EAPH Features Showcase - Learn how to show more and better photos in attractive eBay auction descriptions, eBay Store Custom Pages, eBay About Me pages, and web pages...

EAPH's file management system via iDrive is geared to accommodate auction photos as well as permanent photos and graphics with an interface that displays important information about each file. Everything you need to know is right there including URLs and HTML image tags you may need. Access to the typical functions you would want to perform with files are also present including to the unique editing and optimizing tools provided with EAPH:


Because you are in control over the assignment of folder and file names you are able to create a highly efficient visual organizational system. iDrive's ''All Folders List'', sorted either alphabetically, oldest (files) first, or newest first, zips you straight to the folder you wish to work in:


Great for beginners, iDrive protects you from all the problems sellers typically encounter when using their own photo hosting for eBay via built in safeguards and an extensive warning system. You literally can not make a mistake without having ignored specific advice and warnings appearing on iDrive screens.

Most digital cameras are designed to produce high quality prints which require tremendously more digital information (storage space) than is useful for display on computer screens. In fact, that large amount of storage space (file size) causes photos not only to take a long time to load over the Internet but also appear way too large on computer screens. iDrive gently guides you toward adapting your photos so they are more appropriate for use on eBay or in web pages. You remain completely in control with the option and means by which to reduce them without sacrificing display quality. That process is called "optimizing".

Once you have become familiar with the benefits of optimizing you may take advantage of the option to optimize while uploading. iDrive provides a Java interface that enables drag and drop, copy and paste, and browse to select the files you wish to upload. You may select a number of files or even a folder to upload all at once and include optimizing in the process.

An example of the safeguards built into iDrive with the Java Upload Method is automatic renaming of files when they would otherwise overwrite others already present with the same names.

A separate traditional browse upload method is provided if you wish to specify optimizing on a file by file basis. Immediately following the completion of uploading you are presented with advice regarding the photos and may individually determine which you want to be converted and/or reduced and compressed:


The screen shot above demonstrates the sort of improvement in photo performance on eBay and the web that you can expect as a result of optimizing your photos. Notice that iDrive is only guiding you, not pre-determining what is best for you and your photos. You are always in control.

Optimizing photos for use on eBay or the web is often more than merely reducing their dimensions to a standard size and adding compression to improve loading times. Other editing may also be important and everything that is necessary to be done with a photo should be done in a manner that minimizes visual quality loss.

The EAPH iDrive Photo Optimizing Tools have got you covered. You may Crop, Rotate, Mirror, Resize, Brighten, Soften, add Fuzzy or Beveled Edges, and add a Copyright - all without worry about incidental quality loss because interim versions of the photo being edited are saved in what is called a "lossless" format. Upon completion you are presented with 5 previews of the finished result to choose among each with a different level of compression applied - rather than trust to any formula you may use your eyes to judge the best balance between visual quality and loading speed. When resizing using iDrive the very best method available is employed...

The Resize tool incorporates use of the Lanczos filter, a superior method by which photos can be reduced in size without sacrificing important detail. To the left is an example original image that includes both fine lines and rounded edges. To demonstrate the difference in quality that can result using different reduction methods here are 3 samples of that same image reduced to 96 x 96 pixels: From left to right: The first example is a resize using HTML - I displayed the same original image but instructed via an HTML image tag to display it 96x96 pixels. For the second I created a new version using a Bicubic filter method which produces results similar to what I think of as lazy photo editors. The third is a new version reduced via the Lanczos filter used by iDrive. Notice that the look and feel of the original is best retained in the Lanczos version.

In summary: 1) Create separate versions of your photos to use when they need to be displayed in different sizes -- the resulting quality will be greatly improved. 2) Especially when selling items that gain their appeal based on appearance, it can help a lot to use the right tools to prepare them -- tools such as those built into EAPH hosting.

Gallery photos are usually very important to an eBay selling effort. See the tutorial Self Hosting eBay Gallery Pictures to learn how EAPH iDrive tools can help you produce versions of your photos that appear extraordinarily well in eBay search results.

Along with basic editing and optimizing you may want to give some your photos a little boost. Here are some examples of the results that can be achieved using the iDrive Optimizing Tools to apply edges:

Plugins are content you can add to your eBay auction/store item descriptions or web pages. They consist of code written in HTML and JavaScript. Naturally, with a photo hosting service, the plugins offered here are special ways to present a group of photos.

These plugins are super simple to create. All point and click - no HTML knowledge or experience required, no HTML editing required on your part. Behind the scenes state of the art image processing is employed to produce sharp images at any size and the JavaScript and HTML incorporated in the code is expertly crafted to be compatible with every popularly used web browser. To use them just copy and paste the code provided into HTML View / HTML Mode on eBay. When using FreeForm or the Template Helper you may import them directly without copy and paste.

Here are working examples of each of the currently available plugins:

The mouseover zoom uniquely and efficiently enables the display of a high resolution photo in a relatively small amount of space.

