Mobile Optimized Descriptions

[blackbird*singing]

A lot of people still have questions on this topic (http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/news/sprupd16/view-item.html) and a handful of you asked me to create a dedicated thread, so here goes...

For a while now eBay has been optimizing item descriptions for small mobile screens by showing small portions of the full descriptions based on keywords - the full description is still viewable but the link can be hard to find.

With the new changes (which I think are good) eBay is giving options for sellers to optimize their own descriptions for mobile listings and they are also making the link to view full description much more prominent.

Here's how it works:

eBay, based on keywords, will automatically select a limit of 250 characters (not words) from your description to show on mobile view. This is something they have been doing for a while now. In the example they provided via the Seller Update, that description was just 139 characters. They could have included the second sentence in the provided example and still only hit 230 characters, but the bots only picked up keywords in the first sentence so only 139 characters were displayed. So again, they will show UP TO 250 characters.

Mobile view is also being enhanced by including a prominent "Read more" link at the bottom so buyers can easily click through to view the full description. here is a screenshot as provided by an eBay Blue:

If your full item description is less than 800 characters (I am reading that as 799 or less) and uses HTML, CSS, or text-only then eBay will, by default, show the entire description of up to 799 characters instead of pulling out text to fit within the 250 limit.

Some people have asked if eBay can pull 800 characters for mobile why are they defaulting to a limit of 250 if your description is more than 800? Faster load time would be my guess.

You don't need to do anything and eBay will optimize your descriptions as noted above by default. Again, for a while now eBay has already been pulling summaries of up to 250 for mobile, but now the link to view full description is going to be more clear and if your description is less than 800 characters they will show the full description by default. More info about how to optimize your listings without customizing text here: http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/news/sprupd16/view-item.html#tab=what-you-need-to-do

eBay is adding the option for you to choose your own text for optimized mobile views. If you DO want to customize then keep reading.

If your listing is 800 or more characters you have the option of using html tagging to choose which part of the description is optimized for mobile but the text needs to be consecutive - like you can't choose a sentence from the top of the description and another from the bottom. If you choose to do this, the html that can be used is shown on the FAQ page. http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/news/sprupd16/view-item.html#tab=faqs&faq=faq-vi-q09

General html tags (like tagging for a bold font) do not apply towards the character count. HTML tags that use up space (like a space between characters or a line break) do count in the 800 character count. A line break counts as 50 characters since that's about how many characters will display across a line on the mobile view. If you are using something like a Word document to count characters for you (no word yet on whether eBay will provide a character counter), please keep in mind how many characters a line break takes up.

If you tag more than 800 characters, eBay "will truncate the selection to below 800 characters. We will remove whole words to get below 800 characters, not partial words."

The official roll-out is this summer (I believe May 1st), but if you start html tagging now there will be "no visible impact on your listings". So if you want to start tagging now you can, it just won't go into effect yet. Do keep in mind that eBay has said they are going to provide some tools to help with this. They have not said what those tools will be yet. I made a suggestion that eBay implement these types of tools (and I hope they will take it under consideration): http://community.ebay.com/t5/2016-Spring-Seller-Update/Suggestion-for-Mobile-Optimized-Descriptions/...

I honestly do think this is a good change. It's enhancing the way mobile is currently handled and it's also giving sellers the option of customization if they so choose. Now, if only they would fix that "free shipping" glitch... 🙂

[mr_lincoln]

Okay ... that really seems to explain it well ... could it be said that the bottom line is the KISS principle?  I don't use a mobile device for anything other than making calls and texting family members ... let me see if I understand part of this because this IS important from a Selling standpoint:

-A Detail Description (D.D.) of the item will typically display the first 250 characters on a modilbe device if the total description CHARACTER count in 800 or MORE.

-If the D.D. is 799 CHARACTERS or less the entire Description will be displayed

-On any D.D. in excess of 800 CHARACTERS a Seller can select (i.e. tag) a CONSECUTIVE character section to be displayed on a mobile device but that section can not exceed the 799 CHARACTER limit established above?  For example on a 1500 CHARACTER description the Seller can tag Characters 200 through 999 but NOT tag 200 through 500 and then 600 through 1099.

-From the OP it "sounds" like an optimum D.D. set up for a mobile device viewing would be an unbroken "paragraph" of no more than 250 CHARACTERs.  Or up to 799 CHARACTERS if more text is needed to describe the item but kept in a paragraph format. (i.e. NO line breaks)

Do you think eBay has any metrics on how many Buyers work from Mobile devices?   

[dhbookds]

if your description is less than 800 characters they will show the full description by default.

Thanks for your work....makes it much clearer.......Couple of questions: 

1..Sounds like if the 799 characters are in one paragraph, they will show all....

But if separated by line breaks, we need to subtract 50 for line break from the 799?

2...now the link to view full description is going to be more clear and if your description is less than 800 characters they will show the full description by default.

does "now" mean today?......

