Instructions for Selling on Ebay

Lpetrovi's picture

The layout of the novice ebay instructions is a typical 8.5 X 11 inch paper. I chose this layout because it is my hope that the user will be able to print out the instructions on a home printer which normally doesn't have any larger print option. I placed pictures where I thought they would be most effective in relation to the instruction steps. The novice instructions contain a more step by step approach that can be followed consecutively from beginning to end.

The experienced instructions layout is the same as the novice in terms of the 8.5 X 11. They are also in a portrait format. These instructions are in less of a step by step format and more of a list of tips for each part of the selling process that the person can choose to follow or not. There are still pictures included in this instructions set to enhance the points of the 'steps'. I chose not to use detailed descriptions of each step because the instructions seem pretty self explanatory. I

The novice instructions usability test is a document markup test. I want to know what the reviewers think of my layout and if they have suggestions for making things better

The expert instructions usability test is a read and locate test with questions to be answered by the reviewers. A posted comment beneath this post will suffice as the way to give the feedback.

eBay Review

jrdavies's picture

Novice Instructions Review:
When I think of a Novice user for this application, I think of somebody that's familiar with the internet and computers in general, but hasn't ever set up an online auction. If you're entirely new to eBay, some things might not be very intuitive. Here are the thoughts I had as a read through the instructions. They are in order, so they should be easy to follow.
-You say to "search for similar items" to get prices. Should the user be searching current auctions or completed auctions? I've found that completed auctions give you a better idea of what your sale price will be. Searching current auctions just tells you what people are currently bidding, which does not account for last minute bidders (e.g. snipers). A lot can change in the last 5 minutes of an auction.
-Where is the user supposed to upload their picture? I think you mean to their own computer, but some may think they need to upload it to the internet at this point. Some clarification might help.
-"Sell an Item" does not appear by itself on the homepage. You have to go to the "Sell" tab first. Some users may not figure this out. Then on the next page you have to click "Start Selling."
-Not only do you have to type the category of your item, but then you have to choose one that matches it best. Then you have to choose a Listing Form type. It would probably be best to advise the Novice user to use the "Keep It Simple" option. I'm not sure that a Novice user would figure all of this out. Even if they did, they may not be very confident in their choices since there aren't screen shots to show them what the pages look like.
-In my opinion, this next page (Create Your Listing) needs more description, or at least a few screen shots of the page sections. This makes it easier for the user to confirm that he or she is in the right place and entering the right information.
-Why does the user need a "short" item description? I think you should elaborate on what kinds of things to include (i.e. relevant history of the item, current condition, any known problems, etc...)
-What about the Buy It Now feature? It's an option on the page. If you want the user to ignore it, then I think you should tell them explicitly. Also, make sure to warn the user that a low starting bid may result in an undesirable profit (or even a loss).
-I don't see any instructions for entering shipping or payment information.

Overall, I think these instructions could use more description. Is it intentionally condensed into a single page? I think that more screen shots and more details will be beneficial to the new user. Using more pages may help too.

Expert Instructions Review:
I'm including some document mark-up comments along with the 'read and locate' answers. The Expert instructions make good points, but the user may not understand why they need to do each step. For instance, why should they review other sellers' descriptions? Maybe tell them to use other descriptions to help craft their own. (i also think it should be "sellers'", not "seller's")
What words should the user use in their description? There are several words that are used commonly on eBay by advanced users. NIB (new in box), MNT (mint condition), NBW (never been worn), etc. (http://pages.ebay.com/help/account/acronyms.html)
How does free shipping increase profits? If the seller is paying for shipping out of their own pocket, wouldn't this detract from their profits? Most bidders will account for shipping when they bid on an item, so I'm not sure how effective this point is.
What about all the other stuff an experienced user can do? The reserve price is a useful feature, but I didn't see it addressed in either instruction set.
Usability questions:
1) What do the instructions say about your title?
--They say that a more descriptive title is better.
2) Would you recommend an additional section under each bullet explaining why you
should do the step listed?
--Yes. A user may not understand the importance of a step, or how effective the step will be in increasing their profits.
3) Are the pictures confusing or do they help to exemplify the instructions?
--The first picture is good. It shows the user that they should give bidders several views of the item. The second screen shot, however, is from the "Keep It Simple" listing form. Wouldn't an experienced user be using the "More listing choices" form?

In my opinion, 'read and locate' is not a very effective test because these instructions are only a page long. It takes 5 seconds to scan the Expert set.

Ebay Selling Usability Test

NOVICE
Novice instructions to me mean that they are directed towards a first-time user, someone who has never sold something on Ebay. I believe some steps are a little vague or do not direct a first-time user on the right direction.
Step 1 – This is fairly straightforward and seems easy to follow.
Step 2 – This step is a good overall start for a first-time seller. It easily shows the user what necessary steps are needed on the actual product. I’m not sure I would say “Match your price to current prices”. I would change it to compare or something similar. The user should have a price beforehand, but they should research other prices first in case their price is dramatically different.
Step 2 Upload the picture – I don’t really understand this step. I assume it means upload the picture to your computer, but it should be more specific. If you have this step I would mention to upload the picture to your computer, because at first I thought I had to upload a picture to Ebay. Another approach would be to take this instruction out completely. It should be assumed that in order to put a picture on Ebay, you would have to connect your camera to your computer and transfer the picture.
Step 3 Click on Sell an Item - I could not find this at first, and it should be mentioned that it is under the Sell tab. Also, after clicking on Sell an Item, you have to click on Start Selling button.
Step 3 – It might be more helpful to tell the user to browse for a category instead of typing one. The next step after the category selection is to type in the UPC. You can also skip this step, but the instructions didn’t tell me anything about what to do. As a novice user, I believe the instructions should give details so the user isn’t left to guess. Next is where the user selects a simple format or a more detailed one. After that (I clicked on the simple one), this is where you do the rest of Step 3. The rest of Step 3 seems straightforward and helpful.
Step 4 – Overall this was good but maybe a little vague. Some tips on how to package and ship the item may help but are not necessary.
No language was too advanced. The first picture was helpful, but if you could take a screenshot of the Sell tab opened up and showing Sell an Item with a big, bright circle around it, the user would figure that tab thing out better. The second picture is nice but not necessary. Maybe a bunch of smaller pictures that highlight each important step would be more beneficial.

EXPERT
1) What do the instructions say about your title?
They say that a more descriptive title creates more potential buyer views, which in turn potentially increase bids.
2) Would you recommend an additional section under each bullet explaining why you should do that step?
Yes, definitely. I had many questions as to why I should do these steps, and a brief but informative explanation would help support your bullets. Why do I need to take several pictures? Why do I need to review other sellers’ descriptions? Why do I need to offer free shipping as an incentive?
3) Are the pictures confusing or do they help exemplify the instructions?
The pictures are helpful. I like how they keep the same product and show it at different stages throughout the process. The second picture is a bit misleading, as an expert user will usually use the advanced listing form.