natural Language for Search Engine Optimization

What language do you use when writing content and choosing keywords and key phrases for SEO?

When creating content and choosing keywords and key phrases, it is important to think about how a person speaks and how they search in Google. While search engines like Google use robots to crawl and rank your website, it is important to write for humans, NOT for robots – that’s why utilizing natural language for search engine optimization is so important!

In the old days of SEO, it was common for a webpage to have very obvious keyword stuffing – which was the method of choosing a few keywords and stuffing your content with them. It would make the page hard and unnatural sounding to read to a human, but the crawler robots loved it. In the more modern age of SEO, the focus has shifted to using natural sounding language, as well as opting for a key phrase instead of just a single keyword. Nowadays, SEO is about optimizing your content and your website for what people are actually searching for – which includes how they phrase their search queries. Semantics and the intent of the search is now more important than the actual search itself. In order to adapt to this new way of searching, natural language is being used more and more in SEO.

Read on to learn more about natural language and how to utilize it in your search engine optimization!

What is natural language

Using natural language, in the context of SEO, means using language and text in your content and on your website that is similar to how a human naturally speaks and communicates. Natural language can also be described as ordinary and non-artificial. Nowadays, search engines like Google use Natural Language Processing as they crawl webpages to determine the meaning, intent, and context of the text on the page. This helps search engines provide more accurate search results and reward pages with well written content with natural language.

Semantics and Key phrases

So what does this mean for SEO? When you are writing content or optimizing a webpage, be sure to focus on creating valuable content that is easy to read and understand. Don’t focus as much on what you think a robot wants to see, instead focus on the overall meaning of the page as a whole and how a reader or visitor would experience the webpage. Instead of choosing a single keyword and trying to include it in every other sentence, choose a key phrase (AKA a long-tailed keyword) that is 1-4 words. While you don’t want to have too many words in your key phrase, more than one won’t hurt – it will help search engines understand the content of your page better!

Natural sounding search queries

With the advancing technology of search engines as well as new user experiences like voice-to-text, people’s search queries are turning into phrases, questions, and sometimes whole sentences. According to HubSpot, as of June 2021, 92% of all search queries are long-tailed keywords and 14% of Google searches are a question. Google uses its natural language processing capabilities to understand the meaning and semantics of the question that is being searched and compares it to websites with similar content and semantics to determine and generate the best, most accurate search results. Your keyword or keyphrase doesn’t have to be the exact question to rank for a question search query, as long as it has valuable content that answers the question that is being searched it has a high chance of being ranked high as a valuable result!

Overall, now that search engines use natural language processing to determine the semantics and overall meaning of webpages to deliver better search results for users, it is important to use natural language and a natural writing style when creating content or optimizing webpages. Want to learn more or need help with optimizing your website? Contact us today!

Need some help getting started with search engine optimization? We can help!

Exploring LinkedIn Creator Mode

Posted on January 27, 2022December 6, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

Exploring LinkedIn Creator Mode

Have you heard about Creator Mode - one of the newest LinkedIn features?

If you are an auction professional who wants to connect and network with other auction professionals, LinkedIn Creator Mode is a great tool that you should start utilizing! While LinkedIn wouldn’t be the ideal social platform to market your individual auctions and auction items as it is a more professional, business oriented platform, it IS great for networking, connecting with other auction industry professionals, and marketing your professional business as a whole. It can help you grow your following, establish your voice, and help you and your business get discovered by a wider audience. Read on to learn more about the features of LinkedIn Creator Mode!

What is Creator Mode?

LinkedIn Creator Mode was built for users who regularly share content with their network to display their knowledge and expertise in an industry or about a specific topic. It is a setting in your profile that can be turned on, which then promotes users posts and encourages other users to follow that user.

People who identify themselves as Creators also like to build online communities, often creating groups, and topic conversation threads, and striving to connect other like-minded individuals. While any LinkedIn user can use Creator Mode, it will be most beneficial if you post frequently and have a wide variety of things to share and say.

How to turn it on

Creator Mode can easily be turned on from your dashboard! From your profile page:

Scroll down the page a bit, to the “your dashboard” section. Underneath your page stats, you’ll see the Creator Mode section with a toggle to turn it on!
Since creator mode is all about getting your content out there to a wider audience, you must add 1-5 topics in the form of hashtags that are the most similar to your industry and what you post about the most. Picking both broad and niche topics will help the LinkedIn algorithm circulate your content to best represent your content and your brand.
After you choose your topics, click “save” and you’ll be ready to go! You can either continue to follow the prompts or exit the pop-up altogether. Keep in mind that you can always come back and change your topics and preferences at a later time as well.

Content ideas

Now that you’re a LinkedIn Creator, you’ll have to be sure to continue to post frequently to allow your posts and content to be shown to the larger audience and to experience all the great things that Creator Mode can offer!

To help you get started, here are some possible ideas and topics to post about!:

Your personal experience in the auction industry – try to write your narrative and experience in a way that others can understand and take something to learn from it! After all, LinkedIn is about sharing your experiences so others can grow and get ideas!
How you run your auction company – Since LinkedIn is primarily a business-oriented social platform, talking about your business is a no-brainer! Share helpful tips that you have learned throughout your years in the industry. If you have a special method or a unique way of doing something that others might not – share that! You never know what someone else can relate to or want to connect with you!
Ask questions! – Asking your peers and colleagues in the auction industry questions is a great way to connect with others and learn from each other! Questions are also a great way to start a conversation thread to network and meet new people as well as bounce thoughts and new ideas off each other!

Overall, while LinkedIn can be a social platform that can often get overlooked, there are many great tools – like Creator Mode – that can help you and your business succeed!

Need help getting started with social media? Want some more content ideas? Get in touch with us, or contact us today! We are always happy to help!

Need some help getting started with LinkedIn Creator Mode? We can help!

Lead Generation Campaigns for your Auctions

Posted on January 19, 2022November 6, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

Lead Generation Campaigns for your Auctions

Do you have a digital marketing strategy but aren’t getting the leads you thought you would from it? While marketing campaigns are great at creating brand awareness and generating content for your bidders, you might need a more specific lead generation campaign to bring in new customers. In this blog post we will review what a lead generation campaign is, what a lead is, the different types of leads, as well as give some examples on what a lead generation campaign can look like!

First things first – what is a lead?

In order to understand what a lead generation campaign is, it is important to know what a lead is! A lead is a person who shows interest in your company and your services in any way, shape or form. There are different types of leads: marketing qualified leads, product qualified leads, sales qualified leads, and service qualified leads, to name a few! Three common types of leads that will mostly likely interact with your auction company are marketing qualified leads (MQLs), service qualified leads (SQLs), and product qualified leads (PQLs).

Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs)

A marketing qualified lead is a person who shows interest in your company, product, or service after interacting or engaging with anything in your marketing campaign. This can include interacting with paid ads, organic social posts, landing pages, email newsletters, postcards, and more! An example of a marketing qualified lead would be someone who click on a social media post about an upcoming auction or a potential customer who filled out a form that indicates their interest in selling their item in an upcoming auction. Most of the time, MQLs require a bit more interaction and research before they are ready to fully engage and partake in your product or service.

Service Qualified Leads and Product Qualified Leads

Service and product qualified leads are people who have indicated that the would like to learn more and are ready to be contacted by the sales team and have expressed interest that they would like to become a paying customer. A person who has tried a free trial and is ready to commit and be upgraded to a paid version is an example of a product qualified lead (PQL). An example of a Service Qualified Lead (SQL) would be if a customer has already subscribed to you for free, but has indicated they would like to upgrade their services and become a paying customer.

Lead Generation Campaign

A lead generation campaign is a specific marketing effort that is intended to bring in leads. This is done through nurturing potential customers with the goal of turning them into a lead and then eventually a paying customer. A lead generation campaign doesn’t have to cost money, it can be through any channel, like email newsletters, your blog posts, or social media. However, incorporating paid advertising into your lead generation campaign will help your campaign be more successful. Whatever you choose to use, it should direct visitors to a landing page, where they can download more information, fill out a form, and have their information passed along to the appropriate channel.

A typical lead generation flow looks like this:

Visitor discovers your company from your marketing efforts like paid advertising, blog posts, or social media.
Visitor is interested and clicks on a call-to-action button (either on your ads, in your blog posts, on your company Facebook page, etc)
The call-to-action button brings the visitor to a landing page where they can receive valuable content and leave their information via a form they fill out in exchange for the valuable content.

Want to learn more about lead generation campaigns or want help creating and implementing a lead generation campaign for your website? Send us an email, give us a call, or contact us today!

Need some help getting started with lead generation campaigns? We can help!

Yearly Content Audit – 2022 is Here!

Posted on January 11, 2022July 30, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

Yearly Content Audit – 2022 is Here!

2022 is here and its time for your yearly content audit! Now that it’s already the second week of the new year, it’s time to get serious about your content marketing strategy for 2022. Are you going to stick what you’ve been doing, or try something new? Before you decide, it’s a good idea to complete a content audit to determine if last’s year’s content strategy worked or if it could have been better.

Read on for tips on how to conduct a yearly content audit as well as some new, fresh marketing ideas to try this year!

Yearly Content Audit: Evaluate your Current Strategy

First things first, before your marketing strategy can be improved, you must identify what you have done – or didn’t do at all – in 2021! Create an excel doc with a tab for each one of your marketing areas. For example, a tab for organic social media, blog posts, email newsletters, etc. Then, fill in each sheet with all of the content that you created for each area over the past year. Some helpful metrics to keep in mind when evaluating your social media content impact are impressions, reach, and pageviews. Page views are the number of times your page has been viewed. Reach measures the number of unique views a post (or page) has received. Impressions show how many times your post has showed up in someone’s timeline – NOTE: impressions include multiple appearances. For example, if a user scrolled by it in their timeline two days in a row, that would count as two impressions. Once you have everything laid out, complete with all the stats and traffic results, you’ll have a better understanding of what worked and what didn’t work.

Pro tip: your yearly content audit won’t be as much of a hassle if you add your content to an excel doc as you go throughout the year! Try adding an excel doc to your list of organizational tools for this upcoming year!

Repurpose your content

Just because it’s a new year doesn’t mean you have to come up with all new content. While it is a good idea to create new content to keep it fresh and keep your audience engaged, it’s also okay to repurpose older content and make it new again – as long as it’s still relevant! Spruce up and re-optimize older blog posts, then take that content and put it into newsletters and social posts. And vice versa – expand on short social media posts to create new, longer blog posts!

Think outside the box

Take some chances and think outside of the box when it comes to content marketing this year! Your customers may appreciate seeing something new. If you have very specific “boring” branded colors, try adding a pop of color into your graphics. Ask a fun survey question on social media that will get your followers to respond and interact with you! Add a cheesy joke section at the end of every email newsletter. Anything that will mix things up and make your company stand out will give your content marketing strategy a fresh new life!

Want some more content marketing strategy tips? Don’t know where to start when it comes to creating a yearly content analysis? Let us help!

Need some help getting started with content marketing? We can help!

How to Avoid Holiday Hackers

Posted on December 16, 2021December 6, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

How to Avoid Holiday Hackers

Don't get hacked this holiday season!

With the holiday season in full swing, it is important to beware of Holiday Hackers. Hackers take advantage of the busy holiday season when people are most distracted to access their accounts and steal and use their valuable personal information. Hacking typically increases over holidays but it is always happening, so if you haven’t updated your password in a while, do it today! Read on to become aware of the many different methods hackers use to gain access to your account as well as tips and do’s & don’t when it comes to creating a new password.

A few of the most common types of methods to be aware of are phishing emails, key loggers, cookie theft, and easily guessed passwords.

Phishing Emails

Almost everyone has received a phishing email at least once in their life. Phishing emails can be disguised as emails from your boss, coworker, a large organization (like Amazon or Netflix, Apple, etc), or a person you trust. The goal of phishing emails is to get you to click on a link or attachment within the email. Phishing emails will do this by

Informing you that someone has tried to log into an account that you should change your password
Claim there is an issue with your account with a link to a funny video or something else to click on
Asking you to confirm personal information
Offering free items
Pretending to be a friend or close contact sending you an email link to a funny video, or something else to click on
Presenting to be your employer and asking you to purchase gift cards

Key Loggers

A key logger is a small piece of software that will record every keystroke you make once it’s downloaded to your computer. The hacker can then access every keystroke you make and therefore all of your information like usernames, credit card numbers, passwords, and more.

Cookie Theft

Everyone is probably familiar with tracking cookies – most websites ask you to accept their tracking cookies the first time you visit. Accepting cookies is generally fine to do. However, think twice about accepting cookies from sketchy websites, and always be sure the website you are visiting has a valid SSL certificate. Website addresses that begin with https:// are secure, while http:// (with no s) are NOT secure.

Password Security

A common way hackers gain access to your accounts is by guessing your passwords based on information they can find about you from your social media accounts and the information available to them on the internet.

When creating a new password:

DO choose a password that you will remember, but will be difficult for others to guess

DO use a password manager to securely store your passwords

there are a wide variety of different apps and websites that can help you store and remember your passwords. Apple Keychain is great for iPhone users and if you use Chrome as your default browser on your computer or laptop, Google Chrome Password Manager is free for everyone to use as part of the browser.

DO mix up your security question answers

Some websites and accounts require security questions in addition to passwords. Instead of answering the questions truthfully, with information that could be relatively easy for a hacker to find out, try thinking of different answers that you can still relate to and will be able to remember. Example: Instead of putting the name of your hometown, do the first place you visited on vacation. Instead of first crush, put down the name of your first CELEBRITY crush. Instead of your first car, enter your dream car. Small changes that are relevant and personal to you but that cannot be found out as easily.

** Disclaimer: only do this if you can remember the different answers so you don’t get locked out of your account in the future! **

DON’T use short passwords that could be easy to guess (example: adamsstreet21)

DON’T create passwords based on any familiar words such as pet names, street names, spouse names, etc.

DON’T use passwords that could be easy to guess based on your personal information (for example: your last name, first name, middle name, etc.)

DON’T create passwords based on any information that could be found online (for example: mother’s maiden name, address, birthday, child’s name, etc.)

Make sure your passwords are at least 8+ characters long for more security while utilizing special characters and capital letters in the mix.

DON’T use consecutive numbers or letters (for example: abc123 or anything similar)

DON’T use the same password for every single account and website. While we realize it can be hard to have a different password for every account you have, but we recommend having at least 4-5 passwords for variation.

DON’T store your password where it can easily be found

Stay safe from holiday hackers this holiday season and keep your accounts secure! Want to learn more about website security and make sure you’re website is secure? Give us a call or contact us today, we’d love to help!

Need some help with website security? We can help!

Tips for a Clean, Professional Instagram Aesthetic

Posted on November 3, 2021December 6, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

Tips for a Clean, Professional Instagram Aesthetic

When it comes to presenting your company and your brand on social media, it is important to have a clean, professional look. While this is important for all social media platforms, it is especially important to keep in mind when creating and posting to your Instagram account, as Instagram is a very visual platform. Read on for some tips and ideas on how to create and keep a clean, professional Instagram aesthetic.

Evaluate your current Instagram Strategy

The first step to improving is evaluating your current Instagram marketing strategy. Take a look at your current Instagram profile and ask yourself: are the pictures cohesive to one another or are they completely different in color, style, and overall feel? Are the majority of your post pictures graphics, actual images, or text? A mix of both? Do these posts accurately represent my company and the brand I want to be? These are all things to consider when evaluating and determining your new Instagram marketing strategy.

Know you audience

While you may have an idea of what you’d like to see on your Instagram account, your ideal target audience may want to see something else! You may think they want to see one thing, but they might want to see posts and learn about other facets of your business and industry that you might not think of! An easy way to help get content ideas is to create a quick, fun poll or survey in your Instagram stories! You can make the survey multiple choice or ask a few open ended questions and let users respond to them! After you know your audience and have determined what they would like to see, you can start brainstorming post ideas!

Plan ahead

A great way to help improve your Instagram aesthetic is to plan a month or two ahead! This way, all of your posts and pictures can have a theme and be cohesive together. Try making a 3 by 3 square grid (9 squares total) and planning out all your posts for the month! You can plan out where you want graphic-based posts to go, where text-based posts should go, where picture posts should go, etc.…, so everything fits nicely together and is evenly spaced! If you have a few colors that you consistently use in your logo, website, and overall brand, now is the time to plan out how they will be distributed across your page and how they will help present your brand!

Edit your images before posting

While the pictures you post don’t have to be flawless or magazine-ready, they should at least look like you took the time to take the picture and have thought about how the photo will be perceived. For example, if you are posting a picture of an auction item you would like to feature, be sure that the item is in the center of the picture and not cut off. Be sure that the image is clear and not blurry or fuzzy and that the lighting is decent, so potential bidders can see the item details. While you don’t want or need your pictures to look over-edited, it is okay to take a moment or two to adjust the lighting or crop it to ensure the focus of the image is clear!

Schedule your Instagram Posts

After you’ve planned and edited, be sure to make your posts get posted by investing in a social media scheduler! Many popular platforms like Hootsuite or Loomly have free plans or trial versions to get you started! There are many benefits to scheduling social posts, including not having to manually post when you are busy and knowing that your posts will always go out on time!

If you want to make your Instagram, or any social media account, more professional and aesthetic looking, give us a call or contact us! It’s what we do and we’d love to help!

Need some help getting started with Instagram? We can help!

Local vs National Marketing Campaigns – Which One is Best for You?

Posted on October 20, 2021November 6, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

Local vs National Marketing Campaigns - How to Know Which One is Best for You!

When it comes to your marketing strategy for your online auctions, there are a lot of questions to ask yourself and details to figure out. One of the things you should decide is if you want to do marketing on a local or a national level. While national works best for some auctions – like large equipment auctions, unique opportunities, or if you are willing to ship items to the winning bidders – but sometimes its best to stick close to home and only advertise locally. We’re here to help you answer the tough question: Which is better – local vs national marketing campaigns?

Read on for helpful tips on how to decide which type of marketing campaign you should do and pros and cons for each type!

Local Marketing

Local marketing campaigns are great for smaller, local auctions. Local campaigns can be budget-friendly and are good for businesses that are just getting started with digital marketing. While local marketing campaigns don’t reach as large of an audience as national marketing does, it can still be effective in that it will reach more potential customers than a national campaign would. While the audience is smaller, the number of people who will likely participate in your auction and become a customer is higher than it would be in a larger audience that is farther away and might not be as interested. Local campaigns are great to utilize if you don’t offer shipping, as it will target people in your area who are available to come by and pick up their winning items.

Typically, local marketing comes in the form of postcards, flyers, press releases to local news and email marketing as well as local Facebook and Google advertising. Google My Business is a great tool to utilize for local marketing. If your Google My Business listing is up to date with your address, phone number, company website, pictures, and reviews, it has a good chance of showing up in Google search results when a user in your area searches on Google. You can also use local keywords in your content on your website for search engine optimization purposes.

Pros:

Great for smaller companies just getting started with marketing
Budget friendly!
Targets a smaller audience, but generates a higher percentage of conversions
Can utilize word of mouth marketing
Will reach customers who can easily stop by and pick up items they’ve won

Cons:

Smaller audience
Harder to expand your reach and brand awareness to other areas
May be hard to rank for local keywords for SEO

National Marketing

National marketing campaigns are great for companies that want to reach a larger audience that expands farther than their local area. Companies who advertise nationally may offer shipping for their auction items, as their bidders may be farther away in different parts of their state or even the country. Just like local marketing, national marketing has its pros and cons. While national marketing can reach a larger audience, it can also be more expensive too. In addition, while a national marketing campaign might reach a larger audience, the people that actually end up bidding and becoming a customer may be smaller.

National marketing takes many forms. Paid advertising on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn is a great tool to use for national advertising campaigns. With paid ads, you can choose which locations/area you’d like to target, the age and gender of your intended audience, the interests, occupations, and more! Email newsletters, postcards, and paid Google ads are also great tools to spread brand awareness nationally, it just might cost a bit more than it would for a local campaign!

Pros:

Will reach a larger, wider audience
Good if you want to expand your brand into other areas
Great for new development and growth

Cons:

Can get expensive quickly
People who see your marketing might not actually buy from you if they are too far away
Lots of competition from other national brands

Overall, both national and local marketing campaigns can be effective! Whichever one you choose just depends on your budget and marketing goals!

Need guidance on which to choose? Would like some help getting started? Send us a message or give us a call – we’d love to help!

How to Create Graphics in Canva

Posted on August 25, 2021December 19, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

How to Create Attention Grabbing Graphics with Canva

A Few Tips to Create Eye-Catching Graphics in Canva

When you are able to tackle successfully designing social media graphics for your own company or clients, you are able to accomplish many objectives:

• Easily capture your audience’s attention

• Effectively share your message

• Engage with your Audience

• Increase leads and conversions

• Improve your Brand experience.

These objectives are crucial for you to successfully demonstrate through your graphics. Competition is tougher than ever on the online world, and it starts learning how to create graphics in Canva.

Yes, we understand that not everyone is a skilled designer and not all businesses have the resources to employ a professional graphic designer.

That is where Canva comes to the rescue! Canva is known as a graphic design platform that allows users to create social media graphics, presentations, posters, resumes, and much more. The best part is they provide you with free templates, options for images, filters, icons, shapes, and fonts- essentially everything you need to create attention grabbing graphics.

To help you maximize all their useful features, we’re outlining a couple of ways to create your next great graphic using Canva.

Things to Consider when creating graphics in Canva

Keep it Clean and Simple

With all the features that are offered to you within Canva, it’s important to stay true to your design goals and strategy that represent your business. There are an overwhelming amount of different design aspects accessible to you- try not to go overboard. Keep your graphics clean, simple, and cohesive!

Experiment!

Have fun with this side of your marketing duties! It’s time to relax and let your mind be creative and experiment with all the features Canva has to offer. There are many design aspects within both the free version and the pro version to help your graphics stand out against your competitors.

Use Quality and Relevant Images

A huge contribution to creating attention-grabbing graphics, right off the bat, are the images you select. Your image must catch your audience’s attention at first glance, or they will keep scrolling. By choosing excellent visual content, you will keep your audience interested in what you have to say and on your page longer. If you like the image but the colors do not cut it, you can use Canva’s photo adjustments option to tweak the contrast, brightness, saturation, and tent.

Browse Canva’s Free Templates

An important first step is to understand your content goals and objectives for your graphics. Which social media channels will you be using and what message you are trying to get out there.

Canva provides users with a variety of professionally made templates and elements that you can incorporate into your graphics. If you use, Canva Pro, you have access to everything for free. If you choose to use the free version, take some time to browse the many templates and check out all the available features before you decide if it is something you would like to purchase.

Use Consistent Brand Color and Fonts

With the endless possibilities within Canva, it is easy to lose sight of your content goals and not stay consistent with your brand colors and fonts. On Canva’s basic color picker, you can input your brand’s hex code to directly match your branding colors, which allows for consistency. It is not mandatory to use the same colors over and over, using similar ones across your posts in all your social channels can help you stand out and become recognizable online as well. Using consistent colors throughout your graphics will provide an identity and cohesiveness for your brand identity.

A great tool to see what colors go well together is Canva’s Color Tool. Try it out!

Similar to your brand colors giving your brand consistency, fonts bring out the tones and personality of your message. It is important to pick fonts based on what you are trying to say and the tone of your message. Try to pick fonts that are close to your existing marketing pieces. If you cannot find the exact one in Canva, look at the typography of your current pieces and try to find similar fonts with the same serifs, sans serif, alignment, etc.

Try to stick to one or two fonts at a time when creating graphics. Using two fonts will create contrast and grab the attention of your audience. It’s a best practice to apply one font family and use their variant- italic, bold, or condensed.

It does not matter if you are a beginner or a seasoned designer, these simple, actionable, and effective tips can help create eye-catching graphics that will outperform your competitors! Canva is a great tool to help your designing skills and create engaging content.

Looking for Help With Your Content Creation? Contact Our Team Today!

How to Get More Engagement on Social Media

Posted on August 16, 2021July 30, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

How to Get More Engagement on Social Media

Tips and tricks for improving social media engagement!

In today’s world, almost every marketing strategy includes, or should include, social media marketing. If you aren’t on social media, you should strongly consider restructuring your marketing strategy to include it – as it is where the majority of businesses reach their customers! If social media marketing is already included in your strategy but you have found that your social stats aren’t living up to your expectations – this article is for you! Read on to learn how to get more engagement on social media!

1. Evaluate your current strategy

First things first, before your social media can improve, you must recognize what you are doing wrong – or NOT doing at all! If you are on popular platforms like Facebook or Instagram, they have data and analytics pages where you can view stats about engagement on your posts as well as other factors. Usually, there is an option to export the data to an Excel for easy analyzing, but if not, creating a simple spreadsheet can help!

Some helpful metrics to keep in mind when evaluating your current social media strategy are impressions, reach, and page views. Page views are the number of times your page has been viewed. Reach measures the number of unique views a post (or page) has received. Impressions show how many times your post has shown up in someone’s timeline – NOTE: impressions include multiple appearances. For example, if a user scrolled by it in their timeline two days in a row, that would count as two impressions.

Once you analyze your data, you can create an average basepoint to help you determine if your engagement improves or not further down the road!

2. Identify your target audience and then go where your audiences goes

It is important to make sure you are on the correct platforms. If your audience isn’t on the platforms you are on, don’t waste your time, money, or energy trying to bring them to you. Instead, go where your audience goes. While Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok are six of the most popular and well known platforms, there are many others to consider; Pinterest, Reddit, Quora, and Tumblr are just a few examples. If you don’t know how to identify your target audience, think of what your ideal customer would look like. What are their likes and dislikes, interests, hobbies, where do they live, where do they work? Check out this helpful article on how to define your target market! If you are having trouble determining what platforms they are on – it can be as easy as asking! Include a fun poll or survey in your next newsletter or simply have a conversation and ask a few customers what social media platforms they use.

3. Create content that provides value while staying current

A big part of getting people to engage with your posts and page is creating content that provides value and useful information. Your customers want to know they can visit your page and see reliable, relevant information about your business and industry. In addition to informational posts about your business, you can post about the upcoming events and auctions, fun holiday posts, create polls and surveys to get feedback from customers, and post about relevant, industry related news. If you regularly write blog posts for your website, you can highlight them in posts on social media as well! When creating posts, try and think of things that would be interesting to your customers and make them want to click on and interact with the post for more information.

4. Engage back – and do it quickly!

Lastly, a great way to get more engagement on social media is to be responsive. If a customer sends a direct message or comments on a post, be sure to respond to them on time. If a user gets a quick response, they will be more likely to engage again in the future. When creating your social media strategy, it can be helpful to include a section highlighting the standards and expectations for responding to messages and comments. If more than one person is managing your social media pages, it can help everyone be on the same page and keep response times quick.

Overall, getting engagement on your social media platforms can take some time. Usually, massive engagement doesn’t happen overnight. Once you have identified your target audience and what platforms they are on, it will take some time to build a following and build up a database of valuable, informational content. As your account gains a following, your engagement will grow as well.

Need some help getting started? We are experts and have years of experience getting great engagement on social media.

Give us a call today or contact us to get started!

How To Find New SEO Keywords

Posted on August 5, 2021December 6, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

How To Find New SEO Keywords

Keep your targeted keyword phrases up-to-date, relevant & generating traffic

The process of keyword research & finding new SEO keywords that represent your business is a fundamental part of various search marketing strategies. Whether you are primarily running pay-per-click (PPC) or paid search campaigns, or your goal is to improve your organic search optimization results- you will be using keyword research.

Keyword research is the process of identifying and optimizing your site for specific words that people are typing into search engines. Since what people are searching for, and when they are searching directly relates to your product or service- keyword research is a crucial element of a successful search marketing campaign.

Now with all of that being said, I am sure you have been there when you run out of keyword ideas or are in a slump trying to find the perfect keyword that hasn’t been completely saturated yet. Well, we are here to help with some simple tools to get you out of that particular keyword bubble!

Tools To Help Find New SEO Keywords

Semrush- Domain Overview

Using the Domain Overview in SEMrush will provide all the terms your site is currently organically ranking for. It lists the top organic words for that specific URL including your position, volume, CPC, and Traffic %. This tool will give you great insight into what searched keywords are driving traffic to that page.

SEMrush- Keyword Gap Analysis

Another great tool to use to help find new SEO keywords is to use the Keyword Gap Analysis tool in SEMrush. This strategy allows you to input your URL plus one or more of your competitors to find terms you have common ground with or where one or more of your competitors rank and you do not. It gives you awesome insight into what keywords are doing well compared to your competitors and other keyword opportunities.

Google Trends

Google Trends is a very useful tool for industry-specific content. You can search by specific industries and narrow down the results for specific regions as well. It will provide you with a list of topics that people have been searching for over the past 24 hours. While this tactic takes a certain content producer to take these trends and capitalize on the keywords before anyone else has- it is a great way to shake things up and broaden out your interests to discover new relevant topics.

Google Search Console

Google stopped showing meaningful keyword data in Google Analytics a long time ago, but many do not know that the Search Console has a great deal of keyword data. There are many filters you can use to sort by clicks, impressions, click-through rate, and positions to also help with your keyword research. These results will tell you what keywords are bringing traffic to your site, even the ones you have not explicitly targeted.

Google’s Related Searches & Autocomplete

While this tactic is fairly well-known, it is also very underrated. When you enter a search query into the search engine, it will populate recommendations at the bottom of the SERP. These are topics that are directly related to your query and also what other people are searching for. Another suggestion is to type your keyword phrase into Google plus any letter of the alphabet. This will generate more ideas or topics to help pop that bubble! Of course, these keywords can also be fed back into the other keyword tools to help find more keyword possibilities. Do not forget to keep a list handy of all these potential keyword phrases that you have collected throughout your research journey.

Your keyword research should influence your website navigation, URL naming and content for each page. Keywords determine what your company is known for and is essentially the blueprint for your online marketing efforts which drives viewers into customers.

If you find yourself struggling to find new SEO keywords that are relevant & your rankings are suffering from it- give us a call for a quick consultation or contact us to see if we can help your strategy!

How To Build An Online Auction Website

Posted on July 2, 2021June 28, 2023 by Kurt Kaptein

How To Build An Online Auction Website

With the recent advancements in the online E-Commerce industry, the auctioning process has evolved by eliminating the barriers of physical auctions. Now, anybody can bid for a product, anywhere without any limitation of geography, time, or even physical presence. Meaning? Your online auction website MUST be user friendly, fast, and accessible to capitalize on these recent advancements.

More than ever, people are staying in and purchasing from the comfort of their own home. Not only is the E-Commerce competition high but also the Auction Industry is seeing high competition. One thing that can drastically set you apart is your website. There are many design techniques to incorporate and ensure simple and easy navigation and a great user experience. Let us go over some.

Website Functionality

Once you understand your auction’s business model, you must focus on the website’s key functionality. Auction websites look very similar to an E-Commerce website.

Simple and Easy Navigation

The user must be able to navigate to any page of the online auction website easily and have good flow to get the user from point A to point B. Products should be separated into categories with advanced search functionality. This helps users to search listed products by category, keyword, or product name. You can also add other advanced filters to sort the products for more define searches.

Photo Gallery

Adding quality images and descriptions is a major selling point for your online auction website. Ensure the quality and image sizes are being reflected for best user experience. Check out our Auction Photography Tips for Online Auctions blog to learn more about this.

Hassle Free Payment

Users want and need to feel protected while navigating through your site let alone making purchases through it. Make sure to secure your site and enable hassle-free payment methods.

Automated Notifications

Creating a website that allows notifications to all members when inventory is updated, when an auction is over, an item is sold, etc. Also sending out automatic emails to both buyers and sellers about important details, dates, or general information. You can also use this to highlight products or items on your site.

A Do and Don’t Check List for your Auction Website

Do:

Incorporate Easy-to-Use Navigation– Your website visitors need to be able to find out exactly how to use your website’s navigation within a few seconds of them being on your site.

Optimize For Speed– Your website’s speed is incredibly important. Visitors are more likely to abandon and find somewhere else if your site doesn’t load within a few seconds.

A couple of suggestions to improve your site speed:

Optimize your site’s images. You can resize and compress your images with several free online tools.
Properly manage and compress scripts and plugins.
Don’t overdo it on custom web fonts

Provide A Clear Call to Action– Enhance the user experience and your click-through-rate. To really execute this, you will want to provide clear, large, call -to-actions for every step of the buyer and seller’s process.

KISS: Keep It Simple, Safe, and Straightforward- Keep your site’s design simple. It will create a more professional, presentable, readable, and interesting content.

Do Not :

Don’t Use Flash– Today, Flash is not supported on many mobile devices- meaning your mobile users will not have the same experience as desktop users. Most online auctions will use HTML or CSS (quick, easy alternatives to Flash) instead.

Skip the Splash Page– A splash page is seen before a user can access a website. They usually have a “continue” button that enters to their actual site. Today, any extra steps deter users to exit the page.

Don’t Use Self Playing Audio or Video– Make sure there is no audio or video playing automatically. Users typically do not know where it is coming from let alone turn it off. Resulting in them exiting the page.

Don’t Bury Your Most Important Content– You want to highlight your top inventory, upcoming auctions, and any incentives for selling with you. Your home page should be displaying your most important & attractive information.

Don’t Forget About Mobile – A big one! This should not be overlooked. Many people are accessing your site through mobile devices or tablets. Optimize your site for mobile so visitors get an equally friendly user experience and continue on your site.

*Check out our How to Make a Mobile Friendly Website blog that gives you quick pointers on this topic.

We hope that this read gave you a better understanding for creating an optimized and user friendly online auction website. It is important to incorporate these steps to ensure simple and easy navigation with a great user experience that keeps visitors visiting your site! And who doesn’t want that?!

Need Help With Your Website?

How to Improve Google Rankings

Posted on May 24, 2021December 6, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

How to Improve Google Rankings

Tips for improving Google Search Rankings

Having a strong presence on the internet is important for ensuring current and potential customers alike find your website and auctions. If you don’t have a strong website that is properly optimized, it will not appear in Google’s Search Results. One of the most likely reasons your website is not appearing in search results is that it is not crawlable, and therefore cannot be indexed. To fix this issue, it is important to understand how Google crawls and indexes your website to determine rankings on search engine results pages. Read on to learn the process of how Google crawls and indexes websites and what you can do to improve your Google rankings.

