eBid 2nd

[giftableonebid]

Hello all,

Just checked the statistics and eBid is at the number two spot (today), just behind eBay for listings!

eBay = 23,620,042
eBid = 2,405,941

eBid, being the best performing alternative venue to eBay... Well done everyone!

[gazlannathai]

OP - where did you get those stats?

There's a lot of venues that fall between eBay and eBid in terms of number of listings - there's also at least half a dozen US sites (single site, predominantly US users type sites) that have double the listings of eBid, and significantly more users by several magnitudes.

I'm not knocking the fact that eBid is showing sustained excellent growth over the last year, but let's not try conning everyone regarding the facts eh?

Gaz

[madelaine]

http://www.powersellersunite.com/auctionsitewatch.php

is where it comes from, Gaz, and you can't blame UK users of ebid for not noticing sites that Powersellersunite (a basically US site) doesn't include

[elsattic]

As a seller, I guess the statistic I'd like to see is BUYERS. You can corner the market on sellers but, if there are few buyers, the achievement is worthless.

[giftableonebid]

Hmmm...conning is a pretty strong accusation (what does OP mean)?

Madeleine is correct, in my view and yes, elsattic, I would also like to see stats for buyers...I wonder where I could get hold of those?

I can understand people feeling down during a credit crunch, but why take it out on me?

How went things with your move Gaz?

[dave1066]

Hmmm...conning is a pretty strong accusation (what does OP mean)?

Madeleine is correct, in my view and yes, elsattic, I would also like to see stats for buyers...I wonder where I could get hold of those?

I can understand people feeling down during a credit crunch, but why take it out on me?

How went things with your move Gaz?

OP means Original poster

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[florida33549]

http://www.powersellersunite.com/auctionsitewatch.php

is where it comes from, Gaz, and you can't blame UK users of ebid for not noticing sites that Powersellersunite (a basically US site) doesn't include

Ebid's number on PSU has been the same for about 2 days. Don't know why. PSU's #s are from ebid.net's front page, so either the count is off on ebid or ebid's listings have not grown on ebid within the last few days.

[giftableonebid]

1066 - thanks for the information - like your stores!
Florida - I noticed that too, but I was to nervous to report it here!!

[florida33549]

1066 - thanks for the information - like your stores!
Florida - I noticed that too, but I was to nervous to report it here!!

Nothing to be nervous about. It's the truth. I think it's a glitch in the counter though because I know many new items have been listed on ebid within the last few days, including my own.

[gazlannathai]

Hi All - still moving so not getting to the web as much as I'd like (computers will be the last thing moved but at least the new broadband connection is due into the new place tomorrow, so that's a major panic out of the way).

PSU is a useful site as an indicator, but should always be remembered as a 3rd party site using a mix of 1st & 4th party data - pretty much the same as any blog site. The data on PSU is only as good as the accuracy of data received and the frequency with which it is updated at both ends. Not knocking them, I've found them very useful at times, just saying that all data should be used only for indications not absolutes - particularly when large tranches of a sector are omitted.

As a further example, Randy Smythe ran an excellent stats post about 10 days ago regarding traffic rankings - http://www.myblogutopia.com/2009/01/...-alexacom.html - regarding eBay and alternative sites. The data he used showed eBid significantly behind Overstock, Buy, Etsy, Play & eCrater, but streets ahead of Bonanzle, NewEggMall, BlueJay, OnlineAuction, CQout et al.

Because none of the sites mention so far in this thread actually display stats for traffic, page views etc, it's impossible to get verified market-wide 1st-party data. Everyone therefore has to rely on 3rd party data aggregators such as Alexa and Neilsen, and there is inherrent error in the data collection methodology thus used - it (the data) can therefore be used as no more than an indicator.

Re my use of the word "conning" - apologies, regional idiom does not translate well into internet message boards unless all users are from the same region. My use of "conning" is similar to using "pinched" or "nicked" instead of "stolen", it is intended as a lighter and softer term, used as much as a poke in the ribs as anything else, and not intended to be harshly accusatory. I will try to remember to use smileys in that context in future.

Like most other sellers, I would like to see stats for buyers (on all sites, not just eBid). I would also like to see clear separation of feedback given and received as a buyer and seller - i believe it is important to see both sides of a person's transactions in isolation, it seems to me that there are people who behave very differently as a buyer and as a seller (self-fulfilling really, the aims of the transaction sides are different) not many of them, but enough that they need flagged out by their feedback.

In my opinion, and I need to position first that Amazon as a 100% fixed price venue is not an auction site but a shopping mall, eBid is certainly the number 2 site behind eBay in the UK, but not globally. In terms of web presence - i.e. having 18 country specific domain names - eBid should be No 2 globally, but has not yet gained the traction in marketplaces outside the UK.

Here's just a tidbit of where it may have gone wrong in the last three months - one of the news tickers I monitor daily comes from online books mega venue AbeBooks. EVERY day for the last three months they have been announcing that in this or that category, books by or about Obama have topped the best sellers list, the best price achieved list, the most hunted or searched list etc etc etc.

If eBid sellers (or the site itself) had jumped into that bandwagon with a concerted listing campaign for such books plus electioneering mementoes and inauguration mementoes, it would have seriously raised eBid's presence in North American search results. I say the same every Q4 about the lack of concerted activity for BBC's Children in Need campaign in the UK.

Perhaps what is needed is a user selected committee of users to co-ordinate and map out such campaigns (not volunteering personally, I have zero free time) - transparency could be maintained via a special forum section here on eBid. It doesn't have to be fancy, just a way of agreeing which campaigns to organise for when, and a method of announcing them to the selling membership in plenty of time for all sellers to have a chance to join in. For example Q1 every year is the major buying season for wedding products - where is the call to action or promotions for the wedding sellers?

Must dash - will be back later
Gaz.