Re: New Question: E-bay / Marketing / Sales

Go to Search. Click on the By Seller tab. The Search Title section will allow you to include or exclude certain sellers (maximum of 10).

But sites that give general information (like yours) are different from sites that try and sell things. There's way more competition for beads and jewelry out there right now, and much much harder to get listed at the top on earch engines.

I've tried Justbeads several times. I have also sold through my site, on Eclectic Beadery and on Ruby Lane. None of those venues has done nearly as well as eBay. I can sell beads on Justbeads, but it will be at a lower price. I have already obtained an eBay reputation that is really good. I don't have the inventory to split between the two. Maybe in the future - or possibly closer to the holiday season, but not right now when things are slower and people are on vacation.

Search "annealed" in the Handmade Lampwork category, and click the descriptions box underneath the search. You'll cut out 2/3rds of the listings - all the crap will be gone. Then you can sort by date, price, whatever. That's what I do.

Better give you some backup VJ! I won't use it either. I limit the personal info I give out too.

I tried to sign up - reluctantly - to buy the rose quartz hearts I wanted. The form rejected my phone number - because it was a toll free business number and "didn't match my address." I used live chat to see if there was any way to get around that, explaining that it was the number I use for my domain and all other online business. When they said there was no other way, I lost momentum, and am back to being Ebay-less.

Think of the money you'll save if you can't buy things from Ebay! I'm sure if desperate for someone's lampwork, you could make other arrangements for a private transaction with anyone on the group.

• TL *

Me, too.

Deirdre

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "Kandice Seeber" :

]But sites that give general information (like yours) are different from ]sites that try and sell things. There's way more competition for beads and ]jewelry out there right now, and much much harder to get listed at the top ]on earch engines.

technically, because of our Amazon links, we sell things. but that wasn't what i meant. there are other tricks to coming out near the top, on Google particularly.

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

Bill of Rights - Void where prohibited by Law.Regime Change in 2004 - The life you save may be your own.

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from Deirdre S. :

]Me, too. ] ]Deirdre ] ]On Sun, 10 Aug 2003 18:37:50 -0700, vj wrote: ] ]>yep - and then i go looking for the site that isn't on E-bay

oh, good. that's three of us.

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

Bill of Rights - Void where prohibited by Law.Regime Change in 2004 - The life you save may be your own.

Google Adwords is one way to get on that first page. At my suggestion, a friend is using it, and is very happy with the results (although what he's selling is a service, not an item). I don't even look at banner ads, but will click on an Adwords link if it seems relevant. I like the fact that the paid links are on the sidebar where they don't interefere with the search results.

• TL *

Can you imagine if brick-and-mortar stores refused to let you buy unless you gave them detailed information? People would be up in arms! But they'll stand for it online.

• TL *

I understand it too. I don't like the giving out information part, either. But I've made the exception in this case and it's been working out okay for us.

However, if it's lampwork that you want perhaps there will be people here who are willing to help you. I've bought things and listed things for friends who didn't want to do e-bay. Maybe you could ask a friend to bid on something, or to perhaps even to make something? Just a couple of thoughts.

Laura

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "Tante Lina" :

]Can you imagine if brick-and-mortar stores refused to let you buy unless you ]gave them detailed information? People would be up in arms! But they'll ]stand for it online.

Radio Shack tried it for a while, and their customers had fits. while RS still wants the info, most clerks have given up trying to collect it.

i understand the reasoning for it online - after all, i'm not standing in front of someone with the cash in my hand. but sites like E-bay are just too much. i'm not about to give them my phone number! and, as i said, i've given a lot of information directly TO the individual bead makers. and called South Pacific on the phone and given them my credit card number. but that's about as far as i am willing to go.

i don't "BUY" until have the money in hand - other than sending Nicole my "wish-list", knowing she'll put it to one side and send it to me when i send her the check. i guess it's just a personal thing for me.

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

Bill of Rights - Void where prohibited by Law.Regime Change in 2004 - The life you save may be your own.

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "Tante Lina" :

]I like the fact that ]the paid links are on the sidebar where they don't interefere with the ]search results.

so do i! but they only did it that way after people found out that sites were paying extra to show up at the top of the list - and users complained

- loudly.

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

Bill of Rights - Void where prohibited by Law.Regime Change in 2004 - The life you save may be your own.

I'd have to agree with the others. Web rings were more effective in the earlier days of the net, but there are so many sites now that it's harder. For one thing, there's never been a guarantee that the sites in a web ring remain well maintained and there's a dead link problem on many of them.

What I was thinking of was more a central information repository that would feature a group of artists, or even perhaps several groups of artists. You could click on the artist's name and see that artist's work offered for sale.

Actually, I think I saw a couple of glass artists from here listed on a site like this, but I didn't mark that page. I think Kalera might have some info on that page, as I think that's where I saw her orange bead.

Again, the big problem would be getting people to come to it. What a lot of people don't realize about the net is that websites still need to be advertised in the more traditional media. There are so many choices it just isn't enough to get a good position with a search engine. Traditional marketing and word of mouth help, over time.

Laura

Yes, that's pretty much what I would expect. You still have to advertise to get web hits. The web is not an instant portal to lots of traffic.

Laura

I have tried to articulate why here, too. But it doesn't really come across well, because so much of my reluctance just comes down to "It doesn't feel right" or "The vibe is disturbing".

I am glad that many of my favorite sellers here offer non-auction options. I've used them whenever I could afford to buy, and don't feel like I am missing out on better prices.

For me, the terms on which I am purchasing are as important as the

-things- I am purchasing.

Deirdre

An interesting point...

Deirdre

Yeah, I think something like this could have half a chance of working out for the artists if it were done as an artist's co-op and everyone involved was contributing significantly to the cost of advertising.

If you get it advertised in all the major magazines and such, you'd stand a small chance. But advertising in places like that is hugely expensive and someone willing to gamble would likely have to underwrite the thing at first.

Laura

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from Deirdre S. :

]I am glad that many of my favorite sellers here offer non-auction ]options. I've used them whenever I could afford to buy, and don't feel ]like I am missing out on better prices. ] ]For me, the terms on which I am purchasing are as important as the ]-things- I am purchasing.

thanks! and yes, i do that as often as possible.

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

Bill of Rights - Void where prohibited by Law.Regime Change in 2004 - The life you save may be your own.