New Format Classified Ads : Better or Worse? Why?
Discussion
The format of the classified ads has changed for the second time. Last time it was taken away pretty sharpish as the general consensus was it was a retrograde step and was full of bugs.
Now it returns after some parallel testing, and guess what? It's still a retrograde step, but just a bit less buggy.
Try browsing through cars, it's a fiddly and irritating box ticking exercise that adds no new functionality and yet loses the ability to readily and easily go from one place to another.
Try searching for (say) a Mercedes C63 AMG Estate. You need to check M/Mercedes/AMG and M/Mercedes/C Class. You used to just go to one, click back up the menu hierarchy to Mercedes, look down the list and click back down again. Now you have to check boxes and fanny around going up and down menus that don't scroll properly. And you still can't filter by estate v coupe other than by text search.
Autotrader lost its mojo by overpricing then losing its early ease of use in the search for ad revenues. Pistonheads Classifieds version 2.0 is worse. Or am I just getting old?
Now it returns after some parallel testing, and guess what? It's still a retrograde step, but just a bit less buggy.
Try browsing through cars, it's a fiddly and irritating box ticking exercise that adds no new functionality and yet loses the ability to readily and easily go from one place to another.
Try searching for (say) a Mercedes C63 AMG Estate. You need to check M/Mercedes/AMG and M/Mercedes/C Class. You used to just go to one, click back up the menu hierarchy to Mercedes, look down the list and click back down again. Now you have to check boxes and fanny around going up and down menus that don't scroll properly. And you still can't filter by estate v coupe other than by text search.
Autotrader lost its mojo by overpricing then losing its early ease of use in the search for ad revenues. Pistonheads Classifieds version 2.0 is worse. Or am I just getting old?
f328nvl said:
The format of the classified ads has changed for the second time. Last time it was taken away pretty sharpish as the general consensus was it was a retrograde step and was full of bugs.
Now it returns after some parallel testing, and guess what? It's still a retrograde step, but just a bit less buggy.
Try browsing through cars, it's a fiddly and irritating box ticking exercise that adds no new functionality and yet loses the ability to readily and easily go from one place to another.
Try searching for (say) a Mercedes C63 AMG Estate. You need to check M/Mercedes/AMG and M/Mercedes/C Class. You used to just go to one, click back up the menu hierarchy to Mercedes, look down the list and click back down again. Now you have to check boxes and fanny around going up and down menus that don't scroll properly. And you still can't filter by estate v coupe other than by text search.
Autotrader lost its mojo by overpricing then losing its early ease of use in the search for ad revenues. Pistonheads Classifieds version 2.0 is worse. Or am I just getting old?
Now it returns after some parallel testing, and guess what? It's still a retrograde step, but just a bit less buggy.
Try browsing through cars, it's a fiddly and irritating box ticking exercise that adds no new functionality and yet loses the ability to readily and easily go from one place to another.
Try searching for (say) a Mercedes C63 AMG Estate. You need to check M/Mercedes/AMG and M/Mercedes/C Class. You used to just go to one, click back up the menu hierarchy to Mercedes, look down the list and click back down again. Now you have to check boxes and fanny around going up and down menus that don't scroll properly. And you still can't filter by estate v coupe other than by text search.
Autotrader lost its mojo by overpricing then losing its early ease of use in the search for ad revenues. Pistonheads Classifieds version 2.0 is worse. Or am I just getting old?
Just typing 'C63 AMG Estate' works? Or just scroll down to Merc and click AMG exactly like you used to on the old site? No check boxes, no ticking, no sub menus.
WillB said:
No option to host large pics within adverts
Our pictures are bigger than the previous version, but you're correct that we don't allow links to off site galleriesWillB said:
No direct email allowed
No web links allowed (eg reviews/articles/model info etc)
Both of these are to combat scammers.No web links allowed (eg reviews/articles/model info etc)
IF you email via our systems when we detect a scammer we send out a warning to all parties who have contacted via email. If you'd not used our systems we would not be able to do so.
The same with links. Scammers put links to their own sites/email addresses/phone numbers where we have no means of warning people if they are detected. This is a serious issue and one we take very seriously.
