Why Does Ebay put so much emphasis on good item descriptions only to hide them?

[onefootflipper1]

I cannot in the world understand who possibly benefits from ebay hiding item descriptions by default to cell phone customers. 

All that does is dramatically increase returns and decrease customer satisfaction as people make incorrect purchases based on a single photo.

Who made that decision and how much more would my ebay stock be worth if they had never been allowed to do such a thing?

[stainlessenginecovers]

You are so correct, and it's not just on cell phones (although hidden even more) but on computers, the 'description' is so far down that many don't even scroll that far. 

Why do they insist on good descriptions? Because that used to mean something, and they will not admit that
"now it don't because we like to put 'other' sellers items first, then 'similar items' then 'other similar promoted items' WAY before the description.... because we can"

[femmefan1946]

EBay encourages simplifying Descriptions to fit better with cellphones since they learned that about half of their sales are made from phones.

I use a little HTML coding to make my Descriptions stand out on a page, with a simple pastel background to the description.

Let's see if this shows up

<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0"><font rwr="1" style="font-family:Arial" size="4"><!-- Auction ad begins here --><center><table cellpadding="10" border="2"><tbody><tr><td bgcolor="#CCFFFF"><font face="Arial,Helvetica"><center><b><font size="+5" color="red" face="Textile"><br><br>

</font><font face=Textile size=+3 color=blue><BR><BR>

</font><font face=Textile size=+2 color=black><BR><BR>

<hr><font face="Arial,Helvetica"><b><font face="Textile" size="+1"><i>Always carefully packed and from a non-smoking household.</i></font></b></font><hr>
<br><br>
</i></font></b></font><center><font face="Arial,Helvetica"><b><font face="Textile" size="+1"><i>International bidders welcome! <br>
Internationales Bewerber Willkommen! <br>
Les enchérisseurs internationaux sont les bienvenues! <br>
Recepción Internacional De los Licitadores! <br></i></font></b></font></center><font face="Arial,Helvetica"><b><font face="Textile" size="+1"><i><br>

<br><br>Import duties, taxes and charges are not included in the item price or shipping charges. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding/buying.<hr>

<a href="https://stores.ebay.ca/CLEMOWBOOKS" target="_blank">eBay Store </a>
</center>

Okay!
Try pasting that into your Description box , with HTML enabled.
Insert your description

Then disable HTML to see how it looks.

You should have a pastel background, a title in red, a subtitle in blue, and the body text in black.

Plus some default terms of sale that can be dropped or changed.

[wastingtime101]

I looked at one of your listings: 235765522085

There is no description - at all. All you say is "great item you'll love it" plus some shipping info.

Descriptions are hidden behind a link when you use HTML. If you remove text formatting and use all plain text, your descriptions won't be hidden.

[onefootflipper1]

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@wastingtime101 wrote:

I looked at one of your listings: 235765522085

There is no description - at all. All you say is "great item you'll love it" plus some shipping info.

Descriptions are hidden behind a link when you use HTML. If you remove text formatting and use all plain text, your descriptions won't be hidden.

---

I have a ton of items that need zero description, but when the item needs one, it needs one.

[gurlcat]

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@wastingtime101 wrote:

Descriptions are hidden behind a link when you use HTML. If you remove text formatting and use all plain text, your descriptions won't be hidden.

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WHOA.  It's been a while since I shopped eBay on my phone.  -Last I was aware, literally every listing required an extra click to get to the description, and that link was also tiny and buried, very easy to accidentally scroll past.  In fact I almost replied that to you just now, but I decided I should avoid foot-in-mouth and make sure nothing had changed.  But apparently it HAS! 

The very first listing I clicked -not only is the description on the same page as title/photos, but it RIGHT THERE, under item specifics, holy cow!



But then .... the second one I looked at .... does require the ole extra click.  However the link is easy to see and not buried; it's also right under the IS's. 



However, when I do click on that link, the seller's description doesn't look like HTML to me, or at least not what I normally associate as such (flashy look with borders, goofy fonts, etc.).  I guess it might be a tad long, so is it possible the software also makes descriptions a separate link if they're just longer than some eBay-set length? 



Also if you have time would you take a wee peek at one of my listings on your phone and see if my description is now same-page?  I'm just tickled to see they made a smart change for once.  This would be a good one to check, since it's a somewhat lengthy description, but I don't mess with HTML:

[wastingtime101]

When the item needs a description, post it without the HTML text formatting. Your description format is pretty simple so you can easily get away with it.

