Ebay WHAT Are You Thinking???

[Anonymous]

This is just a minor rant BUT while I was updating some of my listings today I noticed something on the righthand side of the screen next to my listing I've never seen before. It was a small advertisement to click on another seller's page and check them out!

Now what is alarming is this seller has only sold 5 LISTINGS and yet Ebay wants me to check them out? Why? What do they have that is so much better than what the customer is currently looking at? Do they even have what the customer needs? How much are they being Ebay to be placed in that spot? Are they paying Ebay at all or is Ebay just randomly selecting them to be there? ( It think not on that last question)

So I continued to scroll down just to see if I could find anything else like that in the listing. What I found was disgusting honestly. After two rows of "other seller's listings" a small sliver of page was giving to item details/description area THEN the rest of the page was filled with other listings until you reached the bottom.

Selling on another platform is looking more appealing everyday I log into Ebay. My question is WHY are you overloading the viewer/customer with so many options that only distract from what they are really looking for. Oh wait, I know... TO LINE YOUR POCKETS WITH MORE $$$ YOU DON'T DESERVE. Shameful Ebay.

First Listing example (Ad on righthand side of page)Second Listing example (SAME EXACT PERSON on righthand side of page)Next is other listingsand more listingsand more listingsAfter a short piece of the page for the item details, more listingsand more listingsand more listingsand more listingsand more listingsand FINALLY THE END OF THE PAGE.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@valueaddedresource 

Here's a link to the "Yug&Yara" store:

https://www.ebay.com/str/yugyara?_trksid=p2047675.m3561.l2563

If you do an "advanced search" for ebay store using "Yug&Yara" the result says "this is a test store."

1 store found with Yug&Yara in the store name.
Showing 1 to 1
Yug&Yara
This is a test store

So, yeah, I'd say the adsteam is beta testing something, and I'm guessing its the store ads that Alex Kazim was talking about....

[ittybitnot]

 and noticed the "Sponsored Store Ad" 

@Anonymous 

I just did a few quick searches for more information on this topic ....ZERO/ZILCH

Wonder if they are pay per click, charge if an item sells, or a fixed charge?  I have confidence that @valueaddedresource  will find out.  In the meantime, something else to lead YOUR prospective buyer away. 

[Anonymous]

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@my-cottage-books-and-antiques wrote:

@valueaddedresource 

Here's a link to the "Yug&Yara" store:

https://www.ebay.com/str/yugyara?_trksid=p2047675.m3561.l2563

If you do an "advanced search" for ebay store using "Yug&Yara" the result says "this is a test store."

1 store found with Yug&Yara in the store name.
Showing 1 to 1
Yug&Yara
This is a test store

So, yeah, I'd say the adsteam is beta testing something, and I'm guessing its the store ads that Alex Kazim was talking about....

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The problem though is unless a shopper takes the time to click on the "About" tab for that store then they don't know that. If you click on the store and just view the listings everything is set up as normal. So it just diverts the customer away from you actually making a sale into wasting you and their time. 

And if they are testing on my page then doesn't that hurt my sales? From what I've read from other post/comments on this forum, anytime Ebay beta test something using your listing they "shut" your store/username off so shoppers can't find you while they run test. Could be wrong but it would explain the 1 sale I've had the past 2 months.

[Anonymous]

She said it is a test store. But you prove my point that anyone clicking on that store won't know that.

[richard1rst]

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@siamjane8 wrote:

Ebay is the shortest term thinking company I know. They will do anything and everything for the fastest quickest cash grab possible whether or not it hurts sellers/buyers/or ebay in the long run.

These promoted listings are destroying the buyer and seller experience and driving our customers aaway or worse yet to bad sellers that are willing to give ebay promoted fees- even if they provide a substandard buying experience.

What puzzles me is that its is such a woke/ left leaning company in almost everything..... but when it comes to profit- they sell their soul for a dollar lol...... very hypocritical if you ask me.

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Actually that is not all that unusual.

An example I like to use is General Motors, founded by Albert P Sloan. While he was in charge, since it was his “baby”, everything was a long term goal. By the 1950’s GM sold more cars that ALL of the other car companies IN THE WORLD combined. Then he retired. A few years ago GM declared bankruptcy. I suspect if Sloan was still in charge that would not have happened.

