Improving Jewelry Categories- Some Suggestions

[Ave]

Hi
As a buyer for years of online jewelry and other items I had begun selling also on different sites and using their category methods has shown to be easier and more efficient than here. I also own and design my websites and have helped others improve their sites.

Lately I came back and started to redo my store with appropriate searchable categories and am posting my items in order so it will take a while to fill my store however when doing so I began to find I had to use 'other' in many cases.

Currently working on bracelets so when research the sites categories for Bracelets and the amount of members selling jewelry, as a buyer its too congested and also difficult to find particular styles. I see you have Bangles listed separately from jewelry and lack variety on posting choices to better organize the site search and make it easier for buyers to find what they are looking for.
I then did a series of combined words in search to be able to see what comes up and find you certainly can improve the Bracelet Category to make buyers want to look more instead of seeing hundreds of pages of mixed bracelets or all of one type for sale taking up pages and frankly becomes too boring for buyers.

Here is my suggestion on improving the Bracelet Categories

BRACELETS>
~Anklets
~Bangle
~Bead
~Bling
~Brass
~Bronze
~Chain
~Childrens
~Charm~Chunk
~Charm~Dangle
~Charm~European
~Crystal
~Cuff
~Dangle
~Ethnic
~Friendship
~Gemstone
~Glass
~Gold
~Goth
~Handmade
~Leather
~Magnetic
~Natural
~Other
~Pearl
~Punk
~Retro
~Silver
~Stretch
~Tibetan Silver
~Unisex
~Used
~Vintage
~Wrap

These are the most popular search words for bracelets and used by other auction sites for listing .

Also- Your front page is a turnoff to customers~! I have had my associates and passed customers who are turned off by the set up of your front page. It should have larger thumbs of items from assorted categories.
Membership links should be linked to a separate page with all the details that pertain to sellers or reduced them to small buttons.
The page gives very little appeal room for auction sale items and is too cluttered with things that do not apply or appeal to shoppers .
Its all set to appeal to new shop owners, yet its also off putting to see that many of the sales going out are not listed as sold just as ended. It makes it seem as though there aren't many sales here at all.Ebay has them listed by side links to "Completed Listings" and "Items Sold"
When researching various sellers it looks like some have not had a sale in years or at least no feedback in years.
While I am now using ebay less, my seller/buyer rating there is current and over 3000 at 100% positive rating which is important for shoppers when looking to buy.

Its easy to make pretty buttons at sights like http://bannerfans.com which has free memberships and using their software is fast and easy. I would be very willing to make some buttons for you and send you the html codes to try them out, as they are also useful to place on other sites and blogs to draw shoppers to Ebid.

The strength this site holds is more for the stores which is fine and definitely a better draw for a seller.I tab the store into my blogs and other sites and now on twitter and facebook as well. Shoppers /browsers come to my store via those sites.

Still this site scared one of my customers who pointed out that all the advertising used to supplement your site blend in too much and readily to the stores and she told me she accidentally clicked on the bottom of my store but since there was no separation of your ads from my merchandise she assumed it was my link to click and it took her offsite without use of any back button to bring her back to my shop. Google Banner-Ads should be placed at the bottom or lower sides of a front page as it gives it a needy look having at the top of the page~and when on the bottoms of store pages should have a line to separate between the end of the store listings and the advertisers for elsewhere.

Also it would be helpful to have a large search bar across the top of every page instead of being tucked to the left middle side. My customer[a person who I trust and who shops all over the net] said she visually had difficulty in finding the small search box and I had to skype with her and show her where it was~!

These are just a few types of things turn off shoppers ~ as they want to browse and find things "fast" many buy on impulse things that come to their mind, so its essential to have categories clearly identified, consolidated yet expandable in alphabetical order, so shoppers can glance around and find what they want faster visually with buttons/avatars as they need some eye candy to whet their shopping appetites.

Anyway, thats my opinion from a shoppers perspective.
Certainly at least consider using 'showroom' for outgoing auctions and give them more spage on your front page~ instead of 'Gallery' for front page advertisements of the auctions.
Take a glance at how ebay has done theirs~ Its attractive excites shoppers and is easily searchable.

I would be willing to create some sample layouts and send you the html codes to try out if you want.

Thanks & have a great day.
Ave

[tidewater50]

Well said, I also sell on EBay, tried this site 3 years ago only sold 1 item, I am trying it again, your input about web site has merit, if they made some changes they would probably have larger sell thru rate

[gamesandgifts]

Don't think it just needs category improvements it could do with some buyers as no one actually seems to buy anything on this site??? I have been a member now for nearly a year and only one sale!!!! I also sell on ebay and made well over 2,000 sales in the same time span.

[madelaine]

This should be under category suggestions (the OP could move it)

I really doubt whether the category structure much affects sales - traffic is what is needed and that is more likely to be affected by the range and variety of items listed and everyone's efforts to get the word out. eBid are not suddenly going to spend a fortune on advertising so our self-help work is what can change things.

Things do sell - or my feedback wouldn't be as it is.

P.S. had a look at your listings gamesandgifts - so many things are not helping - you need two shops (and if you are seller+ lifetime you've already paid for them), to complete your about me page so we get some idea of who you are, and to make at least some of your listings not run till sold, which lodges them right down the bottom of every search.