Recommendations to improve sales

[centralcoastmma]

I have noticed a few people mentioning that sales are down at the moment, however, i am wondering what i could do to improve the chances of selling items. Ironically, i have found that becomming a powerseller and opening a store has slowed down sales ... I was under the impression this would boost them. Anyway, my listings all have very detailed descriptions, they have high quality photos and the prices are very competitive. Most are getting the views and many have watchers they just are not getting the sales. Not really sure what else i can do to lock down more frequent sales. Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.

[dylan11235813]

I looked at one of your listings.

I would remove the scrolling advertising that you have at the top of the listing and remove all the postage and return policy you have and place it in the postage section of the listing.

I would charge the actual postage cost (satchel + packaging + handling) and decrease the listing price to make it seem that the prices are lower. Say $7.95 for postage and decrease the item cost by $3 or more as you will be saving on fees as well. Maybe factor in a little more to the cost and have free shipping for everything else instead of charging $1 extra for other eligable listings.

Have a look at what other sellers prices are like for similar items. Sell at cost price for a while to get a few sales on some listings to get a higher best match standing.

Try using different keywords in the listing headings (without getting done for keyword spamming) for different listings to get more hits from people searching different keywords.

Your listings look fine but all the info at the bottom and the scrolling window detracts from it a little.

[centralcoastmma]

Thanks, i will look into changing the listing a little. WIll put postage info elsewhere. I always thought the gallery was good as it gave people the opportunity to see my other items? ... perhaps at the bottom of the listing instead?

I have tried a few things with postage and have found none of them make a difference. In fact, charging the legit price for postage has ended with low postage DSRs. Problem is people seem to think postage costs nothing. It kind of bugs me a little that people will moan about postage and act as if it is the sellers fault that Auspost charges an arm and a leg.

Anyway, i decided on $5 as it allows me to offer the occassional discount, prevents ebay from taking a full fee and keeps buyers happy postage wise. My actual postage deal should be $5 flat rate, i don't charge anything for extra items as each subsequent listing has an additional $2 postage built in which ends up making up the cost of larger parcels. I have considered 'Free' postage but that just doesn't seem feasible.

My black shorts are basically selling for a little above cost price (factoring in all expenses) and my shoes are actually making loses. I'm not really willing to lower them further as this will hurt my business. In general, similar items are usually more expensive than mine unless they are coming from china.

Anyway, thanks for the tips, it's great to have someones else's perspective 🙂

[digital*ghost]

Scrolling galleries are generally disliked by people because they can take a long time to load and distract from the listing they have chosen to view - especially when it is at the top. 

I think your listings look good, all the right info is there - clear and nicely presented, about the only thing I would really recommend is having the main description in slightly larger font to make the key info stand out just a little bit more. Most people would find your money-back guarantee more encoraging than a gallery of other items. 😉

In saying that, though, the only other suggestion would be to expand your range so that your items can cross-promote one another - other related sportswear or gear, or perhaps some MMA memorabilia. The more people who can find something they're looking for at your store, the better. 

[centralcoastmma]

Thanks for your insight.

I'll tinker around a bit and combine the feedback both of you have given. Perhaps replace the scrolling gallery with a relevant static one? or show two or three related items.

I'm slowly expanding. Got a bunch more stock due in soon which will add some variance. Not too interested in selling other brands as i am trying to build my own. But i think there are certainly other complimentary items i can look at.