eBay Seller Info & Video In Listing Updates For Mobile Web
eBay recently made some changes to how seller information is displayed in the mobile web experience.
With the holiday season here, we know how important it is to take advantage of every opportunity to support conversion and drive sales. That’s why we’re making some changes to the View Item experience on mobile web.
First, we’re adding a new, more visible way for buyers to find your Store. Buyers on mobile web will now see a link to your Store in the “About this seller” section of the View Item page, making it easier and faster for them to connect with more of your inventory and learn about your business.
Second, we’re making important information about your business and feedback more visible to buyers. On mobile web, your seller name, logo, and feedback rating will now appear directly under your listing’s title, giving more visibility to your brand and business. You’ll also see your overall seller feedback and your most recent feedback comments displayed more prominently in the “About this seller” section.
While we normally don’t make changes at this time of year, we’ve tested these updates over the last few months and have seen an overall positive impact on sales and conversion. That’s why we’re making these changes now, in time for holiday sales.
I'm sure sellers will appreciate having the seller name and feedback link at the top of the listing now, but I have to wonder how much of an impact this will have considering it's on the mobile web experience only, not in the eBay app. It seems a small bone to throw sellers - I hope it's just the first step and this will become the standard experience on the app as well.
"You’ll also see your overall seller feedback and your most recent feedback comments displayed more prominently in the “About this seller” section."
That quote and the image that accompanies it make it sound like the "about seller" section is also going to be prominently displayed toward the top of the listing. However, in my testing, you still have to scroll down past quite a few other sections and ads before you get to that section.
Video In Listings For Mobile Web
There's a hidden Easter egg in this announcement that only eagle-eyed sellers might notice - video in listings has come to the mobile web experience!
eBay first announced Video In Listings back in March and there were several demos of it presented at the Connect 2021 Dev conference in June and July. At the time there were some limitations - it was only available through API and only in the US and UK.
Since then eBay has expanded the ability to use video in listings through select third party partners like ChannelAdvisor, Codisto, Frooition, and others. eBay also recently announced the expansion of the current API/3rd Party version of this feature to Canada.
There where limitations on the buyer side as well with video in listing originally only viewable through the eBay app.
We’re continually working to give you a modern, feature-rich platform that helps you engage buyers and grow your sales on eBay. As part of this effort, we’re introducing video capability for listings and storefronts.
Over the next few months, you’ll start seeing videos on select View Item pages and storefronts. We’ll continue to expand these new video capabilities to more sellers throughout 2021. Videos will initially be visible to buyers on the eBay app, and will eventually expand to desktop and mobile web.
I haven't seen any official announcement from eBay on this yet, but I noticed a significant difference between the "before" picture and the "today" picture in the mobile web update - a play button indicating video in listing.
I picked a random listing that I knew showed video in listing on the mobile app and tried it out in a mobile web browser instead. Sure enough, video in listing is now working on the mobile web experience.
eBay has made no announcements about when video in listings will be coming to the desktop experience, but I have to wonder - if it works on mobile web browsers, why wouldn't it work on desktop web browsers? Is eBay possibly holding off on expanding the option fully due to bandwidth concerns?
eBay also hasn't announced when they plan to integrate adding video into the listing flow. Currently it's still only available to sellers via the API or select third party partners.
Considering the eBay Motors app has had an option add a 60 second video within the listing flow since May 2020, I'm not sure why video in listing wasn't added to the regular app listing flow already - it's existing technology that could easily be repurposed.
Interestingly, most of the examples of video in listing I've found so far are items in either the Certified Refurbished or Authenticity Guaranteed programs and the videos are short informational clips about each of the those programs made and automatically inserted by eBay.
I've yet to find a video of an actual product being sold that appears to be made by the seller, which might suggest that eBay has not gained wide adoption even among the very limited scope of sellers who currently have access to this feature.
I know video in listing has been a highly requested feature and sellers have been not so patiently waiting for an update - hopefully it will be rolling out to the masses soon!
