Constant MM vs lowering price

[Deleted]

I have some items that I want to lower the price on.   I can't decide if it's better to just constantly have them on MM or to just go in and edit the price.

I think the MM idea might be better for buyer psychology, and for not devaluing the brand - which yes, I know some don't agree but I am a believer in it.

On the other hand, just changing the price is less work and only has to be done once.

Just curious if you've had better luck with one or the other?

[parelex]

I just edit the price once I get tired of seeing it. The one thing about using MM as a buyer I've noticed is that Ebay spams me like crazy when something I browsed for only a second goes on sale. Not just items on my watch list, things I've just peeked at.

[SA]

I'm not sure. I've never really paid attention.

But what I have noticed with MM:
I can put 20 things on sale. Those 20 things sit. They go off sale. Wait a two or three days, and sure enough, once or two of those items will sell for full prince.

If I put things on sale, I like to let them sit at full price for a couple of days before putting them on sale again. I also l only like to run shorter sales (5-7 days)

[Deleted]

I've noticed the same thing as Liz, too many times for it to be a coincidence. I put things on sale, they don't sell and then after going off sale a few of them do. I think some how it gets them back into ebay rotation where people are seeing them.

[Deleted]

Around a year ago, I did a 3 month test on MM. I ran it at a low percentage (so that the bargain itself would not skew the results.) I did it every other week and then compared Omniture views for the day before, days of, and day after the sale to the same day of the week before and after.

The purity of the test results were helped by eBay not, at the time, doing as many sale notifications.

The idea was to see if the theory that the act of an item going on and off sale did a “reindexing” boost.

At least for me, the answer was: no.

What I do find helpful MM-wise is the eBay emails. If an item is on a person’s watch list, they will get a sale notice within a couple days. If the item was just looked at, the person may or may not get a notice sometime within several days. (Sometimes, the emails come so late the sale is already over!) I think there is a great benefit, especially on 30-day listings, of reminding someone about this fabulous item she must have yet totally forgot about.

[thekloset]

I used to be a huge fan of MM--my experience was that of liz's...the sale itself made little difference, but the reindex boost after it ended was huge.

I don't know exactly what happened and when it started, but in my unscientific opinion, MM became the devil and not only lost the reindex edge but I am convinced had the opposite effect--sent the to the bottom of search.

I've since stopped using it and am in the process of adjusting prices accordingly. its hard to say of that alone is helping (price) since i'm making other changes at the same time, but it seems to me that a $34 item gets a new viewership at $28 and so it has a new chance at selling--I've sold carp recently with just a $1 deduction in original price.

take it FWIW, but I am done with MM.

[Deleted]

I agree with Liz. I've use the same practice and often sell items within a few days after the sale ends. I have also messed with the % off. It seems once you hit 12% off or above sales increase vs. 5-10% off.

[somany]

I just did my first 15% off sale versus many 10% off sales. Ten percent off has not generated more than one, maybe two, sales either during the sale or after for me. So far with 15% off, I have had 4 or 5 sales. It's still running until Sunday, I think, so not sure what will happen afterwards.

[sunsetpainter]

I haven't had much success with sales.  I've noticed that when I keep lowering the price until it hits my rock bottom, and then RAISE it a few bucks, it sells quicker.

[denise15601]

I do the sales with MM, now having a 25% off. That way I can opt out of a sale if we are going to have a lot of snow, and the sales will slow down.

For me, since my prices are a bit high, MM = more sales.

Also, since I have to keep my gross down so I won't lose Medicaid, I can control that with sales.

[Deleted]

I have some items that I want to lower the price on. I can't decide if it's better to just constantly have them on MM or to just go in and edit the price.

If these are the same items all the time, I would probably do MM for longer periods of time and gradually reduce the percentage off. Maybe 10 days at 10%, then 10 days at 20%, etc. until you hit the magic number. I recently sent a dozen things to auction at 50% off what the BIN price had been and only sold one. I had people watching who never bid, and wanted to pull my hair out because they didn't realize what a bargain they were getting compared to what the items were selling for the week before. I really think buyers need to see the savings. Maybe the next time there's an auction with BIN sale I'll try again. Auction some items at $9.99 leaving the BIN of $20.

[jellybeanscloset412]

Elly! Where have you been? Glad to see you posting!

I use MM all of the time. If the item is something I am putting on sale for the first time it works well. If its a stale listing from the get go then lowering my price and sending it to auction works sometimes.

[Deleted]

MM sales don't usually work for me either, but I don't run long ones at all. Usually 24 hours, once in awhile 3 days. So I figure I'm not giving much time for people to see my lower price.

Like others said, they seem to be more likely to sell after the MM ends.

I've never tried long term MM, like doing a 30 day MM sale every time I relist. Some sellers do it, because I've had things on my watch list for quite awhile and always the same price/discount. I think I will try that with a couple full price days in between and see what happens.

[jandsknight]

Do you know if watchers receive a message (belated) that the price has risen?

[Deleted]

I've never seen one. I'm assuming you mean after the sale is over?

[Deleted]

Hi jellybean!
I took a girls' vacation with my sisters and cousins a couple of weeks ago. Now I'm back to my regular routine from before my sister got sick. Which seems like a lifetime ago. I spent way too much time on the computer when I was taking care of her this fall. Now she's back to resuming her normal activities, so I'm able to get back to mine. I actually sold three things in three days this week. Which doesn't sound like much, but when you've done nothing but re-list for months (which naturally resulted in almost zero sales) it gives me hope that just the small amount of new items I've listed is making a difference.

Thanks for asking!

[jandsknight]

Yes, Odyssey, after a sale. I don't have a store, but sometimes change prices while a listing is active, so I'm wondering if a watcher would get notices if I changed the price a dollar or so up or down.

[Deleted]

Feb 13, 2015 16:24:30 GMT @elly said:

Hi jellybean!
I took a girls' vacation with my sisters and cousins a couple of weeks ago. Now I'm back to my regular routine from before my sister got sick. Which seems like a lifetime ago. I spent way too much time on the computer when I was taking care of her this fall. Now she's back to resuming her normal activities, so I'm able to get back to mine. I actually sold three things in three days this week. Which doesn't sound like much, but when you've done nothing but re-list for months (which naturally resulted in almost zero sales) it gives me hope that just the small amount of new items I've listed is making a difference.

Thanks for asking!

elly, so happy to hear that your sister has recovered!

[parelex]

As far as I can tell, the emails are only sent if a MM sale is in place, not if the price has been dropped manually. I am a perpetual watcher and just keep things on my watch list forever.

[denise15601]

Elly-I am glad that your sister is better!

What I have found, is that the shorter sales work better for me....I used to run them a week at a time, but maybe buyers held off until the last minute to buy?

Now I do 2 days at a time, and that is working better for me. Might try one day.....