posted on September 26, 2002 10:04:43 AM
Hello! I just opened an Ebay Store in the hopes of selling less expensive items without incurring the .30 for every pathetic thing. I also like the idea of being able to run for a longer period. However, now I realize I can;t launch from AW into storefront. I don't want to use a different Auction Listing service.
But, I haven't heard great things about the AW stores. I am assuming they don't get a lot of visibility.
Any thoughts? With the new AW Storefront fees (I don't even know what they are) is it worth it. Thanks for any thoughts!
posted on October 1, 2002 10:57:02 PM
Hi,
I've had an AW Storefront for over a year now and love it. It's been free up til now but cost is still minimal. I get sick of eBay wanting every piece of the pie....now they own PayPal. I like the fact that I can keep track of my inventory for auctions and my Storefront all in one place. I find the eBay "Stores" tacky looking; don't look any different than regular listings. I would suggest using Google or Overture to get people to your AW Storefront. I use both and my sales have at least tripled in the last few months.
Princess Papoola
posted on October 2, 2002 06:10:19 AM
you have to sign up with these search engines -google and overture and bid on keywords.
you can go to their websites and read the details,the concept of pay per click works well for many sites,one of them is EBAY.
it can also run up a big bill as anyone who clicks and come to your site,you are charged whether they buy anything or not.
posted on October 2, 2002 06:12:39 AM
My Ebay store declared bankruptcy a few days before the free trial expired. It might be cheaper than the auction format but if you get no customers who cares if it's free
posted on October 5, 2002 10:11:46 AM
I'm concerned about the same thing you are. I was going to open a store with AW, and I'm reading that so many people are closing their stores because they aren't selling, and now can't justify paying a fee for not selling in their stores. So, I decided I would go with eBay, and filled in the blanks to open a store, but haven't stocked it yet. I am trying to figure out whether it's worth the apparent hassle with eBay's checkout, since it's my understanding that I can't use AW's checkout to launch my listings into the eBay storefront. I love the ease of listing using AuctionWatch, as well as the checkout, and I really don't want to give that up. Yet I don't know what's involved using eBay checkout for my storefront. Can anyone give any suggestions on how they use both, or whether there are any problems listing the storefront through eBay, as well as using their checkout for the store? I also would like to hear what other's are doing, because it seems that many people are not pleased with AW stores at this time.
posted on October 5, 2002 01:32:44 PM
I just finished revamping my about me page as I notice people list their AW store front on that. In my about me page I have a small paragraph of what I sell and why. I list my guarantee in their so I don't have to junk up my auction page and then there is a place for favorite links and in their I have one very favorite one and also list my store front. I hope this can bring some business as I haven't had any but then again I haven't put much in there. I am going to stock it after the auctions that I have on go off and those are what I am going to list. I also use my About Me page for if I am on vacation or if an emergency occurred It would be listed in there with an emergency email address.
posted on October 6, 2002 12:56:06 AM
There is another potential stumbling block with listing an eBay storefront and using AuctionWatch for auctions. I'm trying to figure out how confusing it could be for a buyer and seller, if there are multiple purchases at the same time from both venues. I have customers who may buy from the storefront and from the auction at the same time. How could that be done? The auction would go through AW's checkout, and the store purchase would have to be through eBay's checkout and then you have the problem of combined shipping and getting it posted in the WBN.....Gee....that could be a real mess to straighten out, because the customer would have no idea that they couldn't combine all of it with one checkout. Oh......my head is tired from thinking about how to do it. Ok....AW staff----can you figure out a way that we can list the ebay storefront through the Sales Manager Pro????? Please? I'm open to any suggestions. I just checked out Google, and I can't find any place to get information about bidding on keywords to send people to the AW storefront to increase hits that way. How do you do that, and how expensive is it to pay a per hit price to you storefront. I don't know where to find that option.
posted on October 16, 2002 10:20:18 AM
I left 7 months ago to Channel Advisor since they support eBay Stores. However, you will soon find out that eBay stores don't work. They are not included in the search engines so you have to work you butt off to get people into your store. At 9.95 a month, It was costing me money. I closed my eBay store and am now coming back to Auction Watch . . . my preferred service. I am going to give Auction Watch stores a few months. Heck, they are cheaper by half a month, and don't charge you everytime you list. And you can register a domain and point it towards your Auctin Watch store. IMHO, stay away from eBay stores . . . they are on the way out.