Is there anywhere we can see what they are doing on our active listings now if we don't have a phone/device that will show it? 

Thanks again for the help.........not easy being tech challenged...........

[blackbird*singing]

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

Okay ... that really seems to explain it well ... could it be said that the bottom line is the KISS principle?  I don't use a mobile device for anything other than making calls and texting family members ... let me see if I understand part of this because this IS important from a Selling standpoint:

-A Detail Description (D.D.) of the item will typically display the first 250 characters on a modilbe device if the total description CHARACTER count in 800 or MORE.

Not quite - if you check that section above it will display a LIMIT of 250 characters if your character count is 800+. So if the bots keyword search only finds keywords in your first sentence that is just 50 characters, it will display 50 characters followed by the read more link. If you have keywords in first 2 sentences and they total 249 characters then that will be displayed.

-If the D.D. is 799 CHARACTERS or less the entire Description will be displayed

Yes, whole thing displayed

-On any D.D. in excess of 800 CHARACTERS a Seller can select (i.e. tag) a CONSECUTIVE character section to be displayed on a mobile device but that section can not exceed the 799 CHARACTER limit established above?  For example on a 1500 CHARACTER description the Seller can tag Characters 200 through 999 but NOT tag 200 through 500 and then 600 through 1099.

Not quite - you can't tag characters 200 through 999 and also characters 600 through 1099 - all has to be consecutive. So for example you can tag 1-799 or can tag 50-849, but you can't tag 1-50 AND 100-849. It all has to be consecutive wording.

-From the OP it "sounds" like an optimum D.D. set up for a mobile device viewing would be an unbroken "paragraph" of no more than 250 CHARACTERs.  Or up to 799 CHARACTERS if more text is needed to describe the item but kept in a paragraph format. (i.e. NO line breaks)

With the above example that would mean the complete description is displayed without a need for buyers to click the 'read more' link.

Do you think eBay has any metrics on how many Buyers work from Mobile devices?   

I'm sure they do... if you look at the monthly e-mail from eBay my last one showed that my sales generated from mobile devices were 52%. It's going to be different for every seller and category.

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Hey Linc - answers above in blue. 🙂

[blackbird*singing]

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@dhbookds wrote:

if your description is less than 800 characters they will show the full description by default.

Thanks for your work....makes it much clearer.......Couple of questions: 

1..Sounds like if the 799 characters are in one paragraph, they will show all....

But if separated by line breaks, we need to subtract 50 for line break from the 799?

Correct. Each line break consumes 50 characters. Each space consumes one character.

2...now the link to view full description is going to be more clear and if your description is less than 800 characters they will show the full description by default.

does "now" mean today?......

Now means when the change goes into effect "this summer" which I thnk translates to May 1st - so in about 3 weeks. Until then it's the old format which pulls a limit of 250 characters and has a link to full description that's harder to find.

Is there anywhere we can see what they are doing on our active listings now if we don't have a phone/device that will show it? 

No. I have the same issue - no mobile with which to view. If you look at the last link in my post above you'll see that I requested for the "mobile preview" feature to be added. No idea if that will be considered by eBay or not.

Thanks again for the help.........not easy being tech challenged...........

Glad you're finding my post helpful! 🙂

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Thanks DH! See above in blue.

[blackbird*singing]

To add to the above response to mr_lincoln: We don't know exactly which keywords the bots search for and cannot dictate them. This is one of the reasons eBay is providing sellers the option to customize the mobile view if they want to.

[mr_lincoln]

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@prefontained wrote:

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

Okay ... that really seems to explain it well ... could it be said that the bottom line is the KISS principle?  I don't use a mobile device for anything other than making calls and texting family members ... let me see if I understand part of this because this IS important from a Selling standpoint:

-A Detail Description (D.D.) of the item will typically display the first 250 characters on a modilbe device if the total description CHARACTER count in 800 or MORE.

Not quite - if you check that section above it will display a LIMIT of 250 characters if your character count is 800+. So if the bots keyword search only finds keywords in your first sentence that is just 50 characters, it will display 50 characters followed by the read more link. If you have keywords in first 2 sentences and they total 249 characters then that will be displayed.  Got it, thanks!

-If the D.D. is 799 CHARACTERS or less the entire Description will be displayed

Yes, whole thing displayed

-On any D.D. in excess of 800 CHARACTERS a Seller can select (i.e. tag) a CONSECUTIVE character section to be displayed on a mobile device but that section can not exceed the 799 CHARACTER limit established above?  For example on a 1500 CHARACTER description the Seller can tag Characters 200 through 999 but NOT tag 200 through 500 and then 600 through 1099.

Not quite - you can't tag characters 200 through 999 and also characters 600 through 1099 - all has to be consecutive. So for example you can tag 1-799 or can tag 50-849, but you can't tag 1-50 AND 100-849. It all has to be consecutive wording.  I get that now, thank you!

