WEBIDZ, looking good for an 08' run!!!

[The Bar Keep]

Although I am not your average online seller nor do I typically support auction sites, I must say I am impressed with what I see with www.webidz.com

I did some research on organic search placement via Google and below are my results for Webidz.com:

Keywords                                             Google organic search placement
auction                                                                    16 (eBay placed #8 & 9)
auctions                                                                  12 (eBay not in the top 50)
auction site                                                               1  (eBay placed #7)
online auction site                                                      1  (eBay placed #10)
online auction sites                                                     3  (eBay placed #28)
alternative auction sites                                              1
alternative auction site                                                1 & 2


Ok so you get my drift, wow, that is some outstanding SEO work on the part of Webidz. Yes all those keywords are seller based keywords (attracts sellers mostly) but just look at the placement on broad keywords like auction or auction site. If the buyer based organic search results (sorry I didn't check them yet) resemble anything close to the placements above, Webidz has been a little known secret waiting to unload on the auction world. See link below:

http://www.aboutus.org/Webidz.com

A few other positive observations I noticed while looking at this site. Low fees, fast loading, open community forum (not gated), United best member, classy look, Google checkout, dedicated server, SSL, great hosting etc...

A few downfalls I noticed are.
#1 it seems as if everyone who registers gets a free store even if you are only a buyer (didn't confirm this with an account please note)
#2 Small scroll bar on the home page.
#3 Could do without the top adsense box, that space would be better suited for site promotions IMO.
#4 listing enhancements seem to be a little too cheap, could be trouble if people start to take advantage.
#5 Seems to be a member of PEACE which is a waste of time IMO, better to do your own thing rather then be exploited by far lessor sites associated with PEACE.


It's not everyday that I find an auction site that shows the promise as Webidz seems to do. It will be interesting to see what adjustments to or effects the forth coming fee changes to eBay will have on www.webidz.com

In any case to the owner of Webidz, congrats on a job well done and I wish you success in 08'


Joe - The Bar Keep

[Purse Stuff ~ Paula]

FYI:

They have a  $5.  fee required for verification before you can sell.


------------------------------------
Please proceed to one of the gateways listed below
[ PayPal ] [ GoogleCheckout ]
to verify your account

You have to pay a fee of 5.00 USD
-------------------------------------

[The Bar Keep]

FYI:

They have a  $5.  fee required for verification before you can sell.


------------------------------------
Please proceed to one of the gateways listed below
[ PayPal ] [ GoogleCheckout ]
to verify your account

You have to pay a fee of 5.00 USD
-------------------------------------

Well as I said I didn't register but I am wondering if this gets refunded in the form of site credits. I will say this much, if the STR is 1/10th as good as the SEO work done on this site that $5 fee is money well spent.

[Mojavelyn]

When I joined Webidz, as a seller, I verified my account also and was given site credit for it. At Bid-alot, prior to the Dec 06 sale of the site, it was the same way...

At PlunderHere, stiffed for non paying sellers and this is actually on my list of things to do... I don't understand why sellers think they are entitled to sell at a place then stiff them.

[Purse Stuff ~ Paula]

Well as I said I didn't register but I am wondering if this gets refunded in the form of site credits. I will say this much, if the STR is 1/10th as good as the SEO work done on this site that $5 fee is money well spent.
[/quote]


Thanks, Bar Keep,

I value your opinion and will mark this as one of the sites I should / could list on.  I keep a list and make little notes about them as I learn more from people I've come to trust and respect. I've already registered at a couple of auction sites that require verification.


Am I missing a message here.  Did someone post something about stiffing site owners and I miss it?  Mo responded to something and I don't see what she's responding to.  I must have missed something here.

Have good day,

[rho]

Paula, I had a sale on WeBidz late last spring. I've only had a few items up and never marketed the site.

I will say that I like James, and I like his attitude toward business.

During the summer, he had a relationship w/ a group or business that was auctioning some memorabilia from well know Rock Stars (for charity, I believe) so he's using some creative way to bring in buyers.

When I offered to post some fliers for the auctions locally, James stated that it was the responsibility of the venue to promote the business. James is 100% correct. Sellers need to promote their ware regardless where they sell. Sites that bundle buyers into their service package understand how the auction business works. Even in real life, auction houses promote to buyers since a sale is the thing that drives income.

In addition, James has stepped up to help/assist other auction owners. He has shared information, made great suggestions and even coded some programs for the benefit of the OAI.

WeBidz is growing at a steady pace. Without hype or controversy. And it's growing without using and abusing it's members, or the OAI community.

I was as surprised as anyone else that WeBidz would get involved with AuctionPEACE at such an early, unproven stage. I suspect the decision was based on a recommendation by his moderator, Lana/Lanascountry and hope that a relationship w/ AP will benefit WeBidz.

