Improvements to the Marketplace.

[Clarky]

Is it really only 4% of sellers make a donation? I tend to make donations randomly, when I remember, rather than sale-related. I guess others do similarly which would mean the 4% figure is understated in reality. Nevertheless its very low!

[andydye]

Also, does the 4% allow for those buying BC stuff after sales? I've done this the last few times...

[Silvia Bluejay]

Some of us make donations despite never using the Marketplace... And the BC merch is good, by the way, and tees and polos now also fit women - tiny ones like me included.
But yes, it's definitely a bit of a poor collective show to see that only 4% of those who make a sale contribute to the running of the site.

Sorry I can't comment on the new vs old format as I don't use the Marketplace, but for those who do, it's excellent to have a thread like this to discuss and balance convenience for the admin team with ease of use for the membership.

Edited November 8, 2012 by bluejay

[ped]

Hi guys

Thanks for the comments. The 4% is calculated by how many paypal transactions have come through as donations (either random OR from selling items) against the total number of things listed over the last month. WHilst some of those listed items may not have eventually sold, it's the best I could do with my quick assessment. I agree it's very low,so hopefully we'll see this reversed now that everyone has the chance to pay a couple of pounds for the gallery view.

We thought it was important to allow free access to the classifieds, though - out of the kindness of our hearts and the fact that more listings makes us more visible on the web and can attract advertisers, so it's kind of win-win.

Please though, for all our sakes, take advantage of the paid option!!If nearly everone avoids it, we might have to make charging mandatory. My feeling is that most members here are quite grateful for the facility so having a gallery item shows they care

By the way, I'm in the process of adding Sagepay to the site so users can pay via card rather than using PayPal (though you can use card through them too without being a member)

Thanks
ped

[LukeFRC]

looks good - a little "official" rather than the "mates in a pub type" set up currently.

[Rick's Fine '52]

First impressions: I like it, from a buyers, and sellers perspective, it certainly allows a clearer description of the item, with at-a-glance pic and price, but I do feel as a result, its a bit clinical, and as has been mentioned, takes away some of the '[i]chat[/i]' part of these ads, which many of us enjoy.

Clearly alot of hard work has gone into it, which I'm grateful for, and this should be acknowledged (the work that is, not my gratitude!). Time will tell how it works in reality, but I'm also concerned that its a bit [i]gumtree[/i], where there's no connection to the seller/buyer at all (The questions box helps a bit) You can form relationships with people on here (Albeit not a 'real' one), simply by exchanging comments/opinions on one item listed, as the thread expands, which can eveolve into all sorts of knowledge sharing etc. This to me, is the appeal of forums like this, and I worry some of that may be lost, but we'll see, I hope everyone beds into it, and it works for the better.

[LukeFRC]

where is the "ask a question button/feature going to go?" - maybe if it opened on the chat/question page first before the details? keep the focus on the community and comunication rather than the commerce

[ped]

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1352381408' post='1862347']
where is the "ask a question button/feature going to go?" - maybe if it opened on the chat/question page first before the details? keep the focus on the community and comunication rather than the commerce
[/quote]

It's already there - check the bit under the photos on the listing I posted.

As I say, this is the basic plugin and we can adapt it as we go, but first let's see how it goes. I think it's going to work really nicely.

I do agree with comments like Rick's post above - remember I use this place as a bassist too (I just happen to co own it) so your concerns are the same as mine. However I think people will still get by with the Q+A bit or by PMing the seller and forging a bond that way, It might mean some people start a thread on the forum talking about a type of bass they've spotted in the marketplace. What it will definitely mean, however, is that the people who run BC will have far more time to help in other areas and effectively stop them having to step in when comments are seen as derogatory or unhelpful, which they sometimes can be.

I'm sure it'll work very well and I think the drawbacks are far outweighed by the ease of use and the enhanced sellability it'll provide. Being able to see the latest 60 things listed at a glance is pretty cool.

ped

[Phil-osopher10]

That looks class, well done lads!

[pete.young]

Is it possible to somehow reduce the size of the individual listings?

60 items on a page is a great idea, but may become not so appealing if the page is 19 screens full of data

[Musky]

Only just seen this thread. Having looked through the ads that are already up on the classifieds section, there doesn't seem to be any obvious place that states where the seller is located. Although there are plenty that don't bother to fill out the location field underneath their avatars, it's quite useful and saves everyone having to ask. So maybe a prominent field for location might be handy.

