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Wireless photo uploading: A picture tells 1000 words & photos sell 1000 machines
Upload photos to your existing ads on the go – Watch the video to see how you can access this convenient new feature which is available on your account right now!
With the new mobile photo uploader you can load photos to your ads from anywhere, at anytime. Get infront of more customers and spend less time tied to your desk. The current version of the mobile photo uploader works with any Android and IOS6 enabled device.
Photos convey your machine information quicker and elicit an emotional response from potential buyers. So it’s no surprise that ads with images are viewed more often and for a longer duration than ones without.
For more information about accessing this convenience feature please contact the Digital Media Expert in your region:
Victoria & South Australia:
Eve: 0421 562 698
Queensland & Western Australia:
Tegan: 0488 003 742
New South Wales:
Cindy: 0417 129 572
New improvements to our advert format
At Machines4u.com.au we’re always striving to be the best place to buy and sell machinery in Australia. To improve search results and sales leads to advertisers we’ve added the following fields to our standard advert format:
ADVERT TITLE:
This field lets you put the best title in for the machinery you’re advertising, giving you a better chance to sell, this field will be prefilled for all existing adverts & can be updated as required.
MANUFACTURER/BRAND:
The addition of this field helps optimise your advert and will increase the number of buyers viewing your advert, helping you get better results in searches and making your machinery more visible to a wider range of searches.
MODEL:
Adding the specific model of your machinery linked to the Manufacturer/Brand field will increase your exposure to the ever more specific searches run on major search engines like Google, Yahoo etc.
The new Manufacture/Brand & Model fields are not compulsory, but taking the time to fill them in or suggest new Brands and Models will significantly increase the visibility of your machinery to the right buyers.
Take a moment to try out the new fields by editing one of your existing adverts, if you have any queries or would like talk about what the improvements mean for you call our team on 1300 092 545
Old advert format
New & improved advert format
Bigger better & more photos
How often have you met a new person and found later that you could recall their face but not their name?
Regardless of the context people rarely fail to be influenced by photography when shopping or browsing online. The best way to sell products is to let them sell themselves. Photos communicate information quickly; they are easier to ‘read’ than text and have the potential to elicit an emotional response.
9 out of 10 times, buyers will look at the photos before they read a single word of the text.
Considering this machines4u have made some changes to the system. We have now created a pop out window which allows you to view enlarged versions of photos and browse through our new photo gallery.
We have also increased the number of photos you can list per advert;
- Standard private adverts have increased from 3→5
- Premium private adverts have increased from 6→10
- Dealers adverts have increased from 6→14
Taking quality pictures;
Avoid using clichéd stock shots; users prefer ‘real’ photos to stock images. Despite the less polished look, they want a realistic vision of what it is exactly that they are buying.
Image size is important; increasingly fast internet connections allow users to work with large images. That said, if you are offering a ‘larger view’ of a photo, make sure it is significantly larger. We take care of providing the large and smaller versions but in order for us to do this you need to upload good quality photos that the system can automatically scale to the correct viewing size.
Photograph items at a close range. Pictures should be clear enough to show all of the details and where showing specific information e.g. hours of operation, the important elements should fill the whole frame.
Take multiple pictures of your item so buyers can see as much detail as possible. For example, take pictures of labels and accessories.
Finally, remember to watch the green bar when you are placing an advert. This shows the strength of your advert, the more green the stronger the advert.
Telling people something isn’t the same as showing them, the former is easier to forget. Pictures can be the difference between selling your product and not selling your product. Make sure to upload the maximum amount of images and you will see a vast increase in the position of your advert in the search results.
Trucks in Action & Civil Works Expo
On Friday last week a few members of the Machines4u team hit Lardner Park in Warragul for the combined Trucks in Action and Civil Works expo held from the 16th- to the 18thFebruary.
