Well, keeping my eye out on the eBay Shop Design front there seems to be a lot of eBay Shops and templates all with the same layout. The re-skinning with CSS effect (close to what I am talking about with the DIY eBay Shop Design with CSS series, but with way better graphics and better organisation) within a very fixed template. Do we assume this is the only way using CSS that the eBay shop can operate?
In no particular order to prevent bias these companies offer the same look of eBay store and template design (varying in graphic design quality)
- JustTemplateIt.com
- Createmystore.co.uk
- Ebayshopdesign.com
- Gdfinternet.co.uk
- Frooition.com
- Apanado.com
- Connoserv.co.uk
- dascs.com (adding these guys as they look like eBay shop CSS junkies, but their layout is slightly different to the rest, on the same vein but a little more basic and £100)
- www.pmb-web-designs.co.uk (they have ebay stores designed by ebaystoredesign.com and now look the same as the rest, they might be one in the same)
- 121website.co.uk
- proimpulse.com
and these are just the guys I have seen. All seem to peg the ‘Advanced eBay Store’ design slogan (since first posting I have added a few who don’t say ‘Advanced eBay Store’), but I can’t see anything advanced, or new from when I took a first look at eBay design back in 2004. These guys all use the same CSS templates with nuggets of JavaScript around and graphics plugged in.
All charge under £1000 as far as I can see. So if you are going to invest your hard earned eBay pounds, dollars or euros, make sure that it is the support services and graphic design quality that you are buying into. It seems anyone can throw together the skeleton, but you can’t imitate good design quality and excellence in customer service.
I love the ‘copyright’ notices in the CSS and threat of legal action. You can’t copyright CSS and you have all nicked it from each other whether you have lifted it straight or back engineered from concept. It doesn’t effect the quality of design.
I would love to know how you start litigation without submitting patents under common law, so if a lawyer reads, drop me an email.
I would also be wary of unsubstantiated claims of usability and accessibility unless they can marry their evidence with cutting edge practices and up to date eBay marketing knowledge. Some ebay design firms are just that, design. If they don’t trade or handle eBay trading actively for clients (edited to note: including active eBay consultancy and/or an up to date knowledge of best practise), can you trust their eBay knowledge?
Some features might actually put off customers and not lead them on the buyer journey you want.
Always remember your customer finds the shop through your listings, and rarely the other way round. Focus on the listing template, and think of the eBay Shop Design as just consistent branding.
You can get a cracking eBay template off any web designer proficient with HTML and CSS, when it comes to adding in active content like dynamic drop downs, attribute sorters and picture slide shows, its best to conscript an eBay professional as this area is tricky due to policy compliance. On this point, make sure you are aware that even some professional eBay designs are breaking eBay rules.
The rise has been quick, and I assume before the year is out the standard eBay shop design will be the CSS driven template, someone should open source it before eBay bans the idea.
Oh my : http://pages.ebay.com/storefronts/designtemplates.html
I think I might post about who to choose for individual eBay design, as it might be less progressive.
22 responses so far ↓
1 John Baker // Jul 3, 2008 at 8:33 pm
I have another one for you channelconnect.co.uk *edited to remove linkage*
It’s really hard to know who to go to for eBay design. I don’t want to pay top dollar for someone to knock off another company and vice versa.
2 Windy // Sep 18, 2008 at 11:38 pm
Is anyone is looking for great original, award-winning, ebay design, just stop by our website or give us a call at PixClinic.com.
Here are a couple of samples of recent designs: http://stores.ebay.com/BeautyName
http://stores.ebay.com/For-The-Love-Of-Dogs-LLC
http://stores.ebay.com/Clog-Heaven
http://stores.ebay.com/The-Supreme-Tackle-Store/
http://stores.ebay.com/ROMANCE-WITH-SILVER
Ask for Windy!
3 247 Top Seller // Oct 5, 2008 at 10:50 am
Check out the eBay designs at 247 Top Seller!
4 Max // Dec 22, 2008 at 12:20 am
Just got our ebay store revamped by Dascs and it rocks! The complete process from start to finish was a breeze and only took them 3 days to complete.
I would highly recommened Dascs to anyone who is looking for a professional ebay store design.
The quality is 100% and price compared to other ebay store designers is a snitch!
Best of all, our sales have reached an all time high….
5 eBay Design Wars Part Deux….. | Kidson Talks - The E-commerce Chemist | SEO | EBAY | Shopping Comparison | Pay Per Click | Internet Marketing // Jan 17, 2009 at 4:10 pm
[...] no other stores which I image will be affected listed in this post have come under fire in how they will handle the new situation but as they arise with information I [...]
