The 4 Reasons Your Item Isn't Attracting Attention

You guys might remember one of my first posts was about a pre-owned infant winter vest I was hoping to sell.  That item did not sell, and before relisting it I came to you to ask for advice about what might possibly be the problem.  On that occasion it was fairly apparent to me why the item wasn't selling.  After all, eBay is extremely seasonal and at the end of winter people are just not looking to invest in warm clothes - especially for kids.

I'd like to run the same exercise with another item, except this time I have NO IDEA why this item is not attracting the attention I think it deserves.  As a reminder, there are four general reasons why certain items don't sell.

1) The item is undesirable (i.e.people aren't looking for this item)
2) Your item seems undesirable (i.e. people are in the market for your type of item, but something about your item makes it seem unappealing)
3) People can't find your item (i.e., there are people in the market for your item but something about the way you've listed it prevents them from finding it)
4) You got greedy (i.e. price + shipping is too high)

So here's the situation.  I'm selling the Ferragamo loafers you see pictured right.  I've got the item listed as a Buy It Now with Best Offer for $69.99.  I'm offering free shipping.

Title: Salvatore Ferragamo Spring Flats Driving Shoes sz 6
Impressions (i.e., number of times the item has appeared in search results): 500 - 750
Page Views: 21
Watchers: 1

To see the full listing, click here.

Here's my analysis of the situation.  First, the number of impressions seems low.  My really popular items have had THOUSANDS of impressions, this one has one 750 at most.  Second, the click through rate is ALSO low.  That means that the few people who are looking for a similar item aren't click on MY item when it comes up in search results.  Third, my watchers to viewers is again low.  The maxi dress I shared with you has 110 views and 9 watchers - i.e., 8% of people who click through to the item end up watching it.  That figure is 4% for this particular item

Now I know this item is desirable.  It's the right color, they're in great shape and they're Ferragamos for God's sake!  Could the price be too high?  But no, because that wouldn't be causing the low impressions problem.... and it's got Best Offer.  Could the picture be unappealing?  Could it be women are looking for sandals right now and don't want to bother with loafers?  Did I write the title differently from the way people are searching for this?

From a consumers perspective, what do YOU guys think might be wrong??

Loving the "Dollar Store" Strategy

Blogging from my Blackberry tonight because my toddler is hogging my computer. He likes to watch Special Agent Oso on there before falling asleep, and I like having fifteen minutes to myself after work, so I guess it works out!

I am one hundred percent convinced that the 99 cent strategy is driving my recent sales streak. I put Buy It Now on an item last night and it sold this morning, and the three other listings I've got going on all have watchers and bidders. I was telling a coworker you really have to hang on to you b*lls to list an item that way, but at the same time if you do things properly - end the listing at the right time, use a decent title and picture and in general avoid sounding shady in the item description - auction items always go for their market value. The important thing to do before listing an item though is to do your research. Make sure there is a market for your item that is big enough for you to recoup your shipping costs and fees.

Speaking of not doing your research, you know that item I sold today for the BIN price? After I sold it so quickly, I kind of started wondering whether I'd set the price properly. Looking into it, I discovered that the item was a limited edition garment that is no longer available, and I sold it for about a tenth of the original retail price. Granted, it's not in immaculate shape and I told buyers as much. I actually think I sold it for a fair price considering the shape it's in. However, the little moneygrubber inside me couldn't help but feel like I screwed up.

I finally reconciled my sensible self with my moneygrubbing self by reminding both of mes of the following: the secret to ebay success is not to get greedy. People go to eBay to find great deals, and my competitive advantage until now has been that my inventory has already outlived its useful life to me and my family, so no matter what I get for my items my margin is close to 100 percent. That means I can undercut the competiton on price, especially sellers who get GREEDY.

Anyhow, it looks like Oso is about to end so I'm going to have to talk to you later. There's one more topic I want to discuss tonight, if we get the chance. Speak soon!

My First Lot and Other Mistakes

So, where were we before the poopy incident?

Ah yes. I was telling you about my first few learnings on eBay.

My next attempt at selling something on eBay was a LOT more succesful (no pun intended), but probably one of the biggest mistakes I've made in my short eBaying career.

I figured since creating a listing was so much work and I hadn't had much luck anyway that I would do a little research before trying again. I found out, through one of eBay's seller tools (chech it out here: http://cgi5.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?SellHub3Visitor) that J. Crew was one of the most popular search terms in the women's clothing category. I just so happened to have many pieces by J. Crew, and in an attempt to maximize my profits and minimize my efforts, I decided to list them along with nearly all of my most prized garments, creating an enormous lot with about 40 fantastic items.

I must make a parenthesis here to tell you that I found myself in a really fortunate (or unfortunate, depending on how you look at it) situation. My son had been born nearly a year earlier and I didn't think I would ever get back to my pre-baby size (I was right). As a result I had a closet full of useless clothing and an empty bank account - the ideal situation for starting an eBay auction.

I ended up selling the lot for something like $45. At the time, it seemed like a great sale, but in retrospect I let go 3 pairs of designer jeans, 5 designer tops, 2 top notch jackets and a TON of other valuable stuff for waaay below what I could have gotten for it if I had listed everything individually. However, given that I work all week and like to spend time with my son over the weekend, I also know it would have taken me 20 years to list every one of those items.

What was my mistake? Here it comes...

eBay Lesson Number 2: No One Wants to Pay the Shipping on a 20 lb Purchase. While I listed the lot at $.99 (another mistake - but we'll get into it later), the shipping on the thing alone was over $25. Very off-putting if you're looking for a great bargain on Saturday night's club clothes.

As a result, I learned a very important lesson. And that is...

eBay Solution Number 2: Small Lots Minimize Efforts and Maximize Profits. Selling individual items can rack up the dollars and feedback, BUT I've found creating small lots of matching clothing and accessories and pairing name brand items with (no less desirable) no brand items gives you the best bang for your buck. Getting an entire oufit or a few outfits makes people feel like they're getting more bang for their buck. You can list your items for a higher price and not considerably increase your shipping costs, since USPS charges in 1 lb increments. Those 1 lb jeans won't cost you any more to send if you add a 3 ounce top and 1 ounce bracelet to the listing.

I still pine after that first lot. It's the one that got away. If you're the eBay who bought it from me, and you're reading this, can I have a do-over? :)

More on shipping and other headaches tomorrow.