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Even boys can now find handbags!
)
Will the transition be smooth & seamless? Doubtful! I wouldn't be surprised to see traffic growth calm down for awhile. But when we come out the other side of this transition, our growth potential enters into a whole new realm of possibility (think multiple millions of buyers visiting per month). In fact, the transition has already gotten underway this month: even though our item count and traffic have grown more slowly than in their early days, the number of sales per item listed have continued their steady ascent.
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bharding
Mar 24, 2009
What's New, What's Next... Let's Grow Up Together
It's been so busy around here, I haven't had a time to add a "What's New & Next" blog in awhile. Until now...!
What's New
Even boys can now find handbags!
- Improved search. If you've done a search on the site lately, you already know that many of the biggest recent improvements are to search. Bonanzle now makes search suggestions for you as you type your query. And if there are similar searches that people have done, we'll tell you about that too. We've also added "Saved Searches," which can automatically email you once per day or week when new items are added that you're interested in. Plus, we've made some changes under the hood so that item titles are weighted more heavily than descriptions for better relevancy. We still aren't done improving search, but I think that this batch of changes is a great start. I can finally find Bonanzle's handbags with despite their kooky designer names!
- Collect buyer emails for promotions (premiere members). We've added another nice touch for our premiere members this evening, where any time that a buyer checks out, they'll be given the option to mark a checkbox if they want to receive future promotions/coupons from their seller. Longtime sellers will tell you that there is no better future customer than a past customer, so we hope this will help drive many a sale for our valued premiere subscribers. If this is you, there is a more thorough writeup on how promotion emails works on your "Membership" page. Want to subscribe?
- Improved new user experience. In addition to the "More Seller Info" page we added a couple weeks ago, we've continued to work to make Bonanzle a more hospitable place for new buyers, with more informative welcoming documentation, and more streamlined registration pages. Which brings us to "What's Next"...
What's Next
Bonanzle's troupe of overachieving sellers have conclusively proven that a determined group can band together and accomplish big things when they want to. Think about it... just six months ago, Bonanzle left beta with no funding and about 10,000 people visiting per month. This month, about three quarters of a million different people will Bonanzle. That is a tribute to what a concerted and coordinated grassroots effort can do! But we acknowledge that it can't continue so smoothly forever. Even some of the Internet's biggest (and best funded) success stories like Etsy and Twitter have had their ups and downs. My prediction is that the next couple months for Bonanzle will mark a transitional period, wherein our traffic sources will transition from being almost entirely Google-driven, to being a more balanced mix of Google, referral sources, and direct traffic. This is an exciting transition for us to make, because traffic from Google will always be proportional to the number of items listed, whereas direct traffic will accumulate boundlessly, regardless of item count (as long as there is a good base layer of inventory available). Thus, our focus in the coming month(s) is going to be on carving out a space for Bonanzle in buyer's minds. How do we do it? We emphasize the advantages to buyers of using Bonanzle: personalized attention from smaller sellers, emphasis on the niches we're best at (betchya didn't know that Bonanzle already has about 10% as many Collectibles listed as the venerable market leader!), and of course, the positive attitude of our seller community. (And Bonanzas, and real time offer negotiating, and chat auctions, and and and!)
Will the transition be smooth & seamless? Doubtful! I wouldn't be surprised to see traffic growth calm down for awhile. But when we come out the other side of this transition, our growth potential enters into a whole new realm of possibility (think multiple millions of buyers visiting per month). In fact, the transition has already gotten underway this month: even though our item count and traffic have grown more slowly than in their early days, the number of sales per item listed have continued their steady ascent.
How Can You Help?
Do what you do best: blab to your friends, family, and any other poor fool who wanders within three feet of you (don't blame me for that idea, blame renagade!). Tell them that Bonanzle isn't just the best marketplace to sell things on, but it's also got more than 1.5 million items across our non-ordinary, non-commodity categories. Where else can you negotiate with your seller in real time? And where else can you be so warmly welcomed by an upbeat group that, as a whole, provides the best customer service of any marketplace? Now repeat after me: "It's like Bonanza, but with an 'l-e' instead of an 'a' at the end..."
