5/25/09

Interviewing Buyers and Sellers, Part 3

In Parts 1 and 2 of Interviewing Buyers and Sellers, I spoke primarily to online sellers, asking thought provoking questions such as, On how many venues do you offer product? and What's your favorite venue?

Hopefully, this started you thinking about your own options! Soon we'll discuss things like SEO and social networking, but first let's look at the results of my last poll regarding favorite venues.

I must admit that I expected OnlineAuction.com to rank high, as I am already a member there and pray that I have a following of readers from that venue. I was not disappointed, as OLA took 3 votes! Seller's Arena followed with 2 votes, and the three venues which had single votes were Atomic Mall, eBay and "My Own Website". Thank you all for participating!

Surprisingly, there were no votes for Bonanzle! I sure hope that means that their sellers were too busy packaging product for shipping! One thing I have learned about Bonanzle, that I really like, (and commend them for), is that they have a button to tweet your items, (on Twitter), while you are listing them. BuyItSellIt offers this also, and I think we'll see more and more venues adding this feature, don't you?

As for me, I've already made arrangements to have a new mall store at Seller's Arena. As soon as their testing is complete, and stores are available, Fleapirates Plunder will be expanding. It's rather exciting, and I am looking forward to managing 2 venues!

For this week's poll, I'd like to address the buyers! Your answers to my poll will lead us into our next discussion about SEO strategies. I am curious as to how everyone searches for products. Let's say you want to purchase a gift, and you know exactly what you want. For the example we will use an iPhone... that's a popular buy. (Not in MY field, but it should work for this purpose!) Where do you look first?

Where do you search the internet for specific items?
  
pollcode.com free polls


Thanks again, my readers! I hope you all had a safe, relaxing and enjoyable Memorial Day!
Look for me on Twitter, under the username fleapirates!

Posted by Fleapirates at 4:35 PM 6 Great comments... please leave yours, too!
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5/23/09

OLA Quarter Ante Offerings for May 23 to May 30, 2009

OLA Quarter Ante Sale
May 23, 2009 to May 30, 2009

All auctions listed at starting bids of just one quarter!

The following is a list of participating sellers & the featured items for this week.
To see the details of each auction, just click on the title of the auction.
To browse our seller's stores, just click on the name of the seller.
Have fun & enjoy the bargains!

Posted by Fleapirates at 3:58 PM 2 Great comments... please leave yours, too!
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5/16/09

Interviewing Buyers and Sellers, Part 2

Last week I polled my readers, inquiring how many venues they use to sell their wares.

Thank you to all who participated! There were 8 replies and the results are as follows:
1 Venue : 3 sellers
2 Venues : 4 sellers
4 + Venues : 1 seller

I am in awe of the person who voted that they sell at 4+ sites...
this just seems too much to manage, for me anyway!

Per the poll results, it appears that adding a site may be a good investment of time and money. The next obvious question is which venue to add?


Your recommendations will help me, and others, evaluate the options that are available! Please choose the venue that you feel is your overall best performer... the one where you get the most sales, and where things like cost, SEO, community, and customer service combine to bring the greatest success. And yes, those of you who use only one site may certainly vote for yours!

Which venue is your favorite site to sell on?
My Own Website
Amazon
Atomic Mall
Bonanzle
eBay
eCrater
Online Auction
Overstock
Seller's Arena
Other
pollcode.com free polls


If I missed naming your site, please accept my apologies! I know of more, like Etsy and MyBISI, but size restraints restricted me from using more than ten spots. Please use Other as your choice, and be sure to let me know the name of your choice in the comments section!


I'd also like to know which feature was the most important to you when choosing your site. Was it cost? Customer Service? SEO? A great community? Or a combination of all? Something else? I believe those I mentioned are all equally important, and combined, they are the reason I am such a loyal OnlineAuction.com member.