I can see the benefits of the changes, but I do wonder if it will mark a change from the current 'forum with a place to sell gear' to a 'forum with a classifieds site running in tandem'. We'll see.

I'm slightly appalled that donations after a sale as well. I had imagined that most people bunged a few quid into the pot after a successful sale.

Edit: Oh, and it doesn't appear to offer any clues as to when the ad was posted either.

Edited November 18, 2012 by Musky

[paul j h]

Hi, i just checked out the improvements, i think they look great, looking forward to seeing what it looks like in practice. I agree (but am as guilty as others) of the bumping on a couple of days basis, so hopefully this will cover it. Good work guys. Cheers Paul.

[mybass]

[quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1352313948' post='1861547']
[font=Arial]Woohoo![/font]

[font=Arial]It's taken 9 months to get this far but finally we can announce some improvements to the classifieds section! The new layout will include the following features/benefits.[/font][list]
[*][font=Arial]Easier and more convenient to use (more attractive, less clicks to see price and pics)[/font]
[*][font=Arial]It won't be possible to list an ad without stating a price (this means less monitoring for mods)[/font]
[*][font=Arial]Gallery view means more visibility for ads and hopefully will help sell stuff more quickly.[/font]
[*][font=Arial]Streamlined search facility means its easier to get relevant results.[/font]
[*]Easily mark items as sold
[*]Filter results for category, for sale/sold/exchange/all items
[*]'Ask a seller' question function with automatic notification for seller
[*]Easy image upload system
[*]Mobile theme
[*]Share listings on FB/Twitter/email etc.
[/list]
[b][font=Arial]Free access to the classifieds section for members will not be changing. [/font][/b]

[font=Arial]You can view the test forum here:[/font]
[font=Arial][url="http://isaaclewis2.invisionzone.com/index.php?/classifieds/"]http://isaaclewis2.i...p?/classifieds/[/url][/font]

This is a good example of how an advert will look on its own page:
[url="http://isaaclewis2.invisionzone.com/index.php?/classifieds/item/9-warwick-brand-new-with-case/"]http://isaaclewis2.i...-new-with-case/[/url]

[color=#000000][font=Arial]We are planning on introducing the new format [/font][/color][b]on November 14th[/b][color=#000000][font=Arial]. That's next Wednesday.[/font][/color]

[i][font=Arial][color=#222222]Using the new layout:[/color][/font][/i]
[font=Arial]The process of listing an advert will be slightly different to posting a thread. Advertisers will need to complete fields and pull down menus rather than just post a topic. While this is more structured than before it will mean greater consistency in the information provided in each advert.[/font]

[font=Arial]A small fee will be charged for using the gallery view feature. This is because we had to pay the developer to get the plug in installed and the forum isn't generating enough to pay for this, the development of drumchat and guitarchat as well as the usual maintenance upgrades and hosting. So whatever support you can offer by using this feature would be very much appreciated.[/font]

[i][font=Arial]Transition from old to new:[/font][/i]
[size=4][font=Arial][color=#222222]Unfortunately the old format can't be incorporated into the new format so there will be a[b] transitional period[/b] of [b]4 weeks after the new layout is introduced.[/b][/color][/font]

[font=Arial][color=#222222]This is to help make the adjustment process as smooth as possible. The old classifieds layout will be closed and locked so those who have recently posted ads in the old format still get visibility OR enough time to repost under the new system. Once the transition period is over, the old classifieds will be [/color]archived but will still be visible.[/font][/size]

[i][font=Arial]Subject to review:[/font][/i]
[font=Arial]This is unchartered territory so we'll be reviewing how well the new layout is working and be making adjustments along the way. [/font][font=Arial]We've also been looking into whether we can retain a bumping facility. However the problem is that bumping isn’t part of the original classifieds plug-in and is likely to need custom coding. The question in our mind is...is it worth it? Especially since there will be up to 60 items visible per page.[/font]

[font=Arial]We're waiting to hear back from the original developers of the classifieds plug-in on whether its technically feasible. But to be honest while[/font][font=Arial] some have found bumping useful, others have questioned it. Any thoughts or comments on the bumping feature?[/font]
[/quote]


At the moment I cannot get into any 'Topics' unless I just view "View New Topics".

[BigBeatNut]

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1352379017' post='1862300']
a little "official" rather than the "mates in a pub type" set up currently.
[/quote]

Yeah, I see this as a downside, unfortunately. I think I will miss the banter, particularly the 'I've got one of those'/'I've always gassed for one of those'/'have a bump on me' variety.

