Here's a post from another site about registering

[MagnetsAndHangers]

Magnets

Also when the buyer sees an item for sale at a £1 the registration form isn't worth the effort. Perhaps when they see thousands of items priced at a £ the site isn't worth the effort. I have good reason for suggesting this.

The site is worth the effort - in other ways (not just sales) , as I have mentioned in another thread - otherwise I wouldnt be here.

[ictransistor]

Bikimbo to Juliebabe
"You're accepting a blank assertion that registering costs sales, and you're assuming those sales would have turned into successful deals? All seems a bit vague to me. "

Having initiated the assertion which Julie refers to we have monitored our views and the migration to order elsewhere.
With our items, on average we estimate there are only six migrations per week (viewing here and ordering elsewhere).
It does happen, though not to the extent we imagined based upon initially speaking to customers.

In here we would have twice the number of sales which still isn't enough to make a living.
1 per day would increase to 2 per day as opposed to 20 per day elsewhere
Roughly £2 to £4 as opposed to £40.

Allowing registration with the order process will not benefit me significantly (overheads) though it may benefit others with higher value items.

There are some who don't like comparisons and purport this site as being different to the other and others. What they fail to grasp is this site would possibly adopt some of the same given the opportunity. The reason it cannot is because it hasn't got the legal authority to do so. You won't find the phrase buyit now here or anywhere else because its legally protected. Or any other phrases. You couldn't start up another auction site with a title to show the intent to auction because every single possibilty has been protected. This site has got in early and captured the name bid and the phrase buynow before the competition lawyers could get their hands on them. As far this sites basics go there's not much the opposition can do about them. Its position is very strong.

We were one of two competing stores. Now we are both on different sites. The other store is never going to move here because it is now making up to twice the profit in our absence. If it did it wouldn't sell much because we would be cheaper. Increases in profit bring increases in the range of product increasing the sales even further. The
increased range results in more multiple item orders. Being the only choice with an ever increasing number of items increases customer loyalty making it difficult for others to start up selling. Limiting the listing capabilities of start up sellers aids the process. As I see it and not necessarily fact.

There are sellers in here doing well. Arguably these tend to be sellers taking multiple item orders that have a worth. The same is noticable on the camp which makes good profits and on the river where it's difficult to list anything out of category. My advice would be to stay in category and only list items which can be connected to each other. The ideal gift becomes ideal if comparisons can be made. The likelihood of the buyer purchasing increases with the addition of add ons. Something to match with it, the availability of a nameplate, somewhere to store it and the material to fix it. I forget who it was. Baby bear, Sally bear, bear clothes, the bears hideout, bear patches and bear wrapping paper. There isn't much point to buying if the buyer has to leave site to buy the other bits to go with it.

Good or bad this advice may help some though not others. It could be the others would do better if everything for sale was in one category. It could be they would do better if they mentioned a few comparable prices. It could be they would do better if (guilty) they stopped giving the opposition what they believe to be bad publicity which is in effect good publicity. It could be finding a gap in the market and opening another shop and selling a totally different product range might help everyone.

Elsewhere for some there are too many rules to remember and sometimes too many ways to interpret them. The site seems to operate like a court of law. Most of the buyers are perfectly happy with things as they stand until they are asked to rethink and make a comment. Naturally sellers become unhappy when their counter arguments are dismissed as opinions and they are forced to accept total responsibilty. When the sellers try to get help from other sellers the experts surface and act upon the rules often pulling the noose even tighter. The argument is ignorance is no excuse. On this site the rules are much more easily understood. This site is different

Elsewhere some sellers are happy with the fees, others are not and leave. It depends on how well they are doing and this depends upon placement and competition. In some instances the buyers fail to realise their choice is being reduced. In other instances the deal in front of them may not be the best available. The best choice, or the best deal could be on a back page, or it could be on another site. I'm reasoning my way through this.

I don't think the deal matters. I say this because cannot remember a single complaint when the minimum price elsewhere went up from 1p to 99p. Sure, like for like buyers will save a penny if the options are apparent and easily navigated. I construe what they don't like is having their choice restricted. Taking this a stage further what they don't like is much of a muchness.

Apologies for going off topic

[Juliebabe25]

Gee I did not know the term BuyitNow was protected.
You learn something every day.

But other than that ictransistor, I have read your post twice and I can't really work out what you are trying to say.
You obviously are quite knowledgeable on these matters.
But could you summaries your basic point in one or two sentences ?

[meebo1]

I would just like to add, that up till now for all my internet buying I had to register first, be it a smallish site or a large company

[Tropical_Trish]

I would just like to add, that up till now for all my internet buying I had to register first, be it a smallish site or a large company

Well
yes, I do agree to meebo's comment ...

When you are shopping via the Internet, you are obviously paying for your goods with a credit/debit card or Paypal (or some other money transaction service).
On some online auction sites, the sellers will accept cheques and despatch goods only upon clearance.
Unless you are lucky enough to live near to the vendor and pop in with the cash! ....

If you simply just want to buy your mum a bunch of flowers, get some aftershave for your son, get a home delivery from your favourite supermarket, buy cosmetics at reduced price ....
you just simply cannot skip through the registration that is required.

I shop for almost everything online, and although you are at liberty to look at all the goods displayed, and are encouraged to buy ....

You most definately will need to provide details when completing your purchase..... AND before your order is accepted and processed.

If you are a genuine buyer, and really want the goods you have seen, and accept all T/C's, no matter if it is a stamp or collectable cigarette card, a packet of seeds you have been looking for, a cardigan for your mum, or a bottle of the most exquisite wine for a brother who is so mega-rich ... (trust me, I know).....
(psst... He's a builder, very talented and good at his job, say no more!)

Well, all I can say is that I have no problems going through the process of buying, then being asked to register.
Genuine buyers that really want your item will not be "put off" if they want what you have for sale.
They will register and buy.

[burgyeb]

Prefer sites that require registering & also waiting periods for qualification. I can see how a non-registering site could be made more secure through payment methods like paypal, google, or even money bookers. But I am in no hurry & prefer structure & quality controls in place.

[ictransistor]

The fire are adding more features to buying without registration so it must have potential.

Off topic
There are sites rated above ebid in surveys.
Despite some of the participants admitting they haven't had any sales. Peculiar.
The majority are basing their hopes upon views, which to me seem to be coming from the curiousity of other frustrated members with nothing better to do.

Some need to make a living, others are happy to provide a service
A living can be made in ebid
Possibly
1. by listing ten times as many items
2. by including items that aren't available elsewhere
3. by finding a gap in the market and selling a additional range of associated product
4. by removing cheapness and giving product it's true value