posted on May 24, 2003 07:38:12 AM new
When doing a detailed search: "Eveready batteries" on google. I find that one vendio store shows up (Retro Bargains) but not mine. Since I have 2 items that match that description, why do neither show up? Thanks
Ps: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22eveready+batteries+ad%22&spell=1
posted on May 24, 2003 07:41:09 AM new
I have completed 25 google searches on specific titles in my shop; some on very rare items and NONE of them show up on google. What is up with that? Thanks
If there is an ad that is missing from the Google search, we recommend that you contact them about getting your item inserted. If you are not subscribed to Google Ad Words, we cannot guarantee where your items are going to show up in searches done on Google.
posted on June 4, 2003 12:02:45 PM new
Sonya...First, I am very happy with my store and don't want to get into an argument. However, why should I do what you claim you are doing? See below which is a direct copy of you web page:
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Vendio Stores Are Automatically Listed on Google for More Buyer Traffic!
Vendio has teamed up with Froogle.com, Google's new shopping search engine, to deliver buyers to Vendio Stores. We send a data feed every day to Froogle containing a complete list of all store items available from our Vendio Store merchants. Get a Vendio Store and get noticed!
********************************
I did google ad words and have submitted my pages, thank you. Unfortunately our stores do not get the traffic necessary for a high google ranking. And, according to Zdnet, one of the least effective use of your advertising dollars is advertising on the search engines. People don't trust them evidently. Now, in your first line above you say you submit our stores to google. If you mean froogle, then perhaps you should change the top line. Also, you might want to be able to substanitate the "get noticed"' part of your advertising claims.
Regards,
baylor
I said Google because you did in your first two posts, plus you gave a Google URL for search results. We do submit a daily feed to Froogle. However, they are still in beta mode and might miss things occasionally. I will escalate this but you may also want to contact them yourself regarding your items.
posted on June 4, 2003 02:24:41 PM new
So, in effect, the phrasology of text constructed in Vendio's web page is written that way to be intentionally misleading:
"Vendio Stores Are Automatically Listed on Google for More Buyer Traffic!"
If it is FROOGLE, then in truth, the Google claim is false on your web page.
Things that make you go "hmmmmm"
Greg Williams
Retro Bargains
www.retrobargains.com
Our apologies if you found the statement about sending your items to Google's Froogle.com website to be misleading.
We will be happy to pass along a suggestion on your behalf to go into greater detail that Google's Froogle.com website is not Google.com itself.
If you have any questions about how this works, please let us know.
If you have any feedback on this topic, please direct that to the feedback specific forum where it can be properly addressed.
Regards,
Christopher
[ edited by ChristopherAW on Jun 4, 2003 03:15 PM ]
Christopher: If you think it is on "my behalf" then I would please like for you to explain to ALL of us store owners just exactly what Vendio wants us to understand.
You're double-talking. Now you are merging the two functions into one - as you know, the Froogle function is beta (with an unknown beta completion date), but Vendio eludes to the potential new customer that and I quote again:
"Vendio Stores Are Automatically Listed on Google for More Buyer Traffic!"
Now what, in its own merit, say to the reader?
It's wrong. Especially when there ISN'T any "more buyer traffic" generated!
The example has been shown - I know why my items are showing up and my friend Beth's are not - I know how Vendio is restricting "the flow" of information through the numerous HTML bugs found in the store templates. I spent MANY nights reading and studying the ways and means of major search engines and spiders just to know how to construct my HTML - it's constructed well - very darn well - it took a lot of time, but obviously worth it. I've discussed at great length what is pulling down the traffic to our storefronts but it seems to fall on deaf ears; it's not good business sense to NOT QUICKLY fix what is costing a business revenue - every item not sold by us is also a missed revenue for Vendio.
I've talked the issues and I know that YOU know that I am correct - I also know that you cannot affirm that I am correct - all you can do is damage control.
All I can do is go elsewhere, if I choose.
I really don't want to go elsewhere - I like it here - but after 6 months or more of major issues that continue to be swept under the rug you have to wonder what those people in Romania are really doing now don't you?
Q Z ZQ QZQZ
As for the HTML and hits by spiders and search engine bots - I've got EACH item's HTML tweaked to a point that it is obviously working - MetaTags - if the bots can get through the Store Template HTM finds an order to spider back daily to my ITEM - not the store.
For any computer tech savvy in website creation that is worth their salt they can clean up the Store Template HTM in a few minutes and create a prepopulated Meta Tag for our store that would put us up there "in lights"... kind of like you see when you search Google and find TIAS and other's returns.
