Yahoo Sponsored Links on eBay

Subscribe to our 2 FREE Newsletters!

Web AuctionBytes

Home

Subscribe

Blog

Letters to Editor

Podcasts

Forums

AuctionBytes TV

ABU Back Issues

Sponsor

COOL TOOLS

Calendar

eBay Fee Calculator

Collectors' Links

eBay Promo History

Bookshelf

Fraud Resources

Auction Site Fees

Auction Management

Payment Services

Storefronts Chart

Sniping Chart

Consignment Services

Drop-Off Store Laws

Ecommerce Resources

Photo Tips

Marketing Inserts

Yellow Pages

Classifieds

AUCTIONBYTES

Our Writers

Write For Us

Partners

Press

Advertising

About Us

Link To Us

AuctionBytes Blog
News and insight focusing on
ecommerce and the online auction industry
by Ina Steiner, Editor of AuctionBytes.com

September 04, 2007

Yahoo Sponsored Links on eBay

By: Ina Steiner

Tue Sept 4 2007 16:33:02

eBay is running Yahoo graphical ads on eBay.com, and is running Yahoo Sponsored Links at the bottom of search results pages. eBay's Bill Cobb said those ads would appear only if there were no matching eBay listings or that offer complementary offerings. But lately, the ads have been appearing with more frequency and directly compete with eBay sellers' own listings.

AuctionBytes is publishing an article about this in the September 5th Newsflash newsletter, and we'd like to hear what buyers and sellers think.

Comments (49) | Leave Comment | Permalink

Readers Comments

Yahoo Sponsored Links on eBay

by: Laura

Wed Sep 5 16:00:44 2007

With Yahoo having one of the top auction sites, next to ebay, do you think this has anything to do with them closing their auction site recently?

Yahoo Sponsored Links on eBay

by: Mat

Wed Sep 5 16:09:24 2007

Wasn't there a time where eBay was claiming the reason we couldn't mention our own website in our listings was to protect the seller and buyer from potential risks of selling/buying off eBay? (Those ads have no filter; any scam site can link here.)

Are we now allowed to link to our websites? I pay to list here, usually paying more in insertion fees than what they get on pay-per-click from Yahoo/Google. Why can't I list my website in my listings?

Anyway, I guess I see what I'll have to do now. Take advantage of eBay's stupidity and get in on the pay-per-click ads for my own website, with a description saying "OUR PRICES ARE LOWER THAN EBAY'S!"

Yahoo Sponsored Links on eBay

by: Chris

Wed Sep 5 16:50:46 2007

This is crazy! I don't know of any business that sends their customers somewhere else to buy a product that they have in stock.

To me this would be like walking into Wal Mart, asking the greeter where Widget XYZ is. They show me where it is then push me out the door and tell me to go to Target because it is cheaper.

Yahoo Sponsored Links on eBay

by: t_e_v

Wed Sep 5 17:09:36 2007

This move is a smart move, for ebay's ''stock repurchase plan'' along with the bait and switch of store items last year, the smart search test during the last holiday season, the syi3 fiasco, the dsr's being released at the time of postal rate increases, now they are playgrounding a new search just in time for the holidays again, and let's not forget the non-performing seller crackdown. All of these have helped the company buy back millions of shares, of course last year they were a little cheaper. How many has ole Meg sold back to the company the past two years? Not to mention the other insiders? Yeah I'd say their bottom line is doing quite well.
Come on all you sellers and buyers close your accounts out, let them sell their options for pennies on the dollar instead of tripling their money at your expense.
One last thing, when the few buyers that actually find something they might buy from an ebay seller, leaves to buy it somewhere else, Who pays the relisting fee, the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th time it doesn't sell on ebay?
ebay doesn't lose, the sellers do!!
t_e_v

Yahoo Sponsored Links on eBay

by: Cowbell

Wed Sep 5 17:36:02 2007

Dino D. said." I hate to defend ebay here, but if there's an identical product for a lower price, that benefits the buyer. I hate to see sellers advocating less transparency. Instead, sellers should embrace transparency. If you can beat amazon, you'll get the sale, if not, find something else to sell."

It always benefits the buyer to do their research. I see no reason eBay should do it for them. If they want to see if it's cheaper at Amazon, let them go there and look, or use one of a dozen comparison engines.

