An Alternative to Ebay
In the wake of all the hub-bub surrounding the passing of the Torch in the upper corporate echelons of Ebay, and the unwelcome Ebay Fee changes that came with it that resulted in an Ebay Seller Boycott, what hasn’t emerged is a clear alternative to Ebay. Well, I have one to suggest.
Most of the sellers getting the biggest shaft on Ebay are the ones with unique and unusual products, which are the products that most lend themselves to a specialized and niche marketed Custom Ecommerce Website of their own. Whether the person sells wonderful Art Pottery from the old specialty potteries of Weller, Rookwood, and Roseville, or they’re selling antique Irish Lace, or they’re selling unique self-created Art-To-Wear, or other cool things, this particular type of seller will do well with their own little web boutique, if the design, setup, configuration, and SEO are handled properly.
Will this make you, a currently struggling Ebay seller, money overnight? No. But getting set up with an ecommerce site now, and working for good positioning in the SERPs between now and next Christmas, will make a big difference in how your business grows. Or not. And with no waiting period for funds to clear from Paypal. For less than many sellers pay in fees for a couple few months of an Ebay Shop, you can have your own Custom Ecommerce Website, with a slick interface, a great design, simple navigation, and good SEO. That’s a one time design/config/setup fee. Hosting and domain name registration are separate fees.
As any of my former clients will tell you, I do what I can to give my folks a leg up in the SERPs, and with a properly designed ecommerce site coupled with my Secret Weapon for good Search Engine Positioning, the investment you make in your business now will be returned to you many times over, and with no more Ebay Hassle! And if you found me the way most people do, you know I do okay at it.
If you’re one of the people getting shafted in the Ebay shuffle, I’d be happy to speak with you about getting your business onto its own website and getting you off Ebay.
Technorati Tags: Alternative to Ebay, Ecommerce Website Design, Ebay Shop Alternative
May 2nd, 2008 at 5:50 am
Currently, only 15% of eBay sellers would be eligible for the 15% discount on FVFees- Again- 15% discount on FVFs not on the FV of the sell price just on the fees eBay collects.
So, if you had an auction item sell for $1.00 eBay would get $0.0875, which of course would be rounded up to $0.09 in favor of eBay always.
If you are eligible for the 15% power seller reward discount than you would get 15% of $0.09, which comes to $0.0135, of course this would round down again in eBay’s favor, and you will get 1 cent- that’s it 1 cent
May 16th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
I think it is always worthwhile to have and promote a separate web presence for eBay traders. Some traders of course just use ebay as an introduction, even a loss leader to get people into their main website. One client was an antique dealer and he said he almost literally made no profit from his ebay sales…
May 20th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
It’s true, your own website and online business is possible, but be prepared to do A LOT of marketing. On the web, customers don’t come to you, like on eBay. You have to go out and find them.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
Kim, it’s true you have to work a bit to get your website some attention, but it’s really not that hard if the right website tools are used and configured properly. ALL of my business comes through either past business or this website. I’m smart, but I’m not brilliant. And I don’t work it nearly as hard as I could and should. I’m too busy designing websites.
So maybe you would benefit from a Kickass Alternative to Ebay . . .
May 22nd, 2008 at 7:50 pm
Nice read. Having your own ecommerce site is a definite route to go. I used ebay for many years and then I got tired of the listing fees and paypal fees.