posted on July 22, 2006 12:01:41 AM new
I think many of you are making a mistake in abruptly leaving ebay and starting your own sites off ebay.
Run a search on google for build your own internet store sites and most likely more sites than there are ebay registered users will come up. Yes, there are free sites, and there are sites that feed your items to froogle, and sites that enable you to list on every little auction house in the world.
There is a reason for free sites. And, just how long will the sites be free. How much money and time will you have to spend to bring the same number of eyeballs to your new site?
Fluff was correct in another thread when she gave an overview of what Cobb's message meant to us. At the present, ebay is hosting a couple of thousand of trucks of garbage. When you bring a search up for an item, you do have to sort through the carp. That is ebay's fault. They allowed easy entry into the marketplace, and charged next to nothing for a store site.
It would be similar to someone with no experience opening a 3000 sq. ft. B&M antique store for $100 rent and filling it with plasticware, and college dorm posters.
Further, I strongly believe that ebay management does not have a clue as to what is going on. They had no clue as to what they were creating when stores where added. And, they have no clue as to how they will solve the dilemma they now find themselves in. However, they are under the gun to bring value back to the stock, as upper management has bucketfuls of stock options with low market value. Pressure is on management to solve the value problem! We should have such problems.
What do we do? Well, I firmly believe that we should remain on ebay. The ebay discussion boards are full of complainers and store closings. Great! That would leave more search space for our items. We just have to work smarter. If you remained with ebay, you would at least have the time to work out a sensible plan to increase your item turns.
Now, if you must leave ebay, why not consider a Vendio store? Now, I should mention that I'm not a fan of my Vendio store, but it is cheap ($4.95) and it will get you quickly up onto the internet with a store. Don't forget it has a shopping cart and Vendio does seem to work hard to bring value to our efforts.
Vendio does feed my store items to froogle and google. Vendio gives me as much of a presence on the net as any of those sites which are being discussed. Vendio is an entity we know, and the learning curve is lower.
Further, the Vendio system allows listing on both the Vendio store site, and ebay. Of course, don't forget Dealio.
Is the Vendio store a beautiful store? Is it any better than you can create? You will have to answer that for yourself.
One more thing. Go to google, type in 1940 Christmas seals. Look at the top of the page under "Product Search". Thank you Vendio!
[ edited by kozersky on Jul 22, 2006 12:15 AM ]
[ edited by kozersky on Jul 22, 2006 12:44 AM ]
posted on July 22, 2006 05:39:07 AM new
I really hate to say it...but I agree. I may just add $1 to my price in the store and I needed to "weed the garden" anyway. My store is filled with auction items that didn't sell. (They all need that "special someone" to come along.)
However, I would like to see a little something for this extra money I'm going to spend!
posted on July 22, 2006 05:45:24 AM new
My store is filled with auction items that didn't sell//////////////////////////////
Get rid of those items and use whatever proceeds you get to buy something more 'saleable!
posted on July 22, 2006 05:54:50 AM new
I agree. I am not jumping ship.
My store is not filled with "junk" - just "underappreciated items". When you think about it, what is the likelihood of one of my postcards from a tiny hometown being listed on the core site when someone from that town is looking at ebay?? Not everyone is an ebay addict!!
What made ebay special is that people are able to find hard to find items - not items that turn over every 14 days.
Most of my stuff does sell eventually - provided Search is working right. I will never be able to have a website or find a marketplace with as many lookers as ebay!! It isn't worth the time investment to even try at this point...MUCH cheaper to pay the additional fees. I am going to change some parts of my business plan (ie: doubt that I will run relists except for "sale" dates) - net result for me is LESS core exposure but MORE new stuff hitting the market daily. I also am going to try to figure out how to use my Vendio store to best advantage - I am thinking of using it as a "Clearance Corner" or something like that. One question - does any one know if we get the referral credit if someone purchases an ebay item through our Vendio store link? I wonder if Vendio could code the "refid" on the url so we could. That 75% FVF credit would be sweet!
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How many times do you pay fees on a particular underappreciated card? It won't take long at the new rates for it to start costing you money to keep the card in your store.
