eBay

outback_blends · ‎23-05-2017

So I had around 29 - 35 of my more popular items listed. The sales were ticking over quite nicely and have done for 2+ years. Some weeks great - some weeks not so great.

I decided to add more products so I opened an ebay store. Within 2 days my sales dropped to almost nothing. My normal items were getting less views than normal and items that were consistant sellers have dropped to almost nothing.

Did I just open the shop at a bad time (I see LOTS of other sellers complaining about sales) or do your listings switch to a different search system or is there some other jiggery pokery at play.

Just seems strange.

transport-posters · ‎23-05-2017

Feel sorry for you mate. You've spent more at eBay to get less sales in return.

digital*ghost · ‎23-05-2017

I can only echo the observations and experiences of others, as well as offer a couple of (possibly outdated) observations of my own (my store was opened nearly 6 years ago, when the shift towards brand new items at fixed prices really started to take hold).

Other sellers who have opened stores under similar circumstances to you have said the same thing - and this is going aback at least a couple of years. Most say that there is a noticable drop in visibility, and attribute this to casual sellers / new listings getting slightly better rankings (part of the reason for that could have been because until a few months ago, non-store sellers couldn't use variation listings, nor list for 30 day durations, or good til cancelled, so a casual seller's listings tended to be recycled more frequently and get those temporary boosts - not sure if this applies to you or not, as I don't know what kind of listing cycles you utilised pre and post store).

I sometimes wonder if establishing a store-front on eBay creates a different impression to some buyers, as well. To put that in relative terms, the difference between building a B&M shop, or setting up a stall for a time, I know if I see something in a shop at the local centre, I can tell myself "I might grab that next week", for several weeks in a row... But if I see something at one of the temporary stalls and want it, I feel a greater sense of urgency as it might not be there next time.

For me, there is significant value in having the store, not just financially (as my listing and final value fees would be shocking without it), but for other purposes as well (anything from marketing to creating store categories).

I would personally have a heavy focus on branding with your items - you have the space to put your brand name in your titles, and it would make you easier to remember and find for previous customers.

jellybirddesigns · ‎23-05-2017

I opened my store about 2 years ago and it was the best move I made as I could set up my "brand".

It did take a little while to get some traction, but after a while everything ran smoothly.

I think you have to give it some time - say 6 months or so.

If you just opened your store, it could be that possibly everything needs to be re-indexed?

Things are not easy in the online selling world in general.

I'm on another platform where I sell my handmade items and every day there are people who post in the forums how suddenly their buyers and views have dropped off for no reason. I'm on the flipside - my sales there have been increasing, so I'm happy.

bluebudgies · ‎24-05-2017

@digital*ghost wrote:

I sometimes wonder if establishing a store-front on eBay creates a different impression to some buyers, as well. To put that in relative terms, the difference between building a B&M shop, or setting up a stall for a time, I know if I see something in a shop at the local centre, I can tell myself "I might grab that next week", for several weeks in a row... But if I see something at one of the temporary stalls and want it, I feel a greater sense of urgency as it might not be there next time.

There's another way to look at this too. With some products buyers might prefer to buy from a shop who deals mainly in one type of product because the expectation is that they should know more about it than a casual seller. With other items the buyer might prefer to buy from a highly knowledgeable hobbyist than from a shop because they might think (rightly or wrongly) that the hobbyist has more time to put into it and therefore has more expertise. If I was to buy plants or anything in that line I'd probably go for buying off the non-store seller - but that's just my perception in this area.

digital*ghost · ‎25-05-2017

I didn't really think about that aspect before, but (to again use a relative B&M example), it's probably a bit like the specialist mom & pop traders who know and love their products, vs the multi-department chain stores who hire staff for each department, most of whom aren't looking for a long-term career in that field - I'd expect informed, specialised advice from the former, but probably not from the latter.

Maybe that's a contributing factor to the purchase decisions with my own buyers, my store is relatively specialised, it doesn't have a massive range that's all over the place, but people can see that I don't just sell the stuff I list, I either make it, or use the supplies that are listed myself, so can offer advice from that perspective as well.

chameleon54 · ‎25-05-2017

I cant prove it, but I have suspected for a long time that non store accounts often recieve higher visibility than store accounts. My non store account is much more vibrant and seems to get a higher sell through rate than my store accounts. Sure it sells some different items, but it just has a more active vibe than the stores.