topic Re: Opening a store - what are the pitfalls? in Selling

Opening a store - what are the pitfalls?

jane-de-cluttering — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 06:29:14 GMT

After all the recent changes to FVFs and listing fees, I’ve come to the decision to open a store. I think the economics of my doing so are marginal but on the other hand I won’t have to worry about how many listings I create or renew each week, etc. Plus I will be able to put on an out-of-office message if necessary.

As I understand it when I open the store all my current listings will automatically transfer over. Will that include my drafts and ended listings?

Is there anything else I need to be aware? I was caught out badly with the limited-monthly-listing changes and so feel the need to get second opinions.

Anyhow as I understand it I can withdraw at any time. Presumably the reverse process re my listings would then occur.

Many thanks to the insightful patient people who respond to my queries. j

Re: Opening a store - what are the pitfalls?

collect247 — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 07:24:01 GMT

I only see the pitfalls that you must be going through without having a store.

Re: Opening a store - what are the pitfalls?

davewil1964 — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 08:03:35 GMT

The store is an addon to your account. Nothing changes with listings - ended, unsold, drafts.

Once you open your store, your active listings show in it, as well as any searches people do (as now). But, you will have to edit them to include the relevant store category or they will all show in 'Other'. If you subscribe to Selling Manager Pro (free with a store), you will also have access to a template function (Seller Hub>Listings) that will hold about 400 templates. I use that for my drafts, one per template, as they aren't time limited like drafts.

A basic store is $27.45 with GST and you get 600 listings, BUT, except for collectibles, you can only list BIN (with MAO if desired).

Also if you subscribe to SMP and you close your store, make sure you unsubscribe or it will cost you.

Re: Opening a store - what are the pitfalls?

chameleon54 — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 08:49:34 GMT

The pitfalls to opening a store ? Just a few thoughts......not an exhuastive list.

* You have to pay full listing fee for all auctions except in collectables catagories, which are free.

* Store holders rarely get offered promotions such as free listings etc. Still happens occasionally but much less than non stores.

Benefits -

* You can put your store in holiday mode. You can choose to either hide your listings or keep them visible with a message regards your return date.

* No need to keep ending listings and relist to meet promotions. This means long running, succesfull listings build up a following in time, both on ebay and in google searches. A couple of my longest running listings regularly show up in the first few photos when google image searches are done. This undoubtably helps sales.

* A small reduction in final value fee percentages. If you sell several thousand dollars per month, this can cover the extra monthly fees associated with having a store, meaning for some sellers, there is no extra fees payable overall.

* feedback for buyers can be automated, reducing time spent on this chore considerably.

Re: Opening a store - what are the pitfalls?

jellybirddesigns — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 08:50:27 GMT

I changed from a personal account to a store back in 2014 and have never looked back.

All of my items are BIN with Immediate Payment required, so it's honestly a "set and forget" situation.

The extra bonus is being able to put your store in vacation mode when you go away.

Re: Opening a store - what are the pitfalls?

brerrabbit585 — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 09:04:53 GMT

The collectables category includes crafts so you can do auctions for those. Check out ebay's seller fee tables to see exactly what you pay for each category.

Re: Opening a store - what are the pitfalls?

jane-de-cluttering — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 22:15:28 GMT

Couple more random thoughts/queries:

1. it appears Store-keepers when they list a BIN cannot also include Make an Offer. is that right? In two minds as to whether that is a good thing.

2. from what I've gleened from these Boards it appears that Store listings take priority over non-Store listings. is that right? Or if not do I need to ensure that they don't languish at the bottom, by regularly re-listing? [As I used to do without a Store, before I started getting charged for each one!]

3. also I thought I read somewhere that the postage regime is less strict. Right? I always post within 48 hours, and haven't had a problem - yet. But it would be nice to know that there is some further slack with a Store.

4. in general are seller standards the same?

thanks again j

Re: Opening a store - what are the pitfalls?

dell1312 — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 22:31:28 GMT

I opened a store after jumping through all the hoops re “free postage”, item weigh and size, offering express postage etc and finally getting stung with GTC changes. I have had it for a few weeks now and have noticed a huge decline in watchers and buyers. So I don’t know if lots of sellers have also opened stores and the site is just full of listings for buyers to sift through. Or eBay has shoved my listings into oblivion because they will receive the store fee if I sell anything or not. Maybe, as some others on here have suggested, eBay is just not the go to place for buying any more.

Re: Opening a store - what are the pitfalls?

chameleon54 — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 22:58:43 GMT

@jane-de-cluttering wrote:
Couple more random thoughts/queries:

1. it appears Store-keepers when they list a BIN cannot also include Make an Offer. is that right? In two minds as to whether that is a good thing.

I dont use best offer, but plenty of other stores do, so the facility is available.

2. from what I've gleened from these Boards it appears that Store listings take priority over non-Store listings. is that right?

I Used to have a non store account that did very well and was more vibrant than my stores, so I dont think that is correct. If anything I suspect the non store accounts are not " regulated " in the way stores are, allowing for a more natural flow of sales. But that is just my opinion. No-one knows for sure.

