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Thu Jan 19 2023 10:19:16

Etsy Lets Buyers Skip the Listing Page before Buying

By: Ina Steiner

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Etsy announced a series of changes to search, some of which could prove controversial. The addition of an Add to Cart button in search results is one such change.

Etsy announced on Wednesday, "We introduced an Add to Cart button that displays underneath listings in Etsy search results, making it easier for buyers to purchase your listing directly in fewer clicks. Our research shows that adding this feature has led to an increase in conversion rate for eligible listings."

Therein lies the problem - if buyers do not click through to the listing before buying an item, they could end up returning the item or filing a "not as described" claim since they may miss important details included in the listing description. 

But since the feature is likely to boost Etsy's sales and revenue - and since it doesn't have to deal with returns - the feature is likely to remain.

Etsy also added a way for shoppers to filter search results to display only listings from Star Sellers. "Buyers are able to filter by Star Sellers when searching for an item on Etsy," it explained. "This filter doesn’t impact your search ranking, but allows a buyer to further refine their search results to surface Star Sellers." That's sure to sting for sellers who can't attain Star Seller status.

A more welcome change may be the addition of a "sales countdown" in search. Shoppers will be able to see the countdown on search results for listings where a sale is expiring within 48 hours. "The countdown encourages buyers to check out your listings asap to take advantage of the discount you’re offering," Etsy said.

Another feature added to search, "listing video autoplay," lets buyers hover over a listing to see the video without having to click through to the listing. "We saw an increase in conversion rate with this update, which is why we encourage you to add listing videos to all of your listings," Etsy advised sellers.

Etsy also said it now shows estimated delivery dates in search results (it didn't say exactly when that started), "so buyers can feel more confident about when they’ll receive your items." Buyers will also be able to search by items that include an estimated delivery date.

Let us know what you think of these changes to Etsy search and how you expect them to impact your sales.

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Perminate Link for Etsy Lets Buyers Skip the Listing Page before Buying   Etsy Lets Buyers Skip the Listing Page before Buying

by: LDWCallsOut This user has validated their user name.

Thu Jan 19 10:53:15 2023

I have been shown the ''listing video autoplay'' for more than 6 months now.  I have to remember to keep my cursor to the edge of the screen so those low res vids don't start their thumbnail sized jumping -- it's super annoying!

I've been seeing the estimated delivery dates for a while.

I'm not sure how shoppers can just use the thumbnail images to choose a product these days since so many thumbnails are edited to show as little as possible to avoid the bots.  Because Etsy is loaded with counterfeit merch and other IP infringement.

The pitfalls of the ''add to cart'' option in search is well explained in the post above.  

Four new reasons not to consider reopening my Etsy shops!

Perminate Link for Etsy Lets Buyers Skip the Listing Page before Buying   Etsy Lets Buyers Skip the Listing Page before Buying

by: Stone Cutter This user has validated their user name.

Sat Jan 21 16:07:27 2023

*** The signs of desperacy ***

As the U.S. Federal Reserve continues to increase interest rates to curb inflation, retailers are nervous as the consumer has slowed spending on general goods.

it’s now a race for retailers to “grab” consumer money before someone else gets to it. Etsy’s new marketing campaign is about stoking that impulse buyer as Etsy appears to be desperate enough as to shove aside listing details.

I now put as much information about my product in my listing “Title”.

Perminate Link for Etsy Lets Buyers Skip the Listing Page before Buying   Etsy Lets Buyers Skip the Listing Page before Buying

by: LDWCallsOut This user has validated their user name.

Sat Jan 21 17:13:27 2023

Etsy is currently running another test that conceals the ''ships from'' location on listing pages.  This does nothing to boost sales from US based shops to US shoppers.  It conceals reseller activity where the products ship from outside the US, usually from Asia.  There is at least one thread about this now in the Etsy Forums.

Perminate Link for Etsy Lets Buyers Skip the Listing Page before Buying   Etsy Lets Buyers Skip the Listing Page before Buying

by: Stone Cutter This user has validated their user name.

Sat Jan 21 17:56:31 2023

***The “Filter” is your friend ***

“Etsy is currently running another test that conceals the ''ships from'' location on listing pages.”

Sounds like another desperate marketing move.  Why hide it if you’re proud of it?

Etsy went on a campaign in 2018 for Sellers based in India who rarely have a 5-Star rating average, however, India sells cheap products for a cheap price and Etsy knows it’s business is being damaged by inflation.

As a U.S. consumer, I use the Etsy filter to only show me shops based in the U.S.... who I find to be much more reliable.  

Perminate Link for Etsy Lets Buyers Skip the Listing Page before Buying   Etsy Lets Buyers Skip the Listing Page before Buying

by: LDWCallsOut This user has validated their user name.

Sun Jan 22 10:50:08 2023

Having your shop listed as being in the US is not reliable, unfortunately.  For example, many counterfeit merch shops list their locations as either LA or the NYC metro area, but they are all located in another country (not India or China BTW).  The only way a shopper could identify their location was clicking on a "shelter item" listed in the shop that was not a replica of a luxury brand product, but some generic crafty looking item -- which showed a ships from location outside the US.  This is now hidden, so there is nothing to show the public that the shop is operating in the country which is the Number 3 top counterfeit source.

Etsy is heavily infested with counterfeit merchant shops, and hiding the ships from info helps them present their faux Gucci belts and fake Louis Vuitton wallets as the real deal "vintage handmade".  

Perminate Link for Etsy Lets Buyers Skip the Listing Page before Buying   Etsy Lets Buyers Skip the Listing Page before Buying

by: Queen of the Jungle This user has validated their user name.

Sun Jan 22 17:52:56 2023

They are doing all this stuff supposedly to make things better for the sellers.   What a sick joke!

Meanwhile, Etsy search is horrible.  No matter how many techies they hire they can't seem to fix it.  Ever.

Perminate Link for Etsy Lets Buyers Skip the Listing Page before Buying   Etsy Lets Buyers Skip the Listing Page before Buying

by: Stone Cutter This user has validated their user name.

Mon Jan 23 15:49:49 2023

“Having your shop listed as being in the US is not reliable, unfortunately.”

Yes, I agree, however, Filtering for any specific country has always helped me. I look for accent stones for my jewelry...filtering for U.S. only, has done a good job in kicking out overseas sellers from India.

Also, this article says that buyers will be able to search for “Star Sellers” which will naturally kick out a huge section of Overseas sellers, anyway.

Perminate Link for Etsy Lets Buyers Skip the Listing Page before Buying   Etsy Lets Buyers Skip the Listing Page before Buying

by: Stone Cutter This user has validated their user name.

Mon Jan 23 15:53:44 2023

@ Queen of Jungle...

You say.... “They are doing all this stuff supposedly to make things better for the sellers.”

I disagree. All of these changes are to generate money from the BUYER, not the Seller. Etsy’s job is to make money.



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