New Search Options: Find People & Parts More Quickly

Searching Tradeloop just got easier with the launch of our new universal search box. Search the Trading Floor, Dealer Directory, Broadcasts, or Ethics cases from any place in the site. We've also improved the search function in the Dealer Directory: it now returns more relevant results, more quickly.

Have you noticed the new search box? It uses a drop-down menu with different options so you can target your search to a particular area:

The new search at Tradeloop's Dealer Directory supports multiple word searches. You can now enter a member's full name and navigate directly to his/her profile instead of searching just by last name. This will make it even easier to find and invite people to join your trusted network of dealers using our Connections system.

Try the new Dealer Directory search or search the Trading Floor now!

Show Broadcasts From Just Your Trusted Network

Customize Tradeloop to show Broadcasts just from your Network and use the drill-down options to filter the results by message type, keywords, and geography. We've made it easy to search directly from the sidebar on the Broadcast page.

With just a few clicks, you can review all "Compaq WTS Broadcasts sent by your Trusted Network members in Europe" - or any other combination of search variables.

Here's a screenshot of the new side navigation bar on the Broadcast page.

My Network Only: Click on this link to view all Broadcasts from your Trusted Network. Then, use the options below to refine your search.

It's easy to start a new search: just click on the "Clear Filter" link at the top of the results lists.

We've made these search enhancements in response to Tradeloop member suggestions and comments. Tell us what you think about them here at the member blog.

Expand/Collapse Feature Added To Broadcast Page

The Broadcast page has a new option that allows you to quickly scan just the titles of Broadcasts or display all the content of each post. Use the "Show Full Text" checkbox to toggle the display on and off.

In the example image below, the checkbox and text are underlined in red:


Check the box to read the content of each Broadcast and uncheck the box to return to the default page display, which is a list of Broadcast titles.

The Broadcast section is one of the most active parts of Tradeloop: members are constantly posting both public and members only Broadcasts. Looking for a specific item? You can search the Broadcasts using the search box at the top of the page.

Remember though: we offer other tools and reports that also help you find the products you need quickly and easily:

• Broadcast filters - Create personalized filters and receive just the Broadcasts you want.
  
• Receive Broadcasts via RSS feeds.
• Search inventory lists of individual dealers.
• Saved search reports notify you when someone uploads a part you've been looking for.

We're continually upgrading the Tradeloop site and adding new features - often in response to suggestions from members. Share your ideas with us and other members here at the blog or contact Customer Service.

Better Search Results In Tradeloop's Dealer Directory

We've enhanced the search function for Tradeloop's Dealer Directory to increase the usability and accuracy of search results. Now when you search, the dealer's phone number and email address displays in the results list. Members can now contact each other directly from the search results instead of having to navigate to the company profile to find that information.

In another change, the new search function ignores special characters in company names when displaying results. Previously, if you were searching for "X-Y-Z Company," you had to enter the company name with the dashes. But now, searches on "XYZ" will return results for "X-Y-Z Company" - and any other dealers that match that search term.

The directory also has an advanced search function, that allows you to search by member information, geographic region, and/or company specialty in a single click.

Both search enhancements improve Tradeloop's new Connections system as well; the Dealer Directory is the primary way to find other dealers to connect with. Have you created your own dealer network within Tradeloop yet? Remember that any member with 10 approved Connections by October 1, 2010 is automatically entered to win a new iPad.

New Inventory Search Option: Search the Inventory List of Individual Dealers

A new Trading Floor search option gives you more flexibility: search on inventory posted by all dealers or on inventory posted by a particular dealer. If you're using the Connections system to set up your own trusted network of dealers within Tradeloop, this is a way to quickly check the inventory of those dealers first. If they don't have what you need, you can broaden your search to the entire Tradeloop community with just one click.

Here's how it works:

• Go to the user profile or company profile of the dealer/company you want to search.
  
• Click on the inventory total link
  
  
• You'll be taken to the Trading Floor where you'll see the dealer's complete inventory list. Use the search box to find a particular item.
  
• Toggle between the dealer's inventory listings and all dealer listings using the radio buttons next to the search box:
  
  

Learn more about Trading Floor search functions and/or how to create your own dealer network with our Connections system. Remember that we're offering a chance to win an iPad: just add 10 new approved Connections to your trading network before October 1, 2010 and you're automatically entered to win.

