posted on February 3, 2001 12:09:56 PM new
Hello everyone. Just wanted to get some of your feedback on the following topic. We have a sports collectibles business for 12 years now and been selling on Ebay for quite a while. Lately the store is dead but the Ebay sales are taking off (but with a lot less profit). We could actually close the store as only about three people a week walk in!! So how are your store/internet sales working for you. Thank you for your time.
posted on February 3, 2001 01:56:59 PM new
I find the best thing with E-bay auctions is to make sure your store name is on the auction somewhere, have a link to your website, and do "A view about me" page about your business and what kind of merchandise you specialize in. E-bay's the best thing going for advertising your business and yes you can make some money. I have regular customers all over the world now, and some have stopped by my shop, thanks to E-bay. It's great that someone from Sweeden or 2 blocks away can discover my business and purchase merchandise. It has definitely helped build store sales and I've met some really nice folks. I see E-bay as a very usefull tool to grow a business.
posted on February 3, 2001 07:14:02 PM new
bluroks,
I think I understand what you're saying. Sales on eBay are great! I also have a freemerchant account (online shop), but to attract customers with limited means is really difficult on the pocket book. The cost of advertising is astronomical for a smallfry like me. But my online store, people are catching on slowly.
I think AW may be up to something and with enough voices heard, perhaps we can suggest a merchant mall? It would be nice to have the auctions help bring customers to our merchant mall with the exposure. Have featured items as auction items, as well as buy it now in our stock (kind of a store feature). I dunno ... pipedream? But the added feature of storefronts will really help. BTW it looks pretty sharp, but needs a little work.
Also your business that you have 3 customers walking in a week, I'm not sure if that's worth it.
avmom (not avmom on eBay)
edited because I can't type!
[ edited by avmom on Feb 3, 2001 07:17 PM ]
posted on February 3, 2001 08:34:33 PM new
I work for Cybergalleries (web development) and have been dealing with online stores for almost four years, and with auctions for the last year. Cybergalleries has just completed a Mall type of site that is the easiest one I've ever seen. (And I'm the one who had to go test all the others.)
Shops in the Mall are scheduled to be put up at auction at low starting bids to get the first ten shops up, at which time Cybergalleries will do their regular promotion (and raise the price). If you contact helpdesk@cybergalleries they will offer the same deal as they would at auction.
These stores are (as far as we know) the first ones that are specifically for online auctioneers. Once you have entered your items for sale you can turn any item into an auction ad with a couple of clicks, the goal being for auctioneers to be able to run an online store and auctions without having to spend more time than they do just doing auctions.
The site is at CollectorsCarnival.com (There will be another one at cyber-shops.net for those who do not fit the Collector's theme.)
The Mall offers a free 15 day trial which means you can test everything and see how it works. If you decide against it you do nothing. If you love it you have Cybergalleries activate the store.
All stores automatically take credit cards via PayPal so there are no merchant card fees. (Another similar mall will open soon for those with their own merchant accounts.
Oh...one more thing: You get a web address at the mall so that you can send people directly to your own store or you can use it with your own domain.
posted on February 3, 2001 09:54:30 PM new
I've had slow to no sales in bricks and morter mid-range antiques in an "antique capitol" kind of town for the past year and a half. Started eBay last Spring because other dealers talked like they were making shameful amounts of money running auctions. Can't say I've been impressed with it. I use auctions now mainly as a link to my shop on Ruby Lane. Nothing better on the web, in my opinion, for antiques and collectibles. Like a real world store, customers come to you and you get the price you want, not what a snipe bidder puts in place at the last second. Fees are cheap compared to those you pay eBay if you want to place a reserve and then, of course, get no bids. Lovely site, superb navigation, search engine - the works. If AuctionWatch added this sort of inventory availability to the store fronts it would make a lot more sense to me, and be of more use. bluroks, I think a business that seeks to integrate both electronic and over-the-counter sales will, in the long run, be the one that survives.
