Somehow users of the various platforms came up with the idea that because, they use, promote or are otherwise involved in a platform that they have been given a vote in how that platform does it’s business.  Yes they have put time and energy into promoting the site but ultimately they are promoting themselves.  If the site grows they get either more sales or more choices of things to purchase, if the site fails they move on and start the cycle again.

Only the individual user knows what drew them to the site in the first place and that reason is why they have devoted the time to it.  The problem with all that is that does not give them a true say in how the site evolves.

All sites have owners and some even have investors that have a larger stake in the development of the site it is their name and their money involved in whether the site thrives or fails.  They hopefully have a development plan and an idea of where they are going and how they want to get their.  The owner of the site has the big picture and whether the site has 100 users or 1,000,000 it is impossible to please all of them no matter what they do.  Plus it is not their job to please everyone their job is to develop a site that will be successful moving forward.

Venting and ranting or cheerleading and spamming with do nothing to help a site in the long run as both of those things have the potential to drive off the very thing that is being sought buyer and sellers.  Every site has its flaws, glitches and problems but also has its own outstanding features, but broadcasting the good, the bad and the ugly does nothing but make the broadcaster feel better.

Responsible site owners do listen to there users but the voice of reason gets lost in at daily barrage of opinions.  If you have a constructive idea voice it but you need to ultimately understand the site is not yours and unless you plan on investing quite a large some of money your voice will only be one of the many and never really have a vote in what will happen.

There can only be one captain leading the ship otherwise it would spend its days going in circles.

What type of personality does it take to really succeed in social media?  Do you have to create a larger than life persona?  Do you have to interact with the”right people”?  Where does humility fit in?  Is social space a comfortable place for the shy, the wallflower personality?
Do you have to be willing to say “Hey look at me” or can you just quietly interact with people? Can you stay real and true to yourself and still manage to succeed or do you have change depending on who you are talking to?

How many people keep their interactions fairly bland to avoid stirring up controversy or are the controversial ones more likely to be successful in social space?  Does worrying about perceptions of others box you in and make you less someone wants to interact with?

We all generally hate spammers so where is the line between self-promotion and spammers?  Where is the line between “Glory hound” and “wallflower”?  How do you compliment people you admire without sounding insincere, and when do compliments sound more like placating?

When ever you interact with a large group of people everyone creates their own perception of you.  The question becomes what type of perception do you want them to have and how important is that perception.  I am really looking forward to seeing others thoughts on the questions I posed.

Thanks for reading and catch you all on Twitter.

It is a very complex issue and the solution is different for every seller depending on item, marketplace and fees but I figured I would ponder it at bit and throw out my thoughts.

Shipping is a relatively fixed cost unless you live close enough to pick it up yourself, which I have been known to do on occasion.  Buyers hate shipping costs we all know that.  I hate shipping cost too, I hate paying them to get something and paying them to ship something but if you want something to get from here to there somebody has to pay for it.  Should a seller have to pay to make sure you get it, I don’t think so and if they are then they are just inflating the cost of the item to cover it.  No one is going to sell at a loss.  

Big companies handle shipping costs by either offering free shipping on purchase over a certain dollar amount or a flat rate shipping.  In the case of flat rate shipping it all evens out in the wash for them.  Sell 1000 items some will be less expensive to ship and other more.  Plus you know they get volume discounts from the shipping companies. 

There is also the currently popular site to store shipping where you can have your item shipped to your local store.   One of the best benefits of that for that company is you have to come into the store to pick it up and on the way to the back of the store, (where pick up is always located) how many other items do you discover you need and since you are there might as well pick up.  It also adds no greater expense as they just stick it on a truck that was going to that location from the warehouse anyways.

So how does the smaller seller compete?  Some just list actual shipping costs and then pay out of pocket all the packing supplies necessary for shipping the item.  Some add a small handling charge and others add it to the price of their item and offer either “free shipping” or shipping and handling included in price.  When it gets really tricky is when it is a small, heavy or lower priced item and the shipping is more than that actual cost.  Do you up the item price and lower shipping by same amount?  Do you list it with actual shipping?  I don’t know the answer you have to do what works for you. 

I am the type of buyer that is out for the best deal.  I am generally your Walmart shopper.  I know when I am researching items online as a buyer I look at item cost and shipping and if it is a number I can live with I buy.  If not I move on or go the the local store.  The type of buyer you want to attract is as important to your pricing strategy as your items.  I don’t go to Macy’s or rarely even Target.  I want the most volume I can get for my money.  Some shoppers want the best value for their money and others want the best customer service.

