Google Shopping - 250 Characters

[bunsock]

The latest instruction re Google Shopping is “Make sure the first 250 characters of your description are pure product info only.” See eBid news.

Not possible with most of my items as the product description is usually a lot less than 250 characters and it is followed by information as to postage and payment. I can’t see a way to comply with this latest edict unless we can have some way that the description can be split with a marker or some other form of segregation which stops eBid uploading non-product information. Any ideas?

[terry5732]

250 characters is silly

A split description makes more sense

[bykimbo]

I can hear the cries and complaints now. "Two lots of description! Why's this cr*ppy site so complicated? ebay doesn't make me do that!" Sigh.

[JaBek1]

Frankly, it's Google Shopping that is turning into PITK. Does eBay even do feeds to Google Shopping? I thought Google & eBay could barely tolerate one another in the vast world of cyberspace anyway, Kim.

[bykimbo]

Frankly, it's Google Shopping that is turning into PITK....

Quite agree. And since it's never seemed to be any use I've not worried about exactly what hoops it expects me to jump through.

[Gothicina]

The latest instruction re Google Shopping is “Make sure the first 250 characters of your description are pure product info only.” See eBid news.

Not possible with most of my items as the product description is usually a lot less than 250 characters and it is followed by information as to postage and payment. I can’t see a way to comply with this latest edict unless we can have some way that the description can be split with a marker or some other form of segregation which stops eBid uploading non-product information. Any ideas?

As I duplicate a great deal of postage, payment & terms info, I add them to my listings as images,
that way any changes I need to make can be made to all my listings in one go.

It's fairly simple to do, write the info, take a screenshot, crop the image to show what you want, upload to your webspace or a photohost, & link to it in each listing.

When the info needs changing, rewrite the info, screenshot, crop, give it the same name as the original, then upload to overwrite the original image, or if it doesn't give you that option, delete the original image on your photohost, & upload the new one to the same place.

[lejoueurdepipeau]

I can hear the cries and complaints now. "Two lots of description! Why's this cr*ppy site so complicated? ebay doesn't make me do that!" Sigh.

I have been begging eBid to allow me two titles (one in French and one in English) since Google Shopping became available to France in January 2011... because if any English words appear in the first 250 characters that item is rejected by Google Shopping France, Many promises from HQ - but no action. Patience is a virtue... so they say ... but I'm running out of it!! Two descriptions is not a problem - and not complicated. It's the title that is the issue for me!

[bykimbo]

I have been begging eBid to allow me two titles (one in French and one in English) since Google Shopping became available to France in January 2011... because if any English words appear in the first 250 characters that item is rejected by Google Shopping France, Many promises from HQ - but no action. Patience is a virtue... so they say ... but I'm running out of it!! Two descriptions is not a problem - and not complicated. It's the title that is the issue for me!

A much better use of the duplicate data idea, and one that justifies itself very clearly, meaning there's a clear response to anybody who whines about it. What you or I might find complicated, and what newbies arriving with baggage might decide is unacceptable, are very different things I suspect! We have posts every day from people complaining they can't understand how to invoice, how to load photographs, how to find their buyer's details... the site should be aiming for maximum clarity and a user interface as intuitive as possible, not piling complexity on complexity. Mind you, I think all parties might have some more convincing to do before we need to worry about it either way.

[JaBek1]

As I duplicate a great deal of postage, payment & terms info, I add them to my listings as images,
that way any changes I need to make can be made to all my listings in one go.

It's fairly simple to do, write the info, take a screenshot, crop the image to show what you want, upload to your webspace or a photohost, & link to it in each listing.

When the info needs changing, rewrite the info, screenshot, crop, give it the same name as the original, then upload to overwrite the original image, or if it doesn't give you that option, delete the original image on your photohost, & upload the new one to the same place.

I thought posting text as a picture wasn't permitted by Google.