Are there more 'Pros' or 'Cons' with eBay ads?

1. 60

   The Examiner-1posted 11 years ago

   In other words, I know that everybody will not have the same answer, but I was wondering this:
   Whether there are more who are unsatisfied or satisfied?

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      wildernessposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I used to make two bits per day or so from eBay...until they changed their payment algorithm.  When that happened I went the next month and made not one cent - eBay ads are no long featured on my hubs.
      
      I don't get paid for it, I don't advertise.

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   2. 87

      Marisa Wrightposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Since eBay changed their commission structure, I've made more money from eBay ads on my blogs.  However I've set all my eBay ads to show "Buy It Now" items only - which means they work exactly the same as Amazon ads (i.e. I get paid when someone buys).
      
      Unfortunately we can't do that on HubPages.  If your capsules are showing items for auction, you'll get paid ONLY if a reader places a bid within the first 24 hours AND ultimately wins the auction.  That's a double hurdle to jump, which makes it far less likely you'll earn your commission.

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         a beautiful messposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Wow! Thanks for this input, I think I usually do Buy It Now items because I'm afraid of the link being broken when the auction is over. Now I'll be sure to only include Buy It Now items..!

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            Marisa Wrightposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            Just out of curiosity, how are you achieving that on HubPages?

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      2. 60

         The Examiner-1posted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Marisa,
         So what you are saying is that you are getting paid with eBay on blogs, but you did not on HP?
         Kevin

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         1. 87

            Marisa Wrightposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            I used to make money from eBay on HubPages, prior to the change in commission method recently. 
            
            Now, I'm still making money from eBay on my blogs (which are set to display "buy it now" products only), but not on HubPages (where I don't have that control).

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2. 60

   The Examiner-1posted 11 years ago

   Thank you wilderness, that begins to help me since I did not know anything about them.

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3. 83

   LuisEGonzalezposted 11 years ago

   Since they changed from impressions to actual sales I like many others have stopped using Ebay capsules.

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   1. 87

      Phyllis Doyleposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Me, too. I rarely use eBay any more. I still use Amazon on my hubs. I will have to get my blog and new site set up with eBay and Amazon both -- and use the "Buy It Now" items like Marisa does.

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4. 0

   KenDeanAgudoposted 11 years ago

   I am using ebay capsules and from the day i have joined here, even a single cent - i did not earn from them but I am still using them.

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5. 78

   IzzyMposted 11 years ago

   I used to make pennies from ebay ads, but since they changed their format I have made more from two single sales than I ever made under the old format.
   
   I don't know how it works, but a fairly low value sale through eBay pays far more commission than half a dozen Amazon sales of a similar priced item.

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      Cardisaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I agree with Izzzy.
      
      I made more from one eBay sale than I did from months of impressions. I also make more from eBay sales than I do Amazon, though the sales are far and few between.

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      1. 87

         Marisa Wrightposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         You're right, and it all comes down to how eBay pays.  You are less likely to make an eBay sale than an Amazon sale, because you'll get paid zero for an auction sale, unless the person makes their first bid within 24 hours.
         
         eBay affiliates are up in arms about that, because it seems deeply unfair that you can send a visitor to eBay and they buy the product you recommended, and you get nothing!   But eBay doesn't seem to care, I guess they have so many people wanting to be affiliates, they can afford to be high-handed.

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            Cardisaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            I think eBay is very cocky when it comes to signing up affiliates. It's harder to get an account there than Amazon.

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               Marisa Wrightposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               eBay knows there are hundreds of website owners, beating down their door to be an affiliate.   They can afford to be picky about whom they accept, and they don't have to be generous to those they do accept.

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   Suzanne Dayposted 11 years ago

   I made some cents from Ebay about 3 years ago then it died and nothing since, so took them all off my hubs.

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7. 67

   a beautiful messposted 11 years ago

   So Amazon is better than Ebay for earnings?

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   1. 95

      Cardisaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I think it all depends on what you are selling. They type of hubs you place the ads on.

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8. 60

   The Examiner-1posted 11 years ago

   So it seems that nobody is satisfied with eBay ads.
   
   How about Amazon?

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   1. 73

      Anna Marie Bowmanposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Since eBay changed everything, I have made some money. Not much, but it's something. I did remove most of my eBay capsules. I do far better on Amazon, but it's still nothing spectacular.

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      1. 88

         sallybeaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Since eBay changed their formula, I have earned nothing from placing their Ads. I have however earned from Amazon, nothing much but I still prefer eBay as it was becasue you could earn money from clicks instead of vouchers as is the case with Amazon here, that is unless someone else knows anything different!

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         1. 87

            Marisa Wrightposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            You could always opt to be paid by cheque.   It's a US dollar cheque, so the bank will charge you a fee to bank it (in Australia it costs $10, not sure about elsewhere) - but personally, I'd rather get real money, even if I lose a little in fees, than wind up buying products I don't really need.

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               sallybeaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               Thanks Marisa - problem being it takes months to make $10 and then it all gets taken in fees.  I would much rather have real money.

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                  Marisa Wrightposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                  I set my payout threshold at $100 so the fee doesn't eat it all up!   However, if it's taking you months to get to $10, you're doing something wrong.
                  
                  I took a look at your Hub on wet felting a gilet, and I can see you're missing some good opportunities to sell Amazon products.  For instance, you start by telling your reader to get a pattern.  Give them an ad for a good pattern on Amazon, right next to that advice, and you'll sell patterns!   Further down the page, you suggest using a palm sander - show an Amazon ad for a palm sander, and you''ll sell palm sanders.
                  
                  Similarly, you have a Hub on cake equipment - you should have an ad for each piece of equipment right next to the paragraph explaining what it does.
                  
