posted on August 15, 2006 08:38:51 PM
About The New Search Results Design
In our new search results pages, the space allotted to each listing will be bigger, and we'll be doing more to call out key information. For example, price information will be shown in a larger size and a new color, making it easier to scan through listings. We're also including an "Add to Watch list" link on each item, so buyers can add interesting listings to their Watch lists right away.
Most listing rows will also have a link called "See quick details." When a buyer clicks this link, or hovers over it with their mouse, they'll see a new section pop up that contains key information such as the shipping & handling charges and accepted payment methods.
Now it makes the buyers just check things out quickly without opening up the auctions.
This I don't see helps the sellers, or am I missing something?
posted on August 15, 2006 09:50:20 PM
I agree with you! They won't ever see the other photos we may have included in the auction, or the snazzy write-up we've carefully fashioned. Bah.
posted on August 15, 2006 09:57:17 PM
What worries me is that Ebay search has been running on 4 cylinders for the last 6 months. They are patching a few glitches to get it working right again, and now some genius wants to come in and add an "enhancement". What do you want to bet that the search engine will crash in November, right at the peak of the selling season, and no one will be able to find anything until after Christmas?
If Murphy's law is correct, everything East of the San Andreas Fault will slide into the Atlantic
posted on August 15, 2006 11:28:18 PMthe space allotted to each listing will be bigger
It'll be fun to see how this works, the pages already seem so cluttered; links for this, that, pop-ups and everything. Also hope it doesn't mean there will be fewer listings per page shown.
What's kind of disheartening is I can't even remember the last "improvement" that met anything close to a large and sustained amount of applause from sellers.
Other than for the first few years, when it seemed the sellers also WERE most of the buyers, did feebay ever care about what sellers thought?
posted on August 16, 2006 06:12:46 AM
You are right, there will be less listings per page and if they 'hover' they won't open the auction to see the clever wording we all have slaved over or the pretty pictures that took so long to take. What 12 year old thought this up! I can't see it helping us sellers at all!
posted on August 16, 2006 07:45:50 AM
Maybe dropping the gallery will be more to our benefit?? That way they have to open the auction to see what is really for sale?
I've always felt that the gallery is a necessary expense but maybe ebay just gave us a reason not to use it now.
I have not seen this new search yet - is is not available to all user yet??? Is this going to be another feature that Vendio users won't have?
[ edited by ladyjewels2000 on Aug 16, 2006 03:37 PM ]
posted on August 16, 2006 12:35:33 PM
How is this very much different from how people look at Search results now?
I don't even use Gallery on 98% of my listings, so they decide to click or not based on title, current bid, end date/time and shipping. Won't that still pretty much be the case?
Look, guys, eBay will always be changing things. All major sites do. Amazon's made a ton o' changes since I first started buying there. If every little shift gets you all aflutter, maybe e-commerce is not where you should be spending your time.
It's a dynamic business. If you can't move with it, you should get out of the way so you don't get run over.
posted on August 16, 2006 01:34:35 PMMaybe dropping the gallery will be more to our benefit?? That way they have to open the auction to sell what is really for sale?
Thank you!!! I have been telling you all that for three years now. All the gallery has done is made it possible for buyers to bypass your items without opening it up to look at. I don't use gallery. Why? So bidders have to open the item up and actually take a look. I have tried both with and without gallery and in every test I have done, non-gallery items always out sell gallery ones.
posted on August 16, 2006 03:12:03 PM
Your Exactly Right Fluffy in what you say, but the point I am bring out is that Ebay watches over there buyers and the hell with us sellers, that's about the size of it.
It takes both buyers and sellers for Ebay to exist, but when does ebay do something that will really benefit us sellers.
Stone, I also have tried listing without Gallery and it worked for me the same as if I listed in gallery. Guess that's one way to save on listing fees.
I closed both my stores and honestly speaking I do miss having them if I can figure a way to cover the raise in fees I would open just one store not two. I had many sales from my stores and at the time all my store expenses were covered.
Oh, Fluffy (your not a meanie) your just speaking the truth.
posted on August 16, 2006 03:29:41 PMIt takes both buyers and sellers for Ebay to exist, but when does ebay do something that will really benefit us sellers.
Correct me if I'm wrong but if it's easier for a buyer to find a item and they then buy it isn't that a benefit to the seller?
I'm not going to slam their new search until I see it first. It might actually be better. It might also start snowing in hell tomorrow.