It is important to understand the basics of how Google and other search engines crawl a website. The first step in the crawling process begins with a list of web addresses (URLs) from past crawls and sitemaps provided by the website owners. The crawlers move through your website via links until they cannot find any more pages. After they have crawled your pages, they become indexed, and software determines your Google search ranking and how your different website pages will appear in Google’s search results. There are a few different ways to help Google index your website and help your pages rank higher in the search results:

Google Search Console

One of the best ways to manage your web presence and Google rankings is with a Google Search Console account. In Google Search Console, you can view analytics, any mobile responsiveness issues that might occur, see the number of website pages that have been crawled and indexed, and you can also submit sitemaps of your website. Google Search Console allows users to provide detailed instructions about how to crawl and process pages on their website, request a recrawl, or opt out of crawling altogether. In your account, you can see if there are any errors on your web pages as well as see the number of indexed pages and the number of non-crawled, omitted pages.

Learn more about Google Search Console

Google My Business

Having a Google My Business Listing is another great tool to help Google and its crawlers know that your website and business are legit and have credible authority. If you don’t have a Google My Business listing yet, it is easy to get started! If you already have one, make sure to have it updated with the most updated and recent information for your company. Adding pictures and responding in a timely manner to customer reviews will also help increase your overall authority on the web and therefore boost your rankings.

Learn more about Google My Business

Links

Another way to boost your rankings is by making your pages easier to crawl. Links are one of the most important factors that determine page crawlability. Google’s crawlers move through your website via links, jumping from one to the other until all the crawlable pages have been identified. Google can tell the difference between new links, existing links that they have already crawled, and dead links that don’t work anymore or have an error. It is important to have both internal and external links on your website pages. Internal links help the crawlers move from page to page when indexing your site and external links help your website build authority which will help improve your overall ranking and make your website appear closer to the top of the search engine results pages.

Page Title & Keywords

Utilizing keywords and appropriate page titles is one of the more obvious, well-known tips you can implement to help improve rankings. If you write a blog post and post it to your website, be sure that the title of that page is related to the topic of your blog post. It will help your blog post and the page that it’s on be found by crawlers more easily and rank better if the topic is clear. Having your page titles listed as H1 headers will also help Google’s crawlers find the page and be able to more accurately index it. It is also important to have correct, relevant keywords on your web pages. If your company hosts antique auctions, your website and keywords on your pages should be about antique auctions. It wouldn’t make much sense for your website to have keywords related to farm equipment, so be sure to make the overall theme/topic clear and stick with it. Yoast SEO is a great WordPress plugin that can be installed on the backend of your website to help you optimize for keywords on each page.

Submit a Sitemap

Lastly, another way to help Google index your website is by submitting a sitemap. A sitemap is a file that provides information about the pages, photos, videos, and other files on your website and how they all connect. Sitemaps help search engines like Google how to better crawl your website. A sitemap provides Google with a list of all the pages and files you think are the most important and what to focus on. Sitemaps can also include information about when pages were last updated, how often the page is changed, and if there are any alternate language versions of a page. If your pages are properly linked and optimized, Google is usually good at finding them all. However, if you are unsure or your website is more complex and changes often (i.e.: auction websites) it is a good idea to submit a new, updated one occasionally.

Learn more about sitemaps

If your website pages aren’t showing up in Google’s search results page, it could be because your website is not optimized for crawlability and it cannot be indexed by Google. Try and implement these ideas and see if it helps improve your site’s rankings! Need help or want even more ideas on how to improve Google rankings? Give us a call or contact us today to get started!

Need some help getting started with Google rankings? We can help!

How to Make a Mobile Friendly Website

Posted on May 13, 2021September 29, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

How to Make a Mobile Friendly Website

Some quick pointers to walk through when optimizing for a mobile friendly website.

Did you know that approximately half of your website visitors will be viewing your site on their mobile device? Having a mobile-friendly website is no longer optional! If your mobile visitors do not have a good experience, their first time, you will drive away a huge proportion of your traffic and not to mention hurt your SEO rankings in the process.

I’m sure you have heard it before, but we are saying it again: Your website needs to be mobile responsive aka mobile friendly!

Is My Website Already Mobile Friendly?

If your website was built or updated in the past couple of years, then you might not be as far off as you think. Before you start stressing and put a lot of effort into making your site mobile friendly, check your site to see just how far you need to go. One quick trick to use the free mobile friendly testing tool provided by Google. Not only is this very quick on getting you an answer on whether or not your site is mobile friendly, but it provides a snapshot of what your page looks on a smartphone screen and recommendations to help make the mobile experience better.

Other Website Mobile Friendly Steps to Consider

Make your Website Responsive

With implementing responsive design, you can make your site mobile friendly without taking away information your mobile visitors can access- they will still get the same content as the rest of your visitors. When you make your website responsive, the way a page is displayed and arranged changes based on the size of screen that is viewing it. An image that typically shows next to a block of text on a desktop may show up on top of the text when loaded on a smartphone.

Also, Responsive Design is loved by Google! It’s great for your SEO.

Make Information People Look for Easier to Find

When smartphone viewers open their search bar, they are typically looking for something specific-, whether the answer to a question, the address, or a customer service phone number. They want to find this type of information fast and as easily as possible.

Learn about your audience and what mobile visitors are most likely looking for when they head to your website and put that information somewhere obvious and easy to find on the mobile homepage. You can easily do this in your Google Analytics account. Add Mobile Traffic as a segment in the Behavior Section, allowing you to see how mobile visitors interact with your website.

Make Website Speed a Priority

If your website loads at the pace of the not-so-good old dial-up days, your audience will not wait around! Viewers want their information easy to find and fast loading times. There are a number of tactics to help improve your site speed these days. Here are a few:

• Use AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages)– This is a framework that Google suggests for speeding up load times for web pages on mobile. If you utilize WordPress for your website, you can download the AMP plugin.
• Compress your images and CSS- Your high-resolution images and CSS are the major components for slow load times and take up a lot of space. You can speed things up here by compressing your image file sizes so they load faster without impacting the quality!

Keep Your Web Design Simple

Avoid clutter. Stick to a clean, minimalist design that makes it easy for people to find what they are looking for. And by having less files on each page that need to load, a simple design will contribute to those faster load times.

This tactic also applies to your menu as well. If you have a bigger website, it may make sense to offer a large menu on desktop screens. But on mobile, you want to cut it down to the most important options. You could also use the Mobile Traffic as a segment in the Behavior Section in Google Analytics here as well to see what the most popular pages amongst your mobile viewers to create a smaller menu. Some websites utilize the hamburger menu option on mobile to shrink their menu into a dropdown one so visitors can click to open if they need it.

Some other design elements that are important to consider for mobile viewers are to make sure button sizes are large enough and to use large fonts.

Large Buttons: It’s easy to click on a button of any size with a mouse, but when you are trying to click with your fingers on a small smartphone buttons can be an issue. And this is especially true when buttons are close together or in the bottom corners.

Large Font Sizes: Reading on a small screen is that much harder if the font is tiny. It is recommended to use a font size of at least 14 px on your webpages but testing how it looks it always recommended. Go bigger if you can! Another important thing to remember here is to stay with your standard fonts, as any font your visitor needs to download will slow down the load process, which is bad news on mobile.

Regularly Perform Mobile Testing

Regular testing for your mobile usability is one of the best things you can do to make sure your site offers a good mobile experience. Every so often, pull up your website on your phone or tablet and spend some time browsing to see what does not look right or difficult to do. It is the best way to catch small issues that create a worse experience for your visitors.

We hope this quick guide to a mobile friendly experience has helped you! Even if you get everything right today, the way mobile devices work, and look will continually change. Meaning if your site is mobile friendly today may not be tomorrow. Keep testing, keep tweaking, and continue to think about your mobile users as a priority!

Need Help With Your Current Website Design? Learn More Here!

Photography Tips for Online Auctions

Posted on April 30, 2021August 26, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

Auction Photography Tips for Online Auctions

Auction photography tips for your online auctions.

What is the most important part of a lot listing in an online auction? Sure, the information section is important, and the contact information is too, but one of the most important things to have in your online listing is a good picture. Recently, online auctions have become more popular and are becoming more frequent. They are a great way to expand your audience and reach people that you usually could not with a traditional live auction. With more auctions being held online, bidders can bid while on their lunch break 2 states away. However, since it is not a live auction and bidders are farther away, they might not have the opportunity to inspect an item beforehand. In this case, you want to be sure that your listings have good-quality images that potential bidders can trust. Read on for some basic auction photography tips!

Make sure pictures are clear and focused

While you don’t have to be a professional photographer, your pictures must be clear and focused. The images should not be blurry or cut off, as this will make it harder for potential bidders to see the item and determine its quality. The lot item should also be the main focus of the image, with a clear, simple background. A background that is too cluttered can detract from the featured item and cause the bidder to lose interest. It can also confuse what item is actually available and what is just in the background.

Good lighting

Another thing to think about when taking photos of your images to upload to your website is the quality of lighting. Again, while you don’t need professional studio lighting, you’ll want to make sure that the item is clearly defined and all the details can be seen. Make sure the room or area where you are taking photos is not too dark or shadowy. If necessary, you can edit your photos on simple photo editor websites that are free to use and available to all, like Canva.

Correct image size

Lastly, when uploading images of your lot items in your online auction, be sure they are sized correctly. If you use any one of our live or online auction Software programs, we recommend using a picture that has a 4:3 size ratio (or 1024 by 768 pixels). If you don’t use our auction software, the ideal picture size can easily be tested by uploading a test photo and seeing how it looks, then adjusting its size if necessary. It is important to have the correct size image so nothing gets cut off, and he picture doesn’t become grainy and pixelated once uploaded or is too large or too small. Having the correct image size will ensure that bidders can clearly see the image and that it will load properly on all devices.

While there are many important parts of your online auction listings, having a good photo of each item is one of the most important. A good photo will not only allow the bidder to clearly see all the details, but it will also make your business and auction seem more reputably and trustworthy and they will have confidence that if they win the item, you will be able to deliver exactly what was promised.

If you need help figuring out the best photo sizes for your online auctions, or if you want a second opinion about a photo, we can help! Contact us today to get started!

Need some help getting started taking better pictures? We can help!

Exploring LinkedIn Marketing: It does not have to be boring!

Posted on April 20, 2021December 6, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

Exploring LinkedIn Marketing: It does not have to be boring!

LinkedIn is considered to be the largest business-oriented networking website geared specifically towards professionals. With its 500 million members in over 200 countries, it is a great platform to network amongst other professionals far and wide. A well-written profile allows you to create an online professional brand which could lead to opportunities and connections that you may not have been aware of.

With that being said, LinkedIn does have a reputation for being… well, a little boring. Do we think it is? The honest trust is that it can certainly when compared to Facebook or Twitter. But could that be one of LinkedIn’s greatest assets? We think so! Below are a couple of reasons why we think LinkedIn’s marketing platform offers things that are pretty exciting for networking professionals and B2B interactions.

The Audience is Focused on Work not Play

Most LinkedIn users are focused on their professional lives and looking for resources that can help them grow as professionals or help them grow their businesses. Which makes LinkedIn act like a real-world business networking event. The advantage to this is that if you focus your efforts on LinkedIn and how you can be a resource for your connections, your approach will likely be received.

Racking up Points for Recruitment

Recruiters and Human Resources professionals are actively on LinkedIn. It is a great platform to highlight your expertise and share insightful information on why you are the next great candidate. LinkedIn saw a 6x increase in the number of remote job postings added in the U.S. from March to December 2020, with over 300k remote positions.

Make sure to have your profile up to date with a current profile picture, and updated resume, and go as far as asking for endorsements to help your credibility. More and more job seekers are turning to this platform to find the right job for them. Try it out!

Benefits for Content Creators

LinkedIn drives 46% of social traffic to B2B sites and is considered to be one of the most credible sources of content. No surprise that 98% of content marketers use LinkedIn for content marketing, especially for B2B marketing and lead generation. LinkedIn invites its users to create content by posting articles that can help establish your expertise.

Generate Leads on LinkedIn

Another not-so-boring benefit of LinkedIn and LinkedIn marketing is that it is a great source for discovering leads. Whatever product or service your company offers, you can find key decision makers to connect with, build rapport with, and ultimately convert them to a sale. This process takes nurturing and expertise to not come off too strong upfront but if done right, you can capitalize on a new way of growing your business.

At Auctioneer Software, we believe that LinkedIn does not have to be boring but can be a great tool to showcase an individual’s work, and a business’s reputation, and even help grow your business. The truth is, that LinkedIn does offer a lot of pretty exciting things. It is a great opportunity to build a rolodex of contacts (that you won’t lose like a business card!) and understand the interconnections within your network. The benefits do not stop there, you can get involved in forums, join groups, and meet like-minded individuals like yourself. And we have not mentioned this yet- It’s Free! So why not try it out?

If you have any questions regarding leveraging LinkedIn marketing for business growth, contact us today and we would be glad to walk you through it!

The Benefits of a Google My Business Listing

Posted on April 5, 2021September 18, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

The Benefits of Google My Business Listings

Stand out from the crowd with Google My Business

With so many businesses on the internet nowadays, it is hard to differentiate yourself from your competitors and win people’s business. One easy way to help your business stand out from the crowd is a Google My Business listing. Google My Business is a free, user friendly tool that Google offers to help businesses and organizations manage their online presence across multiple Google applications such as Google Search Results and Maps. A Google My Business listing helps a business tell their story and win new customers. Read on to discover the benefits of Google My Business listings as well as features and best practices to help your business and auctions grow!

Create a Google My Business Listing in a Few Simple Steps!

If you do not already have a Google My Business listing, the first step is to set up an account! It’s quick and easy and only takes a few seconds! Go to https://www.google.com/business/ and click “get started”! Follow the prompts to create your business account and business listing. Be sure to fill out the information as thoroughly as possible so potential customers can find your listing easier!

Before your business listing can go live and appear in Google Search and Maps, it needs to be reviewed. The review process usually takes about a week and once it has been approved, you will receive a post card in the mail with a code to verify your business listing. After you have entered the verification code, your Google My Business listing will be able to be found by potential customers! You can manage more than one business listing, so if you need to set up more accounts, just repeat the steps! If you have multiple businesses at the same location, you should have separate business listings for each one, there is a process for businesses that use multiple business under 1 address – click here for more information.

Ensure Business Information is Listed Clearly

To ensure that your business listing is shown to your ideal audience, you will want to make sure that you include as much relevant information as possible. Make sure your business name, address, phone number, website, and business hours are up to date. It is a good idea to make sure that all your business’s core information is the same and consistent every place your business appears on the web. That way, Google knows your business is legit and it can even help improve your SEO rankings!

Respond to Customer Reviews Promptly (not 4 weeks later)

Google allows people to leave reviews under your Google My Business listing. From your Google My Business account page, you can easily read and respond to reviews left by your customers. You can encourage your customers to leave a positive review so that potential new customers can see the great job you are doing! Don’t worry If you receive a negative review, how you respond can show that you are willing to listen and improve!

Did you know?! 72% of customers read reviews before they decide to make a purchase.

Increase Website Traffic and Boost Local SEO Rankings

In addition to getting your business name out there and having a greater web presence, having a Google My Business listing can help increase organic traffic to your website and can help boost your Local SEO rankings! If your business primarily serves a local area, having your address listed can help your business show up in the search results as well as help you earn additional SERP (search engine results page) features.

Data Insights

Lastly, you can view data insights to learn more about your audience and potential future customers with Google My Business. For example, you can see stats based on how many people called you from the phone number displayed in your listing, or how many people requested directions to your location in maps. With insights, you can gain a better understanding of how your customers think and perceive your business, which in turn can help you find new ways to improve and grow!

Overall, Google My Business is a great FREE, easy-to-use tool that can help your business grow and thrive. Not only can your Google My Business listing provide a wide range of information to potential customers, it can improve your SEO rankings and increase traffic to your website.

If you’d like to experience the benefits of a Google My Business listing but don’t have the time or technology just isn’t your thing, we can help!

The Difference between “Auction Marketing” and “Traditional Marketing”

Posted on March 31, 2021January 22, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

The Difference between “Auction Marketing” vs “Traditional Marketing”

What You Need to Know About Your Auction Marketing Efforts

As an auction company you likely have run into some serious questions about how to market your website. It may seem nearly impossible – especially since your website content is constantly changing to reflect new auctions and items within those auctions. In light of the need to approach marketing your auction website in a much different way than any other traditional website, we like to refer to this as “auction marketing” simply because the overall approach does to be different than the traditional method of marketing any other conventional website. Read on to learn what to do for auction marketing and how thats different than what you can do for traditional marketing!

What Is the Difference Between Auction vs Traditional Marketing?

So, all this information leads us to the big question, what IS the difference between auction and traditional marketing? Let’s look at each individually starting with the traditional marketing approach.

Traditional Marketing

Traditional marketing might be…dare we say the simpler of the two marketing types? Marketing all together is no simple topic, there are always a ton of things to be considered or looked at when working on marketing for a company. Remember, the phrase “marketing” encompasses not only the digital era that we are currently in, but it also includes the more basic forms of marketing that people used before the internet was the main source of communication. Traditional marketing focuses on getting products or services seen or heard about by the public. Early marketing tactics consisted more of flyers, telemarketers, mailers. Now in the digital age that we are in, those traditional marketing methods are more and more rare, and many people focus more on search engine optimization, content writing, website link structure and other more digital forms of marketing that are all based around being found online and on social media.

Auction Marketing

Auction marketing does, at first glance, seem much more challenging, because an auction website’s content is always changing based on the auctions that are currently running, and that means you don’t have a steady or consistent pool of products or services that you can try and market – but really the object of the two different types of marketing is fundamentally the same. Auction marketing focuses on getting products (auction items) or services (the auctions themselves) seen or heard about by the public. The difference between the two is the way that it’s achieved. Auction marketing can be achieved through some of the same ways of traditional marketing, but because organic results take time, (which auction companies don’t always have) one of the best ways to get good results fast is through paid advertising. Paid advertising allows you to choose and target the audience who would be most interested in what each specific auction has to offer and put your content in front of them! Don’t let that information scare you away from organic marketing efforts – organic result-based marketing such as Search Engine Optimization is still a powerful tool to use for the bones of your website meaning all of the core pages that are not changing with the auctions.

The Main Difference

After reading the overall approaches to both auction and traditional marketing you might be wondering what the big difference is – they have the same general goal…the biggest difference between auction marketing and traditional marketing is going to be the way that they are going to be achieved and implemented on your website. Auction marketing requires a little more immediate attention and action while always trying to anticipate how to stay ahead of upcoming auctions and items. On the opposite spectrum, traditional marketing has a little bit more leeway when it comes to working forward towards a long-term goal which might take months or even years to achieve. Ultimately though, auction marketing and “regular” or traditional marketing are both on-going efforts that require a lot of time and dedication in order to achieve your desired results.

As you begin or proceed with your marketing efforts, remember that all marketing takes time and effort and is an investment into your business. If you aren’t sure where to begin with marketing your business, contact us today! Our marketing team has years of experience helping auction companies see the results they desire through marketing.

Check out our Marketing Services or Contact Us Today! To get in touch directly with our staff about getting started.

Responding to Bad Customer Reviews

Posted on March 23, 2021December 6, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

Responding to Bad Customer Reviews

How to Grow Your Auction Business Through Managing Your Reviews – Both Good & Bad

Running a business is hard work and running an auction business can be even harder work. Auction companies are always moving… new auctions are always happening, products need to be constantly inventoried and recorded, and shipping needs to happen quickly and efficiently. That’s not all, don’t even get us started on having to create or maintain an online presence! As you know, good customer reviews (and responding to bad customer reviews) are an important part of any business’s online presence. Reviews showcase a small portion of who businesses are, but if you have any experience with them, you’ll know the difficulty of keeping up with them.

Not only that but now there are multiple platforms for any company to receive reviews on! Google, Facebook, and your personal website are all places where you might receive a review or feedback from your customers and clients. Obviously, the hope and goal for most businesses, is that you receive reviews that are all 100% beaming with positivity about your business and the process that a buyer or seller went through while working with your auction company – but we also know that this isn’t a realistic expectation. There will always be someone who has something negative to say about their experience working with you – so what do you do? How do you approach these bad reviews, and how do you encourage good reviews to be left in order to help your business grow and thrive.

Before we get started with tips on responding to bad customer reviews and comments, let’s take the time to fully understand why a good review is so important and what it can do for you and your business.

What Can Good Reviews Do for You

Did you know that good reviews can send your website to a new level? I mean we all know that good reviews are desirable and beneficial, but how do they specifically positively affect your website and your business?

Good Reviews Build Your Credibility

A good review can go a long way when it comes to your business’s credibility. Customers and clients love to see other people’s experiences before they go ahead and make the investment in your company. And it makes sense why! A review is almost a small outlook into what you can expect from working with a company – so as you continue to have positive reviews written about your company, your credibility among potential clients or users will continue to grow!

Good Reviews Boost Your SEO

Did you know that good reviews can boost your SEO? Many people don’t! SEO or Search Engine Optimization is the process of increasing your page rankings on search engines such as Google in order to bring more traffic and potential customers to your website. SEO is an in-depth concept and has many different pillars that contribute to good website visibility and ranking, and reviews are one of them. Specifically speaking about the Google search engine, reviews can actually boost your rankings. Google wants to recommend (or rank) established and good businesses to their users which is where reviews come into place. Google sees and considers the reviews that have been left on your business page. When you have good, positive reviews, Google observes that and will be more likely to recommend your business or services to someone who is looking for them.

Good Reviews Focus on the Things Your Business is Doing Right

This seems obvious right? Good reviews focus on the things your business is doing right, otherwise known as your business strengths. Knowing your business strengths gives you the ability to focus on those strengths while advertising your business going forward. For example, maybe you consistently get good reviews and feedback regarding your customer service or speedy shipping process – if so, utilize that feedback and push forward in your efforts to focus on those positive things that people are noticing about your business.

How to Respond to Less Than Positive Reviews

Obviously, no one wants to deal with or see negative reviews on their website, but unfortunately, it does happen, even to the best of companies. Negative reviews could be a result of a misstep by your business, but it’s also possible that they may have just been left by someone who got caught on the wrong day at the wrong time. But regardless of how or the reason why the reviews got left, responding to bad customer reviews should be a part of your business strategy. There still has to be some sort of response taken by the owner…even if that “response” is silence or no response at all (which we don’t recommend by the way). One of the worst things you can do when you receive a bad review is to not respond at all. This portrays on part of your business that you don’t care too much if someone has a bad or poor experience working with your business. When really the opposite needs to be portrayed. You want your current and prospective clients or customers to know that you care about their experience working with your business and you care about righting any sort of wrong that may have happened. Although there is no foolproof way to get someone who has left a bad review to adjust it, there are three main steps to take to work towards reconciling a bad review and maybe even getting someone to change or edit their review in a more positive light.

1) Acknowledge the Review and what the customer is saying
This is the most important thing to do when starting to respond to a negative review. Most customers want to be heard which is why they have left a review in the first place. So, be sure to start off your response by acknowledging what your customer is saying. This can manifest in various ways, but be sure that your customer feels heard by your response.
2) Admit fault (as needed) but do not deny fault
This is a big one and can be hard for many businesses, especially if they are NOT the ones explicitly at fault in a bad review situation. Maybe it was a lack of communication on both ends, but regardless of what the case is, admit fault as needed. If you truly are not at fault in any sort of way try your best to again acknowledge the issue and apologize for what your bad review author had to deal with, regardless of who is at fault. Whatever you do, do not deny fault or assign fault to the customer.
3) Discuss what you’re doing to make sure that the same mistake isn’t made again
This is also an important part of responding to a negative review. A business can listen and admit fault all day long, but if no changes are happening or no effort to right a wrong, then those words stand empty, and most people can see that. After a negative review is left, discuss it with your team and try to find ways to right the wrong as well as improve your process internally as needed in order to ensure that no one has the same issue again.

Let’s look at an example of a shipping error that was made and an unsatisfied customer, named John, leaves a review saying that they called multiple times to try and see the status of their items but were never gotten back to – eventually the item arrived but it came a week late. Here’s an example of a good and bad way to respond.
Bad Response:
“Hello John, we sent out your item right away, but we don’t know what happened after UPS picked it up. Sorry, your item was late.”
Good Response:
“Hello John, thanks for taking the time to leave us some feedback on our shipping process and your experience. I am so sorry that you experienced poor communication on our end as well as an item that arrived a week late. We do have records that our shipping team sent out your item the day after the auction ended, but that doesn’t explain why our team didn’t reach back out to you to update you on the status of your items. We are scheduling a team meeting this week to talk about ways to improve our process as well as make sure that this doesn’t happen again. We would love to make this situation right in any way that we can, please reach out to us at (800-8000) so that we can talk more about your experience as well as what we can do to make this situation right.”

As you can see, there is quite a big difference between the two responses. In the second, “good” response, the review author was acknowledged, the issue was acknowledged, and there were intentional steps made towards righting the wrong – even if the majority of fault lies on UPS. Following that response, if the customer does reach out, follow the same three steps, listen to them, acknowledge the issue, and work out a way that would be suitable to both of you that would at least work towards righting that wrong.

Bad reviews can be hard to swallow and generally they are never easy to address because it involves admitting that there are flaws within your business, but they can also be a useful tool to better your process both internally and externally. Try to think of negative reviews as constructive criticism and use them as a way to continue to make your business better for the future – and remember… always respond to an unsatisfied customer.

Need help responding to bad customer reviews? Click the button below to Contact Us Today!

How To Use Google Search Console for my Auctions

Posted on March 18, 2021November 26, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

How to Use Google Search Console for my Auctions

Google Search Console (GSC) is at the frontline of the battlefield when it comes to the search engine results page (SERPs). If you have a website presence, Google Search Console will be an amazing tool for you to utilize. GSC not only tells you everything you want to know about your website but also everything about the people who visit it daily. Below are useful insights that comes with the Google Search Console dashboard:

How much web traffic you are attracting
What are people searching for on your site
The platform people are using when visiting
What makes your site popular to the users

With that being said, you can see the importance of using Google Search Console for your auctions and the benefits that would come from it. Below we will go through a step by step process of setting up your account and benefits that come along with implementing Google Search Console for your auction website.

Setting Up Google Search Console

Setting up your Google Search Console account for your auction website does not have to be difficult. You will need to first set up your account then verify your website and you are on your way to understanding more about traffic to your site, performance measures and potential threats. Below we go into more detail.

Setting up Google Search Console Account

The first step that needs to be done is to get verified by Google. By doing this, you will be ensuring that Google classifies you specifically as the owner of the site. This simple step is necessary because once you are verified, you will be able to access an incredible amount of rich source of information that should not be accessed by unauthorized users.

Once you set up your account you will then want to Add a property, choose website from the drop-down menu and type in your auction’s website URL.

*Important: make sure to use the exact URL that appears in your browser bar.

Verify your website

You will be presented with four verification methods and it is up to you to choose which you prefer to help Google verify your site ownership.

Method 1: Add HTML tag

It helps here to have experience working in HTML for this option. It will be easier to handle the files; you will have a better appreciation of how the size of the website influences the Google crawl rate and learn more regarding the Google programs that are already running on your website.

*Important: make sure you past the search console provide HTML tag within thesection of your site’s HTML code.

Method 2: Upload HTML file

Once you are in Google Search Console, go to “Manage Site” then “Verify this Site” to locate the “HTML File Upload” option. Here, you will be prompted to download an HTML file that should be uploaded in its specific location. Once the file is loaded, go back to the console panel to verify, and once that is done you will receive a message confirming the site is verified.
If everything is done correctly, you will see a page informing you that your site is verified

*Important: Do not change, modify, or delete the HTML file as that will bring the site back to the unverified status.

Method 3: Google Tag Manager

For this option you will need to be familiar with Google Tag Manager (GTM) and have an account set up already. Google Tag Manager is a free tool that helps manage your marketing analytics on your website or app. It also doubles up as the third method to verifying your website.

If you intend to use this option there are two precautions you will need to take; open your Google Tag Manager account and enable the “View, Edit, and Manage” mode and also ensure that the GTM code figures adjacent to the tag in your HTML code. Once these are complete go back to your Google Search Console and follow this route –>

Manage Site> Verify this Site> Google Tag Manager. By clicking the “verify” option in Google Tag Manager, a message will pop up indicating that the site has been verified.

*Important: Never attempt to change the Google Tag Manager code on your site as this may bring it back its unverified position.

Method Four: Securing Status as the Domain Name Provider

Once you are done with the HTML file tagging or uploading, you will need to verify the domain that you have purchased or the server where your domain is housed to prove that you have absolute power of the domain.

You will need to open the Search Console dashboard and navigate to “Verify this Site”. Then Click “Domain Name Provider”. When you are positioned in the “Domain name provider” you will be shown a listing of domain hosting sites. You have two options from here:

1. If your host name does not show up, then click “other” tab you will need to create a DNS txt code.
2. If the DNS txt does not match your provider, you will need to create a DNS txt record or CNAME code that will be customized for your provider.

From here you will be able to see a dashboard that shows you all types of important data regarding your website. This data helps you measure your site’s search traffic, performance, fix issues, and make your site shine in Google Search Results.

Benefits of Using Google Search Console for your Auctions

Improves your search engine visibility
A Constant updated and Optimized Site
Safe from Cyber Threats
Access to status report to help you obtain rich results
Opportunity to address mobile user experience- faster and more responsive to mobile users
Backlink Analysis

Here at Auctioneer Software, we understand that all of this information might be a bit overwhelming and you don’t know where to start. Don’t freak out, we are experts with this! We specialize in setting this up for our clients and we also maintain and optimize their site to be healthy and ultimately bring you more traffic and increased bidders.

Contact us today to see if we can help you out!

How Google Data Studio Can Help Your Online Auctions & Business Grow

Posted on March 3, 2021November 8, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

How Google Data Studio Can Help Your Online Auctions

If you are considering using Google Data Studio for business, this article is for you!

Analyzing new information and data is an important part of any business’s day-to-day activities. For an auction company, though, it is even more important. Hundreds of thousands of pieces of data can be collected just from a single auction. Being able to organize that data, analyze it, and get it to where it needs to go is crucial in growing your business and continuing to have successful auctions. Organizing that much data can be a stressful task, but it can be easy with the help of Google Data Studio.

Google Data Studio is a free tool for turning unorganized, confusing data into easy-to-read, informative, and fully customizable dashboards and charts. It can connect to a variety of data sources such as Google Analytics, Google Ads, Google Search Console, Facebook, and more! Read on to learn how Google Data Studio can help grow your online auctions:

Easy to Visualize and Understand Data

While most data collection platforms are confusing and require a lot of clicking around, Data Studio makes it easy to filter and organize the data so you can view what you want to see and leave out the stuff you don’t. You can also customize each report to be branded to your business! Editing is easy, just click and drag to move the graphs and charts around the report.

Explore Google Data Studio

Easy to Data Connection

With just a few clicks, Google Data Studio can be connected to a wide variety of data collection platforms such as Google Ads, Google Analytics, Google Display & Video 360, Search Ads 360, Google Sheets, YouTube, Google Search Console, and many more. You can also import data and upload files from your computer or a Cloud storage based system. Lastly, Google Data studio can connect to popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Reddit, and Twitter.

Easily Share & Collaborate with your Team

Google Data Studio allows you to share your newly created data reports easily and quickly with just a few clicks! You can either export your report and share it via email, the traditional way, or you can grant access and edit permissions to team members so they can collaborate on the report and make changes that everyone can see in real time. You can also scheduled reports to be emailed on a repeating scheduled.

Template Uploads

Lastly, Google Data Studio allows you to upload your own report templates. If you don’t have any to upload, you can select a template from a large selection that Google Data Studio offers. If you like the style of a report someone else created, just make a copy of it and create a template that way as well!

Overall, using Google Data Studio for business offers many great features that can help organize your data and help your live and online auctions grow. Whether it’s a report on how many items you’ve sold or the contact information of your customers, Google Data Studio can generate organized, branded reports that can be customized to any company.

Need some help getting started with Google Data Studio? We can help!

How to Attract Traffic to your Online Auction

Posted on February 17, 2021August 26, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

How to Attract Traffic to your Online Auction

Looking to spice up your online auction strategy? We’re here to help with some tips and tricks on how to get the most out of your online auction!

If you are looking to get people interested and excited about your upcoming online auctions there are many fundamentals to set in place to have a successful online auction strategy. There are various strategies for your online auction marketing and the first step is decide which of those strategies meet your objectives. Of course, attracting new buyers and driving up the cost of your items is always one!

More auctions are moving to the online approach which allows more flexibility for the bidders! They can be in a different city or state, bidding on their phone and maybe even on their lunch break! The accessibility and opportunity for online auctions are better than ever! When you expand your reach, you are attracting more buyers and selling your items at a better price point!

Now the task is to understand your target audience, then you will need to highlight your auction on your website, promote on other social platforms and lastly, use those existing contacts!

Understand your Audience

First things first, you need to know and understand your audience. Considering that you are probably part of your audience, you will have an idea of who will be interested in the items that you are selling. It is important to know exactly who you want to promote your online auction to and to not waste your time promoting to people who are not interested. Maybe you have a list of other businesses in your area or extended area that are looking to expand their business and would love to purchase your equipment. Or you have networked with individuals within your industry and you know they have been renting equipment and now is the perfect time for them acquire their own and ditch those rental fees.

After you understand this first step, you will have a better idea on how to get your opportunity to them and continuously passively remind them so they will show up on auction day!

Highlight The Auction on Your Website

If you have strong traffic to your website this will be an easy step for you! Bidders who come to your auction know what you offer, and know what they want, so you know the interest is already there. Make sure that your website visitors can easily see where your upcoming auctions are, and that your auctions are updated regularly with a list of what is expected for sale and always have several images of your for sale items if available to increase your bid rate. People love to see what items are rather then read about it. A great place to feature or highlight your upcoming auctions is right on your homepage!

Promote on Social Platforms

Just to make sure you are casting your net to all your potential bidders make sure to promote your online auction on several social platforms. This is taking into account those individuals who don’t go to your website, but they stumble upon your opportunity from a Facebook Post or from a behind the scenes shared story on Instagram. Facebook Groups are a great way to get to new bidders and clients as well.
Share your upcoming online opportunity not only on your website but also your company social media pages, groups, and other pages. This type of engagement will increase your reach, help direct bidders towards your registration link, provide the location of your event and push constant reminders so they don’t forget. Post regularly and more often as the date gets closer! Also, a smart strategy is to have your friends, family, previous buyers, and supporters to push your message out on their social platforms as well. The more the merrier dominates all in this scenario!

