Finish Setting Up Store to Help Improve Conversion

[read2gether]

This is on "My Ebay" in tasks.  Then, when I click on it this comes up:

My question is, do I need to do these things for my store to start selling again?  Sales have really dropped off.  FYI, been selling for about 10+ years.  Thanks for your input.

[ebooksdiva]

@read2gether 

If you notice it's in the Suggested actions area..so it's just a suggestion..You can complete or ignore. It's up to you. I've done all but the video. Posting a video seems rediculous for what I sell.  All those suggested features do make the store look busy IMHO. I'm considering taking most of it down.  

[714ricki]

Sales have dropped off for many obvious outside factors & changes to ebay search features. If you sell in a niche, then I would also add the feature category. If not, then you have done more than enough in setting up the store front. Of course, you can always do all the options. It's up to you. However, sales are dependent on quality items, price, competition, & demand.

Good luck!

[richard1rst]

I get the same message.

I sell a very wide variety of products across dozens of categories. I am unwilling to enter either "featured listings" or "featured categories". The theory is that if I feature something then everything else gets short shrift. Why would I want to do that to myself.

I tried to enter a banner that simply proclaiming "Free shipping on everything I sell". I couldn't get it to work. Not sure why.

I did do a video just for the fun of it. It is a very generic video commenting on policies rather than products (same reason as above). No way to tell in anybody actually sees it. But it was a creative outlet.

As ebooksdiva said they are suggested not mandatory.

[downunder-61]

As a buyer if you have a large volume of different items I like the category selection, video to me is neither here nor there.

[richard1rst]

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@downunder-61 wrote:

As a buyer if you have a large volume of different items I like the category selection, video to me is neither here nor there.

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Well, what I meant was that I have a large number of products which are already sorted into a large number of  category. So if you are looking for a hat, for example, you can see all the hats (only) listed together by clicking "hats" as the category.

My concern is that if I specifically feature one particular category then all of the other categories may tend to be ignored or shoved into the background.. So I would rather not.

I agree about the video. I just did it for my own amusement and to exercise my creative urges.

[5594shelleys]

Delightful creative video... I am inspired. Thanks!

[ten_o_nine]

Whatever they tell you to do is actually for them to gain more control and make more money. You're in the back view mirror.

[ten_o_nine]

Just do that and you'll see your shelves empty, all busy work to make you feel you're doing something about the slow sales

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@richard1rst 

The banner is designed to highlight an individual listing, a particular ebay or store category, or a promotion you are running. (If you look at my store front, I'm currently running a promotion, and if you click either the banner image or the "Shop Now " button it will take you to my Promotion page.)

It isn't really designed for a general statement such as  "Free shipping on everything I sell". 

However, I think you could go to "create a banner", choose "listing" as your choice, then to the right choose any listing you want (that will be the page the link will take the buyer to, but it doesn't matter very much....you are really just trying to get a message about free shipping across to the buyer. Choose an image for the banner itself (could be a gallery photo from the listing, or I think any image, I'm not sure)

Then you have a title and a subtitle. The title allows for only 30 characters, the subtitle allows for 40. Your statement      Free shipping on everything I sell    exceeds 30 characters, so it needs to be shortened for the title: "Free shipping on everything!" works, as does "Free shipping on all my stuff!"  

You can add a subtitle (not required) and then---important---make sure to click "Save Banner"

[richard1rst]

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@my-cottage-books-and-antiques wrote:

@richard1rst 

The banner is designed to highlight an individual listing, a particular ebay or store category, or a promotion you are running. (If you look at my store front, I'm currently running a promotion, and if you click either the banner image or the "Shop Now " button it will take you to my Promotion page.)

It isn't really designed for a general statement such as  "Free shipping on everything I sell". 

However, I think you could go to "create a banner", choose "listing" as your choice, then to the right choose any listing you want (that will be the page the link will take the buyer to, but it doesn't matter very much....you are really just trying to get a message about free shipping across to the buyer. Choose an image for the banner itself (could be a gallery photo from the listing, or I think any image, I'm not sure)

Then you have a title and a subtitle. The title allows for only 30 characters, the subtitle allows for 40. Your statement      Free shipping on everything I sell    exceeds 30 characters, so it needs to be shortened for the title: "Free shipping on everything!" works, as does "Free shipping on all my stuff!"  

You can add a subtitle (not required) and then---important---make sure to click "Save Banner"

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Thank you very much for taking the time to forward that info. It helps explain it.

I checked out your banner. Now I understand. Thanks again.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@richard1rst  You're welcome!  

And yes, all of this stuff is optional.  There's no penalty for not using it all. 

Is it helpful to use it? I think that varies by seller. But I also think it is very hard for us to know, because, despite our pleas, ebay has so far provided no tracking for the store home page, the store video etc....so we have no way of knowing if anyone has even looked at this stuff. 

Example: I've sold a few things that I had featured in the Banner section....but is that because the buyer saw it in the banner, or not? I have no way of knowing.  

ebay is a very data driven company, and so it's kind of amazing that they aren't sharing this data (which they undoubtedly have) with their sellers. The cynic in mean suspects they will, at some point, but they will also find a way to make us pay extra for it. I hope not, but , well, ebay is ebay....Time will tell.

[read2gether]

Thanks all.  Appreciate the insights! Still lagging in sales, but likely to be expected in the summer months.