New Searchbox Increases Usability at Tradeloop's Web Site

We've updated the search boxes at Tradeloop to make the search function easier to use and understand. The most noticeable change is that the search boxes are more prominent - displayed at the top of the home page, Broadcast page, Trading Floor, Ethics Case list, and other areas. They also offer helpful tips about search terms and keywords.

For instance, here's the Home page search box. It's the same as the Trading Floor search and reminds you that you can search on a number of different options:


The Broadcast search box invites you to enter either the Broadcast Subject or a term found in the body of the Broadcast message, whether it's a generic term like "laptop" or a specific part number.

And we recently added a search function to the posted Ethics cases. Because this is a relatively new feature, we've included some tooltips to help users understand the search function. Just click on the small blue dot with the question mark for an explanation of different search options:


The Tradeloop Dealer Directory also has a new search box with text to remind you that it's possible to search by company name, individual names, phone numbers, and many more keyword combinations.

We encourage you to visit the Tradeloop Web site and try the new search boxes. Do you think they're more useful and easy to understand? Are there some features and options that you think could benefit from additional tooltips? Let us know! Leave your comments and suggestions here at the member blog.

Contact Multiple Sellers With A Single Email

Use Tradeloop's new RFQ checkboxes to select multiple sellers of a product and request a quote from each using one email contact form directly from the Trading Floor. Everyone on your list receives an individually-addressed RFQ email; they don't know who else (if anyone) you're contacting for a quote.

It's quick and easy:

• Visit the Trading Floor and enter your search term.
• On the search results page, select the vendors you'd like to contact by clicking the RFQ checkbox next to their listings.
• Scroll down to the green box at the bottom of the page and click on the link: Send RFQ Email.
• Enter your subject line and message text into the pop-up box and send the email.

Several Tradeloop members requested this feature because they found it time-consuming to contact sellers individually - particularly when they had a long list of needed items. This new feature allows you to quickly contact multiple sources with a single click.

Images Added To Computer Parts Detail Pages

We've integrated our extensive catalog of images with the inventory listings uploaded by Tradeloop members. Now, many computer parts detail pages display an image of the particular item. Searchers can see a thumbnail image of everything from a quick-release plate for a video or still camera to a PCI copper gigabit adapter:


Note that these thumbnail images are from Tradeloop's image catalog: they are not actual representations of the inventory items uploaded by Tradeloop members! It's still important to verify the condition of all items with the seller and ask for photos if there's any question about condition/quality.

But this is a neat way to add visual interest to the parts detail pages and also give searchers a quick "reality check" when they're viewing search results. After all, if you're looking for a replacement laptop battery and get a photo of a quick release plate, then you may want to verify your part number or search term.

Do you think searchers will find this new feature helpful? Share your opinion here at Tradeloop's member blog.

Better Tradeloop Search Results With Fewer Duplicate Parts

We've implemented a new inventory tool at Tradeloop that helps make search results more useful and reliable. When a member uploads an inventory list, we automatically run a check on the file, look for duplicate parts, and delete the duplicates.

This is in response to member complaints about duplicate parts for the same dealer appearing in search results. We check three fields - part number, manufacturer, and condition - to determine if a part is a duplicate of another line item. IF all three match exactly, the line item is considered to be a match and a duplicate.

Note that we're only looking for duplicates in individual files. Other dealers can, of course, display inventory that matches. This new process is just to prevent a user from accidentally duplicating items in his/her inventory list.

Our goal is to make Tradeloop the number one search engine for computer parts by providing results that are comprehensive and relevant. This error-checking function helps both buyers and sellers because it makes search results more reliable and easy to read.

Many Tradeloop system upgrades have come in response to member suggestions. We welcome your comments here at the member blog.

Use Broadcast Filters to Customize Your Tradeloop Broadcast Digest

Tradeloop members can opt to receive Broadcast emails in real time, several times per day, or daily. Now, the new Broadcast filters give you even more control over your inbox. Create personalized filters and receive just the Broadcasts you want, when you want them.

Previously, members could subscribe to particular Broadcast lists and then specify when they'd receive emails sent to the entire list. You could receive messages real-time or in digest form every few hours or daily but you still received all messages sent to that particular list. Now, you can set individual filters that are targeted to your business needs and receive only the Broadcasts you need.

