Velvet Bazaar, shop online in global marketplace,buy sell auction

How the Different Functions of VelvetBazaar Work
Type of Accounts Uploading Images/Audio/Video Stores And Products Search Options Auction Rooms Quick Sell Reverse Auction Messaging System Message Board Advertising on VelvetBazaar Best Page Contest
1.	Type of Accounts
	There are 2 different type of accounts on VelvetBazaar: Shopper: Status of an account is 'Shopper' if you select to register as a Shopper, or try to sell an item on 'Quick Sell'. Sellers on Quick sell (or one time sale) are categorized under Shopper and can not sell items in Auction Rooms or create a Store, before changing the status of their account. Business Owner: Status of an account is Business Owner (Seller) if specifically this option is selected, or account is created to post items in an Auction Room. Business Owners are account holders that: Create an account to sell items on fixed prices. Create an account to sell items in one of the Auction Rooms Create an account to sell items on Fixed price as well as in Auction Rooms. Create an account to offer services. Create an account to make a personal Web Site (without having VelvetBazaar users to have access to their pages).
2.	Uploading Images/Audio/Video
	Sellers need to upload images to be able to create their pages or top banner of their pages. Sellers also might wand to upload audio or video clips to incorporate in pages to make them more attractive. Uploading files is quite easy on VelvetBazaar, but there are some rules and limitations that must be addressed. There are file size limitation for uploading files. This size limitation might be changed from time to time. At this time the maximum size of a file to upload is 100k (102400 Bytes). For security purposes, files with certain format can not be uploaded. Like executable file and scripts. VelvetBazaar has provided some images that business owners can borrow to use on their pages. These images are mostly background images for flags of different countries. We urge business owners to check their uploaded images periodically and delete the items they do not use any more to keep their directory more tidy and manageable
3.	Stores And Products
	A Business Owner after creating an account with VelvetBazaar, will be guided to his/her Store Administration Page with a step by step guide, to show that steps the new account holder should take. Steps are as bellow: Uploading pictures, This pictures will be used as product pictures, store logo, and otherwise used for creating pages. Defining the Shipping companies that seller is willing to work with and shoppers selected from. Defining the products that you want to sell. If this is a Service Provider Store, just ignore this step. Now you can create a 'Top Banner' for your pages. In fact you create one Banner and it will show on top of all Store and Product Pages. You can create your Store Pages if you wish, using the tools and programs that are prepared for this purpose. If you do not create a page, System will create a standard Store page for you. This might not be a page that you want, but it will be quite acceptable. Anyway we suggest that you at least create one Store Page. Because when you create a page and after you are satisfied with the way it looks, you need to 'Activate' it to enable users to see it. At the point of activation, system creates links that your page might be searchable by Google and other search engines. Next step is creating Product Pages. You can create one page for each product that you have already defined. If you decided not to create a page for a product, system will create a page for that product using the information that you have posted for that product. Please pay attention that the system-made pages are not searchable by search engines. Again creating a page is quite easy with the programs that are prepared for you. Also you can select from template pages customize it the way you like. After you created one page, you can copy and then customize that page for other products. At this time you your Store is established and your store and products are visible by shoppers At this point you should know that you can change the status of your page yourself. When you establish an account, by default your Store is 'Active' and visible to shoppers. But you can change status to hide it visitors or close it if you decided to. This option will allow you to have a personal 'Web Site', which no one can visit it other those that you want. Now VelvetBazaar changes from a Marketplace to Hosting company for you.
4.	Search Options
	Shoppers can search for products defined by sellers, by: Category: a category can be selected and all items under that category will be displayed. Sub Category: a Category can be selected and from Sub-Categories list, one can be selected. All items categorized under that sub-category will be displayed. Key Word: a key word can be entered and all the items with that key word in the name, or description, will be displayed. Combination: A search with combination of above option and be performed and most probably will be the easiest way to find items needed This options will not search the items posted for auction. To search for this kind of items, shopper needs to visit one of the auction rooms.
5.	Auction Rooms
	VelvetBazaar General Auction Room, will display all active auctioned items, including Cars/Trucks and Boats, and Livestock. For convenience of sellers and buyers, two other specialized auction rooms have been provided. General Auction Room: will search for all the active auction items and allow shoppers to bid on the selected item. Cars,Trucks and Boats: Will display only auctions in this category Livestock: will display only auction items categorized under 'Livestock' or closely related items. Sellers can post products for auction, either from the auction room or from their store administration page. Those products which has been defined just for auction, will not be searchable as none-auction (or fixed price) items.
6.	Quick Sell
	Quick Sell or 'One-Time-Sale' is an option for those who do not want to have a store, but they have items for sale. The VelvetBazaar shopper can use this option to sell items and it is free.
7.	Reverse Auction
	This option provided Shoppers to post the hard to find or expensive items they are looking for. System will automatically send a message to all sellers which have items in that category to 'Bid'. Shopper will select a one of the offers and the item will be closed. Other users who have some items for sale can also visit this room to see if there is a buyer for their product. this option will help shoppers with hard-to-find or expensive item. It will be effective for wholesale items as well.
8.	Messaging System
	VelvetBazaar have comprehensive Messaging system to enable Sellers and Shoppers to communicate with each other as well as with Velvetbazaar. VelvetBazaar can send messages to all Shoppers or All sellers or just one recipient. Sellers can send messages to one shopper or all the shoppers who have made a purchase from them. Also the can send a copy of the message for VelvetBazaar. Shoppers can send messages only to those sellers that they have made purchase from them and also VelvetBazaar. The can send a copy of a message to a seller or to VelvetBazaar. Messages will display on Soppers or Sellers Administration Page until they are read. After that message still will be accessible and can be responded to, from Message-History pages. Message will stay in database for a full year before being deleted.
9.	Message Board
	Message Board has been provided to allow users and visitors of VelvetBazaar to communicate with each other, which can be business related or any issues that users wish. The message are searchable and others can respond to them. The person posting a message is able to upload one picture to be display along with the message.
10.	Advertising on VelvetBazaar
	VelvetBazaar will not post any advertisement, unless they are for businesses and products offered on VelvetBazaar. In fact business owners will post their pages to advertised on different VelvetBazaar pages. Because of space limitation on pages, just to reduce the number of the advertisements, chargeable. The method will be 'Per Click' and the charge periodically periodically. At this time charge per-click for advertisements is 5 cents (5c). (Charges are in American Dollar).
11.	Best Page Contest
	VelvetBazaar has provided business owners with easy and efficient programs to create their own pages. To entice sellers to create pages, instead of just leaving it to system to create standard pages for them, We are asking the visitors to vote for the best store pages the visit on VelvetBazaar. Every month, according to the votes received, we select the winner of the best page of the month. The name and logo of this winner will be posted on the first page of VelvetBazaar for the whole month until the next months winner is selected. The name and logo will be linked to the winner's Store page , so visitors can access their pages and products easily.