Swappa mentioned on Yahoo Shine

Swappa has been mentioned in an article on Yahoo Shine.

Check out the article:
http://shine.yahoo.com/event/techtools/how-to-sell-your-old-smartphones-2596437/

From the article:

If you're one of the 4 million people who picked up a new Apple iPhone 4S during its first weekend, or if you're waiting eagerly for the next Android smartphone, you probably have an old phone that has suddenly become obsolete for you. That's an expensive piece of technology to dump in a landfill, though! Thankfully, there are several different ways you can get rid of your old smartphone and even make a little money in the process.

Swappa is mentioned as an Android-specific option. The article brought a ton of new traffic to the site. Awesome.

Swappa sponsoring The Big Android BBQ

Swappa is excited and proud to be one of the sponsors of The Big Android BBQ.

Check it out: http://bigandroidbbq.com/sponsor/

About The Big Android BBQ:

The Big Android BBQ is a “Funvention” it’s all about having fun while learning a little something new and getting to know others in the awesome Android community. Together all in one place you will find some of the best developers, vendors, and Android fanatics around. There will be food, drinks, knowledge sessions, collaboration, and most of all fun. Festivities kick off Friday night with a welcome party organized by AndroidGuys.com. Pizza, Drinks, and music are provided, attendees are welcome to swim and have a good time getting to know each other.

Learn more at: http://bigandroidbbq.com/

Swappa Featured on VZBuzz

Swappa has been featured on VZBuzz, the unofficial Verizon blog.

Check it out:
http://www.vzbuzz.com/2011/06/looking-to-buy-or-sell-an-android-device-check-out-swappa-com/

So how do you upgrade to a better phone, without breaking your contract, and avoid spending an arm and a leg? I pondered this same question a few months ago when my HTC Droid Eris started to show it’s age, but I found myself only halfway through my two year contract. Then, like a ray of light cutting through the fog, I foundSwappa.com. The answer to my phone obsession woes.

Thanks to VZBuzz and author Joe Fedewa for the great write-up.

Swappa at Google I/O 2011

Swappa made the trip out to San Francisco last week for Google I/O 2011. It was amazing.

I will be back next year.

Swappa featured on Okay Geek

Swappa has been featured on Okay Geek, a great geek blog celebrating everything to do with geek culture and technology.

Check it out:
http://www.okaygeek.com/blog/swappa-buy-and-sell-gently-used-android-devices.html

Overall, we’d really recommend Swappa to those trying to get rid of old Android devices and not wanting to go through eBay’s whole process, as well as those trying to get a new Android device to play with off contract. In short, Swappa is like a facilitated Craigslist just for Android geeks.

Thank you to Okay Geek and Jason Tsay for the great write-up.

Swappa featured on Silicon Prairie News

Swappa has been noticed by Silicon Prairie News, a site that exists to highlight and support the burgeoning entrepreneurial ecosystem on the Silicon Prairie.

Check out the story:
Swappa tries to take bite out of big boys in used Android device sales

An Android programmer from Kansas City, Edwards has long felt that sites like eBay and craigslist are lacking as marketplaces for the sale of Android phones. Edwards has never found the sites' policies regarding phones' conditions stringent enough — "the wild west," he calls eBay and craigslist — and grew weary of having to inquire about the specifics of phones he planned to purchase.

Thanks to Michael Stacy and Silicon Prairie News for the great write-up.

Swappa featured on Don't Hate the Geek

Swappa has been featured on Don't Hate the Geek, an excellent blog for all things geeky.

Check it out:
http://donthatethegeek.com/2011/04/12/swappa-the-new/

The glorious thing about this fairly new website is that they only sell sell/auction devices that are fully functional and ready to activate. If you shop here you won’t have to worry about phones with bad ESN’s, water damage, or cracked screens.

Thanks to Adam Warren and DHTG for the good words.

Swappa featured on CNET (Android Atlas)

Swappa has been featured on CNET's Android Atlas and Crave gadget blogs.

Check it out:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20050701-1.html

As you might expect, Swappa is a bit of a geek-out. If you aren't serious about smartphones, you're probably better off hanging out on eBay and sorting through the hundreds of used flip-phone chargers to find what you want. But if you're looking for a rooted Evo, or a Droid that's overclocked to 1100MHz, then Swappa is going to be a much better bet than slumming the e-resale ghetto.Publish Post

Thanks to Eric Mack and CNET for helping spread the word about Swappa.

