How can I outside promote/ drive sales to my Auction only items?

[randyshotrods]

So sales have tanked, regardless of why,  how can I drive traffic to ebay from outside sources to get customers back and sales up on Auction only items with no reserve?

As far as I can tell,  google doesn't pick up images for auction items anymore and ebay's special marketing tools only apply to buy it now items.

We can argue back and forth why, but since views have dropped like a rock as well,  we need to find ways to get customers coming to ebay to look at what we are selling.

Lets brainstorm and share techniques on how to get back some of the market that has left ebay.

I sell vintage car literature.  If a random auction house in the middle of nowhere can get record sales for the same stuff I'm selling over and over again at ridiculously cheap prices to just one bidder (the same one over and over), there has to be a way to drive some of those customers to this site.

So far I'm at a loss of how,  short of joining every marque specific forum and trying to drive customers here that way.   I was going to join facebook and try to cross promote through that but I'm not comfortable giving them my biometric data to create an account.

Any other ideas that have worked for you or worth trying?

Vendors I sell to said they have been selling fine and even better than expected at shows so it's not just an economy thing,  more of a traffic thing.

[randyshotrods]

I just checked and that customer won 21 of my auctions last night for the opening bid of 2.99.  It's almost like he's the only one even seeing them.  Glad I paid over $15,000 in ebay fees last year to generate such robust traffic and sales.

[caldreamer]

You are probably losing money by selling items at $2.99.     Selling fees based on (purchase price + shipping + sales tax) plus 30 cent handling charge.    You should raise your prices to "price you want" (often you will only get one bidder and they will run away with everything).

Personally, I don't like auctions because that only gives customers a "short window on time" to purchase your product and many customers "don't pay" after they win.    Why not just use "buy it now" pricing and set your own price (your items are very unique and you only need one customer to purchase it).

[ckimodog]

@randyshotrods 

Do you use your social media apps at the top right hand side of your listing page that reads "Share?"  Attach your listings to what ever apps you are on and let 'em fly.  I have had people tell me they saw my listings on Twitter, Pinterest, etc and that's why they  purchased my item.

It certainly couldn't hurt. Give it a shot..

Happy Selling

[luckythewinner]

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@randyshotrods wrote:

I sell vintage car literature.  If a random auction house in the middle of nowhere can get record sales for the same stuff I'm selling over and over again at ridiculously cheap prices to just one bidder (the same one over and over), there has to be a way to drive some of those customers to this site.

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1.  The customers for your items are not buying on eBay

2. The customers for your items are buying "somewhere else" 

3. You know exactly where "somewhere else" is 

4. _____________ (fill in the blank)

[toysaver]

I recommend getting rid of the red background.  Buy it now or auction listing, eBay is less likely to submit and google is less likely to accept such imagery.  You can get a white foam board at the dollar twenty-five store.   

I hope you're making money on the shipping because selling items for 2.99 isn't very profitable considering the time invested.

[randyshotrods]

If I knew where somewhere else was I would be selling there as it has to be cheaper than ebay.

[randyshotrods]

Red back grounds were said to drive people to bid more it was said to invoke competition.  Worked for several years until ebays gradual demise and market fall seemed to lose favor with customers. 

Look at auctions of the same stuff and tell me which background works better a sterile white operating room or a rich looking back ground. 

[randyshotrods]

The point of ebay is an AUCTION site.  If I wanted to just set prices on merchandise and sit on it for months not force people to buy it by thinking it will be gone,  I would be selling elsewhere.

Plus how do you price something no one else has and I have never seen before.  Too cheap it sells instantly and you are left with all the junk that came with it and too expensive ,  most likely no one will buy it.

[randyshotrods]

I'm not on any that I remember,  but it may be worth a shot for Pinterest (I almost think I joined that before) as their images come up in google searches and might be worth joining X if I don't have to create a biometric account like facebook.   

Thanks for the actual useful suggestions.

Keep them coming.  I don't think the issue is my auctions,  the issue is SITE TRAFFIC!