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52 responses to What's New, What's Next... Let's Grow Up Together
“We’re Movin’ On Up”…. Repeat after me.. Google Base, tell friends, tell neighbors, tell relatives, more Google Base, attributes, PROMOTE everywhere (to everybody)….
I think you should work on developing a method to encourage buyers to participate in the community. Interaction with the selling community will both build confidence and create a bond with Bonanzle. Developing a relationship beyond the transaction will greatly increase the effectiveness of word of mouth marketing, because the recommendations will be by far more enthusiastic and frequent. This of course will accelerate Bonanzle’s growth.
Bravo on the rest – as usual you are simply amazing
ECB: I agree. I’m going to be spending brain cycles on that. The challenge is that most buyers arrive on the item show page, and if they don’t see what they’re looking for, they leave before they get a sense of all the ways that Bonanzle is different. But for the buyers that browse around and/or go through with their purchase, we should do everything possible to make sure they continue to stay involved. So far we’ve sort of neglected those buyers while focusing mostly on sellers & the selling process. Of course, many of our improvements work to the benefit of both buyers and sellers. But until recently, we hadn’t really spent that much time yet mulling over the buyer experience specifically.
I think we have all grown very nicely together!
The way people have come together as one, with one goal in mind is something special here. Whether it’s sellers helping sellers or sellers helping buyers. It’s happening. One of the problems here on Bonanzle is that it has grown so fast, the site has been caught with it’s pants down. LOL
It is still an infant, as a platform for selling products, but as a team working together, many of us don’t see the negitive parts of the site (ie: search) as a problem, we see them as a part of the growing pains.
There are many “unsung heroes” in the Bonanzle team that work every day for the good of the site, not thinking yet about sales and making a living here. Those people are teones with the same goal as the Owners of Bonanzle. “Success”
I myself opened a site were Bonanzle members can come, use the site as a platform to swap info, meet people and ask questions. It has over 100 members in 4 days, Why? Because people Believe in their goal on Bonanzle. Success.
Bill, Mark & Tom, don’t forget one thing. “You are not alone”
Steve
http://bonanzlenospimzone.wetpaint.com/
Cool Improvements so far boyz! You have never failed to amaze me with the changes!
SELLERS = Focus on your Niche… it Can drive more traffic to not only your booth but to Bonanzle as a whole.
The Boyz are focused on The Over all Niche of this site …no its time for us to focus on ours.
By joining sites that are relavant to your booth, your items, YOUR niche…and getting those people to know Bonanzle…you drive traffic and this site will keep growing.
Also…be sure…Everywhere you go, carry some Business cards and Hand them out like candy on Halloween!
NEVER pass up an oppertunity to say “I sell _____ at bonanzle.com! Stop by and check it out!”
Thanks for the great mention Bill! YOU ROCK!
I will sign this:
I AM the Renagade and I sell Music on Bonanzle!
Stop by and say hi!
PS…Hey Bill…how about working on the Record Catagory a bit
LOL
Well Amen to all of this! ECB..Great idea, again, back to what we discussed. We need the forums to be “attractive” to the buyer, and as they are, well, there not.
As a part of this community I am looking forward to the process of watching this grow into a professional friendly site. Here’s to Everyone, Bill, Mark, Tom, and all the unmentioned ones that work hard daily to do what needs to be done to make this a great place to be!
I work at a retail shipping store so I come in contact with alot of people shipping their items out to their customers.
And oh yes I do blab….alot.
LOL wildflowerdesigns!! I have told everyone I know about this site even my daughters physical therapists!!
I loveeeee it here!!
