As the way we use the internet changes, so does the online landscape. When people started to shop online, both retail and the way we use the internet changed irreversibly.
Many large retailers ignored online shopping. Many of the biggest high street retailers disappeared as a result. The future of retail seemed uncertain and people were fearful. But where there is change, there is always opportunity.
Change is Opportunity.
Internet retail was a new frontier. People taking their stores online were taking a brave leap. More than any other platform, eBay enabled people to start selling online.
Retailers who adapted to change and sold online prospered.
A new breed of retailer was rising up in this bold new retail landscape. Many starting out through eBay. The more dynamic and flexible they were to customer demand and buying trends, the more they grew.
Over the years, eBay has massively evolved and grown. Frooition have been working with eBay as certified designers for over eight years, and we have guided our clients though many policy changes in that time. With changes being made to eBay’s active content policy, here is our advice on how to make this time of transition a profitable one for your eBay business:
Take the opportunity to present a fresh new look to your customers
When you are busy running your own business, graphic design and visual promotion is often the first thing to become neglected. Internet shopping is highly visual. A fresh new look to your store and some new promotional graphics could be just what your business needs to encourage new customers and re-ignite the interest of old ones.
Review your supporting software
If you have been focusing on sales for the past few years and not made any changes to the design or functioning of your store, chances are that you may have out grown it. As sales increase, simplicity of functionality becomes more important. Features such as dynamic categories or drag and drop promotional graphics become invaluable time savers as a store grows.
Optimise for the mobile market
The majority of all online shopping is now done via mobile devices. That is why all Frooition designs are mobile compatible. Its certain that any seller who is not optimized for mobile will be missing out on a lot of sales. If your store is not already optimised for mobile, now is a great time to look at a fully responsive design.
Review your Descriptions
Although pictures and video sell items, removing active content serves as a great reminder that there is no substitute for a good description. When competitors are using the manufacturer’s standard description, a well written piece of individual text in your store could give you the edge.
Be ready to fill gaps in the market
Chances are, some of your competitors will have buried their heads in the sand and not allowed enough time to prepare for how their store will look and function post active content changes. A listing that relies on active content will not show, and so as a seller with an active content compliant store, you should be ready for a possible sudden increase in sales.
EBay is a worldwide market place. Changes to the active content policy will only help to make eBay stores more easily accessible and encourage customers. As with every change, the sellers who acknowledge it early and move to change, will be the ones who prosper.
