question about selling
when your posting an item for sale on ebay it gives you the option to
" boost your viewing " or something to that effect basically I think it's pay a small fee to increase the visibility of your item for sale... what is that exactly how does it work. does it work whats the charge and is it worth it ???
thank you
13 comments
redlinear
·2 years agoSome, probably most... of what you get when you pay to promote a listing.
I opened eBay item number 395163355730
I scrolled to the very bottom of the listing page to see if there were any reviews on this item. Just the item, not the seller. (many times there are item reviews at the very bottom).
There were none that I could find.
What I did find was a (few) adds from other sellers.
I can only assume, these "other" listings being shown are from listings being promoted.
evry1nositswindy
·2 years agoIt is optional. Do a trial run of with and without. Personally, I don't pay eBay anymore than I have to!
chevymontecarlo88
·2 years agoLook at it as Advertising. You pay for ad placement and reach like you would do when placing an ad in the newspaper (back in the day)
Does is work? Yes
Is it worth it? Not always
Obviously you should know and understand how the fees work and there are plenty of UTube videos showcasing pros and cons of this.
It is a tool and when applied correctly and/or on the right listing, this can help you sell the item faster. If applied haphazardly, it also could cost you any margin once all fees are totaled.
siamjane8
·2 years agopromoting has proven to be more and more ineffective. Many sellers have seen no improvement in sales with promoting. Some do, but its at the expense of making actual profit. Ebay gives new sellers a boost naturally so i would just go with that and try to get established before "selling your soul to the devil" lol.
Ebay has the ability to show the most relevant listings to buyers when they type words in the search box.... but they choose to show unrelated promoted listings instead to further the cash cow that PL has become. This of course does not translate into sales though because people do not buy items that they do not want just because they are forced to look at them- they get frustrated and move on.
Like anything- it probably helps in oversaturated categories like clothing and shoes and i-phone cases, but overall it has hurt the platform for unique and quality items that by default are just not being shown to buyers anymore. I have documented results that have the exact same keywords in the title but do not show up on ebay when searched- only on google- , then after working and searching in promoted listing carousels on other people's listings- have actually found the item......... makes NO sense- the item should show up in initial search BUT because it was promoted- does NOT---effectively promoting hides your item from people that actually are looking for it and shows it to people who are looking for something else?
Maybe im missing something but that is one of the reasons that sales have been in a steady 3 year decline- you cant buy what you cant see
chevymontecarlo88
·2 years agoKnowing what tools you have and how to apply them is key.
I will use it sparingly and on items that i have great margin on or have priced above market value. Market value can be subjective when items can not be properly compared. Example. I buy and sell vintage guitars. Every guitar is different from play ability, condition and originality. If i have a mint condition 54 Fender Strat in original condition, i can price it well above the average market price because play ability, condition and originality always varies from guitar to guitar. This might be a listing i would consider promoting to get more eyes on it.
On items that are price competitive, similar (widgets) with many currently listed, i would not promote unless i had a lot of margin. IMHO These items typically sell (when comparable) based on price. (lowest)
Its not for everyone and no one likes fees or unwanted expenses. It has worked for me in the past but its not something i rely on.
mr_lincoln
·2 years ago@siamjane8 Very accurate statement. For those who have used and studied Promoted Listings over several years the results can vary ... some will see good results and others bad. I had good success with PLS (Promoted Listings Standard) up until they fully launched PLA (Promoted Listings Advanced) in early 2022, changed how Views were counted and doubled and tripled the "Suggested rates" for PLS.
Prior to that time I would run a 30 day PLS campaign once a quarter. I would average 2-3 sales per day during the campaign. However, some trends emerged through that process. My BIN (Buy it now - GTC) listings would tank for 7-10 days right after a campaign would end before rebounding to normal sales levels.
In early 2022 things changed. My 30 day quarterly campaigns consistently underperformed to about 1.5 or less sales per day and BIN sales in between campaigns dropped off significantly. I was NOT using the new higher "Suggested rates". This went on for a year and a half and during that time I had to shift inventory elsewhere to sell it. The drop off in sales in 2023 was over $10K.
