buySAFE update, and Steve Woda's new contact information

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note;charset=utf-8:Founder\, Chairman\, & Sr. VP - Product & Strategy at
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Dear Friends,

Please excuse the impersonal nature of this email, but I wanted to make sure that each of you had my new contact information.

After almost nine years of building buySAFE, I’ve wrapped up my time at the company that I founded while in grad school at Wharton.  I am leaving buySAFE in very capable hands, with fresh funding, and the brightest future that the company has ever had.  It has been a quite a ride, and I am pleased with what we accomplished.  We made the Internet safer for tens of millions of shoppers and more profitable for thousands of ecommerce merchants; we developed new products and technologies now licensed and utilized by some of the largest safety and security companies in the world; and we had a lot of fun in the process.  Here is our official announcement...  http://www.stevewoda.com/2009/03/thank-you-buysafe.html

It has been a few weeks since my last day in the office, and the rest of the buySAFE team has continued and will continue to do great work for our customers and investors.  I am confident that they will perform at the same high level that buySAFE is known for.  If you need to contact anyone at buySAFE in the future, I suggest you touch base with Jeff Grass, buySAFE’s CEO, at jgrass@buysafe.com or Tim Woda, buySAFE’s VP of Biz Dev and Sales, at twoda@buysafe.com.  I am quite sure they can either assist you directly or point you to the person that will.

As for me, I am stepping back, spreading my wings a bit, and looking for new challenges.  I am thinking about new venture ideas, consulting and advising for a number of companies, and considering interesting executive leadership opportunities.  Of course, drop me a note if you think I might be helpful with anything you are working on.  I am always willing to assist if I can.

My buySAFE email address and phone are no longer actively monitored, so in the future, please use my new contact information below (also included in the attached Vcard).  I look forward to catching-up with you soon, and of course, I will keep you up to date on my future adventures as well.

Best regards,
Steve

****************************
Steven L. Woda
202-321-5482
steve@swoda.com
http://www.stevewoda.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/stevewoda
http://twitter.com/stevewoda


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Seth Godin on the buySAFE Podcast Network

One of my favorite authors is Seth Godin. Recently, buySAFE was able to catch-up with Seth to get his thoughts on eCommerce, permission marketing, buySAFE, and a couple of other interesting tidbits. The buySAFE podcast was pretty interesting for me, and I hope you enjoy it as well.

Although each of his books is a treat, in my humble opinion, I believe Seth Godin’s best work is Permission Marketing. If you haven’t read it, you should. The concepts he outlines terrific for folks that market online in today’s world.

Technorati: Permission Marketing, buySAFE, Seth Godin, Podcast

Del.icio.us: Permission Marketing, buySAFE, Seth Godin, Podcast

The Trusted Merchant Gallery on the Overstock.com Shopping Site

This week, Overstock.com introduced a Trusted Merchant Gallery on the Overstock.com® Shopping Site. As you may know, all of Overstock.com's Trusted Merchants are buySAFE Bonded Sellers, so obviously we are excited about this new improvement to Overstock.com's site.

The Trusted Merchant Gallery will provide Trusted Merchants with access to a new – and huge – group of shoppers. Trusted Merchant listings will be visible in the search results at Overstock.com's main shopping site. Early traffic and sales results have exceeded expectations!

According to Overstock.com, the New Trusted Merchant Gallery:

• Spotlights Trusted Merchant's listings ONLY
• Provides exposure to over 10 million shoppers per month
• Delivers highly qualified shoppers who have already begun to search for products

You can view the Trusted Merchant Gallery in action. You will see the gallery at the end of the search results. In the past, when Trusted Merchants / Bonded Sellers have been included in the search results, we have seen dramatic increases in sales volume, and I expect we will see the same thing with this new feature. I will be watching the results quite carefully, and I will plan to follow-up with another post that gives more details on the data as it becomes available.

Technorati: Bonded Sellers, buySAFE, eCommerce, Overstock.com, Safety, Trust, Trust and safety, Trusted Merchants

Del.icio.us: Bonded Sellers, buySAFE, eCommerce, Overstock.com, Safety, Trust, Trust and safety, Trusted Merchants

Google: Bonded Sellers, buySAFE, eCommerce, Overstock.com, Safety, Trust, Trust and safety, Trusted Merchants

Wikipedia: Bonded Sellers, buySAFE, eCommerce, Overstock.com, Safety, Trust, Trust and safety, Trusted Merchants

Customer service. Is it a lost art?

I recently met a smart, young marketer by the name of Craig Montgomery. He has a terrific blog covering the subject of marketing, and he recently did a post that I thought was worth thinking about. Customer service is something that lots of companies talk about, and very few do well. In this post, Craig talks about Starbucks and the lost art of customer service. Honestly, as a busy person, customer service (or the lack thereof) influences almost every repeat purchase decision I make. I suspect I am not alone.

eBay Express goes live

eBay finally launched eBay Express last night. It is clean and simple. I like it much better than the old eBay because the search process seems so easy. Nice work.

