How to Deal With the Negative Impact of the Changes to the View Item (Listing) Page

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

I'm borrowing this from another thread, since it will likely be buried there. As many of you know, ebay has been adding more and more promoted listings to the View Item page (often referred to as "the listing page"). A good discussion, with dramatic toothpaste illustration, can be found here: https://www.valueaddedresource.net/ebay-thinks-100-ads-on-listing-improvement/

I'm not interested in using this thread to complain about this , or to condemn ebay for doing it....we have plenty of those discussions already. PLS isn't going away, and the listing page will continue to look like this (or worse). Instead, I'd like to see if people have any practical ideas about ways we can reduce (we can't eliminate) the negative impact on our sales. Here's what I wrote on the other thread, and I'm hoping other sellers can add to this list:

A seller can use PLs , which will increase the chance that he might make a sale when he shows up on a competitors listing, but that doesn't do much to mitigate the impact this has on the seller's own listing.

Running promotions (such as discount sales) might help, as the promotion might persuade the buyer to stay more focused on what the seller has to offer, rather than looking at all the bright shiny things from other sellers.

Not sure about this one , but a seller might design a description template and include his photos in the template, which will take up considerably more space on the page, and might help to keep the buyer focused on the listed item. (I say not sure for a couple reasons, including the fact that ebay could probably take away this option if too many sellers use it and ebay concludes it is hurting PLS performance).  

Make sure Make An Offer is enabled. While ebay has claimed they do not put identical items on the page, we know this isn't true, especially so for items that don't have a UPC or other code number. I just looked at one of my items, and see several of the same thing from other sellers, at lower prices. At least if I have Offer enabled, the buyer MIGHT decide to give me a chance to make the sale by discounting my price.

Your suggestions? 

[the-hook-and-the-loop]

You can edit all of your listings to try and fix this on a desktop version of eBay, but the mobile app is quite different. Many buyers are using mobile. Maybe 5% actually read a description, because that would require a whole tap and navigating away from the original listing. I definitely wouldn't be adding the make an offer feature.

[gamersbaystore]

I would agree its a very bad practice for ebay to cram a hundred promoted listings onto a single listing page. What I find really annoying is the fact you have to scroll past a million ads to even reach the description for the item you're viewing.

ebay should put the description first, ads last! When buyers click to view more about an item, they expect to find info on the item they're viewing, not be met with ads galore. Buyers have to scroll for eons to even find the description.

I agree with that article, what ebay is doing is horrible for the buyer experience.

As for having to compete with identical items being shown on your listings, all you can do is run promotions to try and eat up more of the space on the page.

Now when you click on an active listing ebay rarely shows other items from the same seller. Here store subscribers pay a premium, yet they don't have their own space. Your store is not designed to advertise your own products, rather everyone elses, and store subscribers foot the bill.

[dnasilver]

Yep eBay give every buyer an out by claiming INAD. They break up one's listings and they should not be doing that. Can't wait for that buyer to ask why they did not get the other 50 items that were shown.

[collectfest]

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@the-hook-and-the-loop wrote:

You can edit all of your listings to try and fix this on a desktop version of eBay, but the mobile app is quite different. Many buyers are using mobile. Maybe 5% actually read a description, because that would require a whole tap and navigating away from the original listing. I definitely wouldn't be adding the make an offer feature.

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how do u know only 5% read the actual description. Almost everyone I know reads the description that buys antiques or anything high value. If they are not reading anything not sure, why it would matter if you added make offer. I personally, as a rule don't use make offer because I choose immediate payment. If eBay would protect sellers, I would use make offer. If make offer included an auto accept immediate payment, I would use make offer.

As to OP comments, who I respect their comments, I see no way to really respond. eBay is vague, we would just be guessing. There should be no guessing in free market trade.

IF I HAD A DREAM:

I'll start with separating vintage and antique items. Have a clear definition. example use term vintage at least 50 years old antique 100 years old. Just an example. For example, if you view vintage walking stick/canes in vintage clothes accessories, the buyer should have expectation that is what they'll see. So, if there are pay to play ITEMS that show up in that category, IT SHOULD AT LEAST MEET THE DEFINITION OF VINTAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

I want to thank everyone for their responses, but to try to keep this on track: I'm not asking what we think ebay should do, or what we think should be changed by ebay, or whether we like PLS or not, or any of that.

