As the "Suggestions to Ebay" link loads as a page not responding error (again), maybe I'll try here and it might get through... and if enough sellers suport the idea, it might get added as an option.
What about a small amount of allocated space for listings that customers are able to do extras that might be needed for their listings?
Ok, to explain... In my case, I offer personalised products, and I'm sure that there's more sellers around that do the same personalised offerings too.
So... say I offer a coffee cup (or kids pencils cases, t-shirts, name tags... it's all the same idea) and as a personal item, I require at least a NAME to put on that cup. Customer purchases a cup, but find it difficult to send the information - the contact seller is too small to find, the questions & answers link sends the info to who knows where, paypal messaging strips characters from the messages, people forget to send the information... there's a bunch of reason WHY things don't happen, but the end result is the same- No details come through for their cup.
The end result is that the customer has a delay in their purchase and I look bad because of it.
I can get around the problem easily with 10 lines of jScript code, but I can't use that anymore. I can also re-direct the customer to my website with a data entry page, but that's not allowed... I can't use the php standard $_POST function to send the data or ANYthing that makes it easy for the customer.
So, if sellers have a small allocated space to do what they want (say... 20k?), we (re: I) can direct the customer to a pretty page (which is still hosted by ebay, so the customer never leaves the ebay site) and they can easily type in the details they need, have a couple of buttons to add to a list and submit the details all done as clever or clumsy as I can make it by my web coding.
Once done, they go back to the listing and complete the order.
The advantages -
Sellers have more control over what they NEED as extras for their own listings.
Localised jScript that is ONLY run when customers are serious about a purchase.
More user friendly for customers when they need custom details.
Happier sellers because there's better communications with customers.
The disadvantages -
It's 20k of disk space to be allocated (but hey, listing pictures can be 1meg in size each... 20k is a pimple on an elephant!)
Customers don't WANT to go through hoops when they order items, and the 'contact seller' option isn't doing it for them. Find the link, click on 'other', enter a topic, enter a message, type in the security code' click on submit..... They lose interest!
It's great that ebay allows HTML tags in listings, it really polishes the bland format that would otherwise be the norm... but HTML is 30 years old now and just doesn't cut it in todays marketing. CSS, PHP, jScript - that's the ticket in today's web coding.
CSS makes the page pretty, PHP makes it logical - but jScript is where the meat is - that's what makes the web function and allow choices (but now it's banned)
So how about it ebay?
A small allocated space where sellers (ie: YOUR customers) can make our listings simpler for OUR customers?
Any seconds from my fellow sellers here?