Personally, I don't think I'm making a mistake. What exposure are you getting exactly from eBay???? You're paying $15 per month plus listing fees, plus FVF. My new store is free, plus they submit to the major search engines with an RSS feed. Same as eBay. I've got the emails of my customers so telling them is not a problem. I have it on my ME page. Since I have my own domain name, it points to where my store happens to be. That domain is on my business cards and on bookmarks that I give out to buyers. I don't feel I am getting any less exposure - just paying less. I'll still be running auctions.
posted on July 22, 2006 06:10:46 AM new
Just because an item didn't sell when I put it up for auction, doesn't mean it WON'T sell.....it just speaks to someone specific. And I've been meaning to do some weeding anyway.
By putting the items in my store, the multiple "watchers" can come buy it outright.
posted on July 22, 2006 06:33:40 AM new
Cheryl - Admittedly the fees will add up for the underappreciateds -still trying to figure when/how or what the heck to do with them. Vendio seems as good a place as any and it's FREE and will be linked right in my auction listing page and can be combined with ebay purchases in the Vendio shopping cart.
I have no doubt that individual websites work for certain niche sellers, and if you are lucky enough to be one, then ebay isn't probably the best place for you anyway. Let us know how it works out.
DIdn't you have a website before? How were your sales?
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Actually, the sales from my website were good. At the time I had that site, I was also developing another business and I just didn't have time to devote to the web site so I closed it down. I do have the time now. Ecrater is much more user friendly than my old site. There isn't as much designing to do and I don't have to purchase a shopping cart program like I did with the old site. I had a Vendio store. I wasn't happy with it. I never made one sale out of it.
What I spend in fees to keep my eBay store up and running, I'd rather spend on merchandise or marketing. At least I won't be feeding so much money into eBay's pockets.
posted on July 22, 2006 06:49:51 AM new
I agree with Cheryl. In fact I put a note on the front page of my store and on my About Me page explaining to my customers that I am setting up shop elsewhere without mentioning where (Vendio) due to the high fees that go into effect next month so that I can maintain my prices at the level they are for my customer base. With that Vendio approved link, of course! ;0)
I sell all small items such as sewing patterns, fabric samples, etc. Part of the reason I have a core of repeat customers is the fact that I have a well-stocked store where they can browse and find that special something to finish a quilt or a pattern for a special occasion, etc.
At the new fee level, it is no longer cost effect to keep a well stocked store. When we were included in the search my business increased three-fold.
Raising my prices is not really an option at this point. I have played with my pricing and have reached a point where most of my customers buy three or four items each time they visit because they are getting a good value for their money and I am still making a profit that I can live with. Part of the reason I can sell at those prices is finding a good source that sells at a price point that enables me to buy low. Also finding "bargains" on and off Ebay on occasion. My items traditionally don't turn over within a week and are not the type of items that do well auction style.
If I could see the business I did earlier in the year with search including stores, I wouldn't mind the increases as I could absorb them.
I do not sell junk. My items are 95% new and in excellent condition. I won't sell something if it doesn't meet certain standards.
I always turn over any inventory that either doesn't sell by a set date or is pulled after 30 days due to lack of hits. I have never used GTC as it isn't good business practice not to review your inventory.
May, June and July have always been slow for me. And this year is no exception. Except for one freakishly busy July a couple of years back. I plan for this every year by holding back some profit from busy times so that I can still buy new stock and keep the store fresh.
I had an Ebay Store when I sold a hodge podge of collectibles and it did not do well.
Last year I decided to rework my Ebay selling and concentrate on sewing and quilting items with some craft and needlework items. I have worked hard to slowly build a customer base and have started to become more and more established and profitable.
I was a powerseller but lost that when I went to selling smaller price point items. I did that because the old adage holds true - sell what you know.
So you see, it is a matter of economics pure and simple. I was contemplating opening up my own store elsewhere when Ebay pushed the stores hard and I, like many others thought Ebay was the best option due to traffic.
I think what I find most galling is the fact that they are raising the rates right before the Christmas selling season knowing that a lot of sellers will have to hold on at least through January because they have either stocked the stores for the selling season or have purchased inventory with that intent. I think the larger exodus of stores will be January as some people will try and sell off as much as possible while the buyers are around.