Use Existing Contacts!

Do not forget about that handy list you have of previous customers contact information. If they have been apart of a previous online auction, then there is a good chance either they are interested or they know someone who is! Keep your potential bidders informed with weekly or biweekly emails that informs them when upcoming events will be, what will be sold and registration information, if they haven’t already registered. The key idea here is to make your emails appealing to the eye and unique to them, so they know how important they are to your business.

We hope these tips gave you more insight and now you are ready to hit the ground running and make your next online auction the best one yet! Please contact us today as we offer many other tools and resources to better promote your upcoming events!

Looking for more resources to help your online auction strategy?

We can help! Click below or contact us today!

Tools to Use When Looking for New SEO Keywords

Posted on January 15, 2021December 6, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

Tools to Use When Looking for New SEO Keywords

Three of Our Favorite SEO Keyword Tools

When it comes to digital marketing, two terms often dominate the conversation: “keyword research” and “keyword optimization.” But in a sea of SEO keyword tools available, it can be daunting to find the perfect one to fit your needs.

If you’re already incorporating keywords into your SEO and marketing strategies, you’re definitely on the right track! However, what happens when your keyword well runs dry, and your existing keywords fail to attract new traffic to your website? This is where the crucial role of keyword research comes into play. It’s an ongoing process that should be an integral part of any successful SEO or marketing strategy. By constantly exploring new terms to describe your business, products, or services, you open doors to increased visibility and organic growth.

To simplify your journey toward effective keyword research and optimization, we’ve compiled a list of our top three SEO keyword tools. Let’s take a closer look at each of these remarkable services:

Moz's Keyword Explorer

Moz is one of the leading experts in SEO and Keyword research – they know their stuff. While this service does require a monthly fee to use, there is a 30-day free trial available. Just type in any keyword to see stats and data about that keyword, including competitor insight and how difficult or easy it might be to rank for that specific word or phrase. Moz also provides keyword suggestions from the largest English language database on the web!

Learn more about Moz’s Keyword Explorer

Google Trends

Google Trends is a great free tool from Google. On their website, you can type in a phrase or keyword and see data about that term. You can view data related to interest over time, data by state and subregion, and even related search queries that users are searching for. You can even compare two keywords and their data side by side! Best of all, the information is presented through colorful, interactive graphs that are easy to understand.

SEMrush

While there is a limited free version, the features and tools in the paid SEMrush also do a great job of helping you find new keywords, trends, and audience levels. In addition to your own keywords, SEMrush lets you monitor your competitors’ keywords to find opportunities to take the lead in ranking for a specific term. Like Google Trends, SEMrush presents the information in a simple, easy-to-read way that makes it easy to find new keywords.

Learn more about SEMrush

Regardless of the tools you use to search for keywords, keyword research is an important part of any marketing strategy. We hope that the SEO keyword tools we’ve listed help you either start your keyword journey or help it become more thorough and complex!

Need some help getting started with keywords? We can help!

The Importance of Maintaining Consistency Within Your Branding

Posted on December 30, 2020January 22, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

The Importance of Maintaining Consistency Within Your Branding

Reasons Why All Auction Materials Both Printed & Web Should Be Consistent

Branding is a big job for any business. It takes lots of time and brainstorming to come up with a “brand” that not only represents your business well, but also showcases who you are on various levels. A company’s brand is so much more than the colors they choose or the logo that represents their name, it goes much deeper than that. Branding DOES include colors and logos, but it is also the way that your “business” talks to consumers in person, on your website, and in your printed products; it’s the customer service that you offer, the unique mantra or tag line that sets you apart, and the morals and values that your business holds. A brand goes deep into the core or who and what your business is – and every physical aspect that showcases that must reflect that core accordingly and consistently. Maintaining consistency within branding is arguable one of the most important aspects of a business’ marketing strategy.

Consistency Builds Trust

Businesses are constantly trying to reach more people and gain new consumers or clients. This can be a hard thing to accomplish when people do not know or trust your brand which is why consistency is so important. When a person researches your business and recognizes that the wording on your website has the same “tone” as the person who answers the phone as well as the information packet that they have read – a new strand of trust is formed. Of course, trust isn’t always formed quickly and sometimes it might take some time and persistence in order to show prospective clients that your business is trustworthy, but that consistency

Consistency Shows Professionalism

Consistency within your brand, whether it be print, or web shows a professionalism that is unique to your business. I think we have all experienced interaction with a business that is “mismatched”, meaning, they just don’t really seem to have a unified presence about them. Chances are this has made you view the company a little bit differently as a whole, and it’s likely that your view hasn’t changed for the better after seeing the disheveled appearance that the business has. Professionalism goes a long way when it comes to your current and prospective clients and having printed products and your website match up accordingly can help you tremendously when it comes to having a professional business.

Maintaining Consistency Within Branding Allows Your Core Values to Shine

Whether on purpose or not, your businesses core values will shine through in your branding. These values are unique and specific to your company – they could be anything from exceptional customer service to creating a personal experience for every customer while working with you. There’s no limit to the values your company holds either, many businesses have multiple core values that will end up shining through their various branding. Some other examples of company values that we’ve seen within brands are forward thinking, team mentality/togetherness, a commitment to customers, honesty/integrity, the value of fun within the workplace, and more. The options are endless when it comes to your business and the core values you hold. When your brand is consistent, your business and values will really shine through to your customers and clients helping them better know who you are as a whole.

Overall, there are lots of reasons and endless advantages to maintaining consistency within branding – these are just a few of the benefits that we see branding can have for your business. Consistency across your materials is so important to showcase who your business is to the very core. When the time comes to assess your branding, keep this in mind so you can ensure that your customers get the absolute best of your business. Need help with maintaining your brand consistency? Check out our Auction Marketing Services to learn how we can help!

NEED HELP BRANDING YOUR BUSINESS?

Auctioneer Software. The Only Software You’ll Ever Need

Posted on November 11, 2020August 26, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

Auctioneer Software. The Only Software You’ll Ever Need

Offering Every Software & Service Your Business Needs

Here at Auctioneer Software, we strive to bring you every service you could ever need from your auction software provider. We offer every type of auction software, custom website development, and marketing and SEO services! We believe that everything you need for your auctions should be available on one platform, and that you should only have to work with one company for anything else you might need! Other online auction software providers limit their service, forcing you to host your auctions across several websites with varying levels of customer service. Auctioneer Software doesn’t do that. Get to know our software and services!

Auction Software:

Regardless if you are looking for Online, Live, Simulcast, or Multi-Par Software – we’ve got you covered. All of our software can be found on one easy-to-use online platform (that pairs perfectly with our online auction app). Our system allows you to easily upload and manage your inventory, host your live and online auctions, and automatically sends out your invoices and statements. No more jumping around for different types of auctions!

Website Development:

Your auctions deserve to be on your own custom website. No longer will your auctions show up next to your competitors on a shared bidding platform. Your website will host your auctions and keep the focus on your brand. You will be able to build a bidder database specifically for your company, provide valuable information to your sellers, and count on our 24/7 service! We aren’t just your auction software provider – we are your custom web designer as well!

Auction Marketing:

Looking to promote your auctions and grow your brand? We offer search engine optimization consulting as well as organic and paid social media marketing! We will work to get your website ranking higher in the search results so that more bidders can find your company. Struggling to break into social media marketing? Let us use our auction advertising knowledge to reach more potential bidders and grow your online presence. We know digital auction marketing – leave it to us.

Auctioneer Software offers all of the auction software and services that you will ever need. Oh, and did we mention that it’s commission-free? If you’re tired of jumping around to different online auction software providers, contact us for a free demo today! We can get all of your auctions up and running in days!

SCHEDULE YOUR FREE AUCTION SOFTWARE DEMO

Social Media Tips For A Successful Live Auction

Posted on October 9, 2020November 26, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

Social Media Tips For A Successful Live Auction

Make the most of your social platforms

If you aren’t already taking advantage of social media for your live auction marketing, you are missing out! Social media is an invaluable marketing tool, regardless if you are hosting a live or online auction. With so many people checking in on their various accounts everyday, it is important that you get your events in from of them. We’ve rounded up a few of our best live auction Facebook & Instagram social media tips for a successful live auction to help get you started!

Organic & Paid Posting

The easiest thing that you can do for your live auction marketing is to post information about your auctions to your company pages. You can give all important details about your live auction, highlight specific lots, and even introduce your auctioneers! These posts will remind people about the auction and will help get them excited! If you have it in your budget, you can also do some paid advertising to get your auction in front of people who would be interested in attending. If you’re just setting up the Facebook account for your business, you likely won’t have a lot of followers and might struggle to see results at first. If that is the case, we suggest doing 70% paid advertising and 30% organic posting each month to help build up your audience and grow your following. This way you are still able to get your auctions in front of potential bidders. As your presence grows you can start to shift your paid vs. organic posting ratio, but remember that it is still a good idea to have paid advertising to help your page grow during slow periods.

Create A Facebook Event

Facebook has a great feature that allows you to create events. Set up an event for your auction, list all the details about registration, bidding, and lot order, as well as where it will be located. Then, invite people to attend! You can also share the event to

help get the word out. Facebook events are great because they will allow you to see how many people have RSVP’d to the event. This can help you gage your bidder turnout and see if people are planning on coming! Learn more about creating a Facebook event for your live auction in our past blog.

Go Live On Facebook & Instagram

Using the Live Videos feature on Facebook and Instagram gives your followers a sneak peak into the upcoming auction. Consider going live whenever you’re at the auction site to show off the lots as well as the event location. Want to do even more with your live video? Interview the main auctioneer for the event! Going live helps to add a layer of authenticity to your marketing, as your followers get to see the people behind your company. Bidders will be happy to learn more about your auction as well as your company!

We hope that these live auction Facebook and Instagram social media tips have helped set you up for a successful live auction! If you’re looking for more live auction marketing tips, check out our past blog here. If you have any questions about social media marketing, we would love to help! We offer a wide variety of auction marketing services and would be more than happy to help you promote your live auctions.

Looking For Help With Live Auction Facebook Marketing?

How to Navigate Google’s Privacy Changes

Posted on September 15, 2020December 6, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

How to Navigate Google’s Privacy Changes

Information for your business and your customers

User privacy has been a hot topic for the past few years. Particularly since the Cambridge Analytica Scandal, users have been thinking a lot more about where their data is going. After all, people enter emails, birthdays, credit card information, and geographical location when shopping online, interacting on social media, or even just performing a general search. While users give this information freely, they want to make sure that their data is safe and isn’t being treated incorrectly. Google is starting to roll out more features that focus on protecting user privacy. The biggest one? Phasing out third-party cookies.

Cookies are bits of code that track information as a user interacts with a website. Companies proceed to use the information the cookies gathered to re-target users with relevant advertising in order to achieve higher conversions. By phasing out third-party cookies, Google will be limiting the number of groups collecting user information on Chrome. Google will eventually be the only group storing user data, allowing them to make sure privacy is prioritized and information is safe. Companies looking to monitor user activity on their sites will use Google Analytics and other Google-based platforms moving forward.

What does that mean for my company?

If you are already using Google Analytics to analyze your customer data and other metrics, you’re good to go! While Google will likely be rolling out some updates and additional platforms that you’ll have to learn, you shouldn’t need to worry about losing customer information.

If your website does use third-party cookies, you may start to see changes to the information that you can access for website visitors who are using Chrome. Additionally, your users likely won’t be able to fully access your website. Don’t panic – you can fix this. Users can specify if they want to block third-party cookies in their browser settings. If they change their settings to allow for cookies, you should be able to receive your standard customer data and they will be able to fully access your site.

Allowing For Third-Party Cookies

If you need your customers to update their settings, this is a quick step-by-step guide you can share:

From the browser, click the three dots in the upper right-hand corner. Then click settings

Click into “Privacy and Security”

Then click “Cookies and other site data”

Make sure that “Block third-party cookies” is not selected

Your users should then be able to fully interact with your website, and you will be able to see your user data.

As Google moves forward with these privacy updates, we are sure that there will be more things to keep up with. If you have any questions about Google’s privacy updates feel free to contact us. Looking for more information about these updates? Check out the articles linked below.

Google releases new security and privacy controls for Chrome users
Chrome is ditching third-party cookies because Google wants your data all to itself
Privacy settings to change in your browser ASAP: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge and Brave
Google to ditch cookies in Chrome

How To Pick The Best Auction Software For Your Company

Posted on August 12, 2020August 26, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

How To Pick The Best Auction Software For Your Company

All You Need To Know About Your Auction Platform & Software

Picking the best auction software for your company can be more complex than you might think. Today there are many software options available that allow you to host your auctions in whatever way you want. When picking out your auction software, there are a few things that you will need to consider in order to get the best fit.

Determine Your Auction Type

Right off the bat, you need to ask yourself what kind of auctions you are planning on holding. You don’t want to end up with a platform that will only let you hold live auctions when you’re planning on holding online auctions as well. Another thing to consider is if you think that your company will grow and host a wider variety of auctions in the future. You don’t want to get stuck hosting half of your auctions on one platform and the other half on another. Make sure your provider can accommodate all of your auction types.

Prioritize Software Features

What are you looking for in your auction software? Do you want staggered closing times? Simulcast capabilities? Auctions on your own website? Automatic statement and invoice processing? Bulk lot importing? Unlimited photos per lot? There are so many different options that you can choose from, so it’s important to understand what you really need your software to do. Once you figure that out, you will be able to properly research your options.

Consider Your Price Range

Auction software is an investment. You’re going to have to determine how much you can pay for your software based on what features you want. If you’re just looking for a no-frills platform you likely won’t have to pay as much as if you want all the bells and whistles possible or completely customizable software. Sit down and figure out the non-negotiable features you want your software to have and then determine what’s in your price range.

The Commission Debate

While we’re on the topic of money, let’s talk about commission. Many software providers offer a cheaper initial set-up price and then take a portion of your sale as their commission. If you don’t have a ton of capital when initially setting up your software, this can be a tempting offer. However, in the long run, you could end up paying your provider thousands of dollars. Here at Auctioneer Software, we believe that your auction profits belong to you. After all, they are your auctions. That’s why we don’t take a commission. Period.

Bringing Your Own Bidders?

One of the most important things you will want to consider when picking an auction software is if you already have a pool of loyal bidders. Many providers offer a platform that operates as a communal marketplace for bidders. This means that bidders can see a wide variety of auctions on the site, not just yours. If you already have a loyal following, opening your bidders up to a wider auction market can cause you to have to compete for their attention – and dollars. The other option is to set up your auction website on your domain, not on a third-party provider’s. Your bidders will be only yours, and all eyes will be on your auctions. This is the type of platform that we offer at Auctioneer Software because we know that you’ve earned your bidders and you shouldn’t have to share them.

These are just a few of the things that you should consider when picking out your auction software. We hope this has been a helpful guide as you start your auction software journey! If you’re interested in our auction software, we would love to give you a free demo. Contact us today to learn more about our software and ask any questions you might have about live and online auction software! Want to read more about picking an auction platform? Check out this awesome blog.

In The Market For Auction Software?

3 Things You Can Do Today For Your Marketing Strategy

Posted on August 6, 2020November 26, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

3 Things You Can Do Today For Your Marketing Strategy

Tasks that will take less than 5 minutes to do!

So many articles about developing and maintaining your auction marketing strategy focus on big picture and long-term plans. But sometimes you a) want to do something tangible NOW b) only have a few minutes or c) lack inspiration to start. We all find ourselves in that position every now and again. So here are three things you can do today in less than 5 minutes to jump start your motivation!

Review Your Social Media Information

Take a glance at your social media bios, about section, contact information, links, and profile pictures. Make sure that everything is still up to date, that you are using the most recent version of your logo, and that everything is consistent across each social platform. Make any quick changes that you can or add tasks to your to-do list for next time.

Come Up With 1 New Blog Idea

No, we aren’t saying write a whole blog – just come up with an idea. That way, when you go to write a new blog you know exactly what you are getting ready to write about. This can help you center your thoughts and be more excited to write when the time comes, because you can just start writing without having to think of an idea first. Plus, giving yourself a short amount of time to pick an idea helps you from overthinking it!

Find 3 Images You Like

These could be images in your company’s files, or you can scroll through a stock photo website (like this one). Find three images that you would want to use as future social media posts or in your next blog. You don’t have to do anything with them now if you don’t have time, but hopefully they will spark inspiration when you go to create a new social campaign!

There you have it! Three quick things you can do for your company’s marketing strategy right now! Hopefully these tips will spark inspiration for what you should work on next or will just give you something to do to fill your time for the last few minutes of the day. Regardless, we hope this has been helpful!

What Other Marketing Tasks Can You Complete In 5 Minutes?

Online Auction FAQs

Posted on July 16, 2020November 26, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

Online Auction FAQs

Answering Your Questions About Online Auctions

Online auctions are a great way to take your auction company to the next level! It’s normal that you will have some questions about online auctions and how they can best help your company. So, we are diving into some online auction FAQs to help clear things up!

1. Will It Really Help My Auctions?

YES! The biggest reason that online auctions can help your company is because it allows you to have a much larger bidder pool! That sound great doesn’t it? Because your auction is online, bidders don’t have to be in your location to easily attend. In fact, they could be from several states away! And because they can set a maximum bid, they don’t have to worry about even being at their computer during the auctions! More bidders mean more bids, more bids means more competition, more competition means higher final bids! Which is a huge win for your company and your sellers!

2. Will Bidders Still Be Able To Find My Auctions?

Again, YES! While it may sound like a big switch to go from live to online, your bidders will quickly catch on. You may want to put a little more advertising behind your auctions to make sure that bidders are properly informed, but there is no reason that they won’t be able to find your auction. Make sure to post about it on your social media, include helpful information in your newsletter, and highlight it on your website.

3. Is It Hard To Manage An Online Auction?

Not when you have great software! Online auctions should make your life easier! Our software allows you to bulk upload lots, automatically send out statements and invoices, interact with your bidders, and more! You can monitor your auction from the comfort of your own home and just watch the bids come flooding in. Everything can be done from your computer!

4. What’s The Deal With Commission?

Here at Auctioneer Software we believe that your auctions are yours, so your profits should be too. We don’t believe in taking a commission based off of your hard work.

5. How Long Will It Take To Set Up?

When you work with Auctioneer Software, you can have your online auctions set up in days, not months! We will work closely with your team to bring you the software that will best work for your company. Our developers can tailor our software to meet any needs that your company may have.

We hope that this has helped answer some of your online auction FAQs! Ready to look into setting up online auctions for your company? Contact us for a free demo of our software! We would love to talk more about your online auction needs.

Have A Question We Didn’t Answer?

Auction Software & Services

Posted on July 9, 2020July 24, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

Auction Software & Services

Learn More About Auctioneer Software

Looking for auction software or other auction services? You’ve come to the right place! Here at Auctioneer Software we offer a wide variety of software, marketing, and hosting services to ensure that all of your live and online auction needs are taken care of. We wanted to break down each of our services to give you a quick overview of what we do and help you figure out what software will be the best fit for your company!

Our Auction Software

Online Auction Software

Auctioneer Software’s Online Auction Software provides the perfect platform to host online auctions. Set up multiple auctions on your own user-friendly website, bulk import your lots with unlimited pictures per item, and then wait for the bids to come flooding in! With automatic consignor statements, bidder invoices & auction reporting, our software allows you to quickly wrap up your post-auction activities.

Live Simulcast Auction Software

Want to host a live auction but bring in bidders from around the state, country or world? That is all possible with our Live Simulcast Auction Software! Our software allows you to easily set up a livestream (video or audio) for your online bidders with individual and group messaging features. You will be able to communicate with your in-person bidders while making sure that your online bidders feel informed and connected. Plus, we’ve built in features that allow the auctioneer to easily manage live and online bidding action at the same time. Take advantage of a larger bidder audience with our Live Simulcast Auction Software.

Multi Parcel Real Estate Auction Software

Real estate auctions don’t have to be complicated when you have the right software! Our Multi Parcel Real Estate Auction Software allows you to sell real estate in its entirety as one lot, by individual parcels, or in any combination of parcels. Our easy-to-use interface for bidders will help your auction run smoothly, while still giving you full control of the bidding process. We can tailor your multi par software to fit your company if you are looking for specific features for your auctions.

Live Auction Clerking Software

Your live auctions will be a breeze when you use our Live Auction Clerking Software! All you need is an internet connection, and you have the ability to load items, print clerking sheets and clerk an entire auction from your computer, iPad, or tablet! Being able to manage your auction wherever you are lets you rest easy, knowing that you can always add another lot last minute during the auction or check in on your registered bidders before the auction starts.

Our Auction Services

Auction Marketing

You can’t have a great auction without great marketing. Your lots might be amazing, but you won’t get anywhere if people don’t know that you are having an auction! Traditional and digital marketing allows you to reach a wide range of quality potential bidders. From Facebook and Google Advertising to Search Engine Optimization and Content Writing, we have everything you need to meet your auction marketing needs.

Website & Graphic Design

Your auction website needs to capture the attention of potential bidders while reflecting your brand identity and promise. Auction website design is much different than traditional web design, but our experience in the industry has given us the knowledge to expertly design your website. We also offer graphic design services for logos, business cards, brochures, catalogs, and just about anything else that you can dream up!

Website Hosting

You need to know that your website will be up and running for your auctions. When you host with Auctioneer Software you don’t need to worry about your site going down. We know that outages are unacceptable, both for you and your bidders. That’s why we are there monitoring your auctions. We partner with the Switch Data Center to make sure that your website is safe.

We hope that this has given you a good overview of the software and services we offer, but there is so much more to Auctioneer Software. If you’re interested in a particular service that you don’t see listed here, feel free to contact us! We would love to work with you to find a solution with our auction software services. Interested in our auction software? Click the button below to set up a free demo!

Put Our Software To The Test

Why Your Company Needs Auction Software

Posted on June 30, 2020August 26, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

Why Your Company Needs Auction Software

Work Smarter, Not Harder with Auction Software

You have been diligently growing your auction business, and you are trying to decide if your next step should be investing in auction software. It’s a big decision to make for your company, and it can be easy to question if you really need it. We are here to tell you that auction software is EXTREMELY important for your business if you want to keep growing. Our live and online auction platform will allow your company to stay on top of your game, while making your life easier in the process.

Auction Software Keeps You Organized

Ever felt flustered because you were mixing up lots from different auctions, trying to communicate with multiple bidders and consignors at the same time, or have forgotten to send out a statement or invoice? We understand. Having professional auction software keeps you organized. Everything is located on the same platform, from your client information to each of your auctions. No longer will you have to scramble for important information, it will be readily available with just a few clicks.

Makes Life Easier (For You and Your Bidders)

Don’t you love it when technology can do the hard work for you? Our auction software allows you to automatically send out statements and invoices, bulk upload you lots, send out notifications to your bidders, and so much more. No longer will you be tediously typing in dimensions and working conditions. Your time is important, and you shouldn’t have to waste it doing busy work. Our software also allows for mobile friendly bidding, meaning that your bidders can bid from their phones and are no longer tied to their desktops! It’s a win-win situation!

Keep Track of Your Auction Data

Here at Auctioneer Software we are big fans of data. Having a live and online auction platform that collects the data from each of your auctions allows you to dig deeper and learn more about your sales and your target audiences. You can use your data to grow your company and develop your marketing strategies. For more tips on analyzing your auction data, check out our past blog.

Tailor Your Software to Fit Your Needs

The great thing about auction software is that you can tailor it to do anything that you need it to. We built our software to meet the needs of the modern auction company, including the insights and wishes we learned from conversations with many auctioneers. Our developers are more than happy to make modifications to our software to best fit your company.

Implementing auction software allows your company to continue to grow and takes a large portion of the work off of your back. We would love to sit down with your company to discus your software needs and answer any questions that you might have. Contact us to schedule a free demo today!

Wondering Which Software Is Best For Your Company?

Tips for Your Next Live/Simulcast Auction

Posted on June 25, 2020November 15, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

Tips for Your Next Live/Simulcast Auction

Navigating a Live/Simulcast Auction with Ease

Live/Simulcast auctions are a fantastic way to auction off real estate, machinery, and equipment to a large group of bidders. Because of the dual bidding capabilities, bidders from around the world are able to participate in a live/simulcast auction, creating a larger bidding pool and thus a higher final bid. Now that live/simulcast auctions are becoming more popular, we wanted to provide you with some tips to help make sure that your auction stands out.

1. Market Your Live/Simulcast Auction

You need to make sure that people know your auction isn’t just a live auction! Make sure to share your auction on social media, in your newsletter, and anywhere else you want to highlight that it is both a live and online simulcast auction!

2. Invest in Quality Equipment

If you are going to have a large portion of your bidders using the simulcast livestream, make sure that you have a good camera. Nothing is more frustrating than a fuzzy image that takes a bidder’s attention away from the auction. You don’t want your technology to be the reason someone doesn’t place the highest bid.

3. Check in with Online Bidders

Before you start your auction, check in with your live bidders to make sure that everyone is comfortable with how the process will work. Make sure that the livestream is working for everyone too! Our software makes it easy to check in with online bidders by sending out an announcement to everyone at once instead of having to message each bidder individually.

4. Clearly Explain the Bidding Setup

Make sure that everyone knows your auction is a live/simulcast auction before you begin. You don’t want someone to get upset that they were outbid because they didn’t realize there were online bidders halfway through the auction. Present clear information to all of your bidders and everything should go smoothly.

Live/Simulcast auctions are an incredible way to sell assets to a large group of bidders. We hope that these tips have given you some ideas for your next live/simulcast auction to make it a huge success. If you’re interested in updating your live/simulcast clerking software, contact us today for a free demo.

Have Other Questions About Live/Simulcast Auctions?

How To Take Advantage of Your Auction Data

Posted on June 16, 2020August 26, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

How To Take Advantage of Your Auction Data

Software isn’t just for selling…

When you have good online auction software you get a whole lot more than just a platform to catalog and host your auctions. You also get a ton of helpful information that you can use to learn more about your users and grow your auction company. When correctly applied, you can take insights from your auction data and narrow down your target audiences of bidders and consignors, find your niche of items to sell, and determine better auction marketing techniques! Sounds pretty great doesn’t it? The information is available to you, you just have to figure out the best way to take advantage of it.

Determine Top Selling Items

You probably notice when an item you are auctioning off brings in a particularly high final bid. While different lots will bring in different levels of bids, you may start seeing trends of items that your bidders are particularly interested in bidding on that pushes up the price. Once you figure out what items your bidders are most likely to want to bid on – do whatever you can to have auctions focusing on those items! Reach out to consignors to let them know that you are especially interested in a particular type of equipment, land parcel type or size, etc., and try to get more consignments focused on those areas.

Data to Look At: Find lots that had a lot of bids from a lot of bidders.

Build Bidder Target Audiences

After determining the type of lots that your bidders are interested in buying, take a look at the information that you have about your users. Bidders are likely to have similar characteristics that will help you determine the best way to market them. You might notice that users 6, 11, and 23 have only bid on agricultural equipment, and bidders 7, 24, and 32 only bid on construction equipment. And of course, you might have some bidders that will bid on anything and everything! Use this information to have specific audiences to try and target when you are setting out marketing campaigns for your different auctions.

Data to Look At: User bidding patterns and demographics

Evaluate Prime Selling Times

Does the day or time of your auction impact the number of people bidding or the size of the final bidding price? Monitor your auctions and bidders to see when people tend to bid. Switch up a few of your end times or the day of the week you hold your auctions to test what results you get. Of course, the addition of proxy bidding might skew your data a bit, but it doesn’t hurt to figure out when your audience is the most engaged. For example, maybe your bidders prefer a weekend auction so that they don’t have to juggle work and bidding. Hosting more of your auctions on a Saturday then would bring you more engaged bidders! Once you know when bidders want to participate, you can host auctions at a time that is more convenient for them, thus bringing in more bidders more bids, and a higher final bid!

Data to Look At: When are bids being placed (day of week & time of day)

Good online auction software won’t just provide you with a seamless platform to host your auctions, it will help you grow your company with key data insights. If you’re interested in learning more about our online auction software or want help analyzing your data, contact us here. We would love to help make your auction company more successful!

LOOKING FOR ONLINE AUCTION SOFTWARE?

3 Ways We Keep Your Data Safe

Posted on June 11, 2020November 26, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

3 Ways We Keep Your Data Safe

Data Has Never Been Safer with Auctioneer Software

In a data and online driven world, it can be concerning when we put so much of our personal information out on the web. Emails, addresses, credit card information, birthdates, and more…how do we know that our data is being respected and kept safe? How do we know that information is not being sold for some other businesses profit? These might be just a few of the questions that you have had when thinking about the data and information that you put out on the web – and rightfully so! It seems that many companies and businesses don’t address data and what steps they are taking to keep your safe, so that’s exactly what we want to do.

1. Infrastructure Design

Our infrastructure design is one of the very first and most important ways that we keep your information and data safe. Our proactive design isolates public facing vs. private data. This means that all servers that do the actual processing of transactions, storing transactions, sending emails, databases and so on are absolutely NEVER publicly accessible – which plays a big part in the security of your data. There are many other ways that we take extra security precautions including an implementation of an SSL or Secure Sockets Layer certificate to ensure your connection to us is secure and private (to read more of why an SSL is important click here) Not only that, but another way that we strive to keep your data as safe as possible is through automated systems that block traffic from known hacker IPs.

We subscribe to multiple lists that are being updated daily to ensure that we have current lists of new and previous hacker IPs. Our security measures don’t end there, believe it or not we also implement further security internally – we limit what information servers are able to communicate with others. For example, only a few servers are able to communicate with our internal secure database servers. This extra limitation is implemented on both the physical and configuration level. There are many more additional ways that our infrastructure keeps your data safe, and if you have more questions about our design and what we are actively doing to keep your data safe through our infrastructure, please reach out to us today and we would be happy to talk to you more.

2. Sensitive Data Permissions

Another way that our software’s design provides extra security is with sensitive field permissions such as lot’s reserve and bidder information. We understand that this information is sensitive for every auction company and we want to make sure that all of your data is as safe and secure as possible. So, what does that mean? For example, this means that when it comes to the ability for a user to see and access bidder information only users with admin permissions can see bidder information. This is the case for any sensitive information as well as any permissions. All data fields can only be accessed through our API or Application Programming Interface which also defines which permissions and roles are required in order to see information on a field-by-field basis keeping your information and bidders information as safe as possible.

3. Security Design Specifically for Passwords & Credit Card Information

Our software is designed with security at the top of its mind when it comes to sensitive data. For example, all passwords are salted and hashed meaning that passwords become significantly more difficult to access by an outsider – that includes us! Not only that, but all sensitive information such as credit card information is always stored on worldwide trusted external credit card gateways.

As the web is evolving there are becoming better and more secure ways to keep your data safe – we here at Auctioneer Software are constantly re-evaluating the ways that we keep your data safe and making adjustments and improvements as the opportunities arise. If you have any questions or concerns about the various ways that we are working to keep your company and bidder data safe, unshared, and secure, please contact us today. We are more than happy to talk to you more about our safe data precautions.

Interested in learning More About How we keep your data safe?

How To Increase Your Audience Using Facebook Live

Posted on June 5, 2020December 6, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

How To Increase Your Audience Using Facebook Live

Build Your Social Media Following One Video At A Time

Social media is taking auction industry marketing to a new level – so much ability and power at our fingertips! Social media provides opportunities to connect with people we might never have connected with before. When it comes to your online presence, there are always new things to be learned and new features to be utilized within your campaign. Live videos are no exception. Going live with Facebook is a relatively new feature that has gained popularity across the nation on various social media platforms. Facebook live videos are not only great for your average social media presence to stream a fun experience with friends and family, but they are also a great resource for businesses to use within their marketing efforts. If you are a business and are not using live videos, read on below, and if you are a business that currently uses live videos but feels like you could improve your strategy, we can help you too!

Let us begin by exploring why Facebook Live has so quickly gained popularity over the last few years. If you are an avid Facebook user, you have likely seen the small “live” icon pop up on someone you follow as they begin a live-streaming session. That video ends up being saved and posted to their page, so it’s possible you might have even gone back and watched an old live video of someone if you weren’t available for the initial streaming. Live videos are praised for being raw and real, they are an unedited and usually transparent way to see into someone’s life. But live Facebook videos are also a great way for businesses to connect on a much more personal note with their audience. In most cases, consumers appreciate transparency from the businesses they are buying from or working with. Transparency within your company harbors trust, builds your brand, and shows integrity – all of which are great characteristics for your business to draw in a new audience as well! What other ways can you use live streams on Facebook to boost your audience?

Show off new products or services

One way to use live videos on social media is to show off new products or services that your business or company is offering. This is a great way to connect with your existing audience to let them know what is happening on the business side of your company. If people are excited about the new product or service, they will likely share it with their friends, or even recommend it via social media by sharing your video which will quickly build up your audience through referrals. In addition to building your audience through your current followers, you also can utilize paid advertising on your live streams. Facebook allows you to promote your live-stream videos making it simple to get your content in front of the right people at the right time. As an auction company, you likely are consistently having new items to feature or show your following. Using Facebook live videos is a great way to show off whatever items are going to be auctioned off in your upcoming sale or sales.

Live stream events or get-togethers

Streaming events or company get togethers is a great way to mix in a little bit of fun to your live streaming. Depending on your business, this approach might work better than others. For example, if you run a sports store, you might host a local 5k each year to promote your business and get the community together while being active. In this case, you might want to advertise that you’ll be live-streaming the runners as they finish the race! This allows all of the family and friends of the runners to cheer them on from home or wherever they might be as well as get to know your business through your live video. Be sure to get creative when you start thinking about what events or get-togethers you can livestream – each industry and company is going to be different when it comes to finding what works for you!

Allow your audience to get to know your staff better

Staff live streams are a great and fun way to allow your audience to get to know your business on a more personal level. The options are endless when it comes to how you can utilize staff in your live streams. If you are a company that doesn’t mind being a little laid back, you could do a live stream of fun get-to-know-you questions with each of your team members. If you want to take a more structured approach with the stream, you could put on an interactive question and answer time about a specific product or service – it would be a great idea to run a small campaign leading up to a question and answer live stream just to let people know when it’s happening so that they can have time to prepare any questions they might want to ask. Although a structured question and answer time will not provide the personal insight to your staff like get-to-know-you questions would, it is still a great way for your audience to talk personally with your staff when they normally might not be able to.

