Anyone do better from website than from Amazon and ebay
Discussion
Hi All,
In light of some very scary changes on Amazon and their ever ending quest to try and make things seem better I feel I like to spread out the risk in my business. I have always had a site but it’s never done very well however in saying that I have never put any effort into it: that has changed as of last week.
I have seen some horror stories on the Amazon seller forum of businesses with 10,000+ orders a month with T/O 1m+ just being shut down over night due to this new bot giving out policy warnings regarding listing details - it is essentially connected to negative feedback: if you get a bad feedback a system picks this up and gives you a warning that your listing is rubbish and to fix it. People have had 3 of these and been shut down. At this point you need to give Amazon an "action plan" of how you intend to improve things. Blows my mind! This new “feature” started in March/April 2015.
In light of this for me having a website to spread out the risk is a key goal of mine for this year.
This got me curious to find out from other people who run online businesses on how they fair in terms of running their own website. I would be interested to find out especially from people who also run an Amazon or eBay account or both to see how they weight up.
Thanks
In light of some very scary changes on Amazon and their ever ending quest to try and make things seem better I feel I like to spread out the risk in my business. I have always had a site but it’s never done very well however in saying that I have never put any effort into it: that has changed as of last week.
I have seen some horror stories on the Amazon seller forum of businesses with 10,000+ orders a month with T/O 1m+ just being shut down over night due to this new bot giving out policy warnings regarding listing details - it is essentially connected to negative feedback: if you get a bad feedback a system picks this up and gives you a warning that your listing is rubbish and to fix it. People have had 3 of these and been shut down. At this point you need to give Amazon an "action plan" of how you intend to improve things. Blows my mind! This new “feature” started in March/April 2015.
In light of this for me having a website to spread out the risk is a key goal of mine for this year.
This got me curious to find out from other people who run online businesses on how they fair in terms of running their own website. I would be interested to find out especially from people who also run an Amazon or eBay account or both to see how they weight up.
Thanks
Curious. I started a website and then added Amazon and eBay as an afterthought; it never occurred to me to do it the other way round (i.e. start with Amazon/eBay and then build your own site) but I accept many businesses do it that way.
Even now the volumes on Amazon are ok, eBay are pathetic and the majority of our sales are direct to the website. Mind you, we focussed hard on getting to Page 1 on Google for our choice term so that's what has helped.
If you fear you are beholden to Amazon or eBay, I guess I fear I'm beholden to Google. I don't know which one of us is better off but at least my costs are fixed (SEO) and I get full margin... for now...!
Even now the volumes on Amazon are ok, eBay are pathetic and the majority of our sales are direct to the website. Mind you, we focussed hard on getting to Page 1 on Google for our choice term so that's what has helped.
If you fear you are beholden to Amazon or eBay, I guess I fear I'm beholden to Google. I don't know which one of us is better off but at least my costs are fixed (SEO) and I get full margin... for now...!
Hi Aquarius909,
You bring up an extremely valid point in that google can also decide your fate very quickly if you are knocked away from page 1 or 2.
In saying this I am told if you have organic growth on your site and build your ranking organically then your probably going to be ok however for me as a business owner its more of a case of spreading the risk, if I have three revenue streams rather than 1 or 2, if 1 shuts down then its not the complete end of the world.
It's nice to hear a website is doing well more than amazon and ebay! then again either of them could pick up!
You bring up an extremely valid point in that google can also decide your fate very quickly if you are knocked away from page 1 or 2.
In saying this I am told if you have organic growth on your site and build your ranking organically then your probably going to be ok however for me as a business owner its more of a case of spreading the risk, if I have three revenue streams rather than 1 or 2, if 1 shuts down then its not the complete end of the world.
It's nice to hear a website is doing well more than amazon and ebay! then again either of them could pick up!
Depends what level you're talking about. I do better from my sites at the minute, but I'm probably small scale compared to you (my t/o this year will be just over £100k, part time)
Site 1 is a "niche" site with the brand name, it does better than eBay or amazon by about 98% site 2% other channels, I doubt this will ever change and don't intend it to.
My main site and my sub-nice site is a different matter, about 70% of orders are currently from eBay, 5% amazon and the rest site.
I've barely got anything listed on eBay and it does seem to open doors to sales, but obviously costs a lot. I will be adding more and more to it in the next few weeks to boost the business but I'm also going out to trade customers, phone orders, I've now got a sales rep and we're doing exhibitions in order to boost the website rather than via eBay.
Ultimately I don't want to rely on eBay or Amazon pulling the plug for some random reason. I've worked for companies in the past that rely 100% on Amazon with £50k p/a premises and staff. Just sounds a bit too scary!
Site 1 is a "niche" site with the brand name, it does better than eBay or amazon by about 98% site 2% other channels, I doubt this will ever change and don't intend it to.
My main site and my sub-nice site is a different matter, about 70% of orders are currently from eBay, 5% amazon and the rest site.
