Some Thoughts About Ebay and Sales

A calorie-free watercolor cupcake

As I understand it, Ebay wants to be like Costco (this week). Seems they've put aside wanting to be like Amazon, Overstock, maybe a huge retailer like Walmart and now maybe a huge liquidator. So far, everything they've tried seems to be failing. I have never before seen a huge and rich company such as Ebay without a solid business plan! Why their board of directors is even allowing this company into the hands of a management team who are definitely out of their league is beyond me.

In their attempt to change Ebay into "something else" they failed to recognize the one thing that MUST remain constant.....SALES! Its the one reason for their existence no matter what they want to be when they grow up! I know there are some sellers who brag they are doing "great" on Ebay....never better. Yet for every person who brags 20 others are so disillusioned with the lack of traffic and sales that they are desperate to find other venues that work. The trouble with other venues, that I can see, is that they work on the "if you build it they will come" premise...and that does NOT work! They need to advertise and let buyers know they are there. I see no ads for other venues other than perhaps Overstock which does run TV ads from time to time but never even mentions it has auctions.

Ebay has taken to enforcing new policies that don't weed out the bad buyers and sellers, they don't help the flow of sales nor do they welcome buyers to the site. To the contrary, the site is confusing and cluttered with ads that take prospective buyers off its site! One wonders how a company can go forward while actually stifling sales by manipulating search and by enforcing a ridiculous one-sided feedback policy. I am hoping that one day it will all become clear - but my adult logic and common sense tells me things will simply continue to worsen until hopefully - a new management team in finally installed - also hopefully, a team experienced in online sales. Until then, I look sadly at a once great new and respected company - a company who actually helped small sellers and the small sellers who actually built this company to what it is today. I wonder how much longer Ebay will be around and I'm thinking sadly...not too much longer :-(

My painting for today is a watercolor cupcake - fat free, calorie free but looking delicious!

Let's Bonanzle! More on Bonanzle - Its a New Star in the Sky!!

2 1/4 X 1 1/2"
Cardinal in the Garden

Okay - still nosing around Bonanzle to see what there is to see. I'm racking up other seller's by tagging and favoring their booths. This gets a little back and forth action going. I'm a firm believer that it is the sellers buying from each other who sustain a new site until new traffic starts coming in. That is what is happening on Bonanzle right now. They are growing with amazing speed...oh yes...still very small potatoes when measured against Ebay BUT they are becoming the new haven for small sellers. Those very sellers who MADE Ebay what it is.

Back to tagging. In my previous article I forgot to mention that the TAG line is right after the description in each listing. Also, I discovered that if you forgot to log in you won't see the TAG line or the Favorite on anything. So sign up and login before you do anything else. Since booths are free there is absolutely no excuse...except laziness...to get you off your duff and opening a booth. They even go so far as to give you a booth logo if you can't make one for yourself. They also now automatically upload all of your listings to Google Base on a regular schedule. You only need to follow the simple instructions to start it rolling.

Now, another really neat feature on Bonanzle is that each booth owner has direct contact with whoever goes into his booth. Its called Real Time Chat and there is a rather large slot near the top of the booth where buyer and seller can converse in real time....or leave a message. Its all so handy and so unique! These are some of the things that make Bonanzle stand out.

Another is their customer service. Kind of reminds me of Ebay in the old days when you could actually write them and get an answer back from a bonafide human being! I recently had a hard time finding out how I could contact another seller thru his ID. Looked all over and couldn't find it. So, I wrote customer service. Had an answer back in a couple of hours AND they thanked me for bringing it to their attention and will soon make finding ID's easier! Nothing like the interest a small company has and you just can't beat their drive and ambition. I hope they keep at least some of it as they grow because they really are growing.

So....get there...take a look and join in!!

My booth again - ahem - the ad here:

Misspatricia's Booth

My painting for today is a tiny miniature. 2 1/4 X 1 1/2"

Feeling My Way Around Bonanzle And Feeling Good!

