Online Silent Auctions - Step by Step Guide
It's simple to set up an online silent auction on GalaBid. See the steps below and if you have questions along the way, reach out to our team.
Step One - GalaBid Account Set Up
If you have not already set up an account go to galabid.com or speak to your local representative.
Step Two - Campaign Set Up
Click 'Create campaign' and follow the prompts to set up the shell of your campaign.
Step Three - Adding your Auction Items
Expand the Items section in the side menu. Click Items, then click the Create Item button and choose the Auction item type. Silent Auction is the defualt and the one to be used to when setting up an online auction. Fill out the fields to set the starting bid, the increment. Set a Buy Now Price Price if applicable. Include one or more images a description, and terms and conditions relevant to the item. The AI Assistant can help.
Alternatively, download the items template, complete the relevant fields (highlighted cells) and save and upload the file. See 4:30 in the Items video below. Then upload images to each item.
Categories can be set up along the way within the item set up, or by navigating to Items > Categories.
See this video for an overview on uploading items.
Tip: Vouchers is a very handy feature you may like to consider. You can set up vouchers for individual items to provide winners with information on how to claim/book their prize. Vouchers are automatically delivered to winners once payment has been processed. For an overview of vouchers see this article.
Tip: GalaBid provides a range of sale or return auction items. All proceeds above the cost of the prize are donated to your cause.
Step Four - Payment Processing
Navigate to Setup > Payments to set up a Stripe account OR connect an existing Stripe account. This enables you to automatically receive the proceeds into your bank account. You can ask participants in your campaign to pay an extra amount, when making a payment (for example to cover the transaction fees charged by Stripe).
Tip: Watch the video about Payment Settings to understand which donation asks etc you would like to include.
Tip : On Setup > Invoicing complete the details that will be displayed on the invoice each participant receives when they make a payment to your campaign. This should include the name of the organization or individual collecting the funds along with contact details for any queries. Read more about the Invoice template.
Step Five - Campaign Branding
On the side menu go to Branding > Settings to add colours, logos etc. Here you can also set up a widget page. The AI assistant can help with creating logos, banners and widget images.
Step Six - Registration Settings
On Setup > Registration you can create custom fields if you require additional information to be collected. An example may be Company Name. Email is included by default. Enable phone number and participants will be given the option to opt into SMS notifications.
Step Seven - Auction Open and Close settings
Open Auction Controls in the side menu. Auctions can be manually opened closed and paused.
Also, an automatic start and close time can be set along with overtime.
The end of auction messages can also be edited via the Communications section in the left hand menu.
Tip: Edit the message that will be sent to participants who did not win/make any purchase/donations during the auction to prompt them to donate by linking a donation item to the message.
Step Eight - Link to Share with Supporters
You will find the link to your campaign in the top left corner of your campaign dashboard. You will also find a QR code pointing to the registration page on your campaign. Share this link and QR code with potential supporters.
Step Nine - In Person Event Preparation
Set up a leaderboard by navigating to Projector Displays to display auction items and the highest bids to an in-room audience. Also go to Volunteers in the side menu and set up an account for each event volunteer/staff member. These accounts are typically used on mobile devices (tablets/phones) to assist guests at an in person event. Volunteer accounts can register bidders, place bids, make bidders anonymous, take payments in person.
Tip: Check out the Item Booklet feature which generates printable displays including QR codes for items in your campaign. See Items > Downloadable Assets
Step Ten - Tracking and Reporting
Access the Summary page in the side menu to see your total raised in real time. Go to the Bids and Buys section to view and delete any mistaken bids. For detailed reporting download the relevant report in the Reports section. When the auction has closed, track the status of payments and send payment reminders in the Checkout Console. Payments made on your campaign will be automatically paid into your bank account by Stripe. The frequency of payouts can be edited in your Stripe dashboard.
This video walks you through all of the features available within the Checkout Console.