It is the duty of all businesses to do right by their customers. eBay's buyers are not their customers. The SELLERS are.

As an eBay seller I paid eBay a fee to have eBay help me sell that item, not to direct my potential buyers elsewhere.

The only winner here is eBay. They have my listing fee. They have their fee from the ad.

If eBay is sending people to Amazon, all that says to me is that it's a good time to sell on Amazon.

eBay has only so many feet they can shoot off.

Yahoo Sponsored Links on eBay

by: Another Wronged Seller

Thu Sep 6 00:24:51 2007

Once again, it's fiasco after fiasco from ebay central!

Absolutely brilliant concept! Send your customers to someone else.

Don't forget they're ''trying to improve the buyer experience'' What better way to improve the buyer experience but show them a cheaper place to buy? Even if it does screw the sellers who have PAID already to have ebay help sell their product. Just as long as they get paid from someone.....

This only shows once again that ebay has no respect for its sellers or they wouldn't be spitting in our faces yet again!

The last several years has been a textbook example of running a business if you WANT it to FAIL! They couldn't have made many more mistakes if they tried. You could make better business decisions by flipping a coin.

Ebay execs need to go back and take Business 101.

Yahoo Sponsored Links on eBay

by: Chairman

Thu Sep 6 03:49:56 2007

So wrong on so many levels

eBay is killing off the sellers

Yahoo Sponsored Links on eBay

by: Fair is Fair

Thu Sep 6 17:49:58 2007

If eBay wants to make money by sending customers elsewhere then they should not charge a listing fee. They should only charge a final value fee if the item sells.

I sell on eBay and have my own website. If eBay dropped the listing fee, I would advertise on eBay for my website as well. At this point, I can't do that because I would be competing with myself!

The sellers that have the sponsored ads get the benefit of the exposure from eBay without eBay's hefty fees.

As long as eBay charges a listing fee regardless if the item sells or not, they should keep the advertising within eBay. They could go back to selling ads to their sellers and still make money.

It seems that it takes a class action suit these days for eBay to take notice!

Yahoo Sponsored Links on eBay

by: David Wolfer

Mon Sep 10 14:58:46 2007

WOW! Looks like I better find a different way of selling my merchandise because I can't keep paying Ebay to bring them customers to buy and those customers go to the Sponsored Links. I guess if you can't beat them join them!!! Very simple have your cake and eat it to. At WHAT COST? This could take EBAY down.

Yahoo Sponsored Links on eBay

by: jsicolts

Wed Sep 12 10:28:29 2007

Since when does NEUTRAL = negative. So unfair. USA didn't restrict Switzerland - the basis for everything neutral.
We hate eBay.
We do better on other selling sites : Alibris, Biblio, even eBay's ugly sister Half.com.

Yahoo Sponsored Links on eBay

by: Wrong Move

Fri Sep 14 10:47:57 2007

This is just another blow to the eBay sellers who have worked diligently to build their business on eBay. They pay for all their listings daily and monthly and now when someone does a search they are directed off eBay to websites and resellers who are not even part of the eBay community. This one badly thought out move by eBay has cost me over 60% of my business as I sell into a nitch market where now I am being forced to compete directly with my manufacturer who has a lot more ad dollars than I do and can offer free shipping since they have greater margins. This move will be the final straw that will eventually force me off eBay as I am now being forced to compete with the entire Internet universe of major dealers and manufacturers who can anty up a minimum of $3000 per month for advertising. This one move alone will destroy the smaller resellers and make selling on eBay a game only playable by those with deep pockets and big bucks. Eventually it will make it impossible for any small dealers to compete. It was the small dealers who made eBay and instead of being rewarded with appropriate selling tools they are being systematically eliminated in lieu of the the big ad monies. This one single act more than any other should tell you as a seller on eBay where you future now lies.

Yahoo Sponsored Links on eBay

by: Silly Duck

Sun Sep 16 11:56:31 2007

If ebay is stating that they are only sending buyers off site if the product in the search is cheaper means two things. First, that off site product must be a Buy It Now price, not an auction as the search engine cannot determine the final auction price.

Two, It smacks directly into the face of all the sellers on eBay who bought into the ''return to core auctions'' strategy that ebay has been pushing.

That means, in addition to seeing sales go off site, the ebay believers who starting not using BIN pricing and only use auctions to move products, get a double screw.