I too will run a few auctions each week to "advertise" my Vendio store, but no more than I have always done. I don't think Ebay will see a huge increase in auction-style listings. I think most store sellers who are able to absorb the new fees will rework their inventories and sell only those items that turn quickly. I also think that alot of store sellers that THINK they can afford the new fees will be surprised by how much they underestimated the impact of these fees on their bottom line.
I jokingly suggested to Diana that now that Andale and Vendio have partnered they should use all that brain and innovative power to open a stores "only" site and call it VENDALE. All Buy It Now, All The Time. I would love to see Vendio put time and effort into upgrading the stores. If there was ever a good time to do it, now would be the time. I'd gladly give them the $15.95 per month I gave Ebay as I know they wouldn't roll out a product unless it was operational and practically glitch free. I looked at their web hosting, but I love the post sale management features of SMM.
posted on July 22, 2006 07:05:23 AM new
You know, I really don't care how much money goes into eBay's pockets. Hopefully, they'll make tons of it and keep the site alive for a long time.
I DO care how much money goes into mine. Nothing works better OR cheaper than eBay for many things. I don't know ANY other viable venue where you can keep 1000 different items in inventory in a store for so little money.
I do understand the frustration of search functions; but again, if your item is not showing on a search, it may be a reflection of its relative abundance on eBay. A search for a post card of my home town, for example, returned 7 auction/fixed price items on core eBay, 130 below it on a store search with Neglus on the first page.
Change is not always a crisis -- it is an opportunity to rethink, redo, and hopefully do things smarter and better. Neglus' approach is a perfect example of a better business plan. No feasible enterprise stays static and survives, especially not in a rapidly changing and uncertain world.
posted on July 22, 2006 07:33:47 AM new
I can't see that not everyone has worked out how much this increase is going to cost them! It's a lot more than "6%" I can tell you that.
100 items @25.00 ea
Old listing fees @ .02 = 2.00
FVF = $200.00
New listing fees @ .10 = 10.00
FVF = $250.00
No where can I get those numbers to work out to 6%. The tiered system is going to kill sellers whose items sell for under $25.00.
Edited to fix my math!!!
Cheryl
[ edited by cblev65252 on Jul 22, 2006 08:04 AM ]
posted on July 22, 2006 07:46:40 AM new
The 6% issue was addressed during the Town Hall. To recap Bill Cobb's message:
A typical eBay Stores seller who uses Store Inventory format – making no adjustments to his or her selling strategy following these changes – will experience an overall fee increase of less than six percent, based on our analysis of all June selling activity.
This is poorly phrased. eBay came up with a group of Stores sellers who they deemed "typical" based on the demographics of the whole group of Stores sellers. What they found was that the typical Stores seller doesn't just list in Store Inventory format; she uses auction-style and fixed-price as well to help drive traffic to her store. The impact of the fee changes on this typical Stores seller would be a little less than six percent.
People have subsequently taken this to mean that the Stores fee increase itself is six percent, which obviously isn't true.
And of course the impact on each Stores seller will be different, based on their own format mix, which is why he also said:
Of course, you need to clearly understand the impact on your business – which could be greater or less than six percent.
posted on July 22, 2006 07:46:41 AM new
Well, actually, I think you may be off on your decimals. 10 per cent of $2500 (that is what 100 items at $25 comes out to I believe) is not $25, but $250. And it is more like 11% total. I don't have a store, but I thought the old FVF was 8% or $200 on that same number. A pretty reasonable percentage -- compare to auction commissions, show fees, brick and mortar stores in the real world.
posted on July 22, 2006 07:54:00 AM new
As long as we are all thinking..I think, you use multiple venues, niche market and keep on marketing.
If it is not against the rules, I would like to see the about me pages and websites of you who are leaving eBay. My About me page pretty bad but I would like to see ways of using it to point to my other stores. So, ice and cblev, will you share?
Neglus: Yes, the link I have on my vendio homepage is the referral link and it works. Every month I see the credits.
