I just promoted every darn thing to see if it has any effect

[cathydale]

No sales for 2 Days !!  I just promoted practically everything - over 200 items -- at a very low rate -- like 5% -- to see if it has ANY EFFECT at all on my sales.  I have used promotions at times -- here and there on high priced items. I have never seen much of a benefit. So I went in and did a bulk promotion of every darned thing - LOL -- I will let you know if it has any effect at all.  LOL

[greg213213]

I have everything promoted also and have not had a sale in 7 days. I think that this "Promoted" thing is just another money grab for eBay.

Good Luck!

[ohyesidid]

I also tried promotion..I think I actually had less views!  Usually I would agree on the "money grab" theory, except ebay doesn't get promotion money unless the item sells. 

[cathydale]

UPDATE 8:44pm :  After promoting 200 items at minimum 5% rate this morning I sold 3 things so far same day.  Have no idea if they would have sold anyway but normally I don't sell much during the day on Saturday SO maybe you have to pay-more-to-win these days.. Sad but true.  I am increasing my prices a bit - little by little to try to compensate to keep some kind of profit.  Hopefully I can continue to maintain a store and sell here but there is very little left to squeeze out of me before I cry uncle.  I was considering upgrading my store for awhile there from 250 free a month to 500 a month BUT now I really can't afford to if I have to pay to promote everything in order to have my stuff seen.  

I am very careful what I buy to sell.  I spend alot of time on my pictures and descriptions.  I wrap my clothing with backings and tissue so they don't wrinkle in shipment.  I ship same day or next day ALL the time.  My feedback is perfect.  I have been selling since 2003, slowed for awhile because of personal issues, but I was slowly building my store up again, and I am determined not to go down without a fight.  If Ebay is trying to push out the small sellers that built Ebay in the first place, then I am one that will go down kicking and screaming.  

I will try everything but there are two things I can not and will not do, and if forced to will end it for me. They can have another 5% from me for promotions but I will NEVER accept Managed Payments and I WILL NEVER offer Free Returns which would only encourage people to act like I am their personal dressing room, try my things on and then return what they don't like.   I give detailed measurements -- Tons of clear pictures, and I also state when something "runs large" or "runs small" and if they still want to return it, then they can, but they have to pay the return shipping.  Ebay is not leaving me enough profit to be able to afford to act like a department store dressing room. 

Ebay has new TV commercials out now.  They are good commercials.  They show people laughing at department store prices and suggest if you are tired of paying dept store prices, buy it on Ebay instead. YES !  BUT, If sellers have to keep raising their prices to make a profit because of increased fees, cost of promotions, free returns, etc THEN how can we offer the great prices they are advertising?  

I understand that Ebay is desperate to make more money -- Every Corporation wants to see their profits go up all the time -- if they don't then they replace their CEO.  But if the sellers can't make money then what?  They can't replace all of us -- with what? Department Store priced items?  Junk from China?  Do they think we are all going to do this for free ?   

So that's my rant.  LOL

[mtmonks]

Promoted listings is definitely an additional layer of pain, but it's completely necessary at this point--especially on items under $50.00, and items of any price that are common and have lots of offers. I have found that the best strategy is to promote your listing 3% over the trending rate--so if it's 5%, make your rate 8%, and then price it in line with the higher average of whatever Terapeak is displaying as the recent sales history in order to compensate for the additional cost. eBay is really pushing this ad revenue business to its shareholders as a form of growth, so expect its presence to continue increasing for the foreseeable future. 

[cathydale]

I agree Mtmonks -- I resisted promotions for a long time but then saw my profits falling by "sending offers to buyers" -- but even then that rarely ended in sales. Also running sale promotions 20% - that did not work either. So I will try promoted listings and see if it continues to help.

Managed payments is one thing I just can't do. With margins so low I can't be waiting for my money and shipping up front all the time. I pay to restock new things several times a week.

You know I feel that Paypal is successful because they know what business they are in ! And they are good at what they do. Processing payments is their business. Their customer service for sellers is superior because they realize that the sellers are their business. When you know WHAT your business is and you perfect it then you can't loose. Ebay's needs to figure out What their business is going to be and then perfect it. You can't do that overnight, and you can't do that when you are constantly trying to be like "another" business. If they are envious of the $$ being made by paypal for processing payments then OK -- branch off and start another separate payment processing business, BUT DON'T Make it part of Ebay unless it is going to run as effeciently and treat sellers as well as Paypal does! Remember what your core business is. It's like some company that makes wool sweaters being envious of the guy who makes money selling the wool -- And the retail store that sells the sweaters is making a profit that they would like to have also, so they decide to open their own sweater retail store, and raise their own sheep but they don't know what they are doing and the sweaters don't turn out as nice and sales go down because they are new at retail, but they still have to run the sheep farm and the store, and can't figure out why they are loosing money.

[cathydale]

So, YES.  By paying to Promote practically all my listings I made sales. 

