New eBay Item Page
June 20, 2008 | 03:58PM PST/PT
Hi everyone...this is Subha Shetty with eBay's buyer experience team. I'm here in Chicago with my colleagues, and we recently hosted a class on the new item page that we'll introduce to the site in a phased rollout in a few weeks. I'd like to share the most important details with everyone.
Buyers and sellers have always relied on the item page. Sellers need this page to effectively showcase their items, while buyers need it to help them find the information they need to make a purchasing decision. Over the years, the page has suffered from "improvement overload" as more and more options and information have been added. The result is that today's page is cluttered and less efficient than it should be from both a buyer and seller perspective.
My team has spent a lot of time studying how buyers use this page and identifying the most important data. We've also done extensive testing on the best way to present these elements on this page. The result is a more streamlined page that gives buyers a quick snapshot of the most important information. Other details, such as high bidder and seller location, are still just a click away.
Here's a rundown of the most important changes:
It's more visual. Buyers love pictures. The new design includes a larger picture shown at the top of the page so they can clearly see what they're bidding on.
It's simpler. To make the page easier to use, we've moved some of the less critical features and put them behind tabs. We've also removed a few features that were under-used. The end result is a much cleaner page that emphasizes the most important information and features that buyers need when they make purchasing decisions. In addition, buyers will be available to place bids without having to go through as many steps.
Buyers get more selection – sellers get more exposure. Online shoppers today expect an experience that highlights value and selection, and the new item page is designed with this in mind. Buyers will see links to similar items from the same seller in various places on the page. (These placements are still being tested.)
Community input has been invaluable
We've been testing our new page since February. (Read an earlier interview with me on The Chatter blog about this test). The input and information learned has been invaluable, and several improvements were made as a direct result of what we heard from our Community.
For example, in the original test back in February, we had messaging on the page to alert buyers when a seller had low DSRs compared to other sellers on the site. Members told us that this display was confusing and caused more issues and concern than it solved. We've gone back to the drawing board on this aspect, and it will not be part of our initial launch.
See for yourself - check out a preview of the new item page
After all that, I know that seeing the page is much better than reading a description. To check it out and learn more about the new design, visit this page - http://pages.ebay.com/newitempage/. I also hope you’ll visit our Frequently Asked Questions to learn even more about the new item page.
Our launch plan
We'll be phasing in our latest variations of this page with very small groups of members (less than 1%) in the next week or so. If you're part of this initial launch, you'll see a link at the top of page where you can send us your feedback – and please do! You'll also be able to opt out of the new page if you wish. As time goes on, we'll be expanding the number of members who see the new page by default.
We appreciate your input and support! We'll be back with more updates soon.
Sincerely,
Subha Shetty
Buyer Experience