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zenden



Posts: 76

PostPosted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 7:09 am    Post subject: I give up - Reply with quote

I haven't had many sales, and I'm about to give up. Not even that many product views. How does everyone with sales (are there many??) get the views and sales? I have great product descriptions, and use many different ways to get my site out there.
What am I missing??

Any feedback would be great. Thanks
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cosmicray



Posts: 7286

PostPosted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 7:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Based on what I can see, you have 584 product listings.

http://zenden.ecrater.com/filter.php?sort=date

Across my 3 stores, I have 3500-3600 visible listings. Of those, I'm willing to guess that I see sales activity on 400-600 in the last 12 months (a SWAG number). So call it 15% ( +/- ).

Extrapolating, that would suggest sales activity on 88 of your listings (over the last 12 months). Is this close ?
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FoxAndFish



Posts: 1585

PostPosted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 8:09 am    Post subject: Re: I give up - Reply with quote

zenden wrote:
I have great product descriptions

What do you think is great about your product descriptions?

In most cases (for the products I checked), your product descriptions are the same language used by the other sellers of your products.

Skeleton Foot Zipper Pull? All 10 entries in Google Shopping have the same description as yours.

Leave On Moisturizing Treatment? Besides not identifying the brand (Sea Chi), which is clearly visible on the product label, you make the exact same claim as the mfr: "I personally grew two inches of new hair in 2 months." What a coincidence!!

Pearl Inlain Triple Moon Soapstone Mortar and Pestle Set? You even picked up the typo. It's "inlaid." Tho many other sellers did as well.

PetAlive Pancreas Booster? Description taken right from the mfr's order page.

You are by and large selling products that are readily available elsewhere. So how are you going to compete? You can't compete on uniqueness, rarity, or availability, b/c I can buy your products many places. A common way is to compete on price...the WalMart race-to-the-bottom approach...but sellers who do that generally need to sell volume to compensate for smaller profit margin. Your prices are about the same as all the other sellers. Another way is to compete on expertise...and one way to show you really know your products is to write your own descriptions...providing that you really do have expertise in your products. There is no incentive to buy PetAlive products from you, who demonstrates no experience in animal health care, or SeaChi products from you, who demonstrates no experience in beauty care, when I can buy them direct from the mfr, whose entire business revolves around their lines...so they presumably know something about their products and stand behind product quality and expiration dates.

So if you're going to stay with the same products, it would be a good idea to figure out how you are going to entice customers to buy those products and buy them from you, not from the many other competing sellers.
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MysticalJourney



Posts: 8

PostPosted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 10:27 am    Post subject: Abot to give up Reply with quote

I carry most of the metaphysical products you do. When an item is on back order I usually refund their money and give the expected due date. Check you herb descriptions, the title on one says 1 lb., but the description says 2 oz. When you copy azure green's text you really have to watch the descriptions. I personally don't sell much 1 lb packages. I sell more 1 and 2 oz packages.
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tigercreekgifts



Posts: 6293

PostPosted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 12:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you are selling products from Azure Green, it may take you a while to get sales because there are dozens and dozens of other sellers on here selling the same exact products from them. Their products are no longer unique on ecrater because so many other sellers offer them. You'll have to compete by offering lower prices than everyone else, and making sure you are well educated when it comes to Wicca and Paganism. Let your buyers know you can answer any questions they may have about practicing the craft or using the products you are selling. Offer them free advice if they seek it out.

I had a metaphysical store on here for a while and I closed it down because all of those other sellers bombarding the searches with Azure Green products made it almost impossible for buyers to find my items. I had maybe 4 things in my store that came from Azure Green and they were previously used items that I bought, the rest of my items were unique one of a kind handcrafted Wiccan tools, oils, bath salts, etc. They were different from everyone elses but no one was able to find them because the Metaphysical category on ecrater is packed full of products and they disappear out of the first few pages of search results within just a day or two, and it is a highly competitive niche in general.

I had all of my titles down, excellent descriptions, and my products were accepted in to Google shopping but, there are already 2 sellers I know of on here right now that seem to get all of the metaphysical sales no matter what. It seems as if no one wants to shop with any sellers other than them because they were amongst the first few metaphysical sellers here, and it's difficult to get recognized when you have someone else who has and always will "steal the spotlight" away from you.
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zenden



Posts: 76

PostPosted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 1:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks bearcreekcreations. It really is difficult to make any profit if you have to keep lowering your prices to compete to be the lowest seller. And to get the high sales like you said a few are, it's impossible if everyone goes there to buy. With azuregreen i'm finding so many items are discontinued. I was going to look for another distributor to purchase wholesale from but don't know if is should bother.

Another reply here indicated that my descriptions were not so great being taken right from the manufacturer - I don't see anything wrong with that - it describes the product well. I haven't used every product on my site to give a personal description, who has?

And forget selling these products on Amazon, every other day I have to go back to lower my price a few cents to be the lowest and when i finally get a sale, i'm making a dollar, if that. How do some sell for so low?? Are they buying in huge bulk of every item?

