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Wilson's Fourteen Points on eBay feedback

Wilson’s Fourteen Points on eBay feedback

For about a month I've been scribbling a post about eBay feedback and the recent changes. But it was getting long and convoluted and rather like one of my university history essays. How to make it digestable? Then I remembered one history essay I wrote about the League of Nations.... and Woodrow ... Read more »
ChannelAdvisor Catalyst UK: Scot Wingo Keynote

ChannelAdvisor Catalyst UK: Scot Wingo Keynote

Scot Wingo's annual keynote at Catalyst is always worth listening to because he is accountable to his customers and they want results. He doesn't deal in theoretical coolness or geeky oneupmanship: he is interested in things that work (perhaps a reflection of his engineering training?), deliver ... Read more »
A Tale of Two eBays

A Tale of Two eBays

If we believe the press (articles in the Metro and The Times to name two), dark clouds are looming over eBay: the wronged masses of eBay sellers are grumbling and steeling themselves for a strike. Like David polishing his sling before the fight, they're getting ready to slay Goliath. At ... Read more »
From ChannelAdvisor Catalyst: UK eCommerce Landscape

From ChannelAdvisor Catalyst: UK eCommerce Landscape

ChannelAdvisor's Catalyst event in London this week was a great opportunity to examine the trends and developments in ecommerce in Britain and abroad. Lots of exciting presentations and people were present. And I have a (papery) notebook full of scribbles to blog in the next week or so. Keep 'em ... Read more »
eBay sellers: what's coming from Google?

eBay sellers: what’s coming from Google?

Since I left eBay in November 2006 (it feels like a lifetime ago) I've probably spent more social time with eBay PowerSellers than I ever did as an employee. In the last few weeks I've been chatting with a clutch of sellers: it's been fun. What have we been talking about? There was plenty of ... Read more »
eBay Tips 2008: That's all folks.

eBay Tips 2008: That’s all folks.

Thanks very much for giving me the chance to spout off every day for a month about eBay and ecommerce and the like. Thanks, especially, for the comments and conversations that have taken place. It has been fascinating to read the views expressed. So I thought I'd finish with a sort of summary ... Read more »
eBay Tips 2008: Marketing Off-eBay

eBay Tips 2008: Marketing Off-eBay

Whether or not you take any trading off-eBay, there is a potentially huge opportunity for you in taking some of your marketing away from eBay. 10% of the UK's internet traffic settles on eBay. But 90% of it is buzzing elsewhere. You might be simply promoting your eBay Shop or pimping your own ... Read more »
eBay Tips 2008: Classifieds and Comparison Shopping

eBay Tips 2008: Classifieds and Comparison Shopping

As I've written before in this series, there was a time when there was just eBay when it came to individuals selling online. But now the scene is more fragmented. Buyers are changing their habits and willing to buy using different formats and services. If you haven't thought about Classified sites ... Read more »
eBay Tips 2008: Other Marketplaces and Channels

eBay Tips 2008: Other Marketplaces and Channels

It's totally right and natural for any eBay seller to want to find profits and growth in other marketplaces. However, it's at that point that many draw a blank. There has been a tendency for new sites to seek to become the 'eBay killer' with a strategy fuelled by antipathy or anger resulting from ... Read more »
eBay Tips 2008: What about a website?

eBay Tips 2008: What about a website?

Of all the eBay sellers I've met over the years, I've never met one who regretted setting up their own website. But almost every single one I've spoken to regrets not having done it sooner. I think that every seller dependent on the eBay monster needs some sort of independent online presence. It ... Read more »
eBay Tips 2008: There may be trouble ahead.

eBay Tips 2008: There may be trouble ahead.

What would you do if eBay pulled the plug? It could happen. What if a change makes eBay untenable for you? What if the developments to Search and Browse, combined with a few unsavoury Feedback, mean that your items are appearing at the bottom of the pile? Just like in the Thunderbirds, anything ... Read more »
eBay Tips 2008: Pimp your Parcels

eBay Tips 2008: Pimp your Parcels

So far, we've only looked at online modes of marketing and branding. But there is one very obvious opportunity to connect with your buyers in a visceral way: by branding your parcels and using them to market. There are two particular advantages of using this channel. Firstly, it's free from ... Read more »
eBay Tips 2008: 4 Marketing Must Dos

eBay Tips 2008: 4 Marketing Must Dos

Here's a washing list of things that I haven't mentioned so far, that you should be doing. If not, you're a maniac. About Me Page: Just about nothing is free on eBay and yet this free option isn't taken up universally. Your About Me page is a freeform page that you can customise, design and ... Read more »
eBay Tips 2008: Consistent eBay Marketing and Branding

eBay Tips 2008: Consistent eBay Marketing and Branding

The only really important aspect of your on-eBay branding and marketing is consistency. You don't have the full gamut of options on the site that most businesses have so making sure that you extract the most from the ones you do have is vital. Everything you do on the site is an opportunity to tell ... Read more »