People It Is Time To Stop The Insanity!
There Is No ATM In Your Computer
I have written on this subject before, yet it seems that my inbox has been flooded in the past 6 months or so with promises to make me rich! From Amazon to Google, Craigslist to eBay, I can make thousands (at least) if I just follow their system. Of course these “SYSTEMS” cost hundreds or thousands of dollars.
This morning I got another offer! The website is even called Auction Cash Machine! What possibilities this must hold! Can you imagine my EXCITEMENT?
In the economic climate of today, tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of individuals and small business owners are seeking alternative ways to generate income. I can only wonder how they contain themselves when they receive these offers! A recent Google Alert came across my desk that did my heart good. Apparently California has taken one of these so called systems to task over their claims of financial independence once you “buy” into their system. Stores Online and it’s parent company Imergent Inc., have agreed to repay customers that have filed complaints. In full disclosure, I have attended one of Stores Online free seminars. In my opinion it is nothing more and nothing less than a SCAM!
While these are just two of the companies making totally ridiculous claims, make no mistake, there are hundreds more out there just like them.
We Must Stop The Insanity!
It is time for sites like Amazon, eBay, Google, and Craigslist to help put an end to this madness! The aforementioned sites MUST undertake an agressive public campaign to completely disassociate themselves from these types of offers.
In my opinion, they must use everything in their arsenals to condem these programs for what they really are! JUNK!
There are no “systems” to make you RICH! Hard work, dedication and research are required to run a sucessful business. Unless of course you work on Wall St. (I couldn’t resist that)
If you are considering attending one of these seminars or buying a CD or DVD that promises you untold riches, do me one favor please. DON’T!
Alternatives
There are alternatives. There are honest, giving people on the internet that are willing to help! Join internet groups, listen to FREE podcasts, and finally do your research. Before you spend any money, before you invest your time, search the internet for what people are saying about the company you are thinking of utilizing.
I have long been an advocate of mentors, educational seminars and conferences. But do your research and find the one that meets your needs. Talk with former attendees and get their opinions on the usefulness of the program. If you choose individual trainers or mentors ask for references.
In my opinion, these get rich quick scams are in the same class as Bernie Madoff! They are thieves praying on people struggling to make a living.
Small Ecommerce Business Get’s The One Two Punch From Google And eBay In One Day
eBay Analyst Day
Much has already been and more will be written about the first eBay Analyst Day held in 3 years. eBay executives did their best to put on their smiley faces in an attempt to encourage the folks from Wall Street. I will not attempt to regurgatate most of what is already out there, however here are two things that I took away from the event:
- PayPal is the leading money maker of the company. Some of you will remember I wrote about this last August in a blog post. One of the things I found almost laughable was the talking point eBay made that PayPal’s integration into the eBay platform had risen several percentage points over the past 6 months. Of course it did! eBay made it almost (this is as close as I can come to saying Monopoly) mandatory. Who were they really trying to kid?
- eBay will now be focusing on the “Secondary Marketplace”. First this is not a term that has been used before that I am aware of. What it really means is the liquidation marketplace. Out of season or end of live product. It was said, and I paraphrase here, “We are interested in attracting those businesses that have stuff in warehouses that they need to dispose of”. This certainly does not seem to include the small sellers that have one of’s.
While eBay continues to state that they embarce the small seller, in my opinion the only reason for this is the increased search engine visibility they receive by “allowing” these sellers on the site. Once buyers are on the site they are directed to the sellers that eBay wants them to see, not necessarily what the buyer wants to see.
eBay told analysts that 2009 would be very difficult on the eBay site, only slightly better in 2010 and incrementally better in 2011 IF the economy improves. eBay also said that it’s focus is now on the current customers and less on attracting new buyers.
Bottom line is lower volume sellers are in for a tough couple of years based on the current direction of the company.
For complete analysis of the eBay Analyst event check out http://www.ebaystrategies.blogs.com by Scot Wingo CEO of Channeladvisor.com
Google announced yesterday, during the eBay Analyst event (maybe to hope to sneak it out there with little attention????) that effective in May 2009 there would be a significant increase in fees for those merchants using Google Checkout.
Again, the small seller takes it on the chin with these fee increases.
Colderice did a fee increase comparison on his blog, and I think it brings home the point very well.
