Anyone using Yahoo! Shopping?

MaineWeb · #1 (**permalink**) 01-22-2004, 04:01 PM

I already have an e-commerce site that is tied in to our inventory, account files, etc.

Would it be a good idea to have a Yahoo! storefront with just a few items in it to get some more exposure? If it works, it seems like an inexpensive way of getting included in more Yahoo searches.

richkoi · #2 (**permalink**) 01-22-2004, 06:33 PM

I would also like to know if anyone is using Yahoo Shopping. How flexable is it? Can you add and remove inventory easily?

Thanks,

Rich

Corey Bryant · #3 (**permalink**) 01-23-2004, 10:13 AM

I have one client in Russia using it. He had to give me his user name / password because he was having problems submitting his site. I did get a chance to look around in there for a few minutes but it was not really impressive. I mean - I know you are paying more for the market than the functions of the site.

As far as I could tell, inventory could be updated pretty easily. I have heard some pretty good things about Google Adwords. That might be better than Yahoo.

I would think that it depends on what you are selling & what your prices are compared to the compeitors on that site

TheWebDoctor(tm) · #4 (**permalink**) 01-24-2004, 08:08 PM

I've researched many shopping cart systems while developing my search engine friendly solution. Yahoo Stores was one that I researched. When it started out several years ago it was a reasonable option because Yahoo Stores accounts were listed at no additional fee in the Yahoo Shopping section. That has since changed.

Some of the clients I followed up with stated they went to Yahoo Stores because of the Yahoo Shopping listings and for the perceived credibility that thought Yahoo Stores offered. You can take that as you will.

Yahoo Stores offers nothing of real value to help businesses succeed in the global economy. As Corey points out it is not impressive. I can actually show you one letter from a major business that was extremely upset with how Yahoo Stores treated them so poorly and misled them.

You can choose of many shopping carts. The most important feature you need is one that will promote your products with ease. Many people think they need the entire toolbox in their online stores. That's an incorrect thought. What is needed is the right tools in the toolbox. If you can't get people to your site then you can't make sales.

I'm biased, however, you may PM me and I'll show you a toolbox with the right tools in it. I can tell you one client has informed me that they have began to sell items they have had in inventory for two years prior without any prior sales before deciding to use the toolbox I would recommend.

I hope this helps everyone.

richkoi · #5 (**permalink**) 01-26-2004, 04:24 PM

I am looking for a fairly inventory-friendly shopping cart... What I mean by that is an online store that can be easily updatable as inventory changes without having to go through and changing page after page of products. A solution that is directly linked to a database would be best.

Thank you,

Rich

StevenAllen · #6 (**permalink**) 02-21-2004, 06:53 PM

I agree with much of what Lee had to say, but I still think you Yahoo still has a good product. Certainly in 1999 when we opened our first store with Yahoo there was more value. However, Yahoo still has one of the best platforms for non-techie types like myself who do not want to learn HTML. In addition, the way that Yahoo genereates pages creates the potential for better search engine results.

Recent changes in Yahoo shopping and increases in cost make Yahoo shopping non-competitive, but if you separate the hosting from shopping, Yahoo still has a solid product.