eBay Alternatives: The rise and fall since 2009

In 2009, I made a list of alternative places to sell items so that eBay users could test some new markets, and newbie sellers can see the options outside of selling on eBay.

Among other things, my list of marketplaces showcased their fees and levels of traffic, both of which are important for all online retailers.

I recently updated this list, over two years later, and found some interesting results, particularly in regard to the change in the levels of traffic coming to these sites.

I’ve listed these findings below so that you can check out which ‘alternative’ marketplaces  have grown the most and which have slid a little.

Check it out below. If you’re surprised by the results or sell on any of these marketplaces, let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

Note: Traffic ratings are based on data from Alexa.com and based on using a combination of average daily visitors and page views over the last three months. The lower the rank, the more visitors the site gets. For example, Google.com has a ranking of 1 because it is the most visited website in the world.

Bonanza.com (was ‘Bonanzle.com’ in 2009)

2009 Fees: Free to list items and final value fees ranging from $1-$5

2011 Fees: Free to list items and 3.5% flat rate final value fees ranging from $0.50-$17.50

2009 Traffic rating: 10,863

2011 Traffic rating: A rise to 5,554 (remember, the lower the number here, the higher the traffic levels. For example, Google the most visited website in the world, has a rank of 1)

My two cents: Since 2009, Bonanza has emerged as the new darling among marketplaces and seen some incredible growth. The raise in fees mirrors a raise in traffic which is a trend you will see in the other sites below who also saw growth in traffic rates.

Amazon.com

2009 Fees: Final value fees of 8-15% plus a closing fee of around $0.60

2011 Fees: Pay a referral fee of 6-25%, a variable closing fee ($0.80-$1.35) and a fixed fee of 0.99 cents.  Note: The $0.99 per-item fee is waived for Pro Merchant Subscribers.

Complicated enough for you?

2009 Traffic rating: 29

2011 Traffic rating: A rise to 14

My two cents: A jump from a traffic rating of 29 to a very impressive 14 echoes Amazon’s rapid rate of growth in the last couple of years. Their fees however, which were already on the high end of the spectrum are a sore point among some sellers there.

Etsy.com

2009 Fees: $0.20 per listing and 3.5% final value fee

2011 Fees: No change

2009 Traffic rating: 507

2011 Traffic rating: A rise to 177

My two cents: The only marketplace on my list who saw huge growth in traffic, but didn’t increase their fees. The leap from a 507 traffic rank to 177 is fantastic also. High five, Etsy!

Craigslist.org

2009 Fees: Free (unless posting a job or service in some areas)

2011 Fees: No change!

2009 Traffic rating: 26

2011 Traffic rating: A drop to 36

My two cents: I was surprised by Craigslist’s drop in traffic rank but it’s important to note that Craigslist may not have actually experienced a reduction in traffic, but other sites might have simply overtaken them due to the web seeing an overall increase in traffic.

Gumtree.com

2009 Fees: Generally free, some small fees apply to some categories or to listing upgrades

2011 Fees: No change!

2009 Traffic rating: 763

2011 Traffic rating: A drop to 941

My two cents: It’s great to see that this grass-roots marketplace has remained mostly free to use. The drop in traffic is a significant one, but like Craigslist, may not have actually seen a drop in their actual traffic, they may simply have been overtaken by other websites that are rapidly gaining popularity. 

What changes in marketplace traffic and fees have you noticed recently?  Leave a comment below.