[bbhc]

I will say this much, if the STR is 1/10th as good as the SEO work done on this site that $5 fee is money well spent

Doubtful if it is well spent.  It's been proven over the years by sites with even better SEO work that high SERPs do not translate into high STRs...4 cases in point:

CURRENT GOOGLE SERP RANKINGS
Auction.com: #1 for "auction". --he he to their STR

AuctionFire.com: #6 for "auction", #6 for "auctions" and has been in the top ten for both terms for years.  --the place to go if you want to spend $1000 for a picture of a laptop

Yahoo Auctions: #3 for "auction", #5 for "auctions" --sell through was never good and fell through the floor after Yahoo eliminated fees in 2006.  site is now closed but maintains its high SERPs

...and need we mention Overstock Auctions (#11 for auction, #8 for 'auction site', #9 for auctions)

A better indicator than SERPs of whether a site has buyers (seller to seller sales do not equal buyers) and is worth listing on is whether PeSA/IMA members are heavily represented on the site...if they're not listing on a site then there's a reason why they're not there: lack of buyers.  Relying on the 'PESA presence indicator" has served me much better over the years when choosing a new site than relying on a site's SERPs.

A few downfalls I noticed are.

the biggie: the auction script, phpProBid, like its out of the box cousin RScript, isn't scalable.  The site will never be able to support a significant member/buyer base as long as its using this script.

[knappschiles]

BBH,

How do any of us find out IF a PESA member is in our midst. To the best of my knowledge PESA is a "closed" community. So if they don't brag about being a member how would we ever know.

Carol

[Mojavelyn]

Am I missing a message here.  Did someone post something about stiffing site owners and I miss it?  Mo responded to something and I don't see what she's responding to.  I must have missed something here.

Have good day,

No Paula, you didn't miss anything...  When I signed up at WA before I bought PH, the verification was refunded to me in the form of site credits...

As an auction site owner, and seeing this on both sides of the fence, as a seller, buyer and owner, I have had a lot of sellers run up a large bill and not attempt to pay... They take PayPal, but won't verify their account to the site. Sellers fees and optional enhancements are just debts due to the site. Yet the ones who have the highest debt to the sites are the ones who don't verify.

What is wrong with asking for account verifcation before actual use of the site?   

[knappschiles]

Mo,

I can understand your frustration with those deadbeats. I don't know if it's possible, but maybe if you could set it so that only the basic listings are available to those that don't "verify". If a person wants to use enhancements and run up a bill, they HAVE to be verified.

What bugs me as a seller tho is when I have to re-verify every 6 months or a year. Depending on the site (whether I've been selling or not) and what the verification fee is, when I get that re-verify notice, I may dump that site. If the verification is only $1, I know the site isn't trying to make money off that fee. If it's $5, I better be making sales fairly regularly.

Carol

[Purse Stuff ~ Paula]

MO Writes:

What is wrong with asking for account verifcation before actual use of the site?   end quote


I didn't say anything was wrong (or right) with it.   I made a simple statement and quoted the site policy of $5 verification fee.   Period.  The End.  I thought I was adding to the conversation by making the statement.

Many sites require verification.  That is up to the site owners to determine and IF sellers don't want to play by the rules they can't join the site. 

Each to his / her own. 

[Mojavelyn]

Lets suppose that a member registers, lists basics only... has sales equalling just $5 in sales commissions... and won't pay... whats the difference?  That isn't going to stop the deadbeats. The account verification doesn't either... but it does help. I've seen it in action.

Remember if you can... if you were anything like me in my misspent youth... going to nightclubs.. paying a cover charge at the door, altho single women usually didn't have to pay, but your date had to pay for both... The cover charge didn't stop bar fights, but it was generally a more peaceful bar when they did. And I know this from both as a bar patron and a bar worker ($100 a weekend night cocktail waitress, 1974)

Several sites give sellers site credits for verifying PayPal or GCO. WA does also... he gives you that $5 in site credit back. Prefunding your account.

But its God help the site if they should actually make some money. Sellers want to use sites, but its totally... "What do you mean prefund my account?"

Its not as if the site was taking the money and keeping it without giving something in return.

And it doesn't matter if its a phpprobid or rscript or other out of the box script... Its a beginning.
Phpprobid continously upgrades it script. Far better then another script author I'm aware of.

And any good business plan goals should include, when we reach this stage, we will do this... when this next step happens we will do that...

I also keep hearing about limitations of phpprobid but it has the most support and mods available then any other script, far better.

So until a site reaches a certain point of sales and members and has made enough money to pay its expenses and support itself, then it can use out of the box scripts till there are the funds available to contract a custom made script.