I OP'd a similar thread on the TVR forum - getting really mixed feed back.
Haymarket - you need to listen to your advertisers as they are your main revenue stream - without em - opps!
Did PH do any serious platform formatting with any clients?
I worked in the online and print publishing business for 25 years and can tell you if you don't listen clients will walk and you know straight where they will go....
Haymarket - you need to listen to your advertisers as they are your main revenue stream - without em - opps!
Did PH do any serious platform formatting with any clients?
I worked in the online and print publishing business for 25 years and can tell you if you don't listen clients will walk and you know straight where they will go....
Switch said:
Both of these are to combat scammers.
IF you email via our systems when we detect a scammer we send out a warning to all parties who have contacted via email. If you'd not used our systems we would not be able to do so.
The same with links. Scammers put links to their own sites/email addresses/phone numbers where we have no means of warning people if they are detected. This is a serious issue and one we take very seriously.
Err your opposition do it and use it as a sales tool and also to keep clients informed of click throughs etc!!IF you email via our systems when we detect a scammer we send out a warning to all parties who have contacted via email. If you'd not used our systems we would not be able to do so.
The same with links. Scammers put links to their own sites/email addresses/phone numbers where we have no means of warning people if they are detected. This is a serious issue and one we take very seriously.
I worked with another major online brand who "ring fenced" the platform only to realise after many months of fraught meetings that they had not only missed a strong sales opportunity but that many clients had started to migrate to other providers who saw the potential benefits while recognising some of the issues.
SPS said:
Err your opposition do it and use it as a sales tool and also to keep clients informed of click throughs etc!!
I worked with another major online brand who "ring fenced" the platform only to realise after many months of fraught meetings that they had not only missed a strong sales opportunity but that many clients had started to migrate to other providers who saw the potential benefits while recognising some of the issues.
What is the advantage of being able to place emails and links in ads?I worked with another major online brand who "ring fenced" the platform only to realise after many months of fraught meetings that they had not only missed a strong sales opportunity but that many clients had started to migrate to other providers who saw the potential benefits while recognising some of the issues.
Bill said:
What is the advantage of being able to place emails and links in ads?
Hi Bill - well for one it allows for another charging mechanism, two - it gives advertisiers opportunities to expand their sales options, three - it allows for a greater flexibility in multiple platform interchanges, four - it gives greater scope for branding and product placement, five - opens opportunities for rich media profiles etcetera. Anyway it's far too late in the evening to discuss this stuff in detail - talk to someone in advertising - nunc est bibendum me thinks.Have a good un.
Steve
Edited by SPS on Thursday 27th September 22:22
David Hype said:
Call me old fashioned, but the previous format for `Parts and Plates` was way easier to navigate around, especially regarding new and historic adverts.
Can we have it back please?
Can you elaborate as to what is more tricky in the new system as compared to the old one that makes it prohibitively tricky to navigate?Can we have it back please?
There are some valid points in here, and yes we did talk to lots and lots of advertisers about this. We have been for many months in fact.
We can look at some of the stuff which has been raised. However it's worth saying that there are a couple of other things which are there but not fully activated yet which weren't on the old site at all and which have been raised in response to advertiser requests.
- The ability to add your dealer logo to your ad, as well as an approved used logo if you're part of a scheme.
- Deep links into stock on your site, rather than just the ability to link out to your website.
We don't allow direct email in text for a couple of reasons, one is to protect against scammers, and the other is so that we can track response ourselves. That's something that almost all operators in this market do.
We can look at some of the stuff which has been raised. However it's worth saying that there are a couple of other things which are there but not fully activated yet which weren't on the old site at all and which have been raised in response to advertiser requests.
- The ability to add your dealer logo to your ad, as well as an approved used logo if you're part of a scheme.
- Deep links into stock on your site, rather than just the ability to link out to your website.
We don't allow direct email in text for a couple of reasons, one is to protect against scammers, and the other is so that we can track response ourselves. That's something that almost all operators in this market do.
Duplicate thread running here: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
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