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Comment by adamqureshi | Hacker News Reader

I run a niche marketplace site. I use ambush sales tactics to find customer on forums. Once i convinced them to email me THEN 2nd task is to convert them with a free listing THEN ask them to pay, if i sell their listing / ev car. I started testing $100 got paid, raised it to $150 got paid now im at $250 and getting paid. I am considering to push it to $500 ( maybe not). I think $250 is fine for me im good with selling 4 listings / month and making 1k/month. I use FB messenger to chat with customers and Email or SMS works just fine! i'll keep at it. I have a small email list now of buyers 100-200. I know its not much but an extra $1k-$2k/month for me is fine at the moment. I don't have dreams to be a millionaire or scale or [add your fancy start up lingo here] just keepin it real. Wealth is discretionary time.

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I remember seeing a post from you about your marketplace, along with a thoughtful explanation behind your tactics. It sounds like you have a great approach that's working really well, and I really appreciate you sharing all of that info.

Out of curiosity, why wouldn't you push it to $500? Your market, in my naive outsider view, seems to have the discretionary income to handle that.

I ask because I'm wondering at what point do you determine you've set too high of a price? Was there considerable drop-off in conversions near that number? Or a gut feel?

I am at $250/now. I am now seeing some interesting data patterns on selling price and am considering maybe asking for $500. Right now i am gonna stay with $250 and slowly begin testing $500. But i just started testing a tesla on demand model im not sure how that is gonna work: https://onlyusedtesla.com/ondemand/

Problem: a tesla owner takes his tesla in for servicing. Servicing center has no loaner for him. Service center rents a tesla from my platform for the customer. Problem is inventory. Also tesla can use my platform to get customers in for a short term rental then try to convert them into a sale ( sell them a tesla)

So new business models are unfolding. there are other ways to make sales. I will of course test my threshold. ;-)

Instead of jumping to $500, is raising it by $50 an option?

If you jump to $500 and some pay, but not enough, then you revert to a lower number, people who paid $500 may feel slighted. Moving up at $50 reduces the impact and those who paid lower will feel like they got a bargain. Maybe...

So i just sold a model x 90D on the site and this guy who is a dealer paid me $500. Now i just listed another model x 90d for him. So i am thinking for a dealer i'll ask them to pay $500 it could be just this guy or i just got lucky ( one off) But the idea of raising it in $50 increments is interesting and I will start testing ASAP! Another online dealer wants to list their used tesla inventory now, they are a well funded start up based in NYC no lots. I gotta work out a monthly deal with them i don't even know how much they are paying to cars / autotrader but looking into it. ;-)

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