posted on February 17, 2001 01:03:18 PM new
[snip]
However, Larry Jordan, vice president of marketing for AuctionWatch, said that if Yahoo! is successful in increasing the percentage of sales relative to listings, its fee-based strategy could work.
"If buyers are buying, sellers will come," Jordan said.
[end snip]
posted on February 17, 2001 01:45:38 PM new
In theory you are correct, but you have to remember Yahoo likes to do things backwards and that may be his basic assessment.
posted on February 17, 2001 02:17:35 PM newIf sellers are selling, buyers will come.
Really, either way is possible. I mean, if reliable people started posting here that their sell-through rate on Yahoo was 50 or 60 or 70 percent, I think many, many people would consider going back.
I would love to see it happen -- it would utlimately mean more money in my pocket in the end -- but I don't think it's going to.
posted on February 17, 2001 04:34:41 PM new
"If buyers are buying, sellers will come," Jordan said.
That absolutely brilliant statement ranks up with my all-time favorites like "If King Kong was female, she'd be Queen Kong..." I wonder how many years people go to school to be able to think up incisive, profound statements like that...
posted on February 17, 2001 11:06:07 PM new"I mean, if reliable people started posting here that their sell-through rate on Yahoo was 50 or 60 or 70 percent, I think many, many people would consider going back."
OF COURSE we would, and if we could sell 50 or 60 or 70% of our listings, we would GLADLY pay the fees Yahoo's charging to list, because we'd all be making money. But after listing for a few weeks and finding our sell-through rate STILL down in the 10-15% range (or LOWER), we'd quit again in disgust, wiser but poorer.
Where are the people claiming that their Yahoo sell-through is 50% (or higher)??? The only people selling that well now were selling that well BEFORE the fees started as well, because they have "hot" merchandise like coins and electronics, so it carries little meaning for the rest of us.
posted on February 17, 2001 11:21:09 PM newThe only people selling that well now were selling that well BEFORE the fees started as well, because they have "hot" merchandise like coins and electronics, so it carries little meaning for the rest of us.
There's a few sellers in the Clothing & Accessories categories that are selling close to 100%. Unbelieveable but true. I've been tracking their sales.
What amazes me is the seller with the best sell through that I've seen on Yahoo has lousy pictures (with junk piled everwhere), a 2 line description, and no listed TOS. This seller gets lots of bids and has (i'm guessing) a 90-100% sell through. Go figure....
[ edited by outoftheblue on Feb 18, 2001 02:10 AM ]
posted on February 18, 2001 08:11:26 AM new
Since the institution of fees my sell through at Yahoo has dropped dramatically, particularly since I dramatically increased the "quality" of items posted (as Yahell "says" it wants; many antiques, etc., there just aren't the buyers there to even bid.
I've had 4 items sitting on Yahoo, while at the same time 3 or 4 similar have sold in 2 days on eBay through their BIN system.
I admit I am getting more "views" now on the "new Yahell" but not close to the sell through rate we once had.
Basically, we are simply testing the Yahell site now to see if it can produce at all, at the moment, we don't see any real hope for Yahell and we are back at e-Bay, but also having success at AuctionAddict and BidBay.
posted on February 18, 2001 08:15:05 AM new
My biggest concern would be that yes, they are getting the bids but are they getting the $$$$$$? I have always had a lot of bids on Yahoo but with about a 60% deadbeat rate that doesn't add up to much money.
posted on February 18, 2001 08:22:46 AM new
amalgamated2000
Are you ever correct. Built it and they will come! Not true when applied to on line sites.
Not only has this been proven totally untrue in regards to the internet, but ask anyone who set up a commercial web site, and just thought that, that was all they needed to reap the bounty of on line sales! HA!
It took 2 years for your web site to take off, and then only when I learned how to do professional promotion of the site. It is now doing fantastic, but just building it and expecting an audience is highly naive!
