Bonanza Webstores has been replaced with Vercado Webstore by Bonanza. Bonanza will continue to support existing Bonanza Webstore accounts, however no new sign-ups are available.
Learn more about Vercado Webstore by Bonanza.
A Bonanza Webstore gives you a beautiful, professional-looking online store and secure shopping cart. It gives you the control to build your own, branded, e-commerce presence, separate from the Bonanza marketplace.
Contents
- How do I get a Bonanza Webstore?
- Who should use a Bonanza Webstore?
- What's the difference between a standalone Webstore and a marketplace booth?
- What do I pay when I make a sale in my Webstore?
- Can I direct my Bonanza booth advertising traffic (Google Shopping, etc.) to my Webstore?
- How do I get traffic to my Webstore?
- How do Bonanza Webstores differ from other online e-commerce alternatives?
- What new features are in the works for Webstores?
- Do I have to buy a domain to host a Bonanza Webstore?
- Can I see some example stores?
- What about security? Is that handled by Bonanza or will we need our own SSLs?
- Where do I go for support if I have a question or problem with my Webstore?
- Can we set different prices in our store and our Bonanza booth?
- What happens if I cancel (or stop paying for) my Webstore?
- Can I use a custom design/theme for my Webstore?
- Do I need to open a Bonanza booth to use Bonanza Webstores?
How do I get a Bonanza Webstore?
You can sign up for your own Webstore by visiting our Webstore signup page.
Who should use a Bonanza Webstore?
Webstores are perfect for sellers that want to build their own brand, or who want an easier way to manage their existing brand. Selling on a marketplace is great, but if you've ever wanted your own "stand alone" e-commerce website, then a Webstore is your solution.
What's the difference between a standalone Webstore and a marketplace booth?
Great question! We've outlined the major differences in this helpful article.
What do I pay when I make a sale in my Webstore?
There are no final value fees when you make a sale from your Webstore. Bonanza charges $25/month (+tax) to host your Webstore, but there are no other fees - no listing fees, no selling fees. Period. You might also want to consider the annual plan, which offers sellers the best value at $255/year (+ tax). Webstore subscription fees will be automatically charged to your card on file until you cancel your subscription or close your Webstore.
Can I direct my Bonanza advertising traffic (Google Shopping, etc.) to my Webstore?
All advertising selections on your "Selling > Advertise items" page will continue to drive traffic to your Bonanza booth. Like any stand-alone e-commerce website, the owner (that's you) is responsible for driving traffic to your Webstore. Fortunately, there are many great ways to get traffic to your Webstore - see below.
How do I get traffic to my Webstore?
Like any stand-alone e-commerce website, the merchant is responsible for attracting visitors. How you do this is limited only by your marketing skills and imagination, but some of the most popular ways include:
- Social Media: Create social media accounts for your store on popular networks such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Post frequently to quickly increase your followers. To get the highest level of engagement from your followers, be sure to include rich media such as images and video whenever possible. Tip: Be sure to read our guide to Webstore social media strategy.
- Friends and Family: Email your friends and family to tell them about your new store, and invite them to forward the email to anybody they know who might also be interested in checking it out. Some of the best customers come from friend and family referrals.
- Search Engines: To get found on search engines like Google and Bing, be sure to create informational pages on your Webstore - Bonanza will notify the search engines via your sitemap, which is created automatically and submitted for you behind the scenes. Your customers will appreciate the information, and the search engines will start to see you as an authority in your category - which means they'll rank you higher.
What new features are in the works for Webstores?
We're working to allow even more customization, so you can tweak the look and feel of your site as much as desired. What else? Whatever you tell us! Webstores were built for you, so we want to add any features or improvements that would make your life easier and help you sell more.
How do Bonanza Webstores differ from other online e-commerce alternatives?
When it comes to online stores, we know that you have a lot of options to choose between. That's why we've built Bonanza Webstores to be quick and easy to set up, inexpensive to operate, and provide a few mission-critical features that nobody else on the planet can offer you.
