Dynamic Ad rates - Endless bidding war
Explain how if two competitors both choose dynamic ad rates on competing listings it doesn't end up in a never ending bidding war that benefits ONLY EBAY.
Meanwhile, I have seen top ad costs in ALL my listing categories increase by over 40% in the past month, but I'm sure I'm just imagining things again.
29 comments
he-726288
OP3 years agoFirst... you pay ebay fees to list on their site. Originally, this included their outside promotion, as it was in their interest to do so in order to make sales and collect fees.
Then... that's not enough, ebay wants more, so they introduce promoted listings.
Then... not enough... so they create a new phase.
Then... not enough... let's go dynamic.
It never ends. If ebay wants the majority of their site to become a graveyard for dead listings... fine. A competitor will step into the vacuum created and capitalize. It always happens. In the meantime... it works for a select few and destroys the rest.
It is an ill fated concept, and you won't change my mind.
mam98031
·3 years agoYou forget to add that you do NOT have to participate in this option / tool at all. Do like those that don't like it, just don't use it and it won't bother you or cost you any money.
Why all the complaints. Just don't use it.
It is an optional tool. Some sellers like it and some don't. Some use it and some don't. It is a CHOICE.
he-726288
OP3 years agoBECAUSSSSEEEEE...
Once Ebay used these "promotions", they actually stopped using the standard promotion for items that don't participate.
If you don't use it... YOU DON'T SHOW AT ALL in most searches.
Don't take my word for it, another poster actually pointed it out very clearly earlier. They searched for LIVE SHRIMP... they never found my listings.
If ebay were providing new and better service for these fees, it would be one thing. It simply seems they are now charging outrageous fees for the exclusive right to search results you WOULD HAVE GOTTEN for free in the past.
NO pay... No play.
mam98031
·3 years agoI get that for certain categories that are over saturated with listings. But it isn't all listings. It can't be. The first quarter of this year, Promoted Listings represented 1% of Ebay's revenue. Now while I believe it has grown in the 2nd quarter. Still it is not anywhere near the majority of listings are promoted. Ebay just wants sellers to feel that way, but the reality is they aren't.
I don't use them. Most sellers don't use them. But again, I know in certain categories there is just so much competition that you need to do something.
As to the "live shrimp" issue, that is likely because the word "live" is not in your titles. I get it that you are in the right category, but the search engine doesn't take the name of a category into consideration.
siamjane8
·3 years agoMam. Yes we all know we don't have to use PL. We all know it's a choice. BUT we complain because it's effecting all our sales negatively. It's effecting the whole platform negatively! It's not a choice if it kills s as les across the platform and drives buyers away because if the confusing and cluttered listing pages that annoy buyers. It's a mess. That is why we complain, in his of starting the obvious and getting eBay to realize there mistakes and changing back to something that works.....PL are short term profit for eBay and long term damage for eBay.
mam98031
·3 years agoClearly that is not true by the posts of some others here on this thread alone. But other threads too.
I also agree that I don't like how all those ads show up on our listings, especially above our descriptions. Ebay is currently testing different listing views. I've been very vocal as have others that we want all ads dropped below the listing descriptions.
tcg_exchange_us
·3 years agoI feel your pain, after months of no sales. I swapped to the dynamic ad rate and magically have sales again. However, now we are losing money due to the ad rates... Yay this is so much fun.
mam98031
·3 years agoAs is true with any costs of sales [fees in this case], the price of your product has to accommodate it. If you don't raise the price of the product or if your profit margin isn't big enough to absorb the additional cost. It isn't cost effective to use any type of Promoted listing.
sapphire_studio
·3 years agoI have a question about the new dynamic rates.
In the past one of the options for promoted listing was to let eBay choose the rate for you based on what the going rate was and you could set a cap on what percentage you were willing to pay (and even tell it to put you a certain percentage over or under the going rate). I always assumed that that would change on its own as the going rate changed. But that seems like exactly what this new Dynamic rate is. So was I wrong before and once you set a promotion percentage based on the going rate it actually never altered on its own?
my-cottage-books-and-antiques
·3 years ago@sapphire_studio What you described is the Dynamic Rate. It's really just a name change, from something like "automatic" to " Dynamic". And I think it's now available in the "Simple" version of PLS, which it had not been before if I remember correctly. But you are right, this is really nothing new, and of course most sellers who take the time to understand how it works will use a cap, and will never allow the rate to go beyond a rate that allows them to use PLS and maintain profitability.
sapphire_studio
·3 years agoOkay that makes a lot of sense thank you so much for explaining that so well!
my-cottage-books-and-antiques
·3 years agoYou're welcome!
stainlessenginecovers
·3 years agoOn another note; why do you use that ebay name when you sell fish?
Also noted that I did a search for 'live shrimp' as I'm not interested in a box of frozen shrimp to eat, and you did not come up at all; but there were 382 that did.
For the term 'shrimp' there were 1100+, so it makes sense that Promotions may be needed.
sextons-sweet-deals
·3 years agoeBay search engine is broken and has been for a while. My guess is the attempt of trying to combine the 'item specifics' into the search. You probably need to play with the word search and change up word play at least 3 times see all hits.
