Help please - seeking opinions on photos in descriptions

[thecatspjs]

I list using inkfrog

Inkfrog have finally introduced the option to not include your photos in the body of a listing description if you are using their standard templates.

I am of a mind to use this option now as I know photos in the listing does not suit some peoples mobiles capabilities or computer loading speeds, though I do have some doubts as with my buyers hat on, as I actually prefer to view multiple photos in a description where these are shown at once (rather than having a scroll feature).

Others opinions will be valued. 

[2011.narelle]

Ohh i usually go to view items & that looks as crisp & white with professional tidy pics that i would expect.

I go to visit store (i never usually do that) & the pics are same on the top & also have the striped  border Ink Frog pics in the body of the listing above the description.I like if i click on enlarge that i can flick through.

I know it sounds dumb but i never go to the freaky mini red door  so didn't know there were different views & whatnot to view item.Sir Sales just pointed that out on another thread.I think i may have ages & ages ago & found annoying fiddly stuff & catefories to sort that i preferred the simple setting of view listings/items.Probably much different shop styles in general back when.

I love it & it shows all the features i like,no ugly scroller & ghastly flashing lights,nice big print but since i seem oblivious to simple stuff then my opinion may be dismissed

[thecatspjs]

Thanks Narelle.....

But .....lol I don't quite understand your points about the listing description

is it a yes - your preference as a buyer is to have duplicated photos actually within the listing

or no - just have the standard photos, and have text only in listing description body ???

[black*poppy]

Just thought I'd contribute my thinking on this issue from awhile ago when I gave up using a photo template.  I used to have one because when I started in 2012 the ebay gallery photos didn't blow up big like they do now, and it was a great way to help buyers view the photos at their large detailed best.  Wow it was time-consuming though, I don't know if Inkfrog streamline the process better but I'd imagine you do have a few extra steps compared to just using straight text.

I also do the majority of my ebay browsing on the mobile, and as a buyer, with the mobile app I much prefer to view the gallery photos and just text in the description  It's faster and economical on the data allowance.  Also the description photos are limited by the screen size, so it's a waste of download waiting time and data to get pics you already have in the gallery.

What is really annoying on the mobile is templates that aren't vertically aligned or don't size adjust properly so you have to navigate sideways (Cats' ARE vertical, just making a general comment).  There's a couple of big time clothes sellers that use a really techy WIDE template that is impossible to view on a mobile, bit naive IMO.  I also hate templates that have no photos, the majority are so much harder to read and navigate than straight text.

Browsing on a computer, personally I don't find the photos in the description useful as the gallery ones expand to full screen now.  I don't think it disadvantages sellers I buy from by having them or not.  I don't ever click on photos in listing descriptions, either Auctiva or Inkfrog or whatever as I don't like being taken to another page and waiting for them to load.  The gallery is faster and I'm so used to scrolling I don't think about it.

I do get that a photo template can help to make a listing stand out, and items pop a bit, and give an element of professionalism that alludes to quality etc.  You also have a brand established and it would take more thought I guess in modifying that.  I just couldn't justify the time and when even big time sellers seem to do so well with ordinary text listings I couldn't see the point.  Once I let go of the template, it was such a relief to get rid of the extra work. I think my fonts etc are a bit distinctive and that will have to do.

I have to ask... one of your other ID's didn't have listing photos, what was the comparison with sales, views, etc??

Sorry for the essay. Hope it's a bit clearer than mud.

[digital*ghost]

I think if you are catering for mobile users and for items without a lot of visual variations, they can be a bit superfluous in the description area. I've hung on to my template and description images because the gallery in my template functions a little differently to the eBay gallery, and it's also easier to highlight variations using the template gallery (some of my listings have several visual variations, so my template gallery shows them in large enough sizes at a glance, instead of the customer having to go into the options and select each variation one at a time to easily view eBay's corresponding gallery image). 

I once thought maybe, to help cater to the mobile viewers, having the template set up so the image gallery is at the end of everything else, so people don't have to scroll past it to see the written description, and so on a PC screen it'd be readily visible on the full page, but after trying it something just didn't look right about it - could have just been I was so used to the other way around, but it was all topsy-turvy and I felt like it compromised the visual impact of items that rely on one - still might be an idea to consider, though. 

[sueken4812]

I don't have photos within the listing.  Never got around to looking at it.

But I find them annoying now, that there's plenty of scope for photos up top.

Templates ... I fiddled with them for a while, .. but now just prefer plain text.

[thecatspjs]

Thanks for comments.

No compelling reasons to keep the photos in description so far.

Poppy I have quite a few IDs now including some I "share" with others, so not sure which one you mean.  I can think of one that I recently tried to clear some stock on and didn't use inkfrog, so assume this would be the one.  The performance of any of my IDs used for the freebie auctions is always abysmal when its clothes- but I think mostly cause there is no real demand from anyone for the items listed.   Other items do quite well in comparison.

[cherry*135]

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@sueken4812 wrote:

I don't have photos within the listing.  Never got around to looking at it.

But I find them annoying now that there's plenty of scope for photos up top.

Templates ... I fiddled with them for a while, .. but now just prefer plain text.

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I agree with that. Zooming in on photos is great. It is quick and easy to flick through them on an ipad/tablet/mobile.

I get a bit annoyed after looking at the photo's up the top, to see the same ones again in the description. I have moved to the description by then, to study the written details for the item for sale. 

It reminds me of past years when you only got 1 (?) free photo and put the rest in with the description.

[thecatspjs]

Thanks Am, very helpful comments.

Now the dreaded edit process

The new photo-less description option is in beta lister, and there is no global to edit them in batches

[digital*ghost]

I know you've already decided which way to go, but I did forget to mention one of the main reasons I still use both - frequent issues with eBay's picture hosting (and display), 0 issues with off-site hosting and display, so it guarantees images are always viewable.