6 dontusethem // Jan 18, 2009 at 12:49 pm
A word of advice for anyone thinking of using http://WWW.CREATEMYSTORE.CO.UK / CREATEMYSTORE, simple really do not use them!
The designs are ok, as you say very similar to Frooition. Although most designs look the same or similar they are ok. As for the customer service it’s nonexistent, there is none. It took 7 weeks for our site to be completed after 30+ emails complaining for the site to be started!
Once they have taken your money they contact you at leisure usually 5 days later if you’re lucky. They are supposed to provide a landline number for customer service (what a joke!) again nonexistent. The only way to contact is through email and it’s rarely answered as I said at their own leisure. They like to discuss store requirements by messenger, it’s very hard to describe the what you need from their design in this way. When I say they, I mean GARETH HUMES, the company or one man band shall i say is nothing more than GARETH HUMES working from his bedroom. The address is nonexistent, a fake. He has called his bedroom Creative House, how ‘Creative’ Gareth.
Frooition charge a lot of money for shop design and I wish I had paid it rather than using createmystore. If you are a business selling on eBay you need support from the guys designing the shop, what if there is a problem, you can’t list, html playing up, bad installation, you have no support and your business loses money, just like my business did.
If you ring around the customers on their portfolio you and speak to the business owners they will also explain how bad they are, I wish I had done this before I paid rather than after!
Ignore the fancy website, look elsewhere, you have been warned!
Edited to add: I have heard terrible things about createmystore.co.uk in the last few days, even though in the early days I got in contact with Gareth quite easily (thinking he was Frooition under another guise as I used to work for them back in 2007 and can spot a Frooster a mile off!)
7 Shane Muska // Feb 7, 2009 at 5:26 am
Hello all.
My name is Shane Muska, I am the new Manager of CreateMyStore. I feel it is neccessary to submit my feedback on the recent comments made in certain forums, as these comments no longer reflect our current situation.
I cannot make excuses for the way CreateMyStore had been running things, I use to work with Gareth and he is a genuine guy with good intentions, after the sad loss of his mother over xmas he completely lost himself resulting in major consequences for CreateMyStore, and also letting respectable eBay Sellers down.
With the new management take-over we hope to ’start again’ with our eBay Solutions, we are introducing a complete change in every aspect of the Service.
Our main priority is excelling in customer service & satisfaction, this has been poor with the way things where run before and we intend on making a huge difference with that. We will be introducing an 0800 number for general inquires, and an 0800 number for customer support. this will be dedicated, reliable and available in the coming weeks.
With the new eBay changes coming soon, we are developing a completely ‘new & unique layout’ for our Stores, with all-new features, advanced flash integration, powerful graphic links to hot parts of your Store and massively improved design quality. CreateMyStore is changing in every way.
As we want to re-assure the eBay Community that we have indeed changed & improved our service, we are looking for an eBay Seller who’s Store we can Design completely free of charge if they would be willing to blog about their experience with us.
This offer is open to all but preferably an eBayer who is well known on the eBay forums / tamebay…someone the ebay Community can listen to and will trust the word of. Please feel free to contact us via the CreateMyStore website for more info.
Again, I would like to send out my upmost apologies to all who have had a difficult experience with CreateMyStore, we are under new management with a fresh Design Team, we guarantee a world-class service to the eBay Community from this moment onwards.
Thank you for listening,
Shane Muska – Manager
The ‘New’ CreateMyStore Team
http://www.createmystore.co.uk
8 jokers // Feb 18, 2009 at 3:52 pm
are you joking! what a load of rubbish!
if you are the new management then when is this number going live? is there a current number to ring for help? have none of you go mobiles or landlines to deal with customers?
Or is the real reason you are to scared and embarrased to deal with the problems?
You tell me
9 Liam // Feb 26, 2009 at 7:40 pm
I am personally going through the same ordeal! I paid promptly and Shane Muska took my ideas through his live chat facilty. It has taken weeks and weeks and they do not contact you back. I am having to contact my credit card company to get the money back as they just blow smoke in your face, saying it will be ready tonight and they dont contact you for days and days. And then they say that they were ill and would do it this afternoon, and guess what nothing turns up. I have spoke with a few of the past clients all of which have said the same thing!
I am not going to contact the police and seek further advice! DO NOT EVER DEAL with Createmystore.co.uk
10 Liz // Feb 27, 2009 at 2:37 pm
Oh dear this is terrible. The change of management has not been a success at all!