The O.P. has specific names for their shrimp in title. If you use those key words, you will probably see their listing.
dirk12955
·3 years agoTagging on:
I remember years ago setting up at a coin show where the tables in the main room were about $600.00
The club offered discounted tables at around $350.00 in the "Annex" which was a smaller room
off the main bourse area.
The dealers in the main room that paid full price had a grand time fighting off the crowds of
buyers and sellers crowding the bourse area.
In the annex room, Crickets. Plenty of room for the buyers that couldn't find us.
Pay to play is nothing new.
joliztoyco
·3 years agoSo there were signs or people standing in the doorway of the "Annex" redirecting people back to the big room????
Yeah...welcome to "promoted listings".
stainlessenginecovers
·3 years agoI get that; but I'm the average Joe that doesn't know anything about Shrimp or Aquariums but know (because someone mentioned it here) that the 'shrimp' were nice to watch.
So, I would pick, (play Family Feud and pick 'out of 100 people asked) what I believe 90 out of 100 would choose for a keyword search when searching for live shrimp to go in my aquarium "live shrimp" (since I would also guess 99 out of 100 know what 'Fried Shrimp' 'Shrimp Scampi' etc. is and would NOT want those type items to come up)
stainlessenginecovers
·3 years agoThose that call 'promotions' pay per play apparently are not aware that this is how the internet (search engines) have worked for over a decade. Web owners 'bid' to be the 'highest' and the 'highest' amount is shown for each 'search term'.
It is a way to get your listing on the first page after a potential buyer inputs a search term (very few change from Best Match, very few search 'categories'; most simply input a search term in the search box). Better than being on page 344 for an item that has 5000 returns.
Anyway, with this newer Dynamic Pay per Click- you are, just like on the search engines, suppose to input a MAXIMUM that you are willing to pay, either a $ amount per day for 'pay per click' or a % max for Promotions Standard.
whatmorefabric
·3 years agoDynamic rates are not only for placement on Ebay, but on search engines. So it you pay for a dynamic rate on Ebay, your items also get pulled up on sponsered ads in google also. It will also show your other listings that are related to the item that buyers are looking for.
For example, if I put in tropical fabric on google, it will pull up my tropical fabric, it might also pull up other floral fabrics that I am selling somewhat related to Tropical fabrics. The same happens on Ebay.
It will raise your listings ahead of others and since buyers rarely look beyond 3 pages, that is a plus.
It is also not an endless bidding war. Buyers often do not buy the cheapest. If an item is properly described with attractive pictures , buyers are inclined to purchase that instead of a cheaper poorly presented item.
he-726288
OP3 years agoIf ANY two ads select dynamic... they will endlessly bid against each other. PERIOD. The rates have SKYROCKETED in the last month...
mam98031
·3 years agoMany or most posts have agreed with you, yet you still want to argue.
luckythewinner
·3 years agoExplain how if two competitors both choose dynamic ad rates on competing listings it doesn't end up in a never ending bidding war that benefits ONLY EBAY.
If two competitors both have dynamic pricing, it will indeed be a constant bidding war.
Meanwhile, I have seen top ad costs in ALL my listing categories increase by over 40% in the past month, but I'm sure I'm just imagining things again.
I don't use promoted listings so I never look. But if you saw it, it is true.
seconhandrosie
·3 years agoWhatever you do, don't tell the brown noses that Feebay is run by criminals. They hate the truth.
dqdistribution
·3 years agoPay to play is literally what advertisement is.
I don't use dynamic ad rates, however, I completely understand why they exist. Grocery stores literally bid shelving for placement. If you bid higher you SHOULD have higher placement, that's the whole point of advertisement.
joliztoyco
·3 years agoQuit using the "grocery store" comparison. It's false.
Every single product you see displayed in that grocery store has been PAID for.
By the grocery store.
If Nabisco chooses to give Kroger a few bucks off each case of Oreos to put them on a end cap, that's fine.
But Nabisco got PAID for those cases before they ever hit that end cap!!
If Ebay wants to pay me for my auction and then use their pathetic "Shelving Placement Promoted Listings" to sell it?
That's fine by me.
But that's not how this works, is it?
Apples and Oranges.
fashunu4eeuh
·3 years ago“…if two competitors both choose dynamic ad rates on competing listings it doesn't end up in a never ending bidding war that benefits ONLY EBAY…â€
Hi, an important point. Am in agreement with you.
mam98031
·3 years agoI just took a look at your listings. If I still had my tank set up, I'd certainly be buying some of those blue shrimp. They are very pretty. I use to love to just sit and watch my shrimp in the tank.
caldreamer
·3 years agoI agree with you 100%. I wouldn't recommend Per Click or Dynamic Ad (after paying all the fees it would be hard to make a profit).
I noticed your listings show delivery by "first class mail". The post office got rid of "first class mail". It has been replaced with the new "USPS Ground Advantage" so you will need to update your listings.
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Announcements/USPS-introduces-the-new-consolidated-ground-shipping-service/ba-p/33860819
traditonalproducts
·3 years agoWhy would we need to update the 1st class mail. I intentionally did not to see what happens. So far, my orders come in w/buyer selected USPS ground advantage instead of USPS 1st class. Below that the shipping option shows 1st class but has a disclaimer referring back to USPS ground advantage.