Which leads me to pricing on various venues, there seems to be a feeling that if it is cheaper to list on a given marketplace then the items should be cheaper.  Everyone thinks because sellers pay so much in fees at for example eBay that the same items should be cheaper on Ecrater or Bonanzle or BISI or wherever else you sell.  But there are several things to consider.

Ebay has made things available to everyone no matter where they are located and with the number of sellers competing on the platform the bottom has dropped out in a lot of categories.  Sellers that really know the value of their items don’t list them on eBay.  Then you have sellers that don’t realize they have something of value, again experienced buyers purchase the items cheap either for themselves or to resell at a more respectable price.  I equate eBay to the Walmart of the internet, you can find most things you need at the lowest price.  The problem is some of the prices have fallen so low that sellers can no longer use it as a viable selling option.

Then as you move up the ladder you have the newer marketplaces like Bonazle and Ecrater, and many many more.  I equate them to the Target of the internet.  I am not always expecting the lowest price there for a variety of reasons.  First of all to really make a go on any of the younger sites you have to make your own traffic, which requires time marketing your items.  That leaves less time for actually listing items so your volume of available sales is already down.  On these smaller sites because of the lack of listing fees it is less expensive to let items wait for the right buyer to come along.  Same thing a lot of eBay sellers do with their stores pay the small listing fee and set the price they actually want and just leave it.  So how does one price their items fairly and does the price at other venues always have to be less then the giant in the room. 

The final step up the ladder at least with antiques and collectibles are place like GOantiques or Rubylane.  You expect to pay more for your items there as they have build their reputation on the quality of their sellers and items.  Many sellers are doing fine listing on those sites also as they are waiting for the buyer that appreciates fine quality items.  Not your bargain basement shopper.

The funniest thing about all of this, is if you look hard enough you can find some of the same item at all 3 levels of selling platforms.  Is the Coronation jar on GoAntiques any better than the one on eBay probably not but the one on eBay will be cheaper.  I can say that for a fact as I sold one on eBay for 24.95 and have seen the same item on GoAntiques for twice as much but it is the reputation of the venue coming into play.

My opinion is that if you have done your research and an item is worth a certain amount you should price it accordingly and the buyer will find it.  I expect the stuff I get at Walmart or the local to not last very long and is cheap enough to replace.  If I want value for my money I move up the ladder, but if I purchase something of better quality I expect it to last longer.
Sellers need to price their items by the type of buyer they want and find venues that fit that buyer, and at margins that they can still afford to be sellers next year.

So the final question becomes do the newer sites want to be Walmart, Target or Saks.  Only time will tell what type of buyers each site will actually attract.

Let me know your thoughts on pricing and shipping in the comments below.

Catch you all on twitter.

Which then got me to thinking tonight about how there seems to be a similar issue in the e-commerce world. You have eBay lovers, eBay hater, and eBay users.  Then you have the lovers and haters of all the various and other sites however I do have to say that the strongest emotions tend to come out about Bonanzle it seems to have both the loudest supporters and detractors of all the smaller sites.

So here I sit at my computer tonight contemplating e-commerce and its role in my life and find myself sitting smack dab in the middle of all the controversy.  I have twitter friends and online friends that fall into every category listed above and I can understand the points made by each and everyone of them.  But my thoughts are that for your business you need to rule with your logic center not your emotional one.  Sure a passion for something can drive you forward but can also drive you right into a brick wall.

Bonanzle is an up and coming site, that I can see.  There are a lot of professional sellers there that are busy doing the work required to sell and then there are others.  I myself just started listing there as it does have great potential for growth.  I also committed to being a premier seller on Bonanzle because I feel you need to make a commitment to your plans.  Commitment gives me more information as I move forward in my work there.  Did I do it because someone told me to?  No, did I do it because my friends did? NO. Do I love it, hate it or have any other emotional attachment to it?  again NO it is simply a venue.  Have I met a lot of good people there?  yes.  So I will take what works for me there and build on it.

Now eBay is going through some changes.  Do they have a plan?  I am sure they do.  Does it make sense to all the sellers there?  Probably not.  Are sellers going to be upset no matter what they do?  I would say yes and people hate change whether it is for the good or bad.  Do I love eBay?  No and never have.  Do I hate it? somedays when dealing with illogical buyers that still have all the power.  I am still a small seller with little feedback and one disenchanted buyer can still greatly harm my reputation.   I have also realized you can not please all of the people all of the time and I need to get over it.  Did I just open and eBay store? yes for the same reasons I became a premiere member on it gives me more information to move forward e-commerce my business.

The problem becomes if I am having an I hate eBay day, rather than being acknowledged for my feelings, people tell me, I need to stop listening to my Bonanzle friends as they haven’t sold on eBay and can not give me the best advice on how to use eBay. 
I am not the type of person that changes my spots depending on who I am talking to and I sometimes get irritated that I feel like I have to pick sides. 