Want to make an impact on Vendio's ROI? Push this through Chris - it's extremely important. Quit making excuses - they no longer hold water.
Best Regards,
Greg
Greg Williams
Retro Bargains
www.retrobargains.com
posted on June 5, 2003 09:08:44 AM new
Well Beth, now I'm scratching my head again - I did some more test searches on GOOGLE and now I'm not even showing up; at least not on the front page like the "Eveready batteries ad" return showed up. Probably a lucky glitch on my part for that one.
One thing I've learned is repetition in keywords on your "page" - search engines thrive on the quantity of a given word or phrase on a page - the more of the same word (or phrase), the more relevance is given in the ranking. That particular Eveready ad has the phrase "Eveready Batteries" in it three times:
Main Title
Focus (where I tell the theme of the ad)
Checkout Line
Somehow the GOOGLE spider dug down through the pages and found it - and placed it in the Number one spot. Now if you just search "Eveready Ad" - I don't even show up (maybe deep, but not on the first page).
NOW: I just did a similar search "eveready batteries ad" on FROOGLE - now, per Chris, since this in effect per Vendio's marketing is one in the same, the results should be identical - but they are not (because Froogle and Google are not the same!)
What's interesting is on FROOGLE, the "eveready batteries ad" returns me at the number one spot also, BUT for a different Eveready ad - not the one found with the GOOGLE search! - matter-of-fact, my result is the ONLY return from Vendio for that phrase search - I see the reason:
Spider found three instances of Eveready, but only one instance of "batteries"
So this proves the feed to FROOGLE is definitely different than MY submissions to GOOGLE - and even though FROOGLE is a subsect of GOOGLE; the Vendio Feed doesn't do diddly for us on GOOGLE - whereas it's up to us to pay for a more focused return from GOOGLE if we so desire.
Darn - I finally catch on to maximizing my keywords and now with the batteries vx. battery thing, I'm gonna have to look closer at each ad that I have up. Just to tweak it some more. <grin>
Main point - find a simple way to "self-promote" each item in your descriptive text - Yes, it will seem repetitive to the person reading it - but hey, they ARE reading it anyway!
Because of ease-of-use, I use MS FrontPage to write and store my HTML templates with the COMPANY, FOCUS, CONDITION headings you see in my ad - that way I make the changes for each ad and cut and paste the HTM into my HTML description box when creating my batches. If you look at one of my ads, you'll see at the top a heading such as "1957 Original Vintage Ad" - That keys each of those words in for the search engines - I also put the word "Ad" in the title of everything - I guess I could even put the Focus title in the heading title too. hmmm.. Anything helps!
Of course you can get real silly real quick where the text doesn't offer any value to the reader - but repeat those words and phrases that can be repeated (or just put a summary at the bottom with all the same info of the key words - it would work the same).
Search Engines... they're not just for breakfast anymore. LOL (been reading too many ads).
In today's marketing it seems in advertiser's minds that it is okay to lie to the consumer by showing cars and trucks doing things we KNOW are impossible (that's a lie if it won't do it) - by claiming a product is what it isn't (Listerine got nailed for "curing the common cold" years ago), and just basic misrepresentation. Misrepresenting, overclaiming and fantasy advertising still boil down to one thing: a flat, bold-faced lie to the consumer. Consumers aren't stupid (for the most part anyway) but I tend to believe advertiser's are at times - stupid to believe that we will believe everything we see or hear from an advertiser, that is.
Misrepresenting with the statement that our store data is on a daily feed to GOOGLE instead of clearly stating that Vendio has partnered with Google and store data is fed to their FROOGLE shopping search engine - is exactly what it is portrayed to be: a deceptive marketing statement.
No way around it.
Summary - we are on our own in being "discovered" on major search engines like GOOGLE. We may or may not be seen on Google's Froogle (even with a bugle). But then again, we get what we pay for I guess. Funny that we as shop owners are WILLING to pay more for a solid storefront that will generate sales - but Vendio doesn't want to HELP us sell anything. That's what's strange.
Points to ponder.
