Wagglepop 2: Deja Vu as Auction Site That Left Sellers Stranded Reopens

[Platzki]

Do I look like I just fell off the tunip truck?

Well... yeah... the dent in your head gave it away...

[youroverheadbin]

Marketing you ask?

xxxxxxxx  30 Apr 2007 13:32     


what is going on with the marketing etc...that was said to supposed to have happend the first half of the year?

wagglepopCC1  30 Apr 2007 13:46     


xxxxxxxx

The campaign continues, although with such a limited budget (relative to the overall marketplace target) I think expectations may be too high relative to that budget.

Although I cannot speak in specifics, we are learning more and more about what works and what does not, and currently are having good results with some POP3 targeting.

It's a pretty competitive world out there for that ever-important customer LOL

As a whole, we must start genrating enough revenues through participation to support the monthly operating expenses, and begin operating profitably so that we can create a self-sustaining marketplace that supports marketing and growth.

At $9.95 per month for SSP with unlimited free listings, we "give back" quite a bit of uncollected revenues, so we need a higher volume of sellers to be successful in terms of those revenues as a whole.

Although much has been invested, there is no "bottomless pit" of ongoing funds for overages and marketing except that which the site generates and supports.

It's a common dynamic for all new companies etching out a niche, and in time, I'm sure we can establish that niche and marketplace

Karen - WP Customer Care

Translation, I spent all the money I made off WP last summer.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx  30 Apr 2007 13:57     


Is there a flyer available that I can print and distribute at a show here? Its time for the big spring collectibles show


Didn't know if you had seen this yet...........I'll keep checking it..........

Don't hold your breath...

KaRay here's a good morning to you. 

[amy]

we are learning more and more about what works and what does not

Translation: Ray's only online experience prior to WP was selling on eBay and since this was the first time he tried to advertise a website he knew less about marketing a site than many of the people posting on this thread..

POP3 targeting

Pop3=email

Translation: Spam from the 'click here to invite friends and family' link on the stores page.

It's a common dynamic for all new companies etching out a niche

A general auction site isn't a niche.  Etsy has a niche .  Alibris and abebooks have niches.  Wagglepop doesn't have a niche market.

[sneakymagenta]

At $9.95 per month for SSP with unlimited free listings, we "give back" quite a bit of uncollected revenues

Ecrater gives back more.  Free stores and listings. No FVF. :imptongue:  iOffer. Free stores and listings :imptongue: Yahoo Auctions. Free listings. No FVF. :imptongue: I don't pay listing fees on Ubid :imptongue:

Alexa rankings:
Yahoo Auctions (free) 1% of Yahoo's traffic
iOffer (free) 4,449
Ubid (free) 7,397
Ecrater (free) 16,011
Wagglepop ($9.95): 92,173 

[let the truth be told]

Date                                    Benchmark                  Listings (All Formats)      Stores
January 2008                        Benchmark 2.5%                1.5 million              3,125

Don't look like your are going to do it Ka/Ray 



let the truth be told
u1it4less - "it's all in the name.."

[Karma]

Amy,

Are all those your stores listed - Zen 1 etc. etc.???

[youroverheadbin]

[quote author=amy link=topic=3775.msg49083#msg49083 date=1176175896]

5 open ZenCart sites, #6 will be open within the next week, #7 and #8 should be open by June.


[/quote]

This should answer your question Karma.

[let the truth be told]

[quote author=amy link=topic=3775.msg51524#msg51524 date=1177948803]

we are learning more and more about what works and what does not

Translation: Ray's only online experience prior to WP was selling on eBay and since this was the first time he tried to advertise a website he knew less about marketing a site than many of the people posting on this thread..

POP3 targeting

Pop3=email

Translation: Spam from the 'click here to invite friends and family' link on the stores page.
[/quote]




I remember it was said several times about the eBay think of list and wait, in fact it was Ka/Ray himself who mentioned that in the WP forums more then once. It's a sad fact that when it comes to advertising Ray knows nothing. Ray figured all he had to do was start an auction site and sellers would come because of the eBay fee hikes. That is all he has ever known, profit from hatred towards eBay. The fact is that worked but only for a little while. Once sellers realized they weren't getting anything for there money they started to leave. Others questioned about the advertising and recieved a canned responce that they can't discuss it. The fact is Ray doesn't have a clue how to run an auction site and he is even more clueless when it comes to advertising!!!

If there was ever to be a model of how not to run an auction or website, wagglepop is the perfect fit to that model.

Most of the reason's why WP has failed is because of the lack of marketing and advertising. It's not only because Ray didn't run an adwords campaign long enough or because there hasn't been any print advertising. It's not because there hasn't been any TV ads or radio spots. It's because the owner of WP doesn't have a clue how to operate and run a website let alone an auction site. The main reason why WP has failed is because Ray failed to do the simple things when it comes to advertising and those simple things are always free. I could name off those things in this post but NO NO. Ray doesn't know what those things are so I will never offer that info up in a public forum knowing that Ray may learn from it.

My best advice to the sellers that remain at WP is to C&P your listings to another site. Better yet C&P your listings to your own website. To those sellers who have more then 1,000 listing's at WP, you should have gotten the picture already so what are you waiting for? The longer you delay to make a move away from WP the more risk you take in loosing your listing's. There is no glory being on page 1 of view all store's at WP. Most who have made it into the top 3 based on listing's have little to NO sales to show for there hard work.

One more point about Ka/Ray's post in the WP forum's. Ray has been saying he has NO money to do anything for sometime now. He is begging for sellers at this point. He doesn't have a clue how to attract more sellers and never has attracted buyers for the sellers in the first place. He doesn't have a clue how to run an auction site or a website. In the end the only failed business is Ray's business and that is the way it should be as scam artists always get what they deserve.



let the truth be told
u1it4less - "it's all in the name.."

[chiquita]

[quote author=jojo-p link=topic=3775.msg51512#msg51512 date=1177930137]
Yep...

Hello Members,

Account processing for April has been completed.

20 accounts have been suspended for non-payment of seller fees as per the User Agreement, and will be referred for collection as is necessary.

Once again, we thank the vast majority of membership for making payment as required and on time

Karen - WP Customer Care

[/quote]

Account processing = Ray's inbox of requests for store closures has been completed. I know of one seller who requested a store closure and Ray waited 2 months to close their store, and then turned around and billed them for the two months. Ray closed their store right before his regular deadbeat sellers post on the forum.

Interesting to note, that when Ray had over 900 stores his posts about deadbeat accounts didn't exist. Hmmmm I wonder why?

[Nikkicute]

[quote author=amy link=topic=3775.msg50992#msg50992 date=1177613962]
Yes.  We have 2 more stores that will be open by June.
[/quote]

Hey, where did you go AMY?? :-\
You never gotten a chance to answer my
questions about the cost of zen carts.

About how much does it cost to have multiple zen cart sites?