An Opportunity.....

[leapingcat]

Ebay have announced that from October all media sellers, which effectively means books, must offer 'free' p&p as their first choice. Of course there is no such thing as free p&p, it will be added on to the price and they will get an even bigger cut on their already rip-off fees, both for listing and FVFs. Booksellers will be leaving in droves, and even if they stay there they will be listing less.
This leaves the door wide open for Ebid, so how do we exploit this opportunity as we can offer a better deal for both buyers and sellers (eg 10p fees against £1.00 for a £5 book; the saving can be shared with buyers) At present there are only 124,000 books listed, which is low by the standards of any purely bookselling site, so the challenge is to come up with ideas that would make Ebid the number one choice for books. I'm not too well up on social networking sites, are they the best means of promotion?

[leadhillsonline]

I've never used a social networking site, they don't appeal to me at all. How much the new rules will cause sellers to leave I don't know, most of the books I look at over there are well over priced anyway.
Getting buyers to switch to eBid will only happen when more items are listed. As you say the book total is low, it is not often I find any of the ones I want.

[hush77hush]

how about an add campain base in Libraries stating the fact that feebay sellers ether over charge to cover fees or soon will be????

[klj]

Invite any sellers you buy from to join us here, and let your buyers know to look here. Use any sites you enjoy (that allow it) to promote eBid. List more books! ;)
If we each continue to do those things, we will see more buyers and sellers on eBid.
Keep in mind that with books, we are competing with many selling sites, not just feebay, so letting buyers and sellers elsewhere know helps too.

[leadhillsonline]

Invite any sellers you buy from to join us here, and let your buyers know to look here. Use any sites you enjoy (that allow it) to promote eBid. List more books! ;)
If we each continue to do those things, we will see more buyers and sellers on eBid.
Keep in mind that with books, we are competing with many selling sites, not just feebay, so letting buyers and sellers elsewhere know helps too.

I do that all the time but have only had one buyer come across (that I know of) although another one was going to check it out.

[gyronny]

I did an email shot a few weeks back, and have posted on greedbay forums about ebid and I have had some replies from interested and disgruntled greedbay sellers. Some should make their way over here I hope.
The mood over there is bad, but that's been the case every time one of the monkies makes an alteration to the evil empire's policies, it usually dissipates into occasional moaning. I don't think that many booksellers/buyers make the jump across here.
Fingers crossed this is the final straw for them! I think greedbay are trying to rid themselves of small sellers.

[wolfsheadbooks]

I've only been using *bay for books under 99p [and £2.75 maximum P&P], which of course will no longer be worth it come September.

I'd like to be able to dump *bay altogether [as opposed to being forced off !] but the problem is that stuff sells there - so far this year sales beat sales on eBid by about 75 - 1 !

Here's what each of my *bay customers get...

1. On the back of the sales note I thank them for their custom, but add that all my really good books are in my EBid store, here's the adress, and by the way, you can buy from me using your existing PayPal account.

If there ever is an exodus of customers from *bay, they're all going to have PayPal accounts, so much as I'd like to dump that too, it'd be a stupid move. Sometimes you have to compromise.

2. I print my own bookmarks on card and enclose one with each sale. It has my ebid store adress on it.

3. When the book is posted, I email them to tell them its on its way. I then add " but all my really good books..." as per [1] above, but with the addition of a link direct to my store.

For all that, no *bay customer has yet crossed the lines and bought from me on eBid.

Thing is, the *bid changes hit sellers. What it really needs is for them to do something to alienate those who are purely buyers. Judging by their past efforts, they're quite likely manage that eventually, but untill then...

[wolfsheadbooks]

Oh... and I forgot - I post a link to my eBid shop in each of my *bay listings !

How do I manage that ? Well, I naturally have a page on my personal website with a link to the eBid store.

The link on the *bay listing invites viewers to check out my other stock and sends them to that page. Another click and they're on eBid, [which of course isn't mentioned by name in the link].

No way of telling how many people may have followed the links, but again, no sales from it as yet. All you can do is keep trying.