Best Regards,
Greg
Greg Williams
Retro Bargains
www.retrobargains.com
posted on July 9, 2003 09:18:24 PM new
I believe that the problem with the Vendio submission to Froogle is this:
Yes, Vendio submits a daily data feed to Froogle. However, they submit the whole shebang as one store named Vendio. They do not submit your store and my store as separate stores. If you type in "Radio," Froogle pulls up one radio ad from Vendio and one radio ad from every other store, like Sears, Macy's, etc. Now, even if there are 50 radios listed on 50 separate Vendio stores, only the first radio that Froogle hits comes up on the page for Vendio store. If you then click on the "show all products from a store" (or whatever it says) you will then see all the radios from Vendio stores, if they have all been entered correctly.
My bet is that most customers will not click on that "show all products" link because they probably don't think it would be helpful to their search. Vendio needs to treat us as separate stores since we are supposed to pay for the stores separately.
This Froogle thing is the only reason I even considered a Vendio store because I am a big Froogle fan. I have a new store and it has taken multiple emails and many days for Vendio to even submit the few products I have listed. I stopped listing until I can see how Vendio performs with this Froogle problem. Froogle will not let you submit your own data feed for your own store because they think Vendio is going to do it, but we are being let down.
posted on July 11, 2003 11:17:47 AM new
In response to the post I copied and pasted below from Vendio, I contacted Froogle about submitting my own data feed for my Vendio store. They refuse to take any information from an individual Vendio merchant. Froogle says that they work exclusively with Vendio and not with the individual merchants. So you cannot contact Froogle and get any results about having your stuff show up. Vendio is solely responsible for dealing with Froogle.
Vendio needs to get their act together and submit these stores by store name rather than just Vendio, as only one item from the whole of vendio will show up, per search.
I am also disappointed that Vendio only submits store items and does not submit the auction items that are also in the store. I cannot see how helpful Vendio will be for sales.
-----------------------------------
Hello,
If there is an ad that is missing from the Google search, we recommend that you contact them about getting your item inserted. If you are not subscribed to Google Ad Words, we cannot guarantee where your items are going to show up in searches done on Google.
posted on July 11, 2003 11:59:45 AM new
I did Google ad words for awhile but it was not very effective. I tried various campaigns, timing, key words, etc. I would not suggest it as a resource, personally. It might depend on what you sell.
Here is my site:
www.vintageads4u.com
(which is the pointer to my vedio store)
posted on July 11, 2003 12:28:40 PM new
Seems we are at an impasse, a Catch-22, a paradox actually.
Just the other day I received a call from Vendio's VP of Marketing, Kevin Wray, and he acknowledged to me that Froogle itself blocks (and Froogle adjusts accordingly to block)what Vendio sends on the data stream and Vendio actually works hard at getting information about our stores THROUGH to Froogle... so, I have no doubt that Vendio is trying but only trying at the minimal amount the market rate will allow. Example - Vendio won't spend money on our stores to make us visible so that we and Vendio can make more money in the long run.
With that said, I suggested strongly to Kevin that adoption and implementation of more choices on store plans be offered to us. Offered on a stair-step type platform where the STORE owner decides how much they want to expend on store visibilty and it is integrated into the specific store plan and launched accordingly. If it costs us to be EFFECTIVELY SEEN then we don't mind paying - if you do mind paying then stick with the basic store plan and low to no visibility.
I hope Kevin does indeed see the return on investment that multiple store platform offerings with built-in effective marketing can bring to both Vendio and us store owners. By "effective marketing" I mean a saturation to all major search engines - not to the Beta Froogle. There are solution packages already out there for businesses such as Vendio - no use reinventing the wheel.
Of course even with a basic package that we now have if you get a person TO your store they will have extreme difficulty finding they item they want to buy with the ridiculously non-functional search text box that has been complained about by us sellers for almost centuries now. If the item has three or less letters in the search name, forget it - it doesn't exist in your store even if you have 10,000 different models of the item. The inefficiencies of the Search Text Field go on and on but the most important thing to know is that if someone FINDS what they are looking for it is nothing short of a small miracle. Period.
Kevin: I appreciate your call the other day, and I hope it was informative to you regarding the many issues affecting Vendio store sellers that we discussed. Please know that I have shared that information with my close associates and we, the Vendio store owners, expect to be viewed as business associates with Vendio - which is what we all are. As a Marketing Rep you can understand that a business's vendor or outssourcer that impairs business is usually not a business's vendor or out-sourcer for very long... especially when the business's concerns are not prioritized SEPARATELY from Vendio's. Don't group our priorities with Vendio's priorities - you'll ALWAYS be wrong in your thinking if you do.
Regards to all,
Greg
Greg Williams
Retro Bargains
www.retrobargains.com
