Need Advice about setting Store Categories
WE have an eBay store https://www.ebay.com/str/childrennotforsale that sells mostly clothing. Items are broken down, for example, into Women's categories like tops, dresses, etc., then further broken down by sizes, like on a clothing rack; Small, medium, large, etc.
Do you think we have the main categories too broken down?
If someone is looking i our store for medium size dresses, can they still find them if we reduce store categories?
My wife used to manage our charity store but she recently passed away so your advice will be very helpful.
Thank you,
Blair - Ark of Hope for Children
13 comments
christworks
·11 months ago@ark4kids, I am sorry for the loss of your wife. 🤗
I have a blended view on store categories, but I am with @onefootflipper on most points. After trying store categories publically when I was selling mostly HBA, I found I spent an awful amount of time trying to keep it organized without any tangible benefit. Although I was a niche store, my store volume was less than a few hundred items. I finally realize it didn't make sense for me to keep using custom categories when eBay's categories were just fine.
Now, I use store categories as @onefootflipper does: For my own internal sorting and organization. I put a date code in my SKU, but I have quarterly store categories. It makes it easier when I run a sale since I do tier sales based on inventory age most of the time. I have seasonal inventory under store categories.
In the OP's case, I don't think you have enough items to warrant sorting by store category. If you are going to use them, I think less is more. Here is an example of why: When I click on men's hats, you have exactly 2. As a buyer wanting to shop a store for hats, I would be very disappointed. It doesn't get much better when I click on your other categories. Even under men's jeans you have only ten. Adding more categories means buyers have to click more. That is a major turn-off. You want shoppers buying, not clicking and leaving in frustration.
I do think store categories work better for niched down sellers who have thousands of items. You only have about 500–600 items, and it just isn't hard to find things. There is a balance needed. I personally would not use store categories at all with where you are at, but if you are going to use them, I think you need to par them down. You don't want people clicking 2, 3, or 4 times only to find out you have one pair of men's swim shorts. You are also causing yourself a lot more work. If you are going to do more work, it needs to result in more sales. If it doesn't, then it is a waste of time and it is better to spend that time on doing things that will make you more money (e.g. list more items).
onefootflipper
·11 months agoIt is extremely rare to have any customers browsing your store categories. It just isn't a thing that normal users do that often, people are rarely looking to purchase from a specific store and when they are they still know how to use the search.
I actually use my store categories now to keep track of month and year of originally listing the item, which is extremely valuable in store management. Allowing me to keep track of item age accross relists, sell similars and order cancels, and it allows me to easily bring up items of a certain age.
chapeau-noir
·11 months agoAs someone who has bought and sold clothing online for years, I disagree with most of this, both by experience and research I've done myself.
The old Omniture stats showed me about 45% of people visited my store...NOT just my listings...every one to three days, and another about 20% visited it every few weeks.
Furthermore, selling patterns of items showed that particularly my repeat buyers and multiples buyers were shopping in one or another category in my store. They may find the item on general search, but they stay to shop.
Categories and drill-down is very important, at least in the clothing market.
ark4kids
OP11 months agoThank you so much for your prayers and your response.
gloryglorygifts
·11 months agoI think your categories look great! Very easy to find something using either the categories or the search bar. You don't need to add any additional ones.
My deepest sympathies about your loss. Please know you are both in my prayers.
Mare
caldreamer
·11 months agoSorry about your wife's passing. She must have been a wonderful person to support a charity that saves children.
I checked your store and when I clicked on see SELLER'S OTHER ITEMS it takes me a page that shows photos of all your items and also option to click on CATEGORIES. Even before you click on "Categories" there is a blank SEARCH BOX where customer can type in exactly they are looking.
When I type in the words Dress Size in SEARCH BOX (it automatically shows all the sizes you have available). You do NOT need to create different categories for every size.
ark4kids
OP11 months agoThank you so much. Great advice. Indeed, she was wonderful, and it's a nonprofit we started together many years ago. Being disabled her way to help was to sell donated items to support the work. She is super greatly missed but I know we will be together again.
farmalljr
·11 months agoPersonally, I think it's easier for a potential buyer to just type in what they are looking for in the search bar for your store items. I guess break downs are nice, but if a buyer clicks an item then into your store, eBay tends to populate your store view with more of those type of items. It's far faster IMO, to search your store through the search bar then click click click half a dozen things, if they are searching for a specific type of item.
bonanza125
·11 months ago"Do you think we have the main categories too broken down?"
No! It's about right for what you are selling.
"If someone is looking i our store for medium size dresses, can they still find them if we reduce store categories?" Yes! If they type in dresses they will find them in your store. Now advance search as in all stores it can be harder to get your pulled up right away. It would take browsing.
retrogames10000
·11 months agoBlair,
I think the store categories look really nice and I feel like you need more of that not less
ark4kids
OP11 months agoThank you so much.
kickin.assets
·11 months ago@ark4kids
I’m so sorry about your loss.
To answer your question, no, I don’t believe they are too broken down. I also use somewhat of the same system and have had very positive feedback on it. If a customer is looking for let’s say a size 10 in womens jeans, they are able to go directly to those from left navigation.
I’ve also considered reducing store categories to maybe just womens, mens, etc., and I’m sure buyers would still find what they are looking for from search within the store, but why change what’s working?
Wishing you the very best!
Kiks
ark4kids
OP11 months agoThanks so much. Yes, I am all for not changing what isn't broken! It's great to have the option to see if our peers felt it was still a good practice for our store.