Excavators, skid steers and other construction machines were available for demonstration at regular intervals throughout the day for potential buyers who desired to demo the equipment. Lucky for us at Machines4u, dealers were happy to let the non-specialists take the reigns and play around in the mud pits.
Matt Turner from Case Construction was kind and patient enough to show us how to use the 5 and 21 tonne excavators which kept us more stimulated than you would probably think. Despite us having just a few square metres to manoeuvre and repeatedly digging and re-filling the same few holes, time ran away with us and we soon realised our team of 3 had taken over the whole trial pit and a small queue was forming to test the other machinery.
It was great to see some of the Machines4u members there and suffice to say our team thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We are now in great anticipation of the next event which will allow us to relive the days where playing in the mud was fun… and completely acceptable!
Avoiding Duplicate Adverts
It has recently come to our attention that there have been duplicate machine adverts placed on Machines4u. As a result of these double ups our automated surveying system has been programmed to remove them.
The issue of advert duplicating has been a bone of contention for a while but the fact is there are sincere disadvantages to having replicated adverts on the site. The repercussions are that Google will penalise the adverts for having identical content and the consequences will mean negative Google search results.
We want to maintain an equal playing field at Machines4u so as to give the buyer faith in the site and the machines that are being advertised. To maintain a true marketplace where what is advertised on the site is exactly what is on offer by you the dealers and private sellers. The only way to achieve this is to have strong live adverts for the buyers to browse through and not misleading duplicates.
Please assist us to make Machines4u.com.au the best marketplace to buy and sell machinery and many thanks for your support to date. If you have questions about adverts that have been removed or have any other queries in relation to duplicate adverts then please contact us.
Machines 4 U bag not one, but two, prestigious business awards in one night!
The Annual My Business Awards gala night was held in Sydney last week and Machines 4 U was honoured not once, but twice, recognising the innovation and hard work that’s gone into creating th
is site that helps you buy and sell your new and used industrial machinery easily and efficiently.
We’d like to thank all of our customers for your continued support and feedback over the last few years as this is what has helped us shape the site that you see today. It’s because of this that we continue with drive and enthusiasm to continually develop and improve the site to make it even easier and quicker for you to list your products and find that perfect piece of equipment within your price range.
We are committed to continual innovation to make it easier for small and large businesses alike to buy and sell the machinery needed to do business, benefiting the productivity of Australian industry as a whole.
One of our goals has been to make buying and selling equipment accessible to all businesses across Australia, even in remote areas and we are proud that we have already achieved that with machines4u.com.au.
The site receives more than 150,000 visitors each month and, these awards will help to raise even more awareness and increase the number of visitors. This is a great benefit to everyone involved and it means that the businesses that are listed on our site get even more exposure than before.
We’re very excited about the future for machines4u.com.au and are looking forward to bringing you more new services and options and taking our service to an even wider market, helping our great Aussie industry along the way.
Steve, Luke and the team
Machines4u.com.au winners of the Best Growth Strategy and Best Start-Up in the 2011 My Business Awards
2011 My Business Magazine Awards
Hot off the press are the finalists for the 2011 My Business Magazine Awards and we here at Machines4u are proud to announce that we have been shortlisted for not one but two of these prestigious awards.
Every year the My Business Magazine Awards aim to celebrate the outstanding achievements of Australian business enterprises. These awards highlight the tremendous efforts of young businesses and entrepreneurs that as a result have converted into success.
Machines4u have been nominated for the “Best Business Growth Strategy” and the “Best Business Start-up Awards” along with 4 other finalists in each category. The winners of which will be announced at the Awards Gala dinner which take place on the 6th of October. The judging will be assessed by a panel of 5 new business experts, a representative from each category’s sponsor and the editor of My Business Magazine. This panel will then vote in the respective categories.
Thanks to all our users for their support this year which has contributed to our success and we promise there are more big things to come in 2012!
Click here to view categories and finalists.
For more details on the event click here
Big Server Update!
