There’s a new eBay design solution called WIDshops on the market. WIDshops are the creation of long term German based Create Your Template who are known for their ChannelAdvisor tailored design offerings.
WIDshops is a different proposition to Create Your Template though, it’s not flash based, you don’t need ChannelAdvisor to have a WIDshops design and it’s a lot more affordable. WIDshops are fully HTML5 designs which and optimally tuned for the latest mobile devices including the iPhone and iPad. They’re also compatible with all eBay listing and management tools as well as Facebook and Twitter integration.
The key to WIDshops is the navigation, you’ll not need to worry about eBay Shop Categories (I’ve always found that listing in an eBay category and a shop category adds unnecessary time to the listing flow). WIDshops utlises eBay categories and Item Specifics to automatically generate search results and display your listings in you shop.
Although the basic WIDshops layout is fixed, it’s highly customisable and can be a brand new look and feel for your eBay shop, or it can just as easily be made to look just like your existing website. You can choose from one large top image or from a series of smaller banners although WIDshops don’t recommend more than six as it would start to look cluttered.
The key features of WIDshops are: an Adaptable homepage, Dynamic search, Adaptable product view, Integration of custom pages, Category filter navigation, Cross-selling galleries, Full text search, Social Bookmarks and of course full eBay integration. WIDshops are also an eBay certified solution so you have no worries on compatibility.
An important part of WIDshops is that it runs on their own servers – this means that whenever changes are needed or eBay tweak the back end of the site you’ll never have to manually make changes to your shop design. WIDshops will take care of this in the background to ensure your eBay shop always looks stunning and works.
Costs for a WIDshops design are around £1500 plus a monthly service fee depending upon the number of listings you have. If you’re interested in WIDshops make sure you’ve downloaded the eBay & eCommerce Tools & Services Guide 2012, it’s got a discount voucher for WIDshops in the back.
