WHAT SELLERS ARE SAYING
"After incorporating eBay Motors' fitment compatibility in our listings, we saw a 40% increase in sales literally overnight." Read more
– Jaime Rodriguez, Owner of Southwest Auto Body Parts
Southwest Auto Body Parts is owned and operated by Jaime Rodriguez. The Houston-based company houses 40 employees in the United States and runs a shop in El Salvador as well.
Rodriguez originally started using eBay for personal use several years ago, but soon realized the potential for his business to move automotive parts and accessories through eBay Motors. Southwest Auto Body Parts began selling on eBay Motors nearly three years ago and today lists 12,000-13,000 parts at any given time selling approximately 400 parts per week.
The parts compatibility listing capabilities have exceeded Rodriguez's expectations. "After incorporating eBay Motors' fitment compatibility in our listings, we saw a 40 percent increase in sales literally overnight," said Rodriguez. Since this initial jump, sales have constantly increased. Rodriguez said, "We should have done this a long time ago."
The process to begin integrating parts compatibility was time intensive, requiring Rodriguez and his staff to define compatible vehicles contained in more than 10,000 live listings using the standardized eBay vehicle list. He then used Turbo Lister to upload all fitment listings on his business's primary account, as well as sister account – southwestautobodyhouston. Even though the initial process took a little extra time, Rodriguez is confident it was well worth the investment after experiencing such a quick return.
The effectiveness of parts compatibility is proving to be very beneficial and well worth the few extra minutes in listing for Southwest Auto Body. Rodriguez now refuses to list items without compatibility.
"It's like listing one item with several titles - which saves time, increases natural search by buyers and increases profitability," said Rodriguez. "The fitment process has allowed for higher search results and changed the way we list all our parts."
– Jaime Rodriguez, Owner of Southwest Auto Body Parts
"What eBay Motors is trying to do is the Holy Grail for sellers – sellers just need to know how to use it." Read more
– Rick Green, 1A Automotive
When asked about the launch of parts compatibility on eBay Motors, Rick Green of 1A Auto simply states, "This is something every online automotive business or seller wants and should be using."As an eBay user since May of 1999 and a seller on eBay Motors since its origin, Green understands that the full capabilities of using fitment haven't been completely explored by sellers and buyers alike – but still feels it's a great tool for businesses.
Green knows this first hand as he has seen an increase of approximately 5-10 percent in sales since converting all of 1A Auto's listing to the new format.
"What eBay Motors is trying to do is the Holy Grail for sellers - sellers just need to know how to use it."
"1A Auto has seen an uptick in its 'Best Matches' and we're noting higher sales – which we attribute to using the parts compatibility listings."
However, Green does note that sellers aren't yet familiar with how the catalog process works and buyers aren't familiar with it either. And as more sellers become familiar with it, the benefits may decrease or level off for some businesses.
– Rick Green, 1A Automotive