There are no sides in business.  You have to take stock of your own situation and make your decisions from there.
Loving Bonanzle and chatting in the forums with all the great people is not going to make you long term sales.  Hating eBay when you need traffic and buyers to get you off the ground is not a way to build your business.  Loving eBay because you have been there for so long and you watch your fees increase and your bottom line dwindle is not going to feed you.  Hating Bonanzle as some people there tend to be vocal is possibly closing a door on a site that has not reached it potential and may take years to do so just as eBay did in the beginning.

Can I say what will happen a year from now or longer with either site?  No my crystal ball is broken.  ebay will survive the latest round of changes it always does and it is a site that works for many.  Bonanzle will continue to grow and evolve and that is a good thing. 

Google’s latest changes may be one of the largest factors for both sites, the changes may either move them both forward or leave them dead in the water.  The one advantage eBay has in this particular drama is they are a household name and get buyers without google shopping whereas Bonanzle sellers rely on that feed to get their items seen.

I was told the other night on @colderICE’s late night Beta show, that I need to stop playing the newbie at e-commerce, so tonight I drop that label and acknowledge that I am a seller who is still gaining experience in the complicated e-commerce world. 

These are my final thoughts:  eBay and it’s auction listings are great for quick cash flow, and inventory turnover if you have inventory that sells there.    If I have something I know will sell in 7 days or even 30 days I will list it there at a reasonable price as the listing fees are justified by the traffic.  If I think something will take a little longer why stuff an eBay store full of merchandise with the higher final value fees and listing fees when another fixed price site will do. 
So for my business both sites have a place in the plan

Now lets see if I have any friends left on either side of the after they read my long winded post.  Everyone has value to me no matter where they sell.

Catch you all later on twitter.

This question started out as a conversation between Auction Wally and I, as he has been having success running auctions on a variety of platforms.   So for him having that fan base is working well. They are willing to purchase on Twitter, eBay, Bonanzle or Deal it live. But the question then becomes will that work for everyone?

I have decided that it just might but not for the reasons I originally thought.  My first thought were yes because his fans will come buy from him so that is similar to seller to seller sales on the smaller alternative auction sites.  The complaints to that are that a site is not viable if it is only seller to seller transactions it needs outside traffic.

Yet, in the course of exploring this topic I realized that not all his sale would be similar to seller to seller sales because by having a fan base his sales also come from referrals.  That has made me realize that a fan base or group of followers is very important and one of your best marketing features, especially with the growth of social media and web 2.0.

It made me realize if I needed something I am sure one of my social contacts would carry it and if they did not they would have someone in their circle of friends that did.  To give you some examples of what I mean I am going to add a list here of some of the people I have met in the social spaces and what they sell.

If I want any of the following these are the people I would seek out and it is in no means an all inclusive list.

Incense – wholesaleincens
Old Magazine Back Issues & Vintage Movie Cards – andotherstuff
Urban accessories – colderICE
Handmade Greeting Cards- Felicitations or 0ctavias0riginals

I personally may not need any of the above but as a fan of these site and the quality of the items and customer service provided, if anyone were to ask me where to get those types of items, I would be able to point them in the right direction.

My final thoughts on all of this is that drive by traffic is nice but word of mouth advertising is much more likely to actually convert to sales, and with web 2.0 and social media word of mouth spreads a whole lot faster.

Hope this challenges you to rethink the potential of social media.

Your own thoughts and comments are always appreciated as I love a lively discourse on a my topics.  I look forward to engaging in conversations with you.

The reality is that the changes don’t occur until October 09 and April 2010 and no one will know the full extent of how it will affect them until it actually happens and I for one am done rehashing it.

When it comes to eBay there appears to be no such thing as middle ground the people that love eBay over look its faults or at least accept them.  Those that hate it find fault with everything they do and there will be no pleasing them.

Somewhere along the line people forget it is a business both eBay the platform and the sellers on the platform and in reality there is no room for emotion and business.  Business is logical and about dollars and cents.  If it works for your business great if it does not cut your losses and move on.  Last I check hate is an emotion and one that requires a lot of energy to feed.  Why let an object a platform take up that much of your valuable energy.

I decided a short time ago as I started moving from casual seller to growing a business that my loyalty is to my business and my customers nothing more.  Loyalty to a platform blinds you to the other opportunities available on this huge thing we call the internet.

The bottom line is that the eBay marketplace is their sandbox and they get to decide who gets to play in it and also how they can play and what toys they can use.  If their rules don’t work for you find another sandbox or build your own.  Personally I intend to use as many sandboxes as necessary to achieve my goals.