Now, every time I log in, it seems like the shop layouts are different. This is confusing for our potential customers, and for us (it's hard to navigate my own shop!). Apparently they are testing new designs over the summer. None of them really improve on what was, in my opinion. And it seems like other sellers agree. The forum is lit up with upset sellers. Here is my favourite post, which I feel accurately explains what I feel about the new design issues:
Since this is a question forum, I thought it might be a good place to ask, why do we hate the test and what is has done to our shops. Here are the reasons I hate the new look:
1) The banner is gone. Etsy has told us from day one to brand ourselves. By taking our banners away, they have effectively removed part of our brand. Why? Some people on Etsy even sell banners. What's that doing to their business?My addition....
2) The search field is missing from our front page. Not the Etsy site search field - of course that one is still front and center, but the search field that allows a search within our own shop. So if a customer does not like what they see on the page and wants to search, they immediately leave our shop. Not cool.
3) The sections are now pictures and not true 'sections'. This only confuses the customer. How many customers now buy without reading anything at all. Some people don't read that they are actual sections and not just a single item for sale. It looks now like I have just a few items for sale, not the over 100 that I worked so hard to put into my shop so it looks like a full store. Why tell me I need to show a full store when you took that away so effectively?
4) Why do we need a number beside "favorite shop" that shows the world how many people have Favorited us? I have three shops, one is now and I don't mind that not many people have found it yet, but those numbers do nothing for the customer community and only cause confusion.
5) The shop looks unprofessional, like someone programmed it who is new to HTML programming and only knows how to place a few images up for people to see. It looks like someone who might have a new store online and does not yet know how to show what the store should look like.
6) With the new test comes another problem for people who sell supplies. Did you notice that now you cannot search Etsy directly for supplies? The only thing you can click to start is vintage or handmade. To get to supplies you must first click "All Categories" and only then can you click supplies.
7) Back to taking away our brand, by doing so, you have taken away our individualness. (I made a new word, forgive me.) I have actually had customers that did not know Etsy was not one big mall. They did not know Etsy was made up of lots of small stores that sold their own products. Taking away our brand only serves to reinforce that idea.
8) The layout is not user friendly. I have asked several people who were not sellers to navigate the site and tell me what they thought. They were confused as to how to purchase. They did not get it and got lost right away.
9) No more "shop announcements" section? What if you want to announce a discount, sale or special? What if you're soon going on vacation and want to give your customers a heads up before turning you shop on 'vacation mode'? Again, NOT cool.
There you have all the reasons I hate Etsy's new look. Now in closing, I do want to add that I am not against a new look in the least. Just not THIS look. As sellers, we do know a bit of what works and what doesn't. This one doesn't. Please listen to us and know that there are valid reasons we hate it. Maybe even think about having a panel of sellers on your team to help give you their ideas once you are ready to release a test? Who better to work together than someone who knows what works with someone who wants to improve things? Please Etsy, please look at things from our point of view. It surely can't hurt to try a little objectivity in your process of testing.
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