11 jokers // Feb 27, 2009 at 3:02 pm
ANY COMMENTS FROM: Shane Muska or Gareth Humes?
SILENCE SAYS IT ALL, I HOPE EVERYONE READS THIS AND ALL THE OTHER BLOGS ABOUT THEM
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!
NOTHING HAS IMPROVED, I DON’T EVEN THINK THERE WAS A CHANGE OF MANAGEMENT, POSSIBLY THE WORST EXPERIENCE FOR MY BUSINESS
*Edited a little for keyword spamming.
12 tam // Feb 27, 2009 at 4:26 pm
well with the ebay changes on ebay policy and the stopping of external css all of these shops will no longer work anyway. The new ebay store designs being rolled out by frooition after months of work is a joke. It is nothing but a custom page and can no longer be called custom ebay store – once you go from this glorified landing page the store reverts to what every store looks like…the end of real ebay custom stores
13 Liam // Feb 27, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Has anyone got a contact number for Createmystore.co.uk, whether this is the old number for Gareth or the new number for Shane Muska.
If anyone has got any contact information for any person working at Createmystore.co.uk please can you post on here…
If anyone has any contact info or an address of old or new management please can you post please
Many thanks
14 Liz // Mar 1, 2009 at 11:49 am
Not really, check out my friends at createyourtemplate.com. It is not the end of custom eBay stores.
It might be the end of cheap ‘besoke’ templates that CLAIM to be 100% advanced eBay stores. It will whittle out the template designers from the real designers anyhow.
15 Jokers // Mar 4, 2009 at 12:57 am
Has anyone got a contact for them? or valid e-mail or office address?
Thanks
16 chris // Mar 4, 2009 at 10:08 am
I ordered our ebay design back in November and have only seen a proof so far. This proof came after the change in management.
Shane emailed me last week to say the store was ready to go live (at this point I haven’t even ok’d the design!). I replied saying that I need to see the listing design before anything goes live… no reply yet and now my emails to createmystore are bouncing back!
Should I be concerned?
Shane, if you’re reading this please get back to me!
Chris
getmusical.co.uk
17 Joker // Mar 5, 2009 at 10:20 am
Chris you should be concerned at least 6 other companies have got a initial design, but no more!
Get a refund mate! contact your card company or whoever you paid with!
I dont think they had a change of management, just a quick fix to try and buy more time as the new ebay regulations etc are live in March! And all there code is copied.
Is there anyone got a contact, like a mobile or address?
18 Patrick // Mar 6, 2009 at 8:22 am
Hi all You should not deal with any one if there not willing to give you there contact information. You need a telephone number in case you have problems with the design of have problems using the listing template, I know this as my customers contact me often with little problems that i help them with.
Its a joke that createmystore do not offer a contact number and have been coning people out of money.
I have had a number of there customers contacting me saying they have had nothing but problems with them and have ended up paying me to design there ebay shop for them.
So they had to pay twice in the end. You should always get as much info on the company as you can.
If a customer of mine wants any contact info about my company i give it them, phone numbers, address etc..
hope yous get your money back if yous have been conned by them.
if you paid with paypal put a claim in and if it was with your credit card contact your card provider and do a charge back then you will get your money back.
if any one needs there ebay shop designing please feel free to contact me,
all our current customers are getting there ebay shops upgraded to the new shop experiences for free. unlike some other company’s, some are charging there customers £99.99 plus VAT, we are not we are doing it for free.
if any one is interested in having there shop done our prices start from just £399.99 and we can design you a full ebay shop matching listing design and matching ecom website for just £999.99 feel free to contact me thanks from patrick
19 chris // Mar 6, 2009 at 12:41 pm
@Joker,
Don’t have a contact number I’m afraid. Who are the other companies that have had trouble with createmystore? Would love to hear your stories!
Will be starting the chargeback process today!
20 Liz // Mar 6, 2009 at 4:33 pm
If any store designers want to show off their ‘New Stores Experience make overs I will be doing a feature on my blog.
So far I have:
http://stores.shop.ebay.at/schmuckstore24/startseite.html – Createmytemplate.com
and
http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/reevawheels
-Frooition
I will be blogging around CA Catalyst time.
21 Webscension // Jan 25, 2010 at 4:11 pm
May look into ebay shop design in the future as we encourage bespoke design.
22 Liz // Jan 25, 2010 at 5:33 pm
So do I! Createyourtemplate.co.uk!
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