An idea I dont know how to implement

[gem-n-i-gemstonz]

I have an idea for my listings that I dont know how to implement. I am not sure it is a really good one, but I think it could push up some sales. I almost always have a BIN on my auctions, so hopefully if I could implement this, it would work more to my advantage, rather than less. i am hoping it would make more people click on the BIN button.

I have always thought it would be really neat to not only show how many people have looked at an auction, but also how many have put it on thier watch list. If you saw that there were 4 watcher other than yourself, wouldnt you feel more like clicking the BIN? I never thought that eBay had those statistics available, but now that it is right there in My ebay, I am wondering if there is a way to get that info and put it on my auction page.

Now clearly in the case where there was no watchers, it wouldn't help at all. But I am wondering in the case of certain auctions if it would be worthwhile to edit the auction, adding that info in, once there are more than say 2 people watching an item?

Anyone know how that could be done?

Jaqui

[shoplineca]

Jaqui
I use a reserve and a BIN on 99% of my listings.

You would think that people would click on the BIN when the bidding starts taking off on hot items but it doesnt.

At least 35% of the time, bidding exceeds my BIN. That happens because once someone bids over my reserve, the BIN option is gone.

Its really a judgement call to determine if knowing more people looking at your listing encourages more bidding or for someone to use the BIN.

I personally feel much better seeing alot of bidding activity on my auctions than knowing there are a bunch of passive voyeurs out there some of whom could be your competitors seeing how well your items are selling.

PS I dont know how to do what you are requesting either, sorry.

Malcolm

[gem-n-i-gemstonz]

Hi Malcolm,

The question I was asking was if anyone knows how I could translate the info from My ebay (ie: the # of watchers) into a special counter on my auctions. Like some way to pick up the code they are using to get the info, which I then could insert into the listings.

I do know that some of them may be just my competitors....but I was figuring that potential clients may not realize that, and I was hoping that if they were simply waiting to snipe the auction at the end, this may encourage them to click on the BIN. 😉

A lot of my auctions have got the BIN set at just $1 more than the starting price, since I am unwilling to lower the price on those particular items. It is a long story, but I have also been experimenting with opening prices etc, and have found that this combo seems to work best. Still, I'd like to get more volume going. To that end, I was hoping to increase some of the sales on items that have not had bidders, but have had watchers.

Jaqui

[rewelu]

Hi,

If you have a popular item, why not consider using Fixed Price listing.

I do that all the time and combine it with a multiple quantity. Most of the time, all the stock is sold within 24 hours. (quantity of 10+ on item US$104.99)

Hendre

[shoplineca]

Jaqui
I understood what you wanted, couldnt help you with doing it, but at the same time offered my comments towards whether it would really help you.

One of the problems is that you can have negative number of watchers (discussed either on the Cdn PS Board or the US over the last couple of days). If you want to confuse prospective buyers that will do it for certain.

The counters dont reflect the number of people actually watching or that have been to see your listing or that have added your item to their 'watched item' list as they are flawed.

Once again we get back to whether no information is better than wrong information, and I believe no information is always preferable.

HOWEVER: you can add your own counter on all of your auctions, call it "Favorite Buyers Item Tracker" and start the number at 15 and have it add numbers every hour or so.

There's tons of free counters available on the net and you can plug in whatever number you want and be no less accurate than using the ones currently available on eBay but be guaranteed that the number will be more favouable than having a negative.

Malcolm

[gem-n-i-gemstonz]

Hi Malcolm,

Yes, I had seen the other discussion too. I hadn't heard of negative numbers for counters though. Maybe I am not stating it well, but I did know you were trying to help in terms of offering comments regarding whether it was worth it or not. And, I do appreciate it! I sure hope I didnt come across as if I didnt.

I was had hoped to achieve a "placed on my watch list" counter...rather than just "been to see this auction" counter. Because the latter of those 2 doesnt seem to be of any significance at all.

Again, I am not even sure myself if it would be worth it, I just thought it would be a thing to try.

Jaqui

[shoplineca]

Jaqui
Yes the problem is you can have negative watchers and I dont think that is something that you would want to highlight in your listings.

I understand now that your starting price is $1 or $2 less than your BIN for a number of your listings and that means you are more interested in selling at a set price than an auction. But why bother with the BIN if you might sell it for more than your BIN?

I use a reserve and a BIN for the trigger effect where the BIN option goes once the reserve is met but I am not certain of the advantage to have a BIN with a starting price only $1 under the BIN?

I looked at your auctions and I would be more inclined to start bidding at your starting price if it didnt have a BIN than see a BIN one or two dollars more than the starting price and either hope to get it for a $2 savings or use the BIN.

You might want to start a thread on this and ask other PSers their opinion from experience as I have gone somewhat off topic from your intial question.

Malcolm

[ospreylinks]

Actually I like Jacqui's idea as well. It is all well and good to have a counter to see how many tire kickers are looking at an item, but if there was a way to access the added to watch-list counter as well, it may prompt some of those watch-list fence sitters to hit the ole buy it now button.

I have several exclusively Buy It Now items and when you go to My Ebay and see that 15 people have added it to their Watch Lists, I kind of scratch my head as to why? It isn't like the price is going to change.... It is Buy It Now or Buy It Later, the price is the same. Possibly they are comparative shopping, but if they knew that an item was being watched by other serious buyers, then it might prompt them to take earlier action.

Malcolm, the problem I have found with trying to offer the Buy It Now Option on an auction item, is once an initial bid is posted (even though it is below the Buy It Now value), the Buy It Now option disappears.

I wish the Buy It Now Option would remain intact until the item bid values were at least equal to the Buy It Now Amount.....

Jeff

[shoplineca]

Jeff
When you use a reserve and BIN it works in your favour.