I'm asking for suggestions about things SELLERS can TRY to REDUCE the negative impact being caused by changing the listing page into a catalog of other sellers competing merchandise.

For example, I know not everyone will want to use Make An Offer.....but I suggested it because , guaranteed, there will be times when the listing page will show buyers items that are basically identical to the listing page item, and some of them will be priced lower. If I don't have Make An Offer on the listing, the buyer has more of an incentive to buy one of my competitors lower priced items. If I have Make An Offer, there's at least a chance the buyer will make an offer rather than buy my competitors, and I might still make the sale (assuming the offer is one I'm willing to accept).

This doesn't eliminate the impact of the change, and won't work all the time, but it might help now and then.

That's the sort of thing I'd like to discuss: Do you see things WE as sellers can do that might at least reduce the impact of this change---how do we keep the buyer focused on OUR listing, the one he clicked on to get to the page---rather than  on all the PL items ebay is presenting him with?

[gamersbaystore]

All these garbage policies from Lannone are pushing me to launch my own e-commerce site in the very near future. I want my own space, with my own products front and center, where I'm not paying a monthly subscription fee to advertise everyone else's products and not my own.

I'm also fed up with ebay constantly lying to buyers with junk estimated delivery dates and having to constantly deal with INR's and angry customers galore. This is no way to operate a business.

I'm also tired of having to worry about unforgiving seller metrics that penalize sellers every time a buyer lies about the reason for their return and claims something was not as described. I offer free returns, but ebay says that isn't good enough.

I don't care what the buyer's reason for their return is, if I accepted the return, that should be the end of it.

ebay puts up too many roadblocks that make operating a business here nearly impossible.

[momdadsstash]

Read the description??? I did a couple of searches today and the biggest search was finding the description.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

I'll add this one, although again it isn't for everyone, since many people aren't in a position to do this kind of sourcing. But obviously, if you can sell truly unique or very rare items, you reduce the risk that your listing page will be filled with identical or highly similar items. However, keep in mind that ebay might show the buyer something they simply like more than your item, and you might lose the sale as a result. 

[nuclearomen]

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@my-cottage-books-and-antiques wrote:

I'm asking for suggestions about things SELLERS can TRY to REDUCE the negative impact being caused by changing the listing page into a catalog of other sellers competing merchandise.

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NOTHING = your answer. Not exactly sure why your even asking this? What exactly do we have the power to do with ebay placing not only PL ads on your listings but also wiped YOUR PL listings from those view item pages that are yours. Do we have some power to manipulate the advertising real-estate on listings that ebay uses that I'm not aware of?  

Understand your trying to come up with some new way or fresh ideas to combat this catastrophe and I respect that, but there is really nothing no one hasn't done already in terms of what you place in that listing, the results have all been same - no sales to minimal sales. And sorry to say, but it will continue and likely get even worse as ebay continues with this philosophy. The only thing that has helped most is raising their PL election rates - and OK that's fine and dandy - most can afford to invest a few percentages higher - but then things just die again within a week or so. The horrid fact is, even electing higher percentages won't help long term because there are many other factors affecting this site and your sales - all of which we have zero control over - such as visibility on search - constant algorithm changes - listing tool changes etc... 

As for running sales - best offer - sending private coupons etc... - they do not work. Plenty have testimonies on these boards about getting the axe in sales when lowering prices - ebay isn't interested in the lesser of your money. Ran several sales and send coupons to buyers and followers = nothing. Running sale right now 25% off 3 or more - nothing and I know others who have done the same and had same results. 

Honestly, I do not know what one could do when ebay is holding all the keys and all the doors have been closed and locked. I'm quite sure I could place in huge capital letters at top of description "Free 1 Troy oz. Gold Nugget with every order" and still wouldn't see any to very little action.  

My suggestion, is zero all quantity on all listings and leave it for a week - ebay won't listen or give a second to the thought unless sellers show them they are the ones who make them money. 

[gurlcat]

This post is a really noble effort and I'm sorry the majority of repliers so far have ignored your request to offer possible solutions only, as you said there are plenty of other threads to complain in.  Here I'll try to give some insights that might help generate solutions, or at least might help to worry less about what the crowded listing page is (theoretically) doing to our sales.

