Store Design Gone

[panengine]

13 years ago when I was first designing our store, I picked a color that matched our logo, picked categories, and created 3 links to pages with additional information.  This was all done in the listing frame.  Our store has pretty much looked the same all these years.  Until a couple of months ago.  Our design is gone.  For the most part the same information is there, but the design part, our color, ANY color.  It's just white with...nothing.  It looks so plain and unprofessional.  Anyone else experiencing this?  I have spoken to eBay a couple of times. But all I get is that they will pass it on to...whoever they pass the issues on to...  Also the links to our store pages no longer work.  They just take you to our home page.  I can't even figure out how to get to the pages.

I even tried to find where I originally created the listing frame to see if I could just do it again.  I found my way to a Set up your store page.  Under FAQs, there is a question: How can I change my Display Settings/Sort Order? The answer says to click on Display Settings under Store Design in Manage My Store.  There isn't a Display Settings link under Store Design.  And I'll bet that's where I originally went 13 years ago.

Anyone have any suggestions on how to fix all this?

[shipscript · Accepted solution]

@panengine 

About 5 years ago, eBay notified us that they would begin retiring the legacy store format because it could no longer be presented on a secure page and because it would not resize to fit mobile devices.  They notified store owners to begin migrating to the new store format. New stores, and  all stores without extra pages and without custom design features, were immediately put into the new store format, and stores with custom pages were given another year to move their stores on their own. That year stretched into two, and then into three. But it seems that time is finally running out and eBay is now moving the rest of the legacy stores into the new store format.

There are no true custom design elements in the new store format. You can upload a billboard image and a logo, and that is about it.  I see that you currently have the default blue bar where the billboard image would go.  The billboard is actually a full backdrop at up to about 1200x270 and the logo should be square (about 150x150 or 300x300), so the old 310 x 90 store logo is no longer appropriate for the new store.

The new store format no longer supports the depth of categories supported by the old format. I think you can have one subcategory deep. There a no longer any custom pages, like "policies" or "about us".  Only item category pages are supported. The appearance of custom page links in the listing frame is a bug. You may need to turn off the listing frame; aside from that, I'm not sure how to solve the dead links or get a listing frame that supports the new store format.

Bottom line. There is no going back, and no use beating a dead horse five years after the fact. The only path now is to go forward and clean up whatever eBay has left you.  I would spend some time finding a really nice billboard backdrop and use that for both the store and the user profile page.

And then see if the logo can be squared a bit for both pages.

https://www.ebay.com/str/panengine

https://www.ebay.com/usr/panengine

[panengine]

So, why is it that none of eBay's help representatives know this?  You know, I thought it was something like that, though I really don't remember seeing that notification.

And why is it that I can find other stores with the old formatting?  And stores that still have custom pages?  

[panengine]

@shipscript 

I have changed our logo so it's approximately 300x300 and when I go to our store's home page, it's there.  However, it's still the rectangular one on the listings.  Is there somewhere else I need to put it?

BTW, I do appreciate you taking the time to answer my question.  I'm just frustrated with eBay's help (I must have called them 3 times and not once did anyone mention a new format) and the fact our competitors (the ones physically right down the street from us) are still using the old format.  I also don't like the idea that, except for the banner, everyone is going to look like cookie-board-cut-outs of each other.  We may be selling the same things, but we are individuals with different tastes and we should be able to express that.  Just like we would with a brick and mortar store.

The only reason I haven't accepted your response as a solution yet, is because I thought it would close the post and I'm not done with you yet. 😊

[shipscript]

@panengine 

I would also add your new logo to your user id, although that won't affect your listings:

https://www.ebay.com/usr/panengine

And then consider a big backdrop image (billboard) for both pages.

There may still be some option on the Manage My Store page to revert back to the old format, although that should have disappeared two years ago.  In any event, eBay is marching  toward the new format, so eBay may be rolling stores into the new format in stages. I saw a rash of posts some months ago.

To your question about the listing appearance, there has always been a problem with the "Listing Frame" not carrying the new logo.  Because I don't have a store, I have not been following that saga very closely. I know that displaying the categories and the store header are two different options for the listing frame.  As a design ploy, many store sellers simply turned off the Listing Frame and applied their own design elements to the description itself. The problem with that is that it can not be centrally maintained unless an externally-hosted stylesheet is used.

When eBay first brought out the new store format, they spoke of some customization that would be available "later" and it was assumed this would accommodate some design differentiation. I had thought they wouldn't enroll the last of the fully-custom stores until customization options became available in the new store format, but now I don't think customization is on the table any more.

PS, a solution won't close the post, but no need to jump the gun, as someone else may have a better solution.

[panengine]

@shipscript 

Thanks again for replying and I apologize for the delay in my response but there’s only the two of us here now.  The boss handles running the office and I handle everything else.  So, sometimes there’s just no time…

When I did have some time the other day, I was searching around and found another place for the logo. I changed that to the square one and that changed the logo on all our listings.  I couldn’t remember where it was until I clicked the link you gave to our profile.  So, changing the logo there does affect our listings.  Plus it fits better in the circle on these pages. 😊

I’m working on the banner.  Just not sure what I want to do with it yet.

As for someone else having a better solution…  I don’t see how.  It is what it is.  Unless someone found a work-around, there isn’t a solution.  However, you took the time to help me try to make the best of it and that’s what makes yours the “Best Answer” (well, that and you were the only one who answered…) 😏

Thanks!