1 out of 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Take a look at your 3 closest friends. If they seem alright, you're the one! - Kyle Stubbins, CMS
posted on August 16, 2006 03:30:43 PM
So the buyers get to see shipping and handling? My shipping is based on zip code. I have my own calculators. I guess I'll just be passed by....
posted on August 16, 2006 04:26:54 PMCorrect me if I'm wrong but if it's easier for a buyer to find a item and they then buy it isn't that a benefit to the seller?
Well Mike you could be right, but to me it's like going to the mall and window shopping.
We don't have to like or dislike what ebay does .....we just have to adjust because they are doing it either way. And I'm sure we all will just adjust like we always do when they make changes.
posted on August 16, 2006 04:48:53 PMSo the buyers get to see shipping and handling? My shipping is based on zip code. I have my own calculators. I guess I'll just be passed by....
This wouldn't be new. I have seen shipping and handling charges for a long time. They are based on the first shipping option the seller provides and is calculated based on what my (the buyer) code is. Here's a screen shot of a ebay search I did. Notice it has the calculated shipping charges displayed. Nothing new there. Note the shipping displayed is to my zip code of 17320 in the USA.
1 out of 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Take a look at your 3 closest friends. If they seem alright, you're the one! - Kyle Stubbins, CMS
posted on August 16, 2006 04:58:05 PM
I just noticed you stated you use "my own calculators". Don't you include the ebay shipping calculator in your listing's? I launch with Vendio and have both Vendio's and ebay's calculators in mine, both of which include my handling markup. The main reason I include ebay's is just for this reason. Prospective buyers see my S/H up front and if they have their ebay display set up to show shipping it's there for them to view. Just remember to have the cheapest shipping option listed first since it's the one that ebay uses to calculate shipping to the buyer.
1 out of 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Take a look at your 3 closest friends. If they seem alright, you're the one! - Kyle Stubbins, CMS
posted on August 16, 2006 06:26:12 PM
This is only a "test" of new features to "search results" page (what feebay's search engine does is another mess altogether). Personally, I hope ebay decides not to make it permanent. The way I see it, the more "busyness" ebay provides outside of our actual listings, the less likely tis that potential buyers will not go INTO those listings to view them in all their glory.
Also, haven't most of us already slagged the "watch feature" as being at least partly responsible for less bids out there? So why does ebay think it would be a good idea to make it even easier to watch an item (and perhaps not bid) by putting a link to do so now outside of the actual listing?
I've got the distinct feeling a lot of buyers out there have the attention span of a flea, else, for example, why so many questions about things that our descriptions provide those very same answers for? Just had one today - "How much is shipping to..." Duh, the answer's right there in the description, or do you not know what International means?
So how does it help me as a seller when there will now even more distractions outside of a listing?
posted on August 16, 2006 09:14:41 PM
fLuff - Yes, it is customized. It's one of the first thing's I did when I started ebaying way back when as a buyer. I like to have the shipping charges and the distance to seller displayed. The shipping is self explanitory and I add the distance to seller because I buy alot of very heavy machines, tooling and truck/tractors on ebay. This and the display by distance to seller allow's me to screen out items that are to far for me to go pick up.
You want to know what they needs to do to search's for buyers? Explain how to customize their display like I have done. Just this simple step alone has made buying on ebay much easier and faster to find what I'm looking for. Without the way I have my display customized I would probably spend $50-$100,000 less per year. It let's me find what I want and located within the distance I want meaning I can screen out thousands of non relevant listing's per week. The end result is I spend alot more because I can actually find what I want.
Not everyone needs it displayed like mine but if they tried to drive into buyers heads that it can be customized I think many would end up happier buyers more often. Most buyers don't even realize they can customize their pages on ebay. Just do a email and announcement campaign to buyers that explains how they can customize their display's and "My Shortcuts" and let them figure out how they want it to look. The system's already there, most just don't know how to use it to it's full potential.
edited to add: Oops, almost forgot to mention. I do use the Compare feature and think it is another feature they need to instruct buyers on how to use. One of the most used tools by me when I'm looking to buy something new. It display's the items you check side by side with each buyers price, shipping, return policy, feedback and lot's more. Very handy time saving tool for me.
Using the example of 357 Magnum ammunition reloading dies like I did for the search display here's a bunch of them displayed using the Compare feature. Makes comparing like items much easier.
1 out of 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Take a look at your 3 closest friends. If they seem alright, you're the one! - Kyle Stubbins, CMS
[ edited by mikes4x4andtruckrepair on Aug 16, 2006 09:26 PM ]
1 out of 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Take a look at your 3 closest friends. If they seem alright, you're the one! - Kyle Stubbins, CMS
