Changing Ebid's layout to look more like Ebay

[donkeyote]

Sorry to ask this again, but I forgot to put a poll in my last post about this.
I would really like Ebid more if the fonts used were larger, as although I have good eyesight, I imagine some of the text (i.e. in the category listings when you click on the 'Browse' button at the top of the page) would be very difficult for a lot of people to read for extended periods of time.

I would also think the site would get more customers if it resembled Ebay more, as http://www.thefastbid.com have done. Their auctions are almost identical to Ebay's. (Presumably this isn't copyrighted.)

[johnwash1]

Sorry to ask this again, but I forgot to put a poll in my last post about this.
I would really like Ebid more if the fonts used were larger, as although I have good eyesight, I imagine some of the text (i.e. in the category listings when you click on the 'Browse' button at the top of the page) would be very difficult for a lot of people to read for extended periods of time.

I would also think the site would get more customers if it resembled Ebay more, as http://www.thefastbid.com have done. Their auctions are almost identical to Ebay's. (Presumably this isn't copyrighted.)

And the latest revamp has made this worse still, at least on a 1400x1050 display.

It seems to be a growing trend on websites that, no matter what settings you apply in your browser to say whether you want to see text small, large, very large or whatever, web designers "know best" and overrule you.

And I strongly agree that more note should be taken of eBay's design. Sure, there are things that eBay could do better. But they've spent a lot of time and $$$ getting to where they are, there's a lot of good human interface design there.

[donkeyote]

I think it should be quite easy to adjust the size of the fonts throughout the site (shouldn't require any major redesigning or anything like that), and I think, as you say, that Ebay's look is very good. (This may be just because I'm very used to it, but why reinvent the wheel? If they don't have copyright over the general layout, (which I'm sure they can't have) then I think Ebid should become more like Ebay, while still maintaining their own identity.

[pid2000]

As someone who spends more time on here than any other auction site i like it. Maybe it's because i'm used to it but it works and why re-invent the wheel.
After all e-bid is expanding into the biggest and best U.K. auction site and G & M should be concentrating on making a succesful and individual site not just another e-bay clone!
Just my humble opinion
pid

[pesky33]

i agree with pid, i don't want ebid to look like ebay otherwise people will just think 'oh look, a shoddy copy of ebay' rather than 'oh look, i can list free here'

does anyone else understand what i mean, or is this drivel again?

[donkeyote]

I think that maybe my desire for Ebid to look like Ebay is caused by my having used Ebay for three or more hours every day for the last year. I'm starting to like the layout of Ebid more and more, it's just the font sizes that I find a bit difficult to get used to.

[pesky33]

well, i'd used ebay every day for 2 years as well, and still do go over there occasionally for specialist items that won't sell or aren't for sale here (YET!!!!!!!), but like every other site on the internet, it's just a matter of getting used to something.
eBay shouldn't be the holy grail for other auction sites or their users

[Landy]

I agree with Pesky..who agrees with Pid! It s just like going to a new shop.........everything is different and in different places, but you find your way around.......you don't go to the manager and say...well i like your shop.but can you make it look more like Tescos( or any other supermarket available!!)


Ps... Guys......what's happening to the servers lately? have we busted them!?

[johnwash1]

i agree with pid, i don't want ebid to look like ebay otherwise people will just think 'oh look, a shoddy copy of ebay' rather than 'oh look, i can list free here'

does anyone else understand what i mean, or is this drivel again?

That's a fair point Pesky. Actually, whether the look is the same or different is least important for me, it's the functionality that is so well thought out on eBay. Perhaps first-timers visiting eBay don't notice it, but if you really dig into the power of their searches, plus the ease of it (i.e. very little typing or clicks) it's a design well worth looking at in depth and grabbing most or all the ideas. JMHO, of course.

And the feedback leaving system is streets ahead on eBay.

But eBid also has its own unique features (or at least features that aren't on eBay). I like the Q&A feature in auctions, for example. Though it's VERY sad that there's no indication of whether or not it's worth clicking on the link. Be honest, how often do you check whether an auction has a non-empty Q&A section? After I found 10 out of 10 auctions didn't have any Q&A I gave up... until Dragon Pearls came along! That livened it up for a while!

I'm thinking of asking questions on my own auctions, and giving rude answers to myself, just to make this feature something worth checking! Haven't got much on offer at present though... must get listing.

[donkeyote]

Johnwash, I don't think the feedback system on Ebay is that good - they refuse to allow you to have more than 90 (I think) characters, despite the fact that almost everybody wants this function, and it would cost them next to nothing (it's only ASCII text, after all). When you have a problem with a seller, it's almost impossible to explain it to your own satisfaction in 90 characters.

Ebay are very inflexible - they refuse to change. Why can't you edit your feedback after you've left it? Ebid allows this, and gives you loads of space to write your feedback too.

I just think the fonts are displaying too small on the Ebid site, and this should be easy to change.

We all need to start advertising Ebid as much as possible to everybody we know, to bring in more buyers and sellers. Then we can beat Ebay!