ShipScript has been an eBay Community volunteer since 2003, specializing in HTML, CSS, Scripts, Photos, Active Content, Technical Solutions, and online Seller Tools.
I scanned your listings with this bulk scanner and it looks like you have about 65 listings with issues to address.
http://www.isdntek.com/ebaytools/ActiveContentScanner.htm
Most of the issues are clickable links to outside websites.
for instance, in listing 231830954038, there are links to
<A href="http://www.courtroomgame.com" <A href="http://www.word-pal.com" <A href="http://www.valeriakashina.com"
In listing 331981724440, there are 22 links to a website and 22 embedded images. I presume those are your website links. The links themselves open the same image that is within the listing, but in a separate window. That link is banned. However, the images embedded within the listing are not banned. eBay still allows embedding images.
The next issue with those embedded images is that they are not served over a secure connection. The recommendation to add an SSL certificate to your website should solve that problem and then you can use eBay's Bulk Edit And Replace (BEAR) tool to change your image links from
http://www.fair
to
https://www.fair
Your next problem is that the thumbnails, at 100px, are not very useful, so you'll need a gallery solution. I don't know if you realize it, but those are not real thumbnails in your listings. They are the full 500K image that has to load in order to be displayed at a smaller size, so the thumbnails are only saving on real estate, not bandwidth.
If you went with an in-page gallery solution, the photos aren't going to display any larger than the visitor's browser, and they are going to load the original just like they do now, so you may want to make some concession going forward to producing a slightly smaller photo that fills the screen and doesn't require such a large file size.
You can create an eBay compliant photo gallery using your SSL-delivered photos, when you get them ready, by putting the photo links into this online tool.
http://www.isdntek.com/csstools/photos.htm
You could do so now, if you wish, in an effort to clear out the links, and then deal with updating to SSL later.
It's a basic click or rollover gallery. It may also be possible to find a more extravagant gallery that offers zoom by researching on the web, but my caveat there is those will usually require that you link in a rather extensive stylesheet to control it all. The more resources that get linked into the page, the slower it will load, and then more browser memory will be required to run the wizzy stuff.
For the best layout on a mobile device, I would recommend that thumbnails go under the main photo in the gallery rather than beside. Thus, on a mobile device, the main image will be full width and the visitor can pinch and zoom the main image for detail. However, I think eBay has turned off that pinch/zoom gesture within the app. Perhaps others can verify.
As long as your image hosting supports https, you'll be fine with external hosting. The other image issue is the upcoming ban on watermarking of images that are destined for eBay hosting. To my knowledge, that refers to anything that is applied to the image after the photo is taken. eBay wants to be able to use your image in their catalog and share that image with other sellers who do not wish to take their own photos. Additionally, the ban on watermarking is to get the image and listing a higher ranking in google shopping, since google demotes photos with text or added spammy features.
@weyland_pubs wrote:
...I don't think a serious buyer will glance at a couple of tiny photos and then decide to buy a $3000 item.
....
Speaking as a buyer, I prefer it when sellers upload high-resolution issues to the eBay photos section, rather than embedding photos into their description.
The high-res photos enlarge beautifully through eBay's system. The photos that are embedded in the description never come close to matching how well I can see an item in an englarged, high-res, eBay picture. And it has always annoyed me when I try to enlarge a picture, and it takes me off-eBay. I often end up just closing the listing.
I checked some of your listings. I couldn't find any that had photos in the description, but your photos that are uploaded to eBay display very well.
FYI, I noticed this text in one of your desriptions, which is not allowed according to the Descriptions Policy.
"We reserve the right to CANCEL any sale ..."
Item Description Policy:
Not allowed
...
Listing an item and stating that you reserve the right to cancel a buyer's bid at any time.
...
I didn't see imageshack photos in your current listings. If you have a hosted image to test, put the url into the address bar of your browser and try it with both http and https. If it works with https, then you can just change any existing embedded images from http to https.
If they fail to display with the secure https protocol, then they'll need to continue to use the non-secure http protocol. If you continue to use them with the non-secure protocol, your item description will simply open in a new window (just like the mobile view) instead of appearing directly in the listing.
@shipscript wrote:
I didn't see imageshack photos in your current listings. If you have a hosted image to test, put the url into the address bar of your browser and try it with both http and https. If it works with https, then you can just change any existing embedded images from http to https.
If they fail to display with the secure https protocol, then they'll need to continue to use the non-secure http protocol. If you continue to use them with the non-secure protocol, your item description will simply open in a new window (just like the mobile view) instead of appearing directly in the listing.
Thank you! I ended up removing all the pics from my listings. I figure it would be easier than having to learn more techy stuff, which you know I am not very good at.
So I can change any HTTP link to HTTPS on my own? I don't need a SSL Certificate? Will it affect my Imageshack account or anything I have to be worried about?
Do I just do it when I'm listing through Turbo Lister? In my HTML?
Speaking of TL, is there a way to get the TL graphics and stuff off the listings before I list them? Is there an option in TL itself to disable the graphics?
Thanks again for all your help.
@a*river*runs*through*it wrote:So I can change any HTTP link to HTTPS on my own? I don't need a SSL Certificate? Will it affect my Imageshack account or anything I have to be worried about?
The server that is hosting the images needs the SSL certificate. Then when that site delivers photos using the https protocol, the browser will read the certificate and know the delivery is secure.
When I visited imageshack, I noticed that parts of their site are already secure, and they have a certificate that the browser recognizes. So the only thing we need to verify is whether they are able to deliver images over that same secure connection.
If it will help in understanding, the SSL certificate applies to the delivery method. The photos themselves will not need to be relocated on the server. The same old photos will be delivered from the same old folders on the same old server, regardless of whether a secure, or non-secure, delivery is requested by the browser when it sees either http or https in the protocol of the image address. Just think of the image host as a library with http as the front door and https as a private side door with a secret knock code (SSL certificate) and a hidden escape tunnel (https).
Some hosting services don't have that private tunnel, so https won't work for them.
@a*river*runs*through*it wrote:Speaking of TL, is there a way to get the TL graphics and stuff off the listings before I list them? Is there an option in TL itself to disable the graphics?
That may be a question for the tools & apps forum or for other sellers. My TL quit working about 2 years ago. TL does have an advanced find/replace option that would allow you to bulk edit listings and you could use that to change the protocol on your image urls or remove content.