For instance:

1. You have an immediate need for 10 Compaq motherboards. Create a Broadcast filter that sends you those WTS Broadcasts in real time.
2. You're always interested in lots of used Dell desktops to refurbish and watch the market for good deals. Create a Broadcast filter that sends you those Broadcasts every 6 hours.
3. Your company is looking for new business contacts in Europe who buy/sell used memory. Create a Broadcast filter that watches specifically for those items in that geographic area and receive the Broadcasts on your schedule.

What do you do when you've found those 10 motherboards from example #1? Either delete the filter or make it "inactive." You can set up as many filters as you need and turn them on and off as business conditions require.

Learn more about Broadcast filters here at the blog and learn how to create them at our Broadcast Filter FAQ page.

Members: Have you tried the new Broadcast filters? Do you like the new system?

Share your comments here at the member blog.

Tradeloop's Search Function Faster & More Accurate

Tradeloop's new search function returns better results faster. You no longer have to enter a full part number to get relevant results and a search that used to take 10 seconds now returns results in milliseconds.

Previously, a Tradeloop search required a complete part number in order to return a result for that particular item. So for example, a search for RZ28-VA would return results, but if you searched RZ2 no results would appear. The new search is similar to Google's search function and is better for Tradeloop users because it provides more relevant results.

We upgraded the search function in response to customer feedback about the previous search. Members complained that it was sometimes both slow and ineffective. We asked one of those members, Richard Baldwin of IT-Recoup, to test the new search. He liked it:

"It provides much more detail for anyone that is looking for specific parts."

Do you agree? Check it out at Tradeloop's Trading Floor, then share your comments here at the member blog.


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The Best Broadcasting System Just Got Better

Get more control over your email inbox. Enhanced Broadcast filters - Tradeloop's newest system upgrade - save you time by delivering more relevant, targeted leads directly to your email on the schedule you select.

Tradeloop members can set their own filters to completely customize your digest - instead of wading through a list of all the Broadcasts. Use our new "mix and match" filter options to set your preferences based on:

• Manufacturer
  
• Geographic Region
  
• Product Keywords (ie "Lexmark printer")
  
• Want to Sell or Want to Buy
  
• Broadcast Type
  
• And more….

You can also tell the Broadcast system you're on vacation and set a return date. This stops Broadcast delivery to you until the morning of your return date. It doesn't affect your Tradeloop membership, parts lists, or any other option pertaining to your account.

We transferred everyone's existing Broadcast settings into the new system, so no member is required to make any changes. However, this new tool offers so much power and flexibility that we strongly recommend you try it out.

You can edit or delete your filters at any time. We even give you the option to make a filter "inactive." That's useful for specific items you need on a sporadic basis. You can receive Broadcasts only when you're actively watching the market for that item.

Learn more about the new Broadcast filters at the Broadcast Filter FAQ page.

Back in December, we asked members what they wanted from the Broadcast system. Well, here it is. Tell us what you think! Post your comments and suggestions here at Tradeloop's member blog.

New "Advanced Search" Page For Dealer Directory

The new "Advanced Search" function makes it even easier to find an individual member or member company in Tradeloop's Dealer Directory. The revised format lists the options in a search form that allows you to search by member information, geographic region, and/or company specialty in a single click.

Using the mix and match option, you can quickly drill down and search on an individual's name, company name, country, state, and more. Looking for a company in Florida that specializes in asset recovery and liquidation or an IT consultant in Dubai? No problem: just select those option in the Advanced Search form and have the information you need in seconds.

Here's a partial screen shot of the new search form:


Access the Advanced Search form directly or click on the Advanced Search link on the Tradeloop Dealer Directory main page.

Standard Search Boxes Make It Easier to Search for Dealers, Parts, & More

We've created a unified theme for the search boxes on the Tradeloop Web site. Now, search boxes on the home page, Broadcast page, Trading Floor, and Dealer Directory are all located in the same place with the same layout.

Previously, all these pages used search boxes, but the boxes were displayed in different places on the page and presented in a variety of shapes and sizes. We know that our members need the ability to search for a particular part number or dealer. But few want to spend time searching the page just to find the search box!

The search box is now located directly under the main menu. Here's how it looks on the Tradeloop home page:


In addition to the basic search function, we've previously implemented a number of other search tools to help you quickly find the products you're interested in and/or determine who's buying or selling them.