First and foremost, companies selling items in BAM stores have always had their products crammed among other companies' same-category items, vying for customer attention.  You go to buy toothpaste and even if you think you want basic Crest mint, there's some flashy new Colgate formula right beside it.  Even in second-hand, if you have your items at a consignment shop, you don't get your own rack or shelf.  At least here we get listings on-demand, whereas a grocery or consignment store doesn't have to sell anything they don't want to.  

I actually try to buy as much as I can on Ebay, little household things, even food items sometimes, and I get probably half my inventory here too (the other half locally).  Not only do I often find the best deals here and have a sort-of sense of duty to support other ebay sellers, but a frequent buyer point of view also informs me SO MUCH on how to sell and how not to sell, in too many ways to list.  Now here's where I say what nobody wants to hear: I LOVE the similar items sections, I use them a lot to find what I want.  And though I do agree it's a bit frustrating to have to scroll past a bunch of those just to find the seller's description for the item I actually clicked on, I'm not a squirrel; they're not going to stop me from scrolling past and reading that description. Or if I'm on the app, nothing's stopping me from making that click.  That said, a miles-long description box is not going to stop me from clicking back, then scrolling back up (and down) to look at other items, once I have read that description and decided to keep searching.  

That said, I don't ALWAYS do it.  Thing is, it's a very category-specific thing.  I will do that ^ when I'm searching for inventory and therefore casting a wide net to find deals.  So on a search term like 'vintage jewelry lot,' I WANT to see ones similar to what I've clicked on, or ones that other people are looking at a lot.  Or if I searched 'Victorian necklace' I might click on one, then see other listings on that page that include the words 'Victorian' and 'necklace,' but other stuff too, and it may be something so awesome I never would have found it otherwise.  Happens all the time. 

On the other hand, if I'm looking for something very specific like a household item, or even an inventory item that has to be the exact thing (like the brand/design of earrings to complete the partial jewelry set I have), then I almost never look at the other sellers' items on the page.  Why?  Well, most of them are NOT identical to the listing item I clicked on, and even if there are some, they're selected and posted randomly, or according to the seller's paid promotion.  Why look at them there, when I know they're back on the search results page, which I have sorted and refined according to criteria that matter most to me? 

THAT, the search result page, is where you are actually competing with identical items.  The listing in-page other items are where you're competing with BETTER items, or at least better according to the buyer's taste, which is out of your control.  That said, I can't believe how many sellers still have not learned how to get good photographs. 

So there you go, one 'solution' to dealing with crowded listings: study up on all the tips to maximize how good your items look.  Make them hard to take eyes away from.  

[chapeau-noir]

My only suggestion is to try not to sell the same stuff everyone else has.  I'm pretty certain that most eyes glaze over all the rubbish eBay crams onto our listings in a case of search fatigue, if they're presented with too many options of items (similar or not) that are not what the buyer is looking for.

It's hard to counteract bad page design because it's so inflexible, and eBay has presented us with bad page design - it dilutes the buyer experience and frustrates sellers.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@nuclearomen "NOTHING = your answer. Not exactly sure why your even asking this? What exactly do we have the power to do with ebay placing not only PL ads on your listings but also wiped YOUR PL listings from those view item pages that are yours. Do we have some power to manipulate the advertising real-estate on listings that ebay uses that I'm not aware of? "

To answer your question: No, we have no such power. Why am I asking my question in the first place? Because I believe in being practical. My question accepts that the REALITY is: all these PLs are on the listing page, and we do not control their presence or their number. I'm not asking anyone: how do we get rid of these?, because that---like your suggestion, for sellers to basically go on strike for a week---isn't practical. At some point, ebay might remove them or reduce them, but as a seller I have no control over that.

The underlying premise of my question is: As a seller, I realize that someone clicking through to my listing has NEVER meant a sale 100% of the time. Even before this change, buyers often clicked back out. But that has never stopped sellers from asking: what are some things I can do that might close the deal? Once the buyer has clicked into my listing, what sorts of things might get him to actually buy?

Of course, none of these things (great photos, attractive return policy,etc) could guarantee a sale, all they could do is strengthen my hand as a seller to increase , however moderately, the chance that the buyer would go ahead and buy.