Keeps getting better and better, we now have our Bumper Sticker on the car, tooting around town, and we’re a totin our Bonanzle Tote everyday, with Bonanzle Business cards in that handy little pocket in the front. We wrothe an article in the Local Paper about on line sales and Bonanzle. We’re really cookin with gas now. Go Bonanzle. The Mutts
Rock on!
I have been here only a short time but bonanzle is a amazing place to be right now. Everyone is so helpful and friendly. I enjoy chatting and hearing from everyone. Since I have been here bonanzle just keeps improving day after day. I wish everyone much success and I thank everyone who has helped make bonanzle a success.
Great growth here! We all know that. It is time for us to look forward to the buyers, and let them know what a beautiful and wonderful group we have here to make their next online purchase from. Blabbing is great, handing out cards and brochures is great…Let’s make our next move scream from the top of the mountain we are moving!!
Spring is here and we Bonanzlers are springing forward and upward!
Thanks Boyz for giving us a place worth promoting….
Bonanzle is the BEST….Go Bonanzle Go!!!
Some people especially like the site, whereas some people especially like the items… sounds like a great mix to me!
Since Bonanzle has given me a Brand Name (my little company had it’s first sale here, validating our brand) I am making a business card for my brand and putting it into every sale I make on any location I sell from. That card includes where I can be found (even when sales aren’t from here). Guess who is listed first in where I can be found? Since we list for slightly LESS for most items on Bonanzle (because fvfs are so much lower here), buyers will gradually see that, given choices of where to find stuff, they will pay LESS on Bonanzle. We will also be making up a flier to include in “other” packages that point to Bonanzle.
When we first started experiencing the “Big Troubles” over “there” I was reminded of a poem that FELT like we were feeling at the time. I include it for your reading pleasure.
OZYMANDIAS
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: `Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear
-Percy Bysshe Shelley“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.’
-
History teaches us that empires come and empires go. All the technical hoopla will come along as growth happens here. We know that. You’ve made it a lot more fun here. It may be slow coming still, but we are all in this together and are having some fun as we wait for the Event Horizon. It’s coming. It’s like sitting in a dark car, groggy and miserable, but determined to see a total eclipse of the moon or the rising sun.
I have no idea why those poem lines are marked out, but I am sure the techies do!
HI, all,
Yes I noticed the search immediately. Totally cool.
Buyer experience…Yes, what a great opportunity… My brain reels at all the possibilities!
Bill and Mark KUDOS to you!
Judy/blue
Wow! It just keep getting better and better. Keep those brain cells coming up with all of these new additions. You guys are remarkable!
Thanks Bill, Mark and Tom too!
Marla
Great progress – keep it up Boyz!
Just gets better everyday!! Thank you!
“Too A Delux apartment in the sky”
GREAT NEWS!!
You Guyz are always working hard on this great site
I haven’t said I love this place, today. So I’m sayin’ it: I LOVE this place!
Bill,
A few suggestions
1) I notice that there is not a method to welcome non-selling members. This should added some how
2) There are not any discussion boards that invite buyers to participate this too should be added. A message to any site visitor regardless of entry should prompt an invite to introduce themselves to the community using the boards with a link.
3) An invitation to express their experience shopping on Bonanzle – navigation, appearance… would demonstrate that Bonanzle cares about their satisfaction and will help in encouraging a future visit.
4) Creating a buyer centric newsletter focused on improvements made to Bonanzle to improve their experience, asking for their feedback on the improvements, and perhaps create a buyer focused opportunity to suggest and vote on improvements to the site
5) Distributing a site wide notice to strongly encourage sellers clean up their listings – text format, content, and appearance of images. Frankly, I would prefer sellers that disregard our efforts not be here at all. A sloppy listing is unappealing both in gallery and when a buyer clicks on the listing. I suspect this is the biggest contributor of the high bounce rate on Bonanzle more than anything else.
