Second Category in Listing

Is there any advantage to listing in a second category. If I am like most Ebay buyers I just search for items as opposed to navigating to a category to view items,

 

So is there any advantage to paying a fee for a second category, does it expose the item to more buyers. Kind of doubt that?

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Second Category in Listing

I personally see no need to pay for any of the extra listing features that eBay offers, including a second category. I don't really know if there would be many items that would even fit into more than one category, but I'm sure I'll be proven wrong by someone here if that's not the case.

Categories are useful to filter out a lot of listings that have nothing to do with what you are looking for. Simply looking for "iPhone" or "Nintendo 3DS" is going to give you a lot of listings for a lot of things that are not what you are looking for. Even adding more search terms doesn't necessarily guarantee a better search. Using the categories (along with the other available filters on the left hand side of the search), you can filter down to a much smaller group of listings that are much easier to browse through and find what you are looking for.

Categories are useful, but I don't think it's worth the cost of listing under a second category.

Message 2 of 16
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Second Category in Listing

Personally, I don't think it's worth the extra cost either. But it's just me.

Message 3 of 16
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Second Category in Listing

I'm of the opinion that buyers Search by keywords rather than by categories.

 

And we get 80 keystrokes FREE to put those keywords into titles.

 

Same with sub-title. It costs money* and is not Searchable.

 

 

 

 

 

*pierrelebel was fond of pointing out that sub-title is free on dotCAdotFR.

 

Message 4 of 16
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Second Category in Listing

"Is there any advantage to listing in a second category"

 

NO. 

 

(Period.  End of story)

Message 5 of 16
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Second Category in Listing

The cost of the second category is an advantage to the business that runs this website....eBay.

 

 

There was once a woman... a senior who added everything possible to each of her listings... to make it look ... good 

 

Her husband kept paying eBay to sell everything...

 

Note... It cost them extra above and beyond the price of the item sold.

 

and that is when the husband finally realized what was happening.

 

His wife lost her right to sell on eBay... 

 

The husband hid the computer ... and no more selling on eBay  by that wife of his....

 

-------------------------------

 

Each seller follows their own instincts about selling on eBay... and they decide what to do.

 

Success on eBay... that is selling with a ...profit ...is based on knowing what

 

... not...

 

to do

Message 6 of 16
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Second Category in Listing


@bpl521_sell wrote:

Is there any advantage to listing in a second category. If I am like most Ebay buyers I just search for items as opposed to navigating to a category to view items,

 

So is there any advantage to paying a fee for a second category, does it expose the item to more buyers. Kind of doubt that?


When I search I put in the keywords for what I'm looking for and may narrow results a bit by selecting a category ("Stamps" instead of "All Categories" for example).

 

So a second category might be useful if it crosses the major categories, but has no real value if it's between related subcategories that are under the same main category.

 

Even if the second category choice has that minor advantage, for Buy-It-Now a second category really has no extra value -- you can switch to the second category when relisting if your BIN does not sell in the first category.

 

Auctions are the only time a second category should even be considered -- as it raises the faint hope of a second bidder.

 

...

 

Words used in the title are far, far more important (and they are free) -- try to think like a buyer who is searching for something. Needs to be findable with search, needs to be attention getting, needs to convey the essential details of the item for sale,

 

-..-

 

Message 7 of 16
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Second Category in Listing

The first four to six words in a title of a listing are the most important when it comes to a search on eBay.

 

The fact that a seller has a store also means that potential buyers may choose to visit a store, or a series of stores, rather than do a search of all listings on eBay.

 

With a store a seller presents, or should present, a defined focus on what that seller has listed on eBay

 

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I sell non-fiction books.  In such a situation it is important to highlight the content of the book in  the title of listing.  Yet many sellers of books continue to  put the title of the book in the title of the listing.   In many instances the title of a book is an attention grabber in a local bookstore, but without a defined reference to the content of the book when presented on eBay.

 

An example  of such a situation is a book with the title..... Dummies.  There are many books with this word in the title.   My one book has to do with cruise missile testing in northern Canada.    

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One must be very specific about  what is being sold  by presenting a carefully worded title for the listing.  

 

This total approach to listing on eBay  is more important than any second category

 

eBay's search will also look at the the subtitle, item specifics  and then the description when a search is in progress on eBay.....  However, that first series of words in the title are the most important.

 

Message 8 of 16
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Second Category in Listing

My primary niche for listing books on eBay is History, Canada,  as presented in item specifics. The fact that these two words... Canada and History are presented in item specifics means they do not have to be in the title of a listing... unless absolutely necessary.

 

All books relating to Canada's military   are placed in my store under   History>Canada.   rather than use the second category... Military and War...  The words, military, army, navy, air force  or war will be placed in the title. Potential buyers will find me  when they find that first item in my store  and keep coming back   because of what was presented in the title of the listing.... and then they see that there is  close to 450 books about Canada;s Military in a store relating to History > Canada

 

A seller on eBay will establish a store  and then  add words to a title of a listing that will bring a potential buyer to the store.  Once they find the store,  their search within the store  provides them with an assortment of items for sale....

