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• FAQ
• Guide to services
• How to place classified ads?
• How to create a storefront?
• How to manage your account?
• Advertising information
Advertising help – Need some help figuring out the best way to list your products, services or company? Give us a call!
Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 5:00pm Central Time (GMT -6)
Email: sales@ombe.com
Phone: 800-825-9633 Ext.210
Help Guide [PDF]
• Buyer/Seller Benefits
• Register
• Placing Classifieds
• New Classifieds
• Storefront Sample Page
• Storefront Subscription
• Purchase Ad Blocks
• My Active Listings
• My Expired Listings
• Message Settings
• My Favorites & My Listing Filters
• Invited List of Buyers
• Feedback Management
• My Account Information
• Print Signs and Flyers
• My Storefront
• My Listing Constraints
• View Credits
• Find Dealers
Technical support – Having problems using the site?
Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 5:00pm Central Time (GMT -6)
Email: support@ombe.com
Phone: 800-825-9633 Ext.255
FAQ
I can't login. –or– I forgot my user name or password.
In order to login you must first be "registered". Click here if you need to register. If have forgotten your password you can click on forgot username or password? and have it emailed to you.
Why do I have to register?
Our ad system uses the information from your registration to complete contact information for any ads you place so that you don't have to type it in each time you place an ad. You may edit your personal information yourself at any time.
How do I make a change to my ad?
You must first ‘Login’ using your user name and password. Once you are logged in, click on ‘My Account’ and select ‘My Active Ads.’ All of your active ads will be listed and there will be an option to ‘Change’, ‘Edit’, or ‘Delete’ your ad. If you accidentally delete your ad we cannot get it back for you. You can also mark your ad as ‘SOLD’ in this section.
I am trying to place an ad but I seem to be "stuck" on the ad creation page.
This usually occurs because you are leaving out some required piece of information. Look at the page carefully for any red error messages next to one of the boxes of information.
My email address is not visible in my ad.
Our system is designed to protect you from Spammers. The "default" setting for ads is for interested parties to click on the "contact the seller" link which is a system that allows them to send you a message from our system without divulging your email address. If you prefer that your email address is visible in your ad you can include it in the desciption protion of your ad.
Do my pictures have to be a certain size or resolution in order to use them with my ad?
We accept photos up to 5MB in size (per photo). The software will automatically reduce the size and resolution of your photos to make them fit the available space on the site.
How do buyers and sellers find OMBE.com?
Search engine results from sites like Google.com often drive traffic to the site as users search for specific products. We send a variety of email newsletters each week, usually one a day, in relation to our various websites. The content and ads in these send a good portion of traffic to Ombe.com. Marketing information in our Locator Magazine print publication also increases awareness of Ombe.com. The online ‘pageflip’ version of Locator Magazine has interactive capabilities that allow product ads in the Locator Magazine to be linked to the corresponding ad on Ombe.com.
How do buyers find my products?
As mentioned above, search engine results play an important role in sending buyers to your ads. Creating ads with lots of good detailed information in the description makes it easier for search engine results to help people find your ads. Ombe.com also has its own search tools to assist in finding your ads. The navigation tools for searching categories and filter tools for refining the lists also aid in directing traffic to your products. Choosing to create home page and/or category featured ads can drive as much as three to five times the traffic to an ad. You may also want to explore featuring your product on one of our other websites that can drive targeted traffic to your ads. Additional advantages are available in creating a storefront to showcase your company and products. Ask your sales associate about the options that are right for your company.
Guide to services
Banners
For more information about placing a banner ad on our site, click here.
Classifieds
Classified ads can promote products, services or your business information in general. For best results, you should be sure you select the appropriate categories in which to place your ads.
As you create your ad, you will have the opportunity to select certain options that will make your ad stand out. Category featured items will be displayed at the top of the category in which you place your ad. Full featured items will be shown on the home page as well as in the category where it is posted. Only product ads are eligible for featured item options. Learn how to post a classified ad.