Integrating a resizing feature in the photo editor would be a great addition decreasing the unattractive and uninviting appearance of far too many images due to the strict size of the slot for images in gallery. Actually, having the ability to adjust contrast and brightness would be very beneficial as well.
6) A bookmarklet would also be great I really appreciate bookmarklets because they are easy and they remind me of sites I have visited and find interesting.
Noticed the improvement to search several days ago, though you were still tweaking I loved the way it was coming along. The last hand picked list I did was a Breeze.. LOL..
Growing pains are bound to happen as we move from infancy thru the terrible two’s onto the tween years and beyond.. As in any family.. we’ll get through them mostly unscathed, as long as, we all work together to fashion a home where each family member is treated with respect and valued.
What I love most about being a part of this family is the choice You made in the beginning and stuck with, to keep every single one of us in the loop… valuing our opinions, suggestions and ideas. I’m proud to be a part of this grass-roots growth and promise to continue blabbering at every opportunity about the Bodacious Bounty that awaits them here at B O N A N Z L E (Say What? lol like Bonanza drop the A add LE – Oh! ok i got that) I’ve been told I chant that in my sleep..
Rules for Being Human
3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial and error, experimentation. The “failed” experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiment that ultimately “works”.
Rock on Dudes … we got your backs…
Zig
Ziggy’s quote:
“Growing pains are bound to happen as we move from infancy thru the terrible two’s onto the tween years and beyond.. As in any family.. we’ll get through them mostly unscathed, as long as, we all work together to fashion a home where each family member is treated with respect and valued.”
This is the backbone of any successful relationship or business……very well said, ziggy!
I’m thrilled to be here and even more happy about my/our future here together…wtg, Bill and all.
And welcome aboard TOM!
Smiles,
Reen~
p.s. Indeed, mistakes are apart of life, however, the heart of Bonanzle is beautiful and we definitely “got your backs”
I was just over in the forums in the other place and noticed that sellers are asking how things are going over here. They are looking for hope, they are watching and listening. I noticed one seller that has always had a lot of success there now saying things are going badly. We’re not just building for ourselves here. We’re building for others, as well. We hope this site goes for a LONG TIME without major changes that affect things in a glitchy kind of way. The simplicity is the HUGE positive here.
Might be a good idea to continue promoting over there that things are growing successful here. In a good neighbor way.
My suggestion: MORE SPACE FOR PROMOTIONS! We fall off in about 10 seconds from the main People page with only 4 or 5 slots! We have to act like obnoxious roller derby participants, bumping each other off of the 4 or 5 slots. It would be nice to see that section expanded! Then we wouldn’t have to be so rude! LOL
Bill,
Your major improvements of the last few weeks still need to catch on. I expect them to bring a lot more traffic. You know have an (almost) well matured marketplace, where buyers can find what they seek most ‘predictability’, so comfort.
The one thing I would still do to improve the buyer experience is add the so long awaited Advanced Search with boolean operators. IT is long overdue and is expected by buyers at a site of your caliber, sort of like a ‘must’.
Of course the arrival of the APi is also an eagerly awaited event for all, since it will probably explode the growth of the site, if many 3rd parties can start investing in it that way.
Peter
You BOYZ are one tuff crew! Your endless efforts give us all Inspiration.
I got your back too! I love to Blab, and I have a stack of Bonanzle business cards in my handbag to handout to any “poor fool that wonders within 3 feet of me” too!
Bonanzle Boyz are da Bomb!
The changes and upgrades just keep getting better and better!
Thank you!
The other day, Bonanza-the-show came on tv, and I said “Look honey! Bonanzle is on!” not even knowing what I had said. mOOn and his friend both just burst out laughing at me and it took me a minute to figure out why. Everyone I know knows about Bonanzle, and everyone I meet knows very soon. This place is so easy to talk about!
Did someone mention Buyers?
Anything leaning towards Buyer involvement would be good.
I’d love to see more buyers on the boards.