[mrobertsandbooks]

I have 2974 items on greedbay and I am seriously looking at ebid now.If I keep with greedbay I will have to add the postage on the price of the item.That to me is not the way to sell honestly.As soon as I can afford I will register as a seller.Greedbay have become as bad as my local council who want business rates of such large amounts it is unbearable and impossible-greedbay have become the same.All I want is to make aliving but all I seem to be doing is not making enough to pay everyone else's fees,rates etc.

[bykimbo]

The more booksellers, the better! I'd love to see ebid become the first place people look for a hard-to-find book. If you're thinking of joining us, maybe have a read of my FAQ selling section (in my sig) for a few ideas.

[klj]

I think eBid is ideally suited for booksellers, primarily due to the shops. If you find a bookseller you like, it is so easy to get into their shop and use their subcategories to find your favourites. Especially those sellers using signed, first editions, or other 'special' features to group their books. Excellent for collectors.
I would also like to see more of the new books sellers though, as I always have a reading list of new books I'm looking for!

[wolfsheadbooks]

The more booksellers, the better! I'd love to see ebid become the first place people look for a hard-to-find book.

Actually, you might be on to something there.

Remember a small provincial town on the Welsh border, called Hay-on-Wye ?

It was dying a slow death until someone had the brainwave of making it what was effectively the World's biggest bookshop. Now the crowds flock in, there's literature festivals, the whole lot. And visitors, although primarily there for the books, also buy other stuff.

Think of ebid as Hay-on-Wye. Maybe if a decision was made [at the highest level, I mean] to advertise the books aspect, with a view of targeting book BUYERS everywhere [book sellers will find there way here anyway - as I did - because we NEED to find new markets. Most buyers wont bother to search around beyond *bay, without a push].

So turn eBid into the books capital of the internet and make every effort to drag in book buyers, who are also people who will buy other stuff that they might otherwise have got on other sites.

Just an idea.

[Pink_Panther]

All I want is to make aliving but all I seem to be doing is not making enough to pay everyone else's fees,rates etc.


Don't you just hate that feeling that yer walking around and theres lots of greedy B******S got their grubby hands in yer pockets - swarming round like fat blowflies! :mad:

I love a good whinge me :D

[wolfsheadbooks]

I love a good whinge me :D

Understandable, coming from Hartlepool.

PS: Any good books about monkeys ? :)

[Pink_Panther]

I am staying with Eb:mad:y as long as I can so that I can capture customer email addys from paypal notifications. I then send em the following email:


BOOK-ZONE- ONLINE

IS MOVING TO EBID!
Dear, customer,
Due to recent policy changes at ebay (compulsary free post option) I feel that I will no longer be able to offer the same level of service to my customers as I have in the past.
It is for this reason I have begun to move my stock over to ebid. It is a move many sellers of media products are making.
Please feel free to look in on my new store on ebid. You will be very welcome & you will find even better bargains as I don't have anywhere near the same overheads as I do with ebay.

You may also want to have a look at the Ebid site itself!
As a seller plus account holder I can (& do) have five online stores for FREE! & my seller fees are nil! for life!
You can check it all out by clicking the link below.
　
　
Best Regards Don
　******************************************* ****
I put the link in manually at the moment.:(

I'll still carry on sending emails after sept 1st as I sell other stuff there - I need the bookbuyers - and I do have repeat buyers! (DRAG EM OVER IF I HAVE TO!):D:D:D

[Pink_Panther]

Understandable, coming from Hartlepool.

PS: Any good books about monkeys ? :)


Tut tut! Shouldn't make assumptions! I aint from Hartlepool!

An I dont whinge about 'Nothing' Gotta have a reason to get on me high horse and start blazing away wiv me sixgun! :D:D:D
Oh an the Monkey thing! - Theres a cheeky one on this thread lol :D

[deltadelta48]

I do that all the time but have only had one buyer come across (that I know of) although another one was going to check it out.


