09-21-2017 11:27 AM
Assuming that there is adequate demand for a product and that it is listed appropriately, it seems to be that the only way on eBay to significantly increase sales on a sustainable level is to increase your product's visibility. And the only way to significantly increase the products visibility is to increase sales. So there appears to be a which came first, the chicken or egg scenario.
For example, we might have an item that sells on average 1 every 4 days. If we get lucky and sell 2 in one day or maybe 3 over a 2 day period, then eBay appears to pick up on the increase and will boost the visibility of that item and it seems that sales spike over the next few days to about 8 over the course of a week. The same thing seems to happen on the other side of the coin; if we usually sell 1 of a particular item every 4 days and maybe go a week without selling any, then we probably won't see another sale for that item for another 2-3 weeks as eBay seems to reduce its visibility further.
We have seen this scenario play out a countless number of times. I have one particular item in mind that from March to the end of June we only sold 2 of. Starting at the end of June, we sold 3-4 over a short period of time. Over the next several weeks we sold an additional 25-30. Then we ran out of supply. So we ordered more and now that we have them again, we have sold about 2 over the last 6 or 7 weeks. The price is fantastic, the pictures we used have been taken by a professional photographer, I think we have only had 1 returned and the feedback has been all highly positive. The demand for this product is there.
I have seen this story play out where eBay reduces visibility when a product doesn't sell and increases it when it starts to get a little bit of traction in the market. I use promotions, promoted listings, sales etc...is there anything else I can do to get better visibility? The demand for the product is there as proven by the fact that once my items do start to sell, then there is that sort of a snowball effect where sales beget more sales due to increased visibility. I truly feel that my sales would at least be 250% greater if it were not for the games eBay/Cassinni play with an item's visibility.
09-21-2017 11:32 AM
@cb-boards wrote:Assuming that there is adequate demand for a product and that it is listed appropriately, it seems to be that the only way on eBay to significantly increase sales on a sustainable level is to increase your product's visibility. And the only way to significantly increase the products visibility is to increase sales. So there appears to be a which came first, the chicken or egg scenario.
For example, we might have an item that sells on average 1 every 4 days. If we get lucky and sell 2 in one day or maybe 3 over a 2 day period, then eBay appears to pick up on the increase and will boost the visibility of that item and it seems that sales spike over the next few days to about 8 over the course of a week. The same thing seems to happen on the other side of the coin; if we usually sell 1 of a particular item every 4 days and maybe go a week without selling any, then we probably won't see another sale for that item for another 2-3 weeks as eBay seems to reduce its visibility further.
We have seen this scenario play out a countless number of times. I have one particular item in mind that from March to the end of June we only sold 2 of. Starting at the end of June, we sold 3-4 over a short period of time. Over the next several weeks we sold an additional 25-30. Then we ran out of supply. So we ordered more and now that we have them again, we have sold about 2 over the last 6 or 7 weeks. The price is fantastic, the pictures we used have been taken by a professional photographer, I think we have only had 1 returned and the feedback has been all highly positive. The demand for this product is there.
I have seen this story play out where eBay reduces visibility when a product doesn't sell and increases it when it starts to get a little bit of traction in the market. I use promotions, promoted listings, sales etc...is there anything else I can do to get better visibility? The demand for the product is there as proven by the fact that once my items do start to sell, then there is that sort of a snowball effect where sales beget more sales due to increased visibility. I truly feel that my sales would at least be 250% greater if it were not for the games eBay/Cassinni play with an item's visibility.
I'm afraid I find it's more of a total peak and valley for me. Doesn't seem to matter what the items are. I'm either getting better visibility for a period of time and then the draught happens for a few weeks, then it starts all over again. So far this year it's been awful during April, June and now September. Sure hope it doesn't happen in December.
09-21-2017 12:13 PM
I've read that listing new items every day may increase your over all visibility as buyers check out the new listings and may look at your old ones as well.
09-21-2017 12:19 PM
Hope your sales increase soon!