Maybe I should stay with my handcrafted jewelry, its one of a kind but so many people make jewelry nowadays too..
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zenden



Posts: 76

PostPosted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 1:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cosmicray, I haven't had many sales in the past 12 months, fairly new store but only 7 sales. The only time i get a any significant number of views is when i tweet my listings, and someone else here said that's just the amount of search engines it goes to not indiv. people looking at your item.
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zenden



Posts: 76

PostPosted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 1:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mystical Jouney, I haven't sold any lb herbs either, and the one I was selling a few of, they discontinued (smoke blend)
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zenden



Posts: 76

PostPosted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 1:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

another question..when i do a product search using a word or description that I have in my listings, why don't my products come up?
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thecheapskirt



Posts: 2123

PostPosted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 1:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

zenden wrote:
Another reply here indicated that my descriptions were not so great being taken right from the manufacturer - I don't see anything wrong with that - it describes the product well.


What is *wrong* with that is you get lower placement in Google results because Google does not like duplicate content.

Perhaps you *should* try things in your store. And then blog about them. Each item, make a blog entry about it on a blog and write unique content that isn't copied and pasted from someone else.
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A-Better-Way



Posts: 3363

PostPosted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 1:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Go out and get some toy hotwheel cars, a few appliances, toasters, maybe some sun lamp bulbs, or seeds to grow you own herbs, (or what ever you think)
all those different things should attract different people, that will tell someone they seen something you have.
Like i thought the coolest thing are those salt lamps, but I would never know you exist unless if i was searching for completely other things.

I will make a bet with you, go get 10 cell phone covers, make them the top things to be seen, name the descriptions titles only brand, color, size no other words.

(then send me a percentage of the sales lol, joking)

try IT !!
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zenden



Posts: 76

PostPosted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 1:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A Better Way....I like your ideas... toasters..really??? seriously..I never would have thought of that one! Ok, so when you say 'make them the top things to be seen' what do you mean? I'm willing to try anything.
thanks
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A-Better-Way



Posts: 3363

PostPosted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 2:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What I mean is , and am specifically speaking of cell phone covers.

Put one pic in for the category , featured, or even change the layout to see the random Pict's for a little while.
Get every attribute you can and have them all posted before the next sweep from google feeds all listed at once.Then paste them on twitter.
Think of twitter for when people even look, like after dinner from eastern time to pacific time, space them out, do 3 in a row, 3 different times to not spam. "Hey check out these cell phone covers get free incense free shipping !!!!!!!! "

Or throw in some item-sample for free that you specialize in, and you know will probably never sell or just want them gone.Order a cell phone cover and get this incense free sample, (just make sure the smell don't bleed over.)

Toasters was just an example, but hotwheels are not, go find some.Take pics using the macro camera function.Find some mood audio Cd's or just some style of music.Slap on a few Christmas ornaments, just think of when you go to a store, you know darn well what area you will go before you leave.
Then think if a friend or kids, you know darn well what place they will go shop or drool over, then the fathers-men, tools, ties, car wash, beer ? LoL, so you also have a spot that ends up in search for those that could care less about herbs or incense.


Last edited by A-Better-Way on Sun Jun 10, 2012 3:12 pm; edited 1 time in total
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thelivesandlovesofmaggiethecat



Posts: 10158

PostPosted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 3:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Zenden, are you into new age, holistic medicines, wicca? I ask because if you are not, you are flogging the wrong products. Makes no difference what line of products you sell, if it isn't an area that interests you, you won't do well. It is no different than an 80 year old woman selling makeup who hasn't worn lipstick since her wedding day or a couch potato selling camping gear or exercise equipment. If you don't know and believe in your product you won't be very good at promoting it.

If you have only had 7 sales in a year, either you are overpricing your stock, charging way too much for shipping, or your product line just isn't that much in demand. If as others say, a couple of sellers seem to have cornered the online market unless you have deep pockets to pay for loss leaders or deep discounts until you build up your name, I think you are on the wrong path. When a Walmart opens on the edge of town, the family owned pharmacies will soon go out of business and no sane entrepreneur will open a new one.

I sell vintage. I do because I love old things and can go on for hours about buying using vintage. Ask me to drop ship technology and my eyes would soon glaze over and cross.

What I'm getting at is do you really want to be selling on line? Is this something you got into hoping to make a bit extra? Did someone talk you into it or get you excited with their claims of making money doing nothing? You need to reevaluate your initial motivation first of all. Then your choice of product lines.
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zenden



Posts: 76

PostPosted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 3:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Livesandlovesofmagicthecat...
I've only had my store open for a few months. I am into new age, holistic, cruelty free products.
I don't understand why you would question my motives or interest in selling online just because my sales are low.
I want to have an online business and make a living selling things I use and/or believe in - pretty simple. I don't have a crystal ball and do ritual spells but that doesn't mean I can't sell these products that offer those options to people.
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