Promotional Advertising Required

[webrummage2014]

I have been selling on eBay for over 30 years. I have seen all the changes and even worked for them for 5 years. With that said, I have never seen my sales go from $3000.00 per month, with 1,000,000 impressions, to $900.00 and 340,000 impressions. Why, because I stopped my Advertising promotions. EBay is now pay to play platform . No pay, no impressions, less sales. Period.

[myfrugalboutique]

@webrummage2014 

This has been posted more times than anything…and frankly sometimes I agree, and other I don’t. I experiment with different scenarios. I was doing a test and promotion at 10% and offering a 5% coupon. I had  60% less sales than before. As I have stated my sales are steady, but are nothing fantastic. 

I stopped promoting completely, offered a 20% coupon, and had a decent few days.  It is so annoying as the algorithm is such a mess, …to promote, not to promote, offer a markdown sale, offer a coupon..I don’t know what the answer is. 

I think we all try different things and who know the answer. I sure do not know. 

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@webrummage2014 I'm not really a fan of PLS, but : the other way of looking at your example is: PL works , and it does increase your sales dramatically.

Now, of course, you are paying ebay more for the PLS sales, but does the increased sales velocity offset the extra cost? That's the question. 

[reallynicestamps]

I've tried using PL at 2% and using BO at 10%.

PL works better, and beyond that, while my PL items get more views, I still sell more non-PL items than PL items.

I think PL brings the boys to the yard, but they then look around and buy other stuff.

Since I only pay the 2% when something sells, this strikes me as a Good Deal.

[webrummage2014]

Of course, we have overhead. We are not working out of our kitchen. Employee's, office rent, internet, phones, shipping materials, electrical every 30 days, insurance, etc...we need continuous sales to survive. But you can't raise your prices.

[mr_lincoln]

Hi @webrummage2014 

Nice to see someone else realize that once they abandon Promoted listings their sales can really tank.  Mine happened on BIN listings over a 2 year period.  I will not go in to detail other than to say I am in like month 8 waiting for BIN sales to come back to pre-2022 levels.  Fortunately, I sell a lot Auction style but sales volume just is not what it used to be.

2023 was over $ 10,000 behind 2022 sales which declined too.  This year so far I am $ 5K behind last year and OVER $ 7K behind the previous year.  We're not talking about a normal dip in sales ... 

For those who have not really paid attention to what is happening they just don't get it.

So looking to the future I am planning to restructure what I sell on this venue.  It is not the only place I and others sell but it is my preferred site to Sell on ... however, the operative word is Sell.  

[webrummage2014]

Internet Auction Services LLC has two premium stores and two I.D.s. We sell about $80,000 per year on eBay. But the last years it dropped, and this year is off. I started to look at the reasons. Their is only one. If you do not use eBay's advertising platform, you get no impressions. Impressions are sales. Period.  Pay them or sell nothing. We have over 4000 items on eBay BIN format. We could just us the auction mode and start everything at a dollar with free shipping. LOL 

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@webrummage2014 

Understood. My point is simply that whether PL is worthwhile or not depends on the ROI for each seller. When PLS started, and I could make a sale at a 1% PLS fee calculated only on the item price , not the total price, the ROI was very attractive. It has become less attractive as ebay has increased its take rate by changing how the fee is calculated (total price not item price), adding the "halo" misattribution rule, and frankly making it harder to be successful (depending on category) at the minimum rate of 2%.

For some sellers, the extra cost remains a good value. For other sellers, the value proposition has plummeted....in just a few short years. 

We are all in different situations. Some sellers do fine without using it. Some sellers use it and do very well, and others use it but have found the cost is beginning to outweigh the value. Etc.

I'd rather have $3,000 in sales per month than $900.00, but ...at what cost? (I'm not asking you to tell me your numbers, just saying that the cost is a consideration.)

[mr_lincoln]

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@webrummage2014 wrote:

Internet Auction Services LLC has two premium stores and two I.D.s. We sell about $80,000 per year on eBay. But the last years it dropped, and this year is off. I started to look at the reasons. Their is only one. If you do not use eBay's advertising platform, you get no impressions. Impressions are sales. Period.  Pay them or sell nothing. We have over 4000 items on eBay BIN format. We could just us the auction mode and start everything at a dollar with free shipping. LOL 

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@webrummage2014 

Have you gotten this type of specifically targeted message yet?  I got two the quarter I stopped using PLS and then one more the following quarter when I would have normally run my quarterly 30 day PLS campaign.  "We've missed you, try Promoted Listings Standard again."  That my friend is not just some arbitrary fishing message to see if a Seller will try PLS, that is targeted specifically to an account that has stopped using PLS out of their normal use of the promotion feature. 

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@webrummage2014   Promoted listings are designed to increase your sales, and that's exactly what you have seen. Your normal sales, without PLS, are considerably less than your sales with PLS. If PLS is working that well, why stop using PLS? Wouldn't you rather have $3000/mth than $900/mth? Especially if the cost to go from 900 to 3000 is reasonable.

Now, if the cost is prohibitive...if for example, your actual net is higher with 900 than with 3000, after the PL fees are removed...that's a whole other thing.

 Most of us here, if we use PL at all, use PLS, not PLA. Which were you using?

[jasoheat_0]

Completely agree with you , i use to sell 3000 a month at least and know this last month  1200 and net 800 , down 41% compared to last year , something has changed , i typically do an ad rate of 3.1% just to be visible , but that doesnt seem to work , now i cancel all pLS after 30 days not worth the money after that ( why should i promote if iit doesnt sell ) , Luckily i list on other platforms , I am now ending more listings on ebay then i am selling on ebay , this month ( and yes i know it has just started)  but i am already down over 80 % compared to the same time last year , just ended 4 more listings yesterday ... All i can say is list on other platforms and keep with ebay its just not the powerhouse of a sale platform for me anymore , but there are plenty of options out there ... good luck 

[hollysfinds]

I do not use PL at all.

But then I am, a small hobby seller.

I refuse to jump on the band wagon on principle.

It's a constant money grab by ebay & I won't do it.

I don't depend on ebay & it's a good thing I don't.

[ckimodog]

@webrummage2014 

I believe eBay was founded in September of 1995.  Not quite 30 years.  

In business, like other venues...things change.  Love it or leave it is my motto.

All the best

[stainlessenginecovers]

For what you sell, Promotions would be a HUGE waste of money. 

[dbfolks166mt]

     First I have never worried about impressions, views or watchers the only thing that matters is sales. I have never used PL and never will but I appreciate those that do since it probably augments eBay's revenue and keeps them from implementing an across the board fee increase. 

     While I still sell on eBay the percentage of my sales on this venue, by volume, has gradually decreased from a peak of about 90% to less than 20%. There are simply too many other options available, competition in the ecommerce market is a wonderful thing. EBay has also constantly increased it's prohibited items and that in combination with the VERO program somewhat forced me to seek out other options. I adjust my pricing based on the selling costs on each venue and can often list 10-15% cheaper on other platforms. 

     I am fortunate that I live in a large metropolitan area so the local venues are a prime selling platform since there are low, or no, fees and neither myself or the buyer has to deal with logistical costs or issues. The buyer is also able to see and inspect the item before they actually take possession. EBay no longer has the quasi monopoly that they once had and both buyers and sellers are looking at alternative options.