Swappa featured on The Droid Demos

Swappa has been featured on The Droid Demos in a great write-up and video review.

Check it out:
http://www.thedroiddemos.com/2011/04/05/got-android-buy-and-sell-android-phones-with-swappa/

There’s a new kid on the block for online classifieds, and its geared specifically for us Android users. Swappa takes the disadvantages of other sites such as eBay and Craigslist, tears them up into a million tiny pieces, and tosses them out the window. What we’re left with is an outstanding, simple to use, and reliable service to buy and sell Android phones.

Thanks to Brent and The Droid Demos for a great review.

Swappa featured on The Droid Guy

Swappa has been featured on The Droid Guy, one of my personal favorite "everything Android" sites.

Check it out:
http://thedroidguy.com/2011/03/so-swappa-it/

Swappa is a rather new online site specifically designed to buy and sell Android devices. Swappa allows you to sell or buy your phone with complete listings including pictures, phone details and a spot to put your ESN to exchange after the sale.

Thank you to The Droid Guy for your continued support of Swappa and all things good-for-Android.

Swappa featured on MTV.com Geek!

Swappa has been featured on MTV.com Geek!, which is good news for geeks.

Check it out:
http://geek-news.mtv.com/2011/03/23/swappa-will-help-you-sell-your-used-android-device

Got an old Android device you want to get rid of? Are the people on Craigslist and eBay clueless as far as mobile products go? Well my friend there is a solution. A one-stop-shop specifically for Android users looking to sell or buy an Android device. A place where people actually know what they are dealing with.

Thanks to Don Hatfield of MTV.com Geek! for the good words about Swappa.

Swappa featured on Android Guys

Swappa has been featured on Android Guys, one of the best Android news sites on the web.

Check it out:
http://www.androidguys.com/2011/03/21/swap-swappacom/

Swappa is set up and organized really well. You simply pick the device you want to either sell or buy, and it lists out other people who are selling the same device, the details, and how much each person is charging. It is easy to navigate and to see what the current market value (at least on Swappa) is for different devices.

Thank you to Android Guys and author Ray Walters.

Swappa featured on MobileCrunch

Swappa has been featured on MobileCrunch, the mobile sub-site of the venerable TechCrunch network. (Woo hoo!)

Check it out:
http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2011/03/18/swappa-its-like-craigslist-but-for-android-geeks/

Buying a used Android phone can be tough. It seems like most of the people slingin’ their handsets up on eBay or Craigslist are doing so because they don’t really understand the phone, which doesn’t exactly lend to their ability to aptly describe it.

Enter Swappa. Swappa wants to be the trading post for even the geekiest of Android geeks.

Thank you to MobileCrunch and Greg Kumparak for covering Swappa. It's a geek's dream come true to see your pride and joy featured on the pages of the TechCrunch network.

Swappa featured on Teknami

Swappa has been featured on Teknami, a great source of Tek News for Everyone and fellow Android lovers.

Check it out:
http://teknami.com/2011/02/first-look-swappa-com/

In addition none of those market places support the Android community the way Swappa does.
Throw in some other small features that really make the service shine. Like quick Facebook and OpenID login and profile creation, dead simple instructions for buying and selling and the knowledge that you are getting a good device at a great price. There really is no better way to buy or sell an Android based device, phone or tablet.

If you haven't already, check out Teknami and the related FatHat Games.

Swappa ♥ Reddit

Swappa has a tech-crush on Reddit and we're showing our love. If you are a Redditor and you buy or sell a gently used Android device on Swappa, then you shall receive Reddit Gold as a reward.

Why the Reddit love? Because Reddit users are awesome. I know, because I am one (bennybeta).

Here's a thread on Reddit concerning the announcement:
http://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/g20dp/buy_or_sell_a_gently_used_android_device_on/

Swappa ♥ Canada

Swappa, the ultimate Android device marketplace, has improved its support for Canada! Swappa, and I, have always loved Canadians... now we can prove it.

Swappa has now added devices and categories for the following:

• All Canada: http://swappa.com/canada
• Rogers: http://swappa.com/devices/rogers
• Bell: http://swappa.com/devices/bell-canada
• Telus: http://swappa.com/devices/telus

Special thanks to Reid Canavan for doing a little prodding and then following up with some very helpful information to help me get all the carriers and devices added. Reid literally made Swappa better for all Canadians.