If you have been with us for a while or are a regular visitor to the site you will already know that we are not the type of company that runs on auto. We are forever evolving and developing our online sphere to give you the best service. Our teams efforts have increased traffic numbers and hence added demands to our server, which has seen server load grow 400% since March 2011.
As a result of the large number of visitors to the site our servers are in need of a total revamp. We’re upgrading to two servers with over 32 times the power of our existing one.
This will dramatically increase response speeds for everyone using the site. In laymans terms a quicker and better service for you!
These changes will come into effect before October with a weekend changeover period. During which, the listing of new adverts will be suspended to prevent duplications and hiccups. Apart from this it’ll be business as usual but we’ll be back stronger and faster than ever!
For updates, watch this space…
Scam SMS? Report it
The ACMA & SCAMwatch have made it easier to report spam SMS – simply forward the message to the dedicated Spam SMS line – 0429 999 888. Your mobile phone provider’s standard billing rates will apply to the forwarded message.
Genuine buyers do not use SMS as a first contact with a machinery seller. If a buyer claims to be overseas, on holiday or on an oil rig, etc and requires paypal details, email address or any other personal information chances are it’s a scam.
Scammers have clearly added texting to their toolbox – don’t let them fool you into providing personal details or money via follow-up SMS, phone calls or emails.
You can report a scam SMS to the ACCC via the report a scam page on SCAMwatch or by calling 1300 795 995.
See you at the Ace Expo
Machines4u is gearing up for ACE 2011. The three day event is from Thursday 24 February to Saturday 26 February at the Sandown Racecourse.
You’ll find it hard to miss us this year as you make your way into the indoor area. Decked out in orange and ready to roll!
Be prepared for Australia’s Biggest Construction Equipment Expo ever seen in Victoria.
Drop in and say hello.
Check ACE out at www.aceexpo.com.au
Welcome Back
Happy New Year and warmest greetings at the start of the New Year.
Our office is now open for 2011 and we are pumped for a huge year ahead of us.
We are looking forward to bringing more and more quality buyers to your door.
Over the holidays we received an email from Amanda, a mum, with a teething baby boy who just loved the machines4u stress hammer. The hammer is “just the right size to chew on”. So much so, that the pet dog loved it just as much. Thankfully machines4u had a spare stress hammer to send to Amanda.
We hope you had a fantastic Christmas break Amanda and family, here’s to 2011!
Happy holidays
As 2010 speeds to a close, a huge thank you to all our clients, private listers, partners and everyone else we’ve had the pleasure of working with, for making 2010 such an enjoyable and successful year.
Our office will be closed from Thursday 23rd of December 2010 – Wednesday 5th January 2011. We are just an email (info@machines4u.com.au) away if you would like to get in touch with us during this time. We’ll promptly respond within 72 working hours.
Machines4u wishes you a Merry Christmas and the team looks forward to an exciting year, full of bright ideas, ahead of us.
We’re Hiring!
Are you excited by new challenges, self motivated and wanting a successful sales job that provides great bonuses and job satisfaction?
As a result of more than 300% client base growth in 2 years we are seeking to employ a new Sales Representative to join the team. You’ll bring a proven track record in achieving sales results, sound training in business to business sales and marketing and be ready to work in an office environment that is fun and motivating…with a great coffee machine!
If you’d like to find out more call Steve on 1300 092 545 or email your resume to sales@machines4u.com.au
Scheduled Maintenance Notice
Due to a 300% increase in traffic over the last 12 months scheduled server upgrades are being brought forward to improve site performance and speed with the ever increasing traffic and server demand.
Reason: Server performance upgrade
Date: Friday, 24th September 2010
Time: 4.00pm – 5.00pm AEST
Staff will be performing an initial reboot of the Machines4u servers as part of the performance upgrade as per our policies and procedures. We expect the time that Machines4u services will be unavailable for 30-40 Minutes depending on progress of the upgrade.
