Styleforum › Forums › Men's Style › Men's Clothing › Big trouble brewing for ebay sellers
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Big trouble brewing for ebay sellers

post #1 of 48
10/23/11 at 1:11pm
Thread Starter 
If you have noticed a big change in your ebay traffic read below.

I have seen a huge drop in traffic to my ebay store and it began on Aug 20th. It started literally that day.

I have since learned there is a new search algorithm being tested/implemented and its responsible for this. I compare my traffic on previous months and the same month on previous years and its clear as day. Aug 20th on, my traffic is down by 2/3rds.

See here about the search rewrite:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/08/23/ebay_cassini_search_rewrite/


I though it was recession related, so I started adding more listings. No help. Even less traffic.

So what is the root?

Well, I am a power seller and use Omniture, the ebay analytics tool, the answer is there.

Look at your 'finding methods' > 'referring domain' search and look at july, aug, and then sept.

Mine went from an average of 4 to 5,000 ebay domain referred searches both previous months to a massive drop to only 400 in September. All other domains, google, yahoo, sf have stayed the same.

Ebay's new search algorithm is favoring all kinds of new types of sellers, but mainly Chinese sellers and fashion outlets.

They have also changed the format for finding their categories, which accounts for some traffic down.

If anyone knows anything else or something different please post it here.
Edited by idfnl - 10/23/11 at 1:28pm
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 48
10/23/11 at 2:21pm
whoah that sucks man
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 48
10/23/11 at 2:55pm
Can you explain more (if you know) about how they prioritize one thing over another? I glanced at your link and it didn't seem like it illuminated much.

I always search by brand name and sort by soonest ending auctions, and since there are only a certain number of items from brand XYZ and they end in a certain order, I have trouble understanding how the mechanics of the search could affect what I see.

Or does this only apply to certain kinds of searches?

In a general sense, eBay has been trying to stick it to the little guys (non power sellers etc) for a while now. I wish Google would roll out an auction site, as I am getting really fed up with constantly pouring money into eBay and Paypal only to have them try and push me around and cheat me out of every possible cent.
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 48
10/23/11 at 3:00pm
Sigh, I used to be able to post that the B/S here is the answer. But to be honest I don't believe that anymore since I don't really shop here since the change. Then again I'm sure some people have benefited from the change, so I could be wrong.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 48
10/23/11 at 3:05pm
The second hand clothing / footwear market is probably *the* biggest headache for eBay (apart from the mobile phone scams). I mean at any one time - I usually have at least one SNAD dispute open with a shoddy seller. It's this reason that they will continue to make it more and more difficult for casual sellers to make a comfortable buck.

I believe it's also the reason that Google hasn't got into the foray. eBay is probably aiming to drive the buyers away from the casual seller and into the arms of the new clothing outlets that it seems to be pushing at the moment.

eBay has been pushing gumtree for a while over here in the UK. I'm wondering whether their aim is to drive the second hand buyers / sellers onto that platform instead...
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 48
10/23/11 at 3:05pm
I have heard more than once that it's the big sellers who are doing best in the new (SF B&S) system, so the folks at the top here are angling toward pleasing the big guys at the expense of the little ones . . . . . just like eBay, and the government . . . .

I agree with you, I haven't even come close to buying anything since they changed the B&S format. But I don't think they care.
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 48
10/23/11 at 3:10pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by GoldenTribe View Post

Can you explain more (if you know) about how they prioritize one thing over another? I glanced at your link and it didn't seem like it illuminated much.
I always search by brand name and sort by soonest ending auctions, and since there are only a certain number of items from brand XYZ and they end in a certain order, I have trouble understanding how the mechanics of the search could affect what I see.
Or does this only apply to certain kinds of searches?
In a general sense, eBay has been trying to stick it to the little guys (non power sellers etc) for a while now. I wish Google would roll out an auction site, as I am getting really fed up with constantly pouring money into eBay and Paypal only to have them try and push me around and cheat me out of every possible cent.


The train wreck with ebay seems to start with "best match" searches. That has enabled ebay to game the system towards chinese sellers and whatever other metrics they are using.