Swappa featured on Android Academy 101

Swappa has been noticed on the Android Academy 101, providers of tutorials, resources, and information for new Android users.

Check it out:
http://www.androidacademy101.com/2011/02/essential-knowledge-upgrading-to-new.html

Another option has emerged over the past few months and that is a service called Swappa. Swappa is a marketplace for the buying and selling of Android phones. It is for Android fans by Android fans. 

It has garnered positive reviews and the founder, Ben Edwards, is involved in the Android community and is very responsive to questions, comments, suggestions, and critiques. This is often lacking when buying and selling from eBay.

Thank you to Android Academy 101, SmartMobile LLC, and Michael Moore for helping to spread the word about Swappa.

Swappa featured on The Startup Foundry

Swappa is proud to be featured on The Startup Foundry, a new website that is reporting from the trenches of the small startup world.

Check it out:
http://thestartupfoundry.com/2011/02/15/founder-developer-and-everything-else-ben-edwards-talks-about-swappa/

Usability is a big factor. One thing that makes Swappa a lot easier to use, compared to eBay for instance, is you start out by choosing the device to buy and sell. It makes it real easy to see all the listings together and compare apples to apples. If you search eBay for ‘Motorola Droid’ you get listings for a half dozen different types of devices and their accessories, all in the same list. It’s a pain, and it’s ugly. Swappa is simple.

If you haven't already, check out The Startup Foundry, Powered by blood, sweat, and tears of entrepreneurs. Thanks to Robbie and Paul for including Swappa.

Featured Listings help you sell faster

Swappa is now making it easier to sell your gently used, fully functional Android devices with Featured Listings.

Featured listings are a simple way to upgrade your listing and make it more visible, and more likely to sell.

When you feature your listing:

• The listing is highlighted and starred to make it stand out and easier to see
• The listing is tweeted to all the followers of the @swappa Twitter account
• The listing is set to given a longer life-time, set to expire in 30 days

Your featured listing will look something like this:

Learn more about how to sell featured listings at Swappa, the ultimate used Android device marketplace.

Swappa featured on LifeHacker

Swappa has been featured on LifeHacker and described as "a simple, hassle free place to buy and sell used Android devices."

Check it out:
http://lifehacker.com/5751364/swappa-is-a-simple-hassle+free-place-to-buy-and-sell-used-android-devices

A few nice things in the article:

If you want to buy a used Android phone quickly, easily and cheaply, Swappa is the place to do it.
All in all, it's not unlike buying a used phone on eBay—only it takes about five seconds to find the right phone and buy it, with the knowledge that you're getting a quality product in the mail.

One other thing that was said:

The site isn't overflowing with devices right now...

Well thanks to the article the site now is overflowing with devices. The response has been incredible. Thank you Whitson Gordon and LifeHacker for the attention.

Swappa ♥ CyanogenMod

Swappa, the ultimate Android device marketplace, has come public with our crush on CyanogenMod.

CyanogenMod supports the openness of Android. To show our support of CyanogenMod, Swappa will donate a $5 cut of our "sale fee" to the creators and maintainers of CyanogenMod everytime a device with CyanogenMod is sold.

CyanogenMod is a customized, after-market firmware distribution for select Android devices. Based on the Android Open Source Project, CyanogenMod is designed to increase performance and reliability over carrier Android-based ROMs. CyanogenMod also offers a variety features & enhancements that are not currently found in other versions of Android. Learn more about CyanogenMod...

So when you buy or sell a device with CyanogenMod on Swappa, you are helping us help CyanogenMod developers.

Learn more about Swappa's support of CyanogenMod...

Learn more about CyanogenMod...

Swappa reviewed on Radio Android

Swappa has been reviewed by Radio Android, home of The Android Show and Android After Dark.

Check it out:
http://radioandroid.net/reviews/website-review-swappa-by-mytharak/

Unlike the dinosaurs like ebay and craigslist we all know and look to when we want to buy a phone, Swappa has a clean, simple, and modern look and feel to it. It also has one very specific purpose; to help the android community buy and sell phones.

Thank you for the review, Radio Android.

Swappa featured on Android Headlines

Swappa has been featured on Android Headlines, the Android news source.

