New Trading Floor Launched - Easy to Navigate & Lightning Fast

Search for parts the easy way at our new Tradeloop Trading Floor. We've redesigned the search function to provide even more accurate, targeted results. New search filters show you results based on geography, message type, manufacturers, and more. And the updated page layout offers more product information and user interactivity.

Search the Trading Floor now and check out the new design!

Use the slider bar on the search results page to narrow your search. Mix and match between the following options. The search results page updates in real time as you select/deselect the checkboxes:

• Members Only listings or Public listings
• Country
• Manufacturer
  
• Item Conditions
• Companies
• Seller Name
  

Learn more about an item when you click on either the part number or vendor link on an individual listing. That expands the listing to give you access to more information about the part and the seller.

You have quick access to the company contact's user profile and the company profile. Send an email, see how long the company has been a Tradeloop member, and even send a Connections request - all from the Trading Floor!

Here's how it displays:

Visit the Trading Floor and try out the new search options. Let us know what you think here at Tradeloop's Member Blog.

New Trading Floor Design - Tell Us What You'd Like To See

We're redesigning the Trading Floor and want your suggestions. We've asked for member input before as we upgraded the Ethics and Broadcast areas, email functions, and other features of the Tradeloop site. Your responses gave us ideas for better navigation, new reports, and additional parts upload options.

Our Trading Floor redesign project includes:

• A redesigned search function that will provide even more accurate, targeted results.
• Search results filters that let you filter results based on geography, message type, and other options. It will be similar to the filter options on the Broadcast page.
• A more modern page layout with more user interactivity.
• Improved navigation.

What other changes would you like to see? Please share your comments and suggestions here at the blog so that other members can review them and offer their opinions as well.

Click on the "Comment" link below and tell us what you think!

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.

Upload Unlimited Inventory With A Standard Membership

Tradeloop's Trading Floor is more than a list of parts for sale. Use the information contained in the Trading Floor database to make pricing decisions, see who is searching on your inventory, and see a list of the most popular searches. All Tradeloop standard members can upload an unlimited number of parts and offer them for sale at Tradeloop.

Uploading is easy. You can either enter parts individually (which works for a small number of items) or upload a list of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of parts using a comma-delimited (.csv) file. Complete instructions for uploading are at the Tradeloop Web site.

We encourage all Tradeloop members to upload their inventory lists and use the Trading Floor to locate items and research the wholesale market.

• Tradeloop's Search History reports use the Trading Floor information to determine the most popular searches and tell you who has been searching on your listings.
• The Price History reports help you track price fluctuations over time. You can see the high, low, and average wholesale prices for individual part numbers. To view a parts price history, go to the Trading Floor, enter the part number, and click on the part number link to see a price history report on that item.
  
  

Remember, Tradeloop Standard members can upload an unlimited number of inventory items to the Trading Floor. We've recently updated the search results display to prevent end users from seeing any portion of dealer-only results. Learn more about how to upload your inventory list or contact us at Tradeloop for help.

Trading Floor Display Change Benefits Members & End Users

We've made a slight - but important - modification to Tradeloop's Trading Floor display. It prevents non-members from seeing any portion of a dealer-only listing. We made this change to further protect the integrity of the dealer-only area. Also, it was a bit frustrating for end users to see row upon row of search results they couldn't access.

Previously, when an end user or non-member searched on Tradeloop, the dealer name and price was hidden, but the part and description would show. The vast majority of Tradeloop listings are wholesale listings, so those searchers would see this message over and over: "Wholesale Listing - Members Only"

That's frustrating to someone who wants to buy a replacement battery for his laptop, not wade through scores of search results that he can't access anyway. With the change, this same searcher can browse through 43 results on a Trading Floor search for "Toshiba notebook accessories" and every result is for product that's available to end users.

The page also notes that there are an additional 33 dealer only listings that aren't displayed.


When the searcher clicks on the "Dealer-Only listings" link, he's taken to a page that prompts him to log in (because it's information available only to Tradeloop wholesale members) or register for a Free Trial membership at Tradeloop.

This change keeps retail customers from accessing even a little bit of information about wholesale listings and gives them a search results page that's more readable and usable.

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.

Faster Searches & Page Display on the Trading Floor

Searching the Trading Floor got easier and faster with the launch of a new layout and search results display. You'll notice the difference when you visit the search by Manufacturer page and category search pages.

The Manufacturer search page still has the tag cloud at the top with the most popular manufacturers listed. However, we replaced the long, long list of manufacturer names underneath with a single search bar that displays the alphabet, A to Z. Each letter is a link that takes you to a results page for all manufacturer names beginning with that particular letter.

This smaller page loads much more quickly and makes it easier for you to find a particular manufacturer - particularly those with names that begin with letters at the end of the alphabet! Instead of endless page scrolling, you can jump directly to the section you need.

The Category search page has the same structure. You'll see the top manufacturers listed in a tag cloud at the top, with the alphabetical search bar underneath.

And while you're on the Trading Floor, don't forget to take advantage of our recently-launched Search History page. It's a great market research tool that helps you see who's searching your inventory and all of Tradeloop too.

Price History Charts Are Helpful Research Tools

Wondering if you're asking the right price for those disk drives or if you're getting a good deal on a lot of flash memory? Just visit the Tradeloop Trading Floor, type in the part number, and check the price history. It's a great research tool for both buyers and sellers.

Thanks to a redesigned system and improved data warehouse, we now have price history charts and information on numerous parts – and more data is accumulating every day.

The price history tool is easy to use. Just look up any part number, and the results page displays the high, low, and average price on the top right side of the page. To view the price history chart, click on the "Price History" link below the pricing information.

Here's a sample price history chart for an HP KVM adapter – part number 262587-B21:


Note the different colors that display high, low, and average pricing for both retail and wholesale items.

It's a given that many commodities experience seasonal price fluctuations. Experienced computer traders know that the price and supply of IT equipment changes over time for a variety of reasons. For instance, towards the end of fiscal years, some institutions want to dispose of equipment while others rush to drain the yearly budget with new purchases.

Price history data helps traders track pricing trends and monitor price changes in the market. Use it as a handy research tool when you're trying to determine the optimum price for buying and/or selling.