posted on October 30, 2007 02:37:39 PM new
I wanted to look up Blue Ridge Poinsettia. When I did, I found 10 auctions..FOUR of them were for a bowl or bowls. Then I did a search on JUST Blue Ridge Poinsettia bowl. I got ONE!!! What happened to the other bowls??!! This is just awful if this is what the new search is doing! Who knows how many auctions are being passed over!
The funny thing is..I just typed BOWL..not the plural...but what came up was an auction for BOWLS!!! None of the auctions for BOWL came up! WHY ebay WHY???!!!!
posted on October 30, 2007 03:30:46 PM new
This happens frequently. A while back, I typed the exact same words for a search three times, and got three different lists. Makes one wonder!!!
posted on November 1, 2007 11:15:02 AM new
We will never be able to control (or even completely understand) what eBay does with Search.
The best defense against bored programmers is to cultivate a core of repeat buyers.
If you buy on eBay, have you ever found a seller who was just so good you went back again and again? I did. It was a guy in Canada who was selling antique silver. I spent over $5,000 with him just on little things like sugar tongs and salt dishes. I'd still be buying from him if he were still selling.
That's what I mean. If they're motivated to, people will find you anyway, no matter how much eBay dinks around with their Finding Experience.
posted on November 1, 2007 11:33:23 PM new
I agree with Fluff. Repeat customers account for a good portion of my sales. Yet some of my favorite customers have stopped bidding- not just on my listings. Did they die? Have they completed their collection? Are they broke? I am amazed at the number of <10 feedback new customers I have gotten lately. Is eBay's strategy of revitalizing the marketplace working or are these old customers with new ID's - trying to remake themselves with eBay's new feedback system?
posted on November 2, 2007 09:52:55 AM new
You need the answers to those questions. What I've done is developed a three-tier program of proactive emails.
2 weeks after sale: following up on purchase you made a couple weeks ago, did everything go okay, did you get your jewelry on time, did we return your feedback, is there anything else we need to pay attention to, and oh by way we now have this great website where you can get jewelry absolutely free...
2 months after sale: writing to thank you for the very nice feedback you gave us, we just want to double-check that everything went ok, etc., and oh by way we now have this great website where you can get jewelry absolutely free, please check it out and tell us what you think...
6 months after sale: we're writing today because we miss you. We really enjoyed our eBay transaction and hoped you'd be back. Did we do anything wrong? Is there anything that needs our attention? and oh by way we now have this great website where you can get jewelry absolutely free...
I also have non-form personal notes I send to VLTC (very long term customers) who vanish off the radar screen. Some of these people have been customers for 8 years or more.
posted on November 4, 2007 07:25:15 PM new
I must give Fluff credit when due and it is due in this case.
Repeat customers are the core of any business. If you are a good seller, there should be no reason why your customers wouldn't follow you to your own website.
posted on November 4, 2007 07:46:51 PM new
I agree, about 1/3 of my customers are repeat buyers. Without some of them, my sales would be even worse than they are. This is usually my best time for selling crafts, but this has been my worst year ever. I did a search on the name of one of the yarns I sell, and only my auctions came up! I did another search, and there was about 50 others, but none of mine!! Whatever is going on?
