Feature a new seller or Store?

[madelaine]

It would be good to be able to visit new stores/sellers who have stuff listed. Could a space be found to feature such people so we could all have a nosey?

[cornishmaid1961]

​Good idea. They might get some more business if they are featured and it would encourage them to stay here.

[theElench]

But would it encourage them to stay or would it just make the disillusion happen quicker if / when little or no business materialises?

Or, like Plug your Auctions and YDC would it just become another stick to beat ebid with? Dragged up in reviews and hostile comments elsewhere to show how the site gives a rose-tinted picture of itself.

IMHO it would be far better to get behind the Transaction Counter suggestion which would in time produce a snow-ball effect. With increasing numbers of sellers generating increasing numbers of successful transactions to show the OUTSIDE WORLD that there is life (and sales) here.

Ask yourself what is likely to have the greatest long-term effect -- another feature that will mainly be used by a few dozen regulars, or a sign-post that will, over time, grow in size, recognition and influence.

Most sellers here already have a huge obstacle to climb, at least ten years of growing the sites' reputation for having few buyers. Adding anything that detractors can use to increase that isn't going help matters.

[madelaine]

I don't spend much time looking at what other people say about eBid. Some years ago I found that my sales were mostly affected by how much I have listed. Sorry you felt the need to rain on my parade.

[crafters_corner]

But would it encourage them to stay or would it just make the disillusion happen quicker if / when little or no business materialises?

Or, like Plug your Auctions and YDC would it just become another stick to beat ebid with? Dragged up in reviews and hostile comments elsewhere to show how the site gives a rose-tinted picture of itself.

IMHO it would be far better to get behind the Transaction Counter suggestion which would in time produce a snow-ball effect. With increasing numbers of sellers generating increasing numbers of successful transactions to show the OUTSIDE WORLD that there is life (and sales) here.

Ask yourself what is likely to have the greatest long-term effect -- another feature that will mainly be used by a few dozen regulars, or a sign-post that will, over time, grow in size, recognition and influence.

Most sellers here already have a huge obstacle to climb, at least ten years of growing the sites' reputation for having few buyers. Adding anything that detractors can use to increase that isn't going help matters.

You make some valid points and your first two paragraphs raise issues which have always concerned me.

When I Google ebid, I am faced with some terrible reviews - and people DO read them, I am sure.

But what concerns me most, is the way regular forum members rush to defend the site in vast numbers which gives credence to your 'rose-tinted' analogy. It is obvious that potential sellers tempted to part with their money are going to be disillusioned when the site isn't quite as wonderful as these reviews make out.

A Transaction Counter would, as you point out, show the OUTSIDE WORLD that there is life here, but it would also give an HONEST indication of sales.

[sheffieldtony]

You make some valid points and your first two paragraphs raise issues which have always concerned me.

When I Google ebid, I am faced with some terrible reviews - and people DO read them, I am sure.

But what concerns me most, is the way regular forum members rush to defend the site in vast numbers which gives credence to your 'rose-tinted' analogy. It is obvious that potential sellers tempted to part with their money are going to be disillusioned when the site isn't quite as wonderful as these reviews make out.

A Transaction Counter would, as you point out, show the OUTSIDE WORLD that there is life here, but it would also give an HONEST indication of sales.

"But what concerns me most, is the way regular forum members rush to defend the site in vast numbers " some of these seller have 5/10/15000 listing which not what most sellers want to have. and the % of sales to listings is not that good. If I had that many listing I would expect to have to set someone on to do the packing.

[crafters_corner]

Some don't even have that, Tony. There are members who simply say it is a 'good site' without giving any evidence to back up that statement.

There needs to be more transparency if ebid is to be a trusted site, and one simple solution is a transaction counter.

[madelaine]

Why is YDC a stick to beat ebid with?

[theElench]

In reply to some of your points here and in #4 above.

With the greatest respect I would suggest that you DO read the reviews and get an idea of how ebid is seen by some people who post them. There is bitterness out there that has been growing for years. The comments on review sites are relatively reasoned and polite. I can only say that some of the comments on the other selling site boards are worse, down-right poisonous and if I mention them here will result in the disappearance of this thread.


Although no-one twisted their arms to sign up to sell here and IMO they should have researched the site in greater depth before committing themselves, these people consider that they were duped. From that point of view they then ascribe similar intent to mislead to Plug Your Auction (making it look like there is greater interest in new listings).

YDC is said to be an way, for those in the know, to continuously increase each others FB.

I hasten to add that I don't agree with either comment, nor do I have any need to "rain on your parade". But please look again at your idea. From the point of view of those with a mind to do so your idea will, without doubt, be held up as more proof that a tiny number of regulars are generating what appears to be a lot of interest where in fact little exists.

Even when there are an equal number of glowing reviews of ebid on review sites, it is the mud that sticks and IMO we have a hard enough job as it is at the moment. There is no need to provide any more ammunition. What we need to do is put something out there that will counter (no pun intended)the negativity that already exists.

The primary point of Ebid is for people to sell stuff to the public. YDC, Plug Your Auction and your idea should be icing on THAT cake, they are all great services. They help make the site more interesting for those already on-board but in reality do little to attract those outside the fence to come on in. That needs something BIG BRIGHT AND VERY IN THEIR FACE, even better if it is stuck prominently on every listing they look at.

[madelaine]

"With the greatest respect" is such a turn-off!

OK, I had not thought of YDC as a feedback builder. When I first started listing here, nothing sold except during YDC. Do you realise that YDC was a spin-off because the market leader board posters were so unpleasant about Yorkie's Daft Auction campaign (on there!) that Yorkie moved here? The whole, charity oriented, idea has died on the market leader but survived here.

I arrived here because I hate monopoly. I still sell on the market leader - horses for courses - I do what I can to promote eBid. The biggest problem I find when I mention this site is "Oh, when I bought something here, the seller told me they had already sold it somewhere else". Sellers who do this should be reported and removed!

I can't change the views of those posting elsewhere, I can just do what I can to bring in buyers and to do that we need more sellers and more items.

I thought that having the chance to look at new sellers' items might help them get that all-important first sale.