Ditto when Mr Sears retired.

When new management comes into an existing company they view it as a short term gig until the next best deal comes along. If I can hit gold here in the short term some other company will look to hire me away to enhance their company. At a substantial pay jump or course. So they obsess over increasing TODAY’s profit so as to enhance their golden parachute. Let the next guy worry about the long term effects of their folderall.

Think Mitt Romney, Bain Capital and any company they touched.

[valueaddedresource]

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@my-cottage-books-and-antiques wrote:

@valueaddedresource 

Here's a link to the "Yug&Yara" store:

https://www.ebay.com/str/yugyara?_trksid=p2047675.m3561.l2563

If you do an "advanced search" for ebay store using "Yug&Yara" the result says "this is a test store."

1 store found with Yug&Yara in the store name.
Showing 1 to 1
Yug&Yara
This is a test store

So, yeah, I'd say the adsteam is beta testing something, and I'm guessing its the store ads that Alex Kazim was talking about....

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@my-cottage-books-and-antiques another good catch! So putting this all together, my guess is that the store ads Kazim was talking about may in fact be the same thing as the Promoted Display ads that GM Ad growth Elisabeth Rommel was talking about in June.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/New-Promoted-Listings-Ad-Types-Coming-Soon/td-p/33000051

In an interview in MediaPost, she said:

eBay will launch an ad unit -- code-named Promoted Display, based on a cost-per-click (CPC) pricing model. The company will test it in September, with the goal to roll out the ad unit in a closed beta during the second half in 2022.

The ads will serve up on eBay’s “View Items” page, where merchants highlight their products.

“We have a test and learn culture and always think of a placement with high visibility above the fold,” Rommel said. “It will be targeted at a higher level above search. We learn and make changes before rolling it out more broadly.”

This Promoted Display ad unit will target repeat customers, the type of consumer who knows, for example that Adidas sells shoes and sportswear.

It wasn't exactly clear what she meant by "view items page" - I had guessed she may have been talking about ads that would be served on actual store pages or a seller's "view other items" page - but it could be she was talking about the listing page itself and just didn't know what sellers commonly call that page (it wouldn't be the first time an eBay exec wasn't tuned into terminology/how users actually use the site).

But based on the screenshots, what @Anonymous saw would certainly fit the "high visibility placement above the fold" and showing a store selling jewelry on a jewelry listing would fit with the concept of showing repeat customers similar items, like Elisabeth's example of shoes and sportswear.

So to answer @ittybitnot's question about how these ads would be paid - my very strong guess at this point would be Cost Per Click.

[valueaddedresource]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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I for one like those that utilize PL, which I do not, the revenue from the PL probably keeps eBay from increasing FVF's across the board. 

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But that brings up the questions also... if Ebay did not push Promoted Listings on other seller listing pages and instead had a higher final value fee, would the seller actually sell more items? I believe we would because buyers would find the item, like it, and buy it. Done deal. Now (IF) they get through the search results, they are being bombarded with all this mess on one item listing page. Poor things; I would give up and go somewhere else too. Like I don't know... Amazon maybe.

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@Anonymous  aside from the very concerning store ad, you're absolutely right about all the other ads on the page too!

When you count all of the ads that are in scrolling carousels, most listings I've checked are averaging over 100 competitor ads stuffed on to the listing page, which is insane in my opinion, especially when you consider that many sellers are paying anywhere from ~$20 - $3,000/month for a store subscription on top of everything else.

Your comment about higher FVFs instead is an interesting one.  In the recent monthly chat about Promoted Listings, I actually tossed the idea out to the ads team of allowing buyers to opt to pay an extra fee to remove competitor ads from their listings - like an ad free subscription option - just to see what kind of reaction it might get from sellers.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Monthly-Chat-with-eBay-Staff/Monthly-Chat-November-9th-at-1-00-pm-PT/m-p/33347651/highlight/true#M29699

The funny thing is when ads were first introduced (cross-promotion as it was called then) it was a completely optional quid quo pro system - every seller could decide if they wanted the possible benefit of being shown on other sellers' listings by being willing to also have other sellers' listings shown on theirs or they could opt out and miss the supposed benefit of cross-promotion but retain control over the listing page real estate.

