Huge reduction in traffic to listings, huge reduction in sales. Is promoted listings causing this?

[oldedale]

 I have a question regarding promoted listings. We see 40 results in a general search. If 10 are promoted listing. Does this mean 10 unpromoted items are not being seen. Is this the cause of our traffic decrease? We see traffic dropping from 6555 views in May - to 3195 in Sept. This also has resulted in a 50 percent decrease in sales. Same 2 months. Also, when did ebay start Promoted listings on all items including single qty listings?

Traffic = 6555 May - items sold = 83

Traffic = 4929 June - items sold = 62

Traffic = 4611 July - items sold = 64

Traffic = 4199 Aug. - items sold = 65

Traffic = 3195 Sept. - items sold = 46

We see over 50% less traffic which results in greater than 50% decrease in sales.

[thatsallfolks]

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wrote:

Maybe I'm missing something but what is the "guarunteed seller program"?

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I think they mean "Guaranteed Delivery Program".

[vermonter53]

Probably

[gran]

And I thought I was the only one having this problem. Some of my items have maybe 7 views. Auctions are especially bad. I thought it was because I had only started selling again last fall. I also thought eBay monitored this board.  Too bad.

After reading all of the comments, it does seem like eBay is intentionally shoving the sales of vintage and used, out.  New from China in. Merchants in.

*sigh* 

I see so many sellers making big $$s and daily shipments.  When I look at their sales, they are making small profits on thousands of items.  I didn't realize that was the way you have to go to be a money-making seller.  Yes, I'm generalizing and basing on a few I've seen.

[thatsallfolks]

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@granwrote:

I see so many sellers making big $$s and daily shipments.  When I look at their sales, they are making small profits on thousands of items.  I didn't realize that was the way you have to go to be a money-making seller.  Yes, I'm generalizing and basing on a few I've seen.

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You can do it that way, if your goal is simply to "be an ebay seller". If your goal is to make a decent hourly "wage/profit", then you have to do research and develop expertise in a category where items sell for a decent amount of money.

[jcmining]

Hi I just looked at your store and serched for a hat, came up with 12 listing's? You have a 

ST LOUIS CARDINALS, 47 Brand, 2015 Postseason Baseball Cap Adjustable

It did not show up in the search

Try making  categories, like colthing and accessories, hats, caps, pants, shoes and so on. Or guns and knifes.

I'm only been on ebay for two years. I'm just learning and just trying to figure it out myself and sence I have been doing catoriges my sells have gone way up!

Thank You,

       jcmining

[tamishatreasures]

This again proves my point that Ebay's search is all screwed up. Regardless if there were catagories or not, it should have still showed up in the search if it was working correctly. Sales in general are going to be down and continue to go down unless they fix it. Bottom line is this. If it isn't easy, people won't do it. And Ebay's search at this point is so bad it is pathetic and people will go somewhere else where they can more easlily find what they are looking for. Ebay doesn't seem to get the KISS principle in business and until they do, or "IF" they do, it is going to hurt sellers here.

[gran]

I understand what you are saying, but I do have expertise in most of the catagories I sell in. What I don't know I research and learn, learn, learn. Not getting view is the problem and I have tried every suggestion by every video, article, community etc etc that I can find and study.  (That's when I discovered that the sellers who are sending out a lot of solds each day or week, are those selling shirts for $5 or widgets for $6 and so forth, for the majority of their sales.  I guess I have to face the fact that you can't sell at "worth plus discount factor" anymore and to sell in auction you have to start at 99c and risk selling at 99c.

I get discouraged then I look at my inventory and think it's too good (mostly, not all) to not be successfully selling at least on a weekly basis if not daily. Yes I list some low-price items but I list quality items at reasonable but not thrift store prices.  I'm trying to stay positive but I have these moments lol

[gran]

And just as I ended that long rant, I have two sales lol. Small, but TWO.  Maybe the algorithm is swinging my way... it's been a while!

]

[vermonter53]

Who knows, maybe Ebay fixed their search so it will actually work for buyers rather than the fiasco it has been for a few months.   IMHO reason low views/sales is extremely poor search.  I went in today to finally buy something I had been looking at but was pricey and when I looked a month ago, there were at least 15-20 of the item listed with different sellers. When I went in today, after about 10 minutes of searching I " FINALLY" found ""ONE"" and nothing under sold either ??????????????????????? Their search is so bad I would call it pathetic and, I believe is the single biggest reason for low or  no views and/or sales for a lot of things. Personally I have been doing ok but I sell all kinds of things but even then, when I have looked up something I was thinking of buying at an estate sale to see what it has been selling for and therefore decide if and what I'm going to pay for it and then go back after I have purchased it only to not find the previous listing listed as sold for the same item. Is there search engine a black hole that listings just disappear into? On some bigger priced items I have actually printed out the listing and then later when I still couldn't find it in search, I have searched by item number and found it and the words I have used in my search were exactly what is in the title. GRRRRR Something is drastically wrong with their search feature and it is negatively impacting sellers a lot! IMHO of course 🙂 

[vermonter53]

Oh! One more thing. I have gone onto Google to search for the same thing.....and guess what comes up? Yep, you guessed it, Ebay listings for what I was looking for in Ebay's search but couldn't find. Interesting that Google could find the Ebay listing but Ebay's own search couldn't. That should tell you something!

[thatsallfolks]

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@granwrote:

And just as I ended that long rant, I have two sales lol. Small, but TWO.  Maybe the algorithm is swinging my way... it's been a while!

]

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I hope it does. 🙂

[vermonter53]

To prove the point of my previous post about the search being totally messed up. 

Last night I was looking for something. I found several in search, listed lowest to highest, lowest price with free shipping $139 or bo. I proceeded to offer $100 .This morning I received a counter offer for $125 so I countered back at $120. In the process and looking to see what else may have been listed, I searched again only to find to my shock and irritation there were two more in the search showing previous sales within the last 3 days at $105 and $110. These did not show up last night in my search at all but both are there this morning and have obviously been there for a while. What is up with that??????

I can honestly say I HATE!!!! there non working search. As I said before, this is very detrimental to sellers in general.

[caninekopz]

I know I poster here already......but really.  In the last 2 years unless I have been on vacation I have at least sold a couple of items a day.  This is the first 24 hour period I have gone without selling one thing.  I think it has a lot to do with me posting on here, but the way Ebay is going I am not sure it really matters at this point.

Very discouraged. 

[gran]

and it is July and I haven't seen any improvement.

[millershomeproducts]

I’m going through same thing. I’m paying more money in listing fees than selling