Google launches Google Calendar

Well we talked about this back in December, and it has finally happened. Google launched Google Calendar last week. I like it, and I suspect it will gain nice traction. I have used Yahoo's calendar for a couple of years now, but I have always struggled with the "sharing" functionality. Google's sharing functionality seems to work flawlessly...so far. This is my favorite part of the product. Check it out when you get a chance.

Google announces launch of Google Romance

Google has done it again. I always enjoy their annual April Fool's jokes, and this one is pretty creative. This year, Google announced the launch of Google Romance. The Solumate Search and Contextual Dating options sound impressive. :) Anyone remember Google Gulp in 2005? In 2004, Google began hiring for lunar engineers for the Google Copernicus Center. In 2002, Google announced the real secret behind their fabulous search technology, Google PigeonRank. In 2000, launched the Google MentalPlex. They sure do have fun over there. A belated April Fool's Day to all.

Nice PR. I'll take it.

The Northern Virginia Technology Council and Bisnow on Business partner together to publish a terrific weekly email newsletter that includes interviews with Washington's top entrepreneurs. Well, I was lucky enough to be included this week, and I thought I would share. You can visit Bisnow.com to read the interview. I want to thank Mark Bisnow and Tania Anderson for asking me to participate.

How Do Successful People Get That Way?

My undergraduate alma mater, Florida Southern College, had its annual homecoming this past weekend, and unfortunately, I wasn't able to make it back for the event. However, it did get me thinking about my college experience and what I learned during my four years in Lakeland, Florida. I think about one of my former professors often. Jeff Wiley taught finance, but the greatest gift he gave me had little to do with finance. One day in class in 1989, Col. Wiley decided to talk about how to be successful. He wanted to share his thoughts about how we would ultimately achieve success beyond the grounds of FSC. He gave each of us a brief handout that provided his view of how to be successful in life, and I thought I would share it with you. How Do Successful People Get That Way? 1) They have plenty of drive. 2) They accept responsibility cheerfully. 3) They know that success is never an accident. 4) They know that the customer is their real "boss". 5) They look, listen, and learn. 6) They find out if they're not sure. 7) They set an example to others. 8) They know that the next field only looks greener. 9) They welcome new ideas. 10) They profit by their mistakes. 11) They speak clearly and convincingly. 12) They don't expect all the credit. 13) They cooperate. 14) They realize that their future is their own responsibility. 15) They think things through...first. 16) They believe that good manners are good business. 17) They know the world does not owe them a living. 18) They are willing to go that "extra mile". 19) They are careful about their finances. 20) They set a goal for themselves. 21) They realize that everything worth having has a price tag. 22) They keep physically and mentally fit. 23) They earnestly want to succeed. 24) They know the value of enthusiasm. 25) They make others feel important. 26) They try to help the "boss". 27) They never "pass the buck". 28) They control their temper. 29) They consider work a privilege, not a chore. 30) They are their own severest critic. 31) They've learned that easy does it. 32) They try to cut expenses. 33) They never forget! Obviously, as flawed humans, none of us will ever be able to live up to all of these ideal attributes. However, Col. Wiley's advice on how to be a successful person is inspirational to me, and I hope you enjoy it as well. Have a nice weekend!

Microsoft offers challenge to eBay and Google Base

Microsoft has finally launched its Windows Live Expo. eBay now has to consider not just the competitive threat of Google and its Google Base, but now Microsoft as well. Although 2005 was a very interesting year for eCommerce, I believe 2006 is going to be even more exciting. Obviously, the Live Expo site is brand new, and so the functionality and inventory of listings is still pretty light. However, like almost everything that Microsoft decides to tackle, I expect Live Expo will ultimately be a decent eCommerce channel at some point soon. For every eCommerce entrepreneur that makes a living selling online and for every company that supports these online merchants, the additional online competition is likely to bring new opportunity and decreased dependencies/risk. For most of us, Microsoft's entry is a positive event. Windows Live Expo

Key info for your trip to eBay Live! 2006

If you haven't been to eBay Live! before, you don't know what you are missing. It is an amazing experience. Lot's of eBay buyers, sellers and employees, and every major third party service provider you can think of. It is a good time, and a great business opportunity. This year, the event moves to Las Vegas, and I highly encourage you to attend if you can make it. If you are interested in joining us at eBay Live!, I want to give you a couple of quick suggestions to help you make the most of your trip... 1) Do your homework, and plan out how you are going to leverage the experience ahead of time. Besides the official eBay Live! site, one of the best resources you will find on the event is the Going to eBay Live! 2006 blog. The blog is published by a number of eBay sellers, and they are the real pros. I promise you that their experienced view of eBay will be helpful for you. You might enjoy their perspective on the craziness of eBay Live! as well. 2) Attend the classes. eBay Live! is a terrific educational opportunity, and we can all learn something new about this dynamic eCommerce channel. There is something for everyone. 3) Make sure you make it to the 4th Annual eBay Live! Meet & Greet Party on 6/12 at The Beach Las Vegas . The party aims to pull the eBay community together the night before things really get going. There is an interesting history behind the event, and I promise you that you will meet new friends and renew old acquaintances. Again, the party is a blast, so don't miss it. 4) Visit as many of the exhibitor booths as you can. The eBay marketplace is extremely robust, and one of the major reasons for its success is the eBay community including the third party service providers. The exhibitors at eBay Live! represent all facets of the eBay ecosystem, and by visiting booths and asking lots of questions, you will inevitably learn something new about your business, the marketplace, and how you might be more successful in 2006. I encourage you to stop by and say hello to us at buySAFE. We will be at Booth #831. I look forward to meeting you at eBay Live! in Las Vegas. Don't miss it!