Just after my 2nd quarter campaign in 2023 I did a test campaign for 17 days and raised ad rates to at or just above the Suggested rates ... sales immediately went back up to the 2-3 per day level during that 17 day campaign but doubling fees paid to the venue was not sustainable but it proved what I suspected ...
On my 3rd quarter campaign I went back to my old rates and sales dropped off again. I made the decision to stop using PLS and in 4th quarter just after my normal campaign time I got the message below, not once but twice. It starts with "We've missed you, tried Promoted Listings Standard again."
I got that message again in 1st quarter this year just past the time I would run my quarterly campaign. I can understand that a venue would learn the selling trends of individual accounts in order to optimize their income from sales. For myself, I just can't justify paying an (approximate) extra 12% on sales during a PLS campaign.
While I LOVE selling on eBay and Supporting The Community the operative word is sell. I am waiting for sales to recover naturally since I will no longer use PLS to boost sales when the result would be a reduction of profit. I applaud those who are having continued success in their categories with PLS or PLA.
chevymontecarlo88
·2 years agoIts not for everyone or everything you list. Some will use PL as a lost leader. To get more eyes on the listing as well as their store/listings.
Example.
You come across a collection of rare prewar Lionel Train engines that you purchased and are going to list. Some may take the rarest version (or most desirable with limited availability) and price it above market while promoting. (only promoting one of the items) This will get more eyes on it and most likely will also generate more store views. Used like a lost leader (retail) this can lead to other non PL sales and views.
I am not a big fan of blindly promoting items or promoting all listings necessarily.
As a tool, it can be helpful or a complete waste of money and time.
slippinjimmy
·2 years agoRead the info on this page and then come back if you have specific questions.......
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/listings/promoted-listings-overview/promoted-listings-standard?id=4164
Stick with the "Standard" version, the others will cost you too much money.
fashunu4eeuh
·2 years agoHi @jessejamesvintagevault and welcome.
Promoting one’s listings can get pricey and eat into one’s profits if the seller is not mindful of all fees. Care should be taken when setting the additional percentage of the total price to remit to eBay if you decide to go that route.
Below is a link to eBay’s Help pages with lots of information you need to know about promoted listings.
https://www.ebay.com/sellercenter/growth/promoted-listings/promoted-listings-standard
PS—Just to clarify—are you certain that your Absinthe fountain is an antique and not a reproduction? I found one exactly like yours online when i was reading up on what that item is/does. You can see the identical fountain at the link below:
https://www.barproducts-us.com/barproducts-com-absinthe-fountain-4-spout-master-mixology/
When teaching loved ones how to sell here, emphasis is given towards having scrupulously correct details regarding the items one chooses to list. Selling privileges can be lost easily enough when one is a new seller and still learning the ropes.
So, just a word to the wise to be on your guard. Starting small, and also selling what you know, can help to sidestep listing mistakes and policy goofs.
Good luck to you and wish you much success!!
jessejamesvintagevault
OP2 years agothanks so much for your advice .
yes I am absolutely sure my fountain is authentic.. it's been in my family since the early 60s .. I do admit the replicas are good and although similar if you were to look at them side by side the difference would be clear and obvious...
fashunu4eeuh
·2 years agoGreat!! Thank you for responding. That would be a nice sale.
mtgraves7984
·2 years ago"... basically I think it's pay a small fee..."
@jessejamesvintagevault
Good catch. Yes... many of eBay's 'suggested options' are for just that. List with eyes wide open. Good luck to you here.
mr_lincoln
·2 years agoHi @jessejamesvintagevault
You will find that eBay has many options for adding Fees to listings / sales via their promotions programs. Some are paid ahead of time and others only if the item sells. My advice to new Sellers would be to try and make sales naturally instead of increasing the percentage of the total sale that you wind up paying eBay.
I ran Promoted listing campaigns for years but as time progressed it was apparent eBay wanted to make in the neighborhood of 20% - 25% TOTAL fees on sales instead of less than half that with the normal Final Value Fees for a natural non-promoted sale.
By the way, the main picture on your Ugly Christmas Sweater is sideways, you can Edit the listing and rotate the image ...