Adding Items to Mobile Bidding and Creating Display Screen(s)
For designating items to be offered via mobile bidding and creating the displays to be projected during your event.
Note: When deciding which items to include, be aware that Mobile bidding works best when limited to 10-15 items. Not all guests are equally capable, or comfortable, with using mobile technology - so having plenty of traditional bidding opportunities allows all of your guests to support your cause in a manner they will feel good about. Also, smartphones have pretty small screens - so navigating dozens and dozens of items in order to place bids can be too high of a hurdle for many bidders.
Also: We recommend printing basic paper bid sheets for your Mobile items as an emergency back-up, just in case you experience poor cell phone reception or connectivity issues at your venue.
To designate items for Mobile Bidding:
Go to Catalog > Add or Edit Item:
1. Check the Mobile Bidding venue to include item.
Note: Other than Venue, Mobile and Online Items share the same parameters/fields.
2. Mobile Items with type = Silent must have quantity = 1.
3. Online opening time determines when the item opens for bidding.
4. Online closing time stops bidding at the predetermined time. (Opening and Closing times can also be bulk edited).
Be sure to save your changes.
To allow supporters not present at your gala to bid:
Option 1:
1. Set up and sell (or issue) a "Mobile Bidding Only" ticket. These tickets can be sold online or entered internally by your team. Just be sure to collect an email address for each guest bidding remotely.
2. As ticketholders, remote bidders will receive the same email invitation sent to the guests present at your gala. The email provides a prompt and easy access to begin bidding.
Option 2:
If bidding on your mobile items began in the Online Auction, remote bidders can continue to bid via the online auction until closing:
1. Edit Items to be for sale in both Online Auction AND Mobile Bidding.
2. When sending email invitations to begin Mobile Bidding, you can also opt to send invitations to any or all of your Online Auction bidders.
Both:
3. Each bidder can view the bidding progression on any item within the Mobile Catalog as well as details on the items they have placed bids on and any items they have been outbid on. Keep in mind that remote bidders will not be able to view the display screen shown at your event, nor will they hear announcements of impending closings etc.
4. If a remote bidder is the high bidder, they will be awarded the item and will be able to pay using the same online tools available to your gala guests (Pay Now button on account and/or Invitation to Self Check-out.
To begin bidding in online auction, then transfer bidding to Mobile:
Keep in mind that all item parameters (except Venue) are shared between online and mobile bidding. . .
- Set Online Closing times for the point at which you want MOBILE bidding to end.
- Set your Online Auction to Close to Public View when you want ONLINE bidding to end at Admin > Site Settings > Online Auction > General.
- You will probably want to include info on your site to explain the online bidding will close at date/time and bidding will continue at the gala.
- Be sure that the Mobile items are also closed to public viewing until your gala begins at Site Settings > Mobile > General.
To create display screen(s):
Go to Admin > Auction Night Charts > Display Screens > Manage
Manage Display Screens:
1. Create a New Display Screen.
2. Edit and Existing Display Screen.
3. Preview and Project a Display Screen
To Configure Display Screen:
1/2. Provide a Name and Description (not public, identifies display on list of available displays shown in previous image.
3. Optional: Add image, logo or text to display at the top of the screen.
4. Select how many items should display at once (1-3). Note that Multiple Item Images only display when displaying one item at a time.
5. Select the scroll rate. Note that items refresh each time they scroll, so frequent scrolling provides the most up to date bid reporting.
6. The High bid is always displayed but you can select how much bid history (if any) to display.
7. Select desired options Note: Items will not refresh to display most recent bids unless items scroll.
8. Select All and/or add/remove desired items to display.
9. Save your changes.
Preview your Display Screen:
Be sure to test your display well ahead of time to ensure your hardware works together.