posted on March 10, 2006 05:39:04 AM new
There are now 344,074 give or take a few "vintage" ads on ebay right now just in the Collectibles category. Over 1700 pages.
I'm thinking the task is to differentiate, niche market and try to use existing customers to refer others. Also keep developing off-ebay venues.
Anyone else getting the feeling your business model just changed (again)?
How are you handling the increased competition?
Beth
www.vintageads4u.com
posted on March 10, 2006 06:22:31 AM new
I think there are three important things to remember "keywords, keywords, keywords". It is almost impossible to browse by categories in any subject I buy, sell, or reseach now.
I also hope that there are some buyers sophisticated enough to check the "Search title and description" box and put as many helpful keywords in the description as well.
I buy more than sell and as the years go by I find my search strings longer and longer with a lot of - signs for known keyword spammers in the catagories I collect or research.
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“The illiterate of the future will be the person ignorant of the use of the camera as well as of the pen.”
Maholy-Nagy, Vision in Motion, 1947
posted on March 10, 2006 07:10:38 AM new
Heh. What are you complaining about? There are 3,214,284 listings in Jewelry.
Given that, the only way to succeed on eBay (that I know of) is to capture repeat business. If you can engender loyalty so intense your customers wouldn't think of shopping elsewhere and they're not sure they can trust other sellers, you've won the game.
It'll never happen with one-off sales.
So your marketing task, grasshopper, is to create a brand that people love.
posted on March 10, 2006 07:34:48 AM new
I sell in many categories and they are all crowded.
You have to have the best to offer in your given category or sell cheap.
posted on March 10, 2006 08:57:06 AM new
Its to the point that I'm just putting most of my stuff in my store unless its something I can start for 99 cents in an auction. Most people are going to find your listings from the search anyway. My auctions only get hit as they are going off anymore.
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Two men sit behind bars,one sees mud the other sees stars.
posted on March 10, 2006 09:25:07 AM new
I think keywords make great sense. I may try to incorporate more in the description without spamming.
Also I am not listing anything in auctions except ones I know will sell and attract attention. Too much clutter. Sounds like the buyers will have to become better educated about the Search Process, too.
posted on March 10, 2006 09:47:21 AM new
Beth: Thanks, but it really doesn't matter how many sellers there are in Jewelry and Watches.
Some of them do an abominable job of selling. They are just not good at the gentle art of presenting the benefits and features of a product.
Most of the biggest eBay jewelry sellers only get by by having jewelry made for them, because they can't source it for 25 cents apiece any other way. Since they don't sell in retail stores (despite their claims), buyers have to rely on their pictures and descriptions, which are often vastly misleading.
My jewelry comes from department stores, which means that if you've shopped the jewelry department at any of the big-box mall stores, you have seen much of my stuff already. And you've seen the actual big-box prices. That's how bidders know I'm for real.
My current marketing challenge is to reconnect with former customers. I have over 9,000 unique names. I want to do a postcard mailing.
posted on March 10, 2006 10:59:12 AM new
9,000 postcard mailing list. Yikes, hope your not writing them all by hand Just curious how you go about doing that many though. Do you get promotional cards printed up and then export your name/address database to a service like endicia.com, fill up the oll laser printer with postcards and print your postage?
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. - Albert Einstein
I'll probably try to segment them by last purchase, as in:
last purchase 1 year ago
last purchase 2 years ago
last purchase 6 months ago
etc.
I could even send a different postcard to each group. This is what catalog mailers do: They send you a catalog based on how much you've purchased and when.
Unlike catalogs, though, these folks don't even have to buy anything to bring a beneficial effect to sales. All they have to do is BID.
posted on March 10, 2006 03:20:52 PM new
fLuff - Sounds like a plan. One thing to think about though. You may want to take a trip into the post office and talk to the postmaster. I think if you do a bulk mailing of 500 or more of a sales flyer you can get a bulk rate. I know I read it in the Domestic Mail manual somewhere once. Might end up saving you some money on the postage. It might be (if memory serves correctly) that you apply for a permit for the reduced rate presorted mail. If I get some time this weekend I'll dust off the manual and see what the requirements are.
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. - Albert Einstein
posted on March 10, 2006 06:14:55 PM new
It is totally about marketing to people who already where your customers. I go through my database periodically, and find people who've made multiple purchases, but for some reason stop. I then basically offer them something for free that costs me just a few bucks including shipping. You would be amazed at how many respond, and start buying again!
posted on March 10, 2006 06:31:17 PM new
That's why you sometimes see or current resident, that way you won't get it back as long as there is still a house!
Just curious how you go about doing that many though. Do you get promotional cards printed up and then export your name/address database to a service like endicia.com, fill up the oll laser printer with postcards and print your postage?
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. - Albert Einstein