posted on November 29, 2001 04:49:14 PM new
G'day everyone.
I've been selling for several months here in Australia and have had reasonable sucess. I have been using html descriptions for the past 3 months or so and using a free online hosting service for my pics.
It occured to me today that when browsing through my category, my listings don't have the little picture icon next to them. This would be because I don't use ebays free picture option because i think it spoils the look of my ads.
My question is do you think I am loosing any customers beacause they may think I have no pictures in my ad because the icon is not there beside my Auction title?
posted on November 29, 2001 05:00:29 PM new
I'm not certain if this causes it but you can try it.
There are free 2 ways to code the pics onto your page. One is to use your own html in the description, the other is to use eBay's pre-coded slot on the listing page where you just enter the URL. There is no charge for using the pre-coded slot.
It is probably the case that unless the pre-coded slot is used, there is no way for the icon to be prompted to be shown.
posted on November 29, 2001 05:06:31 PM new
I like the little pictures beside the auction listing, it enables me to decide real quick whether I want to see more info or not. This can be a double edged sword.
I can decide on the basis of that teeny tiny image to click on to something else and miss the -other- larger and more detailed picture which would have sold me.
I do not use ipic because of its frequent outages, its size limitations in a layout and its cost to display a larger image.
I have a website exclusively for storing all the photos I use on ebay and elsewhere, and the service I pay for is incredibly fast, reliable and allows me all the usage I could ever need.
If you are selling to an American audience, I would think of having your images stored closer to ebay since sometimes it takes longer for international pictures to show up.
I consider the cost of detailed and reliable images a modest expense that is amply justified by increased bids and overall sales. When ipic is down, your auction is basically ineffective. The TAG newsletter reports on the ipic outages and they are many, though usually of less than an hour's duration.
My service is rarely ever unavailable or overstressed. My auctions are working 24/7.
posted on November 29, 2001 05:35:50 PM new
REAMOND - Thanks, I'll try your suggestion next time i list.
litlux - I was refering to the camera icon that indicates a photo is in the ad.
I don't wan't to pay more than neccessary some of my items are only worth a couple of dollars.
I don't use ipic either and I've only had one outage in 3 months with the web space service I use (and that was only for a couple of hours) even though it is free. I have no restrictions in size of my photos but i am limited to 10mb of space. Ample for my needs though!
I aim most of my sales at Australians but do sell internationally.
posted on November 29, 2001 08:01:37 PM new
Ozziegirl - the camera icon is free, it simply indicates that there's an image for the auction. You may be thinking of the Gallery feature which costs 25 cents - that's what puts the little mini-image on the side of the auctions when you're looking through the ebay listings. Gallery auctions are also identified by the little picture frame icon next to the auction title.
If the stuff you're selling isn't worth much, then don't bother with the gallery listings. The only time I use the gallery feature is when the gallery image might make the sale. For instance, if it's a particularly striking piece but the auction title doesn't do it justice, then the gallery is probably worth it. If buyers will find your auctions through keyword searches or scrolling through the indexes, then don't bother.
posted on November 30, 2001 01:46:22 AM new
Perhaps I wasn't clear on what i was asking. I do not use Ebay's photo service and instead use photos that are hosted on the web at a free webspace host. Since I don't use Ebay's photo service then the camera icon does not appear beside my listings. What I was asking was -
Do you think that by not having the icon next to my listings i may be loosing cutomers who might think I don't have a photo in my ad? I havn't been using even the free photo option because I feel it spoils the look of my ads.
posted on November 30, 2001 02:07:27 AM new
Hi Ozziegirl -- Your post made sense to me. Its a full moon, so you'll have to excuse the posters. AuctionWatch and many other services, place a "cleardot.gif" URL in the section where eBay expects you to add an image. Since all my images are displayed within the description, all my auctions have a cleardot.gif which lets the buyer know that I have pictures in the description.
If there were two identical items with one having a picture icon next to it and the other not, I would click on the one with the picture icon first. Since the selection on eBay is huge sometimes, one needs a way to filter out auctions, even in small ways.
posted on November 30, 2001 02:56:26 AM new
I found this on a discussion board a few months ago. I've never used it, so I don't know if it works. Hope it's what you are looking for.
http://pics.ebay.com/aw/pics/dot_clear.gif
It's eBay's "clear dot"; no image will show up, but it'll trigger the pic icon.
posted on November 30, 2001 03:26:24 AM new
Thank you lucky3bonnie!
It is indeed what I was looking for! My problem has been solved.
Thanks everyone for their help, and I hope others have benefited too from this discussion.
I know I've learnt a fair bit from lurking around in this forum and I'm certainly glad I stuck my neck out and asked my question!
Cheers everyone,
