Where are all the customers?

[movieman630]

Did somebody forget to put out the "open" sign?  Are we closed?  I can't support a family on this!  I've been working hard to keep my site updated.  I add new listings constantly.  I use promotions above the "suggested rate". 

Where are the customers?  They were just here not to long ago. 

Or is it just me?

Sincerely,

A man with 3 children to feed...  Including one that's only 6 months old. 

P.S.  Please fix whatever is broken.

[herway]

Opinions, everyone has one. Yours has no more value than mine. You realize that right?

[isaiah53-57]

---

@animal-house-8 wrote:

So it is kinda strange when I started using more ebay advertising my traffic count was +23% and now at -32% but my sales are up 83%, ... I'm still trying to figure out this ad thing.

---

@animal-house-8

In your attempt to "figure this ad thing out", are you promoting at their recommended rates of somewhere around the 11% to 17% range to see a sales increase of 83%?

[inhawaii]

---

@herway wrote:

Opinions, everyone has one. Yours has no more value than mine. You realize that right?

---

Yes, I do.

My opinion: Ebay provides us a platform to sell our items. They make money when we sell something. If people want to buy your stuff, they will buy your stuff. If they don't want to buy your stuff, they wont buy your stuff. 

Your opinion: If your ebay sales are slow or non-existent, it's ebay's fault. Its their algorithm to blame.

[fbusoni]

---

@inhawaii wrote:

---

@herway wrote:

Opinions, everyone has one. Yours has no more value than mine. You realize that right?

---

Yes, I do.

My opinion: Ebay provides us a platform to sell our items. They make money when we sell something. If people want to buy your stuff, they will buy your stuff. If they don't want to buy your stuff, they wont buy your stuff. 

Your opinion:: If your ebay sales are slow or non-existent, it's ebay's fault. Its their algorithm to blame.

---

Everybody has opinions, but an opinion is different from a declaration of fact.

"I agree with other posters, it is the algorithm." (@herway)

That's a declaration of fact.   And while it may be true, there is no proof of same. 

In any event,  there is no question that some opinions are potentially less valuable and insightful than other opinions.

Generally speaking, and if one is not in the business of peddling dis- or misinformation, experience tends to give one perspective, which in turn comes from the aggregation of facts over many years.  

That's why its called "wisdom."

[animal-house-8]

No I will very rarely do 6% on things I want to clear out. I have been starting @2%

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

As a small seller of a variety of used, vintage etc, there are a lot of things I'd like to see ebay do that ebay is not doing. 

That said, neither blaming the economy nor blaming ebay will do anything to improve my sales.

I would politely suggest, rather than asking "Where are all the customers?" , ask: "what can I do to improve my sales?" 

[chariot_badges]

---

@movieman630 wrote:

Sincerely,

A man with 3 children to feed...  Including one that's only 6 months old. 

P.S.  Please fix whatever is broken.

---

@movieman630

If you're looking for advice ... I think I can help.

Have you considered birth control?

How many children do you want/need?

If you have your fill ... a vasectomy may help.  It takes the decision away from others, and it doesn't require memory or equipment ... relatively painless (MUCH less pain that a baby).  

Consider it.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@animal-house-8  I've been using 2.2% , and not on everything, just some items. I might get more sales with a higher percentage, but so far, I'm OK with this. I've used higher amounts in the past, and I'm not sure it really did much good.

That said,  2.2% might not be enough in some categories. I do realize each seller has to decide whether to use it in the first place, and then decide on an appropriate strategy. I might change what I'm doing as we head into Q4, but for now....I see no need to go beyond the 2.2%.

[john_wade]

Billions spent on liquor, gambling and entertainment may be a partial answer. 

[silverstatetreasureboxes]

---

@safan80 wrote:

---

Why are you paying union dues if you are retired? 

If I may, some retired jobs still pay union dues, hubs still pays UAW but it's not much. I no longer pay Teamsters but I'm in good standing.

---

---

[heane3]

Your not alone man.... i am in one of the worst ebay selling droughts on my selling account in over 10 years of selling.... i am currently at no sales in 19 days. This has never happened even in 10 years of selling, if it has happened it was maybe 1 other time. 

I have been absolutely distraught over it. I have repriced items 3x times/ listed over 80 new listings, promoted a handful more items. NOTHING is working. Its like on July 25th someone took flipped a switch and sank my business dead in the water. Something is afoot. I do feel like the economy is bad but my local antique stores are doing record #s... Ebay is doing something evil. 

[chapeau-noir]

Folks, please don't tell us that this is the ONLY place where you sell? Because it's absolutely no longer the only place where people buy.

[fbusoni]

---

@my-cottage-books-and-antiques wrote:

I would politely suggest, rather than asking "Where are all the customers?" , ask: "what can I do to improve my sales?" 

---

Thank you.

Here are a few things I've done recently:

--Used the feature that allows the seller to add an instant sale or markdown to an item, for any duration and for any percentage. 

--Offered free shipping for books, CDs and records.

--Sent offers to buyers (I had a whopping 36 such opportunities over the weekend -- I do not remember having so many offers to send before at one time).  

--Accept reasonable counteroffers to the offers I send.  (Honestly, it has to be worth my trip to the post office -- that's the bottom line.) 

--Sent out a store newsletter to 900 customers who have purchased from me this year so far.

One thing I will not do is sign up for promoted listings.  

[fbusoni]

---

@heane3 wrote:

Ebay is doing something evil. 

---

Now what?

[sakic92710]

Hey, my friend.  I want to ask you a question.  Do you believe that, if you do a search for a particular item, there is a possibility that you will not see every single one of those listed by every single seller?  If you agree that is true, that is only the fault of eBay.  Maybe a seller will miss out on a potential sale because, if YOU had seen theirs, you would have purchased it?  So, you bought another.  If you don't agree with that, you are missing something eBay puts forward in their own wording.  Cheers!