A plea for store owners to not use numbers as a core basis of what works

[mandy]

Which brings me back to my point — a plea for store owners to not use numbers as a core basis of what’s going to work and what’s not. eBay is the No.1 auction site on the Internet, and used computers are being bought there every day. Where do you think those machines are going? To people who either want to save a few bucks, or simply cannot afford the latest technology. They are people, though, you should be targeting, and in more ways than what statistics tell us. All those falling in the “lowest bracket” of users —the smallest percentage using “xx” technology, like dial up and the likes — well, they might just wind up being some of your best customers. Ignore them and you’re saying that all those numbers we use as guidelines are actual limits on how successful we can be...

full article: http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articl...t-Dictate/

[Boucher]

[quote author=mandy link=topic=17176.msg67252#msg67252 date=1198671686]

—the smallest percentage using “xx” technology, like dial up and the likes — well, they might just wind up being some of your best customers. Ignore them and you’re saying that all those numbers we use as guidelines are actual limits on how successful we can be...

[/quote]

Home Connectivity in the US

US broadband penetration grew to 86.29% among active Internet users in November 2007. Narrowband users connecting at 56Kbps or less now make up 13.71% of active Internet users, down 0.38 percentage points from 14.09% October 2007

Internet Usage Statistics
212,080,135 Internet users as of July/07, 70.2% of the population, according to Nielsen//NetRatings.

That's makes almost 30 million users on dial-up in the USA. Not a small market by any stretch of the imagination and part of the reason I continue to be incensed with every stupid new tweak of the eBay site that makes it load even slower than it already had been loading.

I can still remember when I was on dial-up and could breeze through listing and scanning the categories of interest far quicker than I am able to do so now while on broadband.

[BellisimaJ.]

[quote author=Boucher link=topic=17176.msg67259#msg67259 date=1198713736]
[quote author=mandy link=topic=17176.msg67252#msg67252 date=1198671686]

—the smallest percentage using “xx” technology, like dial up and the likes — well, they might just wind up being some of your best customers. Ignore them and you’re saying that all those numbers we use as guidelines are actual limits on how successful we can be...

[/quote]

Home Connectivity in the US

US broadband penetration grew to 86.29% among active Internet users in November 2007. Narrowband users connecting at 56Kbps or less now make up 13.71% of active Internet users, down 0.38 percentage points from 14.09% October 2007

Internet Usage Statistics
212,080,135 Internet users as of July/07, 70.2% of the population, according to Nielsen//NetRatings.

That's makes almost 30 million users on dial-up in the USA. Not a small market by any stretch of the imagination and part of the reason I continue to be incensed with every stupid new tweak of the eBay site that makes it load even slower than it already had been loading.

I can still remember when I was on dial-up and could breeze through listing and scanning the categories of interest far quicker than I am able to do so now while on broadband.
[/quote]

Hmmmm...........I could almost repeat this speech in my sleep. I've heard it many, many, many times from Amy, BBH, etc...........

Build your own website!!! If you must use eBay, use them as a customer acquistion tool only! You have no control over their site, and you have to pay those ginormous fees to sell there.

Your own website= total control + no transaction fees = more $ for you. 

eBay= no control + lots of frustration + transaction fees = fewer $ for you + more stress for  you.


:turkey1:

[bargainbloodhound]

I can still remember when I was on dial-up and could breeze through listing and scanning the categories of interest far quicker than I am able to do so now while on broadband.

So I'm not the only one who finds many sites to be slower than when I had dial-up (which was 1999).  eBay isn't half as bad as some of the tech news sites that have loaded their pages with videos, Flash, and tons of video ads.

That's makes almost 30 million users on dial-up in the USA. Not a small market by any stretch of the imagination

Definitely not a small market...and since many of those users are prime candiates for buying online (rural users living in remote areas with a limited selection of B&M stores), eBay and other slow load sites are losing out on a potentially lucrative market.