Check it out here:
http://androidheadlines.com/2011/01/swappa-helps-us-upgrade-our-phones-faster.html

They make it very easy to buy and sell through their site, and no auctions to watch for and reluctantly get out-bid on the last second (we’ve all been there). So if you’re like me and all of these dual-core announcements are making you feel outdated already, check out swappa.com and ease your upgrade!

Thank you for the good words Android Headlines!

Swappa featured on Extremis

Swappa has been featured on Extremis, a great blog dedicated to the mobile devices, the mobile web, and the mobile life.

Check it out:
http://www.extremis.com/swappa-android-for-a-new-model/

I have recently upgraded to the Nexus S… which was the first phone to run Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Android 3.0 Honeycomb hasn’t even been launched yet, but I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve anxiously waiting to open new presents. I will surely purchase one of the first tablets released with the new Android system. This would be a very expensive obsession… except for the help of services like Swappa. Swapping out my old Android allows me to recoup most of my costs and help pay for my new upgrade.

As we see new Androids with dual-core processors, NFC technology, 3D displays, and even biometric scanners… it’s great to have a resource that allows us to recycle the old as we find the new features needed to improve our mobile lives. 

Thanks for the mention, Extremis. The author, Steven, is a certified Android device junky. I can't wait to see his devices start showing up on Swappa...

Swappa launches new feature: Wanted (WTB) Listings

Swappa, the ultimate Android device marketplace, has launched a new feature to make it easy to buy and sell gently used Android devices.

Now Swappa users can create Wanted, or Want to Buy (WTB), listings. These simple listings are basically a declaration from a potential buyer that they want to buy a specific device. These come in handy when a the current For Sale listings don't meet the buyer's criteria.

When you create a Wanted (WTB) listing, you will be notified via email of all new qualified For Sale listings created for the life of your WTB listing. It's awesome.

What are the benefits of Wanted (WTB) Listings?

• Potential sellers with a target device are encouraged to create a listing knowing there are buyers out there for their device
• Potential buyers that can't find what they are looking for right now get notified when a seller posts a matching listing in the future

All in all, Swappa and Wanted (WTB) listings make it easier to buy and sell gently used, fully functional Android devices.

Swappa featured on The Android Site

Swappa has been featured on The Android Site, an excellent blog for Android news, reviews, and how-to guides.

Check it out:
http://theandroidsite.com/2011/01/25/sell-your-new-or-used-android-phone-with-swappa/

There’s even an option on there to note if the phone is rooted and has CyanogenMod installed. This is definitely a site by Android lovers for Android lovers. 

Thanks for the mention and kind words The Android Site!

Swappa featured on Androinica

Swappa has been featured on Androinica, an excellent Android blog.

Check out the article about Swappa here:
http://androinica.com/2011/01/25/swappa-is-a-cool-idea-but-needs-more-people/

A new website has popped up called Swappa. It’s intent is to set up a place where users can easily buy and sell Android phones.

I like the idea, and it’s nice to have a centralized service for this rather than scouring Craigslist or eBay. Unfortunately, as with any site like this, it needs users, and inventory.

As they mention, Swappa needs more buyers and sellers. So help spread the word about Swappa!

Reddit Advertising Again: Round 2

I am currently setting up another Reddit advertising campaign for Swappa. The last experience using Reddit advertising for Swappa turned out very good.

The ad this time is nearly identical to the last one (only the period at the end of the sentence "Buy and sell gently used Android devices" has been removed).

The campaign is also very similar. I will run the campaign on the same days as last time (Friday through Tuesday). The difference is that the ad will run for all of Reddit versus just those that subscribe to the Android sub-reddit.

I am interested in seeing the differences in the numbers (e.g. click-through rates and cost per clicks) in this relatively controlled advertising experiment. I look forward to sharing the results next week.

Swappa featured on AndGeeks

Swappa has been featured on AndGeeks, a great Android site with news, reviews, and all sorts of other great Android information.

Check out the article about Swappa here:
http://andgeeks.com/google-android/gphones/want-to-upgrade-your-android-swappa-can-help-sell-your-old-one-882816/

It’s going to take the Android community to let it grow. After all, a marketplace dedicated solely to Android devices helps us all. The more devices, the better prices we can get on an off-contract Android device. It also allows sellers more opportunities to offload their phones and obtain funds to get a new handset.

