Why should WE promote Ebid?

[mypleasureisland]

Simple to implement advertising strategy ......

1. Analyse all BUYING feedback received - where are those buyers located? There's obviously a market for eBid in those locations (based on my sales, I suspect Scotland, Wales and the West Country are the prime areas)

I sell very well to the rural areas. For those that live there Internet shopping is the best thing ever. Major shopping centres are usually too far away other than for planned shopping trips a few times a year, they are well worth targetting.

regards

Jean

[mypleasureisland]

[QUOTE=ojleap]

I can't believe that people don't come to Ebid to buy what I sell, if that was the case, why do they buy from Ebay?

I can, a quick straw poll of 20 people revealed that they had all heard of Ebay but not one had heard of ebid. If they don't know of the site they are not going to visit it and buy from it.

I for one, am happy with paying fees, my Ebay fees range between £200 and £400 now on Ebay a month, with another £50 - £100 Paypal fees.

I would be happy to pay a small fee to list my items or a small FVF upon sale might be a better option. Sales are too few and far between on here these days to pay a listing fee.

d)

So, I agree with what Gaz is saying, simply running Adwords and sticking it in Froogle is not enough.

No it isn't. Maybe some free publicity in the big computer mags or even buying some advertising there would be a sart. At least it would go out to the computer literate.[/QUOTE]

[gazlannathai]

I can't believe that people don't come to Ebid to buy what I sell, if that was the case, why do they buy from Ebay? Same process, so, under normal circumstances, same conditions and reasoning applies.

.

Your auctions are extremely niche - you could try appealing to a broader market by adding in items like stockings - I wish I had a penny for every woman I've heard complain about a ladder in them - means they must be buying at least one or two pairs a month.

Additionally - instead of selling them as just "vanilla" items - make them into bundles - bedtime play sets, gift wrapped etc

Diversity is the way to attract browsers and convert them into bidders - the more categories you have (correctly placed) items in, the more you're going to be seen.

Gaz

[DesignerWatches]

Here's a suggestion:

Register a domain name and have it point to your auctions.
If you use https://www.123-reg.co.uk

• Under Manage Domains select your domain name

• Click Modify Domains (this will take you into Domain Control Panel)

• Click Web Forwarding

• Click Non-framed web-forwarding radio button

• Enter the link to your auctions in the text box.(remove ~)
  http~://uk.three.ebid.tv/perl/main.cgi?words=ojleap&mo=search&type=user

You can also enter meta Tags here and submit to search engines.

Now all you have to do is promote your domain name, perhaps you could consider line ads in contact magazines, Exchange & Mart etc.

One online source worth using is http://www.freeads.co.uk


.

[rainbowcraft]

Diversity is the way to attract browsers and convert them into bidders - the more categories you have (correctly placed) items in, the more you're going to be seen.

Gaz

As I said earlier in the thread, so I totally agree with you Gaz....

[gazlannathai]

Now all you have to do is promote your domain name, perhaps you could consider line ads in contact magazines, Exchange & Mart etc.

One online source worth using is http://www.freeads.co.uk


.

Why not just use the URL to your ebid store - it's quite short and it gets the eBid name into sight - especially with freeads

Hmmmm - the leetle grey cells are working on zis

[ojleap]

Hi Damian.

What you are saying is true, but you would be surprised as to the amount of repeat business we get, which is directly linked to our prices in my opinion (we are considerably cheaper than our other competitors).

What I don't agree with is your comments as whining and bitching, BECAUSE IT ISN'T JUST ME. This was a generalised comment as to the state of Ebid - come on mate, you can't tell me that there are more Success stories than unsuccessful ones, because, if there were - where are the people singing their praises???

We can't expand our product range at the moment, we have only been going since December, we've funded the company out of own pockets, and since December, our product range has more than doubled. So don't think that everyone is a big company and can suddenly expand their product range over night... Some of us are small traders trying to supplement our incomes out of hours.

Ok, at the moment, the product range is quite small, but, look at the category that we are in and tell me of anyone else doing good business, large product range or not.

So, wait a minute, let me ask you a question.... We sell a lot on Ebay, and we sell on our own website. If it is not Ebids fault that we are not getting any business AT ALL through here - WHOS FAULT IS IT? Its not our pricing strategy, its not our product range, and it is certainly not our customer service or delivery times... Urmmm, I'm stuck, how about you.

And Ebid have been trying to break the auction market in the UK for at least four years, yet, people like me have decreases in the amount of buyers as well as viewers.... Again, who's at fault? Me for not promoting Ebid. I don't think so.

I would suggest that, instead of having a slanging match with me and "whinging and bitching" back, that we look at how Ebid are promoting themselves to the masses. If they are doing loads of advertising and promoting and its not working, then I will stand corrected. But getting yourself up the search engines, Adwords and Froogle is not enough - I know from previous experience.

[ojleap]

Also, just for the record, we sell between 100 - 150 items a month at the moment, without any real advertising expenditure, and a small product range, so we can't be that niche.... Ok, we are never going to compete with the likes of Figleaves and the ilk, but we are not trying to.

We are not all a big company having to sell thousands a month to break even - the only reason I use Ebid is to try to supplement the sales we have, but in my experience, this is not happening, and my whole point to this rant is, WHY? And why do forum members continually say that we, the community, should push Ebid if we want to make it a success. Surely Ebid want it to be a success, so why is there a distinct lack of promotion visible from them.

Just a quite point to note, if Ebid were generating a lot of genuine traffic, they would get more substantial advertising instead of the banner ads they have currently for dating and earn extra incomes. Just an observation...