Show off your company culture

We are strong advocates for showing off your company culture to your audience. What makes your business unique, fun, and different from your competitors? What makes your employees love working for your company? Those are the things that you want to show off to your audience and live streaming is a candid way to do so. For example, if you are a smaller business that brings in donuts or something to celebrate each of your employees’ birthdays, it would be a great idea to livestream everyone talking over their food, maybe singing happy birthday, or even going over to ask the birthday employee what the best part of turning one year older is. Of course, this is just an example, there are tons of ways that you can showcase your company culture to your audience and allow them to “be a part” of your business virtually!

As you can see, there are tons of different ways that businesses can use live videos to boost their following and audience all while connecting on a deeper level with them. We hope that you are able to discover more ways that you can utilize the tools you have in front of you such as social media and live videos to help create a sense of transparency, trust, and familiarity with the people that you are trying to reach with your product and services all the while taking your social media marketing campaigns to the next level.

If you are looking for help to build up your audience through social media – contact us today! We offer marketing consultation as well as social media marketing services to take your business to the next level.

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Online Auction Tips For Your Upcoming Sales

Posted on May 29, 2020August 26, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

Online Auction Tips For Your Upcoming Sales

Maximizing Your Auction Efforts

Online auctions open up the possibilities to sell a wide variety of items to a large audience all from the comfort of one single location – the opportunities are endless when it comes to online auctions and sales. Maybe you are new to online auctions and don’t feel that you have a good grip on how to make the most of each individual auction, or it’s possible that you’ve been doing online auctions for many years and just feel like you’re stuck in a rut of the same audience and bidders on your items. If you feel like you could use some extra help when it comes to your online auctions, we have some tips to help you maximize your auction efforts so that you can be as successful as possible in your upcoming sales.

Be Honest

This is our first and foremost tip and we would hope that it goes without saying, but just in case it does not…be honest. Running an honest business that is forward and truthful goes a long way in the auction industry. Honesty covers and runs into each and every part of your business, meaning everything from item descriptions to buyers premiums and everything in between. Your honesty will not only help build trust among your buyers, but it will also help create a sense of loyalty between each customer and your brand. Honesty within the business world might not reap immediate results, but over time, you will see the benefits of being open and truthful with your bidders and buyers.

Provide Good Images

Quality photos of items can go a long way when it comes to your auction sales. If you don’t already have a system in place for photographing your items, we suggest sitting down and writing one out today! If you sell small and portable items and object, we suggest investing in some sort of white or solid background or canvas to set your items on while you photograph them for the sale. A solid background removes the distractions from the image and also showcases your items in a more professional way. You can find backgrounds or photography canvases for a reasonable price on places like Amazon. For example, this 6 x 9 ft backdrop screen is only about twenty dollars (without the stand and crossbar) – a small investment like this can go a long way when it comes to showing off your items in a professional light. If you only sell larger items such as equipment or machinery, it will obviously be harder to put them on a background such as this, so we suggest taking the photos in a well-lit atmosphere with minimal other surrounding objects. Try to take good quality photos that showcase each part of the image. Buyers love to be able to see the items they are bidding on, and as the seller, providing a good image for them to look at can go a long ways when it comes to seeing those bids being placed.

Write Descriptive Descriptions

Try to say that 10 times fast! We can’t – haha. Taking the time to write descriptive descriptions can make a big difference for your online auction. Because people are not able to see the items, a proper description is exactly what they need to encourage them to place a bid. Now please reference point number one here, be honest in your descriptions as always, but try your best to hit all of the important parts of each item. For example, if you are selling a pair of diamond earrings, your main title might be “Diamond Earrings” but your description should try to name the carat, type of metal that the diamonds are on, the dimensions, as well as any other relevant information you might have about the jewelry. We understand that sometimes an auctioneers knowledge is limited about the item that is being sold and we know that it isn’t always possible to list tons of details about an item, but we just want to encourage you to take the time to write up a good description that is as descriptive as possible for the buyer. That extra time can go a long way when it comes to your sales.

Specify Shipping Information

If you offer shipping options for your items, be sure to specify that information in a very prominent way. Nothing is more frustrating to a buyer who lives out of state or far away than trying to figure out if they can place a bid on an item because they do not know if shipping is available for said item. Address shipping information on each individual lot in a way that is obvious for the potential buyer. Maybe you offer shipping on items smaller than “x” size/dimension, if that is the case, then make sure that is stated on your lot page, and be sure to list your items dimensions in the lot description – this takes out the guess work for your buyers. We know that each company has different shipping rules, some might not offer shipping at all, and some might offer it for select items, but find a way that conveys this in the easiest way possible for your buyers to see and understand.

Make Your Contact Information Known

Making your contact information known is SO important when it comes to your online auction. You should never make a potential buyer go on a wild goose chase in order to try and make contact with your business. We suggest putting various contact info within each auction and item lot if possible…that will make it simple if a potential buyer has a question or concern about the item to get in touch with you easily and quickly. That ease of contacting a representative within your company about an auction item very well could point them in the right direction of bidding and buying said item.

Provide Good Communication with Bidders and Lot Winners

Building off of the last point of making your contact information known, you must put a large focus on providing good communication with your bidders after contact has been made. Whether this is an inquiry about a specific item, or instructions after a bidder has won the item, do your best to be on top of communication providing them with all the details they might need. After a person has won the bidding, we suggest being quick in providing all of the information they need including shipping info, pick up times, as well as payment options. (Note: all of those things should be addressed or available BEFORE a person wins a lot – but it never hurts to reiterate them after they have won the item) Effective and good communication goes miles when it comes to your auction sales, so do your best to focus in on how you can make improvements to your auction communication.

All in all, we understand better than anyone that there are many different moving parts to running an online auction, but there are always ways to improve and make your process better, and recognizing that is the first step to maximizing your online auction efforts. We hope that you found these tips useful as you approach your upcoming sales, and would love for you to share it with your anyone who might benefit from these tips too – click the icons below to share today!

Auctioneer Software offers four different types of auction software for your business. If you are interested in learning more about our online auction software – click here, or contact us today for a free demo! We would love to talk to you more about how our software can help you streamline your auctions for a simpler way of doing business.

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How to Develop A Social Media Marketing Strategy for the Auction Industry

Posted on May 12, 2020November 15, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

How to Develop Your Social Media Marketing Strategy for the Auction Industry

Building Your Brand and Promoting Your Auctions

Social media has become a huge part of everyday life. We turn to it for entertainment, recipes, keeping up with friends and families, and of course, shopping. Most likely your auction house has social media accounts on several of the major social platforms, but are you making them a priority when planning out your marketing strategy? It is important to build a proper social media marketing strategy to grow your brand and reach a larger audience of potential bidders and sellers.

Set Goals

It’s important that right off the bat you set measurable goals that will help you determine if your marketing efforts are paying off. Afterall, you can’t determine your ROI if you don’t know what you were aiming for! The first goal that you will probably think of is having more bidders place bids. This is a fantastic thing to aim for, but don’t forget about all of the other goals you may want to focus on. For example, maybe you really want to reach more consignors so that you can expand the number of auctions you are holding each year. Or maybe you want to increase your brand awareness or engagement. If you are new to social media marketing, start small. While you do want to dream big, it’s important to have reasonable goals when you first start out. See how your first few campaigns go and then revisit your goals based off those results.

Define Your Target Audience

One of the major challenges that auction houses face in their marketing strategy is pinning down a set target audience. You may be selling agricultural equipment, tool and die shop machinery, and construction equipment. Different types of people are interested in different auctions, so you need to make sure that you have specific segments to target depending on what type of auction you are promoting. This will help you reach the right people and improve the chance that they will visit an auction and bid!

Not only do you have to think about the different types of bidders you are looking to attract, you also have to consider any consignors you are trying to reach! Auction companies have to specifically target both consignors and bidders – which is double the challenge. Just as you segment out your bidder audiences, make sure you know which consignors you are trying to target with your campaigns. Using this information as well as the many social analytic platforms will help you shape your social media marketing strategy moving forward

Choose Your Platforms

Once you have determined your target audiences, figure out where their eyes are! Different demographics interact with different social media platforms. You may really like Instagram marketing, but if your target audience is all on Facebook then your campaign won’t be as effective as it could be! Focus the majority of your effort and your budget on the platform where your audience engages the most. Use the analytics tools on the different platforms to evaluate what platform your audience uses the most and then concentrate your marketing strategy on those platforms.

Create Your Content

The fun part! Now you get to decide what you will be posting out for people to see! Make sure that you pick a theme to follow across all of your posts so that you will have a cohesive brand image. Likely this will look like using your company colors and fonts when designing graphics so that people recognize your brand, but you can always pull in other elements as well. This defined brand image will help maintain a professional look and developer user’s trust in your company. Post about upcoming auctions, highlight specific lots, talk about your auctioneers and other team members, and put out calls for consignors. It’s important that you balance your ‘sales’ posts with general content that develops your brand. Your goal should be to always provide users with value when they interact with your post.

Make sure to take advantage of all the great features that each social media platform offers. Maybe you start setting up Facebook events with your auctions or use Facebook and Instagram live to give people a behind the scenes look at your auction process. You might list a few of your featured lots on Facebook Marketplace to gain attention and bring them more traffic. Take advantage of what is offered to you!

Set A Schedule

Once you have done all of your research about your target audiences and created your content you will want to set a schedule for your social media marketing campaigns. You should be routinely posting out content to keep your social profiles fresh and show that your brand is active. Users won’t trust a company that sporadically posts out content, with months between posts. Having a regular schedule will keep users anticipating your next post.

It’s also important that you figure out what time of day is the best time for you to post your content so that the maximum number of people can see it before it gets buried by the rest of the information in their news feeds. This is a helpful article that shows the best times to post on different social media platforms depending on your industry!

Paid Advertising

Your social media marketing strategy by no means needs to have a budget behind it, but it is definitely something that you will want to consider. You may want to figure out what organic results you get from your first few campaigns so help you determine the best places for paid advertising. On the other hand, if you want to get a specific auction out fast or want to drastically boost brand engagement, paid ads are a great way to quickly get results. Sit down and decide if you have the budget for paid advertising and determine if ads will align with your marketing goals.

And there you have it! A few basic steps to creating your auction house’s social media marketing strategy! Remember that you likely won’t see drastic results overnight, but as you work your social media presence will grow and you will find yourself reaching your goals! If you have any other questions about developing a social media marketing strategy in the auction industry, feel free to contact us today!

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5 Reasons to Have Your Own Auction Website

Posted on May 7, 2020December 6, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

5 Reasons to Have Your Own Auction Website

How to Stand Out from Your Competitors

Has your auction company been struggling to stay ahead of the competition on a third-party provider? With so many online auction companies operating on the same platform, it can be hard to gain recognition and compete with big names. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Have you thought about branching out and building your own website? It might seem like a big step, but having your own website is the perfect way for you to stand out compared to other auction companies.

5 REASONS TO HAVE YOUR
OWN AUCTION WEBSITE

STAND OUT FROM YOUR COMPETITORS

Your Website, Your Brand

When you operate on your own website, your brand will be the first thing that people see. It won’t be buried by competitors and the third-party providers branding. On your own site bidders will be able to clearly recognize your company and start developing brand recognition. This will help them keep coming back for your future auctions.

Specialized Auction Design

No longer will your auctions look the exact same as your competitors – on your own website you will be able to customize your auctions to be bidder-friendly and have the layout that you want!

One Platform for Every Auction Type

On your own auction website, you can host every type of auction from the same place. No longer will you have to partner with different providers for your online, simulcast and multi par auctions. It’s convenient for you, and your bidders will appreciate that they don’t have to jump around to different platforms like they have to with other auction companies.

Bonus Features for Bidders

On your own platform you can provide additional value for bidders by writing a blog. Write about auction tips, insights about your industry and announce upcoming auctions. Bidders will have an additional reason to come to your site and will appreciate that you aren’t just trying to sell to them every time they come to your site like other companies do.

Control Your Customer Service

Auction companies on third-party providers aren’t able to provide the same level of customer service that a company with their own website can. If a bidder has a problem during an auction you can hop in and fix it. You won’t have to wait to check in with a third party first. Bidders will appreciate your service and will recognize the difference.

Having your own auction site may be a little more work for you as the auctioneer, but you are able to have full control over your brand and bidder experience, making it a fantastic investment and worthwhile trade off. Bidders and sellers will notice how great their experience is with your company and will keep coming back. With your own auction website, your company will stand out from your competitors. If you’re interested in learning more about building your own auction website, contact us here.

Download the infographic as a PDF here.

4 Ways Mobile Bidding Helps Your Auctions

Posted on April 28, 2020August 26, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

4 Ways Mobile Bidding Helps Your Auctions

While people have always had the option to bid using their mobile devices, most auction sites haven’t been easy enough to navigate to make mobile bidding a pleasant experience. Afterall, who wants to be continually scrolling to find the item they’re looking for and zooming in and out on little lot picture? Now that there are more effective ways to bid using a mobile device, has your auction company decided to implement mobile bidding? Check out our latest infographic to learn the benefits of mobile bidding and how having additional bidding methods can help your auction flourish:

4 Ways Mobile
Bidding Helps
Your Auctions

Differentiate Your
Company

Not all online auction companies have mobile bidding set up. If your company does, it will show that you are on top of your game and are dedicated to staying up to date in the industry. This will increase bidder’s opinions of your brand and will make your company stand out compared to competitors.

CONVENIENCE FOR BIDDERS

We spend so much time on our phones every day – capitalize on that and make your auctions accessible on your bidder’s phones! They will appreciate the convenience and will be thankful that you are giving them an easy way to bid (and the easier it is to bid, the more likely they will!) Now they don’t have to worry about being out-bid while they are away from their computer at their kid’s sporting event – they can just check their phone from the sidelines.

Increases the Number
of Bidders

Providing mobile bidding allows a whole group of on-the-go bidders to participate in your auction, bringing you a new bidder demographic that you couldn’t reach before. Think of all the people who would be bidding but haven’t been able to because they didn’t have time to sit in front of their computer! This is an easy was to quickly increase your pool of loyal bidders.

Increases Revenue

We’ve established that mobile bidding leads to an increase in bidders. Any good auctioneer knows that more people participating in an auction leads to more bidding & competition which leads to a higher selling price! This brings in more money both for your seller and for you as an auction company. What’s not to love about mobile bidding for online auctions!

WANT TO SET UP MOBILE BIDDING FOR
YOUR AUCTION SITE?

CONTACT US AT
auctioneersoftware.com

We hope that this has shed some light on the benefits of mobile bidding for your online auction site! The advantages it provides for auctioneers is incredible and should be used by every auction company. If you are interested in setting up mobile bidding for your online auction site, or if you have further questions about mobile bidding, contact us here.

Download the infographic as a PDF by clicking here

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3 Reasons Your Auctions Should Move Online

Posted on April 24, 2020December 6, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

3 Reasons Your Auctions Should Move Online

How Utilizing Online Auctions Can Help Your Business

If you have been in the auction industry for a while, you are likely no stranger to online auctions, but if you are not running your auctions online, what is holding you back? Is it the fear of not getting as good results? Or maybe it’s the simple avoidance of change. Whatever it is, we are here to help. Utilizing online auctions creates endless opportunities for you to maximize your auction results and reach a much larger audience. Still not convinced? That’s okay read on to learn three major reasons why you should be utilizing online auctions.
Before we begin though, we want to make sure that we make it clear that we believe that YOU as the auctioneer, know your buyers best, every auction sale is unique, and every situation and auctioneer are unique – there will absolutely be situations where a live auction is more appropriate and will yield better results. At the end of the day, no one understands your business and sales like you do.

Reach A Larger Audience

Paid Advertising, Social Media, Referral Traffic & More

One of the biggest reasons to move your auctions online is to reach a larger audience. According to We Are Social, it’s estimated that there are about 4.39 billion internet users as of 2019. Let that sink in, 4.39 BILLION. That is a lot of people! By utilizing online auctions, your auction visibility can increase exponentially. Posting your auctions online allows you to share direct auction links to social media, start paid advertising campaigns for your sales, and gain referral traffic from people who share or like your sales. All of these are great tools and resources to reach a huge audience of potential buyers!

Increase Future Sales Through Marketing

Use Online Auction Information To Fuel Your Marketing Efforts

This is a HUGE advantage to holding some or all of your auctions online! By using an online platform to host your auctions, you have the ability to gain insight and create a connection with the people who are buying or bidding in your auctions. When bidding online there is a registration process that every user must go through, which allows you to create a snapshot of their information for your future marketing efforts! This can come to fruition in many different ways, it could look like your business sending out marketing emails to all previous bidders with a short update of all the upcoming auctions you are hosting. It also could be simply gaining a better understanding of your demographics so that you can adjust your paid campaigns. Whatever it looks like for you, those insights that you can gain from bidder registration, as well as buyer reports and other metrics will do nothing but help you as you fine-tune your marketing efforts.

Sell A Larger Variety Of Items

Increase Sales & Increase Revenue

By using online auctions, the door is wide open to start expanding what you sell. Maybe for years, you have stuck to what you know in your business, which is not a bad thing, but there is always potential for growth through expanding your boundaries. With online auctions, the options are endless for what you can sell, how much you can sell, and WHEN you can sell. For example, if you are a vehicle auction company that has only hosted live auctions in the past, you might be able to benefit by selling various car parts in addition to the vehicles that are being sold. Likely, your potential buyers for both items (cars & car parts) are going to overlap to some extent, so an online auction is a great way to sell both in one place while maximizing your auction results.

Online auctions are a great tool for auctioneers everywhere to grow their business and expand their audience, but we understand that every situation, business, and auction is unique. Simulcast auctions are a great way to combine the best of both live auctions and online bidding. There are tons of great options out there for you and your business to expand and grow with the rapidly changing industry and world.

Auctioneer Software offers four different types of auction software for your business. We understand that your business is unique which is why our software can be tailored to fit your specific needs. No matter where you are now or where you want to go with your auctions, we can help. reach out to us today.

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Extra Time on Your Hands?

Posted on April 21, 2020December 6, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

Extra Time on Your Hands?

4 things you can do for your auction company when business is slow

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced a lot of companies to slow down and work under much different conditions than usual. Without the normal flow of work, many businesses are finding themselves in a lull with a lot of time on their hands. In a culture that thrives on busyness, it can be hard to find a spare second to work on the ‘extra’ things that help to advance your company and build your brand. This extra time gives us the chance to focus on things that might be rushed through or forgotten about during a normal period. We want to share four productive things that you can do for your company during this season.

1. Get Organized

How often do you feel like you are juggling a million things, bouncing from project to project, meeting to meeting, and end up feeling like a tornado hit you? Take this time to organize your schedule, plan out any campaigns or future projects that you want to start, and come up with new ideas to make your auction process more efficient.

2. Build Your Social Media Presence

Maintaining an engaging and consistent social media presence can be difficult, especially if you aren’t a huge business that has a team of people constantly working on social media marketing. Use this time to come up with posts and campaigns, design graphics for your holiday posts, and work to build more followers. You can schedule everything out for the future so that you don’t have to think about it once business picks back up! This is also a great way to stay in front of bidders who are likely spending a lot more of their time on social media.

3. Start A Blog

Blogging is a fantastic way to provide value to your users and help with your rankings in search engine results. Come up with ideas to blog about, from

tips for participating in auctions or general posts about your industry. Write a few and post them live, then schedule the rest out so you have fresh content for the future!

4. Personal Training

Have you been pushing for your team to learn a new skill that will help your business? Maybe you want to learn more about Google Analytics to monitor your traffic or want to step up your design game by learning how to use Photoshop. This is the time for your team to develop skills that will benefit your company in the long run. While these are not ideal circumstances, we hope that you can take advantage of the extra time to build your brand. Always look for the silver lining! If you have any questions, feel free to contact us here. Stay home and stay safe!

The Advantages of Multi Par Real Estate Auctions

Posted on April 16, 2020November 15, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

The Advantages of Multi Par Real Estate Auctions

Benefits for Buyers and Sellers

Real estate auctions offer up so many advantages to buyers and sellers that they wouldn’t receive in a traditional sale. From avoiding a lengthy negotiation process to the ease of selling, auctions are truly one of the best ways to sell property. However, did you know that a real estate auction can have even more benefits when the auction company makes it a multi parcel auction? Multi par real estate auctions have added benefits for the buyer, seller, AND the auction company, making them a no-brainer for larger real estate auctions.

What is a Multi Parcel Real Estate Auction?

A multi parcel or multi par auction is a type of real estate auction where the property for sale is broken up into different parcels before being auctioned off. This type of auction is typically seen during a land or farm auction – essentially anytime there is a large amount of acreage being sold off. Parcels may be broken up by location, suitability for specific crop plantation, or if they contain a house, barn or other outbuildings. Once the auction begins, buyers have option to bid on an individual parcel, a collection of different parcels, or the property as a whole.

Benefits for Buyers

Multi par auctions present a special benefit to buyers as they allow them to only bid on the land they are interested in. Maybe a neighboring farmer wants

to buy a few of the fields that back up to his property, but he has no need for the house located a few miles down the road. There might be a family looking to move into a home that has some land for gardening, but they don’t have the desire to run a full farm. Multi par auctions allow these parties to only bid on the specific parcels they want, breaking up the sale into smaller chunks for a larger pool of bidders. Of course, there could always be a bidder who wants to buy the whole property – and they can still choose to do that! Bidders have more control over what they are buying in a multi par auction which will have a positive impact on their auction experience as well as increase the number of real estate auctions that they will be able to participate in.

Benefits for Sellers

The multi par platform opens up a whole new side of real estate auctions for sellers with no additional risk! The first advantage is that there will be more bidders participating in the auction. Like we said earlier, some bidders may take part in the auction just to bid on a specific parcel of land. These are bidders who wouldn’t participate if the property wasn’t broken up. The bidders who are interested in purchasing the whole farm or building lot will still be there bidding, so now there are even more people interested in the property than before. Since a larger pool of bidders makes an auction more competitive, a multi par auction will bring in a higher final bid for the land. Two bidders might be competing for one field, while two other bidders are trying to win the house, while three bidders might be going back and forth for the whole property. Collectively, this competition will increase the asking price per acre – regardless if the property ends up being sold as a whole or not. Lastly, like all real estate auctions, multi par auctions give the seller a speedy

sale process. Instead of having to wait until a large buyer comes around to place an offer on the whole farm, multiple buyers can come in and quickly buy different parts of the property.

Benefits for the Auction Company

The benefits for the auction company from a multi par real estate auction are pretty straightforward: your buyers and sellers are happy. And when they are happy with the result of the auction, they will be more likely to use your services or participate in another one of your auctions. Additionally, because multi par real estate auctions typically bring in a larger final selling price, the commission your company receives will be bigger! What’s not to like about multi par auctions! Multi par real estate auctions are one of the best ways to sell larger parcels of land. If you’re interested in taking advantage of the benefits from multi parcel auctions, check out our software here or contact us today for a free demo!

How To Utilize Facebook Events For Your Auctions

Posted on April 8, 2020December 19, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

How To Utilize Facebook Events For Your Auctions

Getting The Most Out Of Your Social Media Account

If you’re an auction company, you know how challenging it can be to have a large inventory of items that constantly change. Although some auctioneers specialize in one specific industry such as cattle and livestock, farms, vehicles, real estate, jewelry, or other items, it can still be challenging to find the right audience for each of your auctions, especially if you are one of the auctioneers that do NOT specialize in one specific area. For example, if most of your business’s auctions are estate sales, the items up for sale in each auction are likely going to be very different depending on the person whose estate you’re selling along with many other factors as well. Facebook events can help you separate your auctions so that you can reach the best audience for the items you are selling, and we are going to show you how!

Step One: Analyze Your Auction Items

The very first step in utilizing Facebook Events for your upcoming auction is going to be analyzing your auctions based on the lots within them. For some auctioneers this might be easy (ie: if you’re a real estate auctioneer and all your auctions are single pieces of land) but for other auctioneers, it might be a little more challenging depending on how many items you have within the auction or based on what you are selling – such as if you have livestock or cattle. We suggest trying to group your auction items based on relevancy if possible and make a note of the most prominent group of items you are selling. For example, if you are running a liquidation auction for a local general store, and there happens to be a lot of sports equipment that is being sold, make a note of that – the information will come in handy later on!

Step Two: Create A Facebook Event

Next up, you’ll have to create a Facebook Event, we would recommend that you use your business page for this. If you don’t have a business page, we would recommend that you make one so that you can continue to utilize it going forward to continue growing your audience and brand. To create an event you will click on the “Event Button” under your page header image, you will be prompted with a popped-open box that will require you to enter information for the event, such as the name, location, description, category, frequency, start, and end time. Fill all of these details out and change the cover photo to a photo relevant to the auction. We do suggest that in the details portion of the event, you include a link to your website or directly to the auction! Once you have filled out those details, scroll down and make sure you have filled out all the remaining fields such as schedule, keywords, and ticket information. (note: utilize the keywords field by using keywords relevant to your auction items – this makes your event easier to find by people searching for items that you might have) Once you have filled out all of the information you need for your Facebook event, you should be able to publish or schedule your event.

Step Three: Upload Quality Photos

While creating your Facebook event you can only use one image which will act as the single event image, but once you have published your event you will have the ability to add more images within the discussion portion of your auction Facebook Event. When taking images of your auction items, be sure to keep them light and as accurate as possible. Once you have the images you want to upload, click into your event, and in the discussion portion of your event, you can add various images or even videos to post within the event. This is a good idea for any upcoming auction because it allows interested buyers to see various auction items to help pique their interest even more. If you are hosting an online auction, or have more information on your website, feel free to post the link to the auction items with the photos that you post to make it easy for anyone interested in the items to go straight to the online lot if applicable.

Step Four: Share and Boost, or Advertise Your Event

Once you are ready to push traffic to your auction event and start letting everyone know about your upcoming sale, we recommend that you share the event on your page, as well as explore paid advertising options for your event! If you choose to run a paid campaign for your event, it will be helpful to go back to the noted groups of items from step one! While advertising on Facebook you can target very specific audiences based on interests, employment, and other options as well. For example, if we go back to our example in step one about having a lot of sports equipment items for sale in this specific auction, it would make sense that we might want to target an audience who is interested in sports, sports memorabilia, and other sports items. This is the beauty of paid advertising, you can focus on specific users based on what you are selling! With that being said, if you want to dive into the advertising along with your auction events, you might even want to explore splitting your auction into two separate Facebook events based on the items so that you can very specifically target certain interests within your paid ads – although this is not necessary, it can be a powerful tool to maximize your auction results.

Step Five: Record Your Results

Lastly, we would encourage you to record your results throughout the process, record the number of users that responded to your event, record your website traffic coming in from Social Media, and definitely record your auction results. Keeping track of your results will help you analyze the effectiveness of the actions you are taking to increase your auction results.

Facebook events can be a powerful tool for auctioneers to reach out to the community, get their information in front of many people, and better the results of their auctions. We hope that you will explore the options of Facebook events for your upcoming auctions – if you need help in your auction marketing efforts, reach out to us today. We offer various marketing services for Auctioneers anywhere.

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Is Facebook Marketplace a Good Resource for Auctioneers?

Posted on April 7, 2020December 6, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

Is Facebook Marketplace a Good Resource for Auctioneers?

Taking Advantage of Facebook Marketplace

Facebook Marketplace started in 2016 as a way for individuals to buy and sell items on their social media platforms. Facebook took advantage of its existing messenger system to build a selling platform that met the needs of its users while competing with eBay for traffic. This feature of Facebook has been around for a while and has proved very successful for individuals looking to sell their goods. We believe that more parties besides individuals can take advantage of this extension of Facebook to promote their company and services – particularly auctioneers.

When you are posting on social media your goal is to reach individuals or businesses that would be interested in bidding on items in your auctions. Marketplace gives you the advantage of showing auction items to people who are already in the buying mindset, which makes it more likely that they will convert over and bid on one of your items. There are two main ways that an auction company can choose to interact with Facebook Marketplace:

Organic Posting

The easiest way to get your auction items in front of potential customers is to list them for sale just like every other item on Marketplace! It is a pretty simple set-up process, with prompts indicating all the necessary information for your item! You will be given the option to sell an item, vehicle, or home when you go to list your lot. Once you click into one of those sections you can specify an additional category that your item fits under. For example, items have categories such as furniture, garden, electronics, books, sporting equipment, and tools. Vehicles can be a car or truck, motorcycle, camper, boat, or commercial vehicle. Lastly, a home can be listed for sale or rent. There are a lot of categories, so filter through them to make sure you pick the right one for your item. Listing a proper category for your item will help it come up when buyers are browsing through all the available listings.

The rest is pretty straightforward! You will fill out a description for each item, upload up to 10 pictures, and set a price. Price might be a little tricky since the item is up for auction. You can either put in the starting bid or a general estimate of what the item might sell for. Use the sequence $123 (and so on) to indicate that the listed price isn’t the actual price of the item and that the buyer will have to inquire for more information. Make sure to note in the description that the item is up for auction. Give the date, time, and link to the specific lot in the online auction. Unfortunately, URLs can’t be clicked on in Marketplace descriptions, so you may want to tell people to copy and paste it into a new tab. Providing this information gives buyers a quick way to get to your online auction and clears up any confusion they might have about whether the item is for sale or auction.

When an individual is interested in an item, they will be able to message you to ask questions or request further information about your lot. This gives you the chance to engage directly with potential bidders and provide them with all the information that they need for your auction. Make sure to check back in regularly so that you don’t miss a question from anyone. Also, once your auction has finished, don’t forget to mark your item as sold!

Paid Facebook Marketplace Ads

The other way that you can take advantage of Facebook Marketplace is to use the Marketplace placement when you are advertising your auctions. You will set up a Marketplace ad in the same way that you would any other Facebook ad. Make sure that you have a proper campaign objective that will work with the Marketplace placement (for example: reach traffic, conversions, etc.), and then set up your audiences, locations, and interests. Instead of using automatic placements, you will want to specify each placement you want to use. Side note – even if you only want to advertise on Marketplace you will still have to select the Facebook News Feeds placement for your ad to run.

Marketplace ads use slightly different dimensions than other ads since they come up in different areas. Make sure to properly size your content for the best results. Focus your ads on the items themselves, promoting images

with very little text. Facebook ads can be finicky with text on images, and the placement might be too small for people to actually read your text. Play around with posting videos as well as images to catch people’s attention when they are scrolling through Marketplace. Again, people will already be in the buying mindset so they will be more accepting of your ad and thus more likely to click on it and view your auction which will be great for your ROI.

Not only does Marketplace offer auctioneers another way to promote their auction items and reach a wider potential bidding audience, it allows individuals to connect in an easy and risk-free way with your auction company to ask questions about items and learn more. Additionally, the individuals that see your item list or ad will likely be quality potential bidders since they were already interested in the items you are selling. This selling platform is a great tool that should be taken advantage of by more auctioneers in their digital marketing strategies.

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To SEO or Not To SEO, that is the Question

Posted on March 24, 2020November 8, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

To SEO or Not To SEO, that is the Question

Search Engine Optimization in the Auction Industry

Search Engine Optimization (aka SEO) has been around long enough that you have probably heard something about it. Simply put, SEO is the process of increasing your website ranking and visibility in search engines. When your website ranks higher, more people will find it when they search for the service you offer, and will be more likely to pick your company than they would be if your website was on page six of Google search results. Having good SEO for auction websites is just as important as having good lot descriptions!

In this day and age, it is incredibly important that you have an online presence so that both potential sellers and bidders can find you. You want to make sure that when a seller is Googling “Auction Houses” your business pops up first in the results. If you’re looking to bring in quality bidders who are likely to participate in your auctions, you will want to make sure that they see your auctions in their search results. Otherwise both buyers and sellers will look elsewhere to meet their auction needs. It’s important to make sure that you have a good plan for your auction website SEO.

How to Implement Basic SEO

Keywords

There are specific keywords and phrases that people use when searching for auctions such as “auctions” “online auctions” “auction houses” “land auctions” and more. Your goal is to come up for those keywords! Make a list of keywords that are important for your industry, research trending keywords on Google or use a keyword and position tracking service. You will be able to see what keywords get the most traffic and can see how your website ranks for those words. Next, you will want to incorporate the words you want to rank for into your website. When Google crawls your page and sees a relevant keyword it will be more likely to offer your website up to searchers. However, make sure that you are appropriately adding keywords to your page. You can’t just add the phrase ‘equipment auction’ every other word and hope to show up #1 in the results. Your content needs to make sense and provide value to users – and the Google bots can tell if you are just stuffing your page with keywords. Implement keywords into your headings as well as in the text itself – it will show Google the main focus of your specific page and is a great way to catch the eye of someone who is skimming your site. This is one of the easiest ways to dive into your auction website SEO.

Content

This goes hand and hand with keywords! Like we said, it is important to make sure that your keywords are on your pages so that you can show up in the rankings for them. It is also important to make sure that the content on those pages provide a user with pertinent information that will answer their questions and give them solid information about your auction company. As we mentioned, Google takes quality content into account when deciding rankings. It is also important that there is enough content on your site! If a page has too little text, a search engine might not have enough to crawl and could decide that it is a non-existent page. You don’t want that to happen! Make sure that you have enough relevant information on each page to justify its place on your site.

Additionally, it is important for you to have fresh content on your site to show search engines that it is an active and healthy website. We would recommend starting a blog that discusses questions and topics relevant for your industry. Not only will a blog keep a steady flow of content, they will also be a great place to work in more keywords!

Mobile Responsive

It is important to make sure that your website is mobile responsive – not just mobile friendly. Not only will this be easier for your customers to navigate, but Google can tell when your website is mobile responsive and will reward you with a higher ranking in the search results. Plus, when your site is easier to navigate on a phone there is a greater chance that a user will stay on it longer. That helps your bounce rate and makes it more likely that the user will place a bid or contact you to host an auction! You can check if your site is mobile responsive here.

SEO and the Auction Industry

It is particularly important for auction companies to implement SEO on their websites because of the ever-changing nature of auctions. It can be hard to keep steady traffic when the items in your auctions are constantly changing but with SEO it will help improve online presence. While a traditional company can focus on ranking for keywords over a longer period of time, and auction company might be selling different types of items every other week to attract the right buyers! It is important to make sure that you have keywords that you want to track for your auction company as a business and keywords that are specific to your lots.

