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Most sellers agree that photographs are vital to the success of online sales whether on eBay, other auction sites, or on their own websites. Virtual Iris, an eBay certified developer, offers a product that gives your pictures that extra "wow" factor: 3D imaging.
Irisize (http://www.irisize.com ) converts multiple shots of your item into 3D interactive images using your regular digital photographs. For items such as autos or high-end collectibles, being able to better see the product will lead to greater confidence on the part of shoppers. This is the closest you can get to alleviate buyers' concerns that they cannot actually see the item in their hands.
Buyers use the Irisize touchpad or toolbar located next to the item photograph to activate the interactive options, which include:
- Zoom directly on the page (i.e. no separate pop up window)
- Rotate to every angle of the product
- Measure any part of the item
- Hot Spots to feature key attributes of the item
- Color change to modify the color or pattern of the item if different options are available
- Description bar to display the most important features of the item
Another option for eBay sellers is to use static images, displayed through the TouchPad Gallery. This displays up to 24 pictures in one small box.
The user moves the mouse over the thumbnail image and the picture displays bigger. This is a great option for family photos (as shown above) but is also a great way to show many item photographs without making your auction extremely long and paying excessive hosting fees. This feature would be particularly useful for sellers of vehicles in eBay Motors or for people selling items in lots where there are multiple items to show.
Irisize.com is currently in beta, so they are waiving all fees until this phase ends (expected to be in the next few weeks). After that, the fee structure will be as follows:
TouchPad Gallery
$0.99 per listing (up to 24 photos)
3D Pictures - eBay Auctions
| # of
listings |
Cost |
Cost
per picture |
| 1 |
$0.99 |
$0.99 |
| 10 |
$7.99 |
$0.80 |
| 100 |
$59.99 |
$0.60 |
3D Pictures - Business (website)
| Level |
Monthly
subscription |
# of interactive
pictures |
Storage
allowance |
Emails |
| Bronze |
$19.99 |
50 |
50MB |
500 |
| Silver |
$49.99 |
200 |
200MB |
2,000 |
| Gold |
$99.99 |
500 |
500MB |
5,000 |
| Platinum |
$299.99 |
2000 |
2GB |
20,000 |
The program works in most browsers (Internet Explorer, Safari, FireFox, Netscape, etc.) and can be used on both PC and MAC computers (although MAC users must use the basic uploader for their pictures). The recommended file size is under 1MB to speed up the process, and all pictures must be in JPEG format. Virtual Iris Vice President of Business Development Jim Malmberg said anyone who wants to list more than 1000 items a month should contact the company directly to negotiate a flat monthly price.
Virtual Iris also offers another similar product called Enterprise. This software offers the same features as Irisize, but instead of being a web-based application, it resides on your computer and allows the option of hosting your own images. This is a more expensive option, but if you are a high volume seller it may be worth it. The plans range from $99.99 per month (or $999.99 per year) to $999.99 per month ($9999.99 per year) depending on the functions you want.
Enterprise does not currently include the Turbo-Lister which automatically puts the created images into eBay auctions. However, if you host your own images, or are using it for your website, Enterprise 3D 2.0 will give you the same features as the Irisize 3D. This costs $299.99 a month (or $2,999.99 per year). But you also get a shopping cart feature which allows the buyer to purchase the item by simply clicking on the picture - a handy feature for websites.
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