I think what I am going to do is immediately pay the promotion fee on my account as I go along.  This way I am not surprised by a big invoice, and I am only reinvesting or spending what I actual made on the sales. Since I am paying the same percentage promotion fee on everything it makes it easier to figure out what I am actually making.

[reallynicestamps]

I have noticed that my Promoted Listings definitely get more Views  and Watchers than my unpromoted listings.

But not more sales.

I only put 1% for my chosen percentage-- but I still got the extra views.

I paid 58 cents last month for sales on Promoted Listings.

But I'm happy with it.

First, I am getting more Views.

Second, I did get more Sales in August than in July, when I had fewer Promotions.

Third, the extra sales were not on the Promotions leading me to believe that the promotions brought customers to my listings and they shopped for a bit and then bought.

When a Promoted Listing doesn't sell, it doesn't cost me anything.

One percent on most of my listings is a dime. But my most expensive Promoted Listing will cost me $10 if it sells, which means I get the rest of the $1000 (oh okay minus FVF, shipping costs, Paypal fees, etc.)

[reallynicestamps]

@cathydale 

BUT, If sellers have to keep raising their prices to make a profit because of increased fees, cost of promotions, free returns, etc THEN how can we offer the great prices they are advertising?

I'm not sure it matters.

If you keep telling people eBay has the best prices, they will believe you.

WalMart doesn't always have the lowest prices but they do use a couple of tricks to make that urban legend continue.

One is they do have the lowest prices on things people buy constantly-- light bulbs, toilet paper, perhaps milk.

Another is the prices ending in 88c, while most stores use 99cents.

Which is cheaper $7.99 or $8.88? Did you have to think?  And remember a B&M shopper doesn't have the two items right in front of her to make the comparison.

Yes, it is the Big Lie. 

Which sadly, works.

People actually believe AZ delivers by drone. They don't. It's too expensive and not at all accurate. But ask around and most will tell you "well, not here, but in New York " or in California or in rural areas or in cities....

EBay is telling customers that prices are cheaper here. As long as they keep telling people that, it will be believed, even if that particular customer finds that particular widget is cheaper at Lowe's or at Nordstrom or Pottery Barn. "Well, in this particular case,it wasn't cheaper, but most of the timeit is." As long as eBay advertises the  88 cent lightbulb ......

I am old and cynical.

[chellssalesstuff]

I have a small store & do this part time, so I only have about 300 listings.  I promoted over half to try it out and had a huge increase in sales the 1st week....however, it has fallen back to normal, so I'm not sure why.  I have gone back into several of my listings and increased the promotion % to see if that works.  I'll let you know.  I figured I would try promotion out for a while instead of having a "sale", which really hasn't helped with sales.  

I'm with everyone else, in that I will resist managed payments for as long as I can.  I hope they don't require this.  Seems like Ebay is constantly trying to push out all of us small sellers.

Good luck to everyone!!

[alouetta725]

I'm trying a different tactic. I have closed my store and will end GTC items that are left before they renew. I am trying auctions and they seem to be doing well today. Looking at the 50 free listings you get, to sell auctions only and see if that works. Meanwhile looking at alternative ways to sell and there are a lot out there. I'm actually tired of GTC and Ebay right now and need to step away from it. What a shame 😞   it had been working well...

[mc2*]

I understand perfectly and have done the same thing. Maybe when enough of us are gone, Ebay will wake pu and see their mistakes. Good luck!

[cathydale]

Well since promoting over 200 items Saturday morning, I got 6 sales that evening and into the night and then it just stopped -- as it always does.  No new watchers - in less than 24 hours everything just stopped. I listed new things -- promoted them.  Nothing happening. Maybe I should not have promoted everything ?  Maybe a little each day ?  But I think no matter what I try it is just going to cycle this way.  Hoping tonight my stuff gets some "light" again.  Last night alot of my sales were in one state - That happens alot.  

[zakback]

Wow! My experience is exactly like yours. I have tried to list almost every item I have in promotions at 5%. Out of 30 to 50 items, usually only half are ever viewed. I sell a few but not as much as I would expect.
I agree with you on Managed payments. I will be done with Ebay then. There is no way I'm going to let Ebay keep my money and make interest on it after a sale befell making it difficult for me to get. It is so bad that I don't even want a free store for a period of time like what was just advertised.
The other thing that no one is talking about is postage or shipping cost. The post office will continue to raise prices. I have a hard time selling pre owned shoes now because the postage is as high as a cost of shoes. People are no longer buying and I've had people ask me if they can get postage reduced.
I am starting to truly believe that Ebay no longer wants the little seller.

[alacar-8]

I have found that promoting an item has little effect.  Not always but for example..... I promoted an item and later on in the day went looking for it.  Not to be found until page five or so, well after non promoted items, more expensive for the same thing, higher shipping costs etc.  My ad still read as sponsored, but really?