 

Stores must have a primary focus.....  A secondary focus should be complementary to the primary focus...  A seller should have atleast 30 to 35 listings in a store In order for a specific topic to become a secondary focus in  a store.

 

For books about birds, I will include the words Birds and Canada in the title of a listing.

 

This also applies to books about Canadian art, where the two words Art and Canada are in the title of a listing.

 

A careful placement of words in the title of a listing  becomes more important than any second category. 

 

Potential buyers search using keywords. in their first search of a topic on eBay... or anywhere else on the internet.  After a primary search they become more focused with the inclusion of more words in a search

 

 

 

 

Message 9 of 16
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Second Category in Listing

Well, I've utilized the ability to list in multiple categories since it existed, probably for the last 15 years on virtually all my lots.

 

I do believe that in some cases it can help increase visibility. I know it used to, however, I'm not so sure anymore.

 

The thing that makes me different from many "stamp people" is that I primarily sell bulk lots, groups of stamps. There are specific sub categories for this, however even then there are often multiple categories that make sense (for example a Canadian mixture could be in stamps/Canada/collections lots and stamps/Worldwide collections/lots, or a german mixture could be in stamps/europe/germany& colonies and stamps/europe/collections lots).

 

The main reason I continue to list in multiple categories is to find the people that wouldn't find me via searches when they happen across the stuff I am selling. I've mentioned elsewhere that two thirds of my business is from repeat customers so it is worthwhile for me to spend some extra $$$ to find them. (same as I did via advertising in the good old days before the internet)

 

Having said this, listing every lot dually when you've got about 3,500 is expensive. Sadly I've locked myself into a US$ store, so I'm paying more that way too. Each month I'm spending about $150 US$ extra on the dual category listing upgrades.

 

Over the last few weeks I've begun to be more harsh about whether it makes sense to have an item in multiple categories, especially the $10 to $15 stuff, and I've begun listing more in only one category. This discussion has me thinking to also do the same for stuff that is more likely to be found via searches than by accident.

 

The unfortunate part is that it is very hard to tell whether it makes a difference or not. I'll have to see what happens,my visibility is already low enough for reasons I know not why, and I'm concerned about doing things that move it in the wrong direction.

 

I did sell something yesterday that was sell similared a couple days earlier in only one category instead of the normal two. I'll have to keep an eye on how often that is happening....

 

 

Message 10 of 16
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Second Category in Listing

I assume that you are charged the fee every time the item is relisted, or is the fee charged only when the item sells?

Message 11 of 16
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Second Category in Listing

The fees (regular and optional) are charged every time a listing is relisted (either individually, manually or through GTC - good till cancelled)

Message 12 of 16
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Second Category in Listing

Yes as Pierre says, I'm paying 3500 x 5c every month for my store items that are dually listed....= $150 ish...

Message 13 of 16
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Second Category in Listing

I also agree that paying for a second category for most items, is just throwing your money away.

 

That said, I am going to do just that for one of my items in about a week when as a GTC it will automatically relist.

 

Fyi, a little back story is needed to explain why I'm going to list the Dreamcast Banner in another category.

 

A few years ago ebay took my DC Banner listing down, as they said it was in the wrong category. I had it in the Dreamcast games and console category, and ebay told me it belonged in the video game merchandise one. It has been there ever since.

 

I have sold a few, but sales have dropped off even with a fair number of watchers. Some of that may be due to my raising the price to cover the huge shipping cost(I lost my shirt on the first few I sold)

 

When I go to revise it, the second category link is there, but I'm going to wait until it relists and then see what happens when I add it back into the games and consoles one. Do you think ebay will slap my wrists again, or will they allow my to put it into that category?

 

Will the restriction still apply, or are we allowed to list in whatever related category we want?

 

Should be interesting next week.

Message 14 of 16
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Second Category in Listing

I'll cross all my toes for you. (Crossing fingers makes it hard to type.)
Message 15 of 16
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Second Category in Listing


@reallynicestamps wrote:
I'll cross all my toes for you. (Crossing fingers makes it hard to type.)

Your crossed toes are doing wonders for the listing, do not cross your fingers, as I enjoy reading your posts.

 

I had 2 Banners listed, one sold on Wednesday, the other one on Thursday.

 

Since they take a lot of time and effort to prep to ship, I only list ones I have ready to go.

 

The second buyer sent me a note, saying how lucky he was to buy my last one, I did let him know the reason why it showed "last one". I actually had 3 ready, so now it shows last one again when I added it to the listing.

 

BIG question here, am I being unethical regarding the listing, or do some of you take advantage of the "last one" moniker?

 

Strange that I sell out, yet I gained a watcher.   

Message 16 of 16
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