Auction sites

[clare clearwaters]

I have just started my own auction site.but i am not sure where to advertise, and how to get people to leave ebay.
i have added a good deal , when people register.
Have you any ideas you can share with me please.:|

[Eagle]

To get people to leave eBay, you're going to have to offer a better deal all-round. It's quite simple. :)

You'll also need an astronomical budget.

Many have tried, all fail... http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=31163

[clare clearwaters]

I have offered £3 free credit, when you register.
plus on the forum section , i have quick copitions to win full free listing.
I thought that was an incentive.
what do you think?

[Eagle]

To be honest, I'd think '£3... so what?'.

I'm not trying to be harsh here but eBay is virtually impossible to crack. I wish you good luck but don't waste to much time and effort. :)

[clare clearwaters]

Ok i might have miss written , the take people from ebay. who i am i kidding.
but why not try out a new site?
I have to give it a go. it has only been a month. no point giving up yet.
Thanks for being honest.
please give my site a look and let me know what you think. i like your honest opinion.mums making money.net . and click on the pic of the cupboard

[phoog]

Hi, I'm really no expert ( as the amount of help I've asked for on my own site should prove) but I can't really see how it could work, unless you take a seriously long term view,have a massive budget and a lot of time.
I'd make it free, all free, allways.Anything that takes ebay business would have to be, at least up untill the point it has the traffic to warrent charging listing upgrades etc
sorry to be so neg, I wish you well with it....really, and If you can get the traffic I'll be at the front of the queue to use it

Steve

http://feedback.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=phoog_contemporary_art&ftab=AllFeedback&sspagename=STRK:ME:UFS

[Jamest]

Nice idea, and great effort.

The reality is that if I'm going to sell anything at auction I'm going to go where the buyers are, and online that is ebay. If I'm looking to buy, I,m going to go to the place with the most sellers, better choice etc, and ditto, that is ebay.

Sorry.

[clare clearwaters]

Ok fair point, but why not buy?
My auction site has had bids and a couple of sales.
Ebay is good i have used it my self.
thanks for your veiws, but not giving up yet.

[phoog]

ignore my last post...!!....I hadn't read the one before it when I sent it !! and I have a whole house and half a garden full of unused toys etc !
is there anyway you could split it into local regional areas ( while still keepng the whole national ) might give a marketing angle, also if you could come up with some MLM commission/marketing thing that might help promote it (??), making the whole thing come across as a service as oppose to business might help, and put everything you can into viral marketing/social networking etc, reccomend a freind and get a bnifit ?
they were just ideas , not critisism ...it's a whole heap better than I could have done !

[Steve2507]

To compete against ebay you are going to have to offer something they do not, or allow something to be sold that ebay do not. In the UK that would be adult goods, but in that market would adult stores be willing to put products on an auction site? My answer is I don't know.

[clare clearwaters]

I am looking in to referal links, and a point system.
Our logo is
Mums making money
"here to help you make money"

[clare clearwaters]

To compete against ebay you are going to have to offer something they do not, or allow something to be sold that ebay do not. In the UK that would be adult goods, but in that market would adult stores be willing to put products on an auction site? My answer is I don't know.

I belive there is a site called ebanned.

[Jamest]

Ok fair point, but why not buy?
My auction site has had bids and a couple of sales.
Ebay is good i have used it my self.
thanks for your veiws, but not giving up yet.

I tend to buy what I want, I'm not a wander round and bid nonchalantly on something that catches my eye sort of chap, and so i'm going to go to the place that has the best choice.

Also the ebay feedback system is a pretty good barometer as to who is at the other end of the deal, I rarely buy from peeps with a low score, which for you has the unfortunate drawback that being a new site, no one really has any trading history.

Chicken and egg, tough one.

[clare clearwaters]

Why not take a chance now...lol
Have you had a look at the site?

[Jamest]

That's fair, get something on there suitable for a 4 year old girl to dress up in and I'm in the market. :)

Pink, ballet, fairies usually hits the mark.

[phoog]

That's fair, get something on there suitable for a 4 year old girl to dress up in and I'm in the market. :)

Pink, ballet, fairies usually hits the mark.

oh crap ...Im only here to escape all of that !!!
anyway you should count yourself lucky... mine wants a pony

[Jamest]

oh crap ...Im only here to escape all of that !!!
anyway you should count yourself lucky... mine wants a pony

Told mine she could have a pony, but they'd have to share a room.