Only one!! That is great. If each new seller brought "only one" we would have thousands of new buyers. Not bad at all. Keep asking them, and offer them a discount or a sale if they come over.:)

[deltadelta48]

I am staying with Eb:mad:y as long as I can so that I can capture customer email addys from paypal notifications. I then send em the following email:


BOOK-ZONE- ONLINE
IS MOVING TO EBID!
Dear, customer,
Due to recent policy changes at ebay (compulsary free post option) I feel that I will no longer be able to offer the same level of service to my customers as I have in the past.
It is for this reason I have begun to move my stock over to ebid. It is a move many sellers of media products are making.
Please feel free to look in on my new store on ebid. You will be very welcome & you will find even better bargains as I don't have anywhere near the same overheads as I do with ebay.

You may also want to have a look at the Ebid site itself!
As a seller plus account holder I can (& do) have five online stores for FREE! & my seller fees are nil! for life!
You can check it all out by clicking the link below.
　
　
Best Regards Don
　******************************************* ****
I put the link in manually at the moment.:(

I'll still carry on sending emails after sept 1st as I sell other stuff there - I need the bookbuyers - and I do have repeat buyers! (DRAG EM OVER IF I HAVE TO!):D:D:D



Excellent!! Very sharp and to the point. Make sure to put ebid.net on everything, I accidently told people to go to ebid.com, which does not exist, so be specific about that part.

I love my repeat buyers too. I give free shipping on second items so get many people buying two or more. Every month I run a sale that discounts 2nd items 25% and 3rd, 4th etc 30% and give shipping discount so get lots of people buying more items.

Welcome to ebid you will like it here. If you have any questions, just ask and we would be glad to help.

[deltadelta48]

Actually, you might be on to something there.

Remember a small provincial town on the Welsh border, called Hay-on-Wye ?

It was dying a slow death until someone had the brainwave of making it what was effectively the World's biggest bookshop. Now the crowds flock in, there's literature festivals, the whole lot. And visitors, although primarily there for the books, also buy other stuff.

Think of ebid as Hay-on-Wye. Maybe if a decision was made [at the highest level, I mean] to advertise the books aspect, with a view of targeting book BUYERS everywhere [book sellers will find there way here anyway - as I did - because we NEED to find new markets. Most buyers wont bother to search around beyond *bay, without a push].

So turn eBid into the books capital of the internet and make every effort to drag in book buyers, who are also people who will buy other stuff that they might otherwise have got on other sites.

Just an idea.

Love that idea. I always grab the vintage cookbooks and advertising cookbooks when buying my vintage linens. Have tons of them that I have not put on yet, but will shortly. Amazon does offer books, but it is soooo impersonal and does not encourage sellers to add details or better descriptions so it is not as fun to shop there. I think if we gave better customer service, provided a huge variety of books and make it fun to shop your idea would be a go.

Find a need and fill it.

[Pink_Panther]

Excellent!! Very sharp and to the point. Make sure to put ebid.net on everything, I accidently told people to go to ebid.com, which does not exist, so be specific about that part.

I love my repeat buyers too. I give free shipping on second items so get many people buying two or more. Every month I run a sale that discounts 2nd items 25% and 3rd, 4th etc 30% and give shipping discount so get lots of people buying more items.

Welcome to ebid you will like it here. If you have any questions, just ask and we would be glad to help.


Your help n advice would be appreciated!
As you probably know I havn't been on this site very long.

(Steep learning curve - Don't know wether to tell the forum or Huston that I have a problem)

Thing is; I just googled my store name and got hits right on the top of page 1 :eek:

I know - exact match will do that. but even with an inexact match I got onto page three! :D (just like topless models in one of our papers, call em page 3 girls)

There is on the forum a thread where you can promote yerself? So with the right keywords and content I could make it interesting enough for Googlers to click my URL? YES? :confused:

[adman55]

New here but I hope to have on this site with in a month 5,000 magazines, ads, articles etc. I bought a airline collection of 9,000 for $150.00 was putting 75 aday for months they were selling sold over 7,500 in a few months+. Still have 1,500 will put on here and thousands of pamplets on everything 200 on scotland castles will those sell here. Thanks Leo