Well, this came out of the blue didn’t it?!
If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, eBay has just announced that all digital downloads will no longer be permitted in the regular listings from the 31st of March.
I’m still getting my head around this, and I’m spending the next day thinking about the best way to deal with this issue. Expect a blog post from me in the next day or so where I will share my action plan with you.
This is obviously a massive blow to lots of people but remember this…
As online marketers we’re in the problem solving business. Providing solutions to people who have problems is what we do. It’s how we get paid.
The eBay digital download ban has caused a lot of problems. Expect a post from me shortly were I discuss how we can provide solutions to these issues.
I’m personally feeling a lot of pain over this, and half my product portfolio is going to need some major updating. But instead of concentrating on the negative let’s focus on the positive.
Change brings opportunity. And I for one like to grab every opportunity with both hands.
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{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
I haven’t really done much in the way of digital items on ebay myself this year, I have dabbled a few times last year, but I have mainly concentrated on physical items.
Is it a shock ?…….. Not really, it was always on the cards, not because there is anything wrong with Digital items on Ebay, but simply due to the amount of problems some sellers have created for the rest of Ebay sellers, and Ebay themselves.
What I mean, is some sellers cannot see the wood for the trees and simply go all out to make a sale at any cost by undercutting/discounting other peoples products, to such a degree that they ultimately become worthless, and there are some really great products that have gone down in value due to this.
I know there is a lot of value in selling a digital product on Ebay, cheaply, for the backend sales you can create etc.
I personally think this move will only improve the realtionship with Ebay and the sellers, which will then give the paying customer greater value for their money………. And as John Thornhill stated, this is not something to be upset or angry about, as selling physical items will definately bring you in more profits than you will first realise . . . . . If anything, as a physical item seller myself, I’m going to be a little disapointed that now I will now be having more competition……
Ah well !
Yeah, I think about half the world is in some pain because of this!
You mentioned:
“I’m personally feeling a lot of pain over this, and half my product portfolio is going to need some major updating. But instead of concentrating on the negative let’s focus on the positive.”
Well there are many positives to this, but to name one…you then have the ability to relaunch your product and gain even more customers! You can then get more people into your sales funnel.
This is taking advantage of the bad situation! I look forward to your action plan, even though I don’t trade on eBay anyway.
Thanks
Mark
In everything that happen, there is always the good part and the bad part, but it depend on how we are looking at the problem.
As for your products lee, I am sure you need to update it or else you sold product again. Will the previous customers of yours get the update?
It may be Shock & Horror now, but as the dust starts to clear and our options are realized there will be “Opportunities Galore”
Problem + Solution = $ PROFIT $
Peter
Like you said Lee “half my product portfolio is going to need some major updating. But instead of concentrating on the negative let’s focus on the positive.” We need to be positive about this and simply quitting is not the way forward. I myself have two products to update and an eBook launch on hold, but hey when the going gets tough ….
It looks like CD’s are the way forward at the moment so the whole process will not change too much, simply a little more leg work to the post office that’s all.
I personally think the upsell rate will increase, as buyers will all look at the CD’s that have been delivered and find a whole lot more than just an eBook! You can upsell home study courses, your own products and affiliates. You can also offer free items for newsletter signups too.
One thing people are also forgetting when you sell an item is you have a physical mail address of a potential customer. There are no spamming laws for junk mail! This means you can send a follow up letter a few days later for another upsell.
It’s not the end it’s the beginning of a new era.
Dan
Wow, this is exactly what TradeMe (New Zealand’s auction site) did a few years back, and it nearly killed me. I had to get a *gulp* job.
I came back though, I simply printed my books and gave them nice recycled card covers. As it turned out, it worked out really well as it almost totally eliminated the competition. I am amongst only a handful of people making their living selling printed information products on TradeMe now.
This doesn’t help people who make their money purely from back end sales from their eBooks however, and I feel for those people, I really do. I hope people who feed their families with these sales are able to come back.
Looking forward to your input Lee.
Hi Lesley,
What you are doing is great. Repurpose our content to physcial product is the way to go if we want to continue to generate lead from ebay.