Kicked that idea into touch.

[freelancer]

eBay works, because its cheap to buy and sell (i.e charges)...

there are millions of people on there, and enough traffic to sell even niche and strange items.

However, there is a small amount of people who dislike eBay and PayPal: http://www.ihateebay.org.uk/
http://www.paypalsucks.com/

If you could tap into that market it, then you could do well.

If you could remove all charges, i.e. making shops and business accounts free, that would be a winner

[phoog]

Told mine she could have a pony, but they'd have to share a room.

Kicked that idea into touch.

no way ...she'd agree to it on the spot..without question...the only reason we've got rabbits is because she "promised" she'd help feed/clean them out .....even if was dark-raining-snowing-cold etc etc...although to be fair she did help (watch!) do it for 3 days, which was 2 more than I'd thought...anyway I think we've hijacked someones thread here so .......

yeah...the site looks good, the referal links, social bookmarks thing are all free scripts, if you google it should be quick/cheap to add, no idea on the point system type script, someone here must know though :)

[clare clearwaters]

That's fair, get something on there suitable for a 4 year old girl to dress up in and I'm in the market. :)

Pink, ballet, fairies usually hits the mark.

Ok i will work on it.

[JustOneUK]

If you want to open an auction site the best way is to do exactly what eBay did - start locally.
If you can get a few hundred people who live in your local area to start buying/selling to neighbours.. then that'll be a start and word of mouth will do the rest.

forget trying to get items that people are after and spreading out customers across the whole UK.. just get local mums to sell all their kids clothes and toys..voila!

James.

[clare clearwaters]

Ok it has been a while since i last posted on here about my site.
We have had people buying and selling.and also a few store.

we did add a adult section , but we are not incouraging sex toys.
as well as £3 free listing credit , we have scraped the start of auction fee,s pls the is no charge for pic download , also re-listing is free .
So if you list without buy now you can list for free.
we have a list of auction fee,s on the site , easy to find.
So does that sound better?
www mums making money . net

[birches]

I think you will find it very hard to compete. Others have tried this, including parenting sites that are free and have forums to do it, and even they don't work. Unless you can prove you have traffic coming in who is going to list an item? I have lots of baby gear to sell but to be brutally honest I wouldnt list it on your site.

If you want to do something like this I'd suggest you try to team up with another site or group (e.g. NCT). The regional idea is also a great one - that's the problem with ebay and baby gear - a lot of it isn't worth enough to warrant the postage. Now if you could make an auction site that linked in with say google maps that would be interesting.

BTW: Your "picture of the week" link doesn't seem to work.

Rgds

Karen

[sysops]

we did add a adult section , but we are not incouraging sex toys.
as well as £3 free listing credit , we have scraped the start of auction fee,s pls the is no charge for pic download , also re-listing is free .
So if you list without buy now you can list for free.
we have a list of auction fee,s on the site , easy to find.
So does that sound better?
www mums making money . net


You have no chance, zero, nil. Close your site down and save your hosting fees.

Why would I spend any time listing something on your site which maybe gets 20 uniques a day instead of eBay which gets tens of millions of uniques a day? eBay is the auction site, full stop. You cannot compete. Do something different, explore a new niche.

[Eagle]

I have to agree - you'll just end up frustrated and out of pocket on this one.

[steviemac]

You have no chance, zero, nil. Close your site down and save your hosting fees.

Why would I spend any time listing something on your site which maybe gets 20 uniques a day instead of eBay which gets tens of millions of uniques a day? eBay is the auction site, full stop. You cannot compete. Do something different, explore a new niche.



summed it up exactly. don't waste time on your auction site, you have no mission of competing...seriously

[Esk247]

although i am another who despises ebay due to the fact that its generally full of scammers, foreigners who i can't ever get in contact with and people who bid stupid prices on a tshirt that has had tea spilt on it.

i think it would work with investment, time and patience..something that is only UK based and will never compete with ebay but will offer a much safer and more friendly service.

e.g. a telephone helpline would be nice, ebay is rubbish if there is a problem or a fake advertisment.

[Gill]

Hello Clare

Had a really quick look at your site and I really like the idea.

