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bharding
Nov 19, 2008
Search and Category Overhaul
This evening we put a new search online along with about 26,700 more categories to sort your items into with the search.
Why the drastic changes?
When Bonanzle was first launched, we would usually have 100-300 items posted per day. All was so simple back then. You never needed to go more than two categories deep, because no second-level category had more than a couple hundred items. Times have changed. We now often get more than 10,000 items per day added to the site. Clearly, the 300-some categories that used to be sufficient were no longer going to cut it to help buyers browse and find the items they're looking for.The Fix
In deciding how to fix the problem, we looked at pretty much all of the popular sites to see how they had fixed it. The conclusion was that there were a bunch of sites that make it hard to browse and filter items, and two sites that do a "good" job of it: eBay and Etsy. Ultimately, we decided to choose a search configuration similar to eBay's. Etsy's system is based on item "tags," which work reasonably well for handmade items, but have far less consistency than a category hierarchy does. Since Bonanzle allows items of all different sorts, using categories was really the only reasonable option, and we see no reason to reinvent the wheel in determining how to arrange our search such that it is as easy as possible to use. You'll also notice many other changes with the search, such as more items shown by default per page (48 instead of 20) and the default listing format has been changed from the ugly and small-pictured list to the item gallery that is used everywhere else on the site.Got Items for Sale?
You should take advantage of the increased levels of categorization now available! The best way to do this is to use the batch editor, where you can put many of your items into a category in one fell swoop. You can also edit your items in your booth view the same as always, too. Note that there were a couple of categories that didn't map directly from our old category list to our new category list. These include the old categories 505, 14982, 16079, 20119, 20122, 20125, 26255, 28009, 28134, 29253, 31727, 39629, 71236, 79802, 82567, 88451, 102534, 137006, 137010, 151719. I don't have the names of those offhand, but if anyone is feeling ambitious and wants to post the category names to the comments section, you can use this category reference to figure out which categories these were.Usual Cautions Apply
Adding the categories and updating the search were pretty huge changes, and I also managed to sneak in a couple other significant changes along with them (such as allowing you to scroll when using the new item form... no more despair for lower-resolution users!). I'd expect we'll still need to do some polishing on these over the next couple days, so please be patient with any irregularities you may find and report them to support or in the comments for this blog. (In particular, I haven't had a chance to test the changes on IE 6 yet, hoping to get to that tomorrow.. if you're having trouble with IE 6, you might need to wait an extra day (or upgrade :))) If you sense a trend with our most recent changes, it is intentional. The focus of November is on "features that increase sales." I've still got a couple more tricks up my sleeve to further our progress toward this goal. I reckon they'll probably be online within the next week or two. Stay tuned!<< Back
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30 responses to Search and Category Overhaul
Super job, love it!
Cool…………… :)
Thank YOU!
WOOHOO and THANK YOU!!!
Pretty cool!
Thanks! What changes were made to the search? Until I can make the search limited, sorting by anything but Relevancy is not very useful.
Suggestion for the Round TUIT bulletin board – retain the category links on the left side when drilling down to a sublevel (the categories for the results that met the keyword search without the category filter) – that will enable a buyer filtering by category to quickly and easily apply a different filter in one step, instead of two. I would highlight the currently selected category in some obvious manner, also.
Thank You! A better way for buyers to find just what they are looking for … Way to go guys, we are loving all the new updates you work so hard to bring to us Bonanzlers!!!!! Pat yourself on the back for another great idea!
You are so awesome…I think I’m in love…
LOL..pieper, always good for a smile, or laugh. OK, here’s a question, since I haven’t started adding today, How does this affect the google data feeds, and do I need to edit all my original listings…(since I still haven’t made google work for me yet) it may be a moot question. But….
Thanks
Kat~
Sorry, Love the idea of more categories, for better exposure!
:)
Kat~
I am changing all my sub-categories right now. So far it is FAST and I am liking the new selections.
BUT (and I hope I can be clear as I don’t talk tech)
Main Category stuck
Example- In Clothing, Shoes & Acsess.(and other cats)
When I choose a main cat then all my sub cats and want to re-choose my sub-cats I can back up thru the sub cats, in any order which is cool but if I don’t back click on each sub and just click on the main cat in green, it gets stuck. The browse button will then only allow me to choose any main cat, but if I try to re-choose the original selection, no drop downs for subs come up, but if I change the main cat, then I can choose sub cats, but if I stay in the original main cat I had chosen, it’s stuck with no drop downs. I have to save and re-edit and when I do this, there is nothing in the main cat box then.
