Huge Reduction In Sales

[tammystackle]

My sales are down 76 % compared to last year and my market is up 10 %. Last year I was averaging 2 sales a day. Now I'm lucky if I get 2 sales a week. Last year I had no store, a lot less active listings, no promoted listings and no markdown listings. What I'm I doing wrong? Should I cancel my store subscription? List less items? Stop promoting listing and markdown items?

[thatsallfolks]

Could be a lot of things, but as I was browsing your listings for lures, I was surprised by the minimal description (just a repeat of the title), and the lack of any info about what type of fish and what conditions the lures are good for.

Do people search for lures by brand name, or by what they want to catch, and the method of fishing?

[tammystackle]

Thanks, That's good advice. I will revise my listing but that really doesn't explain why I sold so many last year.

[thatsallfolks]

You're right, it doesn't. That's a much harder question.

[luxgoods]

You are not a minority here with the lack of sales.  If you scroll down in the discussion you will see this is true.  I just came form my accountant to get my taxes done and he was surprised by how dismal 2017 was vs 2016.  He explained to me that my income has been dropping for the past 4 years with Ebay.  Ebay has made it much more difficult for its sellers with all these ridiculos rules.  Guaranteed shipping doesn't seem to be working and Free Returns are completely out of the question.  Hang in there, we all hope things get better

[tammystackle]

Thanks, I hope it gets better soon. I just wasn' t sure if it was something I was doing wrong.

[cherrybritain]

I've noticed it too. Went from selling at least an item a day to an item a month. Have just ended all my listings as I don't see the point.

[tammystackle]

Crazy

[romantiqua015]

had a look at your listings,you are what one would say a niche market.not that is bad or good ,however it means if someone else starts to step into the market & undercut you then you would feel the cut in sells.i feel you are up against chinese companies that offer free postage & are half the price of your listing.i had the same problem for some of my lines.i stopped them & moved onto things they cannot compete with me ie vintage UK made product. 

[ozarks.2012]

I'm a fisherman and I would (and everyone else) pay more for a lure that I thought would work. You need to make people think you are an expert. You can become one using google. Do you know that your Emerald Strike lures are hard to find and if properly tuned will catch big fish while others aren't catching anything. Get the made in China off your steel leaders. Those leaders have been proven to hold the big fish when cheaper versions have failed etc. etc. Add descriptions to your products and they will sell. Doesn't matter what you did last year just matters what you do this year.

[tammystackle]

Ok thanks. That makes a lot of sense.

[herway]

Same here. Sales where down 30% in 2017 versus 2016 for me. 

I have jumped through every hoop ebay asked me to. Free shipping, free returns, 1 day shipping, priority mail on items over 1 lbs., using best offer option, using promoted listings, using markdown manager, using mobile friendly checker, smart keyword titles, nice photos, etc.

I am 100% sure the issue is VISIBILITY. The problem is the search algorithm.

[orangehound]

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@herway wrote:

Same here. Sales where down 30% in 2017 versus 2016 for me. 

I have jumped through every hoop ebay asked me to. Free shipping, free returns, 1 day shipping, priority mail on items over 1 lbs., using best offer option, using promoted listings, using markdown manager, using mobile friendly checker, smart keyword titles, nice photos, etc.

I am 100% sure the issue is VISIBILITY. The problem is the search algorithm.

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It may be easy to blame the search algorithm, but there are many other possible factors.

1. If one sells used clothing on eBay, the competition has tripled or quadrupled in the last 2-3 years.
2. If one sells old knick knacks or antiques, the demand for such items has gone down ... the older generation that is interested in such things is dying off, and the younger generation is not interested.
3. If one sells cheap things from China, the Chinese are selling directly here now ... and they can sell it below an American's cost with their nearly free shipping benefit.
4. If one sells anything else the same way that it was sold 1 to 2 years ago, demand could have fallen or competition could have stiffened ... products need to be evaluated at least annually.  The online marketplaces are driving prices down, down, down.

[mommadukestreasurehunt]

I think the term "competition" is what needs analysis. For example, quite a few brands/labels are now liquidating their inventories, and, if you desire to carry a large inventory of product of whatever brand, you can seek it out and pursue buying large quantities of it (hopefully its good quality). I noted a particular brand today as I was jumping around the engine that was purchased in bulk, and I will stay clear away from picking up anything with ? label on it for some time .... just because. Promotions such as upload 1,000 items in X amount of time and get this in return is encouraging for sellers who want to do it. However, sales and marketing go hand-n-hand .... whoever is offering the promotion has to balance it out. Something needs to be given in return if you meet the quota .... what do you think that is?

[wa.streetrods]

I have similar issues with the reduction in sales... Now I know I've been a 

little slower than usual at making listings, however - I just recently lost my 

top rated seller tag over one half of one percentage point for late shipment... My eBay record was near flawless otherwise... Seems this eBay demotion

has fostered a reduction in sales...

Daniel