Every company needs to make a profit. I do not blame either eBay or Google for making these moves. They need to do what they think will improve their position in the marketplace and ultimately their bottom lines. This is what their stockholders expect.
All users of either eBay or Google need to decide whether their businesses can adapt to the changes or not. If not, the answer is simple. Change your marketing strategies to other venues or payment options.
Are Forum And Discussion Boards Really Needed?
Everyone Has One
While listening to the Brainstorming Bonanzle internet radio program last night an interesting discussion regarding the forums and discussions ensued. The focus of the discussion was how to improve the discussion or forum boards on Bonanzle. While a lot of great ideas were brought forth, it got me wondering if ecommerce sites really need them?
What Are The Boards For?
Before we can think about whether we need these discussion boards we need to understand what the intended results or purpose will be. Some sites have created the discussion boards for the exchange of ideas among users. While I agree with this concept, I wonder how many users of a site actually participate on the boards, and if users really do share valuable ideas? My personal experience has been that a small percentage of the sites users actually particpate on these boards. My guess is less than 5% of registered users actually participate on most site discussion boards on any sort of regualr basis.
A Place To Complain
While I admit wholeheartedly that the prospect of a place to share ideas and strategies would be most useful, the sad truth is that a significant portion of the forum or discussion boards I have looked into are merely a venue for users to complain. Whether it is to complain about the site or other users, this situation is rampant across the internet. The problem is that these comments are seen internet wide, not just by the users of the forums. The majority of these discussion or forums are indexed by search engines and these comments viewable by anyone.
While I truly believe in there being a place for open honest discussion the truth is that is not happening. When discussion boards allow unrestricted access without moderation they very very frequently become a free for all. Forums are in my opinion NOT the correct venue to voice complaints about a site. There are customer support channels to do this. Call the company, email them, write snail mail, or just leave the site. What I really don’t understand is the person that posts the same complaint day in and day out! If they are that unhappy with a site they should simply LEAVE.
Moderated Boards
Some ecommerce sites discussion boards are moderated. Some by staff, some by volunteers. This often leads to complaints of censorship. While I don’t like censorship any more than the next person, it occurs to me that the site owners have EVERY RIGHT to protect themselves. I moderate my chat boards for my radio program, why should discussion forums be any different?
Do Site Owners Really Need Forums?
I believe that if regulated correctly there is a very significant benefit to these boards, yet if unregualted or unmoderated they lose much of their usefulness.
eCommerce Marketing Radio Network Takes It To The Next Level
Janaury 23, 2009
Sherman, NY- eCommerce Marketing Radio Network announces today the beginning of a new era in live talk radio! Beginning Saturday January 24th 2009 ebay & Beyond: Basics to Business the longest running independent live weekly interactive talk radio program for ecommerce sellers will be simulcast live on both Talkshoe.com and live video on Ustream.tv.
As a pioneer in ecommerce news radio, the next progression is to provide live video streaming for better listener, (and now viewer) interaction. Using the wonderful technology of the internet, ebay & Beyond will now be able to demonstrate visually the products, software and techniques to improve ecommerce.
Initially we will provide live streaming video of the program and in the very near future, provide live screen shots of software, products and services that will enhance the listeners understanding of these items.
ebay & Beyond: Basics to Business is heard every Saturday morning, 10 AM to Noon ET.
eBay Rumored Ready To Cut 10% of Workforce
In an article published last week in Barrons Weekly based on a report from Wedge Partners, Reuters today published a very short article on the rumors. 10% of eBay’s worldwide staffing would peg the number of layoffs at approximately 1500 staffers. eBay has not responded to requests for comment on this report.
With eBay stock reaching a 52 week low of 22.16 which is also a 5 year low, and ending the trading day Friday at 22.55 the company has lost just over 40% of it’s value in the past year.
Analysts are describing seller unrest and poor returns on eBay’s purchase of Skype along with the declining US economy and strengthening of the dollar as possible reasons of this decline.
Seller unrest has risen drastically since January when incoming CEO John Donahoe referred to the seller concerns and complaints to announced site changes as “noise”. eBay has made significant changes to it’s pricing structure including negotiating formerly unheard of reduced or free listing fees and reduced Final Value Fees for large volume sellers, restrictions on payment methods disallowing payments on the site by check, money order or cash, and placing limits on shipping fees sellers can charge in certain categories. Last week eBay announced more changes to the site including changes to the search engine on the site and changes to the Items pages that have sellers scrambling to ensure their listings can be seen by buyers which has increased seller concerns. Sellers cite bugs in the eBay Best Match search engine and concerns that the planned look to the items pages will be glitch ridden and confuse and frustrate buyers.
