posted on February 14, 2004 05:15:47 AM new
Has anyone used the banner ad/keyword that ebay is offering? I was wondering if it was worth trying since they are offering the first 50.00 free.
posted on February 14, 2004 05:47:58 AM new
My suggestion would be to try it. We tried it in Oct, Nov, & Dec and spent over $1000.. had some success but not enough to warrant dumping more money into it. We got a bit of brandname recognition in our categories & had better hits than some of the other banners we have run in the past but keep in mind, $50 isn't going to last long and you can easily be outbid by a competitor.
I think it all depends on what you sell.
posted on February 14, 2004 07:57:09 AM new
Thank you very much. I sell mostly new collectibles..dept 56,cherished teddies, precious moments etc. I will give it a couple of weeks and if I do not see any success I will cancel it. I don't really want to sink a lot of money in it unless it is going to give me great results.
posted on February 14, 2004 08:29:20 AM new
We have tried previous iterations of the banner ads over the years. Banners were overpriced then and they are now. Forcing you to bid against your competitors so you can get a measly 1/4 share of certain keywords is nothing more than cynical profiteering. eBay and its various ad affiliates have NEVER provided any evidence that banner ads for sellers can work. They just keep coming up with more elaborate schemes.
You see, there's a basic problem with bidder perception of banner ads. Everyone I talk to here agrees: banner ad == likely scam. No? Don't think so?
"If this ad is flashing, you've won!"
"Hit the monkey and win!"
Most bidders resent banner ads and the space they take up in their window. There are better ways to market your auctions.
Signed,
Mr. Melvin
--
Being denied live help is unacceptable.
[ edited by fluffythewondercat on Feb 14, 2004 08:30 AM ]
posted on February 14, 2004 08:50:40 AM new
Thank you...can anyone give me any ideas on a better way to market my auctions? I try to have good pics and all info about each piece in my description as well as resonable prices but still am not too happy with my sell through rate.
posted on February 14, 2004 09:03:07 AM new
I have never considered the banner ads, but thought I would add something to this if you are considering it.
I have Norton Internet Security which includes an ad blocker, so I don't even see the banner ads on eBay. I would venture to guess that there are many eBayers who have something similar to filter out annoying ads.
I never see the banner ads on Vendio that people mention from time to time.
It makes you wonder how many eBayers would actually see your banner ad.
__________________________________
"I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to the people who sleep under the very blanket of freedom I provide, and then question the manner in which I provide it. I'd rather you just said 'thank you' and went on your way." - A Few Good Men
posted on February 14, 2004 09:27:18 AM new
wgm: There is that to consider. You're right. Also, anyone with a little technical savvy can put up a banner blocker of their own. We were talking last night about doing it. It's just a matter of diddling with DNS locally:
In other words, any ad that lives on ebay.doubleclick.net or altfarm.mediaplex.com (for example) would never be displayed on our screens. No need to run any additional software.
posted on February 14, 2004 09:41:54 AM newcan anyone give me any ideas on a better way to market my auctions?
I can give you some ideas. I can't guarantee they'll work, but then, I'm not charging you anything, either.
1) More Auctions = More Eyeballs. Every auction listing is an ad for itself, but it's also an ad for all your other auctions.
2) Friends, Romans, Countrymen. If you're willing to allow local pickups, why not advertise in the most popular local newspaper? AuctionDrop, the big (and getting bigger) auction consignment seller, is happy to hand your item to you personally at whichever of their stores is the most convenient. Many people are choosing this option. They want to see what the widget looks like.
3) Keep 'Em Thinking About You. Enclose a survey card, postage-paid, in each shipment. Ask some market research questions. What you want to know might be different, but here's some of what I include:
Thank you for buying from FLUFFYTHEWONDERCAT. Would you take a moment to answer a few questions?
--I bought this item for:
--I would buy again if:
--I am interested in buying jewelry in bulk:
--I am a) female b) male
--I found this item on eBay using a) keyword search b) browsing category listings c) pointer from a friend d) other
--Please add any comments you might have.
Thank you!
What I like about this is that you can't lose. If they fill out the card and return it, you have valuable data. If they keep it (and hopefully don't chuck it out), they have your name handy.
posted on February 15, 2004 04:08:36 AM new
Thank you everyone for your help..I have decided to pass on the banner ads. Sounds like it could be a lot of money for nothing. Fluffy...Thank you very much for the great ideas. I really appreciate it.
posted on February 15, 2004 07:36:53 AM new
Well, you do get the $50 in "free money" to try it with.
But I was reading one of Alexander Hiam's books yesterday, and he said that banner ads are really only effective at promoting brand awareness. Banners don't do a good job of selling. That jives with what alwaysfun's experience.
Don't get me wrong: Creating a positive brand image is a very good thing in and of itself. But it can take many impressions to do that. That's why I think most banner ads are overpriced.
Best of luck in what ever course you pursue. Let us know how it turns out.
posted on February 15, 2004 12:02:26 PM new
Hi...just an insight into banner and click through advertisement...some time ago, Forrester Research (a respected internet activity research firm) said of all users on the internet...only 17% use a click ad, and of that....less than 1% purchase.
Regarding eBay, Google, etc... your competitor can spend only and hour to rack up "your" click through costs.
Let's say your competitor clicked on your banner 500 times... that's a large invoice to the banner holder...
Anyway food for thought.
thanks