09-21-2017 12:22 PM
I'll give that a shot. I have always been told that if an item doesn't sell within 30 days to end the listing, then instead of "re-listing" hit sell similar. Therefore it comes up as a new item. I might start doing that for every 2 weeks an item doesn't sell.
Why does eBay make it so difficult for us to make money for them???
09-21-2017 12:42 PM - edited 09-21-2017 12:43 PM
Of course, all this "visibility" or lack of, refers to placement in Best Match. If a seller's chance of getting a sale is so dependent on how they place in Best Match, then the game is already lost. There is a lot of competition with other sellers on eBay, so you need to stand out from the other sellers in other ways than just Best Match.
09-21-2017 01:32 PM
I've also heard the sell similar thing, but I read recently that those that had it in their Watch List won't see that it is relisted on the old listing.
09-21-2017 01:33 PM
So you are between a rock and a hard place.
09-21-2017 01:35 PM
09-21-2017 01:49 PM - edited 09-21-2017 01:52 PM
@cb-boards wrote:Assuming that there is adequate demand for a product and that it is listed appropriately, it seems to be that the only way on eBay to significantly increase sales on a sustainable level is to increase your product's visibility. And the only way to significantly increase the products visibility is to increase sales. So there appears to be a which came first, the chicken or egg scenario.
Not sure where you got increased sales = increased visibility? Example would be - I sold 15 items to a single buyer not 15 separate buyers
There is also more than one way to increase sales besides increased visibility.
eBay has lots of tools available to its sellers including the seller hub that can help you identify ways to increase sales. Try this link for more info in this area eBay seller tools
If your thread is about the econbyte blog released today I would be careful what you are reading in that blog. There phrasing never tells the entire story but designed to fit there agenda. Many times it is not what they are telling you but more importantly what they are not telling you.
Good Luck Selling!
09-21-2017 01:51 PM
@cb-boards wrote:I'll give that a shot. I have always been told that if an item doesn't sell within 30 days to end the listing, then instead of "re-listing" hit sell similar. Therefore it comes up as a new item. I might start doing that for every 2 weeks an item doesn't sell.
Why does eBay make it so difficult for us to make money for them???
Your priorities seems to be way out of sync with being successful selling online, let alone ebay as a marketplace.
Good Luck Selling!
09-21-2017 02:15 PM
@goodluckselling wrote:
@cb-boards wrote:Assuming that there is adequate demand for a product and that it is listed appropriately, it seems to be that the only way on eBay to significantly increase sales on a sustainable level is to increase your product's visibility. And the only way to significantly increase the products visibility is to increase sales. So there appears to be a which came first, the chicken or egg scenario.
Not sure where you got increased sales = increased visibility? Example would be - I sold 15 items to a single buyer not 15 separate buyers
There is also more than one way to increase sales besides increased visibility.
eBay has lots of tools available to its sellers including the seller hub that can help you identify ways to increase sales. Try this link for more info in this area eBay seller tools
If your thread is about the econbyte blog released today I would be careful what you are reading in that blog. There phrasing never tells the entire story but designed to fit there agenda. Many times it is not what they are telling you but more importantly what they are not telling you.
Good Luck Selling!
But if the OP was referring to the ecommercybytes article they would’ve seen there are many factors other than sales that influences visibility.
OP- IMHO sales are important to the algorithm but there are other factors in play. Since you’re not posting with your selling account, it’s hard to know how to improve
09-21-2017 02:18 PM
@goodluckselling wrote:
@cb-boards wrote:I'll give that a shot. I have always been told that if an item doesn't sell within 30 days to end the listing, then instead of "re-listing" hit sell similar. Therefore it comes up as a new item. I might start doing that for every 2 weeks an item doesn't sell.
Why does eBay make it so difficult for us to make money for them???
Your priorities seems to be way out of sync with being successful selling online, let alone ebay as a marketplace.
Good Luck Selling!
Lol
OP- I’m not here to make $ for EBay- just for me.
If it was easy than everyone would do it and there’d be even more sellers clogging up the site than there are now.
Take a walk, shake it off, then get to work
09-21-2017 02:39 PM
09-21-2017 02:42 PM