In an effort to make searching for the right products easier and faster, eBay has unveiled its new Search Preview Experience, which summarizes key product details on-the-fly, in a quick view on any search results page. Available by opt-in at eBay Garden, the new Search Preview Experience displays product previews, including photos and short summaries of key product details, eliminating the need to jump back-and-forth between various search and item listing pages.
“The new Search Preview Experience is designed to let users instantly view key product details, as well as large photos of products, all without leaving the search results page, speeding up the process of navigating the site and finding what you’re looking for on eBay,” said Jonas Klink, Senior Product Manager for eBay Search. “In usability tests, we noticed that some users were spending a good deal of time jumping between search results pages and item detail pages. The new Search Preview Experience lets users access everything they need to drill down on a particular product directly from search results.”
So how does it work? To try the new Search Preview Experience, opt-in through eBay Garden. Then perform any search as usual on eBay for any query, such as “women’s watches.”
When the results come back, click anywhere within an individual search result to display a preview pane with a large photo of the product, accompanied by thumbnail views of any accompanying photos. The preview pane also includes essential item details, information about the seller, quick access to bidding or Buy it Now choices, and more.
“We developed the new Search Preview Experience in response to customers’ needs, including buyers and sellers from our research labs,” said Andy Palmer, Senior Manager of Buyer Experience. “What we heard is that sometimes it can be time-consuming to figure out what to buy, and then whom you wish to purchase from on eBay. So we designed a new, richer previewing experience on the search page. The goal is to provide users with the information they need to make a purchase decision directly from our search experience.”
eBay’s new Search Preview Experience is currently available through a simple opt-in button in the eBay Garden, which is a central location for trying new technologies and ideas. Over time, eBay Garden has allowed users to try local shopping features, eBay Group Gifts for sharing the costs of ideal gifts across several givers, and many other beta-stage technologies. Technology innovation that focuses on the needs of eBay customers has led to a slate of shopping and selling improvements across eBay.com, and preview pane continues that focus by enabling faster, easier ways of interacting on eBay.
Try the eBay Search Preview Experience today, and please let us know what you think here.