Eyecatchingbeauty,
I was just discussing with ChiangMai_Products how a Newsletter could be very useful at this point in time, so thank you for bringing that up.
It could dish up regular news to Buyers. Items that might interest them, new features like search improvements etc, and maybe have one version specifically for Sellers. It could “gently” ask them to edit out certain words, html junk and fix poorly cropped pictures and remind them about Google Base etc.
A newsletter might also inspire some sellers to log in more often, remind them to read the Blog and the What’s New page etc.
The new Search features….it’s Great! Any search improvements are always welcomed.
New search features are great! Thanks for your comments Bill, unfortunately, I can’t hang around here too long, have to go now, need to blab, blab, blab, blab…..
Where’s Renegade, oh yes, she’s on Twitter Blabbing away! LOL 
I was on a forum today and someone left a post “How are you REALLY doing on Bonanzle?” I was the first to reply and proudly stated “I’m doing very well actually”. This person complained that they haven’t sold anything. I know who this person is on here and I’ve NEVER seen them promote their booth,and I’ve never seen them on any other sites marketing. What on earth do they expect!?
With all the features on here and help, how can you NOT promote your booth! Bonanzle practically DOES IT FOR YOU! All the options that are listed!? It’s a no brainer! The only thing you as a seller needs to look at if you’re not selling is your prices and shipping. I’m no expert, but a lot is common sense. Look at the booth! Sorry, just venting here…..but I get so disgusted when I hear someone moaning about not selling and seeing all the great new features that are being added. Take advantage of these things! There not here to make the site look pretty! Use them to your advantage and maybe you’ll start selling. Kudos to the boyz! And Welcome Tom! Keep up the good work and I look forward to the transition coming out in our favor!
Thank you Bill, Mark and Tom for your continued improvements on this site. As mentioned already kathyseven and I were discussing the newsletter idea yesterday, this would be so helpful to everyone, especially new members. Eyecatchingbeauty’s comments on this subject are informative and useful.
Maybe we could send a newsletter to every new member, with a link to an experienced member who could offer assistance. This could work like a buddy system, were experienced members offer their time and knowledge to the new members. I think most new members would appreciate a system like this.
Thank you Bill, Tom and Mark for all your hard work. I am really enjoying this selling venue. Really like the new search and love the real time chat in the booth! I am still going to continue my pitch for advanced ISBN database listing capability for book sales and some way to make adding attributes not so onerous!
Thanks a bunch!!!
Thank you to ALL of you! I appreciate all the hard work and the “personal” touch you give this site. It is a great place to sell and buy at!!!
I have too agree with kathyseven Quote: “Anything leaning towards Buyer involvement would be good.”
But each improvement on the site is welcomed.
Steve
Ok Im pretty new to Bonanzle coming off ebay.The only dissapointment I find here is the seller’s shipping cost (not all ).Are extremely high.Thats the first thing I look at and have backed off buying from sellers that have an iten posted under 5.00 but the shipping is 10.00 MERCY!!At least ebay regulated sellers from excessive shipping cost A GOOD ONE on ebays behalf.I think Ill stick to ebay the shipping isnt that hight there.
Opps forgot Ive talked with many sellers on ebay and the ones that have visited bonanzle have all voiced a concern on the unregulated shipping cost here.You may want to encourage your sellers to be fair in shipping price and somehow regulate that.It does not cost 5.00 or more to send one piece of jewelry which many sellers here are askinbg for if not higher shipping as I have come across several.
tradersstyles
the beauty of our market system is the consumers ability to influence change by passing up unappealing purchases for whatever reason. The market and you will regulate the choices sellers make there is no need for any other regulation.
Also, the way a seller chooses to conduct their business is not the business of the venue owner. Any interference would be out of line. It is best to just shop in a more appealing booth.
Blabbing is good! Trust me – I have been telling anyone who will listen where I’m selling. This morning I checked to see how many people from my little corner of the world are here and I see a lot of people I know – people I told to come by – registered! They are not yet selling but I’ll work on them, for sure.