I've barely got anything listed on eBay and it does seem to open doors to sales, but obviously costs a lot. I will be adding more and more to it in the next few weeks to boost the business but I'm also going out to trade customers, phone orders, I've now got a sales rep and we're doing exhibitions in order to boost the website rather than via eBay.
Ultimately I don't want to rely on eBay or Amazon pulling the plug for some random reason. I've worked for companies in the past that rely 100% on Amazon with £50k p/a premises and staff. Just sounds a bit too scary!
We focus mainly on our website, as we're building a brand (fashion) and in the long run our website will always be under our control and where the money is. We are signed up to Amazon as a seller because they gave me 6 months subscription free and it's okay for selling a few bits, mainly phone cases.
We have no intention of using Amazon as the main source of revenue, as you say, it's totally out of your control and unpredictable. It's also a race to the bottom. I've seen a company who were doing £100k a month in sales get banned and have to lay off staff.
We have no intention of using Amazon as the main source of revenue, as you say, it's totally out of your control and unpredictable. It's also a race to the bottom. I've seen a company who were doing £100k a month in sales get banned and have to lay off staff.
It is actually very positive to see that people are actually building their own sites and own brands.
I seem to do fine on ebay and amazon but it does play on me every day especially when out of blue even if its once every 6 months that we get some random and silly email about something we are being told off about.
Reading horror stories as a few posters have mentioned about people investing in such huge set ups for it to close overnight is just plain terrifying.
I am currently in the same boat regarding a brand - I have quite a good brand but certainly can be better. It seems to be better than I thought it was though as two very large retailers contacted me out the blue to say they wanted to stock our items so this can only be a positive sign.
Very reluctant to proceed due to various conditions they set - such as bargain prices, 90 day payment terms etc etc
I seem to do fine on ebay and amazon but it does play on me every day especially when out of blue even if its once every 6 months that we get some random and silly email about something we are being told off about.
Reading horror stories as a few posters have mentioned about people investing in such huge set ups for it to close overnight is just plain terrifying.
I am currently in the same boat regarding a brand - I have quite a good brand but certainly can be better. It seems to be better than I thought it was though as two very large retailers contacted me out the blue to say they wanted to stock our items so this can only be a positive sign.
Very reluctant to proceed due to various conditions they set - such as bargain prices, 90 day payment terms etc etc
I've just launched a new business (link in profile) and am currently looking at selling Amazon and Ebay as I've not been doing this yet. As has been mentioned above, the idea for us was to build a brand and our own website etc. which will hopefully be the main source of revenue.
However, I'm aware of the potential exposure from Ebay and Amazon, along with the potential sales too. Some of the tales above are a bit worrying though!
Dejay1788 - I notice you're on Shopify (we are too). Do you use an app to manage your eBay and Amazon listings? I was concerned about inventory headaches selling across different channels but think one of the Shopify apps might be a solution.
However, I'm aware of the potential exposure from Ebay and Amazon, along with the potential sales too. Some of the tales above are a bit worrying though!
Dejay1788 - I notice you're on Shopify (we are too). Do you use an app to manage your eBay and Amazon listings? I was concerned about inventory headaches selling across different channels but think one of the Shopify apps might be a solution.
cc000001 said:
I've just launched a new business (link in profile) and am currently looking at selling Amazon and Ebay as I've not been doing this yet. As has been mentioned above, the idea for us was to build a brand and our own website etc. which will hopefully be the main source of revenue.
However, I'm aware of the potential exposure from Ebay and Amazon, along with the potential sales too. Some of the tales above are a bit worrying though!
Dejay1788 - I notice you're on Shopify (we are too). Do you use an app to manage your eBay and Amazon listings? I was concerned about inventory headaches selling across different channels but think one of the Shopify apps might be a solution.
Yeah, we're on Shopify. We don't use any app because none of them work in the UK last time I checked. I looked into stitch labs but is USA only at the moment. We have split our inventory, however I don't sell everything I sell on our website on Amazon because our range is so fluid I would be listing daily. I have just kept to the key lines which I will continue to sell year round on Amazon. Amazon isn't my focus at all, it's just a bit of an earner on the side. However, I'm aware of the potential exposure from Ebay and Amazon, along with the potential sales too. Some of the tales above are a bit worrying though!
Dejay1788 - I notice you're on Shopify (we are too). Do you use an app to manage your eBay and Amazon listings? I was concerned about inventory headaches selling across different channels but think one of the Shopify apps might be a solution.
Dejay1788 said:
cc000001 said:
I've just launched a new business (link in profile) and am currently looking at selling Amazon and Ebay as I've not been doing this yet. As has been mentioned above, the idea for us was to build a brand and our own website etc. which will hopefully be the main source of revenue.
However, I'm aware of the potential exposure from Ebay and Amazon, along with the potential sales too. Some of the tales above are a bit worrying though!
Dejay1788 - I notice you're on Shopify (we are too). Do you use an app to manage your eBay and Amazon listings? I was concerned about inventory headaches selling across different channels but think one of the Shopify apps might be a solution.
