GCU Forum - So many clicks but no sales

frank_135176 GCU Newbies artist Posts: 2	So many clicks but no sales May 23^rd, 2009, 1:24am One of my cards has been clicked more than 340 times in the past 4 months, But not one of those clicks have led to a sale, Has any one else experienced this
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Jeff_135713

Gold Member
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Posts: 620

Re: So many clicks but no sales
Reply #1 - May 23^rd, 2009, 1:35am

My guess on my cards with lots of clicks and no sales is that they are hard to read as a thumbnail.

I think customers click on them so they can see a larger view.

My reason for this thinking is that the cards that seem to get lots of clicks often are difficult to read from just the thumbnail view and people are curious.

The ones that are easy to read and still get clicks I figure were interesting to people and "almost sales", I wasn't as good as another card that they were considering.

None of this is anything but my guesses and there could be many, many reasons.

-Whisper-

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Neva_136472 Full Member artist Posts: 192	Re: So many clicks but no sales Reply #2 - May 23^rd, 2009, 7:49am Maybe your card was clicked on so many times because it's cute as a button.
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Michael_136329

Junior Member
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Posts: 51

Re: So many clicks but no sales
Reply #3 - May 23^rd, 2009, 11:33am

Hello Frank,

I have 13,458 Store Visits and 333 Card Clicks, and one sale. This is over a period of
about 3 months.

Now, I listed my card site with a "Pay for Click" site. As you can see, my store visits are
out of proportion to what one might think for card clicks. And my sale, one, is a little low.
I figure I should at least be able to sell one card per hundred clicks. My one sale though
is treasure to me.

I think that the pay for click site sends folks that are only interested in getting credit for
a click and not interested in checking out greeting cards. Just food for thought for you.

I would say that there is no "rule of thumb" for figuring out a click ratio. However, there
are several here who may be able to give you a basic expectation of sorts. I'm just a
new kid on the block here.

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Tom_133317

Gold Member
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Posts: 2169

Re: So many clicks but no sales
Reply #4 - May 23^rd, 2009, 3:16pm

Over a 15 month period, my store's ratio of clicks-to-visits is 5.

Over this same period, my store's clicks-per-cards sold is 32.

Be aware, there are some days where visits skyrocket into the hundreds due to search engine cataloging programs kicking in. The clicks, I believe, are legit though.

As I've mentioned on another thread, the last 2-3 weeks have been a store visit nightmare for my store, down in the low single digits per day vs. about 30/day average. Yesterday I had 3 visits and no sales, and so far today (18 hours in), 0 visits. I'm pretty convinced now that the new menu system is playing a big part in this drop. I'm hearing through the back channels that some other "big stores" are also getting killed. Not good!

TOM

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Ernestine_131365

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Posts: 853

Re: So many clicks but no sales
Reply #5 - May 23^rd, 2009, 7:29pm

Hey Frank-

Cute set of cards you have there! Cheesy

I think there might be something to what Jeff says about detailed cards getting more clicks just so they can be seen. I have a couple of cards with near 1000 clicks and no sales what so ever and like many of my cards are VERY detailed and hard to see in a thumb. But you know, those aren't RECENT clicks. As Tom noted, clicks and visits do seem to be down, so consequently sales, maintaining for me around 10/11 clicks per sale. (I don't pay much attention to store visits as I'll have 8, then 13, then 10, then 12,313 Shocked

then 45!

) But, I have a reatively small store, Tom & Jeff's stats are most likely more representative.

I'm not sure if it's the new menu or just the economy (though I have been doing better with larger print sales, which is nice). Hang in there and enjoy yourself Cheesy

ernestine

Oooo I think this post'll bring me up a star! Wink

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Angela_134247

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Posts: 761

Re: So many clicks but no sales
Reply #6 - May 24^th, 2009, 5:44am

My sales have also been down pretty low, after being steady for a long time. cry

Normally this is due to maintenence being done on the site. I agree with the small font theory, that seems to happen with some of my cards too. This one in particular http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/shopping/zoom.asp?pid=384172&w=1 has had 234 views but no sales. It might have something to do with the picture being pretty cool as well (my sister outdid herself on this one). I think sometimes it may be because the inside text is not exactly what people want, I have been working on card saying alot this week, trying to fine tune them.

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Kathy_135811 Gold Member artist Posts: 623	Re: So many clicks but no sales Reply #7 - May 24^th, 2009, 6:42am That is a cute card, Angela, and while the font is beautiful, the v in Never is hard to read. It looks like it says, at first glance, Neber, instead of Never. Maybe that's why. By the way, this is NOT meant as a criticism, just an observation. And, congrats Ernestine on your shiny new star! Kathy
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Catherine_136771

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Posts: 290

Re: So many clicks but no sales
Reply #8 - May 24^th, 2009, 2:50pm

Frank, I don't get that many clicks on each card, and so far most of my sales have been to people I know, so I don't have any figures to compare. Your cards are great, and I clicked on a couple to look at them more closely, and that might be what most people are doing. I wish I knew what motivated people to buy a card. I know I have enjoyed a lot of cards on this site and in stores, but didn't have any person or occasion to buy it for.

