We’ve know for some time that picture standards are coming to the UK – that means the end of borders, text and superfluous (but useful!) decorations.
- From August all listings on eBay UK will get up to 12 free gallery pictures instead of 1 free gallery picture
- From September all listings will require at least 1 gallery picture
– Don’t use stock images for used items
- From October all listings must comply with the new picture standards
– No more borders, text or artwork
– Minimal watermarks to protect copyright will still be allowed
– Minimum size is 500 pixels on the longest side (up to 1600 pixels is suitable)
The changes apply to all listings bar those in the Vehicle Parts & Accessories, Motors and Tickets categories.
eBay say that great images result in listings that are more likely to sell and definitely listings with great gallery images are a better experience for buyers on mobile devices. On Tamebay we know however that text and decorations can make a big difference to your conversion rates – that’s why sellers have experimented and tuned their images for maximum sales.
We’re going to have to toe the line on this one though as eBay are introducing new site features such as the recently rolled out eBay feed which rely on great images.
There are two things I hope, one is that the promised tools eBay say that they’ll provide to help sellers identify which listings need revising actually work – there’s absolutely no point introducing a new policy without giving sellers the tools to comply.
Secondly we’d love to see robust enforcement of the new picture standards to make a level playing field for all. If sellers are seen to get away with non-compliant images why should other sellers lose the conversion advantage?
6 Responses
The new picture standards is a decision made by a bunch of bureaucrats looking at some charts and statistics who never sold anything online in their lives. If 300 people sell the same type of monitor as new and they of course use the stock photo of the manufacturer then according to the new picture standards there will be 300 listings with the same photo. So how should the customer decide from who to buy. May be he wants it posted same day and somebody posts the same day and he would normally write this on the photo. The eBay listing image nowadays is not just a representation of the item but mostly a branding tool and a marketing tool because lets be honest … if you look for a NEW laptop you pretty much know how it looks right?!
I see your point but I have to respectfully disagree on the ‘bunch of bureaucrats looking at some charts and statistics who never sold anything online in their lives’ remark due to the vast amount of buying data that eBay have access to all over the globe.
eBay will promote the sellers who ‘fit the bill’ of the seller that buyers like to buy from, if you provide a same day despatch service, eBay will know this, if you get your items out same day, eBay will know this too.
The same monitor may have 300 sellers but none of those sellers are the same when it comes to service, reputation and evidence of recent buyer sales.
From a business point of view it is a matter of fulfilling all of those parts that are financially viable to do so to gain visibility and therefore more sales as a result.
Unfortunately these hoops however much a pain they seem to be, are what the majority of buyers seek.
IMHO
Glad they finally got around to enforcing this one.
Yet more time messing around with live listings. The tools are useless, turbo lister crashes daily. I just did my vat and amazon is now overtaken eBay for my sales. Every time you take my time plastering over live listings, my loyalty fades….
From August all listings on eBay UK will get up to 12 free gallery pictures instead of 1 free gallery picture –
Except buried in the FAQs this only applies to NEW listings (or GTCs where they were paid previously from when they renew).
I have listings with additional pictures already in my main category, where they were already free. I was planning to add some of these to a 2nd category for extra visibility. But, now I find I will still be charged for the extra photos unless I end and relist them!
I don’t want to lose the sales history on those items!
WTG eBay, you missed out on all those extra 2nd category fees.
Hi Guys,
I thought I would play about with add some extra images to my listings and hopefully with file exchange.
I tried adding a couple of extra images by REVISING a listing and found that ebay still told me i would be charged an extra £0.31 per image. I thought maybe it was a little glitch such a short while after the 1st August. I phoned ebay and eventually they spoke to tech who said “ANY revisions, which are on the previous billing cycle, will be charged until they go into the new billing cycle”
Basically I should wait until the 1st of September to be safe with 5500 listing to add extra images to.
I was going to do this by File exchange, if possible and now glad I didn’t as it would have been VERY VERY expensive.
If you know anyone that is going to upload extra images to an already live listing then please warn them.
IE if you listed on the 30th July then you would have to wait until 30th (poss 31st August) for non charged extra images.
The alternative is RE listing the item but then you may lose selling history.
ttfn
S