Make sure when you are putting in information for each of your lots that you highlight specific keywords in the title and description. Make sure to give any images proper alt tags that include you keywords as well (if the phrases fit the images). Not only will it help potential bidders see what you are auctioning off, it will also increase the likelihood that the lot will show up in the results of the search engine. It’s a win-win situation!

When you are focusing on increasing the ranking of your auction site overall the main thing that we would recommend would be to start a blog or resource page. While you should of course make sure to keep your site pages updated with relevant keywords and text, blogs will allow your auction company to truly shine. You will have fresh and relevant content that will provide helpful information long after it has been posted. This will keep the search engines coming back to your site time and again as long as people are searching for the topics you write about. Plus, this gives you a great opportunity to answer questions from buyers and sellers and engage with your clients!

As for being mobile responsive – not only will it help your ranking, but it will help you reach a wider pool of bidders. If you offer online bidding, you can almost guarantee that people will bid from their phones. If your site is easy to navigate there is a better chance that people will place bids and watch their lots regardless of where they are. Now bidders who can’t get to a computer but have access to their phones can participate in your auction! And a wider bidding pool leads to more bids which results in higher final prices!

So to answer the question, you should perform auction website SEO! While it can be a daunting task to start, we hope that these tips have helped you understand how SEO can help your site rankings and your company overall! By using SEO strategies you can establish a strong digital presence and target your ideal audience. We know that your site will have great rankings in no time!

Want some help getting started with SEO For Your auction website?

Learn to Love Big Data

Posted on November 6, 2019December 19, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

Your Stats, Google Analytics, Console and More!

Have you ever heard the term “Big Data” sounds like something made up right? We know…but it’s real! Big data by definition in the dictionary is, “extremely large data sets that may be analyzed computationally to reveal patterns, trends, and associations, especially relating to human behavior and interactions.” Although companies have been marketing minded for years, big data did not make its large entrance into the marketing world until about 2 or 3 years ago, changing search engine optimization forever!

What Is Website Content Really?

Website content is now more than just blogs, photos, and words on a page. Over the past 2-3 years, Google has adjusted the way they look at web content. Rather than looking at a website as a large entity of information, Google is now reading websites differently, more as small sections of data. That’s right, you heard us, DATA! This data suddenly can be read, and analyzed, benefiting marketing efforts greatly! These jumbled sets of data might seem intimidating, but they help marketers by revealing trends, patterns, and other information regarding website interactions and more! These insights are invaluable to marketers because they allow professionals to get their website and business information across to the right people at the right time. The ability to accurately predict what your users want to know, what questions they are asking, and even what times they will ask said questions will help your company market on a new level as well as help you get more conversions for your business.

Google Services

Google is the largest supplier of big data for companies today, with many free tools that businesses can utilize to help make their websites better, more relevant, and have a better user experience. Specifically, Google Analytics and Search Console are two tools that work seamlessly together providing both historical information as well as current, making it simpler to predict trends moving forward.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a great tool to help you gain insight into your website and a necessary tool to help you get a hold of some important big data that can help your search engine optimization efforts greatly. Analytics, once set up properly offers you valuable insight into your website, website visitors, where your visitors came from, and where they are going. This Google tool can also keep specific track of eCommerce insights as well as conversions, and behavior paths of website visitors. If you are not utilizing Google Analytics on your website, today is the day to get it set up and start analyzing the data, STAT. For a detailed step by step instructional on how to get analytics up and running check out this step by step guide here.

Google Search Console

Google Search Console (formerly Webmaster Tools) is another great resource that can exponentially give you great input into your website and what improvements need to be made. While this is a free resource you will have to go through the installation process for your website here. The search console provides great information regarding backlinks, user search queries, landing pages, mobile usability, and more! These insights will help you improve your user experience, keyword focuses, and back links if analyzed and looked at properly. If you need help getting search console set up and running for your website, take a look at the following guide here.

Social Media, Big Data, & SEO

We should never forget how important social media has become over the last few years – now even more so with its integration with big data and SEO! Over the last few years, Google has observed, tracked, and tested the enormous impact that search engine optimization and social media can have on business and website traffic. We see today how much of an impact social media plays on business ranks in search engines. Don’t be satisfied with only the information of sessions, engagements, and page views to see how well you are performing, but rather you should analyze all information and data trends throughout all of your big data to make the most specific plan for your company. In turn, you will see positive numbers and trends in various metrics, not just sessions, engagements, and page views as a result of intentional and proper digital marketing. This will allow you to tailor your marketing strategy all the more for your customers encouraging more conversions and helping you get your content to the top of the search engines!

Although big data makes it easier and more accessible to access the stats that truly can change your search engine marketing game, not all marketing professionals have the skill and ability to read those stats in a way that benefits their business – and if we are honest, all marketing professionals have constant room for growth.

Our team loves big data, and we are committed to learning and pushing ourselves to be better and continually utilize website data to better our marketing services. We use Google Analytics, Search Console (formerly Webmast Tools), and other various informative statistics to do our best in predicting what next month will bring for our clients. If you are curious about our Search Engine Optimization services or have questions about how big data can help your business; contact us today!

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The Benefit of Content Creation for Your Auction Website

Posted on October 31, 2019December 6, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

And We Don't Just Mean More Lots

You may think you have a fair amount of content on your website. After all, you have a lot of lots! Your auctions are doing great even if you haven’t been seeing a lot of new traffic coming in. You’re getting by just fine, right? Wrong. While having a lot of lots is great, you need to take the time to focus specifically on your auction website content creation. You should be presenting your bidders with information about your company and industry to give them the best experience possible when visiting your site. Not to mention the fact that pages with better content tend to rank higher in the search engines.

A good place to start increasing content creation would be to refresh your website’s most visited pages. It’s always good to provide bidders and potential bidders with enough information that they can leave a page of your website with a better understanding of what you do. Plus, you always want to put your best foot forward and have an updated and clean version of your site for your bidders to see.

The next step would be to start a blog. Regularly pushing out content is your best bet for increasing your position and pulling in more traffic to your site. Here are just a few of the reasons that you should focus on creating content for your auction website:

It adds value for your bidders

Just because the main purpose of your company is to conduct auctions doesn’t mean that should be all you do! You have so much industry experience that you can share with your loyal bidders to keep them informed about the auction world. Try sharing a post about the craziest things your company has ever auctioned off, the pros and cons of selling real estate in an auction, or what to expect when bidding in a simulcast auction for the first time. Your bidders will appreciate your insights and will enjoy learning more about the industry if nothing else.

It will increase your visibility

Search engines are constantly searching through the pages of your website looking to see where it should be ranking. Pushing out regular content shows Google that your site is active and that people are continually working to improve it. Additionally, blogs allow you to focus more heavily on specific keywords you want to be ranking for. Blogs give you more space for hyper-specific topics that people might search for and will give the bots more to crawl. And when they find that perfectly optimized content you will begin to rank higher, bringing up your visibility and thus bringing more traffic to your site and auctions.

Google hates thin content

Content Lasts Longer Than an Auction

Have you ever heard of evergreen content? Essentially, it’s content that is applicable to readers looooonnnnggg after it’s been posted. The name ‘evergreen’ is based off of evergreen trees that stay green all year round, no matter what season! Auctions are not evergreen content. As soon as the auction date has passed your content is irrelevant and won’t help you in the search rankings. However, bidding tips, expert information about the types of items you auction off, or simply a general information post about your company will last much longer than an auction lot. This will give the bots relevant information to crawl which will allow you to rank higher for a longer amount of time.

As you can see it is incredibly important to start focusing on more content creation for your auction website. While it might take some time on the front end to optimize your pages and potentially start a blog, the payoff of a higher ranking will be invaluable for your company.

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There Are So Many Types of Auctions – Which One Best Fits My Company?

Posted on September 5, 2019September 29, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

There Are So Many Types of Auctions - Which One Best Fits My Company?

Navigating Every Auction Type

If you are new to the auction world, it might be difficult to understand the industry vocabulary, the types of auctions, and how they differ. After all, when most people think of ‘auction’, their minds jump to the charity event they attended or a shot of a room of people with paddles from a movie or TV show. While some auctions do include bidders with paddles, many auctions can look a lot different than that. We have created this guide of different auction types with examples so that you can determine what type of auction your company should hold!

Live Auctions

The Classic Live Auction

Of all the auction types, this is the one you are probably the most familiar with. Live auctions were the start of it all. A live auction typically has an auctioneer at the front of the room or auction space conducting the auction. Along with keeping track of the bidding, they may act as the MC of the event, keeping bidders updated as the auction progresses. To be able to participate in a live auction a bidder must be physically at the auction and will have a paddle or a bidder number in order to participate.

Holding a live auction is best when you can easily have all the items for sale in the same place. Whether it be antiques, cars, experience packages, or livestock, bidders will like to have the chance to inspect the items they want to bid on and decide how much they want to offer. Live auctions can take place anywhere an auctioneer will go – whether that be an auction house, a farm, or an event hall.

People will be excited about the experience surrounding the live auction, not just the auction itself. Many live auctions are conducted as charity events, where an organization will host a formal dinner to raise money for their organization. Regardless of where it is hosted, the fact that the bidders are all present and can see each other adds to the anticipation, driving the bidding price up as people get wrapped up in the excitement of it all. You really can’t go wrong with a live auction!

Online Auctions

On The Go Bidders

An online auction gives bidders the convenience of bidding on items anywhere in the world. Online auctions occur when an auction company sets up all the items to be auctioned off in different lots on their website. Traditionally the lots include pictures from all angles and sections of the products as well as information about the items so that bidders can learn more about what they might purchase. There will also be contact information if a potential bidder has a question or would like to conduct an on-site visit to inspect the items. The terms and conditions, privacy, and shipping information are available for all bidders as well. Last but not least there are live updates and notifications to sign up for that will keep bidders informed of the starting bid, bid increments, the current high bidder, and the amount of time left before the auction closes, giving them a better auction experience.

There are many advantages to conducting an online auction. To start, bidders can access the auction wherever they are and can bid freely as long as the auction is open. This broadens the pool of bidders that you can have looking at your auction. Since they don’t have to be onsite, you could have people from across the country bidding on your items, increasing the number of bidders and thus the final bidding price. Online auctions are also beneficial if you only have a few items to sell, or if you don’t have the funds to host an event. They are also great for auctioning off large machinery or commercial assets that would be expensive to move to a different auction location.

Simulcast Auctions

The Combiner

Ever wanted to pair the benefits of an online auction with a live auction? Let us introduce you to a Live/Simulcast auction! Simulcast software allows you to stream a live auction online so that bidders at home can watch from their computers and bid online alongside those who are physically at the auction. This gives your auction the advantage typically reserved for online auctions – an increased bidder pool of people from all over the country or the world that increases the final bidding price. Conducting a Live/Simulcast auction truly gives you the best of both worlds.

Multi-Parcel Real Estate Auctions

The Divider

Are you selling real estate? If so, this type of auction might be right up your alley. Multi-parcel (or multipar) auctions allow you to break up the land that you are selling into different lots so that you can get the maximum profit for your real estate. For example, say that the home you are trying to sell sits on a decent amount of acreage. You might choose to auction off the home and the land separately to bring in more bidders who may be interested in one part of your real estate not the other. Or, maybe you are a farmer looking to sell a large quantity of land. In a multi-parcel real estate auction your property will be divided into multiple parcels of land to be bid on by multiple farmers who could use some extra land, but don’t need or are not able to afford your whole property. Again, this increases your final profits as you might get more from a group of multiple bidders than just one. Multi-parcel auctions can be conducted both live and online depending on your preferences.

So there you have it, four of the most common auction types. We hope that this guide has made it easier to determine what type of auction is best for your company, and hope that as you move forward in this process your auction will be successful! As a provider of software for all of the above auctions, contact us if you are interested in purchasing auction software.

Still Unsure What Type of Auction Best Fits Your Company?

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What Should You Know About Custom Auction Software and Development?

Posted on August 29, 2019August 26, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

Custom Development Isn't As Scary As It Sounds!

Running an auction business is not for anyone who wants an easygoing job with no responsibility…if you’ve been in the industry for any period of time, you know the challenges that you face, being one in a million yet needing to find a way that your auctions stand out and are noticed. One of the many ways that auction companies today choose to stand out is through their own auction software and processes – a well-developed system can and will change the experience for your bidders as well as create a reputation that you can be proud of showing off. So, what is the difference between so called “off-the-shelf” software & custom auction software that is developed for your company?

Price

For starters, price is going to always be the biggest drawback for many companies. Off-the-shelf auction software will undoubtedly be much cheaper than software that has been developed for your company specifically…but is it worth it? You may save money initially in the purchase of an off-the-shelf auction software, but will you be able to accurately and precisely meet the needs of your bidders, consignors, and back-end users? Are you going to spend more on advertising your auctions so that you stand out from the rest of the auction companies out there with the same software? Cheap does not always mean better, cheap software could be a result of many different factors, including the age of the software, usability, basic functions, and so much more.

Time To Get Up and Running

Another thing you might notice a difference between custom auction software & mass-produced software is the time to get up and running…to buy software that is off the shelf, you will have an extremely short amount of time before you can get up and running – which might be the selling factor for you – but for any established auction company, or if that’s your goal, considering the long game is going to be crucial when it comes to making business decisions that will affect you for forever such as your software. Custom software will undoubtedly take more time to develop, but because it will be built off of your specific business needs, it will serve you much longer, and much better than any boxed software that you could buy. Custom software goes through various stages to make it functional, the analytical stage where you analyze your business & consumers’ needs, and the planning stage where you brainstorm to see what you want your software to look like to best serve your customers. This will be followed by the design, development, and implementation – lastly, you will need to test and launch your new software. This entire process can take anywhere from 4-6 months on average depending on your requirements, it’s important to plan ahead to make sure your business isn’t stuck in a pinch. You can also roll it out in phases if you need to launch sooner, this is always an option, but make sure you account for this in the planning stages. Auction software will always need to be maintained as time goes on, just like any other software, and companies and businesses must realize this so that there are no misconceptions about the necessary steps and follow-ups required for any business or person looking to invest in auction software. Software maintenance is one important step you won’t want to ignore and definitely plan for.

Software Limitations

Lastly, one of the biggest differences is going to be your limitations as far as your software goes. When choosing to have software custom made for your company, your options will be endless, you can dream of functionality & design that will not only represent your brand properly but also set you so far apart from your competitors. In a world with endless auction companies, being unique and set apart is a must. Not only will you be able to craft software with the exact functionality and needs to serve your bidders, but you will NEVER be stuck with that functionality forever. Choosing an auction software provider like Auctioneer Software provides you with the ability to continually update and craft your software as your business changes and grows. This is freedom like none other for your auction business to grow, adapt, and change without being caught in a fixed position using a software that will restrict you and your growth opportunities. With Auctioneer Software, there is continued development, continued support, unlimited options, and opportunities to continually adjust your software for your clients.

Choosing custom auction software over a software that is a “one size fits all” can be a hard decision, we understand that it isn’t for every auction business, but we truly believe that if you are an auction company that plans to stick around the industry and wants to serve your clients the best way possible then it’s a more than a worthwhile investment – the rewards that you will receive when it comes to exclusivity, uniqueness, and precise service for your customers and clients needs is second to none.

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The Importance of Mobile Usability for Your Auction Site and Software Platform

Posted on August 27, 2019December 6, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

The Importance of Mobile Usability for Your Auction Site and Software Platform

Increase Your Engagement with Mobile Responsiveness on Your Website

Is your online and live auction website mobile responsive? Can bidders easily navigate through the site, effortlessly browse images that fit the dimensions of their screens, and effectively place bids? Can YOU efficiently manage your current auctions from your phone, make last minute updates to lots, and track bidders without becoming overly frustrated that you’ve pressed the wrong part of the screen for the fifth time in a row?

Having mobile responsive auction websites and supporting software is imperative in this day and age. How often do you whip out your phone each day? We rely on our phones to quickly answer our questions and expect instant results with perfect usability from the site that we are on. And the second a site won’t load or the images go blurry or that stupid submit button continues to shrink smaller and smaller we give up and try the next site. This is not the experience you want bidders to have on your site.

Don’t know if your have a mobile responsive website? We can help.

Fill out the form below and we will evaluate your auction site for free. If you are looking for a new provider, our auction software and websites are mobile responsive for the convenience of you and your bidders. We want to make your site the best that it can be! Have other questions about mobile responsive websites? Contact us here.

Get Your Free Evaluation:

Convenience for your Bidders

You know this is how we act, so you know this is how your bidders act. You can’t assume that your bidders will exclusively look at your auction site from their desktops. You have to expect them to browse on their phones. You can even confirm this by utilizing your Google Analytics and Search Console data. Thus, you need to make sure that your website is responsive to give them the best experience you can. If your bidders can easily take part in your auctions from their mobile phones, you will have a much wider pool of bidders to pick from. Having a mobile responsive site frees bidders from having to be by a computer during the auction and gives them the convenience to monitor their lots whenever – wherever. Even from the sidelines of their kid’s soccer game. Plus, the easier it is for customers to bid on your mobile site the more likely they will bid, driving the final prices up. But, if the bidder can’t easily navigate your site, they will leave without bidding and most likely will not return.

Benefits for you

Additionally, having a mobile friendly site gives you the convenience of being able to manage your company when you’re on the go, at a viewing, or even during an auction at the auction location. This is a huge bonus for you! Have a mobile responsive website will make you better at your job. What’s not to love about having a mobile responsive auction website?

Looking for more information concerning mobile responsive websites?

READ OUR PAST BLOG

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Better Options for Better Auction Results

Posted on August 22, 2019September 26, 2023 by Kurt Kaptein

More than just auction software

With Auctioneer Software, you are getting so much more than just tailored auction software. Our team is dedicated to providing you with a platform that specifically meets your needs, and with the addition of our other services you will have everything that’s necessary for a better auction company and auction results.

Discover Our Services

Auction Website Design

Your company has its own brand, style, and story to tell your bidders. Make sure that your website reflects that too! We will design a website on a domain that YOU own, giving you full control over what happens on your site. We don’t want you to have to share your bidders or your domain with other companies. Our software is designed with only you in mind! Our developers will work to build you the site of your dreams, consulting with you each step of the way to make sure that it is exactly what you want. And as you move forward, any changes you want made can be done when you need it. We aren’t going anywhere.
Having your own custom website allows you to build your brand and lets your bidders stay loyal to your company. They will have a one stop place to find all of your auctions without being distracted by competing companies or auctioneers. Bring your bidders to you, not to your competitors. Auction databases are interested in supporting everyone on their site, we are only interested in supporting you. Learn more about our website development here.

Auction Online Marketing

Ever wondered what you could be doing to market your company and your auctions? Our knowledge of the industry has allowed us to develop marketing plans specifically for the auction industry. From social media campaigns to blogging to graphic design – we have got your auction business covered. We also offer analytics reporting and audience insights through Google’s Search Console that will give you a better idea about who your bidders are and where they are coming from. With our knowledge of Google Analytics and auction Search Engine Optimization (SEO) we will be able to help you improve your traffic and ranking in search engines to bring you better results! We will work with you to create a strategy and set goals for your company to target specific areas you are interested in improving. Diving into your marketing will help improve your company and your auction results. Learn more about our online marketing services here.

Diving into your marketing will help improve your company and your auction results.

Learn more about our online marketing services here.

Auction Website Hosting

Like we said, it’s your website on your domain. But where is that domain hosted? We are invested in providing you a reliable and secure host for your site. We work with the Switch Data Center in Grand Rapids to make sure that your website will function to the best of its abilities for every user throughout every step of your auctions. With a credible host, you don’t have to worry about your site going down and bidders leaving your auctions. Learn more about the Switch Data Center here.

We think our services are pretty great, and we can bet that you will like them too. Now that you’ve had the chance to learn more about them, contact us today to get started with your auction software and services. We can’t wait to help bring you better auction results.

Contact Us for Tailored Auction Software

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One Auction Platform

Posted on August 20, 2019December 6, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

All The Software & Tools You'll Ever Need in One Auction Platform!

Being a part of the auction industry is challenging. You have daily struggles to make sure that auctions are running smoothly, bidders are being taken care of, and your future auctions are being set up and prepared for. Not to mention the added responsibility of keeping up with your hosting company, software company, and everything else you must stay on top of. Keep things simple for your bidders by simplifying things with one auction platform.

How Can I Get Away From Compartmentalization?

Many auction companies use one software for their online auctions, possibly another for multi par software, then another company for hosting, and maybe even another business for Search Engine Optimization and marketing services. We are here to tell you that it DOESN’T have to be this way. No longer do you need to deal with multiple companies to make your business run. Auctioneer Software offers four hubs of auction software that can be used, changed, adjusted, updated, & adapted as your business grows. Live/Simulcast, Online, Live Clerking, and Multi-Par are ALL offered by Auctioneer Software. As an auction business, you can have and run all your software from one single provider.

What About My Website?

Taking it a step further, Auctioneer Software offers auction website design, online marketing, and hosting. We will take your business from step one to finish – starting with your business goals for your website, all the way to the launch of your website and software. We will walk beside you as you set goals for your website, we will develop a design that accurately represents your brand, and we will offer support consistently after launch.

Diving Deeper Into Marketing

Auctioneer Software also offers marketing solutions for your auction business including Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing, Market Research, Graphic Design, & more. If we’ve built your website and auction software, what other outside agency knows your brand better than us? If we have not built your website or worked with you before, we are more than happy to familiarize ourselves with your system and brand to accurately market your business & serve you.

One Auction Platform

So there you have it, all the tools and software that you could need for your auction business, using one auction platform …that means one URL and domain for your business, one number to call for assistance, one company to build a relationship with, and one bill to pay.

Are You Interested In Learning More About Our Software & How Our Process Works?

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Data Isn’t Just Safe Anymore…It’s Completely Secure!

Posted on August 13, 2019December 19, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

In today’s day and age of hackers, computer whizs, and scammers it is hard to know when or IF our data is safe. Keeping your data safe is a crucial part of owning a business, but how can you trust anyone with your most valued information, bank information & more? For years, auction software providers have stressed that your auction data is “safe” but what does that actually mean? Is just “safe” data enough?
Safe AND data security should be the core of any business and auction company. It is vital to use a solutions provider that you can trust to keep all of your company and user data completely safe and secure. Auctioneer Software is proud to put our trust in the state-of-the-art Switch PYRAMID data center in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The Pyramid Campus is Switch’s iconic data center that will have a capacity of up to 1.8 million square feet of data center space and up to 110 MW of power. Click to learn more about Switch’s Pyramid Campus.

Auctioneer Software uses Switch’s secure data centers which are praised for their highest-security ratings and proven track record of keeping data safe. We take measures in our day-to-day operations to continuously keep our clients’ data safe and secure, including:

Daily secure backups
Virus protection
Data encryption & more

We are positive that the systems we have set in place will protect your user data in the best way possible.

Want The Most Secure Systems For Your Company And Data?

CONTACT AUCTIONEER SOFTWARE TODAY!

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Did We Mention…There’s an App for That

Posted on August 6, 2019November 26, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

Get to know the Auctioneer Software App

Are you taking advantage of our mobile auction app? If you haven’t yet, you should be! When we were designing our app, we wanted to make sure that you would have easy access to our software wherever you may be. From working on-site cataloging items or quickly adding a lot before an auction begins – our app is a perfect extension of our software to help you on the go.

"Our app is a perfect extension of our software to help you on the go"

Check out a few of the features below:

Works for anyone on Auctioneer Software 2.0
Cross Platform for use on IOS and Android
Mobile Friendly Admin
Gives you the ability to take photos of items up for auction and upload them instantly from your device to your Auctions, Lots or Inventory
Access files and media directly from your device for easy upload
Gives you the ability to organize photos and documents easily
Vin/barcode scanner for faster input
Ability to add and edit items and lots quickly on the go

The mobile application is basically a little bonus for you, our customers, as another way to be more versatile in a busy world. We want to be a software provider that makes your life easier and decided that creating our mobile auction app was the next step to giving you the best experience with us possible.

Our Mobile Auction App is available for download now!

Find the download for free in either the App Store or with Google Play. After you’ve tried it out, you’re sure to be hooked.

If you’ve been using our app for a while now, we’d love to get some feedback! What do you love about the app? Are there any features that you would like to see added? Let us know!

Ready To Get Started With Our Software So You Can Use Our App?

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How To Know If Bidders Are Real Or Fake?

Posted on July 31, 2019August 26, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

How To Know If Bidders Are Real Or Fake?

How To Spot Fake Bidders at Auctions and Prevent Fake Bidders (aka Shill Bidding)

There are many aspects to look at when you are running an auction. Whether online or live you will always have people who think they can outsmart the system…your system. There are two types of bidders – real and fake. Those fake bidders are those who try and register to bid but have no real intentions of bidding to win or pay for items after the auction. There are many ways to help combat this including having a registration in place to help prevent those bidders from getting into your system…you will want to talk to your auction provider and work through this if you don’t have a system in place already.

Another factor is Shill bidding, which is the general idea of a person placing a bid to drive up the price (helping the seller increase revenue) withoutthe actual intention of purchasing the item. This type of sneaky behavior stains the auction process & easily creates broken trust between real, genuine bidders & the sellers. Not only that but it is also illegal, going against the Fair Trading Act & the dishonest use of a computer provisions of the Crimes Act. Find out more about shill bidding here.

Shill Bidding can happen in several different ways in all types of auctions – for example, in the case of an online auction, this could be someone creating a second account for the purpose of bidding on their own items to increase the selling price. It could also be a seller asking their friends or family to bid on the item to help increase the price. This type of behavior is heavily frowned upon in the auction industry – and although it has a bad rap people are still engaging in this type of poor behavior. It is difficult to enforce rules & consequences to help prevent these types of “fake biddings” from taking place. Online auctions are generally where shill bidding is most prevalent being that it’s easier to conceal your identity behind an IP address as well as the fact that it’s harder to enforce rules on a bidding community that is spread out all over the country or world!
You might be kind of discouraged at this point, you’ve just read how impossible it is to enforce rules & hold people accountable for their improper bidding actions…but the fact is, there are certain small things that auction companies can do to prevent shill bidding from taking place & risking the reputation of their company. Although realistically it might not be 100% effective, small steps are still steps toward solutions and stopping fake bidders at auctions!

1.

It’s a good idea initially to sit down & think about a concrete plan to put in place to guard against fake bidders that will use your website. We recommend that you get a team together & talk through what different scenarios could be & how to prevent them from happening. Some of these could be as simple as adding in an approval to bid process, or a re-captcha at each bidder registration.

2.

With advancing technology, it has become easier to implement security measures to flag duplicate IP addresses & similar seller/bidder IDs. Although these might cost a little to start initially, in the long run, it should help prevent many cases of shill bidding from happening on your watch. Note* This is not foolproof, 2 separate auction bidders may use the same computer for various reasons, but it should help prevent shill bidding from happening.

3.

Take a look at bidding patterns, it can be quite telling if bidding patterns are off or inconsistently rising. (unless bid increments are in place) Keep an eye out on items where the bids rise quickly & by large increments. These should be monitored & watched for false or fake bidders with no intention of actually coming home with the item.

4.

There are also different software for sale that you can use to help prevent unfair auction activity. Radware is just one that has been used to protect auction companies from various forms of unfair bidding & fake bidders at your auctions, including bots.

5.

A time consuming way but effective is to monitor your auctions & use your brain. Watch for bidders who are devoted to bidding, but rarely win because they are lowballing the price. Another indication is a bidder who is tackling multiple somewhat varied or random items. Unusually, a buyer will need to buy 20 different items at the same time, that just so happen to be sold by the same seller…

Initially, you will probably have a simple process, but with time your auction system will grow and it will be necessary to adapt your process accordingly! Big and well-known auctions don’t happen overnight! Another thing we want to point out is to also don’t be afraid to ask your bidders to help! If you have regular bidders who might notice some sort of odd behavior, ask them to report it, and maybe even offer some incentive (free shipping, 20% off coupon, etc) this will motivate people to help you find & eliminate bidders who are not actual bidders. All in all, there will never be a one-size-fits-all all perfect solution to making sure that your auction doesn’t fall prey to fake bidders – but there are various steps and process’ that you can implement to protect your company the best way possible. Make sure that you talk to your auction provider about keeping your bidder database safe and as free as possible from fake bidders.

Our Auction Software Is Proud To Implement Processes To Prevent Fake Bidders

HELP ELIMINATE FAKE BIDDERS AT AUCTIONS - CHECK OUT OUR SOFTWARE TODAY

We Know Software – You Know Auctions

Posted on July 30, 2019August 26, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

Joint software ventures with auctioneers and consignors make the best software out there!

We know software, auction software to be specific. Our experienced team knows what is needed to conduct a successful live auction or online auction on the back-end management side of the software. Auctioneer Software has created four amazing software types – online, live/simulcast, multi-parcel, and live clerking – so that your bidders can find everything they need on ONE PLATFORM instead of having to jump back and forth between different providers AND WEBSITES. We wanted to create software that helps to advance the auction industry – and we believe that keeping all your auctions on your own website does that. Our developers are always ready to tailor everything you need for your auction website and on your domain. Are you ready to experience auction software on a different level? We are ready to assist your auction business and website with the best experience you can envision, because we know software.

But you, you know auctions. Whether you are an auctioneer or a consignor, we know that you have a valuable role in the auction process. Whether you are new or you are seasoned in the auction industry you have to have a strategy for selling your products. Consigners provide the physical assets for sale, auctioneers work hard to make sure those assets sell for the highest price possible. You are a team and you make each other’s process better. Your experience in the industry has given you invaluable knowledge to share with each other and with us as we serve your auction needs. That is why you know auctions.

Here at Auctioneer Software we want to show you what it looks like to be truly valued by your software provider, that we understand the importance of both consigners and auctioneers and want to give you the best platforms to create a more effective auction software for both the auctioneers and bidders.

Looking to Update Your Software Provider?

DISCOVER OUR SERVICES

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How to Use Data to Improve Your Next Auction

Posted on July 11, 2019November 26, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

How to Use Data to Improve Your Next Auction

So you’ve been in the online auction game for a while and are used to how things are done. But, are you taking advantage of all the information that your analytics data is giving you? That information is chock full of valuable ways to improve your next auction, increasing user engagement and driving bids up! There are plenty of tools out there for you to explore but today we are going to work through two of the most common – Google Analytics and Google Webmaster.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a platform that focuses mainly on user engagement. While it does alert you to things you need to work on, this is a great place to go to find out more about your users. It has the answers to questions such as…

Who are my users?

Google Analytics allows you to find out a lot more about who your general audience is. It gives insights into age, gender, location, and the language they speak. This lets you know who is reacting to your marketing and showing up to participate in your auction. If it’s the people you want – great! If there is a new demographic popping up it will help you tailor your marketing or site to that group should you decide to pursue them. Perhaps you need to start translating your pages into a different language or switch your marketing campaigns to focus on a different area of the country. These insights allow you to cater more directly to your customers, making it more likely that they will participate in your online auction, driving the final bidding price up!

Where are my users coming from?

This is another way to see if your marketing campaigns are working the way you want them to or to see how you are ranking in Google. Part of the acquisition portion of Analytics is the ability to see what type of traffic you are getting, whether it is from a direct search on Google or a link on a social media post. Knowing how your users are searching for you will help you focus your efforts so that your time and money are used to directly bring in potential bidders who will interact with your auctions.

Are new people visiting my site or do I just have returning traffic?

Analytics can tell if these people have visited your site before. If you are seeing a lot of new traffic, then you know that a specific campaign or a certain auction lot is driving a lot of first-time bidders into your auction. Or, on the other hand, it might be signaling that your marketing is still working for your past customers but that you’re missing out on new audiences. If you’re focusing on just your past target market then maybe that is what you want! It works best to have goals in place so that you know if the data you’re seeing is good or bad for your auction site’s plan.

What browsers and devices are users interacting with my site on?

Another cool feature of Analytics is that it allows you to see what platforms potential bidders are using to end up at your auction. This lets you make sure that your auction site is compatible with the browser that most people are using. If most people are coming from Chrome but your website has speed issues loading on Chrome (a nice tip that Analytics lets you know), you will want to fix that right away so that you aren’t losing potential bidders. Or, if you see that more and more people are participating in your auctions from their mobile devices, you’ll want to make sure that your site is mobile-responsive. Another thing you could do to make it easier for users on mobile devices is to potentially implement proxy bidding for users that tend to bid on the go to make their lives easier.

What content are people looking for on my site?

Analytics allows you to look into things such as what landing pages users end up on, what they are searching for in the search bar on your site, and the last page they were on before they exit your site. This gives you a lot of insight into what your users are looking for when they come to your site. If they are exiting from the same page they land on, they might have found the information they are looking for right away or maybe they bounced off the page after realizing your auction didn’t have anything to do with what they were searching for. The specific things that people are searching for in your site search will clue you in to what new auction items you might want to try and add for your site. If the most popular exit site is your ‘thanks for bidding’ page that’s great for you! Strong conversions! But if it happens to be a page that you know has been slow to load recently, you know you should get onto fixing that ASAP. It’s all about giving people a better user experience so that they stay on your site to bid, improving your auction results.

How many users are converting to place bids?

Well would you look at that, Analytics has a nifty little tool for this as well! Besides looking at common exit pages to see if people are leaving after bidding, this tells you straightforward if people are bidding. It will also give you all the stats behind the people who visited the page, letting you see exactly how many people converted over and bid compared to everyone who visited the auction page. This again allows you to see if your marketing efforts are working and are helping your auctions improve.

Google Webmaster

Google Webmaster focuses more on the troubleshooting side of site management. It uses bots to pick up on errors in your auction site that impact both your rankings in Google and your user experience. Correcting these issues will make your site function better as well as improve your rankings, allowing more bidders to find you and thus be more likely to bid on your site. Some things that Webmaster picks up on include:

Specific issues with mobile usability – no one wants to have problems with your auction website when trying to bid on their phone

Link management – Webmaster give you a list of backlinks, internal links, and external links so that you can see who is trying to connect to you. Making sure to continually audit your backlinks diverts poor pages from linking onto you to steal your link juice, you can disavow them right from the Webmaster. It also lets you keep an eye out for relationships that you might want to make with another site that is linking to you. Maybe you can strike up a deal to be featured on their page before an important auction or at least gain more information about how your auction site is coming up on other sites. It also alerts you of 404 errors to your site pages so that you can add redirects to them so your users end up where they need to be. A list of things that Webmaster can pick up for your site can be found here.