Or if not do I need to ensure that they don't languish at the bottom, by regularly re-listing? [As I used to do without a Store, before I started getting charged for each one!]

You can achieve the same effect by doing Phantom bulk edits.ie. you click bulk edit, tick up to 500 listings at a time and just click finish without actually changing anything. This pushes listings up in searches for awhile in the same way as relists do.

3. also I thought I read somewhere that the postage regime is less strict. Right? I always post within 48 hours, and haven't had a problem - yet. But it would be nice to know that there is some further slack with a Store.

You can choose very long handling times with a store, at least ten days and maybe longer. I have a five business day handling period ( which gives me a full week with the weekend ) and use all of it sometimes.

4. in general are seller standards the same?

Dont know for sure.

thanks again j

Re: Opening a store - what are the pitfalls?

collect247 — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 23:00:15 GMT

If you don't sell what most buyers are interested in then it won't matter if you have a store or not.

It amazes me how many sellers sell things that your average buyer would not buy and also they sell things that you could go and buy cheaper at a BM store.

Re: Opening a store - what are the pitfalls?

curraone — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 23:00:56 GMT

@jane-de-cluttering wrote:
Couple more random thoughts/queries:

1. it appears Store-keepers when they list a BIN cannot also include Make an Offer. is that right? In two minds as to whether that is a good thing. Not right, you can add Make an Offer

2. from what I've gleened from these Boards it appears that Store listings take priority over non-Store listings. is that right? Or if not do I need to ensure that they don't languish at the bottom, by regularly re-listing? [As I used to do without a Store, before I started getting charged for each one!]    There are two theories, we don't know which is correct.   Some stores end their listings regularly and use "sell similar" - some stores let them roll over with "good till cancelled" to keep watchers etc

3. also I thought I read somewhere that the postage regime is less strict. Right? I always post within 48 hours, and haven't had a problem - yet. But it would be nice to know that there is some further slack with a Store.    No special treatment in this regard, however it is popular advice to make your handling time 3 or 4 days even if you regularly post straight away.    Bad stars in the postage feedback can affect your rating

4. in general are seller standards the same? A loaded question, sort of like "all animals are created equal, but some or more equal than others".    General consensus is that large stores are given better treatment.

thanks again j

Re: Opening a store - what are the pitfalls?

chameleon54 — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 23:21:54 GMT

@dell1312 wrote:
I opened a store after jumping through all the hoops re “free postage”, item weigh and size, offering express postage etc and finally getting stung with GTC changes. I have had it for a few weeks now and have noticed a huge decline in watchers and buyers. So I don’t know if lots of sellers have also opened stores and the site is just full of listings for buyers to sift through. Or eBay has shoved my listings into oblivion because they will receive the store fee if I sell anything or not. Maybe, as some others on here have suggested, eBay is just not the go to place for buying any more.

Sellers need to understand how the cassini search system works to keep stores selling. Some of the things it rewards with higher visibility are

* Sales. As soon as you sell something all listings get a bit of a boost, particularly similar items. The more you sell, the more you sell. Conversly, the less you sell, the lower you drop in searches and so it compounds. The less you sell. This can cause a seller death spiral where sales grind to a halt and can be hard to break out of.

* Bulk phantom edits can refresh listings in searches. Ebay CS reps do this from time to time to help when people have problems, so it is definately true.

* Real edits of individual listings. Changing the price, ( up or down ) , new pictures or changing a couple of words in the title will boost a listings visibility.

* NEW LISTINGS - along with sales ( which the seller cant really control much ) doing half a dozen new listings each day can make a huge difference to sales. especially if some of the new listings sell quickly. When a seller does a few new listings, all of that sellers listings get a boost in visibility. Spend a day and do 50 new listings and you can re-kickstart a dying account. This is the biggest thing a seller can control to increase visibility of all items in searches.

* Sales - did I mention sales ? If sales are slow it can be worth listing a few cheap items at give away prices as a sacrifice to the ebay gods to get sales going again.

* Sales - the other kind. I ran a 25% off sale on one of my accounts a couple of weeks ago as things had slowed on that account. It definately worked and regular sales have continued since it finished. This stratedgy relies on having a bank of watchers and items buyers actually want. Sales wont help if buyers just aint interested in what you are selling.

* Which brings us to another important one. Sell unique items. If there are only three of the widgets listed on ebay globally, buyers will find them and buy them. If there are 27,000 ( womans T shirts ) how do you make your listing stand out from that sea of cotton ?

* And the associated point. Sell stuff buyers ACTUALLY WANT TO BUY !!!. No point in listing old baby clothes if people can get them for free from friends, family and $5 a bag from op shops.

* Any regular ebay activity helps. Answering questions, packing etc. all adds up to a vibrant account which cassini rewards. Slow accounts get pushed lower in searches meaning their sales slow further. Active accounts get a boost ensuring more sales and more activity. Ebay reward active accounts and penalise slow accounts. It is a way of ensuring succesful sellers stay and sellers with less attractive items tend to drift away from the site. It does make sense from ebays perspecive when youn think about it.