I know James of Webidz, I have had numerous emails with him. His was the first site I had joined after B-A, and AQ was the 2nd. This was before the major upgrade that Webidz did. They had been using a older version of probid. If any site can make a difference, it would be Webidz. But... give him that chance.  Do you want steady growth? He has proven it. He's not jumping from one idea to another... what he has done has been slow, deliberate, planning. And that is what its going to take to make a difference.  added: Nor has he sold his site or announced a closing.

He is truly one of the good guys of the OAI.

If you don't like paying the $5 verification, then don't join. No one is holding a gun to anyone's head. But, look at how many have paid that $5 also. 14337 members... whether they are still active or not... but they all paid that verification fee. Now, you want to tell me that 14,337 people are wrong? Don't think so. Even if its a yearly reverify. Membership data must be kept current. 

[2boysandtoys]

Well....I just spent a few mins. over looking around and honestly don't have anything to add.  I honestly can't remember if I am a member there or not - so will need to go back thru my notes.

I too have seen nothing but 'good' out of the owner, very helpful, very open with communication and very professional.  I have not had time to explore the forums, but will state the obvious ----- adding a moderator that used to moderate at HB and also moderates at PSU doesn't sit 'well' with me.  Would NOT affect my use of the site for my business but would affect my participation in the community...

Just my quick thoughts - I will say that in 08, I am going to get much more selfish with my time and efforts.  But - - - will definitely spend a bit more time after the first of the year looking at Webidz!!  Joe - appreciate and value your input also! 

[The Bar Keep]

Mo,

You raise some interesting points that I think a large portion of the OAI misses and thank you for doing that. My hat is off to you for your conviction to honesty and believe it or not I agree with what you say 100%.

$5 verification fee? Hey it's everyone's choice to sell there or not, to each his or her own. Personally if I was looking for another marketing channel at this time I would be looking to Webidz. Minimal cost with high growth potential IMO and remember I started this thread based off of the information I gathered.

Remember people I am not looking to auctions personally but rather at potential marketing channels for my websites. My websites are my basis of operations and whatever I do at eBay or any alternative site is a channel for customers to find me, nothing more nothing less. With Webidz I see high growth potential over time, IMO out of many of the alternatives Webidz shows the steady growth numbers with a customer base already there. I am not saying Webidz will be a competitor to eBay nor should anyone assume so. I apologize for my comparison to eBay in the search results of the OP if they were misleading but the SEO work that Webidz has done IMO is a step above many sites.

Getting back to what Mo was talking about with sellers not paying their site fees. A verification fee is a way to counteract unpaid fees. IMO the fee structure at Webidz is to low. What did I just say that? Yep I did. Sorry folks I don't think the free sites like eCRATER or Blujay are the way to go. You get what you pay for and me personally, I look for sites that are willing to spend advertising dollars. I set aside an advertising budget each and every month for my websites, if an alternative site can't do at least what I am doing every month, advertising, I hit the back button as a seller. As a buyer I may spend some money there but that is where it ends.

Will Webidz implode if it doubles in size because it is a phpprobid script? Doubt it people. Remember the alternative to eBay market isn't that big to begin with. Ever stop to think of how many sellers there are that sell at alternative sites? Don't think we are talking about millions of people here let alone a 100,000. Heck how many members does PSU even have? Just checked, 9005 and we all know not all of them are active nor are all of them alternative sellers.

Lastly is this. Webidz is not a site I sell on at this time nor is the owner a member at this forum. James is more then welcome to come and join The Crabby Host but regardless of all that, so far I like what I see, good job Webidz!!!


Joe - The Bar keep  

[Mojavelyn]

Oh I have heard this rumor before when I was still at B-A two or 3 versions of ppb ago ... that so many members and it will implode... so many items and it will implode... Bull! AQ Ray had over 100,000 items actual listings, not counting the multiple dutch, but actual listings... Guess what? he's still running.

If the PSU auction site count is to be believed, WP has 80,000 items.

Will Rscript or PPB meet he need? Probably!

If phpprobid will implode its probably because someone fubard where they shouldn't have been fubarring.

And should it implode... There are PPB techs, masters of the script, along with the script author who are a phone call away.  THAT is the type of support PHPProbid has.

So, this rumor about ppb imploding needs to be put to rest. Because the support is there for probid.

And its not as if even ebay hasn't had its glitches.

Remember also... ebay did not become the giant that it has over night. It began just like every other site has begun... small. Gee, there was even a time when they didn't charge fees or much of fees anyway. Now they are a major employer in Silicon Valley... thats what your ebay fees have done. And employees, no matter how much they can produce, or what an asset they can be, still cost money. That is why payroll is a liability on your bookkeeping.