Tom, How do you think the new menu has changed the traffic? Do you think your cards are now harder to find? Is it more difficult for shoppers to find what they are looking for with the new system?

I've discovered that I haven't done a very good job of categorizing some of my cards. Some are lost in the "general" heap. Which is not to say that if they were viewed, they would get picked, though.... Grin

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Tom_133317

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Posts: 2169

Re: So many clicks but no sales
Reply #9 - May 24^th, 2009, 4:08pm

Quote from Catherine_136771 on May 24^th, 2009, 2:50pm:

Tom, How do you think the new menu has changed the traffic? Do you think your cards are now harder to find? Is it more difficult for shoppers to find what they are looking for with the new system?

I've discovered that I haven't done a very good job of categorizing some of my cards. Some are lost in the "general" heap. Which is not to say that if they were viewed, they would get picked, though.... Grin

Here's the thread where the "New Menu" onion began to be peeled back, and yes, tears are flowing.
http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/forum/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1241551692

Just 4 visits in my store today - continuing the string of misery since this menu change. Tongue

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Jeff_135713 Gold Member artist Posts: 620	Re: So many clicks but no sales Reply #10 - May 24^th, 2009, 6:39pm Tom, celebrate those 4 visits, those of us with 2 think you are wealthy. I DO understand today and this weekend being quiet so I'm ignoring (yeah, sure) the low visits. I hope it picks up soon.... This too, shall change. -Whisper-
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Catherine_136771 Senior Member artist Posts: 290	Re: So many clicks but no sales Reply #11 - May 24^th, 2009, 6:58pm Thanks for the link, Tom. I'd only read the first couple of posts on the new menu change. Does anyone know whether GCU is planning to fix the menu so that cards are easier to find? I searched for some of my cards, as a test, and they were almost impossible to find.
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Tom_133317

Gold Member
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Posts: 2169

Re: So many clicks but no sales
Reply #12 - May 25^th, 2009, 1:08am

Quote from Catherine_136771 on May 24^th, 2009, 6:58pm:

Thanks for the link, Tom. I'd only read the first couple of posts on the new menu change. Does anyone know whether GCU is planning to fix the menu so that cards are easier to find? I searched for some of my cards, as a test, and they were almost impossible to find. cry

They have not acknowledge a problem up to this point, sadly. It's hard to calculate the exact number, but cards in the non-specific categories, such as Bridesmaid vs Bridesmaid-Sister, are not getting shopped like they were. You could buy a general bridesmaid card, one of 2176 cards listed, to ask your sister to be your bridesmaid, or you could go to the sister-only categoy and choose 1 of the 46 there. Most shoppers will go to the "short list," represented by ony a few stores, and likely will pick out something there. If they had shopped the 2176 card category instead, they likely would see a style they liked and visited the Artist's store to see all of his/her bridesmaid cards before choosing. They are less likely to do that while in a specific type category, especially ones with a relatively small number of cards. That's my theory anyway. The larger stores are likely seeing the biggest impact.

As one measurement, if I subtract out the recent search engine visit days for my store, my monthly store visit total for May is far less than even the early months for my store at GCU.

It's all making me rather ill, and not very motivated.

Best of luck to all -

TOM

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Penny_134243

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Posts: 1337

Re: So many clicks but no sales
Reply #13 - May 25^th, 2009, 7:39am

Quote from frank_135176 on May 23^rd, 2009, 1:24am:

One of my cards has been clicked more than 340 times in the past 4 months, But not one of those clicks have led to a sale, Has any one else experienced this Huh

Hi, Frank!

Your cards are so incredibly cute! I love your whimsical drawing style! I too, have had cards that had many clicks and no sales: One had 297 clicks before it finally sold. It now has 429, and just yesterday someone bought one, bringing the sales total up to 3. So you never know what is in the mind of a shopper.

Your cards are great! Keep making them and the sales will come!

Penny

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Penny_134243

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Re: So many clicks but no sales
Reply #14 - May 25^th, 2009, 7:50am

Oh, and one other thing: You may want to check the inside verse on your "Truth, light way" card, perhaps changing the spelling of 'verry' to very and capitalizing 'Christmas.' (That is such are lovely card, Frank.)

One thing that I did on my card with many clicks and no sales was to make the inside verse font size smaller. I guess that it helped!

Personal note: Hurray! I've been here for 11 months are now am a Junior Member! LOL!

Penny

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