[quote author=amy link=topic=9139.msg69355#msg69355 date=1208824076]
Quote:my network and I pick sites that have very specific criteria.
What exactly are those criteria besides the site owners are friends of yours and active board posters? Looking at the sites, I'm assuming that GMV, traffic, and listings aren't criteria. The decision to include Ray's former sites PH and AQ would also indicate that a site owner's business ethics aren't one of your criteria criteria when selecting sites.
An example United Best network site:
Biddernsellers (hides their WHOIS, no contact info on site, email address on privacy policy is support@yoursite.com)
listings: 4,586 listings
traffic: compete 4,320 monthly uniques/quantcast US reach 2,951 monthly uniques
pages indexed in Google: 4,790
Now compare BiddersnSellers numbers to some individual sellers web stores (OK, I'll pick one of mine and I'll pick The Crab Man's store (sorry Crab Man but Sneaky would kill me if I used hers as an example
). FYI, we both use free Zen Cart shopping carts).
traffic: crabman beats BnS on quantcast US uniques with 3,179, my Zen #3 beats BnS on compete (7,125) and quantcast 3,780
pages indexed in google: Zen #3 50,000+
My store is about 1 1/2 years old (and I've never done any paid advertising) and The Crab Man's is 1 year old. If either of us had devoted the majority of our time during the past year to listing at some of the sites on your network instead of building our respective web stores we would both be much worse off. If we can build web stores that beat most of the alt sites out there so can other sellers if they put their mind to it (and if they stop following any Tom, Dick, or Harry who advertises his $210 phpProBid "eBay killer" site on PSU).
What exactly is the benefit to sellers of listing on the small sites in your network rather than listing at more established sites? It's definitely not sales, or exposure in Google. Sellers would be better off spending their time setting up their own websites or listing at sites with more traffic and buyers (i.e. sales) like Ecrater, iOffer, Blujay, Etsy, etc, etc .
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The criteria is simple....they aren't friends of mine other than Mo. (I did invite her because of that.....and the fact that PH has been around for some time. The whole PH thing wasn't even going on at the time PH was added.) They are business acquaintances. The sites have longevity, small, have owners that are trying to work together, aren't generally in the middle of crap and if they are, the site owners know what not to do,
And I think you are missing the biggest point....the site costs no one anything. It's free advertisement for individual site owners as well as auction store owners. The core sites are simply a way to diversify. Auction don't work by themselves and individual stores don't work by themselves. Cross promoting could be the key.
Building a web store is fine...but some choose not to for different reasons. Unlike auctions, they take a more time and do cost to host, etc. Not everyone sees stores as a viable option.
I am and always will be about choice. There are many choices. UB is about those choices.
And another thing, we don't ridicule others for making choices different from our own!
Now once again.....what have you stuck your neck out for lately? What have you done to bring people into an idea or concept that is positive?
(Belle....if I'm half literate then I guess you are????? A half-wit?? Oh and have I got a job for you to add to your 'life'! Yeah....I sunk to her level BBH.....but it will be the only time. So please excuse me this tiny incident!
)