Final thought for the moment - we would all like to expand our product range - but some of us can't. Some us have a clearly defined market, and whilst we would like to increase our product range in that market, its not always possible due to monetary availability, staff, and even storage space. So, suggesting that we have different items is, certainly not for us anyway, a suggestion that we can take seriously.

[damian_steele]

What you are saying is true, but you would be surprised as to the amount of repeat business we get, which is directly linked to our prices in my opinion (we are considerably cheaper than our other competitors).

Having just had a browse through the category you list in, it looks to me like most people are selling items for much the same prices as each other. There's very little to distinguish your listings from the others.

What I don't agree with is your comments as whining and bitching, BECAUSE IT ISN'T JUST ME.

So what? It makes no matter how many people are constantly whining and bitching, it's still whining and bitching.

This was a generalised comment as to the state of Ebid - come on mate, you can't tell me that there are more Success stories than unsuccessful ones, because, if there were - where are the people singing their praises???

Oddly enough, there are quite a few sellers who make loads of sales here and have the high feedback to prove it. Many of them tend not to post in the forums - possibly because they don't have the time to.

OK, so that doesn't mean that everyone is doing well; some people are doing abysmally, but that isn't always anything to do with anyone other than the sellers and their appalingly bad auction listings. However, what ever the cause for their failure, we are far more likely to hear from those who are doing badly, particularly when they see other people have a whine.

We can't expand our product range at the moment, we have only been going since December, we've funded the company out of own pockets, and since December, our product range has more than doubled. So don't think that everyone is a big company and can suddenly expand their product range over night... Some of us are small traders trying to supplement our incomes out of hours.

Sounds to me like being far too impatient. ALL businesses take time to grow - yours has done well for you to get this far so quickly - but nothing happens over night.

You make the point about not having the money the expand and show your awareness about how difficult it is for a business started by mere individuals to grow, but you fail to accept that eBid is exactly the same.

None of us here have any idea how much it costs to run and maintain this site and the hardware that keeps it going. We DO know that it isn't that long ago that the site was upgraded with brand new servers - and that certainly wasn't cheap. Then there are staff wages to pay, domain costs, bandwidth costs and so on. Who can say with certainty that there is enough money left for a large advertising campaign?

For all we know the site owners may well be doing everything within their budget - or even saving up until they have enough to make a decent splash.

But instead of giving them a chance, the majority of people think it is OK to constantly bitch and whine about how the site they are using FOR FREE isn't as good as the one they have to PAY for!

If I were Gazza and Mark, and if it wouldn't be like cutting my own throat, I'd be VERY tempted to tell some people to get stuffed.

We sell a lot on Ebay, and we sell on our own website. If it is not Ebids fault that we are not getting any business AT ALL through here - WHOS FAULT IS IT?

Was Rome built in a day?

Its not our pricing strategy, its not our product range,

Imagine, if you will, a small group of shops right next to a primary school. Would you set up your adult business in those shops and then, when nobody thought it appropriate to buy from you in that location, then blame the shop, or the school, or the customers? Or would you perhaps realise that some things sell well in some locations and not others?

And Ebid have been trying to break the auction market in the UK for at least four years, yet, people like me have decreases in the amount of buyers as well as viewers.... Again, who's at fault? Me for not promoting Ebid. I don't think so.

Four years, big flamin' deal. Success does NOT happen over night.

BTW, in case you haven't noticed, there is a significant downturn in the economy. People are spending less now then they have been during the last few years. Is that eBid's fault too?

I would suggest that, instead of having a slanging match with me and "whinging and bitching" back, that we look at how Ebid are promoting themselves to the masses.

Have you actually communicated directly with either Gazza or Mark and even ASKED them what they are doing? Do you have any first hand information or proof of what is, or is not, being done? Or are you just jumping on the bandwagon and blaming eBid because you can't be bothered to muck in and support a site which consistantly gives thousands of people each week a FREE chance to sell their stuff?

Just how much to you want FOR FREE?

[ojleap]

It seems as if we are getting in to some mini fued here, which is not what was intended.

I agree that any company takes time to grow and expand. What I am saying is that the growth of Ebid, since its induction seems to have slowed, as the attention have been turned to alternative markets.

In our company, we have seen growth over the months we have been trading. Why? Because of more advertising, different types of advertising, increase in repeat customers and offering a larger product range. Thats against a downturn in economy as well.

OK - I can see your point that people who want to buy what we sell may not come here, but surely the point that needs addressing is what steps are taking place to make those items accessible to the masses instead of focusing their advertising on other items for sale? It could just be the category that we are in that is not doing well?

I, for one, will email G&M direct because I am interested in what is happening and to hear their thoughts on my comments. Obviously, I am paying fees for gallery listings, featured listings etc with no return. For me, this is money wasted and I will stop spending this money if I am not getting any return. But people like me are Ebids bread and butter, surely, they don't want to lose people like us?

I have certain views on the website itself - linked to the advertising that is promoted. I will voice these concerns personally to G&M.

I would have expected some serious growth in four years. No, Rome was not built in a day, but had made massive leaps in four years, rather than a spluttering waltz.

No, we don't know whats going on in the background, and also, yes, we have no money to expand our product range. But, after four years of trading, I would know whats making moeny and what ain't. Options - give up, try something different, sell up or be a success. I can't see Ebid having fitted into any of these options in the four years of trading.

Trust me, I am not wanting Ebid to fail, as I have been here some time and like Ebid, but I would like to know what is being done to target the downturn in buyers. Because, for us sellers, buyers are key. No buyers = no continued use of the website = lose of Ebid members.