An introduction to all things eBay mandates
eBay motors have recently added new required Item Specifics to Parts & Accessories sellers’ listings in the US. While this blog does cover the US changes, it is likely that the same list will apply globally. We are trying to confirm this with eBay and will keep you updated. Here at Optiseller, our eBay experts will bring you the latest advice and explain how you can make these changes quickly and easily.
If you are new to eBay, you may not have heard of the mandates before. In a nutshell, eBay mandates a range of Item Specifics for certain verticals which must be populated before the deadline or you risk dropping from rankings, being unable to renew your listings, or even unable to create new listings without inputting these newly required Item Specifics. This time, the deadline is the 22nd of February, so don’t stress, but it is certainly worth making a dent in them now as time will fly over peak trade season.
Why are Item Specifics important for my eBay listing?
The question of why is one we often hear when we discuss mandates. The answer is that this process helps improve the experience for both the seller and the buyer. The seller can attract the right people to their listings, and the buyer can easily find the products they are searching for. So, although it may not seem like it, this extra work is actually good news for your store. eBay monitor these Item Specifics- also known as filters or aspects – and see how customers have been using them. If you are affected by the mandate, it means that some listings in your vertical are being heavily searched and filtered for.
eBay has mandated these Item Specifics as they have detected a significant amount of traffic filtering with these Item Specifics. It will benefit you massively to get ahead of these changes.
The required Item Specifics include:
- Labels & Certifications
- Brand
- Extinguisher Type
The most common of which is ‘Brand.’
Here are a few examples of categories that require this*:
- Automatic Transmission Parts
- Calipers & Brackets
- Timing Belts
- Power Steering Pumps
*Please note that these examples are based on the US updates, but should give you an idea of how these changes could affect you in any region you sell in.
How Optiseller can help you optimise your listings and save time during mandate season
As a vertical that typically has thousands upon thousands of listings, making a simple change such as adding the brand to the required listings isn’t as simple as it sounds. Thankfully, we have the tools to help you. Aspect Finder+ has a range of features which can automate and speed up the process for you. Aspect Finder+ allows you to see which of your listing have Required, Required Soon, Recommended or Optional Item Specifics, there are even drop-down options to help you select which is most appropriate for you to use.
This screengrab is taken from the Aspect Finder+ tool
Bulk Updates is a new feature of the AF+ tool which has been highly requested by many of our clients who have been in the same situation as you. The feature allows you to update multiple listings at once, eliminating part of the time-consuming process of going through them one by one. We recommend you give this a try if you want to get up to scratch with your mandates sooner rather than later.
Aspect Finder+ also has the ability to filter so you can opt to only see and tackle the Item Specifics which are Required Soon. This is through our Filter Builder Feature, which is designed to ensure you populate the Item Specifics which will have the highest impact and be most beneficial to you, most relevant to you currently are the eBay mandate filters.
Our Category Lookup tool is also very handy to have in your tool kit, it helps you to understand the benefits of the changes, and helps you prioritise what changes to make first. Through this tool, you can see a 1-5 star rating which will indicate how frequently buyers are filtering using certain Item Specifics. eBay monitors and updates this data every 30 days so you can be certain this information is up to date.
This screengrab is taken from the Category Lookup tool
We hope that this blog post has given you some context to the eBay mandates and you have a better understanding of how and why you should get started. This is all the information we have currently, but we will keep you informed as and when we know more from eBay.
If you are interested in any of the tools we have mentioned today, sign up to one of our plans for a free 7-day trial.
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