I set my reserve at, lets say Jaqui's starting price but I start my auctions at $1 or $2.50 and I have a BIN.

I get bidders starting at the $1 or $2 and I usually have quite a few bids by the end of an auction on my listings (as much as 20).

But as I pointed out, only when my reserve is met (not the 1st bid which is different when using reserve and BIN)), the BIN option is gone and I sell 35% of my sucessful listings ABOVE my BIN.

I do have to pay for both the reserve and the BIN so my listing costs are about $2 US higher than yours or Jaquis but with even only 1 or 2 auctions per month exceeding the BIN, I have paid for all the extra costs of using both the BIN and reserve.

I have had items with a BIN at $149.95 US sell for over $375.00 US (reserve was at $99 US).

What I was telling Jaqui about the counter is that it would be "counter-productive" using the existing counters as they can record '-1' watchers and she might be better adding a counter with a ficticious number that adds one or two every so often to it as opposed to one that is so incorrect it can record a negative.

Malcolm

[gem-n-i-gemstonz]

Hi Jeff & Malcolm,

I understand Malcolms point about a counter showing negative numbers. How exactly does that happen if the counter is started at 0? Why for example dont I get any negative numbers showing in My eBay watch list counters? I am not questioning that it does happen, just how.

Jeff, you got it right (where I was coming from). What I wanted was to show the people who put it on thier watch list that others also have it on thier watch list. And, yes, I was hoping that would get some of them to make the move to clicking on the BIN. I too have the experience of many people putting something on thier watch list, but the listing ends without a bid. I have to wonder if those people might have been more inclined to pay more attention, and possibly even be inspired to click that button by knowing others are also watching it. Certainly as a buyer, it would light a fire under my butt. 😉

I have tried having only fixed price auctions. I have tried only having biddable autions without the BIN. I have offered lower prices in my eBay store...but what seems to have worked best is having the BIN just $1 higher. I have no idea why. It seems people like to have the option...and it also seems that they are too lazy to make a click or 2 to save. 😉 I even tried making the store price lower and offering bonuses that were not offered in the auctions. Still, what worked best was to offer the bonus if they clicked the BIN from the auction.

I have tried reading the source code in the page from My eBay to see if I could figure out where the info is coming from, and if I could link to it. But I am not a programmer. I have some limited experinece with it, just not enough to figure out where this info is coming from, or how to access it.

Oh well. If anyone does figure it out, please let me know!

Jaqui

[ospreylinks]

I understand too Malcolm about reserves, etc. I just hate paying the reserve fee.....

I also wonder how an item gets a (-)negative for people who have added it to their watch list.... how can you have one person add it to their list and two remove it?

Jeff

[shoplineca]

Jaqui and Jeff (sound sooooo cute)
I will try to find the comments on the US PS board about it. There is, of course, only specultaion as to how it happens as only eBay can tell us for certain.

Here is the link to the US thread (only one of them on negative watchers): http://forums.ebay.com/db1/thread.jsp?forum=76&thread=410152307&start=-35&msRange=40

The 3rd poster (right after me) has a pretty positive idea about how it may happen.

The fact that it can suggests that there could be other reasons for it to happen and providing inacurate readings overall.

Malcolm

[shooger]

I understand Jacqui's question, and too wonder if there's an easy way to pick up the code and have it displayed on your listing. For example:

Number of people watching this auction: 14

I highly doubt that there's any chance the number would be below zero. That would mean you didn't use the code properly, or the database is corrupt. I haven't read the US board, but I don't feel the need to.

As for putting a BIN price and a low bid at almost the same price, I'd also suggest selling using Fixed Price. It's cheaper, and like you said, you don't want to sell for less than the BIN price anyway.

As the opening bid price and the BIN price get closer together, the reasons for (and advantages of) having both get fewer.

IMHO.

[shoplineca]

By now you have read the link to the US PS Board and have come to learn that it can happen but no one has a clue how it happens.

I thought that you would get a kick out of the reasons birthdayboy gave.

But as I was saying, if the system can show -1 people watching, then you could also have 10 people watching and the system only show 3.

I would never want to use an unrealiable system to assist in marketing my products.

Malcolm

[ospreylinks]

When you look at the source of your my ebay page,

the coding for the watched # is 0

So the Ebay database writes the script based on the number in their data-base, and it doesn't give you the opportunity to steal the database entry....

Jeff

[gem-n-i-gemstonz]

I just thought you guys might find this amusing...I have my 1st negative number on my "watched item" list. Like I said Malcolm...I wasnt questioning that it happens...just how. 😉

Jaqui

[gem-n-i-gemstonz]

This whole thing of negative numbers on counters for # of watchers and/or listing viewers begs the question: how difficult would it be for them to edit thier code...

If amount = < 0 then display "0"

Like I said, I am not really up on my programming...it has been a long time...but even I can figure that one out. 🙂

Jaqui

[gem-n-i-gemstonz]

Actually, come to think of it:

If amount = < "0" then amount= "0"

Something to that effect, in theory should at the same time reset thier counter to 0...no? Anyone out there with better programming brains than me...care to comment? 🙂

Jaqui

[shoplineca]

Jaqui
Lets assume a potential buyer looks at your item at home on his computer and sets it up as an item to "Watch".

Now he goes to work, logs on and set it up there as an item to "watch".

How many distinct "Watchers" do you have?

I know for a fact that many of my buyers are looking at my things from their home and office as I often get emails from 2 distinct places.

I can also tell you that many eBayers have more than one eBay userid.

I just wouldnt get too hung up on this feature unless it gave you the userid of the people watching.

There is little that you can rely on in the information that it gives you.

Malcolm

[ospreylinks]

I think what I meant was the ebay script returns the number of watchers and that is auto written for the html code that displays the watching page.

Jeff