Beth
www.vintageads4u.com
posted on July 22, 2006 08:01:41 AM new
My Ebay Store Home Page has link -
<p><i><center><font color=purple><h2>Just Click on the Igloo to Visit my Store!</i></font><br><b><font color=teal>PENGUIN'S PLACE</font></b><br><a href="http://www.stores.ebay.com/penguinsplace"><img src="http://imagehost.vendio.com/bin/imageserver.x/00000000/iceicepenguin/igloo.gif"></a></h2>
It wouldn't surprise me, LOL! It's pouring rain here and we were supposed to have my granddaughter's b-day party at the beach. I've been frantically calling everyone to change the plans. So, my thinking may be off a bit.
I'm one of those where my average item is under $25. The fee increase will effect me the most. So, I'll go where fees aren't an issue.
posted on July 22, 2006 08:35:25 AM new I think many of you are making a mistake in abruptly leaving ebay
I respectfully disagree.
First, I don't think as many will leave eBay as are saying they will leave eBay. There's always macho posturing after fee increases.
Second, if anyone thinks they should leave, I agree: They should leave. They know their business better than I do. Is is possible to make some adjustments or tweaks to maintain or improve profitability? In most cases, I'm sure that's absolutely true. Does everyone want to go to the effort? Probably not.
Look, eBay Stores was a way for (hmmm, I don't want to say "lazy", exactly...) ambition-challenged people to say "Hey, I'm an eBay seller too!" without ever having to do much in the way of selling or marketing. Create your store, load it up, sit back and watch the profits roll in. Or so the theory goes. eBay always intended for Stores sellers to run auction and fixed price listings too, but clearly too many Stores sellers are minimizing fees (and, not coincidentally, the amount of work they do) by reducing the items in those formats.
As far as web sites go, I'm reminded of my dear friend who has spent well over $100,000 on his web site. His ultimate goal was to spend every day at the beach while his hirelings processed orders and did the shipping. He is royally ticked off that after having spent so much on SEO and site design, he still has to pick/pack/ship himself.
It's seriously cutting into his beach time.
fLufF
--
[ edited by fluffythewondercat on Jul 22, 2006 09:26 AM ]
posted on July 22, 2006 09:08:48 AM new
Other than putting some of my slower selling items in a Vendio store, I will keep my E-Bay store. Most of the views in my E-Bay store come from E-Bay search. I can't see how I would get those kinds of views on a website. I like other sellers depend on the customers who buy 20-30 items at a time to keep my sales up and I can only do that with a store. My single items are higher priced and I sell most of those on auction. One thing I do is never list the same thing in my store from month to month, I change everything. I list the stuff that didn't sell on Yahoo or Amazon. I may put it in my vendio store on clearance.
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Two men sit behind bars,one sees mud the other sees stars.
posted on July 22, 2006 09:46:59 AM new
It's always a smart economic move to try other services and venues if they fit your budget and time. As with B&M stores, the only way to compete with the big guys is to actually TRY!!! If one looks at business over the years, the big guy always gets a run for their money when competitors move in! The small guys can only benefit by TRYING (key word!) as many different venues as it takes and not being chained to the 800 pound gorillas! With any retail business, it's best to keep your feet on both sides of the shore and not get hasty by picking a side! I'm personally going to be trying a Vendio store for the first time while keeping my ebay auctions and doing more fixed price auctions until they iron this all out! They have lost my store in the meantime.
posted on July 22, 2006 09:47:03 AM new
Am I the only one that read what Bill said? And What Meg Said?
It's not about a fee increase...it's about eliminating store listings.
I can't move mine to auction. If you can't afford to move yours to auction then it is time to start making other plans.
UK and Australia just had their fees raised to the point they are similar to the auction fees.
This is just round #1. There will be more and Ebay will get rid of the store listings (or at least 50 to 75% of them). That is, unless they change their mind next month because this has resulted in a bad buying experience.
It's not about the fees. It's about Ebay's long range plans. We don't fit in them. If you have a store with thousands of listings then it is time to make alternative plans.
I don't count on search engines to bring me customers anymore than I count on Ebay to bring customers to my store. I will market my own site by sending my own customers there...the customers who write me and ask if I have such and such. 90% of my customers do ask those questions. They won't care where I point them, Ebay or my store. A link to the right place will make them happy.
Can I survive with my own website and no ebay? Of course I don't think that. But, why use Ebay to drive sales to your Ebay store when you can do the same thing to your own site?
