Suggestions please

[achickwithstuff]

Hello all!

Have a look at my stores, if you don't mind, and critique please. I know I've only got 90-ish items up right now, but I was hoping for a sale or two out of that....

Much more to upload, just very busy and picking away at it.

So, please comment on what you like, don;t like etc. Thanks!

[bykimbo]

Morning, took a look at your first book shop, books being my thing.

A few comments I hope will help:

Your categories and sub-categories are non-standard and seemed a little unusable to me. For example, where would you put an antiquarian first edition? I know some people do just look for old books or 1st eds, but I think generally they're more likely to be searched for by fiction/non-fiction and genre. With so few entries it wasn't a problem, I just looked at everything, but if you hope to increase the contents I'd suggest standard "shelves" might be more usable.

I picked a single book to look at:

Paperback. Book Condition: Like New. Price Clipped. HarperCollins,, Toronto, ON, 2008. Soft Cover/Good/Illustrated. Book Condition: Good/Used/No Marks. 1st Edition Paperback. This is a Good Copy--clean and solid. A fictional account of some boys from Alberta and their loves and their deaths and maiming in the bloody battles at Passchendale in World War I.

Win multiple items and we gladly combine shipping!
Thanks!

As you see, you can't tell from your write up what book it is - it's generally considered a good idea to repeat that information inside the listing (though I confess I don't always remember to do that myself!)

Your listing title only says "Passchendaele PB" which is a terrible waste of the most important screen space you get - stuff as much in there as you can. Google will use it for searches. You don't have the author's name anywhere on your listing at all at the moment.

Your illustration is nice and clear, and shows a decent used copy. Your write-up starts "as new" and then goes on to give the condition in slightly different form, and very different assessment, twice more! Some people won't get past the first bit, because they know it's the book they're looking for, and then will be disappointed when it's not "as new" at all.

All the standard stuff about your listing looks fine to me, start price plus buy now, reasonable run time etc. Just need to brush up the contents a bit - mostly with an eye to getting google to be your friend.

Hope you find that helpful.

[iselectronics]

Morning, took a look at your first book shop, books being my thing.

A few comments I hope will help:

Your categories and sub-categories are non-standard and seemed a little unusable to me. For example, where would you put an antiquarian first edition? I know some people do just look for old books or 1st eds, but I think generally they're more likely to be searched for by fiction/non-fiction and genre. With so few entries it wasn't a problem, I just looked at everything, but if you hope to increase the contents I'd suggest standard "shelves" might be more usable.

I picked a single book to look at:

Paperback. Book Condition: Like New. Price Clipped. HarperCollins,, Toronto, ON, 2008. Soft Cover/Good/Illustrated. Book Condition: Good/Used/No Marks. 1st Edition Paperback. This is a Good Copy--clean and solid. A fictional account of some boys from Alberta and their loves and their deaths and maiming in the bloody battles at Passchendale in World War I.

Win multiple items and we gladly combine shipping!
Thanks!

As you see, you can't tell from your write up what book it is - it's generally considered a good idea to repeat that information inside the listing (though I confess I don't always remember to do that myself!)

Your listing title only says "Passchendaele PB" which is a terrible waste of the most important screen space you get - stuff as much in there as you can. Google will use it for searches. You don't have the author's name anywhere on your listing at all at the moment.

Your illustration is nice and clear, and shows a decent used copy. Your write-up starts "as new" and then goes on to give the condition in slightly different form, and very different assessment, twice more! Some people won't get past the first bit, because they know it's the book they're looking for, and then will be disappointed when it's not "as new" at all.

All the standard stuff about your listing looks fine to me, start price plus buy now, reasonable run time etc. Just need to brush up the contents a bit - mostly with an eye to getting google to be your friend.

Hope you find that helpful.

Hi OP,

I have only looked at one of your shops, the one selling silver goods. You have good clear pictures which go a long way and your tittle is good, but as the last poster points out the descriptions are very limited. I would tend to give far more details, make the buyer feel this is a must have item. Put your self in the buyers shoes when you look at one of your descriptions, would you be willing to part with your money. " This is a lovely piece, made from sold sterling silver, crafted and set with a onyx stone............. Ideal for the special person in your life"

[achickwithstuff]

Thanks for the help all! I'll work on that and see what results change if any.

Thanks again!

[sweetwheatz]

On the books, try actual shipping costs. I see that the little golden books are the same shipping cost as some of the bigger ones.
You may already do it, but combined shipping is also good.

Don't give up. It takes a little while for people to find you.

[achickwithstuff]

Pretty hard to put actual shipping costs when I don't know where they will be going isn't it?

These are estimates based on shipping from my location to NFLD Canada and Florida, USA.

The little golden books are much the same size as the larger items but only a bit lighter. Should be pretty close and is much less than what is being charged on some of the other bookseller sites.

I appreciate the input and I'll keep an eye on it and see how it turns out once I actually start selling some items.
Thanks!

[achickwithstuff]

Anyone else? I know I only have 130 items up, but I have to admit I don't have a lot of desire to spend the time and energy listing the other 20 boxes of books if I can't make even one sale in the time I've been here. Maybe people don't want what I have, but some items have 25+ views and not even a question... Am I missing something? Help!

[lordan37]

I know it's hard to keep motivated with no sales! I don't really see anything wrong with the listings themselves; just a matter of waiting for the right person(s) to come along and have to have what you are offering. Sorry, I'm not much help!