Optiseller is offering a free sample of its tools for eBay sellers to give them a taste of how it can help them optimize their listings and stores.
“The new Optiseller taster plan will not only be invaluable for sellers looking to kickstart their eBay journey, but also for experienced sellers looking to boost sales by improving their knowledge and selling processes,” according to Optiseller founder and CEO, Craig MacCallum.
Optiseller may be best know for its Aspect Finder+ tool to help sellers comply with eBay Item Specifics, but it also offers research tools for sellers.
The Optiseller “taster plan” includes the following tools:
- The Category Lookup tool is a directory of all categories on the marketplace. It provides insights for each category and enables sellers to see the top 50 rated listings based on your search terms and categories they are listed in.
- The Buyer Demand Feature gives sellers an insight into item specifics and enables them to see how commonly an item specific is used by giving it a 1-5 star rating. This means sellers can then prioritise popular item specifics helping increase searches and views.
- The Product Suggester tool is a go-to for sellers to research before creating a listing. The tool gives a detailed insight into existing listings of similar products and even includes the top 10 ranked listings so sellers can see their top competitor’s title, title length, price and category.
- The Category Suggester tool is there to help with keyword research. Sellers can view the top suggested listing categories – accompanied by an eBay data confidence rating.
MacCallum said listing in the wrong category is like storing a product in the back shelf of a store where no one is looking for it and emphasized the importance of doing research before listing on eBay.
You can find more about the free “taster plan” on Optiseller.com.
What does Optiseller do? When eBay first announce item specifics, I had assumed that it would provide an organized way to build listing descriptions. I had no idea that anyone would define item specifics as an afterthought. Would adding item specifics help narrow searches more effectively? As far I have not seen much positive effect.
Did item specifics create more challenges than benefits in the Stamps category? The Scott catalog enumerates properties that define a catalog number for every listed stamp. Did eBay create an official Item Specific for catalog number? No, they did not.
Using catalog Item Specifics, it was possible to create listings based on Scott catalog attributes. Once captured in Excel, there was no need to enter the data a second time if another stamp with the same catalog number was listed. Condition attributes related to production or subsequent handling were entered for each stamp. Catalog Number, format, quality, grade, and condition attributes define stamp value.
What did eBay do? They did not define Grade and Condition values consistent with usage in the Scott catalog usage, adhered to by most stamp dealers. They also failed to define open ended values for attributes like Denomination or Color. I knew there was a problem when eBay sent a message suggesting that a “red orange” stamp be listed as “orange” for better visibility. Is visibility more important than credibility? What if a buyer orders the “orange” stamp and returns it because it is “red orange”?
A bad situation had already been made worse when eBay eliminated Item Condition from the Stamps Category not long after item specifics were first announced. I recall the meeting between eBay and the 2004 American Philatelic Society in Sacramento where Item Condition values of “Unused” and “Used” were agreed to by eBay. After some later technological changes, the Stamps category lost Item Condition definitions. Only a few eBay sellers know how to populate Condition Description at the beginning of the listing description. After catalog number, condition is the most important determinant of price in the Stamps Category. How do sellers effectively market stamps on eBay without eBay support of a catalog number item specific and item condition?
Where does Optiseller fit in all of this? If Item Specifics are defined before the listing is created and priced what is left to discover? What can well-informed sellers learn about their listings that they do not already know? Will Optiseller help sellers produce better quality listings? Or is the objective stay in sync with the eBay search engine regardless of search effectiveness? Will buyers more easily find what they want? Will buyers stop searching by catalog number in the Stamps Category? Will they give up searches ordered by price for “Best Match”? Probably not.