Folks, Ebay doesn't want us. This is just the first round of fee increases. Look at AU and UK. They raised their fees to what ours are now the last time they increased them. Now, they have doubled and tripled that increase. That is what we will see in January or February or maybe even sooner.
posted on July 22, 2006 10:51:39 AM new
I did read what Meg and Bill said and yes you may be right...but for the time being I am not wasting time stewing about it. I will adjust my business plan and keep on keeping on.
Honestly, if most of those people on the store board would actually get OFF THE BOARD and start DOING something, they might have some decent sales. It breaks my heart when I read the bitching and moaning from a gold star (what is that, less than 30 FB?) seller saying that ebay is screwing them yada yada...and then you look and they have 10 things in their store and are running no auctions but boy!what a fancy landing page! I do feel very sorry for the people who purchased a lot of inventory in anticipation of SIS and are now stuck with it.
I have always run enough auctions to meet my sales goals. My store sales are just "extra". I never changed my practice when store sales started being a larger part of my business - I just made more money. I was considering making a change this plan when SIS destroyed my auction business but never actually implemented anything.
I will keep my store as long as ebay keeps them open because it is a fair amount of my business and requires no additional labor from me. As you know myfavorites, the difficult part of selling postcards is how time consuming the scanning and listing can be - once that is done, it's gravy. I will continue to spend my time listing new auctions. My average per unit sales price for auctions ranged from $6 (April) to $3 (June) HIGHER than my store average unit sales price. I LIKE auctions but need my store for my unsold inventory. My unsold inventory is NOT JUNK - if I thought a card was worth listing in the first place it should eventually sell. Some of my best cards are still in my store waiting for the right "eyes"!
I have boxes and boxes of JUNK cards here that will never be listed. I think I am going to donate them to a school for geography projecst or something like that
I am not making alternative plans. Neither am I going to be screaming the "SKY IS FALLING". Call me naive, but by the time ebay does away with stores (if that is indeed the plan), somebody else will come along. I am too busy to worry about it.
Now SEARCH is another matter - we HAVE TO HAVE search working properly or none of us will do well and the new smart search scares me to death!
posted on July 22, 2006 11:01:40 AM newIt's not about a fee increase...it's about eliminating store listings.
Bingo
I can't move mine to auction. If you can't afford to move yours to auction then it is time to start making other plans.
Yahoo and epier are free to list and have relist options. Epier does change a tiny FVF (much lower than feebay) plus all your listings show up on the google/froogle search. For my money, I am glad I didn't start an ebay store as I sell just as much out of these sites that do have the search option as most of eBay's store sellers without the search.
posted on July 22, 2006 11:21:36 AM new
Thank you Stonecold.
I will check Epier. Yahoo won't bring the price I want for the postcards but already planning on putting all my record lots and button lots over there.
I know I've done my share of complaining lately but I'm also diligently scanning postcards, grading records and getting listings out. I'm just modifying my game plan. It doesn't take any longer to put a postcard up on my website than it does to put it on Ebay.
And, if Ebay turns back into a viable option for all my inventory I can easily move it back. Everything will already be on my auction management site and can easily be moved between all options.
posted on July 22, 2006 11:46:29 AM new
It not a mistake to try different options in business. If it does not work, then it does not work!
Of course do not gamble with your babies milk money !
I cannot see what harm it would do to venture a website.
Gracious, if it does not work for what you are marketing; you are not held hostage.
Neither, are we held in bondage by eBay.
We may have put ourselves in servitude to feeBay.(myself included).
I am not saying eBay is not the numero uno for exposure. It is !
We can always hope that by experimenting and trying that some REAL competition can come on the scene.
There are many who have became very successful with their own sites, half.com and many do great on Amazon.
I am not that fond of O-- but some like it.
I think a website is worth a try if you have a customer base already built.
Ya never know if you do not try or if ya quit trying .
posted on July 22, 2006 11:47:45 AM newHonestly, if most of those people on the store board would actually get OFF THE BOARD and start DOING something, they might have some decent sales.
Sing it, girlfriend!
You are one of the smartest people I know. And I don't say that often.
I think that if more sellers took a good hard look at what you're doing and why -- then figured out how to translate that to what they sell -- they'd learn more in 20 minutes than they'll ever learn from reading boards.