Here’s the thing that I’ve been noticing – when I mention that I’ve found a wonderful selling and shopping venue, people INSTANTLY reach for a pen and paper to write it down. They are LOOKING for a new place to buy and sell. This can be their new home base if enough people talk enough about it!
I believe that the sellers should be allowed to make their own excellent, mediocre or poor choices as far as their business policies go. As ECB says, the market will take care of the overcharging on shipping, the adversarial return policies and unprofessional selling ideologies.
One of the biggest complaints at eBay is the fact that they are trying to take over the seller’s business policies.
Personally, I’d like to see some people have “friendlier” return policies but it’s not MY business. It is theirs. And I need to stop trying to be a control freak. It’s none of my business what someone else’s return policy is.
Better searching is great! But, a lot more can also be done for buyers who are browsing. Simply putting similar items into one big category is not good enough. Think about how much easier it is to find the exact item you are after by browsing on Walmart.com.
The complaints about search here baffle me – it is honestly the smoothest, cleanest, and easiest site I have ever navigated.
Odd how each person experiences the same activity differently.
I think that our browse and search both still have a lot of potential improvements to be made, even though I think we’ve already covered the lion’s share of what took eBay 10 years to get worked out in our first six months after beta.
I think the biggest opportunity right now for improving browsing is for us to make it easier to enter in product attributes, so buyers can narrow down to their specific criteria more easily. This will also give us a leg up in all of the locations we syndicate Bonanzle inventory.
I would agree with those who have suggested we should be more active with our newsletters. Our excuse for not sending them more often is honestly a pretty lame one: it still costs us money to send email, and I’m waiting for our server guy to get our mail server setup so we can send as many emails as we want, free of charge. He hopes to get that up this week. Once that’s in place, I see a lot of opportunity in sending our buyers and sellers relevant and interesting newsletters.
Just discovered that a HARMLESS reference I made to the Ranch in an eBay forum has gotten reported and removed. Was just saying to a person there that was cutting back on that venue that I would see her at the Ranch! Wow. Can you believe that???
I can believe it stbthreadworks.
I am so happy to be at Bonanzle. I just see it getting better. I was in a stale state at the other place. I dreaded logging on everyday. A seller needs to be fresh and ready to sell not depressed about the place they are selling. I think they are very seller friendly here and I love all the new happenings!
Test comment. Will be removed!
For sure, Bonanzle has an incredibly responsive and friendly bunch of people. I have never seen so much help with promotion.
I ENJOYED READING ALL YOUR COMMENTS. AS A NEW SELLER OF ONE WEEK OR SO, I HAD A HARD TIME AT FIRST TRYING TO FIND SOME PLACES AND ACCIDENTALLY COMING ACROSS OTHER REALLY FUN PLACES. I HEAR ABOUT USING GOOGLE AND AS MUCH AS I WOULD LIKE TO I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR OTHER PEOPLES EXPERIENCE USING IT WHICH WOULD GIVE ME A BETTER REASON FOR USING IT MYSELF. I LIKE THE IDEA OF A BUDDY SYSTEM AS IT WOULD HELP ME GET UP AND RUNNING INSTEAD OF BUMPING AROUND TRYING TO FIND ANSWERS THAT SLOW YOU DOWN A LOT.
THE BUYERS RIGHT NOW ARE THE TOUGH NUT TO CRACK AND IT IS NOT THAT THEY WOULDN’T WANT TO – NOT ENOUGH RESOURCES. I’M IN THE RIGHT PLACE JUST HAVE TO HANG IN.
I am a buyer. I bought 3 items on 5/31/09, have heard nothing and have received nothing. I have a receipt and it went through my Visa card. Bonanzle nor the seller have responded to several emails to each, nothing appears on my items bought page. I will have to turn it over to the Visa security people I suppose. Where’s the money?
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