Managing your sitemap directly – this lets you tell Google exactly what you want them to crawl instead of just guessing, and potentially pulling in bad pages. This will help you rank higher in Google because they will know exactly what your site is about.

Site performance – The webmaster may be primarily there to alert you of issues, but it also has tools to track your site performance. With information such as the total impressions as well as monitoring the click-through rate, this is another good page to pair with Google Analytics.

These two tools are a great place to start when diving into using data to improve your next auction. The insights that you can gain from these tools are invaluable and uncover so much that will help you become better and better at managing your site and increasing the final bidding price for your auctions. This is something that will take some time to learn, but after the first few times working with the systems, you should start to get the hang of it!

Want us to help you with your site analytics?

WE CAN HELP | CONTACT US TODAY!

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Increase your Auction Return on Investment

Posted on June 26, 2019December 6, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

Helpful tips to Increase your Auction return on investment!

Looking to increase your auction return on investment? Marketing your auctions can be challenging, and so can increasing your ROI per auction Marketing is helpful, but the tricky part is that most auction companies focus on one specific industry, and the items are never the same! Not only do the items change, but they change OFTEN. Online auctions are often only open for bidding for one, two, maybe three weeks at a time. Then those items are sold & it’s on to the next batch. When it comes to organic traffic, it’s challenging to push traffic to items online that you only have in your possession for a very short amount of time! We understand how this can be challenging & that maybe it’s even discouraged you from really putting forth effort into marketing for your auctions. We are here to help!
Our marketing team knows the auction industry, has researched, & has found an effective marketing solution – Lot to lot marketing. So what does this mean? Why and more importantly, HOW does lot-to-lot marketing & optimization benefit you and your company? We will tell you…

Why Lot to Lot Marketing & Optimization Improves Auction Return On Investment

Get found by users on Google…

Rather than putting all of your efforts ONLY into optimizing for general industry keywords that fit your company, such as “land auction” or “antique auction” by optimizing lot to lot, you have an advantage by having multiple very specific items to optimize for. Maybe in addition to “land auction” you want to optimize for a specific piece of real estate in Florida, you could also optimize for the keyword, “Florida real estate auction” or “Florida beachfront property for sale” all of the sudden, your one specific auction featuring land in Florida, has a whole new reach – which means your entire website has a whole new reach! Not only that, but if someone is searching for the term “Florida beachfront property for sale” they are most likely pretty serious about buying some property in Florida, making them the exact audience you WANT to reach. Optimizing lot to lot will give you greater & more targeted results!

Make the most by wasting less money…

Let’s be honest, investing in marketing & SEO for your auctions can be a hard step to take, you might not always see an immediate result & if your items are selling the majority of the time, why fix something that isn’t broken right? Marketing & correct optimization can be one of the most drastic measures you can take to help get the most out of the items you are selling and increase your auction return on investment. Many people choose to go the route of paid advertising rather than organic advertising for the sake of time – paid advertising will require a bigger investment upfront, and will have a more immediate result, whereas organic might take more time, but will have a longer-lasting effect. We know that both are effective if done correctly & every business is different when it comes to deciding which type is best for you. Although deciding to put in effort towards optimizing your auctions will always cost money, optimizing lot to lot can ease the dent in your pocketbook. When you are focusing on each lot individually, you more than likely will pay a fee per auction rather than a yearly fee or contract – which makes it easy for marketing agencies to take advantage or slide in extra costs without you realizing.

Make the most by organizing your business

Marketing lot to lot requires a definite level of organization that will overflow to every part of your auction organization. In order to successfully market lot to lot, you need to know your individual lots down to a T.
• What’s exactly in each lot
• List of items for easier & more effective SEO keyword identification
• Photos that accurately show each angle of each item
• Well-written descriptions for each individual item that include keywords you want to be found for
As an auction company, you know that a lot of effort goes into each auction before it even begins, be sure to make the most of it! After you know what each lot will be & include you can start by writing down keywords that you want your lot to be seen for & collaborate with your marketing team or agency on how to make that happen. This may seem like a small step, but when done, it can really give your business an organizational makeover. All of a sudden you find yourself planning weeks with auctions, not only giving your marketers enough time to prepare & optimize each lot & auction, but also your bidders have time to find you, preview all of your items, & bid!

We hope that we’ve made it clear why we are advocates for lot to lot optimization & marketing! Now the choice is yours!

If you are looking to start optimizing your auctions lot to lot & experience increased auction return on investment, Contact Us Today!

OUR TEAM IS READY TO TAKE YOUR CALL!

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Benefits of Mobile Responsive Auction Sites

Posted on June 25, 2019December 6, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

Whether it’s shopping, directions, entertainment, communication, or even ordering a ride, we spend so much of our day looking at a small device. We use our mobile phones for everything. While the capabilities of our smartphones are incredible, we are easily annoyed when they don’t work the way we want them to. When you visit a site or web app, you have the expectation that it will load and be functional, but when it fails to load due to slowness or other reasons and you can’t navigate the site or app, the user will drop off of the site and the chances of return are slim. You want to make sure that this isn’t the experience customers have when using their mobile phones to look at your website. In order to support as many of your customers as possible your auction site must be mobile responsive.

Mobile Responsive vs. Mobile Friendly

Definition time! Many customers don’t think that there is a difference between mobile-friendly and mobile-responsive websites. While both types have to do with viewing websites on a mobile device such as a phone or tablet, there is much more to these terms to dissect to understand the terminology.

A user encounters a mobile-friendly site when they are presented with a smaller version of the exact website they would find if they were using a computer. This is a better option than not being mobile anything at all, however, a traditional website can be hard to navigate and read on a much smaller screen. Plus, many of the features you have built into your beautiful site won’t be compatible with a phone and may glitch, creating a poor user experience.

A mobile responsive site is a version of a company’s website that has been specifically designed to be used on a phone or tablet. The site typically retains the same design features of the traditional website but has smaller images, larger buttons, and text that is easier to read. A mobile responsive site provides a much better user experience.

So why does it matter so much that my auction site is mobile responsive?

Convenience for Your Customers

We already talked about the amount of time that we spend on our phones – you have to assume that your customers will most likely be visiting your auction site from their phones and not just their computers. That being said, you want to make sure that you provide them with the best user experience possible, otherwise they will get frustrated and leave. And when customers leave, they don’t bid on your auctions. You want it to make it as easy as possible for your potential bidders to bid from their phones. Having a mobile responsive site takes their mobile needs into account and lets them bid with ease, driving up your final bid price.

Pairing with Proxy Bidding

Most likely you are already familiar with and use proxy bidding on your auction sites (if you need a quick refresher – read our blog post about proxy bidding here). Proxy bidding allows you to have additional bidders on the internet than you may not have had without it. After all, it lets people be out and about and living their lives while still bidding on your auction. And potentially while they are on the go they might decide that they want to check in on the auctions they are following or change their maximum bid. If you have a mobile responsive site these busy bidders will be able to quickly whip out their phones and update their bids as easily as updating their status. Having a mobile responsive site goes hand in hand with offering proxy bidding and other mobile bidding capabilities.

Maintaining Your Brand

Your intended experience for your customers has to carry over onto mobile devices, not just on your traditional website. You have to maintain your brand wherever a user might interact with it. If your mobile site is beautiful and works great customers won’t even think about the fact they are using their phones. However, if you have a bad mobile site, it will reflect poorly on your company and may change the impression that a potential bidder has of you. Keeping a consistent level of excellence across your platform is the best way to make sure your brand image is strong.

Because Google Says So

The Google bots are always crawling websites, looking for things that will let one site rank higher over another. Well, having a mobile responsive site is one of those things! Showing Google that your company took the time to create a better experience for mobile users will get you a big stamp of approval and in turn allow you to rank higher. If Google is looking for mobile responsive sites, you bet you will want to have one for your company.

Your ability to provide a mobile responsive site to your customer will allow them to utilize your service and you to pass information on to them more effectively. Contact us if you need some help getting started with your own mobile responsive auction site!

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Four Tips for a Successful Live Auction

Posted on June 21, 2019December 6, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

Four Tips for a Successful Live Auction

A successful live auction takes time and effort to ensure it is profitable. It might not seem like it, it just looks like a group of people raising paddles as a fast-talking person calls out numbers, but there is much more behind an auction than fast-talking auctioneers. If you want your auction to be successful there are a few things that you should do to make sure you take home the highest profits you can.

1. Hire a Professional Auctioneer

Right off the bat you want to make sure that you hire someone who knows what they are doing. While you could ask your fast-talking friend to fill in, you would lose out on all the benefits that a professional auctioneer provides. Not only are they pros who won’t be overwhelmed with stage fright the moment they need to start, but they also act as a crucial team member in the planning process and on auction day.

A professional auctioneer will be able to help you as you set up for the auction. They will know the best order for the items that are being auctioned off to keep high bids flowing from the right bidders, have tips on how to market the auction both online and in person, and can help determine the best setup for the space to keep everyone’s attention front and center for the course of the auction.

During the live auction, a professional auctioneer will know how to read the room, keep people’s energy up, and banter back and forth with bidders to drive up the bidding price and keep people entertained overall. They can roll with the punches and figure out how to save a dying room, talk up your items, and act as a general MC throughout the auction.

2. Find Your Perfect Auction Space

Figure out where and what your auction is going to be. Are you going to hold a black-tie dinner at the country club? A pig roast on the farm where all the machinery to be auctioned is located? Plan on transforming the school gymnasium into a carnival to fundraise for the next school year? Everything depends on what type of event you want your auction to be and who your bidders are.

Start by looking at your budget, evaluating the items you are selling, the customers you are expecting to draw in, and (if a charity auction) the cause you are fundraising for. If you are auctioning off travel and culinary experiences, you will want to host the auction somewhere different than if you were selling industrial equipment.

Take a moment to consider who your bidders will be. It is important to make sure that you give your bidders a space they are comfortable in so that they have a sense of belonging and are confident when making a bid. You wouldn’t want to force farmers into suits for an evening dinner or take PTA parents to a construction site.

One last thing you may want to consider is if you are planning on having your auction items on-site during the auction. Bidders like having the chance to see items in person as well as the choice to take their prizes home at the end of the auction, but you will have to make sure that you have space set aside to accommodate everything. After you evaluate these concepts you will be able to pull together a theme and space for your live auction.

3. Market Your Auction

Once you have an auctioneer, time, and place you can start promoting your on-site auction. You have to make sure that you can get the word out in whatever ways you can – after all the more people who know about your auction the more potential bidders you have to drive the prices up. Here are a few things you can do to alert potential bidders of your live auction and create interest in your items.

Professional Photos and Auction Catalog

Create a catalog of professional photos of all of the goods that you are planning on auctioning along with informative descriptions. Make sure to photograph each item from every angle so that item quality is clear. Bidders will come to a live auction with an idea of what they want to bid on so it is important to make sure that you tell them exactly what an item is. Make both physical catalogs to drop off to companies or potential bidders in your area, as well as a digital version to be shared on social media platforms.

Social Media & Traditional Marketing

Social media is more important than ever when trying to publicize an event. Besides sharing your catalog, create an event on Facebook where you can post regular updates about the live auction, links to register, information about the location, feature spotlight auction items, etc. Create graphics to post across all of your social media platforms and encourage friends, family, and businesses in your community to share them on their pages.

Make sure that you don’t forget to conduct traditional marketing by posting flyers around town, putting signs on street corners, or putting an announcement in the company, school, or city newsletter. Since most of your potential bidders will be local you want to make sure to promote your auction across your general area. You may want to choose different ways to market your live auction depending on the theme and status of your event.

Create Live Auction Invitations

Send out invitations. This is something that you can do both in person and online. If your company, school, or organization has a mailing list of people who will most likely be those showing up at your live auction take advantage of it! Sending potential bidders an invitation will add a personal touch and will be another way to get your auction in front of them. These same invitations can be shared online and promoted along with your social media.

Highlight the Cause

If you are conducting a charity auction, make sure that the cause is front and center. People want to know where their money is going and will be more inclined to come and participate if they care about the cause. All marketing materials need to point towards the bigger purpose of the auction to tug on people’s heartstrings.

4. During the Live Auction

Your auction is finally here! You’ve planned everything leading up to your live auction and gotten bidders through the door and registered. Make sure that you don’t forget a few last things you can do to keep the bidding prices high throughout the auction.

Shut down everything that is going on before the live auction begins. Maybe you have a photo booth or games before the auction starts to keep people entertained. Or perhaps servers are circling with hors d’oueveres while people are waiting. Clear away anything that doesn’t have to do directly with the auction so that people aren’t distracted once the auction starts and are in their places ready to bid.

Have a proper order of items for the auction as well as starting bids. This is something that you will want to ask your auctioneer about. They will know which of your items should sell early on and which ones should be held for later in the auction. Ask for their help when determining what the initial bidding price should be. They should have insight on what items will shoot up in price regardless of where they start, and which ones may need a higher or lower starting price than others.

Again, make sure that the charity or cause is the focus of the event, especially during the auction itself. Your auctioneer will know how to pull on the bidder’s heartstrings so they loosen the strings on their purse. People will be expecting to spend money but reminding them of the cause may make them spend more than they were intending. You could even include a short slideshow or video of the impact that the bidder’s donations will have for those that the charity aids or assign each item to a different part of the cause. For example, an auction for a local animal shelter might pair the profits of each item with one of their current animals. After all, who can say no to a face like this? Not only will it give bidders a break so that they can refocus before the auction begins again, but it will also drive up bids because bidders will have become more emotionally invested in the charity.

And there you have it! You are on your way to having a great live auction. We hope that these tips have given you more insight into the world of live auctions and that you will see their impact on your highest final bids! Looking for tips for an online auction? Check out our blog here.

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5 Important Tips If You Are New To Online Auctions Software

Posted on June 18, 2019January 22, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

New to Online Auctions? Here are 5 Helpful Tips!

Online auctions are a thing of the past, present, & future – people have been buying and selling items through live auctions for hundreds of years, and for the past decade online auctions are a part of everyday life. If your company is just getting onto the Online Auction train getting items ready to sell online, you probably don’t know where to start. Auctioneer Software can offer you online auction software with customizable features or on its own to make your auction business run smoothly and efficiently without headaches. Although we do advise you to get assistance while setting up & getting your new software ready, this does NOT mean you should be completely clueless when it comes to how the software is representing your business. Here are a few tips & things to consider as you are setting up your new online auction site & software.

#1 ~ The First Thing to Remember

Auction software is that it should fit your company’s needs, you should be able to adjust and change your software so that your buyer’s needs are being met! This could go from bid increments to bid notifications, and anything else in between. It’s important to see where improvements can be made & follow up with the changes implemented. Be sure that your software provider can offer that feature to you.

#2 ~ Auction Software is NOT One Size Fits All...

Now this is an important one…be aware of companies trying to sell you a generalized auction software that will “work for everyone”. If your specialty is real estate, not every online auction software is going to be able to fit your needs the way it should – or if you want to host live or simulcast auctions, software created specifically for real estate also is not going to serve you in the best possible way. Please beware & cautious as you choose your provider.

#3 ~ Advertise Your Auctions

Once you start running your auctions, don’t stop there. A good auction software and auction website should and will speak for itself with the results that trail – but that doesn’t mean it’s not smart to take advantage of the many free options to advertise! Social media is a great free tool to use for your auctions. There are also many extremely effective paid ways to advertise your auctions, Search Engine Optimization services are a great way to gain more traffic organically to your site as well as paid advertising opportunities through Google & Facebook.

#4 ~ Prioritize Mobile Friendly

As a business, accommodating your user’s needs should be the top priority. The average person spends over 4 hours daily on their mobile device (Inc.com) This seems like a massive amount of time, right? It is! But it also shows us the importance of making sure your auctions are mobile-friendly. Whether it’s an app or a mobile-responsive website, do it! You won’t regret it.

#5 ~ Stay Local for Better Service

This is more of a personal tip from us…but we believe that outsourcing auction software results in a disconnected relationship between provider & auction company. Any auction company needs to be able to call their provider & get help & assistance as soon as possible. So try to stay local – meaning your specific country to get the best service possible.

Now that you’ve read our 5 simple tips to get you started with your online auction software, you are ready to get out there and start selling the best way possible. As always, we stand by our advice and proudly can offer services to support you with the above statements.

If You Need Assistance Getting Your Auctions Started, Marketed, or Mobile Friendly...

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Something Special Is Coming Soon…Stay Tuned

Posted on June 13, 2019October 27, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

The Auctioneer Software you know and love is about to undergo some major changes...

Don’t worry, we aren’t going anywhere, and neither is our service, quality, or knowledge…But something big…exciting…& special is going to be happening soon! For many months we have been working hard…putting in extra hours, holding many meetings & conducting in depth research on the industry we serve to make sure we are providing our customers with the best of the best.

Our team is dedicated to creating a partnership with our clients that is trustworthy, honest & results driven....

To read more about our awesome team of individuals

As a company, it’s our mission to provide the auction industry with reliable auction software that is long lasting, tailored to your company, & provides you with the results you want. As always, our software is commission-free, because we believe that the profits from your sales belong to YOU! After all, you are the ones doing all of the heavy lifting! We’ve spent years developing our software to get it just right. Based off of our conversations with auctioneers we have added in features that help make your auction process easier, from start to finish. From the ability to bulk upload lots for your auction, to automating your invoice and statement emails once your auction has ended – we have included it all. Plus, we have an auction cataloging app that lets you quickly add lots on the go. If you’re in the market for an auction software that will work as hard for you as you do –click the link below to contact us today for more information!

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Stay Tuned For More Details & Information

How to Plan and Market Your Online Auction

Posted on June 11, 2019November 19, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

Once you’ve decided to auction off your assets online you want to make sure that you get the highest value possible for your property. That’s the point of an auction after all! Making sure that you have a plan for your online auction marketing will help bring in more buyers when auction day arrives – driving up the price of your items!

Online auctions offer a unique advantage for buyers, letting them bid from the convenience of their own home, at work, or on the go using mobile bidding. Additionally, they can be from anywhere in the country instead of being limited to people living in the surrounding area of the online auction site. The flexibility this provides increases the number of bidders and visibility of those able to participate in the auction but creates new challenges of how to accommodate for the loss of the face-to-face interaction.

Planning for the Auction

Determine what you are selling

The first step of any auction is to figure out exactly what items you want to sell. Maybe you have a set of antique tools or are liquidating assets from a company or restaurant. It’s important right off the bat to have a set list of what items you are planning to sell so that you can keep your auction lot organized and make sure that you don’t forget to list one of your items. Keeping that list handy will prevent some major headaches down the line.

Asses item value

You must have a starting price for each of your items for buyers to start bidding at. You will want to accurately judge the value of your property and evaluate how much a buyer would potentially pay for it. A good place to start would be to research the prices of your items online, search through past auctions on similar items to see what the highest bid was or bring in a professional appraiser if appropriate for your circumstance. It is important to disregard any sentimental value when assigning starting prices. The fact that your antique sewing machine belonged to your great-grandmother will not matter to your bidders and shouldn’t increase the starting price for any reason.

Superb images

Since buyers won’t be able to see your items in person, it is important to give them as much information as you can so that they can confidently make a bid. Having good photos can make or break your auction. Make sure to photograph your items in an appropriate space with good lighting. Keep other items out of the photo unless you are selling them in a bundle to avoid confusion on the buyer’s end. Photograph all of your items with the same background or in the same area if possible to create a clear aesthetic for your lot. Depending on the value of the items you are selling it may be a good idea to have a professional photographer take your photos to make sure potential bidders can truly tell the value of your goods.

Optimized descriptions

Just like your images, your description tells people a lot about your items. Make sure to accurately describe your items and to give a lot of information about the condition and past use. Conduct keyword research to see what people are searching for when looking for your items. Adding these keywords to your description will make it easier for people to find your items, driving more traffic to your auction and raising the final selling price.

Marketing the Auction

Company promotions

If you are a company looking to advertise your auction use what you already have going for you! Feature your auction on your website, send out email announcements to your client base, and get the word out to your professional community that may want your items for their own use. Do anything that you can to let people know about your auction.

Social media campaigns

Take advantage of all that your social media platforms have to offer! Promote your upcoming auction a few weeks ahead of time so that your followers have a chance to check out your products and create a buzz. Showing potential bidders your items in advance gives them the time to prepare for auction day and decide what they want to bid on. Create graphics to use alongside the amazing photos you’ve taken to pull people in. You could even create an ‘invitation’ graphic that may give your auction a more personal touch. Include a link for people to register for your auction so they don’t have to search for it. Encourage others to share and like your posts so that as many eyes can see them as possible. Who knows, maybe the great-aunt of your accountant is an avid coin collector!

Connect with others

There is a Facebook group or fan club for everything! If you can find a page dedicated to the items you are selling feel free to join and post about your auction. You will be targeting the exact audience of people who are likely to bid on your items and the members will probably be thrilled to learn about your auction and their chance to add to their Beanie Baby collection. Plus, these super fans are sure to drive your asking price up. *Make sure to comply with any rules these pages may have about advertising or selling products.

Additionally, you can find pages that are dedicated to showing upcoming auctions and sales going on and promote your online auction there as well. While it might not be as specific of an audience as a collector site or fan page might be, you are sure to find other people interested in your items.

Just because your auction is online and can have bidders from anywhere in the country doesn’t mean that you should forget about connecting with the people in your area! See if your city or county has a social media group or page on a website promoting events in the area and ask to be featured there. Any way to get your information out to people will help increase the volume of potential bidders. (Learn more about promoting your auctions with Facebook Events)

Provide an incentive

Incentives are everything! People will act when an incentive is offered to them. Advertise that you will give a gift card to the first five bidders on an item, provide a coupon for people who register to bid, or set a low starting price for one or two items to get traffic for the rest of your items. Of course, these incentives might not be possible for you depending on your budget and the value of your goods. Think about what is in your capacity to incentivize people to bid!

Looking Forward

If you plan on conducting more auctions or are simply curious as to which of your marketing posts was the most successful, consider having a survey during your auction registration process. This would look something like asking bidders how they found out about the auction (such as through Facebook, Instagram, word of mouth, etc.). This will let you know where you want to focus your online auction marketing efforts for your next auction. Of course, if your next auction is with a different category of items or promoted to a different group of people you will want to start fresh and not stick to only one or two marketing platforms.

And there you have it! We hope that these tips will help you when planning your online auction marketing in order to hold a successful online auction. Best of luck!

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What Is Proxy Bidding And How Does It Help My Auction?

Posted on June 6, 2019December 11, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

What Is Proxy Bidding And How Does It Help My Auction?

What is a proxy bid and how can it improve your auctions? We've got an answer

Have you ever wondered “What is proxy bidding”? The term proxy bidding may be unfamiliar to you if you haven’t participated in a lot of online auctions. Proxy bidding is quite simple but can have a huge impact on an online auction for both the bidder and the owner of the lot.

Proxy bidding, also known as maximum bidding, occurs when bidders have the option to set a maximum price that they would be willing to pay for an item and then allow the computer system to bid for them by the bid increment until someone places a higher bid than their maximum.

The bid increment is pre-set by the auction and is the amount that a proxy bid must increase by. The computer will place a new bid following the bid increment every time someone else places a higher bid than you and will continue to do that until the auction is over and you win, or the price goes over your set maximum. Bidders are typically notified if their maximum has been outbid and have the option to set a new maximum to continue participating in the auction. Bidders are also allowed to bid any amount they want as long as it’s higher than the Minimum Bid that holds the current position.

“Essentially a bidder is telling the computer to let them win the auction at the lowest amount possible without going higher than their maximum.”

For example, say you want to buy a table but you are only willing to spend $75 on it. You would enter $75 as your maximum. If the bid increment for the auction is $5 then the computer will increase your bid by $5 every time someone bids higher than you. So, say someone bids $30, and the computer automatically puts in a bid for you at $35. If the auction comes to a close and you are the highest bidder with $55 you have successfully used proxy bidding! You would have been willing to pay $75 but you got the table for less than that!

Proxy bidding allows bidders to win an auction at the lowest price possible. It also maximizes the benefit for the winning bidder because they would have been willing to pay more for the item but they didn’t have to!

So how does proxy bidding help my auction?

Glad you asked! Proxy bidding is all about taking care of the bidders and allowing the auction process to be as easy as possible for them. If your auction is easy to participate in more people will be inclined to stop over and bid!

The best part about proxy bidding is that after the bidder sets their maximum, they don’t have to watch the auction live. People don’t have to worry about sitting at their computer to track the bidding process, they can be at work or grocery shopping or asleep in bed and still win! They can bid on multiple things at once and not have to worry about tracking each item they are bidding on. Proxy bidding takes the stress out of the auction.

Because bidders don’t have to commit to being present, more of them will be able to ‘attend’ through proxy bidding. And the more people you have bidding the higher your final price will be! It’s a win-win for both you and your winning bidder!

What Is Proxy Bidding? Conclusion

We hope this has helped to answer your questions ‘What is a proxy bid’ and that you feel confident to use proxy bidding the next time you participate in an auction! If you have further questions about proxy bidding please contact us!

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4 Tips On How To Ensure a Successful Online Auction

Posted on June 4, 2019May 20, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

Online auctions are more popular than ever, selling multiple items to multiple buyers, from the comfort of one location & many times the buyer will not ever even have to leave his or her home! This is a modern convenience for everyone! As a company though, maybe you are seeing that your online auctions aren’t getting as much bidding as you have hoped, or that possibly multiple items are going through the auction process without being sold at all. So, how do we address these issues? Turns out, just a few simple changes could make the world of difference when it comes to ensuring that you have a successful online auction.

Utilize your resources to advertise

Online auctions can be easy to advertise – so utilize your resources. For example, Facebook is not only a great way to push out graphic-based information, create events for your auction, & make albums filled with product photos, but you also can utilize the paid advertising portion. You can now target in-depth audience selections for an extremely reasonable price. Facebook will also provide easy-to-read stats & numbers for you to see how your ads are doing. Email marketing & social media on any platform is a great way to grow your auctions reach, used correctly it can exponentially help your efforts! If you need help reaching more people through organic or paid traffic, read more about our services here!

Know your bidders…or POTENTIAL bidders

To sell your items online, one of the best things you can do is get to know the people you are trying to sell to. It’s important to know the general guideline of who WANTS to buy this specific item or type of item. Once you know who would want to buy these items you can gear your advertisements specifically for them, this could include anything from social media graphics, to text font & size on your website feature, to any paid advertising that you might want to invest in. With a specific audience in mind, it’s much easier to target your ideal customer with things you know are proven to work with any given demographic.

Consider the experience (mobile & more)

In a world where eBay, Amazon, & Facebook marketplace exist, it’s fairly…no…extremely important to focus on how to set yourself apart from any other platform to buy things online. Focus on what makes you unique & how you can tap into that, maximizing your efforts. People love convenience, but they equally value authenticity & uniqueness. For example, a few years ago, a gun owned by the notorious gangster, Al Capone was auctioned off in West Michigan! Not often does an opportunity like that come up, this auction was highlighted by news stations across the globe (click here to read news coverage.) This auction caught the attention of many people just based on it’s extremely unique nature. You don’t have to sacrifice profit to set yourself apart, find the things that make your company different and highlight them, while also focusing on how to make the experience unique. Offer mobile bidding, send a fun follow-up email after purchase, and create edgy bid notifications to capture your bidders. Find what works for you to create your successful online auction, and capitalize on it!

Evaluate Auction Visual

Visual is everything in the world of auctions – it’s important to get your visual on track for the brand you are trying to attain. Your auction presentation should be consistent, professional, simple, & to the point. Your items should be featured in the same way, we even would suggest going as far as having the same background to all the auction items to create the uniformity that is most pleasing for your bidders. Not only is your on-site visual important, but we suggest that all of your social media platforms would be consistent with your website as well, when bidder traffic is coming from any social media account, they should have no questions as to whether you are the same company, the brand, design, & ambiance should flow from one to the others.

These are 4 simple things to think about as you maximize your online auction efforts & create a successful online auction. To learn more about planning and marketing your auction, check out our blog on auction marketing. Looking for advice for live auctions? This blog will give you tips for a successful live auction!

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Has Your Company Outgrown Your Auction Software?

Posted on November 29, 2018December 19, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

TO DETERMINE IF YOU SHOULD UPDATE YOUR SOFTWARE

Now you can combine our Online Auction Software with fully customizable and grow-with-you options! If you have experienced any of the following issues, we would love to talk with you!

Does Your Software Meet the Needs of Your Bidders & Sellers?

Meeting your clients needs is important

Sometimes your software can’t keep up with the growth rate of your auction company. Now you can embrace Online Auction Software that is fully tailorable to grow with you! If you find that sellers are requesting to run their auction slightly differently, receive complaints from bidders about a complicated process, or have a list of things that YOU wish your software would do, think about switching your software.

DO YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO ADAPT TO CHANGING NEEDS OF BIDDERS/SELLERS?

Change is inevitable

In a constantly changing industry, you need Online Auction Software that is flexible to benefit your bidders and sellers. Don’t let your customers get stuck between a rock & a hard place with the changing times. Get flexible and adaptable auction software, just like the auction industry.

How many times do you have to tell bidders and sellers “The software does not allow that”? Not anymore! we make sure that our clients can customize their software according to their clientele and specific needs.

ARE YOU LOSING BIDDERS AND MONEY ON UNEXPECTED DOWNTIME?

Downtime equals lost revenue

Is your business productivity hindered by undependable & slow auction software/systems? It’s probably time to upgrade to a software & system with various customizable features that are proven to be simple, fast, reliable, & efficient.

What are the reasons behind your unexpected downtime? Lacking software support? Our staff and systems are available and accessible 24/7. Our developers are on site to make changes and resolve issues as needed! Process too complicated? Our goal is to make our software simple and user-friendly. We want you to be up and running as soon as possible so you can maximize your revenue!

DO YOU HAVE COMPLETE CONTROL OVER YOUR AUCTION OPERATIONS & FUNCTIONS?

Operation efficiency is a necessity

Operation issues such as a lack of visibility where it’s needed or a slow processing pace will affect your auctions and are often a result of poor coordination between management & departments. You don’t have to tell us that operation efficiency = labor savings. You’ll save time throughout your whole auction process, from marketing and photo management before the auction starts to billing bidders, paying consignors, and collecting your auction results.

HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED A LACK OF VISIBILITY FOR MULTIPLE AUCTIONS?

Visibility keeps you moving forward

It can be incredibly difficult to obtain important data and insights when auction information is spread over multiple systems, making it difficult to see all of your auctions and data. This makes it more time-consuming for the process to run smoothly. If you’re trying to find past auction results and inventory it doesn’t need to be a complicated process! Your auction information from past auctions is always available to you in a single click!

Why Write a Business Blog?

Posted on June 7, 2018November 26, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

Why Write a Business Blog?

We all know that blogs are important for a website. Blogs should be one of the first priorities of your auction company’s marketing strategy. They help your site gain more traffic, increase your site’s search engine rankings, help communicate to potential and existing bidders, and more! The bottom line, blogs help you get found online. Blogging for business is essential for sites that want to rank high in Google and want more traffic. Many auction companies are starting blogs and posting content, so why aren’t you?

It’s true, some auction companies don’t have time to write blogs. They take time and energy that most people can’t spare. If they do have time, most don’t know what to write about. So how do businesses make it work? They have blog management. The key to great blogging is to write content that complements your vision of your business.

But did you know that blog management is more than just content writing?

What is blog management and what do blog managers do?

The blog manager’s goal is to ensure the company is gaining the best result with traffic and ROI from the blog. So before the blog manager even begins writing, they need ideas on what to write about. They lead brainstorming sessions, research, and pick a specific target audience to make sure the end result of the blog reaches its full potential especially when blogging for business.

How can the blog manager be sure the blog is reaching its full potential? There are certain practices to make sure the blog has good search engine optimization. Formatting, readability, graphics, links, calls-to-action, headings, and more. Whoever is managing the blog checks and re-checks all these practices. Not to mention editing, proofing, and rewriting content!

An important detail for blog management is scheduling. A blog calendar is very important for auction websites that have blogs being published daily, weekly, and even monthly. Google and/or Bing like to see a site that is updated regularly, whether that be daily, weekly, or monthly. The manager schedules and has ideas for blogs months before they are published. For certain companies, seasonal blogs are important, while other companies have a certain time of day when the blog would get the most traffic. The blog manager knows all these things, and schedules accordingly. Each platform also has specific high-ranking posting times, discovered from years of back data, that are extremely helpful for beginner bloggers and social media marketers.

The last, but maybe the most important thing, is what blog managers do once the blog is published. A certain amount of time after the blog is published, the blog manager analyzes the results. This is how they know if the blogs are helping and living up to their potential. If the blogs are not, the blog manager fixes the problem. You can also take the approach beforehand and navigate away from issues, with A/B Testing methods.

Do you need help starting or managing a blog?

We will work with you to create a blog customized to your brand. We can produce content related to the auction industry and publish with or without assistance from your company. We know you’re busy, and we have years of auction industry knowledge to put to work for you.

It is said that “the more, the merrier”, which also goes for blog posts. A minimum of 2 posts should be published each month to keep traffic flowing and provide fresh content to keep the search engines happy. If there is not a blog currently on your website, we can set one up for your company blogging for business is extremely important to be found online. Contact Shannan at 866.773.2638 or email her at Shannan@auctioneersoftware.com.

When Perception Does Matter!

Posted on May 31, 2018November 19, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

What is the perception of your company?

I was thinking last night on the marketing plans that companies use and this question occurred to me.
How do people view us?

There are many ways that your company can be seen through many different pairs of eyes.

The question then was How do I want them pairs of eyes to see MY company?

There is an old adage that says you cannot be all things to all people, that is impossible. Many people apply this to whether the prospective client is large or small. I look at it a little more differently than that, I look at it from an industry perspective. It is impossible to service several industries at the same time, there is no doubt about that.

In the technology field, I believe the industry you are serving depends on us to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to products, services, and trends in the industry. With the responsibility that service companies take on themselves, it is important to be “dialed in” to what is happening in regards to the association, the members that it serves, and the matters that which it is currently involved.

I would hope the perception of our company, Auctioneer Software, is one that is perceived as a service provider to all members of the auction industry.

For many years we have helped large companies improve their processes with the custom software that we have built for them. The perception that the auction industry has of us could be that we only serve large clients with our custom software service offering. We are going to change that as that is just not true. We started to change this perception by putting our pricing for the software we have built on the home page of our website. Our software is ready to be deployed to anyone in the auction industry.