"Cherry Cake"
2 1/2 X 3 1/2" original acrylic painting

I have a very good feeling about Bonanzle. Its taken me awhile to tear myself away from Ebay and really move on to new things. Sitting there in Ebay was kind of like lingering over the body long after the person died and hoping they're really not dead. Morbid, but I don't feel I'm alone in this. Many small sellers are sitting and hoping that their Ebay will return from the dead.

Actually, I set up my free Bonanzle shop months ago, stocked it and it mostly just sat there.

Misspatricia's Booth

Finally I'm getting around to getting serious about this site and so I learned to tag and favor other booths and I've invited several of my past customers to check out my new Bonanzle shop.

Now, tagging means going to various shops and if you see something you really like you can "tag" it as to its beauty, coolness, price, etc. I discovered that many people don't know what tagging is or how to do it. You'll find "Tag" and a line of subjects you can choose such as "bizarre" "beautiful" "cool" etc. Just click on one or more of those and you've tagged that item. I understand that tagging an item brings it up higher in search.

Also you can Favorite a booth. To "fav" a booth just look on the right side of the person's booth and you'll see "Favorite" just click on it. You'll get updated on the booths you favorited. Every time they list or have a "Bonanza" you will see it listed.

I'll be adding more as I learn. All you small sellers, who haven't opened a shop on Bonanzle, get there and open your shop. The shop is free, listing is free and you pay only a small fee on what you sell. I think Bonanzle will be a serious contender for small seller's business. Please go and take a look and I think you'll agree.

My painting for today is an ACEO called "Cherry Cake".

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Those Bonanzle Bells!!!

"The Snowball Fight"

Sellers, both large and small have been complaining loudly over all the changes at Ebay...changes I feel will be softened considerably as Ebay nosedives in the next quarter. The Christmas rush will then be over and people across the country will all begin to feel the effects of our serious recession. Ebay will stand out for the greedy business it has become. BUT now there is a new bright star appearing on the horizon. A place where the seasoned sellers of Ebay can come and pick up a free shop and list freely to their heart's content. With no listing or shop fees they can afford to give bargain prices and even are free to negotiate prices with their potential buyers. Its about the closest thing to having your very own website. Sellers...come...take advantage of this bright new star. The site is vibrant and alive with sellers. Write your past customers and tell them where you'll be and they'll eventually come. This is a hot place to be.

Me? I have a shop there - and no other affiliation. I just feel this is going to be the up and coming site next year. The place where we can buy and sell with no stress....the FUN place Ebay used to be! Come see...

check out my shop and then sign up and open one of your own!

http://www.bonanzle.com/booths/misspatricia

A fun miniature painting for today - "The Snowball Fight" Painting is just 1 X 1 inch.

SELL on Bonanzle...BUY on Bonanzle - Let's Build it!

"Cookies for My Santa"

Those oldtime Ebay small sellers know exactly what that title means. We did it before and we can do it again!

Bonanzle offers a free shop, free listings unlimited...and only a small final value fee when you sell something. You can't be fairer than that! Drop the Ebay habit! Ebay has done nothing but kick sellers in the gut since January of this year. Its time to leave a hapless site and enter a new and vibrant site that has NO draconian policies. Where you and your customer are free to negotiate on price without interference from the site. Scope it out...you'll be pleased.

The main message I want to give today is SELL on Bonanzle...BUY on Bonanzle and invite ALL your past customers to join you.

The gate is wide open and you only need to stroll thru. Give your buyers incentives...check out Bonanzle's Bonanza days when you can run your own sales. Let's get moving and get this ball rolling good...like in the old days of Ebay!

My Bonanzle shop:

http://www.bonanzle.com/booths/misspatricia

Check it out and then sign up and give Bonanzle a spin!

My painting for today is in the holiday spirit. "Cookies for My Santa"