Ambitious Sales Drive

[CrowlasCrafts]

Re. your earlier post, strangely enough I always do include the auction title in the auction description. I also name the picture. I don't do it because I know anything about search engines, it's mostly just habit from my training in the past. It sounds like I've been doing the right thing for the wrong reason.

Does anyone know how you can rename your pictures in your gallery? Do you have reload them with different names?

Thanks for your help!

[Gothicina]

Well I'm actually updating all my auctions now anyway (because of a problem with my pictures) so it makes sense to do something right away. If people come to my auction page direct from a set of search results they probably won't have heard of ebid. That's going to be the main stumbling block. If I want to convert more of the hits into sales I'm going to need some sort of reassuring message like - 'If you like this item and would like to buy it join ebid now. ebid works just like other auction sites and you can use Paypal and Google Checkout, join ebid HERE, (HERE being a clickable link) it's free!'. Can anyone think of a better way of phrasing it?

I've used a graphic containing text as my link in my kewtonia auctions,
as that way I can change the message on all of them in one go.
but I'm wondering if a text link would be better, it's at the bottom of each listing, so probably not picked up by the search engines anyway. (I haven't done all the gothicina ones yet). I also link to my shops on that ID within each auction.
My message is simply

See something you like?
Not a member of eBid?
Not a problem!
Join Here.

I think I might add it's free as well.
I managed to pick up a few buddy points last month, so I think it
may have helped.

[Gothicina]

Here's a link to a helpful Google Tool. Check if your Ebid store or website is indexed by Google. I have found that my Ebid store with a domain name has fared far better than the Ebid store without a domain name.

https://www.google.com/accounts/Serv...%3Den_GB&nui=1

How does that work on an eBid store Corrine?
It said I needed to verify my url, or add a sitemap to get the info,
I can do that on my website, but not on my eBid stores, as I don't have the correct access.

[*artsbanquet*]

Hiya,
I don't really know. I just know that my Ebid store which is www.artsbanquet.info has been indexed successfully and also has pages from Ebid indexed. However, when I key in the Ebid store address of my CD store, no pages are indexed and the url is not indexed. The address of my Ebid Sheet Music store has pages indexed, but the homepage is not there and not updated. So, the conclusion would be that it helps to have a www domain name for your Ebid store as it seems to help with indexing (don't know why though)

[Gothicina]

Does anyone know how you can rename your pictures in your gallery? Do you have reload them with different names?

Thanks for your help!

Hi Jo,
you just change the titles in my gallery, then click the Process Changes button, so you can do a page of 20 at a time.

[CrowlasCrafts]

Hi Jo,
you just change the titles in my gallery, then click the Process Changes button, so you can do a page of 20 at a time.

Thanks!

Durr! Hadn't notice the 'process changes' button. Better put my glasses on next time!

[kedo]

Hi Kedo,

I know all of this seems like a great deal of work, but I really do believe sellers can benefit from in the long run. I like your wording, but would include, 'available to buy now' as well, so the ones who are averse to online auctions don't just disappear. Search engine traffic could be like the passing trade - they had no initial intention of visiting the shop, but something caught their eye (your listing in the (re)search engine). It needs to appear as simple and as quick as possible for potential buyers to get hold of what they have spotted.

No, not at all. Everything has to be changed anyway. It's just a pity that I've updated 5 or 6 hundred auctions already. Thanks again for bringing this to our attention, I was really puzzled by high hit rates. I've always thought that listings are advertising (it's a sort of motto that's stuck in my head). I was thinking from a psychological/sales angle primarily but now it turns out that it's true from the technical point of view too. I love it when things fit together. I can see now that it's well worth me getting several thousand prints listed as they're going to get a decent level of exposure (far more than in a feebay shop in fact).

Incidentally I tried refining that last Google search I mentioned
to 'Farriery antique print'. Nearly fell off my chair, I came top! First on the list (try it) with Amaz*n and feebay sellers below. Then I tried a few more eg's and got even more exited.

[*artsbanquet*]

Hi kedo,
I tried it and it's right at the top! What did you do to your listing that wasn't there before? What did you change? I also noticed that it linked directly to your Ebid store. Some of my istings link to the store category, but not to the Ebid store.

[kedo]

Hi kedo,
I tried it and it's right at the top! What did you do to your listing that wasn't there before? What did you change? I also noticed that it linked directly to your Ebid store. Some of my istings link to the store category, but not to the Ebid store.

Nothing extra, I just happened to have done everything that nykmedia suggests (title repeated in the description and name on the picture I think). I've been taking out the link to my shop page on a lot of auctions because I thought it would be too confusing now that I have five. It seems like I shouldn't do that. I'd be better of with two links, one to the shop and one to the sign-up page. The question is should each auction have links to each of my four other shops (that would make seven links in total)? It wouldn't be any extra work as they would all be part of the templates that I use.

[kedo]

What nobody else interested? Not even if I say I've had 33 sales since last Saturday! I'll get my coat!