I am afraid I do not have the knowledge or experience to tell you how you should go about promoting it but I think that some of the responses that you have received may be construed as less than positive - and whilst I don't want to raise hackles - it seems a bit unfair.

Competition is surely a good thing, I don't imagine you want to become the next eBay (I genuinely enjoy eBay) but you can offer something different along similar lines.

I like the idea of sharing tips and recipes, I like the idea of a forum both business and family - it looks like something I would like to register for and be active in - but I am really, really busy at the moment so I am sorry - timing is out but I wish you all the luck for your venture and if you do really want to do it - then do it and good for you!

Plenty of people here will have the knowledge and experience that you will need, if I can help I will, happily, but - I need a week to play catch up first (half term)!

Gill

Ps - I have a 11.2 reg section A for sale- pm me!

[clare clearwaters]

Thanks Gill for taking time to let me know what you think.
i appreciate your reply.

Helen.

[Subbynet]

I've repeatedly said it, but you can run a successful and profitable auction site. Competing with (or beating) eBay is another kettle of fish and quite frankly crazy, but can you be profitble? My answer is Yes.

Don't be put off by those who say don't do it, open your eyes and see that others are already doing it.

Fine Art and Antiques - http://www.windibank.co.uk for one, does very nicely on this niche, others do well selling surplus stock - http://www.morgan-auction.co.uk, and others sell used fleet cars - http://www.british-car-auctions.co.uk

Don't copy eBay and then expect to beat them, its never going to happen, but set yourself apart and as "the place" for a niche.

[Jheath]

Well here's my twopenceworth. Ebay unfortunately rules the market but it doesnt own it completely. There are other credible auctions sites which hit the mark and have capatalised on anti-ebay sentiment. Notably http://www.tazbar.com/ is very sucessful with many many thousands of active listings and a growing community.

I'd take a look at what they are doing and I guess it might give you some useful ideas.

[steviemac]

I would probably put http://ebid.co.uk/ as the 2nd biggest auction site. Actually they are very good, I sometimes use them. No listing fees.

[dynabid]

You could always ask for a review at www.powersellersunite.com (http://www.powersellersunite.com) and get a few hints and tips from there and possibly some traffic you could also try www.pheebay.com (http://www.pheebay.com) :)

[clare clearwaters]

Oh i tottally agree, i never set out to beat Ebay.
My auction site is aimed at parents .
selling unwanted family stuff , or items they make and sell.
my niche is for familys.

[norwichchris]

Good choice in creating a niche product for families what type of products will you site be selling?

In regards to EBay it is starting to crack under the pressure a bit these days, there are new auction sites emerging such as EBids for example... so they probably will be the biggest online company for a long while yet maybe in 50 or sixty years.

[Dragon Media Group]

With a simple premise and a bit of work like that I think you could make it work. Maybe have some flyers/posters done and get nurseries to put them on the notice boards.

[clare clearwaters]

"Good choice in creating a niche product for families what type of products will you site be selling?

So far we sell lots of handmade items , great girt ideas.
Also unwanted prams , clothes (kids and adults) bedspreads (things for the house , books.
House hold items really.

we also run competitions.

[David P]

could you do something where it was all free but made money from adverts?

[steve o]

Hi there, ive just had a look through your site and i have to say its really nice. The recipe sharing and mums chat are really great ideas. Personally i think that side of your site (almost social networking) is as strong as the auction side. I can see you've put a lot of effort into thinking this one through. Have you got a facebook/myspace page? any kind of free/viral marketing should be used to get your name know. I'd try some well though out magazine advertising as well. Send loads of emails to ALL the womens mags asking for costings on advertising, even if its outside your budget, the people who will recieve your email will know you are out there. Get your name know!!
Ignore most of the previous comments and go for it.

[norwichchris]

Best methods of advertising sites online are to ask Google to advertise your site as Google has millions of searchers therefore many users should be greatly interested in your products.

You could also try local papers, i have done some research into development of ecommerce sites I highly recommend reviewing security issues for your site in regards to online payments as this is commonly the weakest link in Ecommerce sites.

[clare clearwaters]

could you do something where it was all free but made money from adverts?
To be honest if you did a basic listing with NO "buy now or "bolded item" it is free. pic download is free and no start of auction.
So basically , you can list as items as you want and it can be free... "keep it basic , keep it free"