Listings
Listings are inexpensive classified ads that you can use to place quantities of products ads. These listings will limit the photos and extra options available to you when creating the ad. So if for the ads you require these extras, you’ll need to place a normal classified ad rather than a listing. (Extras include better placement, featured items and attention getters)
There are two types of listings, Regular listings and Bulk listings.
Regular listings come in minimum blocks of 60 listings. You can choose to have one photo and/or bolding for the title. At the time of purchase, you can buy more than 60 listings at the same rate per ad. All ads will expire at the same time, regardless of when you choose to activate them. If you need assistance in having your listings uploaded, please contact a sales executive.
Bulk listings are similar to regular listings, but come in larger blocks, are less expensive and have no photo, nor bolding available. They come in minimum blocks of 600. We recommend that you contact a sales executive for assistance with these listings because we can help with uploading large numbers of listings.
Storefronts
You can choose to have your own storefront with your company information and logo on the page listing only your products. You can even create your own product categories within your storefront.
To subscribe to the storefront feature, login to the site and click on “My Account.” You should see “My Storefront” in the menu on the left. This will allow you to activate a storefront subscription. Learn how to create a Storefront.
Placing Classifieds
Before you place an ad of any kind you should review the pricing options available. You can click this link to view pricing options. You must register and login to be able to create a classified ad. Once you login, you will be directed to your ‘My Account’ page. You will also find a ‘My Account’ page link on the upper left hand corner of the page as you navigate the site once you have logged in. From this page you can place classified ads.
Regular Classified ads can be created in all of the categories, but should be appropriate for the intended content of the category you choose. The ‘Products for Sale’ category and sub-categories are reserved for office equipment.
Use the ‘Free Want to Buy’ category if you are wishing to advertise that you are in the market to purchase goods and/or services pertaining to the office machines and business equipment industry. When you have completed your ad for this category, you will still be directed to the shopping cart, however the ad will have a zero cost. This is the only free category and is only for ‘Want to Buy’ ads.
‘Upcoming Auctions’ is reserved for classified ads promoting an auction. This can be an auction you are planning to hold at a physical address or an online auction you may be planning. Be sure to include all the pertinent ‘who, where, what and when’ information, along with photos that will prepare prospective buyers with the information they need.
‘General Classifieds’ is a great place for general information about your company, services you offer and promotions you may be offering. Use ‘Business For Sale’ if you are selling your business. ‘Employment’ is reserved for help wanted ads and resumes of those looking for work.
Free Bulk Upload for Large Quantities of Ads
We can provide a bulk upload service for you if you have more than 20 classified ads to place. We can provide you with an Excel templateto use as a guide in preparing your information for upload. If some of your ads are to have a photo included, we can arrange to upload the photos along with your ads if you specify on your upload form, which photo belongs to each ad and you provide us with the picture files. Picture files should be in JPEG or GIF file format. You can also choose to ad the photos to your ads yourself after the ads are uploaded.
When placing ads, you will be given a choice of using the “Premium Price Plan” or the “Regular Price Plan”. The following chart explains the basic differences between these plans.
New Classified
Creating your classified ad is an easy step by step process. You will select where your ad should appear, complete the descriptive information and select how long you wish your ad to run. We encourage you to provide lots of good description and use photos where possible. When creating ads for categories such as general classifieds, you might wish to add a picture of your store, staff and facilities or use your company logo.
We are excited to bring a creative new option to you for controlling which buyers can see your ads. Some of our clients prefer to only allow other businesses to see their products and pricing. If you need this kind of control, you are in the right place. When placing your ad, you will have the choice of hiding either the price or the entire ad. Your company information will be available and prospective buyers will have to contact you get a security code in order to view your ad information. This way you can have complete control over who can see your products and/or pricing.
