posted on May 3, 2007 09:28:31 PM new
Looks like they are getting ready to roll out the real deal...swell...just when I thought things couldn't get any worse!
***A Message from Jeff King: Improving the Finding Experience***
May 03, 2007 | 03:20PM PST/PT
Jeff King
Hi...I'm Jeff King, and I lead the Finding team here at eBay. As part of eBay's strategy, the folks on my team have been working on improving how people find things on eBay. After all, you can't win that item if you can't find it. Redesigning something so crucial to eBay is a huge undertaking, but, fortunately, we’re coming from a strong base of knowledge in this area.
For years, eBay's proprietary search technology has supported a marketplace that gets hundreds of millions of searches a day. In addition, my team has gained valuable insight from other new finding experiences that we've introduced on eBay – like eBay Express, our redesigned search results test (which we ran last winter), Best Match, and Motors 2.0. Your input and feedback on these projects has been invaluable, helping us figure out what works well and what does not.
The development cycle for projects like this requires lots of research, good design and development and, most importantly, ample testing in real market conditions. In the next few weeks, we'll be running a test of our latest Finding technology. For about six weeks, a small percentage of buyers (around 1%) will see a different search experience than what is currently available on eBay. This is project is similar to the "New Way to Shop" which we first tested back in 2005, although it has evolved significantly since then.
We think that this new technology will make eBay's search one of the most intelligent on the web, putting the right items in front of the right buyers more than ever before. In this new Finding experience, we'll still return listings where the item titles and descriptions match your search terms. And now we'll also use other elements of a listing as well (such as item specifics and category). This gives buyers the best chance of finding what they want without having to "guess at" all the terms the seller could've used in their item title.
As a simple example, if a buyer in the test searches for "red size 12 shoes," instead of looking just for listings with the words "red," "size," "12," and "shoes," the search engine will find all of the items in the shoe category that are size 12 in the color red. In the end, the buyer should see more relevant items. Plus they'll see a new way to narrow their listings results according to important details such as size, color, type, etc.
Because Finding is so important, you can continue to expect extensive testing like this as we work to ensure our designs and technology work for the marketplace. We expect this particular test to run about six weeks to allow us time to collect data and member input.
On behalf of my entire team, we appreciate your feedback and support.
posted on May 4, 2007 06:06:40 AM new
LOL if they did their in-house testing (assuming they do this before they release site-wide testing) with size 12 red shoes I guess they would get manageable number of returns. They should have tried size 8 red shoes! I guess that's what happens when you put a nuclear physicist in charge of the finding team.
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posted on May 4, 2007 07:48:59 AM new
"As a simple example, if a buyer in the test searches for "red size 12 shoes," instead of looking just for listings with the words "red," "size," "12," and "shoes," the search engine will find all of the items in the shoe category that are size 12 in the color red.
So if Im looking for a red "12" size condom,I would get all the different makes and models? I can deal with that..
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If you dont want to hear the truth....dont ask the question.
posted on May 4, 2007 12:34:09 PM new
"As part of eBay's strategy, the folks on my team have been working on improving how people find things on eBay."
posted on May 4, 2007 12:44:52 PM new
It's too bad they didn't decide to just make sure all our items that actually meet the search terms show up to begin with
posted on May 5, 2007 09:39:46 PM new
What this really means is when I look for a shiny new blue car, I will get listings for bright red size 12 shoes.
As more time goes by, the less confident I am becoming with Ebay.
posted on May 9, 2007 05:30:33 AM new
Here's what Glenda has to say about the new test. Glenda is the very helpful lady who frequents the search board and tries to help everyone out. This is a copy and paste of her comments to the head of the finding team.
Hi Jeff,
My first search is apparently a "best match" display. My search was for Gene Barry. eBay concluded that the best match is Thunder Road, with 19 items for purchase ranging from $4.90 - $19.98 (in really big red letters which I don't like).
I find it very annoying that eBay has concluded what I might want and presented me with a best match. It's "in my face." Further, it's non-intuitive how to get to those specific items: my 'instinct' was to scroll down, but those are all listings EXCEPT for all 19 Thunder Road/best match.
So I go back to the "best match" section and finally realize that I can click on the red dollar amounts to bring up the listings that aren't show in the results on the page (later, I discover I can click on the underlined link, but that honestly wasn't obvious that I would be bringing up listings by clicking on anything in that Best Match section). Anyway, Thunder Road is not what I am looking for, but I click on the link and get the Product page. This page says there are 19 for sale as well. But eBay has decided that I should only see 6 of them - and to see more, I need to click on yet-another link. Frustrating.
I wish eBay would not think for me.
Is this the test? Not that I plan to opt-out, but there is no opt-out on either screen.
posted on May 9, 2007 05:46:28 AM new
I have no doubt that when the test is concluded, ebay will SAY that data and FB OVERWHELMINGLY supported this and that the change will go site wide - just in time for xmas probably. Ebay has too much money invested in this silliness (at the expense of improving and FIXING current Search) to abandon it.