Sellers Moving to Other Venues
Thousands of posts on blogs and even the eBay Discussion Boards seem to indicate that ecommerce sellers who once believed that eBay was THE place to market are now looking at other venues such as Amazon, Overstock, Bidtopia, eCrater and Etsy and many others. In addition many sellers are ramping up their own websites as marketing venues. Unfortunately especially now as sellers and shoppers get ready for the very busy Q4 shopping season, many of the sites sellers are moving to with the exception of Amazon simply do not have the buying traffic coming to the sites.
What Conference Will Replace eBayLive? Where Will You Go?
Now that eBayLive is a thing of the past, (yeah I know, 2010 if you believe in fairytales) where will eBay marketers, and for that matter all ecommerce merchants go to get the latest information and strategies? Where will you go to learn about the latest software and services available to your online business?
I know that there are a plethura of seminars and conferences, but the question is which one will step to the forefront for those that market on sites like Onlineauction, eBay, Amazon, eCrater or any other venue? Will there be an event that steps up and tries to fill the eBayLive void? I don’t believe we will see a company conference the likes of eBayLive in the near future. With it’s vast income, eBay could afford this type of an event. The eBayLive confernece was certainly not a profitable event and never was intended to be self sustaining.
Where Will You Go
While researching this post, I contacted PESA/ECMTA and was given the following information. The will be holding a 2 day event September 10-11 in Melbounre Australia, September 18-20 2008 ECMTA will be at the Inc 500/5000 Conference in Washington DC and finally ECMTA will conduct a 1 day event in San Francisco October 1, 2008. In addition, ECMTA advised me that they are planning on small regional events and larger Summits for 2009 but no dates or locations are available at this time.
Channeladvisor advised me that they are planning another Catalyst event for possibly April or May of 2009 but details are also not yet available.
AsWas’ RocketPlace event is scheduled for September 10-12, 2008 in Las Vegas. This event is focused on eBay marketing but also includes information ecommerce merchants can gain from no matter what venue they sell from. The keynote speaker will be Marsha Collier author of the eBay For Dummies series of books, and other presenters include Jay Berkowitz author of The Ten Golden Rules for Internet Marketing and John Lawson CEO of 3rd Power Outlet plus many other notables.
With the economy in recession, these events vying for your conference dollars are rethinking their positions. I believe there will be much smaller regional events planned for 2009 by the various providers but can’t help but wonder which conferences our readers and listeners will attend in 2009.
If you are planning on attending an event in 2009, let us know which one.
Listen in each week to ebay & Beyond: Basics to Business live every Saturday from 10 AM to Noon ET to hear the latest in ecommerce marketing news and strategies.
Marketing Strategies For the Holiday Season
Oh the weather outside is frightful,,,,,
Believe it or not there are only 121 days until Christmas. You will notice I did not say shopping days till Christmas because in internet marketing every day is a shopping day. How prepared are you for the shopping season as an internet marketer?
If you are not ready and ramped up for the season, you may be facing a frightful few months. Many internet sites have already begun their campaigns and the competition will be fierce.
Marketing For The Holidays
Depending on your niche, holiday season marketing can make or break your business year. Consumer electronics are always hot starting around Labor Day. The one downside is that some manufacturers roll out their new products just prior to the holidays to increase demand and limit supply. Those businesses that can secure the latest versions of a product line do very well during this time of year. Consumers will be looking for the best deals, plain and simple. Big Box consumer electronics ecommerce sites have the advantage of higher search results but there are a few things you can do to increase your sales and visibility. First, know your market, and know what your customers want. Research is the key! Make sure you are paying attention to your competition, because they certainly will be watching you. Secondly, whether you sell on eBay or Amazon, Onlineauction, Overstock or any other online venue get your products listed early and use a Fixed Price format. Buyers of holiday gifts do not want to wait for auction format items. Holiday shoppers do not want to run the risk of not being the high bidder.