Free Bulk Upload for Large Quantities of Ads
We can provide a bulk upload service for you if you have more than 20 classified ads to place.
We can provide you with an Excel template to use as a guide in preparing your information for upload. If some of your ads are to have a photo included in your ad, we can arrange to upload the photos along with your ads if you specify on your upload form, which photo belong to each ad and you provide us with the picture files. Picture files should be in JPEG or GIF file format. You can also choose to ad the photos to your ads yourself after the ads are uploaded.
If you are interested in having us help you with a bulk upload of your ads, please contact a sales executive for assistance. |
How to create a Storefront
Ordering a Storefront Subscription
Step 1. Once you are signed in, click on "Purchase Storefront Subscription" link. Note that during the registration process you are asked to select a business type. Be sure this information is correct if you wish to be listed on the “Find Local Dealers” or “Find Industry Suppliers” directories. If you’ve already registered, you can edit this information from your “My Account” page, in the “My Account Information” link.
Step 2. Select the desired subscription period and click on "Next" button. (The Storefront subscription is only $10 per week.)
Step 3. Click on "Checkout" button from the Shopping Cart page.
Step 4. In "Order Summary" page, please ensure the billing information is correct. Select the desired payment type and click on "Submit Order" button.
Step 5. After you have submitted your payment for the Storefront subscription and the order approved, click on "My Account" link again. You should now see the "My Storefront" menu on left column and "View Your Storefront" link in the "Storefront" box. If your “Business Type” in your registration information is set to either “Dealer” or “Industry Supplier”, a listing for your storefront will also automatically appear in the appropriate “Find Local Dealers” or “Find Industry Suppliers” directory.
Storefront Overview
You can upload your company logo, 3 photos, and up to 12 manufacturer/product logos. Your auctions and or classified ads will be displayed within your Storefront . You can renew your Storefront subscription by clicking on "Renew Storefront Subscription" link. Once the subscription has been paid for and the order approved, go back to "My Account" page and update your Storefront. Your paid subscription for you storefront must be current for your store to be displayed. If your subscription expires, you storefront will not be displayed until you renew your subscription.
Setting up Your Storefront
You will use the "Storefront Control Panel" to set up your Storefront. Click on "Storefront Control Panel" link in the "Storefront" box to setup your Storefront. The "Storefront Control Panel" must be turned 'ON' to view your Storefront.
This is how your Storefront will appear if you are signed in and viewing your own Storefront.
Add Logos and Photos
Step 1. Click on "Customize" link in the "Storefront Control Panel" box.
Step 2. Click on "Browse…" button to locate and upload your logos or photos from your computer.
The following file types can be uploaded: JPEG, JPG, GIFF, GIF, PNG
Note. Your logo will be resized to 120 pixels wide. Manufacturer/product logos will be resized to 105 pixels wide and photos will be resized to 200 pixels wide. We accept photos up to 5MB in size (per photo).
Naming Your Store
Enter the name of your Storefront in "Storefront Name" text field, and Click on "Save" button.
Welcome Note
Use this space for a welcome message or brief information about your business that you would like visitors to see when they visit your Storefront. This area allows you to enter text or HTML format. It is a limited text area. You can enter a maximum of 2000 characters.
Create Category
This section allows you to set up your own category structure for your Storefront.
Step 1. Click on "Pages" link in the "Storefront Control Panel" box.
Step 2. Enter a category name in the "Add new category" text field, and click on "Save" button.
Note. "Home category name" is a link to your store's main page. (This is the first list item in the "Categories" menu.)
Edit Category
Step 1. In "Edit Categories" box, click on "Edit" link of the category you wish to rename.
Step 2. Enter the new category name, and click on "Save" button.
Remove Category
In "Edit Categories" box, click on "Delete" link of the category you wish to remove.
Sort Categories
You can drag (hold down a mouse button while moving the mouse) the categories in the "Edit Categories" box to change the order that categories appear in your Categories Menu.
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