Fri Aug 9 2013 20:54:18 |
Amazon Sellers Can Add Photos to Used Book and DVD Listings
By: Ina Steiner
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Amazon sellers can now add up to six photos to their listings for used and collectible books and DVDs. The marketplace began rolling out the new photo policy last month in a few categories. Previously sellers could only describe any flaws or missing parts using words in the condition field.
At the time, Amazon.com spokesperson Erik Fairleigh said the company had received a very enthusiastic response from sellers about the new policy. Categories in which sellers can post photos include Camera & Photo, Cell Phones & Accessories, Consumer Electronics, Music, Musical Instruments, Office Products, Personal Computers, Software, and Video Games.

Additional categories were added a few days later: Automotive & Powersports/Tires & Wheels, Baby Products, Beauty, Clothing, Accessories & Luggage, Entertainment Collectibles, Everything Else, Health & Personal Care, Home & Garden (including Pet Supplies), Kitchen, Shoes, Handbags & Sunglasses, Sports & Outdoors, Sports Memorabilia, Tools & Home Improvement, Toys & Games, and Watches.
When a customer visits the Offer Listing Page, they see a thumbnail photo for each listing. The customer can click on the photo to view a higher resolution photo and see other photos provided by seller.
Amazon.com expanded the photo policy to Books and DVDs today, and explained how it expected sellers to put the new policy into practice:
"Listing Photos are best used to depict the characteristics of a specific, unique item in a seller's inventory in either Used or Collectible condition and are not intended to be photos of new or generic product. Listing Photos are not displayed on the product detail page and are not used for matching purposes."
It seems as eBay gets closer to the Amazon model, Amazon is getting closer to the eBay model. One of the benefits of selling on eBay was that a seller could get creative, post many photos and write detailed descriptions. That ability is important when selling used, rare or unique items, but it left eBay without a product catalog and lacking structured data.
Amazon had a product catalog and kept reins on who could add or modify products. That's why a lot of sellers turned to customer-uploaded photos to add images to their listings. Giving sellers the ability to show shoppers flaws or wear and tear in pictures rather than words may give a boost to sales of used goods and collectibles on Amazon.com.
Could Amazon.com become a viable marketplace for antiques and collectibles? As it so happens, EcommerceBytes Contributing Editor Greg Holden talked to three experts recently to see what they think. Stay tuned for his article in Sunday's Update newsletter! |
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