Many buyers will be looking for their gifts now before the rush. According to an article by WorkZ.com, most online buyers EXPECT free shipping especially if buying more than one item from the same seller. Free shipping is another great way to attract customers, but if you use email campaigns to promote your sales be careful using Free in the subject line as this may trigger email spam filters.
eCommerce marketers might want to consider a value added type approach to attracting customers such as including a free gift with the sale. I have used this approach in years past and had great success while selling clothing.
Causal marketing, donating a portion of the sale to charity is another great way to attract buyers. If buyers know that part of their purchase will benefit their favorite charity, they are more likely to purchase.
The 2008 Holiday Shopping Outlook
While 2007 was a banner online shopping year, many experts are predicting a leveling off. The economy is the biggest fear among buyers. Mortgage failures, high oil prices and the concern over the presidential race are noted as the biggest reasons for this expected flat growth.
Be Customer Friendly
As you gear up for the holiday season, be customer friendly. Enable your customers. Accept all forms of payment (I know eBay is changing this but do what you can until late October). Communicate with your buyers often to ensure they receive their items and they are pleased. Treat any problems proactively, and professionally.
Bank of eBay? Is This Where eBay Is Really Heading?
The Bank of eBay?
I have been talking and writing for months (OK, years) about the changes at eBay. It has been a long and winding road we have taken to get to this point in our ecommerce journey. While I thought the road was leading to a retail experience on eBay, an article today on the ABC News Money website by Michael S. Malone makes a tremendous amount of cents (OK sense).
eBay Numbers Remain Flat
By reading the financials and watching where the money is really coming from over the past couple of years one can justify the article. While the numbers for eBay have slowed significantly according to the latest financials, PayPal’s Merchant Services is growing at a phenominal rate of nearly 60% Y/Y according to Seeking Alpha. According to eBay’s own Q2 Financial Statement the growth rate of the eBay MarketPlaces was said to be 13% overall. This includes eBay, StubHub, Kijiiji, Shopping.com and other ecommerce sites. But, the PayPal growth is reported to be 33% Y/Y.
The new user growth on the eBay site has gone flat and eBay is more and more moving to a retail online expeprience. As this move will put it more in line with it’s major competiton Amazon, the real move that many people may not be noticing is into the ecommerce payment arena.
Money Makes Sense
Watching the money trail makes perfect sense. With over a 20 point difference in income growth between the MarketPlaces and Payment Systems and the room for growth in the ecommerce payment handling it makes me stop and take notice. Nearly every week I receive emails notifiying me of another company, airline or ecommerce site now accepting PayPal. Given the economy of today, ecommerce sites are fighting for every buying customer they can. These sites will do anything to make online purchasing easy for their customers and PayPal is in the catbird seat due to it’s position as the largest online payment system in the world.
Recent eBay Changes
While many including myself have focused mainly on the impact of the recently announced changes on sellers on eBay, could it be that this is just exactly what eBay wants us to focus on, and not the fact that PayPal is really the money maker and all the rest is just smoke and mirrors?
OLA-Radio August 14, 2008
OLA-Radio August 14, 2008
This weeks program focuses on keywords for listings to ensure search engine optimization.
Large eBay PowerSellers Getting Booted The Exodus Continues
PowerSellers On The Lookout
eBay PowerSellers are watching their emails and waiting by the phone for the notice that they have been suspended or placed on notice or restriction. Several very large (Top 25 in category) eBay PowerSellers are reporting that they have been suspended or restricted on the site. These PowerSellers are reporting that due to the increase in neutral and negative feedbacks from buyers who know that they are immune from negatives, they are being scrutinized by eBay.
What totally mystifies me is why eBay would do this without CALLING these sellers to discuss the perceived problems. What further just blows my mind is that according to the affected PowerSellers, their TSAM’s (Top Seller Account Managers) have NO CLUE as to what is going on, and worse yet no idea how to remedy the situation.
eBay vs Amazon
From the postings on forums by the PowerSellers I have seen, they report that they had moved a portion of their products to Amazon prior to the suspension, and there is some specualtion that the suspensions are a result of this move. One PowerSeller speculates that eBay determined the seller had opened and populated an Amazon Store, and is angry over the loss of listings on the eBay site.
Randy Smythe reported in his blog Tusday on the exodus from eBay. Based on the increasing number of seller accounts being suspended, I would imagine the number of exiled ebay sellers will increase dramatically in the very near future.
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