I still have a ton of listings with bullet points that I've been converting to remove the bullet points so they appear on the app without being hidden. It's a pain, but I'm making it work.

[wastingtime101]

That other seller's listing @gurlcat has a lot of text formatting to dictate size and font.

[meme6253]

All items need some type of description even just a brief one.

[gurlcat]

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@wastingtime101 wrote:

That other seller's listing @gurlcat has a lot of text formatting to dictate size and font.

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Hmmm, I don't see what you mean.  It all looks uniform to me, apart from some ALL CAPS and a couple asterisks*. 

Anyway are you saying that using the creation page's own in-house formatting makes it like HTML and thus dooms it to extra click app viewing?   A few of my templates ... I don't why but they're set to make the item-itself description text larger than my all-items seller stuff at the bottom.   I just never thought it was a big enough deal to correct, in fact I think it kinda makes sense for the most relevant info to be bigger.  

[meme6253]

No foot in mouth, Thumbs up!

[wastingtime101]

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@gurlcat wrote:

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@wastingtime101 wrote:

That other seller's listing @gurlcat has a lot of text formatting to dictate size and font.

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Hmmm, I don't see what you mean.  It all looks uniform to me.

Anyway are you saying that using the creation page's own in-house formatting make it like HTML and thus doom it to extra click app viewing?

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That does not happen on the website. HTML is only added on the website with eBay's listing form if the seller adds it. If you're using a third party listing tool then you'll have to examine what they may or may not add.

The seller's listing you asked about - here's their description. Note all the HTML formatting.

<font rwr="1" style="">
            <font face="Arial">
                <span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Damaged pieces, missing stones, one is missing its pin. For repair/ craft/ harvesting</span>
            </font>
            <br>
            <div style="font-size: large; font-family: Arial;">
                <font face="Arial">
                    <span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Please note: This is a costume jewelry piece&nbsp; made with using non-precious metals.&nbsp;</span>
                </font>
            </div>
            <div style="font-size: large; font-family: Arial;">
                <font face="Arial">
                    <span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">
                        <br>
                    </span>
                </font>
            </div>
            <div style="font-size: large; font-family: Arial;">
                <font face="Arial">
                    <span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Style Notes:</span>
                </font>
            </div>
            <div style="font-family: Arial;">
                <span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Really nice mix of items needing repairs.</span>
            </div>
            <div style="font-family: Arial;">
                <span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">None signed except the Green glass brooch that iss igned H 73 Sterling which was a reproduction company of Deco style peices.</span>
            </div>
            <div style="">
                <font face="Arial">
                    <span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Vintage Jewelry Lot Damaged Deco Brooch Dress Clips FOR REPAIR&nbsp;</span>
                </font>
            </div>
            <div style="">
                <font face="Arial">
                    <span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">
                        <br>
                    </span>
                </font>
            </div>
            <div style="font-size: large; font-family: Arial;">
                <p style="font-size: 18.6667px; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" data-mce-style="margin:0px !important;padding:0px !important;">
                    <span data-mce-style="color:#000000;">Follow our ebay store, Stellamystar, as I have hundreds of *NEW* pieces monthly</span>
                </p>
                <p style="font-size: 18.6667px; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" data-mce-style="margin:0px !important;padding:0px !important;">
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                <p style="font-size: 18.6667px; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" data-mce-style="margin:0px !important;padding:0px !important;">
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                <p style="font-size: 18.6667px; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" data-mce-style="margin:0px !important;padding:0px !important;">
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                </p>
                <p style="font-size: 18.6667px; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" data-mce-style="margin:0px !important;padding:0px !important;">
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            </div>
        </font>
    </div>

[gurlcat]

Duuuuude.  I don't even know how you did that (from my screenshot???), but there's my tall glass of Shut Up right thurr!!!   Ha, okay I believe you and I think I understand now.  Thanks.

[gurlcat]

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@meme6253 wrote:

No foot in mouth, Thumbs up!

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Aw thanks.  But I did manage to flub just enough to crack myself up here, upon re-read:



- "it" instead of "it's". 
Every time I see caveman talk like that I am prone to a giggle fit, because it reminds me of one of the best SNL skits ever, the talk show with Frankenstein, Tonto, and Tarzan.  By the time Phil Hartman 'breaks' I am already crying and snotting. 

https://www.reddit.com/r/SNLvideos/comments/g20bb2/tarzan_tonto_and_frankenstein_fire_bad/ 

[12345jamesstamps]

eBay feels advertising other sellers can generate money.

Descriptions do not generate money.