• Search the Dealer Directory by continent, country, or city.
• Search History - a valuable market research tool.
• Saved Search alerts you when someone uploads a part you've been searching for.

The new, unified search theme makes the search process quicker and easier, while Tradeloop's other search options help you monitor the market, set pricing, and quickly locate hard to find items.

Better Results & Sales Leads From Search Queries & Reports

We've added a new filter option to the "Recent Searches" and "Top Searches" results pages that increases the relevance of the results display. It also generates better search reports for sellers. This should make it even easier for searchers to find the parts they need and give sellers more useful, targeted sales leads.

Previously, if someone searched on a generic term like "duo," the query returned thousands of results. No doubt, the exact part the searcher needed was in that list, but who had the time to comb through the results to find it? Sellers faced a similar problem when looking at search reports. It was time-consuming to decide what was a good sales lead and what wasn't.

The new search query filters out any match that returns "excessive" results - approximately 200 or more. That means the searcher might review several dozen results that are relevant instead of several hundred that aren't. And a seller who receives "Saved Search" alerts will also receive more consistent and useful reports.

Of course, you may prefer to view all the results. We give you that option on both the "Top Searches" and "Recent Searches" reports. It's an option titled "Hide Excessive Results" and displays just above the search results. The default is set to "Yes," but you can see all results by clicking on the down arrow to the right and selecting "No."

In this screen shot, the new option is underlined in red:


This new option, combined with the other filter options, should help you quickly determine the demand for parts. That helps sellers price parts appropriately and locate buyers more easily. Other filter options include:

• Filter by Top Searches or Recent Searches.
• Search All Tradeloop, your company's parts, or just your own inventory list
• View searches by Everyone, End Users only, Public users only, Dealers only, or both Dealers and End Users.
• Filter by time period ranging from 1 hour to the past 30 days.
  

Tradeloop is a valuable business tool because it helps match buyers and sellers and our new search filters help streamline the matchmaking task. They save you time and help you connect with buyers who are searching for your products.

Search Directly From Your Saved Search Report

It's easier than ever for Tradeloop members to monitor the market and locate hard-to-find components. We've added links to the saved search report that allows members to run searches directly from their report pages.

Tradeloop's "Saved Search" tool replaced the old "Email Alert" system last May and it quickly become one of our most popular features. If you're looking for a hard-to-find part - or for products you need on a regular basis - the Saved Search tool saves you time by eliminating the need for regular, manual searches on the Trading Floor.

Once you have a search query saved, we'll send you a notification email every time someone uploads that part to Tradeloop. You can save one search, a dozen, or more.

Modify or delete your saved searches at any time just by going your "Account Information" page and selecting the "Email Center" link. From there, select the "Your Saved Search Alerts" option in the right-hand column. It takes you to your "Saved Search" report where you can change or delete saved searches.

And now, you can even repeat the searches directly from your Saved Search report. Each individual named search is also a link that will repeat the search on the Trading Floor and display the most current results.

Learn more about how Saved Search works or set up your own Saved Searches when you search Tradeloop's Trading Floor.

Use the Dealer Directory to Search for Dealers by Continent, Country, or City

Looking for a reseller in Tauranga City, New Zealand or Wroclaw, Poland? What about Montevideo, Uruguay or Winnipeg, Canada? It's easy to find them using Tradeloop's Dealer Directory. You can search by country and city and/or filter results by company name, business specialty, primary business, and more.

Use the drop down search boxes to search by country and city. Filter your results further by searching on a particular company name, person's name, phone number, or postal code. Still too many search results? Tradeloop's search options give you even more choices.

Just select one of the other search options on the page. For instance, here's how to find a recycling/disposal company in Texas:

• Select United States in the country drop down box.
• Select Texas in the State box.
• Refine the search even more (if needed) and limit the search to a particular city in Texas.
• Page down to the "Browse by Primary Business" section and select "Recycling/Disposal."

The Dealer Directory search gives you a number of mix-and-match options:

• Browse Alphabetically
• Browse by Geography
• Browse by Specialty
• Browse by Primary Business
• Browse by Manufacturer

Tradeloop's Dealer Directory is a quick and easy way to find the a dealer who has what you're looking for - or who sells what you need to buy.