Re: Opening a store - what are the pitfalls?

chameleon54 — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 23:31:29 GMT

@collect247 wrote:
If you don't sell what most buyers are interested in then it won't matter if you have a store or not.
It amazes me how many sellers sell things that your average buyer would not buy and also they sell things that you could go and buy cheaper at a BM store.

Its called niche selling and is probably the most succesful strategy a small seller can adopt. Stuff everyone wants is available everywhere. Highly specialised items are very hard to find, but most of the time there is a buyer somewhere in the world for it.

Probably the best example I have sold is a large box of vintage electrical components I purchased at a garage sale for $5. They where heavy duty resistors, about 40-50 years old, all new old stock, still in the packets of ten. I listed the packets ( over 1000 of them ) individually at $13.00 each and they sold like hot cakes with several very large bulk buyers.

And where did they all go ? .........

CHINA..........

Re: Opening a store - what are the pitfalls?

collect247 — Tue, 18 Jun 2019 04:44:36 GMT

And it won't be long b4 they're back in Australia lol

Re: Opening a store - what are the pitfalls?

joztamps — Tue, 18 Jun 2019 21:58:21 GMT

@chameleon54 wrote:
@dell1312 wrote:
I opened a store after jumping through all the hoops re “free postage”, item weigh and size, offering express postage etc and finally getting stung with GTC changes. I have had it for a few weeks now and have noticed a huge decline in watchers and buyers. So I don’t know if lots of sellers have also opened stores and the site is just full of listings for buyers to sift through. Or eBay has shoved my listings into oblivion because they will receive the store fee if I sell anything or not. Maybe, as some others on here have suggested, eBay is just not the go to place for buying any more.
Sellers need to understand how the cassini search system works to keep stores selling. Some of the things it rewards with higher visibility are

* Sales. As soon as you sell something all listings get a bit of a boost, particularly similar items. The more you sell, the more you sell. Conversly, the less you sell, the lower you drop in searches and so it compounds. The less you sell. This can cause a seller death spiral where sales grind to a halt and can be hard to break out of.

* Bulk phantom edits can refresh listings in searches. Ebay CS reps do this from time to time to help when people have problems, so it is definately true.

* Real edits of individual listings. Changing the price, ( up or down ) , new pictures or changing a couple of words in the title will boost a listings visibility.

* NEW LISTINGS - along with sales ( which the seller cant really control much ) doing half a dozen new listings each day can make a huge difference to sales. especially if some of the new listings sell quickly. When a seller does a few new listings, all of that sellers listings get a boost in visibility. Spend a day and do 50 new listings and you can re-kickstart a dying account. This is the biggest thing a seller can control to increase visibility of all items in searches.

* Sales - did I mention sales ? If sales are slow it can be worth listing a few cheap items at give away prices as a sacrifice to the ebay gods to get sales going again.

* Sales - the other kind. I ran a 25% off sale on one of my accounts a couple of weeks ago as things had slowed on that account. It definately worked and regular sales have continued since it finished. This stratedgy relies on having a bank of watchers and items buyers actually want. Sales wont help if buyers just aint interested in what you are selling.

* Which brings us to another important one. Sell unique items. If there are only three of the widgets listed on ebay globally, buyers will find them and buy them. If there are 27,000 ( womans T shirts ) how do you make your listing stand out from that sea of cotton ?

* And the associated point. Sell stuff buyers ACTUALLY WANT TO BUY !!!. No point in listing old baby clothes if people can get them for free from friends, family and $5 a bag from op shops.

* Any regular ebay activity helps. Answering questions, packing etc. all adds up to a vibrant account which cassini rewards. Slow accounts get pushed lower in searches meaning their sales slow further. Active accounts get a boost ensuring more sales and more activity. Ebay reward active accounts and penalise slow accounts. It is a way of ensuring succesful sellers stay and sellers with less attractive items tend to drift away from the site. It does make sense from ebays perspecive when youn think about it.

Thank you, very useful.

Just one question, what's a "bulk phantom edit"?

Re: Opening a store - what are the pitfalls?

twyngwyn — Wed, 19 Jun 2019 00:39:51 GMT

do a bulk edit ....but don't change anything

Re: Opening a store - what are the pitfalls?

joztamps — Wed, 19 Jun 2019 01:03:18 GMT

Ahhh, light globe goes on, thank you.

Re: Opening a store - what are the pitfalls?

brerrabbit585 — Wed, 19 Jun 2019 01:18:10 GMT

I'm not sure it changes anything but would be happy to be PROVED wrong.

Re: Opening a store - what are the pitfalls?

curraone — Wed, 19 Jun 2019 01:44:01 GMT

Well done, Jane: I can see your store. You have even mastered the main photo which I never have. Good luck!

Re: Opening a store - what are the pitfalls?

jane-de-cluttering — Wed, 19 Jun 2019 02:12:35 GMT

thanks Curraone! I've been very busy. Your critiques will always be welcome. j