We will continue to work on changing this perception through social media, newsletters that we send out, sponsorships at various industry gatherings, attendance at trade shows, and by talking to you on the phone.

This is the industry that we are passionate about so whether your company is large or small, it does not matter. What matters is that we treat members of this industry the way that I would like to be treated if the shoe was on the other foot and I would be the one inquiring about our services. Perception matters!

Warm Congratulations to Laura & Ben!

Posted on April 26, 2018April 10, 2020 by Kurt Kaptein

We want to congratulate Ben & Laura (Kaptein) Lubbers on their wedding!

Everyone at Auctioneer Software wants to send you off with best wishes on the wonderful journey ahead of you and a lifetime of love and happiness.

Laura is the Sales Manager at Auctioneer Software and AuctioneerSoftware.com. Laura manages and takes care of the Sales and Project Management for both companies. She will be one of your contacts if you need assistance with anything during and after your project.

Why We…Utilize Onsite Developers and Staff

Posted on March 5, 2018January 22, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

Why We...Utilize Onsite Developers and Staff

6 Reasons that We Utilize Onsite Developers

When you think of development and technology you think about accessibility and working with anyone around the world with unlimited resources. Well that part is very true, with the development of IT and systems in the past years, we are able to work with people from around the globe. The benefits of working with a company like that is limitless and you can depend on AuctioneerSoftware.com to be in that class of companies. With that said, it’s not as beneficial to use off site or 3rd party development teams. You have to deal with different schedules, office hours, possible time zones, and much more, so here are the 6 reasons that we use onsite developers

Time

One thing that we have a strict thought on is that we do not hire off-shore or out-of-state developers, that have to work off-site from our offices. Our entire development team of currently over 10 developers are on our staff and work right in our offices with actual office hours. We are available off time as well if your project calls for that instance. We can plan out schedules to work within your project needs. When you are working on the project, it is important that we are available to you to make changes, test, and answer any questions you may have in a timely manner. This makes the project the most efficient it can be with time management and project cost in mind.

Communication

Communication is key when working through a website design & development project. Our developers are on staff during office hours ready to address anything that may come in during the work day. It is important to keep you, the client, updated on any issues or changes that were discussed that day. Our Sales Team and our Development Team all work out of the same office. This is very beneficial during the quoting, planning, and on boarding process so that everyone who will be involved on the project has been included from the very beginning.

Unplanned Meetings

When working with all development projects, things come up during the process that were not planned for or the project scope was changed. With the website developers directly on staff, we can call meetings at any time to get the project modified, or back on task and address any issues that may come up before things get out of hand.

Less Distraction

We all know that distractions during the day are everywhere and AuctioneerSoftware is very effective at keeping those distractions reigned in while creating minimal distraction for our developers for efficiency of the project. When we are spending our clients time and money it is important that they get what they are paying for and results that make them happy. The developers are able to stay focused and keep working on the tasks at hand without having distractions from other sources.

Collaboration Time

Collaboration is huge when working in the development field. Not everyone knows everything and each has a niche as well as experience. Working in the same location with other co-developers allows them to work with each other on best possible practices and ways of implementing new ideas from our clients, and keeping pace with communications too. We are devoted to keeping up with the latest technology trends and having our developers work together on this is key to the success of our company.

Know our Company

Working in the same location as management is also important to learning the ins and outs of how the company runs. The team is able to hear new ideas that are being met about, see the advancing of the company, have valuable input into the companies processes and work flow and most importantly feel like a valuable asset needed for the company. Getting to know the company is just as important as knowing your client, and understanding the project. Having the entire picture will allow for more growth and experience in the future.

Would You Like More Information On How To Start Your Project With Us?

Contact us today for a free demo of our auction software!

We “SWITCHED” To the Grand Rapids Pyramid Campus

Posted on January 23, 2018May 30, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

We “SWITCHED” To the Grand Rapids Pyramid Campus

Switch is in Grand Rapids, Michigan

We have very exciting news!

We know how important it is to keep your auctions up and running. Because of this, we are upgrading our infrastructure and moving to the most advanced data center (Grand Rapids Pyramid Campus) in the eastern United States. The move to this data center and the investment of over $200,000 into brand-new infrastructure will help us provide both simple and complex services to our customers in the auction industry. I can report that we are up and running in the new data center and ready to take on the challenges of supporting enterprise software to our current and prospective future clients.

On that note, both small and large auction companies will now be able to take advantage of the same technology, there is no separation based on the size of the company. Just because you are a smaller auction house doesn’t mean that you should have lower access to our hosting technology. A hosting company dedicated to the needs of an industry is hard to find – but we have done it for the auction industry. We are passionate about keeping your auctions safe and running. We can assure you that all services we provide – including the monitoring and support of the infrastructure – is done by our employees located in our offices in Grand Rapids, MI. We can even schedule tours of the facility if you would like. We would love to show you. So into the future we go, looking for opportunities to provide these services to you.

Fun Facts About The Switch Data Center:

Safe & Secure: Switch has a protected, climate-controlled environment that holds high-end backup and monitoring systems, servers, routers, and more!
Reliable Network & Equipment: It’s advanced technology, quality equipment, and well-designed systems make Switch incredibly reliable.
Secure Infrastructure: Your data will be safe with the Switch Data Center. It has redundant power supplies and a backup generator to keep the center operational during power outages.

Learn More About The Incredible Grand Rapids Pyramid Campus

10 Tips for SEO Friendly Auction Blog Posts That Won’t Fail You!

Posted on January 11, 2018January 22, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

10 Tips for SEO Friendly Auction Blog Posts That Won’t Fail You!

Think Before You Write! Simple Steps To An SEO Friendly Auction Blog Post!

When clients approach me to talk about blogs and the tasks that are presented about what to write about and how often to write, they are not usually enthusiastic about writing a monthly article or resource. Why? Because it takes time and patience to present a good piece of writing that attracts an audience worth writing for. Normally that isn’t a choice for a busy business owner or marketing professional. But, this is an essential part of an SEO campaign. The need for revolving fresh content monthly is imperative, because Google loves fresh content, and that is step one in your SEO attempts.

Now add search engine best practices and optimization to the mix, how you are really over your head. When you write SEO-friendly auction blog posts, you aren’t focused on optimization at the time, but afterward, you should take time and go back through to optimize it so that it is Google-friendly, under the best SEO practices. These can change so make sure you are using a marketing firm that understands search engine optimization practices.

Most of your customers who are reading your blog won’t know about the correct structure, SEO, or the reason you chose that article. What they are looking for is captivating articles and resources that will better assist themselves in their daily routines at work, personal lives, or information about auctions or a specific auction– a value-added addition to their agenda in other words. It helps if you can write with an outlook geared toward your audience, based on demographics and geographic area, this might be an important factor in your engagement. If they like your text, they are more likely to share on social media, on their blog as guest posts, refer to you, or be interested in your auctions. If you don’t provide this – they will look elsewhere for better auctions! And they will find many resources but with SEO or search engine optimization, you will be at the top of the resource pile and at their doorstep to provide the information they are looking for. When your posts are not geared toward your client’s needs and interests, don’t expect much engagement, referrals, or for them to return to the site anytime soon.

Here are the top 10 Tips for SEO Friendly Auction Blog Posts:

Site Architecture and Structure.
Some writers can just sit down and start typing out their thoughts and that works for some but may need more of a structure. It doesn’t matter which of these you fall into, you should always lay out your main thought topics and research those topics to find trustworthy resources to utilize and you will be on the way to a great brainstorming session and a great post for others to use as well. Don’t forget the two main parts of your post, the introduction, and conclusion as well!

Write Toward Your Audience.
Take the opportunity to write to your customers and potential customers, not just to a general audience of people you don’t know. If your audience is potential buyers for an auction you are about, do research so that they will be engaged. Tone your writing so that it is professional and sophisticated.

Proper Grammar and Punctuation.
When you are reading a sentence and your grammar and punctuation do not reflect your professionalism to ensure a flawless writing piece, what does that say about the trustworthiness of that article? Truth is no one is perfect, but if you the writer can’t take the time to ensure the piece is properly written, the reader probably won’t take the time to finish reading it.

Utilize Your Headers and Tags.
The Search Engines, are only so smart, they utilize headers and tags within the post to tell them what content is important and what to focus on for your post to rank effectively. Take this opportunity to promote the products that you will be selling by using headers. The eyes of potential customers will gravitate toward the boldness of the fonts.

Links.
There are three types of links that you can add to your blog posts that will benefit your SEO optimization. Backlinks, External Links, and Internal Links. External links are links inside your article that link to an external website or resource. Internal links are linked in your article that links back to your website to an internal page. Linking is not only helpful for SEO, but it can also bring customers to your site.

SEO Tools.
If you are utilizing WordPress as your auction site base of operation – you can use the Yoast SEO Plugin to optimize each blog post and page of your site with suggestions and easy-to-follow optimization instructions such as keyword density which should range from 1-2 percent but no more than 3 percent of your content. So, a post that has 400 words should have your key phrase inserted in the post about 1-3 times to be effective.

Blog Length is Important!
Your article or post can technically be any length, but to have an optimized post that is search engine friendly, you will want to be sure that you have a minimum of 300 words and a maximum of 1000 words according to Google Best Practices. Personally, I have some that are much longer depending on the topic, I’ve had posts around 2000 characters that rank just fine.

Optimize and Format Images.
Google is smart, we all know that but that only goes so far. For a search engine to “read” your images, you must make sure that you optimize them with titles, and alt tags and ensure they aren’t pixelated and user-friendly for an optimal user experience. Especially for online auctions, pictures matter. The easy and simple task of optimizing them can make a huge difference for SEO.

Format Your Page.
Aside from grammar and punctuation, the page format is equally important. Make sure that your spacing, bullet points, paragraphs, and indentations are properly implemented, and the layout looks nice and flows on the page. If the page is one large paragraph with no spacing, it will be more difficult for your reader to read through or scan through it, and more likely for them to bounce off your page faster.
Proof and Poof, You’re Ready!
Proofing your blog post is the last step in the setup of an SEO-friendly auction post. If you have mis-spellings or other formatting issues, this is where you can catch them and correct them. Especially if your focus keyword is misspelled, the search engines might ignore that important aspect, and your ranking with suffer.

One last thought, if you can afford the time, don’t only focus on posting your blog to your website, share it across the board with all of your social media platforms and sites to get the most audience engagement available. Also, consider including a call to action in your post – it should be included in the body of the post not at the end, in case they don’t make it that far.

Congratulations! You’ve just optimized your SEO-friendly auction blog posts with the most effective search engine optimization techniques. But you are like, holy cow that took a long time to write, optimize, proof, and post….I don’t have time for that.

You can always count on Auctioneer Software powered by Spectrum Net Designs to help you manage your monthly posts from writing the articles or just optimizing, formatting, and publishing the posts that you write. Contact Us Today!

Tips for Successful Online Auction Photos that Sell

Posted on December 4, 2017May 23, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

Tips for Successful Online Auction Photos that Sell

A picture is worth a thousand words. This is why pictures are so important for online auctions, and why they can be the downfall, or they can seal the deal. Since online auction photos are so important, here are some tips to make sure your pictures are not turning away buyers, and instead are helping the buyers purchase the item.

1. Purchase a quality camera that takes HD photos. However, the downside of this is that they are expensive and come with a learning curve. But on the other hand, no one will buy anything if the photo is blurry. HD photos scream professionalism and high-quality items. It would be worth it to invest in a camera that helps your buyers make the right decision.

2. Details of the item that you are selling are very important. One photo isn’t enough to get the whole idea of the object that you are selling. Whether it be 3, 4, or even 5 pictures, the item that is being sold should have a picture for the top, bottom, sides, etc. Buyers shouldn’t be curious to what they are purchasing.

3. The first photo they see should be the entire thing. Don’t leave anything out. The buyer wants to see the whole thing, whether it be good or bad.

4. The next couple photos should be from different angles, so the buyer can see depth, width, etc. Make sure that these are all clear pictures. If you don’t take a picture from a certain angle, buyers will know you are trying to hide something, whether it be something that is broke or something unfixable. Better to be honest from the very beginning than to lose credibility.

5. The item that you are selling should be clean and presentable. You can do everything right with taking the picture, but if the item you are selling is dirty and looks undesirable, it will not sell.

6. Along with the high-resolution images, add a description that tells a story of each item. People like stories, and they bring a meaning to the item which increases its value. Always be honest though, and if you have a picture to prove the story, insert it to show buyers its true worth.

Using all these strategies and tips, you can be sure that the photo will not be turning your buyers away. Online auction photos are very important for the auction, so take your time going through each step to make sure you are receiving the best outcome for your auction.

The Local SEO Holiday Checklist

Posted on November 28, 2017January 22, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

Holiday SEO Checklist for Local Listings

Tis’ the season! Are you ready? Now that the holiday season is rolling in, it is important to keep that SEO holiday checklist in mind for local listings. Below, we have highlighted the main points to keep your SEO up-to-date, especially during the holiday season.

Directory Sites Accurate Company Information

Review Your Listings on all your Local Sites. Here are a few you might be on:

Being up to date on these local sites will help local clients and future customers know your company’s information and how to get a hold of you. You can also share a little about your company. During the holidays, be sure to keep all these updated!

Let us help you create an account on these local sites!

Accurate Company and Search Engine’s Information

Review Your Search Engine listings for your local clients. Here are a few you might be on. Don’t forget to add those special hours on top of your regular hours. Keep these updated because they are the main traffic for lead conversions. If these main search engines are not kept updated, your chance to capture your focus audience might be missed.

Google– Google+, MyBusiness account, YouTube and your Maps listing information
Bing – BingPlaces, Maps, and more

Do you have one of these accounts and don’t know how to recover them? Contact us and we can help you!

Social Media Platforms Accurate Information

Review your social media accounts and make sure they are up to date. Being up to date with social media means posting regularly and knowing the ins and outs of social media use and marketing. Keep up with your followers and those following you. Even a “like” here and there can keep your account up to date. Here are a few social media sites you might be on:

Facebook

Instagram

Need a social media account? Let us help you get started!

Website is updated with contact information and holiday hours

It’s easy to forget about your website as the holiday season nears, but it is crucial to keep it updated. Many companies have fluctuating hours during the holiday season, the hours changing weekly. Even if the hours look crazy, keeping them updated will lessen frustration from customers and clients.

Make sure you are covered across the whole spectrum of the website. Don’t just focus on the “contact us” page, but check the footer, company information, internal landing pages, and more.

No Duplicate Directories or Accounts

Many people and companies forget either their password or what email they used. There can be a lot of confusion if one creates duplicate accounts. Questions like, What’s my password? and Which email did I use? can be frustrating. Do you know how to reset your password? We can help along the process of recovering your account! Contact us today!

Holiday Posts ready for your audience

Don’t skip out on posts just because it’s the holidays! This is the perfect time to post, either on social media or a blog. Show clients and visitor’s new products you are selling, information about your company, or even wish them happy holidays. Every post is important, even if it is something small. Audiences are most active during the holiday season, so this is the time to advance your posts.

Review Ready and Reputation Management Team in order

During the holiday season, there are many people who take off work and have other people covering for them. This includes a reputation management team. People can be frustrated during the holidays and might leave some negative reviews. Don’t forget these in your holiday checklist. Examples include:

Return Policy for stores
Prices
Parking
Hours

Having a team ready to give thoughtful, respectful responses is quite important during the holiday season. Have the responses ready, even if no one has complained yet. Don’t leave reviews unattended. We strongly encourage for someone to take care of that, otherwise, frustration levels will rise.

Holiday Emails include holiday hours and correct social and directory links

Some companies have different holiday hours per person. Are the correct hours and links in the signature? Review your email signature and make sure it is up to date. Some people in the holidays have an automatic reply with information about the holiday hours. If this is something you’re interested in, make sure to include forward links to either a website or social media.

This holiday SEO checklist will ease the frustration of customers and help keep customer loyalty.

Make sure to cover all bases to have the best local SEO possible. If you need any help, contact us today and we will love to give you a hand!

Sending Praise and Many Thanks from All of Us!

Posted on November 21, 2017June 14, 2018 by Kurt Kaptein

Many Thanks to Your Family’s on this Thanksgiving Day!

Social Media Inspiration for You and/or Your Company!

Sometimes it can be difficult in a business to keep social media updated. There can be no ideas, topics, or interests that seem to come to mind. Here are 20 topics for social media inspiration, whether it be on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or more.

Product Photos

Instead of just having links to your products, sharing photos of them will increase visibility and will get customers more familiar with what you offer.

Customer Photo Re-Post

When a customer posts a photo of your products or content that is related to your brand, re-posting it can help share your own page as well. First, ask your customers’ permission, and second, give credit where credit is due.

Polls

Social media is a great place to gather information from clients and customers. You can post polls on Twitter and Facebook so you know what your followers’ opinions and favorites are.

Behind the Scenes

Give your followers an inside look at your team or how you run the business. Team events, product production, or even your workspace can get clients involved and interested.

Infographics

Infographics are visual representations of data or information that you can share in a more interesting way on social media.

Interesting Statistics

Give some interesting facts about your company or products with some quick statistics.

Product Input Requests

You can ask customers on social media to share their input about your products or service. If a reputable input is given, a repost (asking for the customers’ permission first) can help you obtain a larger audience and more new clients.

Customers Name Products

Ask customers what the best name is for a certain new product (e.g. shoes, clothing, electronics). This will get customers involved and want the product. Maybe even create a contest where the winner receives a free product, this enhances the personal connection and trust of the product.

Twitter Chats

Taking part in or initiating chats with other Twitter users in your audience can be a positive way to increase your clients and customers. It also increases your presence on the platform.

Live Discussions

Nowadays, people are doing live chats, discussions, questions, and answers every day. Depending on their audience, they set up a weekly or somewhat regular live stream to interact with customers to stay in contact and give it a more personal touch.

Inspirational Image

A photo you post doesn’t necessarily have to be related to a product or service, but do post something that is relevant to your target audience. Large, bold and colorful images grab their attention and pull them into the product. Especially if they can relate to the image or product.

Case Studies

These are posts that share information about how your business or someone on the team helped a client with a particular need. Show that you can fix these potential problems!

Testimonial Requests

Ask your followers who have done business with you to submit testimonials or experiences that they had. These positive experiences can promote your business and help gain more clients.

Product Recommendations

What does your customer want to buy? A certain type of shoe? A new brand of clothes? You can use a poll for this social media post as well! Get your clients to interact!

Day in the Life

Show your followers you’re a real person. Simple photos of you, including work and personal content, can make yourself seem personable and easier to approach.

Flashback

Flashback Friday and Throwback Thursday are popular trends on Instagram and Twitter. Add a hashtag to gain more interest.

Memes

Not all memes are professional, but those that are enough so, are the most used by users on Twitter. They can be fun to share and might be even relevant to your company, and create a lighter mood for your product.

Holiday Themed

There are holidays throughout all the year. Even some lesser known ones, e.g. Chocolate Day, National Coffee Day, may be relevant to your

company.

Company News

Updates like new employees or offerings are shareable on social media. The more you can offer and help your prospects, the more trust and future clients you will eventually gain. Remember, this is 80% about your clients and only 20% about you!

Giveaways

Hosting giveaways will help highlight new products or promotions. You can just insert a link to most social media sites, that will link to the special offer or freebie. You can set up as a way to catch prospects information or promote it by creating rules to share and like before they are entered. Whatever way you prefer remember to keep it simple – or they will just find another site to interact with.

All these ideas can help with social media inspiration, and therefore enhance your audience so that you will grow in popularity and/or in customers and clients! A few posts are better than none. Social media is very important now, especially for the younger generation that is growing up. Updating your company’s social media platforms on a regular basis will keep you connected to your clients and future clients in a way targeted toward them and not all about you.

Want more ideas? Click here!

6 Platforms & 6 Ways to Utilize Social Media for Your Online Auction

Posted on October 24, 2017May 23, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

6 Platforms & 6 Ways to Utilize Social Media for Your Online Auction

The benefit of having an online auction is the fact that geography doesn’t matter anymore. You can be from anywhere in the world and still participate. Using social media can help expand your audience and show your audience what products will be in the auction.

You can use Facebook in multiple ways, even if you’re not actually hosting the auction. You can create an event to invite people to see items/products you will be selling at the auction, or even give them information about the auction. You can update products and create a buzz for them by posting pictures. Allowing people to invite other people into the group will help your awareness for the auction grow. Creating a photo album of the products will also show the people what items you will be selling.

Instagram is another social media tool that is a great way to get creative with inventory. Pictures are worth more than 1000 words. Now, you can post multiple pictures on one post. This is a great way for your audience to interact and show interest. Also, like Twitter, including hashtags will broaden your audience and help target a certain type of people.

Twitter is a social media site for teasers. The 140 character count can seem like a barrier, but you can use it to your advantage by not posting all the information about your auction. This will make your auction seem interesting and people will be curious. Awareness of your auction can grow by adding hashtags and tweeting directly at someone. Links are also a great way for your audience to interact with your tweet.

Pinterest is another great way to show off pictures of the auction. Creating an auction page, you can create many boards that you can organize how you would like. For example, by products, auction, or price! Its a great organizer and tool to show off pictures. You can even put descriptions under the pictures if you would like.

LinkedIn is a great way to show off your business to the world. LinkedIn is more of a social media for businesses and professionals. It is a great way to receive new opportunities to grow their careers and to connect with other professionals. Grow your auction and clients with these easy to use tool!

YouTube is a great place to create a short promotional video to advertise your auction. After making this video, you can even post it to Facebook or Twitter if you so desire. More ideas for videos include: history of products, inspection of merchandise, or views of the land you are selling.

Using all these social media sites and more can help you customers and visitors grow like crazy! Social media is the new way to get your information out there. Your audience will gain from social media, with pictures, hints, and teasers about the upcoming auction. Social media can take up some time, but with Spectrum Net Designs, you won’t have to worry about it! We can help set it up, post, and even comment.

Need Assistance With Your Business Social Media Accounts?

Help Is Just A Click Away!

10 Keys that Affect Land Market Strength by NAA

Posted on October 19, 2017September 29, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

10 Land Market Factors

Humans and nature both play a role in the land market’s sometimes volatile nature, which can make it harder for auction professionals to gauge.

By NAA Staff

In real estate, one of the tallest hurdles for auction professionals is to have a handle on how strong the land market is at any given time.

Economic, social, and environmental factors all play a part in determining how well a parcel may perform at auction, and it is usually a combination of several that ultimately determine the final winning bid.

Thankfully, there are more than a handful of indicators in each area that can help auction professionals gauge overall land market strength. We have 10 of them here, including a major one at the bottom.

1) Soil types – “Probably the first question they ask when [prospective buyers] call, unless they read it online, at least in my area, is ‘What is the soil type on that farm?’” says Kristine Fladeboe-Duininck, BAS, of Spicer, Minnesota. “They’re all excited about that crop production index.” (The Crop Index is the number that expresses the relative yield of crops on a particular area with the average yield over an entire region being taken as 100.)

2) Interest rates – Typically, when interest rates are low, this can help make properties more attractive to buyers. Be sure to keep informed on current rates.

3) Commodity Prices – Being able to show what kind of return on investment a buyer can expect from the commodities produced on a piece of land is key. Commodity

prices fluctuate, of course, which is why keeping tabs on them and using your pricing knowledge is an excellent way to identify and communicate the right time for a seller to act.

4) Tile/drainage – “A well-drained farm is worth $500-$1,000 more per acre if it is well drained. Sometimes a little less, and sometimes a lot more. Tile is so, so important in drainage,” Fladeboe-Duininck says. “One of the top three or four questions I get from a farmer or an investor: ‘What’s the tile situation? What’s the drainage like?’ If you can improve that farm with pattern tile or as best as possible, it is sure going to show in your selling numbers.”

5) Location and shape of the farm – Where is that farm located? Not only by state, but within in your state. Is it located by other big farms? Is it located by other large farmers? Where it is located is a big part of the equation. “Before a land auction, I can just about tell myself how well that sale is going to go if I look at the platform,” Fladeboe-Duininck says. “Who is that farm located around, and what is the strength and quality of the farms next to it and the pocketbooks.”

6) Neighbors – Just like in residential areas, neighbors can play a huge role in the attractiveness of a property and how much a buyer is willing to pay to own it. What are the neighbors like? Are they respected? “It sure means a lot to have a good neighbor,” Fladeboe-Duininck says.

7) Strength of the Community – “We have strong communities, large and small,” Fladeboe-Duininck says, “and we have communities that struggle.” The strength of the surrounding or nearby community can often times help influence or dictate the price of a farm.

8) Taxes – Taxes attached to a farm can keep someone from making a buying decision. “Some of the taxes in my county are $50, $60, $70 per acre,” Fladeboe-Duininck says. Communicating as much tax information as possible, and doing so early in the process, might give an auction professional time to ease concerns or determine a way to move a prospective buyer past that obstacle.

9) Practices of the tenant/current owner – If you’re unsure how to obtain a third-party, objective into a farm’s history when it comes to upkeep, the local neighbors (be sure to vet the information you’re given) who have been driving past the land for years may be able to provide some insight. “They know how much care that farm has had,” Fladeboe-Duininck says.

10) Weather – According to Fladeboe-Duininck, the biggest factor driving land market strength isn’t distance, emotional attachment, buying emotion, family or anything manmade or controlled. It is good ol’ Mother Nature.

“We can have precision farming. We can tile all we want. We can do this and that, and this and that. We can buy more farms and sell online and live. We can go wild and crazy,” she says. “but aside from irrigation, it all comes back to weather.

“A farm I’m going to sell this fall has been hailed on twice this year,” she says. “The seller is very nervous about how that will affect the farm.” She says she won’t make any promises, but that she has discussed with the seller that farmers and investors, in her mind, are futuristic and won’t take one year of a hard crop into too much consideration.

World weather, too, can also affect local land value. If, for example, a huge drought affects the grain market in another part of the world, U.S. grain producers suddenly may see a rise in their land value as demand rises. Of course, the opposite can be true also.

This article was an excerpt from a presentation given at the 2017 NAA International Auctioneers Conference and Show. Full audio of the presentation will be available in the NAA Knowledge Center in September. You can also check out other valuable NAA content here.

You can find the #NAAPro in your area here.

Did you like this article? Read the original article here

Add items to your auctions from ANYWHERE with our Auction Cataloging App!

Posted on October 17, 2017August 26, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

Add items to your auctions from ANYWHERE with our Auction Cataloging App!

Auctioneer Software has been getting many requests for an Auction Cataloging App, we have heard your requests and we have listened! We have officially launched our Exclusive Auction Cataloging App! Our new auction cataloging app runs side by side with our custom developed software, the two work hand in hand providing you with a seamless experience.

In today’s day and age where every one can do everything on a mobile phone, we wanted to make sure we don’t fall behind. Now, it’s possible for you to add pictures and lots to your auctions, wherever you are, and whenever you want.

Download our app from the App Store | Download our app from Google Play

Auctioneer Software Specializes in bringing you the online auction software your company needs. We are dedicated to tailoring your software to do what your company needs it to do. Our team of developers is ready to help any way they can.

Here at Auctioneer Software we believe that your profits from your auctions belong to YOU. That’s why we don’t take a commission. Instead, we have a one time set up fee as we develop your software. Learn more about the different types of auction software that we offer here.

Need To Learn More About Our Exclusive App?

SSL Site Security & Facts You Shouldn’t Ignore

Posted on October 16, 2017January 13, 2022 by Kurt Kaptein

SSL Site Security | What You Don't Know Might Hurt Your Customers!

Are you familiar with SSL site security? If your website is not protected with an SSL, you are vulnerable to threats such as sidejacking, compromise of sensitive data, and malware attacks. These are things you will definitely want to avoid not only for yourself, but your customers as well.

If you are not prepared and do not think having an SSL security certification is important, the following reasons might change your mind:

The cost of losing sensitive data is pricier than purchasing the SSL certificate. The SSL will help protect information such as logins and passwords, including credit card information. Having this will help encrypt your customers sensitive data.
Ensures your customers can trust your website. The SSL can guarantee the trustworthiness of the site your clients are on by being a verified business and proves you are who you say you are through the verification procedures.

No website is too small to be hacked!

There are different types of SSL certificates available

High Assurance Certificate– Two things must be verified before you can have a high assurance certificate: ownership of the domain name and valid business registration. Both must be verified so visitors can be sure that you are who you say you are. This certificate can take a couple hours to a few days to be issued.
Low Assurance/Domain– Validated Certificate- This is a certificate that only includes your domain name, not your business or organization name. Authorities can automatically verify that you own the domain name by sending an email to the email address on the domain’s WHOIS record. They are instant and cheaper, but they provide less security and assurance to your customers.
EV (Extended Validation) Certificate– This is a new type of certificate that is designed to prevent phishing attacks. Phishing attacks are attacks that specifically target credit card information, usernames, and passwords. This certificate can take a few days to a few weeks to receive but it gives an even greater assurance to customers than the high assurance certificate by making the address bar green.
Wildcard Certificate– This certificate can secure an unlimited number of first level sub domains on a signal domain name.
Chain Certificate, Intermediate Certificate, Root Certificate– Certificate authorities issue certificates in the form of a tree structure. The root certificate is the top-most certificate in the tree. All certificates after the root certificate gain the trustworthiness of the root certificate. Any certificate in between your certificate and the root certificate is the chain or intermediate certificate. These must be installed to the web server along with the primary certificate for you web site so the browsers can link the certificate to a trusted authority.
Warranty– A warranty is what you get when you purchase a SSL Certificate. But, it can be misleading. It is not a warranty to the purchaser but rather to the end users who use the site. If the purchaser turned out to be a fraud and a customer loses money because the certificate authority didn’t properly validate you, the certificate authority would compensate the customer. This almost never happens, though. Therefore, it is not very important how big the warranty is when you buy the certificate.
Scalable SSL Certificate– Every certificate authority now issues a scalable certificate. These can be used at low, normal, or high encryption rates.

HTTPS sites will help ranking on Google, because Google loves security.

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is a cryptographic protocol designed to keep communication safe over the Internet. An SSL certificate is a digitally signed file issued for a particular domain name/domain names. Besides the domain name, the certificate also contains the issuer signature, serial number, expiration date, etc. To enable a secure connection and protect important information, an SSL certificate file should be installed on the server. Once the SSL installation is completed, you can securely access your service via HTTPS or any other SSL protocols like FTPS, IMAPS, POP3S, SMTPS, NNTPS, LDAPS, etc. (www.namecheap.com)

Want to learn more about SSL certificates and website security? Give us a call or contact us, we’d love to make sure your website is secure!

Influencing SEO with URL

Posted on October 2, 2017May 23, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

Influencing SEO with URL

Influencing SEO with URL can sound like a stretch, but they impact each other greatly!

Having a poor URL structure can greatly impact your SEO. It can ruin rankings, keep your pages or website out of the indexes of search engines, and take away ranking authority from some pages or even the whole website.

There are 3 main benefits for improving your URL that influence the SEO.

Improved User Experience- Humans and search engines both benefit by being able to understand what the website is about by just looking at the URL. You shouldn’t have to look at the title tag in search engine indexes to know where the URL links you to.

Rankings-While URLs are a minor factor in rankings, they do influence the authority of the overall domain itself. Also, inserting a focus keyword in the URL can act as a ranking factor.

Links-The prime URL is one that is written so well that it can be used as its own anchor text. The benefit of this is that it is readable to both human and search engine eyes.

What is a good URL structure?

This cheat sheet gives an overview of what makes a good URL. Briefly, a good URL should be clear and easy to understand. It should be sprinkled with focus keywords that your website is about, and could be used as its own anchor text. An Old Dynamic URL tend to be long and hard to read due to unsafe characters. There are also extra words in an Old Dynamic URL that will dilute the SEO value, and sometimes create other problems such as security issues and duplicate content issues. Different characters that cause problems are the Pound Symbol #, Underscores _ , and Uppercase Letters.

For auctions, each item will have its own customized permalink. This can be confusing at times, but if you provide the right content, search engines will have no problem with perceiving it. Auctions at times do also have longer URLs than most. The important factor would be to make sure these long URLs are readable and understandable. Having unsafe characters will make the SEO plummet, so making sure the URL is clean will be a huge help.

Want to get started with SEO or any of our other marketing services?

Providing All The Services You Will Ever Need

Posted on September 18, 2017November 15, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

Providing All The Services You Will Ever Need

We Are Your All In One Service Provider in All Things Digital

At Auctioneer Software, we take pride in being more than just a software provider. We are a comprehensive solution for all your website development and creative needs. Our goal is to help you build better software and create a cohesive brand identity that resonates with your audience.

When it comes to website design and development, we understand the importance of making a lasting impression. Our team of skilled professionals is well-versed in creating visually stunning and user-friendly websites that capture the essence of your business. We specialize in WordPress development, harnessing its power and flexibility to bring your unique vision to life. With a wide array of customizable plug-ins at our disposal, we can tailor your website to meet your specific requirements.

But our services don’t stop at website design. We also excel in providing all your printed graphics needs, ensuring consistency and professionalism across all your marketing collateral. From eye-catching business cards to attention-grabbing yard signs, we can create a complete range of materials that showcase your brand identity. Our expertise extends to letterheads, brochures, and any other printed items you may require to promote your business effectively.

We understand that juggling multiple vendors for your creative needs can be time-consuming and overwhelming. That’s why Auctioneer Software strives to be your one-stop shop, streamlining the entire process for you. By consolidating your website development and graphic design requirements under one roof, we save you valuable time and effort, allowing you to focus on what you do best—running your business.

Our commitment to building better software extends to every aspect of our services. We employ the latest industry standards and best practices to ensure that your website is not only visually appealing but also secure and optimized for performance. We aim to exceed your expectations at every turn with our attention to detail and dedication to customer satisfaction.

Whether you’re just starting your business or looking to revamp your existing online presence, Auctioneer Software is here to help. Contact us today to discuss your needs, and let us be your trusted partner in building a strong and cohesive brand identity through exceptional website development and graphic design services. Together, we can build better software and propel your business to new heights.

Let's Chat About Your Business services

On Site Auction Software Development

Posted on September 4, 2017October 27, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

On Site Auction Software Development

Auctioneer Software is proud to be a company that offers on-site auction software development and will work alongside you and your business providing true service & a partnership that is not only trustworthy but can last a lifetime. We at Auctioneer Software make it our goal to provide service to our clients that many other companies cannot. It’s our pleasure to be able to offer an on-site development team, a no-wait ticket response, on-site assistance ready, and personal/knowledgeable customer service.