                  I only looked at those two Hubs and could see two or three opportunities on each, so I'm guessing you have many more opportunities on other Hubs.  The key is to choose products that will help your reader complete the project you're describing.  That way, readers will appreciate the ads rather than find them annoying.

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                     sallybeaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                     Marisa, thank you so much - I will take another look at the them.  I have sold four items this month but the amounts are so tiny - guess I somehow need to try to sell more expensive items or add a few more capsules to other sections.  Would you suggest deleting the e-Bay ads and substituting Amazon ones?  I have sold nothing using them since the change of policy.

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                        Marisa Wrightposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                        Yes, Amazon has a better chance of making money than eBay now IMO. 
                        
                        With an Amazon capsule you get paid if someone buys the item within 24 hours.
                        
                        With an eBay capsule, you get paid if someone makes a bid on the item within 24 hours AND then ultimately wins the auction.  That's two hurdles to jump instead of one - and most people won't bid immediately, they'll wait and bid nearer the end of the auction (in which case you get nothing).
                        
                        However, the most important thing is to have items that readers will really want to buy.  If eBay has better products for that particular Hub, it makes more sense to use them, and vice versa.

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                           IzzyMposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                           I'm not sure if this is true any more Marisa.
                           One of the sales I made last month was of a product not listed on the hub in question. I went searching and found this:
                           
                           http://www.ebay.com/gds/How-can-the-eBa … 330/g.html
                           
                           They talk about a 7 day cookie that stays on the buyer's computer unless overwritten by another ebay affiliate cookie, so anything the buyer buys in that time will be accredited to you.
                           
                           This article isn't dated as far as I can see but surely Ebay would have taken it down if it wasn't current.

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                           1. 87

                              Marisa Wrightposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                              You're assuming eBay is efficient!  That's the rule which applied before the change.   To be honest, I didn't notice when they reduced the cookie from 30 days to 7 days.  There has been a lot of discussion about these changes on eBay affiliate forums, and I can assure you the 7 day cookie is gone.
                              
                              It's been replaced by a 10 day cookie, however the cookie is only triggered if the buyer makes a bid in the first 24 hours.  If the buyer "watches" the auction instead, and waits to make their bid closer to the end of the auction, you get nothing.

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9. 63

   Organised Kaosposted 11 years ago

   eBay must be giggling to themselves, all this FREE advertising on our hubs and not having to pay a cent for it.
   I too have not made anything since the change, so will not be adding them in the future.
   
   Can't understand WHY they won't offer BUY IT NOW options. Who puts a bid on anything they see the first time on ebay, I go back and bid closer to the ending!
   
   eBay must be doing VERY well from all the FREE advertising we're doing for them now!

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10. 60

    The Examiner-1posted 11 years ago

    It sounds like you have to pay something for the eBay or Amazon ads. Am I understanding this correct? I have never used either of them.

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    1. 88

       sallybeaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       No you don't have to pay anything - you simply add the capsules to your Hubs - that is if you have already been accepted to Adsense.

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       relacheposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Having product ads costs nothing.
       
       You will only earn from each when someone genuinely buys something (and doesn't return it).  Finding the best, most-relevant products to place on hubs is key.  For some topics either one or the other service might be better, or both might be suitable.
       
       The good writers who make really tightly-targeted product recommendations are probably finding they still earn moderately-well from either program.

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    3. 87

       Marisa Wrightposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       You will need to sign up for those programs first.

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11. 81

    Grant's Worldposted 11 years ago

    I need to pay more attention. Apparently I need to ditch my EBay ads cause I haven't made a cent on them in a very long time.
    Glad I found this post.

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    moronkeeposted 11 years ago

    My ebay ad program isn't active and I don't know how to do it?
    Thanks

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    1. 60

       The Examiner-1posted 11 years agoin reply to this

       moronkee,
       For the eBay program you go to the Earnings page, to the eBay line and click 'Get Started'. The following link is to help you set it up:
       http://hubpages.com/learningcenter/sign … er-network

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13. 89

    Pamela N Redposted 11 years ago

    I quit using Ebay because I wasn't making any money with them and now just use Amazon.
    
    We have to keep changing things up as the market changes. It's an ongoing job keeping up with it all.

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14. 78

    IzzyMposted 11 years ago

    Well, however it works, I'm happy with it because this month I made almost 100 Amazon sales, but just 2 ebay sales.
    Ebay's commission brought in almost a third again of what I earned through Amazon, and they weren't high ticket items.
    I am totally confused as to how it works, I really am.

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    1. 87

       Marisa Wrightposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Amazon and eBay both pay you if someone completes any purchase within the first 24 hours.
       
       eBay will also pay you if someone bids on any product within the first 24 hours, AND wins that product when the auction finishes.
       
       eBay doesn't pay you if the person just "watches" or bookmarks an auction and comes back later, even if they ultimately buy the product.
       
       That's why it's so unfair - we're sending people to eBay and they are buying stuff, but unless they bid right away (which is not the sensible thing to do) we get no credit for what they buy.

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15. 78

    IzzyMposted 11 years ago

    I appreciate what you are saying, and thanks for the explanation, but it looks to me as the eBay cookie allows the buyer to buy another product entirely and still give you commission.  That plus the commission rate seems to be a lot higher.

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    1. 87

       Marisa Wrightposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Yes, you're right.  It doesn't have to be the product you display in the capsule, it's the time limit that's important.  That's the case for both Amazon and eBay, and it hasn't changed. 
       
       Commissions are similar, BUT you get a big bonus if the buyer is new to eBay, which you don't get on Amazon.  Plus eBay runs bonus programs leading up to big events like Christmas and Easter, so your commissions will be higher then.
       
       So yes, you can sometimes get bigger commissions on eBay, but purchases are likely to be less frequent than Amazon because of the auction situation.

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