And all of the things we learned are still valid: great photos, a great description, etc...these things can still turn a potential buyer into a buyer. 

The difference is: we now have all these competing listings on the page, which adds another challenge to the job of getting the buyer to actually buy my item---it is no longer, how do I get the buyer to click the Buy It Now, it's also How do I reduce the chance that the buyer will click on something else and buy that?

None of my suggestions guarantee a sale. I do feel that they can tip things a little bit in my favor, which is the best I think we can do.

I don't see a catastrophe here. Most sales are made by someone landing on a listing page, and sales are still being made, so all these PLs on my page adds a new challenge, but that's all. I'll say more when I respond to @gurlcat 

[ducks2k]

Borrowed from that other thread a mystery which is relevant to the "how do deal with this" topic.  I almost hate to make it public since eBay may track it down and negate it.

The mystery is that the items from the seller @simply-the-best-for-you   "simply-the-best-for-you" DO NOT have the 2 rows of sponsored recommendations stuffed into the middle of the item listing.  https://www.ebay.com/sch/simply-the-best-for-you/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg  (not sure if links are legal in a conversation).

I have not found any his listings that DO have those two advertising bands, or anyone else's that DON'T.  I have looked a quite a few possible distinguishing features - promotions, seller rating, eBay category, price.  His DO have the promotion bands at the bottom like everyone else, just not the most obnoxious ones in the middle of the item page.

This structure seems to me to be the best compromise structure if PL is the new must-have standard.  Let the buyer look at the current listing, then show what the AI (Artificial Idiot) thinks are similar or related items.

If I could duplicate his structure, I would be more accepting of PL.

[nuclearomen]

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@my-cottage-books-and-antiques wrote:

To answer your question: No, we have no such power. Why am I asking my question in the first place? Because I believe in being practical. My question accepts that the REALITY is: all these PLs are on the listing page, and we do not control their presence or their number. I'm not asking anyone: how do we get rid of these?, because that---like your suggestion, for sellers to basically go on strike for a week---isn't practical. At some point, ebay might remove them or reduce them, but as a seller I have no control over that.

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Being practical and accepting reality is understanding that everyone has done this and put up with ebay's horrid decisions and what has it amounted to? Nothing. Your sales are no better, your site visibility is no better, your feedback and suggestions are ignored. Being practical is having the will to create change and sometimes that change needs to take action your reluctant to do.   Because like you said, at some point ebay might remove them or reduce them and that is true - when sellers finally take a stand because it won't happen any other way. Nice to think and believe otherwise, but it's not so. 

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The underlying premise of my question is: As a seller, I realize that someone clicking through to my listing has NEVER meant a sale 100% of the time. Even before this change, buyers often clicked back out. But that has never stopped sellers from asking: what are some things I can do that might close the deal? Once the buyer has clicked into my listing, what sorts of things might get him to actually buy?

Of course not, nothing ever means sale 100% of the time, never did, never will. The issue is not PL ads on the listing - for 2 years ebay has displayed PL ads on your listings and didn't effect sales one bit. The issue isn't PLA's either it isn't that someone is interested in your listings, clicks on it, then sees another PL ad while on your listing and decides to click that and never go back to yours. Anyone who thinks this is the problem is joking themselves. It's simple, ebay is not allowing sales on your listings - period. Weather it's by means of no visibility, not allowing a check out, not enough PL election for ebay... whatever the reason - there is something much more wrong with the site then just the fact of PL ads on the listing because it was NEVER an issue before and reason for such lack of sales. And people can say "it's economy" and I know first hand, that is a load of rubbish - everyone I know selling elsewhere are having record sales every distributor I talk to to obtain stock tells me they are having record sales. I cannot and will not believe that economy is the reason. Why do I sell items highest prices I have and not items with the lowest prices if that was the case? The limitation / rarity is no different - most everything I have is limited to 100-300 pressings for the most part - it's not popularity either, some of the lower priced items are more popular then the higher priced items - the only difference between them is availability - some are more available then others - some aren't available anywhere - there's just none left to be had. 

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I don't see a catastrophe here. 

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you may not, but many do, this company has lost sight beyond repair, that maybe IMO, but until either major management change or sellers take a stance nothing will change.