Read more below about why each of these perks is important for you and your company.

On Site Development Team

We have cut out the middle man…with on-site developers that are working on your project regularly, we can ensure that your auction business is being taken care of with minimal hassle and in the most efficient amount of time. Our developers are familiar with our clients, they know exactly how to carry a project to completion once started with us.

No "Wait Ticket" Response

We have staff ready to take your call & make sure that anything you might need implemented into your software, changed, adjusted, looked at, or helped with. You don’t have to wait in a long line or list of other people that need help. We will make sure you get the attention you need for your auction software to work effortlessly. It’s our pleasure to make sure that our clients are well taken care of.

Knowledgeable & Personal Customer Service

We want to make sure that your auction business can flourish and it’s our job to provide you with the tools to make sure that happens. We have multiple individuals ready to assist you with any questions, concerns, or possible issues that you might run into. We are happy to help in any way that we possibly can, making sure that you leave the conversation with confidence that you are in the right hands.

On Site Assistance

Are you launching with your new custom auction software and want us there for reassurance? You got it! We are willing and able to provide staff to our customers who need a hand to hold through bits & pieces of the process. We have traveled many places over the United States to ensure that our customers have the best help that they can.

Be Our Next Partner In Success!

Responding to Negative Reviews & Managing Your Reputation

Posted on August 16, 2017November 19, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

Responding to Negative Reviews & Managing Your Reputation

Reputation Management: Do I have to respond to negative reviews?

Negative reviews! What do I do?

Maybe it’s best if I just ignore it. After all, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” So…I’ll just pretend I never saw this negative review and move on. After all, how much can it really hurt me?

Why We Dread Them

When we see a negative review. Usually, our first response is one of anger or fear.

Some (most?) of us have difficulty as to how to handle or react to criticism.
The negative review contains dubious information that you know isn’t true.
The claims are exaggerated.
Our entire livelihood could be at stake depending on how far the review reaches in both the online world and by “word of mouth”.

Once we’ve acknowledged why this scenario is happening, then the next step is how to respond.

Why Responding Is Better Than Sweeping Them Under the Rug

Whether the negative review appears on Google, Facebook, Yelp, etc., it’s critical for you to respond – and do so as soon as possible – once you’re no longer angry or “afraid”, that is. Whether positive or negative, reviews generate interest in your company and influence visibility in Google’s as well as Yelp’s local search results and internal rankings according to Miriam Ellis. If you’re still not convinced, Adrienne Weissman sites the following statistics:

“A total of 70% of Americans look at reviews before they make a purchase according to an American Lifestyles report…even the negative ones.”
“In fact, buyers who seek out negative reviews are 67% more likely to convert to a purchase than an average customer, according to a Revoo study.”
“You might not think that’s the kind of attention you want to share. However, 68% of people trust a company’s reviews more when they see bad ones mixed in with the good. That expresses the reality of most products – not every product is good for everyone.”

In addition to your rankings, responding to negative reviews gives you the opportunity to improve your reputation by demonstrating your ability to resolve complaints successfully. In turn, this can increase your revenue by influencing those 70% potential customers who make their purchases contingent on what they read in the reviews. Finally, if you don’t respond at all, you give the perception that you just don’t care.

How To Respond to Those Bad Reviews

Of course, how you respond is going to be based on the mistakes, problem, and/or issues that the customer is referring to. In spite of whether the customer is right or wrong (remember the old adage that “The customer is always right.”), make the offer as to how you can best rectify their particular complaint. Usually, most rational people understand and recognize that “no one’s perfect”. Once a problem has been solved, follow up as to whether they are now satisfied. If their response is positive, ask them if they would consider either editing what they had written previously or remove it altogether. The following are just some of the ways to respond.

Respond immediately (once you’ve calmed down) with a polite apology.
Listen and show empathy, and then ask how you correct the problem.
Acknowledge genuine mistakes, and then explain how you’re going to resolve the issues.
When appropriate, have supporting content ready to verify your response.
Always respond professionally, calmly, and courteously.
Make your answers “short and “sweet”.
Even if they get personal, don’t respond the same way.
Be consistent in how you respond.
Sometimes…there’s just not a good response so just thank the customer for their input.
Always keep in mind that your response will be read by your current and future customers.
Have someone review your response before posting it.
Follow up once the issue has been resolved, and then ask them to change or remove the negative review.
It’s simply the polite thing to do.
But…always respond.

How NOT to Respond to Bad Reviews

On the other hand, there are several ways in which you shouldn’t respond.

Don’t be defensive.
Don’t answer while you’re still angry or upset.
Don’t try to make a joke out of the situation.
Don’t use sarcasm.
Don’t debate the issue online or in public.
Don’t post or make argumentative comments.
Don’t ignore or not respond.

How Negative Reviews Can Be GOOD

As paradoxical as it sounds, negative reviews can be good. As we noted above, these reviews can increase the authenticity of your business as well as your trustworthiness. Additionally, they give you more insight about your customers as well as an opportunity to learn more about your business. They can help you identify your problems and what kind of improvements you can start working on. This can be valuable input that you can turn into an advantage.

Increases the authenticity of your company.
Maintains your trustworthiness.
Gives additional insight about your customers.
Offers you an opportunity to access your weaknesses and address them.
Provides valuable information about your company.

Sources:

“Fearless Review Management: Defining a Dominant Yelp User”, Miriam Ellis

“How to Respond to Positive and Negative Reviews”, Joshua Baker

“The Positive Side of a Negative Review”, Adrienne Weissman

Visiting Auctions to Build Better Software

Posted on August 4, 2017May 26, 2023 by Kurt Kaptein

Visiting Auctions to Build Better Auction Software

At Auctioneer Software, our mission is to build better software that caters to the unique needs of various industries, including the livestock auction industry. We understand that our clients’ success is paramount, and we strive to provide them with top-notch solutions that enhance their operations.

Recently, we had an amazing opportunity to visit the Shipshewana livestock auction, where our software is being utilized. It was a fantastic chance for us to witness firsthand how our software is making a positive impact on their day-to-day activities. We believe that engaging with our clients in their work environments is invaluable, as it allows us to gain insights and understand their specific requirements better.

During our visit, we were impressed by the hardworking individuals who rely on our software to streamline their auction processes. Witnessing the software in action reinforced our commitment to building better auction software that caters to the ever-changing needs of the industry. We value the feedback and experiences of our clients, as they play a crucial role in driving our innovation and improvement.

To ensure that you have the best auction software experience, we encourage you to consider Auctioneer Software. Our dedication to continuous improvement means that we constantly enhance our software, incorporating new features and benefits that you may not have experienced with your current solution. We understand that every auction is unique, and our customizable software can be tailored to fit your specific requirements.

We invite you to take advantage of our free 30-day trial, allowing you to experience firsthand how our software can revolutionize your auction processes. Don’t settle for anything less than software that works as hard as you do. Contact us today and let Auctioneer Software be your trusted partner in building a more efficient and successful auction business.

See Why We Build Better Auction Software

Interested in Online Auction Software for Your Business?

Contact Us today for a free 30 day trial!

Multi-Parcel Simulcast Debuts at 2017 Conference & Show

Posted on August 3, 2017January 22, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

Multi-Parcel Simulcast Debuts at 2017 Conference & Show

2017 Conference & Show | Columbus Ohio

Real Estate auctions are becoming an increasing part of the real estate markets. We hear every day the many creative ways auctioneers use the auction method of carrying out the sale of each of these unique properties. With the ever-changing industry, it is important that the tools to carry out these endeavors are developed and updated along with it – like Multi-Parcel Simulcast software!

It was our pleasure to exhibit at the 2017 NAA Conference & Show this past month in Columbus, OH. It was a perfect venue to introduce and demo our Multi Parcel Auction platform.

Kurt Kaptein, President of Spectrum Net Designs says “It has become clear that due to the complexity of this type of auction, it is not the first piece of an auction providers software portfolio that get the attention. We saw a need and we believe that we have fulfilled it”.

The multi-parcel option has been brought to a new level with the introduction of this online method. Not only will it take care of the typical ballroom scenario but it also includes the ability for the bidders to bid online in conjunction with your live audience. A multi-par simulcast is what we call it.

The software made its debut last month as it was used to sell 4,000 acres in 31 parcels with at least 2.5 million dollars of real estate being sold to the online bidder. You may ask: Is this all there is to it? Kurt Kaptein says “We will continue to develop this software based on feedback from auctioneers who use it. There is not anything like it on the market that gives you the ability to include online bidders with the live ball room setting, so we are blazing a trail”.

At the 2017 Conference & Show one of the messages was that our industry cannot afford to stand still; this is the message that the auction industry providers need to heed as well. Continue to provide truly dynamic products to the industry. We believe the auctioneers will be served best by it.

For a demo of the software, you can visit www.auctioneersoftware.com and request that a free demo be setup for you.

The Dreaded Website Re-Design Process and What to Embrace Part 2

Posted on July 27, 2017November 19, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

The Dreaded Website Redesign Process and What to Embrace Part 2

Embrace your Website Redesign Process and Everything it Brings to your Image

So you are in the midst of your website redesign process and you need direction on how to get the most productivity and effective processes to ensure a successful project. Continuing from Tuesday, we are moving into the interview, pre-design, and development to post-launch phases of your project. Keeping on task is very important and even in some instances, going three steps forward and one step back isn’t a bad situation, as long as the continual progression of the project is moving there is no right or wrong path – unless you are moving nowhere.

Interview and Pre-Design

Step 6: Interviewing Prospective Designers

Now if you are a company that has an onsite employee building this for you, then your website redesign process is a little easier. They know your business and you have unlimited access to them. If you are the other percentage who have to hire the website out to a web development firm, then this will be invaluable information for you to retain.

Assign this to two people minimum but more if your project calls for it. Call and talk to a few different website development firms and ask them the following:

How long have they been in business?
Do they have a reference list available?
Location isn’t important these days so this is a mute question, especially if you used Google to find them
Do they do all of the work in-house or subcontract it out? In-house work is the best way to follow less delays and complications can occur
Will you have a central contact/project manager?
Is the site easy to edit yourselves and is there training included?
Who will insert all of the website pictures and information initially?
Do they provide mockups or idea boards for the project with color choices?
Ask about their design process and revisions process, everyone is different, but the basic idea is to get a proof design first and then build it out after customer approval
Will the website be mobile-friendly/responsive?
How long is their waiting list currently? Most designers will be able to start within a couple of weeks or less.
Do they offer content writing services and logo design if you want your logo updated?
What is included in the cost?
Is this a templated design or a custom design? You want to stand out from the crowd with a unique design
Do they offer search engine optimization services? What is that cost?
Do you offer hosting and email services? What is the cost? Most companies will offer hosting but there are a few that don’t, so better be safe than sorry and plan ahead
What kind of customer support is available? Is it a free or paid service?
Does the company provide a backup service? What is included, and how often is it backed up?
Discuss your findings at the weekly meeting to see which two you will set an appointment with to meet the team and make sure you are a good fit to work together. If location is an issue don’t put it aside, set a video meeting, it is still an effective way to meet the team of people who you will be working with. The more you are vested in the project the better it will turn out.

Design and Development Process

Step 7: Proof it's Done (well sort of)

Now is the time that you will want to provide the contacts for the specific phases of the project to the development team you hired for your website development process. Each phase should have one point of contact – even if it is the same as the entire project – list it for them.

So now you are ready for the design. You’ve met with your designer and went over your team’s research and analysis and are awaiting your first proof for the design.

The design team will mock up a few designs and after the proof is delivered
Don’t be shy, make changes as needed at your weekly meeting with the team
Obtain another proof and do this until you have an approved proof to work with and build out, because once this is done, it could add more money to make changes later

Now the developers will build out your pages, by now you should have been told to start gathering information!

images (make sure they are the right size and resolution for the design)
videos (what platforms will you utilize and do you need to create an account?)
content (schedules, calendars, staff information, blog posts, etc.)
and text for the website (new or old content re-organized for the new site)

So, when the pages are ready the developer can keep momentum going and build out the pages.

Your developer should have provided you with a link to watch development as it happens, but don’t fall into the spell of watching minute by minute, it will drive you crazy, let them do their work and check in periodically. But this advantage helps to keep everyone on track and keep accountability in order.

You should be meeting frequently with your developer to continue adding content until the project is finished.

Race for the Finish: Pre-Launch

Step 8: .......3,2,1 Blast Off

Even if your developer has ensured on his end these are done, it’s always a good idea to have a second pair of eyes on these elements to make sure launch day goes off without a hitch, plus gives you peace of mind.

Domain is purchased and set up
Check the site display in the new location when moved to the launch server
Make sure all dummy text is replaced
The site is proof-read and the content is formatted properly
Ensure the search engine optimization and submission is complete if applicable to your services
No broken images or videos
If you are setting up your own perma-links, check to make sure they work properly
No broken links and all links are checked for directions to proper pages and websites
Cross-browser compatibility is checked
Mobile responsiveness is tested
404 Errors and 301 re-directions for old pages are setup
Forms on the website are tested and emailed to the correct individuals.
Ensure that your Google Analytics code snippet is installed
and Webmaster Tools have been verified
Subscription and newsletter signup forms work properly
Social platform links are set up and are linked to the correct URLs
Ensure initial search optimization is on the site, even if it will change next month it’s a start

IT’S FINALLY LAUNCH DAY

Launch day is an exciting day for many, the development team, the company, and the employees. Everyone has put hours and hours into making this website redesign the best it can be and everyone wants to make sure it goes off without a hitch. Here are a few items to check off and make sure are done and ready when you push it out.

For the development team:

Point domain to new directory – DNS/MX records are all pointed in the right direction
Copy site data and database to the new location for launch – make sure to text plugins, apps, and other applications to ensure working properly
Email addresses are created and tested on the client side
Delete old and unneeded files, databases, and sub-domains
Set up user accounts for clients.
Update your admin password for security
Enable the sitemap on the site if not already done
Make sure the site is crawlable for the search engines

For the company, here are a few tips to remember:

Developers are not God, they can’t ensure 100% of issues are resolved until the site goes live and tested.
Have patience when the developers are launching the website, sometime the procurement of the files can take 15 minutes to a few hours to push live for the first time.
Plan to launch on a Friday, when there is less traffic on a weekend, and you can work out kinks easier without a lot of traffic interfering.
Make sure you aren’t near any large events or holidays where traffic could be more substantial, again to make sure you can work through any kinks and issues without the public audience.
Social platform posts are ready to announce your launch – but don’t schedule those out for the day of the launch! Normally you will want to wait 7-10 days to make sure all is well with the site and it’s been tested properly.
Sit back and relax. Enjoy the product of your hard work.

Post Launch

For the Development Team:

Setup a backup solution
Verify backups are working
Install Anti-spam solution
Implement login protection and test
Compile documentation (domain renewal, database, logins, passwords, ftp credentials, c panel information, plugins renewal, etc.)
Update portfolio
Transfer site payments to clients unless you are managing them

For the Company:

Prepare weekly articles for your blog, line up guest posts
Find interesting topics and memes to support your marketing and website launch.
Prepare weekly/daily posts for your social platforms
Watch your analytics courtesy of Google and Bing, and see your audience activity and engagement
The first month tends to be difficult for seo efforts due to testing and launching your statistics will be high and variable from the launch.
Month two has a better grasp of your audience and their activity
Put an SEO/SEM campaign together

CONGRATULATIONS! You have made it through the long journey of your new website re-design!

When working with a development company, just keep in mind that we can’t predict technological advances, but we can keep up with the buzzing of possible new innovations, while planning a strategy so that when a new technology does arise, we can transition with ease and excitement. That is our business, leading design, top-of-the-industry software design, and of course superior custom programming, and that makes us the best at what we do. It is our business to be flexible and focus on our clients with assurance and anticipation.

Do you think you are on the right track? If you would like help with your project, Contact Us!

What to Embrace with the Dreaded Website Redesign Process Part 1

Posted on July 20, 2017November 19, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

What to Embrace with the Dreaded Website Redesign Process Part 1

Website Redesign Process Checklist

And it’s here again, the time to take on the project of your company’s website redesign, and you are so nominated for the task of overseeing the process. The process of a website redesign is an important task. This will be the part of the company some or most clients, vendors, and suppliers might see before anything else, and it is important to make a good impression. Because impressions are everything and not just first impressions; the impression of a company on many levels. From community involvement to supporting organizations, fundraisers, and sister companies the way you do business and the way you show it will make or break your company’s image.

Here is an easy step-by-step to follow to get you started on your website redesign project. At the end of this blog, you should be able to lay out your rough project outline, project timeline, new website sitemap, rough data, and approximate launch date.

Research and Analyze

Step 1: The Team

Teamwork is key here. The team should consist of many people with different roles and responsibilities. Depending on how large your company and website are – this could range from 3-6 people or more if needed.

Develop a team that will have decision-making abilities. Have a phased plan laid out with responsibilities and tasks.
Have a weekly meeting with progress and updates, at the same time and day each week for consistency in scheduling.
Decide what is the objective of this project. What do you want to accomplish and get out of the new website?
What will determine a successful project? Does this include leads and conversions or just traffic views and clicks?

Step 2: What is the Budget?

The budget for your website can determine a lot about the project. This will set the tone for the project. This aspect will govern if you can expand the website this time around, and how much you can take on with the re-design. Always set time aside to visit this before and during the project. If something comes up during the midst of the project, you want the opportunity to discuss this more in-depth and create a plan of action to address it.

What is the total budget for the project? Who sets that budget?
Are there any limits that should be discussed?
Is this the entire budget, or are there funds set aside for mishaps?
Is there a deadline for a launch date?

Step 3: Current Website

You can tell a lot about a person or company from their website. Are they fun and laid back, or more conformed and by-the-books type of company and people? The project aspects to consider before moving forward; do you like the current page layouts, is the amount of content you have and/or need to add to the budget? This is the point where you can start to lay out the pages of your new site into a sitemap. Click here for a step-by-step tutorial

Other things to consider when laying out plans for a website:

What features or design is liked about the current site?
What features or design isn’t liked about the current site?
What are the current site strengths?
What are the current site opportunities?
What are the current site weaknesses?
What features would you like to see on the new site?
Is your current site size up to date with standard screen resolutions of 1024 x 768?
Is your current site mobile-friendly and does it have a mobile responsive design? Will your new site be mobile-friendly?

Step 4: Competition and Strategy

You can see a lot from a competitor’s website. While most say spying isn’t nice, the better phrase is to keep your friends close and your competition closer. It is definitely not a bad thing to keep an eye out on your competition, it allows you to see what’s going on in your market and improve where you see fit.

Look at your top 4 competitors and list their strengths, weaknesses and opportunities, to see where your current site lies, and where you want to be.
1. Get inspiration for new marketing opportunities and marketing strategies.
2. See what your market and competition are doing and if you can rise higher.
3. Look under the hood of their search engine marketing and optimization and what you can use, especially if they are high on the search engines. Even if they have bad rankings, it might be something you are doing as well and need to stop.

While you’re scoping out the competition, utilize these free tools to see even more.

Alexa – Monitoring Traffic.
Google – Analytics & Search Console.
SEMRush – free tracking and analysis tool (the other tools are paid subscriptions).
BuzzSumo – a great resource to understand what type of content is ranking well across the internet.

Step 5: Changes and Additions

New additions and changes to your current site should be inevitable! Why? Because every business experiences changes, and hopefully growth as well. From new products and services, merging of a company, printed material, new or updated pdfs on your website, new and old employees and possibly a new image/brand such as a new logo and colors. Everything affects your website, so be sure to look at other websites – they don’t have to be in your industry. But you will be surprised to see what features you like on other sites that you might want incorporated into your website.

Other aspects to consider:

Is the logo good or do we need to update the look, colors, ect?
Do you have the vector files for your logo?
Do you know how certain colors affect clients in different regions and views? Click here to view related articles.
Are you going to use the current images on the new site or obtain new larger images? Learn how to use large images like a pro!
What colors will you use on the website?
Are their approved company colors? Are they specific hex, RBG, or CYMK?
What colors do you want to stay clear of?
Is there a specific size website you wanted? Discuss this with your designer.
Are you going to include videos on the website?
Is optimization of videos included?
What video platforms to utilize?
Have accounts been created or who is in charge of that?
New content for the website or utilize the old content and/or revise? Who will provide this?
Decide how many pages and what pages you will need in the new design. The easiest way is to create a chart showing the pages and their relationships between them to see if your site layout is efficient.
Try your hand at creating a sitemap for your project. Click here for a step-by-step tutorial
Ensure with your designer that the site will be mobile-responsive for all devices.

To be continued....stay tuned for part 2 of this article: The Interview to Post Launch Checklist: The Race to the Finish Line! Do you think you are on the right track? If you would like help with your website redesign project, Contact Us!

More Than Auction Software!

Posted on July 6, 2017November 26, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

More Than Auction Software!

We Are Driven By Your Motivation!

When you are looking for a company to work with you on your auction software – you want more than dedicated software developers! You need a team of professionals working together for the bigger picture. One thing I’ve learn with 10 years in the business, you always need more! Whether more ads, more graphic design, more motivation, or more content. We take everything into account and create a focus for your success.

When we build your custom auction website, we give you more than a template, more than duplicate content and colors, than hundreds of other sites out there utilizing the same look. Auctioneer Software and Spectrum Net Designs will work with you to build a custom auction website with your BRAND. We want your site to be visually appealing, easy to use interface, and friendly for your customers to find you on search engines.

We have a marketing program that you can utilize to get the most out of your marketing dollars. The customer must be pointed in your direction and we can help with search engine optimization. Auctioneer Software can get your auction on the way to success with mobile development and app development as well. Contact us today to learn more….

Search Engine Optimization

Businesses need to stay at the forefront of their customers’ minds and remain in front of them by being at the top of the search engines. This will help your business to continue to run smoothly and keep new customers coming through your doors or on your website on a regular basis. Learn More

Website Design & Development

Custom website design means that your website will be developed to meet your users’ specific needs. And since you know your users’ requirements best, we will work closely with you to customize your website from start to finish with your customers in mind. Learn More

E-commerce and Shopping Carts

Would you like more information on how to start the process of having your own e-commerce store with a FREE Consultation? Click Here to Contact Us .

Blog Setup & Management

Keeping your website updated with fresh content is very important when it comes to visitors as well as to the search engines. (Making sure your site is easily found in online searches is called Search Engine Optimization or SEO.) Both visitors and search engines like to see a website that is being constantly updated and consistently writing a blog accomplishes this purpose. Learn More

Mobile Website Development

This process involves developing your website in a way so that it will automatically fit properly to the device that is being used to view it. Learn More

What To Know Before Choosing an E-Commerce Website Developer

Posted on December 2, 2016April 22, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

What To Know Before Choosing an E-Commerce Website Developer

What You Don’t Know Might Hurt You?

December 2, 2016
7:30 am

So, you’ve been in business for a while now but now you are ready to take your business to the next level and start selling your products and services online. You need to find a developer that you can work with to build an E-commerce website that you can trust and make sure that you can feel comfortable knowing that the developer is doing a proper job. If you aren’t of the technical nature and haven’t built a website before, this task can be difficult to be able to hire a qualified developer and ask questions. But we can help you with some tips so you can get a better idea of what a qualified E-Commberce Web Developer looks like.

Here are some tips to remember before you decide on an E-Commerce Website Developer!

Never go with the first developer you interview or talk to. Setup appointments with 3-4 companies that you’ve called and feel comfortable with over the phone, you can get a great first impression by a simple phone call. You can gauge how helpful they are and if they are vested in developing a business relationship.
Please don’t use an independent or college developer who hasn’t had real-world experience or if they do anything on the side, buyer beware, there are scammers everywhere and because they are individuals they can disappear as fast as they appear- there is nothing holding them to your arrangements or a company to back them.
If you are technically challenged or never have set up a website or e-commerce website, ask around you, those who have, and ask them what you should know. You can also Google it and come up with a good list of questions to ask, the developer should be able to answer all your questions without a problem, if they can’t, that is a red flag in my book.
Make sure you have a written contract with terms so that you have a paper trail of your arrangements, that way you have your company’s best interest in order.
Never pay your developer the entire project up front, they might ask for a deposit and that is fine, but buyers beware if they require the entire project upfront. You will lose your ability to be in the driver’s seat for the development or if something goes wrong you have leverage.

So now you are ready to interview the developers you’ve chosen to meet with for your e-commerce website.

Do you know what you are going to talk about or ask them? Are you bringing a qualified or technical co-worker or friend with you who knows the business, if you aren’t you should! You want to maximize the meeting by digging into the site from the start so everyone knows the direction you want out of this project. Bring a spreadsheet with your ideas and features that you’ve seen on other websites that you want. I always let clients know to find features and graphics on other websites and print them off so their vision is clear.

Ask to see a portfolio of websites and e-commerce websites.
How long have they been building e-commerce websites?
Do they have a list of references you can see or call?
What other services can they provide? Graphic design, logo design, merchant services, email, hosting services, search engine optimization services, etc…
What is their process for the design and development, is there a development site to watch?
What are the terms and conditions of the project? What are the payment terms, use of the project for portfolio, rights to the website, hosting terms, are their maintenance terms or fees, monthly SEO fees, etc….?

What are a list of other fees for everything I need for my e-commerce site? Merchant fees, SSL certificate fees (annually), domain name fees (annually), hosting fees (monthly or annually), etc…?
Do they have a specific platform they use or are they building it custom, is it licensed to them or your company?
Do they release the files or coding to your company, or is it owned by them? Can you move the site to other hosting service companies?
Will your new e-commerce site be mobile-friendly and responsive to those who live on their phones?
Will you be able to manage (add, edit, delete) products, and is training included in the cost?

Final Thoughts...

Building an e-commerce website is a lot of work and there are a lot of options out there. Do your research, ask questions, and take your time with the process, your website will be ready to launch in no time with minimal issues arising. Most of all make sure that the developer you choose will make your goals happen. This is your website, so make sure you are able to provide a clear definition of what you are looking for so you can end up with what you truly want. Figure out what you want so you can tell your developer clearly what your looking for, it’ll make it easier to be on the same page.

Check out our custom web development services!

Happy Marketing!

Mobile First Indexing is Coming

Posted on November 28, 2016January 22, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

Mobile First Indexing is Coming!

Google’s mobile first indexing of your websites mobile version

Evolution of indexing mobile websites will take priority over desktop versions.

You have probably been hearing about a new feature that Google has been buzzing around the
internet called Mobile First Indexing. Today it was announced and it is officially going to be migrated slowly into their system in the close future. “most people are searching on Google using a mobile device. However, our ranking systems still typically look at the desktop version of a page’s content to evaluate its relevance to the user. This can cause issues when the mobile page has less content than the desktop page because our algorithms are not evaluating the actual page that is seen by a mobile searcher.” (Google)

Here are a few recommendations to help webmasters prepare as Google moves towards a more mobile-focused index.

1. If you have a responsive site or a dynamic serving site where the primary content and markup is equivalent across mobile and desktop, you shouldn’t have to change anything.

2. If you have a site configuration where the primary content and markup is different across mobile and desktop, you should consider making some changes to your site.

3. Make sure to serve structured markup for both the desktop and mobile version.

4. Sites can verify the equivalence of their structured markup across desktop and mobile by typing the URLs of both versions into the Structured Data Testing Tool and comparing the output.

5. When adding structured data to a mobile site, avoid adding large amounts of markup that isn’t relevant to the specific information content of each document.

6. Use the txt testing tool to verify that your mobile version is accessible to Google-bot.

7. Sites do not have to make changes to their canonical links; we’ll continue to use these links as guides to serve the appropriate results to a user searching on desktop or mobile.

8. If you are a site owner who has only verified their desktop site in Search Console, please add and verify your mobile version. If you only have a desktop site, we’ll continue to index your desktop site just fine, even if we’re using a mobile user agent to view your site.

Read the entire article here.

Happy Thanksgiving

Posted on November 24, 2016May 22, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Auctioneer Software! We hope you have a wonderful holiday! Wishing you every happiness this Holiday Season and throughout the coming year!

It has been 17 years since we opened the doors of Spectrum Net Designs, Inc. Over these years, the Lord has blessed us with many clients, trustworthy employees, and an environment that allows us to be thankful for everything that we have been given. In this season of the year, it is important that we look back over the past years and give thanks for all that the Lord has given us.

We thank Him for bringing us in contact with you, our clients, and the many opportunities we have had over the past years to service your needs. We also look ahead, trusting Him that he will be with us in the years to come as we serve him in everything that we do.

As we gather together at Auctioneer Software to celebrate this special Thanksgiving, our hearts are brimming with gratitude. We are immensely thankful for the unwavering support of our incredible team and the trust and confidence our clients place in us every day. This year has been a journey of growth, collaboration, and achievement, and it wouldn’t have been possible without each and every one of you. Together, we’ve faced challenges head-on and celebrated triumphs, creating a tapestry of shared experiences that make us stronger as a company. With hearts full of thanks, we look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead, knowing that we are a team capable of achieving greatness. Happy Thanksgiving to the Auctioneer Software family!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM ALL OF US

Kurt Kaptein	Laura Kaptein	Brandon Kaptein
Shannan DuShane	Kelly Kaptein	Sandy Kooiman
Andrew Prins	Joe Schlaf	Craig Spencer
Rory Acker	Steve Cordrey	Kris Thompson
Chris Kolkman	Josh Tibbets	Scott Hurn

View more newsletters on our Newsletter Page!

2016 NAA International Auctioneer Championship

Posted on November 2, 2016May 22, 2025 by Kurt Kaptein

2016 NAA International Auctioneer Championship

Beth Rose, TJ Freije win 2016 NAA International Auctioneer Championship

Both will serve as NAA ambassadors for the next 12 months.

IAC Winners — Images courtesy of NAA. Copyright NAA 2017

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (July 22, 2016) – Emerging from an overall field of 94 competitors, Beth Rose, of Maumee, Ohio, and TJ Freije, of Clayton, Indiana, were crowned as winners of the women’s and men’s National Auctioneers Association 29th International Auctioneer Championship, which took place Friday at the DeVos Place Convention Center. Both Rose, CAI, AARE, and Freije, CAI, received a $5,000 cash award, trophy and championship ring for their winning efforts through the preliminary bid-calling round, an interview round consisting of three questions, and a final round of bid-calling that included the top 15 men and seven women. In the two divisions, 74 men and 20 women competed for the right to be known as one of the best auction professionals in the world. Freije had competed in the IAC every year since 2006. He is a third-generation auction professional and won the Indiana state bid-calling championship in 2005. He topped a fiercely competitive overall men’s field and finals group, coming in ahead of runner-up Dustin Rogers, CAI, of Mount Airy, North Carolina, who finished second for the second year in a row and fourth time overall. After turning 21 just last week, 2014 International Junior Auctioneer Championship winner Justin Croy, of Culver, Indiana, finished third. This was the seventh attempt for Rose at winning IAC, with the 20-year NAA member breaking through in the same year that saw her business – Beth Rose Real Estate and Auctions – take Auction Marketing Campaign of the Year in the annual NAA marketing competition. She is a 2000 graduate of the Certified Auctioneers Institute and past recipient of the Rose Award – named after her late father, David Rose. Rose’s daughter, Sarah Rose Bytnar, CAI, AARE, of Naples, Florida, finished runner-up by one-tenth of one pont. Chantel Kimball, CAI, of Eltopia, Washington , took second runner-up. Earlier in the evening, Brooke Gillespie, of Graceville, Minnesota, was crowned as winner of the 2016 International Junior Auctioneer Championship, which features competitors ages 12-18 helps cultivate the next generation of auction professional talent. Also during the IAC competition, which was streamed live throughout the day through auctioneers.org, the Chuck Cumberlin Sp ortsmanship award, awarded to the IAC competitor who shows the best sportsmanship, was given to Myers Jackson, CAI, AARE, ATS, CES, of Jacksonville, Florida. The Bob Steffes Rising Star Award, given to a competitor who shows the potential to win a future IAC title, was given to Jake Yoder, of Port Royal, Pennsylvania. Both the IAC and IJAC were conducted as part of the NAA’s 67th Annual International Auctioneers Conference and Show, which took place in Grand Rapids this past week. IAC contestants must be 18 years of age or older, a current NAA member, and registered for conference. Seven judges score the contest, with final scores determined by combining the interview score (40 percent of the total) and the bid-calling score (60 percent of the total). http://www.auctioneers.org/

MAA 2016 Michigan Auctioneer Champion

Posted on November 2, 2016November 26, 2024 by Kurt Kaptein

MAA 2016 Michigan Auctioneer Champion

Michigan Auctioneer Champion

John Beechy | Michigan Auctioneer Champion 2016

Visit the Michigan Auctioneers Association Website Here

Grand Rapids, Michigan – John Beechy of Napanee, Indiana won the title, Michigan Auctioneer Champion at the Michigan Auctioneer Championship. The Championship was held on February 17 at the Michigan Auctioneers Association Annual Conference held at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids. 21 Contestants competed for the coveted title. The 5 Finalists were John Beechy (Nappanee, Ind.), Romayne Graber (Charlotte, Mich), Frank E. Leist (Petoskey, Mich.), Jarron Miller (Huntington, Ind), and Sara Rose (Naples, Fla). For winning the title, John received a championship ring, trophy, and entry into the International Auctioneer Championship in July in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Also taking home honors were Frank E. Leist and Sara Rose. Rose was the 1st runner up and Leist was the 2nd runner up.

John began his auction career in the spring of 2009 after graduating from Reppert Auction School. He joined the Indiana and Michigan Auctioneers Associations shortly thereafter. John is currently traveling 3 to 4 states doing 5 to 7 auction’s per week selling automobiles, real estate, antiques, collector cars and charity auctions. John recently joined the Halderman Real Estate Services team assisting them with their real estate auction side. He also shares his expertise and talents with aspiring new auctioneers as an instructor at Reppert Auction School.

In 2013, John was named the 2013 Indiana Auctioneer Champion. In 2014, he also was named the 2014 Michigan Ringman Champion and now in 2016, the Michigan Auctioneer Champion. When John is not busy doing auctions he enjoys playing golf and spending time on the lake with friends.

John is humbled and honored to be named the 2016 Michigan Champion he looks forward to representing the Michigan Auctioneer Association at the 2016 NAA Conference and Show in Grand Rapids in July.