Ad Strength & Improved Search System
Our Search results page has long been the subject of lively discussion from all our users. Being on the first page of any search produces a higher number of sales opportunities. Until recently the default search order has been based on price, which while being simple is open to abuse and fails to show the best results to searchers. To provide a fair system for all users on our site we have created a new default search system based on search engines like Google, Yahoo etc
The new system uses a “Ad Strength” algorithm to analyse adverts based on their title, description, photos, videos, age, and pricing to give a buyer the best results possible. The most complete and relevant content is displayed as default, then allowing a searcher to choose how to sort or refine their search results further.
What this means for sellers: Producing full and complete adverts for your machinery will generate more views and enquiries for your products. Your content or live machines page will now give you feedback on the “Advert Strength” of your adverts.
You’ll find the measure of your advert strength displayed as a small green bar on each of your adverts, improving the information in your advert about the machinery for sale will increase the “Advert Strength”.
Machines4u at Agquip 2010 17-19 August
Machines4u.com.au is exhibiting at Agquip 2010 from 17th-19th August in Gunnedah NSW. With over 100,000 visitors expected Agquip 2010 is the biggest Agricultural event in Australia this year.
Visit the team at Stand G15B and check out our Apple Ipad promotion.
Vic Variety Club Bash sets off
A few of the Machines4u team were on hand to farewell car number 8 “The Karate Kids” in the Victorian Variety Club Bash 2010 this morning.
The bash car is being driven by Darren from Hounslow Engineering & his co-pilot Mel Durdin from HS CNC. Last year the team raised almost $20,000 for the Variety Club Childrens charity and this year are hoping to beat the record. You can join Machines4u in supporting the Variety Club by pledging your donation to car number 8 (or your own favourite!) on the Variety Victoria website.
The Bash sets off from Ballarat tomorrow morning and finishes on 21 August in Margaret River WA. Watch this space for the Machines4u.com.au Variety Bash car in 2011!
GST Advertising Changes
Due to recent changes in Government legislation machinery advertising is now required to carry GST Inclusive pricing. Machines4u adverts now automatically display exclusive and inclusive pricing on each advert, whether you choose to list your adverts as inclusive or exclusive.
Please check your adverts placed in recent weeks to ensure they’re showing correct pricing.
300% growth in 24 months
Machines4u.com.au just passed a new milestone in growth, with over 75,000 unique Australian visitors in the last 30 days. We’d like to thank all of our machinery dealers and users who’ve helped make our site what it is today and what it will be tomorrow. 
Machines4u has increased in size and traffic over 300% in the last 24 months and we’re still growing at 10-20% a month. With more Australian machinery buyers using the site than ever before we have a constant demand for new machinery adverts, so list yours now.
What is a Machine Alert?
Machines4u.com.au now runs a machinery alert system as part of MachinEmail. The Machine Alert system keeps interested buyers up to date with new machines listed on Machines4u that match their requirements. Any Machines4u member can have up to 5 Machine Alerts running at once, and every evening any new adverts matching their requirements are sent to them directly via email.
What this means for sellers is that your machinery is seen by relevant buyers as quickly as possible, giving you the best possible chance of making a quick sale. So you don’t have to wait, days weeks or months for a buyer to run the same search again to find your machine like other machinery sites.
Since Machines4u started the Machine Alert system we’ve seen a direct increase in machines listed as sold within 24 hours. Machine Alerts are a free Service that any machinery buyers and sellers can use, simply pick the machinery subcategory and details you’re looking for.
Welcome to the Machines4u Help Blog
Machines4u.com.au is now running a help blog to keep you up to date with new features, updates and changes on our site and in your industry. The purpose of this blog is to help you get the most out of our website and guide you through our new features.
In new posts on this blog you’ll find videos, instructions and general tips to help you with selling your machinery. You can also have your say by leaving questions or comments for our staff. We hope you’ll find our blog helpful and informative & look forward to getting your suggestions