- Fast and easy to set up. You'll be up and running in 10 mintues or less. If you already have your inventory on Bonanza, it will appear in your Webstore automatically. You can also use our importers to easily bring inventory from eBay, Etsy, Shopify or Amazon automatically, or from anywhere else using a CSV inventory file.
- Bonanza Broadcaster service. When it comes to getting traffic, other online stores make you fend for yourself. One of the major benefits of Bonanza Webstores is that your inventory is automatically linked to your Bonanza booth - that means you have double the opportunities for shoppers to find your products. It also means that your Bonanza booth will be gathering buyer traffic from all across the Internet while you're growing your Webstore.
- Beautiful designs, no coding needed. Our design interface lets you customize the look of your store without learning code (and without paying somebody else to code it for you). Just point and click to customize your theme, layout, and pages.
Do I have to buy a domain to host a Bonanza Webstore?
No - by default, your store will be published on "sellername.bonanza.com." But we do recommend getting your own domain name, since that can give shoppers more confidence in your brand. Sellers who wish to advertise their Webstore listings on Google Shopping are required to have a custom domain name. If you already have a domain name, we can use it for your Webstore. If you don't have one yet, Bonanza offers a free custom domain for first-time subscribers. If you've subscribed to a Webstore in the past, you can use the "purchase domain" tools inside the Webstore settings to get a domain of your very own. Domains purchased via Bonanza are good for a year. In the event you decide to use the domain elsewhere, you own the domain and can re-point it to another location. Please note that registry rules state domains purchased via Bonanza cannot be transferred within 60 days of purchase. Learn more about buying a domain through Bonanza.
Can I see an example store?
Sure! Check out Blue Penny Lady to see a live Webstore in action.
What about security? Is that handled by Bonanza or will we need our own SSLs?
Bonanza handles the SSL. If you register a domain through our interface, we’ll automatically buy an SSL certificate for your domain, and checkout will happen on your domain.
If you use an existing domain, you will checkout through the Bonanza subdomain for your store, i.e., http://your-store.bonanza.com. In that case, it uses Bonanza’s SSL certificate. Since all of the UI and interface is the same as your Webstore, most buyers don’t even notice they’ve moved across domains. This is how other e-commerce platforms handle the problem as well.
Where do I go for support if I have a question or problem with my Webstore?
Bonanza's support team handles Webstores as well as the main site. You can reach support any time by emailing support@bonanza.com.
Can we set different prices in our store and our Bonanza booth?
No, all inventory will match exactly. To do otherwise would require more time and complexity in managing who-knows-how-many differences between items. One of the ways Bonanza Webstores are different than other choices is that we keep it simple.
What happens if I cancel (or stop paying for) my Webstore?
If you cancel your Webstore, your items will still be listed on Bonanza.com until you remove them. During that time, your Webstore's domain will redirect to your Bonanza booth.
Can I use a custom design/theme for my Webstore?
Not at this time. Part of the power of Bonanza Webstores is the point-and click functionality, but you'd have to learn to write code and HTML to make custom designs. We're working to add more themes and templates for you to choose from, and new ones will be available on a regular basis.
Do I need to open a Bonanza booth to use Bonanza Webstores?
A Bonanza booth provides the tools that allow you add, edit, and remove items from your inventory. Managing your inventory through your booth affords the following benefits:
- Import existing inventory from any other marketplace. If you've already got your inventory posted on eBay, Amazon, Etsy, Shopify or in a CSV file, you can import into your Bonanza booth for free.
- Smart and easy batch editing. Bonanza's seller tools have been consistently ranked #1 for a reason. We were built as a platform for sellers with lots of items, and we've built out a very robust toolset for helping big sellers manage lots of items with minimum effort.
- Generate CPA-based traffic (if you want). All Bonanza booths are imbued with the capability to one-click publish your items to Google Shopping, Bing Ads, and the Bonanza Affiliate Network. It costs you nothing unless you make a sale. You decide how much you'll pay when you do make a sale.
If you don't already have a booth, when you sign up for your Webstore we'll automatically create an empty booth for your Webstore inventory. Sellers are not permitted to refund buyers who purchased tangible or digital items from their marketplace booth and redirect the buyer to checkout via the Webstore.