While I don't suspect eBay would ever even entertain the idea of going back to that kind of system, it would be interesting to see how many sellers would willing still go for it if they did.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@valueaddedresource   Yep, that sounds right. Hopefully, adsteam will be able to clarify. I believe internally ebay has called the "listing page" the view item page for a long time, so this makes sense. And I'm guessing this is either replacing the "stores ads" originally mentioned so long ago, or this IS the stores ads, just with a new name "Promoted Display"

[valueaddedresource]

adsteam@ebay  devon@ebay  - any light you can shed on this new ad type that appears to be being tested here?

Is this the Promoted Display ad product Elisabeth Rommel was talking about a few months ago?

Will this ad spot be a Cost Per Click model?

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@valueaddedresource  I am looking forward to a prompt and forthright response to your question....what with "seller engagement" and "transparency" being ebay's greatest desire. 

[powell-memorabilia]

I understand the discomfort in having another seller's store prominently displayed in the eBay listing for your item, but, from a buyer's perspective, aren't more options better?  Should I put on blinders if I click a link to a listing that shows one of your items?  Most buyers want options - they went to eBay to find a widget - and want to see the deal that is best for them, not just what you have for sale.  

[toomuchstuffagain35]

But how many buyers will click on that ad thinking it's a link to the seller's store whose listing they're viewing?

I mean there's this ad for a top seller STORE, and yet the little blue link to this seller's actual storefront or other items is so tiny it's easily missed.

[valueaddedresource]

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@toomuchstuffagain35 wrote:

But how many buyers will click on that ad thinking it's a link to the seller's store whose listing they're viewing?

I mean there's this ad for a top seller STORE, and yet the little blue link to this seller's actual storefront or other items is so tiny it's easily missed.

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@toomuchstuffagain35  - agree 100%!

My biggest problem with what we are seeing with this test is exactly that - how many buyers will click that thinking they are going to the store of the seller whose listing they are on?

The placement just below the seller's info with eye catching pictures and larger font is very likely to lead to that exact outcome.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@valueaddedresource  Agreed. Actually, the "ad" is kind of what I have been hoping to see for the listing seller's store....ever since they finally gave us improved store tools, I've been saying they need to do a better job of directing buyers to our stores. Instead, they have decided to drive buyers to other stores from our listing page with a far more prominent promo than our own store gets on our own listing page.

But of course, they are going to charge for this...it is increasingly clear that they have very little intention of driving traffic to store home pages unless we pay extra for it. Sad, but , at this point, hardly unexpected.

[zamo-zuan]

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@my-cottage-books-and-antiques wrote:

@valueaddedresource  Agreed. Actually, the "ad" is kind of what I have been hoping to see for the listing seller's store....ever since they finally gave us improved store tools, I've been saying they need to do a better job of directing buyers to our stores. Instead, they have decided to drive buyers to other stores from our listing page with a far more prominent promo than our own store gets on our own listing page.

But of course, they are going to charge for this...it is increasingly clear that they have very little intention of driving traffic to store home pages unless we pay extra for it. Sad, but , at this point, hardly unexpected.

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The way you explain it certainly would make sense! Trying to lead buyers to a sellers store would give us a way to better establish our reputations with repeat customers. 

They had received extremely poor feedback ever since they started showing competitors ads, so I'm not sure why they are so dead-set on going this direction. It seems almost intended to upset people more. At the very least, they could show sellers own store and THEN some "similar" ads, so it would be equivalent, rather than a straight disadvantage for a seller. 

I miss the days before the AI backed search where the biggest factor was our product/sales history. As a seller, it made sense to be able to just focus on making the buyers happy, and that would turn them in to repeat customers. It allowed you to build a presence on eBay. Ever since the AI backed search + pushing promotions, it's been harder and harder to build an actual presence when their promotion systems are the biggest factor in visibility with it only becoming harder to build repeat customers - not only because of visibility itself, but the 'simplification' of CS policies gives less slack to the sellers when you gotta take more losses than ever.

We're a business who focuses on eBay as our primary store. But it seems eBay has only made that more difficult for those like us, rather than supporting the sellers who treat eBay as their #1 priority. We're prepared to invest a lot more effort in to eBay to get both ourselves and eBay some sales if they work with us by giving us ways to build traffic/presence - but it seems they prefer ad rates over sales presence these days.