Yahoo Groups offers everything sellers could want
or need for online sales, with the options and freedom
to list as you please.

Maybe too much freedom to do as you please. Most
sellers seem lost when they don't have a structured
format, and terms and policies telling them exactly
what they can and can not do.

Yahoo Groups offers EVERYTHING craigslist offer with the
additional option of shipping items instead of
being restricted to local sales.

Theres a link to Yahoo Groups on Yahoo's homepage.
Sellers can link from Yahoo Groups to any website,
storefront, or auction listings.
Sellers can create their own group to use as a storefront.
Sellers can create inventory lists and post to multiple groups.
Yahoo Groups has a team of techs that fix problems
within hours, and a blog to update users.

Yahoo Groups has TRAFFIC. More traffic than ecrater,
Bidville, ioffer, and every other "alternative" site
combined.

What else do sellers want??? According to eBay's
message boards they want an "alternative" to eBay
with little or no fees and buyer traffic.

The best online platform that can be created for
online sales is useless without buyers and sellers.
Sellers ACTUALLY have to go there and list their items.

Hi campu!

I use Yahoo Groups as a marketing/promotion method for my store & auctions (I also use msn & google groups). Just joined your group & posted. Thanks!

sylvia

This seems to be some very valuable info and should be kept here as a sticky and prominent. Also maybe someone can give an outline of all the ways to market and use a website.

I think i saw someone on myspace using it as a selling tool also... maybe someone can analyze that also.

there seems to be many free ways... like craigslists....yahoo and msn and google groups... what we would like is .... once we make a place for it to STAY and us not have to redo it. using yahoo groups to help ones website seems a place that stays once it is developed.

Its good that we have got this info on HOW to do yahoo groups... !!!!

skillet,

several of us have myspace pages; Lammer has also started a squidoo group for us as well. try a search for myspace in the forum and a search for squidoo. you're bound to find several useful topics.

Also, the Selling Tips board has some stuff from alot of people in it. good info in there too.

hth,
sylvia

I use Yahoo Groups as a marketing/promotion method for my store & auctions (I also use msn & google groups). Just joined your group & posted. Thanks!

sylvia

Regardless of where you list, Yahoo Groups offer
an opportunity for sellers to come together and
start moving in the same direction to create an
alternative to eBay.

Encouraging eBay sellers to get off their butts and
ACTUALLY do something is another matter.

Quote: › Regardless of where you list, Yahoo Groups offer an opportunity for sellers to come together and start moving in the same direction to create an alternative to eBay. Encouraging eBay sellers to get off their butts and ACTUALLY do something is another matter.

I agree with you completely about the opportunities yahoo groups offer.

Unfortunately, IMHO...ebay sellers have hundreds of groups just for promoting their listings & stores. I wish them well as they are struggling to survive as we all are. I just wish they knew that there are so many other places and other options available to them at far less cost.

sylvia

If you click on the link to this suggestion you will
see that it says,

"Yahoo! Groups employees have reviewed this suggestion -- thanks".

http://suggestions.yahoo.com/detail/?prop=groups&fid=26462

This suggestion (IMHO) should be a "no brainer" for
Yahoo execs. Not only for Buy Sell categories, but
for every service Yahoo offers.

Why wouldn't Yahoo add Buy/Sell categories to groups?
It would only increase their traffic. You will notice
the same sponser ads on Groups as you see on Yahoo
Auctions.

Let eBay keep the auction market. Buying and selling
on Yahoo Groups would actually be FUN.

Sellers have the option of creating their own
groups/stores, networking with other groups, building
a member base (repeat buyers), selling locally or
shipping items, etc.

An interactive platform where buyers/sellers are
the driving force, as opposed to eBay dictating terms
and policies and grinding their sellers into the ground.

I do believe that groups can enhance sales for
sellers. I am not convinced that enough internet
users at large use groups and/or would use groups to buy

This is an excellent point, and it is an obstacle that
ALL "alternative" sites have to overcome.

It's also good reason to offer PayPal and/or Google Checkout with
all your group listings (just as you offer a familiar "checkout"
on ecrater, bidville, etc.

I am suggesting a gradual TRANSITION from listing/selling on eBay
to creating a web presence with Yahoo Groups. Not only individually
as each seller builds up their group with members and repeat
customers, but as a large group of sellers who can build up a
presence on groups where it evolves into a site for buying and
selling.

This is not a new idea. I did more sales on the DVDTALK forum
this last year, than I did on ALL the alternative sites in the
last 3 to 5 years.

I purchased a large lot of comics and thought I had a disaster on
my hands when I could not move them on eBay. I listed them on
a comics forum/group and sold out within months.

These are two key experiences which convinced me of the potential
and advantages of using groups/forums instead of the "familiar"
auction format. The "alternative" auction sites have failed for 8+
years.

Usually, I use Yahoo Groups to generate traffice on my website or promotoe my new item.

Yahoo Groups is a good place because many people visit there and you can find various opinions from many people.

Actually, I started a Yahoo Group for Ecrater sellers...open to everyone, but plugs and links to ecrater only. You're sure welcome to join, we are up to 33 sellers in less than 3 days. Plug as many times as you want so long as you don't list your entire inventory all at once-lol! here's the link:
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/Ecrater_sellers_Group/

34 now sister....

That's great! Someone else you will recognize and be glad to see, joined this afternoon! i get an email from him ever so often and he keeps promising to stop by next time he's up this way...sweet, sweet man!

Being a moderator of many local community groups at Yahoo Groups.. I am trying to figure out how you use it to generate sales? Wouldnt it basically equal spamming the different groups.

thanks!