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posted on May 9, 2007 06:44:17 AM newEbay has too much money invested in this silliness (at the expense of improving and FIXING current Search) to abandon it.
The real question is whether or not Wall Street thinks it's a substantial improvement. Doesn't much matter whether or not the new "finding" actually works.
And I wish they'd stop calling it "finding". Findings are little bits and pieces (like clasps, jump rings, etc.) for jewelry. One of eBay's biggest sellers is findingking.
posted on May 9, 2007 09:14:04 AM new
It looks like we have far more to worry about than just this new test.
Some folks are seeing search results that have huge boxes with choices to click on BEFORE anyone makes it down to the actual search results that are sorted by end date, etc.
Our items may or may not show up in the huge boxes that are that magical thing called "best match" that we were promised would be optional only.
Here's what the finding team has to say about that:
Best match is not part of the test. What you’re seeing is another feature that recently released on the core and test search pages called “Best Matching Products.” This is an expansion showing products that match your query at the top of the page, followed by all the listings that matched your query ordered by time ending soonest. We surface this Best Matching product expansion at the top when it meets two conditions. First, the search results have to have a high percentage of these products and second when buyers have a high demand for the products. I understand your feedback, but I’ll comment that this is an extremely successful product. It has improved buyer experience and conversion for queries that return products dramatically. It is also key to note that we still return all the items matching your query in the search results. You may see additional items on the product details page.
posted on May 9, 2007 12:18:58 PM new
I have been researching items for the past two days and have come across this "BIG BOX' and as a potential Buyer it totally turned me off.
It took a while to even decipher what they were trying to do and then it took a couple more clicks to get what I used to get with one click!
Didn't enhance my experience as a buyer and I think will be detrimental to Sellers.
posted on May 9, 2007 09:53:22 PM new
OMG! I guess I must be in the test group! WHERE do I opt out? This is horrible! At the top of the page, the first thing I see are two products with clickable links to show listings - note the first one listed is NOT the model I speicified in my search! Beneath these boxes are the featured items, below those the regular listings and even though only 26 items were returned NO STORE ITEMS appear! There is not even a store link at the bottom.
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posted on May 9, 2007 11:37:56 PM new
Lucky you. When I do a search and find 455 items on ebay, I scroll down and find additional items available in eBay Express prominently displayed (where stores used to be)
posted on May 10, 2007 02:33:48 AM newI understand your feedback, but I’ll comment that this is an extremely successful product. It has improved buyer experience and conversion for queries that return products dramatically.
Does this sound like someone who is at all likely to call any part of this a failure? Why bother with a test?
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As I understand it from the replies to Glenda on the search board, what you are seeing is not the test.
That is the "catalog" view that was rolled out this week.
It will show up for everyone on any search where catalog (items with prefilled info) are shown.
This will take buyers away from both featured listings in those categories and other listings that dont' use prefilled info.
The pink responding said everyone selling in a category with "catalog" ...later he explained to us that it meant prefilled....items would be advised to use that for listing.
posted on May 10, 2007 01:49:47 PM new
Thanks myfav's. I thought that was what it was - I don't like it! I wanted to see model 45 (not first result model 46) - if they are tryimg to improve my buying experience, why are they showing me 46 at all??? I read some of the reviews - they aren't anonymous but do present another opportunity for buyers to "dis" sellers and could even be retaliatory. I am thankful my OOAK items won't (or SHOULDN'T) have prefilled information - but my ebay buying career might soon be ending if I have to cut through all that crap to find what I found readily before. What are they thinking???? Why does ebay want to become Amazon?? (and vice versa)?
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posted on May 10, 2007 01:58:46 PM newI wanted to see model 45 (not first result model 46) - if they are tryimg to improve my buying experience, why are they showing me 46 at all???
Because it is similar, and because you don't know what is best for you. eBay does. I bet some bright sandal-clad lad said, "Dude! We should have it so the buyer can compare features between models! Now go get me a bagel and some schmear from Noah's."
Fuzzy search (in its various guises at various web sites) has been driving me nuts for years. You try to search on, say, futzy on Google, and it comes back with "Did you mean FUZZY?"
posted on May 10, 2007 02:57:31 PM new
Neglus...I'm thankful my postcards don't show up there but not sure what they will eventually do with my record category.
As long as they don't try to show them "catalog" CD's first I will be OK but better step up the listings while I can still sell at least some of them.
Fluff...that is so irritating. Ebay does it also. If they don't have what I put into the key word search, just tell me so.
But, they have been actually changing my words and giving me other results for months now.
Marbles, dolls, stamps. Give me a break! My shopping time is limited. I don't have time or the desire to put up with much of that nonsense.
Remember when the O first started and we warned them about the problems with their search? When you typed in "Glass bowl" it returned every listing that had either glass or bowl in it. Killed the potential of that site very quickly and turned off buyers in droves.