Yeah, we're on Shopify. We don't use any app because none of them work in the UK last time I checked. I looked into stitch labs but is USA only at the moment. We have split our inventory, however I don't sell everything I sell on our website on Amazon because our range is so fluid I would be listing daily. I have just kept to the key lines which I will continue to sell year round on Amazon. Amazon isn't my focus at all, it's just a bit of an earner on the side. However, I'm aware of the potential exposure from Ebay and Amazon, along with the potential sales too. Some of the tales above are a bit worrying though!
Dejay1788 - I notice you're on Shopify (we are too). Do you use an app to manage your eBay and Amazon listings? I was concerned about inventory headaches selling across different channels but think one of the Shopify apps might be a solution.
I have just stated my own company after leaving the family business doing more or less the same thing. Selling bedding etc on amazon/ebay although i am now selling nice dog stuff aswell. I knew as soon as i went on my own that i wanted to open a website and have just done so using shopify (would highly recommend). My cars going in to have the logo/discount code plastered on it next week and I've got 1500 flyers on the way to chuck out wherever possible.
I would like to hear how people have found the move to opening their own website after using eBay and amazon. My experience of Amazon (which was my area in the family biz) is that you're constantly bent over by Amazon themselves and other sellers! It is far too easy for sellers to undercut you (even if you just match them they will still undercut you) so within a couple of days you are then making absolutely no profit and may as well delete the listing.
If anyone has any tips for getting traffic onto my website it would be appreciated!
I would like to hear how people have found the move to opening their own website after using eBay and amazon. My experience of Amazon (which was my area in the family biz) is that you're constantly bent over by Amazon themselves and other sellers! It is far too easy for sellers to undercut you (even if you just match them they will still undercut you) so within a couple of days you are then making absolutely no profit and may as well delete the listing.
If anyone has any tips for getting traffic onto my website it would be appreciated!
jammy_basturd said:
Linnworks and BrightPearl are pretty much your only choices. DS is very knowledgeable in this area.
Thank you.elephantstone said:
If anyone has any tips for getting traffic onto my website it would be appreciated!
We've found this the biggest challenge (unsurprisingly). I think it depends a lot on what you're selling but Facebook has been the most successful for us so far (website in my profile). I spent some months prior to launch building up a social media profile, so we could hit the ground running, and all early sales came through either Facebook or Instagram. But, I would say that it's still difficult to get people to leave Facebook and come over to the website. We've had posts on Facebook that have had a great response but in reality most people aren't clicking through (even for blog posts). Most people are just 'liking' the cool pictures of cars! (which is fine).
I've found Google Adwords more difficult (and expensive). I think that's due to our products being the kind of thing that people don't know they want yet. So, you're trying to put the ad in front of people who have an interest in and are searching for keywords around specific cars. But, this makes the audience too wide and expensive. So, still experimenting/refining!
cc000001 said:
jammy_basturd said:
Linnworks and BrightPearl are pretty much your only choices. DS is very knowledgeable in this area.
Thank you.elephantstone said:
If anyone has any tips for getting traffic onto my website it would be appreciated!
We've found this the biggest challenge (unsurprisingly). I think it depends a lot on what you're selling but Facebook has been the most successful for us so far (website in my profile). I spent some months prior to launch building up a social media profile, so we could hit the ground running, and all early sales came through either Facebook or Instagram. But, I would say that it's still difficult to get people to leave Facebook and come over to the website. We've had posts on Facebook that have had a great response but in reality most people aren't clicking through (even for blog posts). Most people are just 'liking' the cool pictures of cars! (which is fine).
I've found Google Adwords more difficult (and expensive). I think that's due to our products being the kind of thing that people don't know they want yet. So, you're trying to put the ad in front of people who have an interest in and are searching for keywords around specific cars. But, this makes the audience too wide and expensive. So, still experimenting/refining!
Im hoping my logo and a discount code plastered on my car gets people onto my website. Going to do some old fashioned flyering next week aswell.
We have about 40% website, 30% Amazon, 20% Facebook Shop and 10% Ebay on our site.
Social media, particularly Facebook (about 12,000 likers now), are fantastic drivers for sales, along with advertising partnerships with specialist blogs (ad on the page, editorial in their posts).
We use ECWID for ecommerce and they have social media integration and Facebook Shop as click and enable features, which has worked well for us.
Google Adwords cost alot and delivered little. Facebook advertising is better, weekly mailings including competitions to subscribers are best - cheap and effective and great conversion. Mailchimp is well worth it.
Social media, particularly Facebook (about 12,000 likers now), are fantastic drivers for sales, along with advertising partnerships with specialist blogs (ad on the page, editorial in their posts).
We use ECWID for ecommerce and they have social media integration and Facebook Shop as click and enable features, which has worked well for us.
Google Adwords cost alot and delivered little. Facebook advertising is better, weekly mailings including competitions to subscribers are best - cheap and effective and great conversion. Mailchimp is well worth it.
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