As you would expect, there has been a massive reaction from eBay sellers to this announcement. From despair to joy and every other emotion in between, people seem genuinely shocked by this move from eBay.
I’ve been following many of the blog and forum posts and there seem to be 4 main options emerging from the majority of the posts.
To save people having to search through all the comments I’ve tried to summarise them all here:
http://MyNetBooks.co.uk/newsletter
I’m certainly going to try the first 2 options before giving up selling digital products on eBay but some people are quitting without even trying to adapt which, quite frankly, just amazes me. It takes all sorts I guess!
Regards
Dave Ovenden
Doesn’t suprise me at all, Ebay is just going for the dollar and ebook digitial downloads don’t pay them to much so they make us sell using classified ads which are more expensive.
Robert Proctor
When I first read about the ban I was in disbelief because my sales were really taking off but I didn’t waste any time sulking about it. I began looking at the positives of this action and quickly formed a plan and began putting it into action. I see this as an opportunity.
for me that’s ridiculous!
I prefer use alternatives such as http://www.zipidee.com
sold videos and audio files and next week e-books
for digital goods…hasta la vista ebay
I’m not surprised with the change. Ebay is known for making changes to the system; but this change seems to be a bit drastic compared to most of the changes they make. I have a plan to deal with these changes, but I will sure miss the convenience of digital delivery. To those who may be frustrated to the point of giveing up…DON’T DO IT! We are all dealing with this challenge. Although it is frustrating, ebay is just one marketing option. Hang in there, and maneauver around this obstacle.
Because I don’t live in the USA, I’ve had to put up with inflated shipping for some time. ($22.00 to mail a sewing pattern to Canada?) So when I discovered digital delivery for knitting patterns whose copyright had expired, I was delighted. I also live in a remote area many miles from the post office so you can see, digital delivery is really important to many of us. I’m so tired of getting screwed by eBay I’m quitting doing business with them. How come they allow their sellers to gouge for regular shipping and say that’s between the buyer and the seller, and then DICTATE how people will ship?
E-books are dead . . .
A bold Statement I know, but true…………… Well as far as Ebay are concerned.
If your interested in discovering how you can produce Multimedia Information Products that make you money……… For FREE…. From someone who has done just that for over 26 years, you need to get this FREE VIDEO COURSE today.
Now it’s a shame that eBay has come to this decision, but like many people have already stated. Look for the positives and not dwell too much on the negatives, as this will surely drag you down into a deep feeling of despair and confusion.
Move on, and look for other more lucrative ways that you can make money online. There are a number of discussions on hundreds if not thousands of blogs and websites looking for ways around this current situation. Some I feel will look towards trying to manipulate and deceive eBay and continue to try and sell their e-book and digital products on their site.
Over the last few days, I have listened to audio discussions as well as reading debates on this subject, by very successful e-book marketers and the one thing that is common amongst all of them is they are running scared. Very very scared of the possibilities of losing their current income and the success they have built up over the years.
Now many of these successful e-book marketers have come to a number of conclusions, and one avenue is to convert their current business activities of digital e-books/software into a physical item, and as a successful producer of physical multimedia information products (I had to laugh when I heard an audio discussion describing Multimedia Information Products as something NEW !, or atleast the term Multimedia Information Products )
HEY EVERYONE,
GOOD NEWS, here is the latest news on bans.
THERE IS NOW A WORLD WIDE BAN on eBAY !!!!!
USERS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY ARE PROTESTING THE FEEDBACK, DIGITAL ITEMS CHANGES AND THE CONSTANT CHANGING OF POLICY AND CONTROLLING MANNER OF eBAY.
The news states that the WORLD WIDE BAN has caused eBay stocks to TUMBLE AT LEAST 38% in the last 30 days.
Users all over the world are sticking together to BAN eBAY.
Also, TV has banned eBay.
STOCKS ARE TUMBLING, LETS KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK…. THE WORLD WIDE BAN ON eBAY continues…
until death of the eBay dynasour of packages and tape !!!!