-From the OP it "sounds" like an optimum D.D. set up for a mobile device viewing would be an unbroken "paragraph" of no more than 250 CHARACTERs.  Or up to 799 CHARACTERS if more text is needed to describe the item but kept in a paragraph format. (i.e. NO line breaks)

With the above example that would mean the complete description is displayed without a need for buyers to click the 'read more' link.

Do you think eBay has any metrics on how many Buyers work from Mobile devices?   

I'm sure they do... if you look at the monthly e-mail from eBay my last one showed that my sales generated from mobile devices were 52%. It's going to be different for every seller and category. Okay, learing something new here ... "the monthly" email from eBay ... and where would a Newbie like me find a rascal like that?  I did find some stats one time surfing around the eBay site ... but a monthly email does not show up in my Messages ...

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Hey Linc - answers above in blue. 🙂

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Thanks Pre - comments above in red ...

[blackbird*singing]

@mr_lincoln I got my last seller newsletter on March 24th. Check your e-mail and see if you have something that looks like the below:

[blackbird*singing]

Linc - check out the e-mail eBay sent today titled "Updates to eBay's seller communications" - they are changing up the seller communications and provided a schedule you can follow.

[ittybitnot]

but now the link to view full description is going to be more clear

Is it? or are they dispensing with it? 

What are the html tags we are supposed to use? 

[blackbird*singing]

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@ittybitnot wrote:

but now the link to view full description is going to be more clear

Is it? or are they dispensing with it? 

What are the html tags we are supposed to use? 

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Hey itty - 

I posted a screenshot in the lead post that came directly from an eBay Blue. You can see that the "read more" link will be right there below the text when these changes go into effect.

As for the tagging html, you can find the code in the FAQs of this area of the seller update. I also posted it above, but here you go:

http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/news/sprupd16/view-item.html#tab=faqs&faq=faq-vi-q09

[mr_lincoln]

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@prefontained wrote:

@mr_lincoln I got my last seller newsletter on March 24th. Check your e-mail and see if you have something that looks like the below:

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10-4 Pre, got it thanks!

[ittybitnot]

Thanks, I will look. Though regarding my jewelry selling genre, the smurffs seem to be ill informed....i.e. 24K gold electroplated brass is now considered by ebay as a PRECIOUS METAL...????????  

I have always veiwed my listings on a couple of types of tablets, a few different cell phone types, laptops and pc's...... There is always there 'someplace" view full item description button (even when they removed it from the PC/Classic view).   Never had my listings messed up so long as the full "item description" button was present. "   What do I know?  

I appreciate your response and will investigate further. 

Itty

ebay dinosaur. 

[blackbird*singing]

Just in case eBay does not provide a character counting tool, I wanted to post this link: http://charactercounttool.com

That website will count your characters, but if you use it keep in mind it is counting line breaks as 1 character, and for eBay's mobile optimization line breaks are 50 characters. So if you use that tool, for each time you hit "enter" be sure to add an additional 49 characters.

[shipscript]

I wanted to repeat eBay's special description tags within this thread, for those who use HTML. 

The following paragraph and code are from:

http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/news/sprupd16/view-item.html#tab=faqs&faq=faq-vi-q09

If you have HTML authoring capabilities, you can indicate which content eBay should use for the View Item summary by encapsulating desired content (up to 800 characters) in special HTML markup. A simple way to tag your content is to include the following HTML around the text you wish to include in the mobile item description:

<div vocab="http://schema.org/" typeof="Product"><span property="description">
This paragraph contains almost 800 characters of text to be displayed in the mobile item description. And the text in this paragraph through this sentence contains 250 characters, which is the amount we will display without any actions on your part. When you tag this paragraph with these simple HTML breaks, the content will be displayed to shoppers looking at your item. This will allow the shopper to see the key information you want to display, without them having to click through to the complete description. If your complete description is 800 characters or less and uses basic HTML we will display the entire description without any action by you—so the best practice is to keep it within 800 characters. If you have a long description, make it easy for your buyers by using this option. 
</span></div>

And then, because the help page says (up to 800 characters), I wanted emphasize the correction that prefontained reported. An eBay blue confirmed that tagging text beyond 800 characters will result in truncation at a whole word under 800 characters.  That means you don't have to count characters if you have too much text and not enough time.

eBay says we can start adding the tags now. They will have no effect until eBay turns on the feature this summer.

Using Inserts:  I think adding the tags to an eBay insert would be the most efficient way to tag the text when manually editing the description. Inserts are on eBay's description editor, and can be used in either the RichText or HTML view of the editor. Create an insert with a dummy placeholder word, like SUMMARY, with a space on each side, and save (using save draft). Next time a listing is created or revised, click your cursor into the location in the listing where the insert will start. Select the insert from the droplist, and it will appear in the description, displaying your placeholder word. Then cut the summary paragraph and paste it over the placeholder text to move your desired text into the tags.  In addition to displaying in your full description, that text will also appear as the mobile summary.