Pop up suggestion window
I already have category & sub-cats from before the new category overhaul in the box. When I click in that box, a pop up window comes up that suggests a cat & sub-cat which is cool, but if I choose the suggestion then I can’t go deeper into subcats. The browse button does allow me to go back to a main cat and choose sub-cats (un-like the above situation).
More to come
nightgirl
Sub Category suggestions
Shoes need to go deeper like athletic, heels, boots, sandals etc
Mens & Womens Shirts need to go deeper like chilrens shirts do. like short sleeve, long sleeve, tank tops etc
In Boys and Girls Jeans,Pants and Shorts. Can you put Shorts seperate?
I just came to Bonanzle just yesterday. I have my listing time down to just over 2 minutes. I am doing a copy and paste from my other site, which I plan on leaving.
Just added more listings this morning – the Categories are great, just what I am use to. I see that all over the net, categories and sub-categories are becoming simplier. Bonanzle’s are just right! :p
I feel so much at home here.
I LOVE the batch editor!
Thank you for putting together a wonderful site, I appreciate all the hard work yo have done to make things easy!
I had never seen the site until yesterday and my Booth is up and running – even have a Bonanza scheduled!
Thanks!
I LOVE it here!!
Kim
Nevermind on the Shorts category, I see where it is seperate already, sorry.
Clarification
Only Mens & Womens Shoes need deeper sub-cats, the Boys & Girls Shoes are ok
okay, I’ll shut up now
Here are some anyway.
505 – Jewelry>Other Items
14982 -
16079 –
20119 – Art >Drawings
20122 – Art>Mixed media
20125 – Art>Paintings
26255
28009 – Art>Posters
28134 – Crafts > mosaic
29253
31727- Crafts > fabric embellishments
39629
71236 – Home and garden > Dining and Bar
79802
82567
88451
102534
137006
137010
151719
The other ones aren’t on my cheat sheet.
This explains why all my home and garden category was all whacked this morning LOL
Love it! This makes it so much easier to find things. Thanks a lot for the update!
Well, I tried to do as suggested, in an effort to help out… “the old categories 505, 14982, 16079, 20119,…” but I find none of those numbers on the page referenced, so I gave up after 4…
thanks. Getting better, keep it up.
I agree with PurpleReadingGiraffe (Hi BTW),
I can’t find those other numbers on the master list either, and I searched for all of them. I guess no one will miss them LOL.
The new categories are really going to help – I had over 150 collectibles in my booth, and just as many clumped in home and garden. This is really going to make it easier to shop :-)
Noted after updating catagories I have Sci Fi several times, “rop and Pop” a couple of times, etc
Not good…kinda messy! Any Suggestions?
Was hoping for the music to go deeper too…maybe soon?
I have looked through the catagories and maybe I am missing it but there is no longer a catagory for car/motorcycle parts. I don’t have more than a couple of items myself but I do believe there are a few sellers that used that catagory alot. Maybe I’m just not seeing it but it seems to me that is has disappeared. Thanks
Yes I just tried to update my motorcycle levers but I can’t because there’s nothing automotive related
Yep. No cars / trucks / automobiles / vehicles or parts categories showing of any kind.
Items will show up if doing a specific search.
Also noticed that when editing listings – almost all items aren’t in a category anymore – box is blank?
okay I love the idea of all these categories, SO I spent a few hours updating most of my booth and the listings(needed to do that anyways)
now the categories look all messed up in that side bar! There are 3 that say just girl, then there are ones that say sizes without saying what their for (ie, girl, boy)
I can’t explain it so I took screen shots and pasted them together:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/yourcrazy2/cat_nov20.jpg
I forgot to say Thank you in my post up there ^ lol sorry! Love what you’re doing!
Thank you, I love it too, but I’m also messed up. I have now Jewelry (which should have all my jewelry in it and then sub-category) and then I have oh. Jewelry again, and then broken down into Bracelet, another for Necklace…and thats all in the beginnign category….arrrggg..messy….Love that it’s deeper, but just not organized yet :( but I have faith :)
Thank you soooo much for adding the Pottery categories. It is truly appreciated!!
we need one for holidays – with subs listing each one – to hard to find a place to put them now
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