Along with the plugins above, another called the "Full Size Group", quickly and simply assembles the HTML for display of up to 20 photos. Great to use if you only wish to add more and better photos to eBay item descriptions otherwise created using eBay tools alone. Learn More Here

Let's say you want to share a group of photos without going to a lot of trouble. With iDrive all you need to do is create a folder, upload new photos into it (or copy from other folders), then email, post, or publish a single URL automatically provided in iDrive for that purpose. Here's an example of what's created for you by default (no settings):

http://samples.eaph3.com/viewalbum.cgi?angelica
(opens in new window)
If you want to share them with a little more style you have the option to add a background, a custom title, a description section, a web page link, and an email link. Here's the working example of the screen shot to the left with those options added:

http://samples.eaph3.com/viewalbum2.cgi?angelica

You will have created a simple web page with very little fuss but with the added convenience that its photo contents are automatically updated simply by adding to or removing photos from the folder.

If you are just a little more ambitious, photo albums may be linked together by setting them individually to do so. Before you know it you have a basic web site! Because the description areas accept HTML you may include PayPal Shopping Cart or Buy Now button code -- then you'll have a basic selling web site.

Of course, usually a greater variety of page types are required for selling but for basic sharing and showing you're covered.

As of July 2008 if you sell from your web site you may not link to it from eBay!

You may also use either FreeForm or the Template Helper to create eBay About Me pages, eBay Store Headers, and eBay Store Custom Pages (including for use as an eBay Storefront).

EAPH hosting includes web page hosting and even domain hosting if you desire. You may create web pages using FreeForm or the Template Helper and publish them in your own web space. Access to those pages over the Internet is automatically enabled via addresses (URLs) like this:

Own your own domain for less than $10.00 per YEAR! You may learn everything you need to know about Internet domain names and how to register to obtain them here: http://www.icann.org/faq (opens in new window). Although many hosting services offer to register domains on your behalf if you do it yourself you will not require the cooperation of the current host to transfer it. Feel free to write to me if you have questions: rob@robshelp.com

http://www.yourmembername.eaph5.com/pagename.htm

and, if you have registered an Internet domain your hosting can be set up to also work with addresses like this:

http://www.yourdomainname.com/pagename.htm

Either way, here are some things you can do with web pages in conjunction with eBay:

1. From an item description on eBay you may link to a page that displays photos of the item you are selling as long as the page displaying the photos does not offer, or link to, a site that offers a product or service for sale off eBay. In effect, by linking to a web page from an item description you are exposing shoppers to the fact that you have a web site. That's the most you can do without violating eBay links policy in effect as of July 2008.
   
   
2. eBay About Me pages were once less restrictive than they are now. Under policy in effect July 2008 eBay prohibits linking from a seller's listing or other content on eBay--including eBay Store pages, About Me pages, eBay Blogs, Reviews and Guides, and forums--to any site that offers a product or service for sale off eBay. The best you can do is describe the fact that you do also sell off eBay without actually saying where you do the selling. For example, you could show pictures of items you have sold on and off eBay accompanied by an invitation something like this: "Please write if you have questions about these items we've sold in the past". If they write you can direct them to your off-eBay web site provided you are not selling the same items on the web site as you are selling on eBay.
   
   
3. If the nature of your business is such that describing it via a single (eBay About Me) page is insufficient, impractical, or undesirable, you may create web pages that do a better job. You will not be able to link to that page from eBay if you sell from your web site but you can include its address in email correspondence between you and your customers.

Carefully study eBay's rules pages before undertaking the above strategies:  eBay's Links Policy  Linking to Descriptions  Links from an eBay Store  Links Policy FAQs  About Me Guidelines (all these links open in new windows)

I won't try to mislead you: Even with FreeForm and/or the Template Helper tools assistance, creating a complete selling web site from scratch is not for the faint of heart. If you are ambitious, take a look at FreeForm Template Samples #15, 16, 17, and 18, and the SellsHereToo.com sample site - those include sample site navigation and sample usage of PayPal buttons.

Here are two actual EAPH member sites created and published using FreeForm:

Kate-n-KennasKisses.com (opens in new window). In exchange for helping with the site, the owner agreed to let me show it here. Many of FreeForm's capabilities are exercised including a clever use of JavaScript to produce a slide show in the home page top right corner. The JavaScript was created elsewhere and pasted into a FreeForm Gallery Input Area code section.

CarolGraceDesigns.com (opens in new window). This site uses a clever and attractive technique with FreeForm's Advanced Builder to set a width of 800 pixels for each page so a big background wallpaper pattern of the same width fits perfectly behind them.

Before undertaking to create a web site, especially a selling web site, please be sure to write to me at rob@robshelp.com so we can discuss your options. Bear in mind, as with all of EAPH and FreeForm features I'm here to help any way I can and enjoy pitching in personally as needed with design and layout assistance.