There's a lot going on at Seller's Arena right now, with the addition of a new Mall. I am already a member there, and must admit that opening a store with them is an enticing idea. I already know they have great SEO, prompt customer service and a friendly, welcoming community. Hmmmm.....


Going back to eBay is not in my plans. If you still sell there, please post your thoughts in the comments section. After all the changes at eBay in the last 1-2 years, I still consider myself a boycotter. I made a purchase there recently, but only because it was being sold by a friend. And from time to time, I pop an item up for sale there, just to keep my account active. (Those items don't even get looked at anymore, and I left with great feedback and stars!) It just amazes me that anyone can make any profits there, after the listing/relisting fees, the Paypal fees and the final value fees. Then there's the worry that your buyer will try to cheat you out of your product, and your money, by being dishonest. Is it really worth it?

Bonanzle's membership appears to be growing at a fast pace. Can anyone comment on their features? One thing I've seen talked about frequently, at all the sites, is the submission of listings to search engines. I do a lot of researching, and am disappointed that I do not see Bonanzle listings coming up in my search results more often. Although they sure are talked about on Twitter!

The other sites in the poll I do not know much about, but I'd love to learn. I'm hoping that we all can develop an appreciation for ALL the sites, learn about their strengths and weaknesses, and show support and respect for sellers on EVERY site. Thanks for your continued participation!

Posted by Fleapirates at 7:52 PM 4 Great comments... please leave yours, too!
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5/9/09

Interviewing Online Buyers and Sellers, Part 1


Anyone who regularly reads my blog knows that I am an online seller. Right now I am happily peddling my treasures at OnlineAuction.com. In the past year, thanks to my membership there, I've learned html, SEO, social networking, and self promotion, in addition to meeting a whole bunch of super nice folks, many of whom I am proud to call new friends.

I am a buyer, too! Most sellers are buyers, I believe. It's about being comfortable online... and those who are, in my opinion, are more likely to use the internet as a tool for all of their needs.

Let's face it though... times are tough, for buyers and sellers. So, with that thought in mind, I would like to take an informal survey and find out what the rest of the online world is up to. Each week we'll explore a new topic and build upon it in the weeks following. I encourage you to participate, both by taking the poll and leaving a comment! And I thank you for the discussion that I am sure will follow.

First. let's start talking to the sellers. Let's preface the discussion by admitting that sales are down everywhere. From my experience, long gone are the days when I could post a product for sale on my venue of choice and sit back, waiting for the bids/sales to arrive. It's taking a lot of dedication just to stay active and motivated. Do you agree?

My first poll touches on a subject of great interest to me. I know of several people who maintain stores at multiple venues. They spend an enormous amount of time going between the sites, and those who I know are handling the pressure well. I haven't expanded yet, (OLA is my top priority), but it sure is tempting to consider adding a venue to what I am already doing! If you are a multiple site seller, do you think that choice has been a positive one for your business?

In regard to listing at multiple sites, (for those who do), if you had a single item, would you offer it at each location and remember to remove it from the other venues when it gets a bid or a sale at one place? Or do you believe that certain wares are better suited to specific sites and prefer to offer your items in categories which are based upon complimenting the strengths of each individual venue? For me, if I decide to take on another venue, I would prefer to have items unique to each location, just to avoid any confusion or potential disappointments for my buyers.

So tell me...
On how many sites do you offer product for sale?
One
Two
Three
Four
Five or more
  
pollcode.com free polls


Posted by Fleapirates at 5:55 PM 1 Great comments... please leave yours, too!
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5/2/09

OnlineAuction.com Quarter Ante Sale May 2, 2009 to May 9, 2009

OLA Quarter Ante Sale
May 2, 2009 to May 9, 2009

All auctions listed at starting bids of just one quarter!

The following is a list of participating sellers & the featured items for this week.
To see the details of each auction, just click on the title of the auction.
To browse our seller's stores, just click on the name of the seller.
Have fun & enjoy the bargains!
Posted by Fleapirates at 3:32 PM 1 Great comments... please leave yours, too!
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