buySAFE in the News

buySAFE has had some very nice press lately. One of my favorite blogs is Brian Smith's ComparisonEngines.com, and he recently did a nice piece at ComparisonEngines.com on buySAFE and how important trust is to comparison shopping search. Since founding buySAFE, I have believed that buySAFE is a perfect compliment to merchant ratings in the search process because reducing the friction of uncertainty inevitably leads to better conversion metrics, and therefore, more profits for the search firms and merchants. It is nice to see a few smart folks agree. Also, buySAFE recently had an opportunity to live up to its brand promise (Know who to trust....Guaranteed) when one of eBay's top rated sellers went out of business. buySAFE was able to quickly step up to the plate and financially protect GlacierBayDVD's buyers after thousands had been left holding the bag. Rob Hof of Business Week was apparently one of the unfortunate shoppers, and he covered the experience in his blog. Thankfully, buySAFE was able to help him out as well.

GoDaddy.com's Super Bowl viral marketing campaign

GoDaddy.com is a controversial company, but I think GoDaddy's Super Bowl viral marketing campaign is pretty creative. As you may already know, GoDaddy was given the stiff arm by ABC repeatedly in its attempt to advertise in this year's Super Bowl. Last year's ad was fairly risque, and ABC was determined to not to repeat that mistake again this year. GoDaddy submitted thirteen versions of their ad before finally getting ABC's approval. The viral marketing campaign must be working because I received two emails today from friends on GoDaddy's commercial. Very interesting. I hope you have a few laughs with the commercials as well.

Google Calendar?

Is Google planning to launch a Google Calendar? Well there are lots of folks that seem to think so. The rumor mill is working overtime with speculation that Google will make a big announcement at the Web 2.0 Conference in Palo Alto, CA on Tuesday, and all signs point to a new Google Calendar. This would be a terrific piece of functionality in my mind...if done well. There are a lot of calendar tools out there, and most fail miserably. I recently signed up for Trumba after participating in a BzzAgent campaign, and I really like the service. I can share my calendar with friends, family and co-workers on a scheduled basis, and it syncs seamlessly with my Outlook. Overall, it is better than anything else I have found. Still, there is a lot left to be desired, and Google might be able to provide that answer. My biggest concern about Google Calendar is whether or not it will sync with my Outlook. If it doesn't, I probably won't use it. Let's hope it does.

Skype upgrades!

I am a big fan of Skype. I have been using it for about 6 months now, and it has basically replaced all of my other instant messenger programs. I enjoy the fact that Skype doesn't pollute their tool with a bunch of advertising, and I love the combined functionality of chat, phone, and conference calls. Honestly, it is head and shoulders better than all of the other chat/talk tools in my humble. I just wish it were a little more mainstream, so that more of my family and friends would feel comfortable switching as well. This week, Skype rolled out an upgraded version of their software. Skype 2.0 is still in Beta, but it looks exciting. They have wrapped video into the software, so that you can now make video phone calls. I haven't upgraded my version of Skype yet, but I plan to this weekend. Once I do, I will report back with my thoughts. Also, in another post, I will give you my thoughts on what I think about Skype and eBay. There are lots of strong opinions on the wisdom of eBay's big investment, and I can't help but weigh in with my own. :)

buySAFE launches risk-free, comparison shopping site

We launched a new version of buySAFE Shopping this week, and so far, so good. In recent weeks, the mainstream media has done a fairly nice job of covering buySAFE's new risk-free, comparison shopping site including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Newsweek, Washington Post, and Consumer Reports. Obviously, we are pleased. The new site is designed to provide consumers with the safest shopping experience available anywhere on the Internet. How do we do this? buySAFE uses surety bonds to guarantee the transactions of Bonded Sellers up to $25,000 for each transaction. That's right...If the transaction is Bonded (and on buySAFE Shopping, EVERY item is Bonded), you have nothing to worry about! Great deals and no risk. Good stuff. I am excited to start all of my Christmas shopping at buySAFE Shopping this year! buySAFE Shopping at http://shopping.buysafe.com .... buySAFE's answer to safe, comparison shopping.

Welcome to SWoda's Big Blog

Hi everyone. This is my first blog post. I hope to provide you with interesting commentary and news over time, and obviously, I will welcome your feedback as I develop my own style and blogging skills. As always, I will be candid with my observations. Finally, if you have interesting content or ideas that you would like me to cover, simply let me know, and I will try to cover the subject at some point in the near future. Thanks again for vising my blog! Steve