Of course, ebay, move the buyers off site for BIN items and forget about the push you did to everyone to get back to basics and the core-auctions.

Yahoo Sponsored Links on eBay

by: eBayMoneyPit

Sun Sep 16 17:01:17 2007

If you hover over a sponsored link you see this URL that eBay is sending all the clicks through.
http://srx.main.ebayrtm.com

Someone with analytical abilities would be able to determine HOW MANY CLICKS EBAY IS SENDING OFF-SITE and to whom.

Ina, maybe you could chart the traffic to this click-through URL and let us know?

I would do it but I don't have an Alexa account and I need to rework my eBay biz model... again.

Yahoo Sponsored Links on eBay

by: Alicia

Sun Sep 16 19:38:20 2007

I think the Ads on ebay are a BAD idea, it IS driving people, elsewhere. I thought you could get "IT" on ebay. Not so if your directing other's elsewhere , Ebay. ::eyeroll::
Furthermore, it used to be the ads were NOT on a seller's listing page, but now they are. I do NOT PAY for ads aiming elsewhere, when someone searches under MY name, for MY goods. Hello, we PAY for that space. Nice. Truly am beginning to believe this is a sinking ship.

Yahoo Sponsored Links on eBay

by: Alicia

Sun Sep 16 19:46:11 2007

I agrew with the first Op, and many other's. WITHOUT sellers, simply no ebay. Hoever, the problem is noone will take a long ejnough ban (or enougb peeps will join either) it is a great idea though. anyway opening my own website, don't care about the costs, and also joined bidderssite.com Chekc it out if you haven't!

Yahoo Sponsored Links on eBay

by: Ed

Sun Sep 16 22:57:22 2007

Not a suprise ebay will do anything for money if they don't make enough money by raising fees, adding fees to your invoice that aren't yours (fraud), charging your credit card for services you didn't use and refusing to refund (fraud), then they find other ways like charging sellers listing fees and send your buyers to an off-site link for more money this is why we now call it greedbay, ebay doesn't care about any buyers or sellers they've abused this great site to generate money for greedy management at the expense of the little guy, ebay is no longer a great auction site but merely a name that is used and abused to generate money for greedy millionaires who want to get richer even if it's not a honest wage.

Yahoo Sponsored Links on eBay

by: Bill

Fri Sep 21 10:15:06 2007

For two weeks we have seen a mysterious drop in sales. We are eBay Powersellers.
Sponsored links within the eBay system is a major change that directly affects the search results and redirects the customer base. We are at the beginning of researching the impact on our business, but at this point, we strongly
suspect the sponsored search results within eBay. Regardless, this is a very poor decision.

Yahoo Sponsored Links on eBay

by: Veri Tas

Sun Sep 23 01:33:24 2007

Ebay management has been brain dead quite awhile now. This is not about ads, revenue or ebay's race to the bottom. This is about character and integrity. Clearly, the suits at ebay lack any understanding of ''CONFLICT OF INTEREST''. These people will not be called to account until the stock tanks and the sellers have all moved on. That's what happens when one's vision is out of focus and at right angles to ethical behavior.

Yahoo Sponsored Links on eBay

by: Fed Up

Tue Sep 25 10:51:55 2007

I thought the primary mission for both Meg and Bill was producing sales on Ebay. Apparently they are more attracted to quick influx of money from Yahoo ads at the bottom of every page. It is inconceivable to me that Ebay execs can be so irresponsible by promoting links that send customers away from Ebay. Do they realize how many sellers lives are effected by such foolhardy decisions? What will 4th Quarter be like with these yahoos at the helm? For 9 years, I have loved and trusted Ebay to make the best decisions and in turn help grow business. I hope these folks with their millions are held accountable for causing financial disaster for so many households.

Yahoo Sponsored Links on eBay

by: Peter

Tue Sep 25 12:22:52 2007

As bad as this policy is, we small and medium sellers won't really feel the squeeze until eBay's new search results are in place (that replaces chronological order with ''relevance'' -- that is, favoring big sellers in search results -- as the default sort).

Once that happens, corporate multi-channel sellers will be the only visible ones on eBay. Whether or not it spells the end of eBay, it will most certainly mark the end of small business prosperity on the site.

Click to view more comments
1 2 3 [Next Page]

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Archives


Site Index Copyright 1999-2009. Steiner Associates LLC. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.