Thanks for the mention AndGeeks!

Swappa featured on This Green Machine

This Green Machine, a great Android blog, has featured a write up on Swappa, a new way to buy and sell used Androids.

Sometimes devices can stand the test of time and age gracefully (Nexus One), and others are quickly forgotten (Motorola Devour).  So what happens if you just bought your Android phone and are already pining for another?  Have no fear, Swappa.com is here.

It's harder than you'd expect getting noticed and mentioned when still trying to get rolling, so thanks This Green Machine.

Reddit Advertising Results: Swappa's First Campaign

Swappa has just completed a 5-day campaign using Reddit's self-serve advertising. The ad/campaign was focused specifically at Redditors subscribed to the Android sub-Reddit. (Swappa is a simple marketplace for buying and selling gently used Android devices.)

A little background on Reddit's advertising: Reddit requires a $20 per day minimum spend to run an ad campaign. Your impressions are determined by your "share" of the total money bid for the day. Learn more about Reddit advertising...

I spent the minimum $20 per day. The ad ran for 5 days, from a Friday through Tuesday. So it got a good mix of weekday and weekend traffic.

Break me off some digits:

• Total spend: $100
• Daily spend: $20
• Start date: Fri Jan 7
• End date: Tue Jan 11
• Impressions: ~ 9,872 / 75,503 (unique/total)
• Clicks: ~ 1,289 / 1,445 (unique/total)
• Click-through %: 13.06% / 1.91% (unique/total)
• CPC: ~ $0.07
• CPM: ~ $0.13
• Up votes: 85
• Comments: 51

Overall, I'm pleased with the numbers generated by the ad and the relative CPC and CPM costs.

My favorite part about Reddit ads is the ability for users to leave comments. The Swappa ad got 50+ comments, nearly all positive and several with useful suggestions for improvements.

I will definitely be using Reddit ads again in the near future. Next campaign I think I will try showing ads to all of Reddit (rather than just those interested in the Android sub-Reddit). I would imagine this would result in lower click-through-rates, but there's only one way to find out...

If you've read this far, be sure to check out Swappa, the ultimate used Android device marketplace.

Swappa featured on SlapStart

Swappa has been featured on SlapStart: http://slapstart.com/2011/01/swappa/

From the write-up:

Using a site that specializes in top quality Droid products is one way to ensure you get the best phone available. Getting them for cheap is a nice added bonus. One thing that’s particularly nice about Swappa is that it acts like a store. You don’t have to spend any time negotiating or connecting with the seller. You just buy the product like you would at any online store. It’s just cheaper.

SlapStart is unique in that their reviews are entertaining and enjoying to read.  If you launch a startup, contact SlapStart about doing a review.

Reddit Advertising Results: Day 1

Friday was the first of 5 days of a (somewhat experimental) Reddit advertising campaign I setup to promote Swappa. The ad/campaign was focused specifically at Redditors subscribed to the Android sub-Reddit.

Before I get to the stats I must say that I really love the ability of Redditors to comment on your add. I got some very good feedback.

I think my main complaint at this point would be that Reddit requires a minimum spend of $20 per day to show an ad.

Day 1 stats:

• Spend: $20
• Impressions: ~ 2000 / 15000 (unique/total)
• Clicks: ~330 / 500 (unique/total)
• CPC: $0.18
• CPM: $0.58
• Up votes: 31
• Comments: 20

Trying out Reddit advertising

Swappa is trying out Reddit's self-serve advertising platform. The ads should  show on the Android sub-reddit starting Fri Jan 07 to Wed Jan 12.  I'm anxious/curious to see kind of numbers I'll see. I'll post some numbers after the campaign runs...

Swappa featured on StartUpLift

We are pleased to see that Swappa has been featured on StartUpLift.

StartUpLift was created to help promising new startups get exposure and receive insightful feedback. People come to StartUpLift to learn about new startups and engage in stimulating conversation.

Swappa uses Feedback Army

Swappa has just recently launched, and at this point we're really looking for as much feedback as we can get. To help us get quality feedback, Swappa is making use of a truly innovative service called Feedback Army.

Feedback Army's selling point is "cheap, simple usability testing for your website." And it is living up to reputation. So far the feedback has been quick and thoughtful.

Thanks, Feedback Army.