Best match search is the default search for everyone now. You have to change your search settings to be different like 'ending soonest', price + shipping lowest first, etc.

Set your default search so they are not best match and use "US only", that should help.

If you want to search for best match, you get ebays garbage search results. After researching this for a while there are sellers getting much, much worse results than I am, especially electronics, toys, etc. One electronics guy reported 7000 search results from the ebay domain in August and 4, yes 4, in September.
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 48
10/23/11 at 3:14pm

i dont think you can compare eBay to B&S. The B&S is a lot more trouble free than eBay and the goods are pretty much exactly what you are looking for if its in your size.

the only problem is people haven't adjusted that well. 

i think if everyone adjusted to the new B&S the high-end clothes market would be here not eBay.

also, there are no annoying listing fees here, they are optional if you would like to bump your thread often.

Reply
Reply
post #9 of 48
10/23/11 at 3:19pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by davesmith View Post

i dont think you can compare eBay to B&S. The B&S is a lot more trouble free than eBay and the goods are pretty much exactly what you are looking for if its in your size.

the only problem is people haven't adjusted that well. 

i think if everyone adjusted to the new B&S the high-end clothes market would be here not eBay.

also, there are no annoying listing fees here, they are optional if you would like to bump your thread often.


Ya, but I have thousands of low value items that I need a marketplace for. Nobody wants to see my 90's Bill Blass stuff here.

They dont compare. This is a specialized marketplace here.
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 48
10/23/11 at 3:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by idfnl View Post

One electronics guy reported 7000 search results from the ebay domain in August and 4, yes 4, in September.

That's just scary. I hope he has a day job.
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 48
10/23/11 at 4:42pm
I always search for the highest price item with at least 1 bid, couldn't imagine using best match, seems useless.
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 48
10/23/11 at 4:48pm
sucks...
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 48
10/23/11 at 5:01pm
Trouble's a' brewin. frown.gif
Reply
Reply
post #14 of 48
10/23/11 at 5:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by idfnl View Post

The train wreck with ebay seems to start with "best match" searches. That has enabled ebay to game the system towards chinese sellers and whatever other metrics they are using.
Best match search is the default search for everyone now. You have to change your search settings to be different like 'ending soonest', price + shipping lowest first, etc.
Set your default search so they are not best match and use "US only", that should help.
If you want to search for best match, you get ebays garbage search results. After researching this for a while there are sellers getting much, much worse results than I am, especially electronics, toys, etc. One electronics guy reported 7000 search results from the ebay domain in August and 4, yes 4, in September.

I'm sorry to hear that. I get fairly decent "best match" search results and my search results have jumped from August to October. I spoke with a rep about this a while ago who explained it had to do with your item click through rates, your DSR ratings, and other things no one can explain.

And sorry to criticize, but if eBay is rewarding different selling strategies, why fight city hall? If there isn't a market for low priced 90's Bill Blass items, why try to create it at the expense of diluting your listings and hurting your click through rates? Are your margins on those items even worth it?

I'm not saying it's right, but if there is things you cannot change, you need to adapt.
Reply
Reply
post #15 of 48
10/23/11 at 5:18pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by tatecloths View Post

I'm sorry to hear that. I get fairly decent "best match" search results and my search results have jumped from August to October. I spoke with a rep about this a while ago who explained it had to do with your item click through rates, your DSR ratings, and other things no one can explain.
And sorry to criticize, but if eBay is rewarding different selling strategies, why fight city hall? If there isn't a market for low priced 90's Bill Blass items, why try to create it at the expense of diluting your listings and hurting your click through rates? Are your margins on those items even worth it?
I'm not saying it's right, but if there is things you cannot change, you need to adapt.

How do you adapt when you don't know what the rules are?

And yes, there is a market for 90's blass stuff but that's not the point. Nothing has changed with my strategy. If nobody can explain it then how can you be effective?
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Men's Clothing
Styleforum › Forums › Men's Style › Men's Clothing › Big trouble brewing for ebay sellers