Search History Upgrade Adds "End Users" To Search Filter

Tradeloop's search tools help members monitor and research the market. You can see who's searching on your inventory, the most popular searches, most recent searches, and more.Our latest upgrade gives you yet another option: members can see who was searching and limit the results to dealers, registered end-users, or public searchers.

See how easy it is to use. The Search History text link is located underneath the main menu. It takes you to the main Search History page. Select one of the four options. The filters appear at the top of the results page:


This new option lets you customize your search to match your business objectives. Members who only operate in the wholesale market can filter out results from end user searches. Other members who do both wholesale and retail can quickly generate separate reports for each market.

Learn more about the Search History function and how to use Saved Search. They're both valuable features that help you quickly locate buyers and sellers on Tradeloop. Use Search History to see what both wholesale and retail buyers are looking for and let the Saved Search report help you find what you need!

Price Your Parts For More Sales and Better Search Results Position

What's the best way to increase your sales and grow your customer base at Tradeloop? It's simple: just price your products when you upload your parts lists. Priced parts appear at the top of the Trading Floor search results; the pricing information contributes data to the Price History database; and - most important for sellers - buyers are more likely to contact sellers who list their prices.

A top listing in the Trading Floor search results page helps grab buyers' attention and draw them to your parts. Listings that have prices displayed are always listed before parts without prices – even for Premier members. Search results on the Trading Floor are displayed in this order:

1. Pro member results with prices
2. Regular member results with prices
3. Pro member results without prices
4. Regular member results without prices

Some searches return hundreds of results. A busy customer is most likely to scan the top few, find a price he likes, and make a purchase. Pricing your parts helps boost your search position and encourages a buyer to contact you first.

Pricing parts also increases the reliability of the price history charts. Traders use these helpful research tools to track pricing trends and monitor price changes in the market. More pricing data makes the information stored in the database more reliable and valuable to traders.

Finally, buyers are more inclined to contact sellers who display prices. We've had several new members complain about the lack of pricing for some items. They report that dealers won't advertise their "best price" online: they want would-be customers to call and haggle instead.

That's frustrating to a busy customer who needs to complete a deal quickly and move on to the next critical task that's on his desk.

Some sellers are reluctant to display any pricing because they're worried about eroding the wholesale market. But remember: only Tradeloop members can view wholesale pricing information!

Tradeloop is committed to protecting the integrity of the wholesale market:

• End users and consumers can't access wholesale pricing information.
• Members have the option hide Broadcast messages from search engines.
• Members can join the End User program and display retail pricing to consumers without revealing their wholesale prices.
• Non-members can't view any portion of a dealer-only listing.

Adding prices to your wholesale parts lists doesn't reveal anything to retail users. But it does encourage other Tradeloop buyers to contact you first when they need to buy.

Tradeloop is a wholesale trading community organized to give dealers a safe place to do business, exchange information, and find reliable buyers and sellers in an online market. We protect your pricing and contact information by limiting access to other Tradeloop members only.

Trading Floor Upgrades Help Tradeloop Members With Market Research, Pricing, and More

Want to search for a particular part, description, manufacturer, perform market research, track price fluctuations, or find out who's searching for what at Tradeloop? You can do all that and more from Tradeloop's Trading Floor. We've spent the first half of 2009 adding features, search queries, and other new options that make it easy to find the information you need.

The most recent change to the Trading Floor and search function is the option to sort results by either manufacturer name or product description. These used to be contained in the same field, which made sorting difficult. Other sort options include: date, vendor, country, part number, condition, quantity, and price.

There's even more information available on the search results page:

1. Recent Searches - See who's been performing the same search, and filter results by date range, Tradeloop members, public users, and receive a notice when someone searches on a particular item. Learn more about the Search History function.
2. Save Search and Alert Me - We'll notify you when items matching your search term are posted at Tradeloop. Learn more about how to use Saved Search.
3. Price History - See seasonal price fluctuations for particular parts, broken out by high, low, and average wholesale and retail pricing. Learn more about Price History data.

These new features are part of our commitment to making Tradeloop the most valuable Web resource for our members. Your membership already gives you the opportunity to safely connect with other dealers worldwide - a group that has passed our rigorous member screening process.

Tradeloop is more than a great place to do business; it's also a market research, pricing, and business tracking tool.