Unless people start using the 'questions' for that kind of chat of course

[BigBeatNut]

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1352323404' post='1861784']
Hmmmm ... my first impression is: Solution in search of a problem.

I rather like the way the current forum allows completely free-form description (which often tells you a lot about the vendor) and actively encourages "conversation" between vendor and prospective buyers. I suspect this new approach will stifle both of these.
[/quote]

+1

[Kiwi]

[quote name='mybass' timestamp='1353259137' post='1872980']
At the moment I cannot get into any 'Topics' unless I just view "View New Topics".
[/quote]
Cheers for that, it maybe something left over from our being hacked the other day.

[mybass]

[quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1353317946' post='1873452']
Cheers for that, it maybe something left over from our being hacked the other day.
[/quote]

Sorted now Kiwi, thanks....

[Sibob]

[quote name='BigBeatNut' timestamp='1353273011' post='1873192']
Yeah, I see this as a downside, unfortunately. I think I will miss the banter, particularly the 'I've got one of those'/'I've always gassed for one of those'/'have a bump on me' variety.

Unless people start using the 'questions' for that kind of chat of course
[/quote]

While I felt the same initially, my hope is that this enthusiasm will simply carry over into discussion on the rest of the forum. Like that Chorus pedal for sale? talk about it in the Effects forum. Always wanted that Ritter bass for sale, talk about that in the Bass section... etc

Si

[ped]

Just a bit of an update - the uploading system needs adjusting, so until that's fixed we can't open the classifieds section to 'premium' adverts with thumbnail views (as in demo version in 1st post) or allow images to be uploaded within the advert itself.

You can currently list items without a thumbnail and use IMG tags in the description, which I know isn't ideal, but I was hoping for a fax today which doesn't look like it's happening now.

Sorry about the interruption, we had no idea it would cause such a lot of smaller knock on effects but once it's all finished I'll update you all so you can list away using the full features as intended.

Cheers
ped

[andydye]

I've just plopped my stuff into the new classifieds section and marked my 'for sale' threads as 'listed in new classifieds section', very simple to use, liking it so far!

One question, if an item is for sale but I'd happily accept trades that's not a possible choice as it can be 'for sale' or 'for swapsies'...is this something that can be changed in the future?

[ped]

[quote name='andydye' timestamp='1353340317' post='1873851']
I've just plopped my stuff into the new classifieds section and marked my 'for sale' threads as 'listed in new classifieds section', very simple to use, liking it so far!

One question, if an item is for sale but I'd happily accept trades that's not a possible choice as it can be 'for sale' or 'for swapsies'...is this something that can be changed in the future?
[/quote]

Hi mate thanks for the comments. I'm sure that's possible, yes - alternatively you could post the same advert in both sections, perhaps for the time being.

Cheers

[andydye]

[quote name='ped' timestamp='1353340675' post='1873866']
Hi mate thanks for the comments. I'm sure that's possible, yes - alternatively you could post the same advert in both sections, perhaps for the time being.
Cheers
[/quote]

It'd be a useful addition matey, I didn't want to list it all twice cos I didn't want to flood the new classifieds with 'me'...there's not much on there yet but it's growing by the minute, come on folks...embrace the change and let's run with it!

[ped]

[quote name='andydye' timestamp='1353341184' post='1873888']
It'd be a useful addition matey, I didn't want to list it all twice cos I didn't want to flood the new classifieds with 'me'...there's not much on there yet but it's growing by the minute, come on folks...embrace the change and let's run with it!
[/quote]

The image upload system is borked so I think the section is rather quiet at the moment. As soon as it's 100% ready we'll close the old section and it'll become a lively and colorful affair

[andydye]

[quote name='ped' timestamp='1353341406' post='1873897']
The image upload system is borked so I think the section is rather quiet at the moment. As soon as it's 100% ready we'll close the old section and it'll become a lively and colorful affair
[/quote]

Adding links to pics on flickr works fine in the new classifieds and you can still use any images you've previously uplodaded onto bc I had no trouble listing my couple of bits

[ped]

[quote name='andydye' timestamp='1353341819' post='1873904']
Adding links to pics on flickr works fine in the new classifieds and you can still use any images you've previously uplodaded onto bc I had no trouble listing my couple of bits
[/quote]

Yeah, still, our hope is that people will take advantage of the gallery view option when the upload system is ready. We'll see how it goes - if nobody uses it then we'll have to re-think how the forum is financed.