Search - A thing of the Past???
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Original Post
Curious if Search is actually a thing of the past.
Over the last 6 months the only functions shoppers have been given on Etsy are random tools
heavily promoted TE
Suggested Shops
Items you may like on FP
Facebook connect
Meanwhile search has been horribly neglected. Reports of the - and the word not, not working to narrow searches. Categories still a mess even though we've been told for years that it will be overhauled.
Mistagging a huge issue that seems to get worse daily...
I still use the search function when going to a shopping site, am I alone..is this something of the past?
What are the plans for the search function here on Etsy?
Posted at 3:26pm Nov 23, 2010 EST
Highlighted Responses What is this?
Thanks for posting, Fred. I'll chime in, too.
We have spent an enormous amount of time on search this year. The entire infrastructure was rewritten, giving us the framework we need to make our next big round of improvements.
We've made speed improvements, drastically reduced the # of servers required to run search, launched location search etc. etc.
There will be bigger changes next year, starting with the listing process. We need better data when items are listed, in order to make a lot of the improvements in search.
We've also spent a lot of time this year building our our personalization infrastructure. The default for sorting search results needs to be personalized relevance, not the rather brutish "most recent" that we have now. This is one the most important changes we need to make.
Keep in mind that search is a tool for buyers to find items they like. We need to do our best job targeting items to people, based on what we know about the people.
Posted at 10:01am Dec 4, 2010 EST
Responses
@fredwilson
Have you done any research in regard to how many buyers will be driven away from the site do to an aversion to social media?
Posted at 9:08am Dec 4, 2010 EST
*due
typing too fast - trying to catch a busy man...
Posted at 9:12am Dec 4, 2010 EST
You make a very large leap there, fredwilson:
"The more time people can spend on Etsy, ... the more commerce that will happen on Etsy"
So, as long as you baffle people with circles and hearts and a search system which doesn't work thereby prolonging their stay on this site, the happier they'll be, the more they'll purchase?
What world do you live in? People shop to buy.
Fix the Search
Fix the Search
Fix the Search
Get rid of the shillers, the factories, and the resellers
Enable shoppers to find what they're looking for
Offer sellers ways to in-site promote their goods
The only thing most shoppers want to do when they're shopping is shop, find, buy. If they're happy, they'll return.
Maybe ask your wife instead of your kids.
Posted at 9:12am Dec 4, 2010 EST
@toosoonold i think the only research you can do in that regard is to enable the social technologies and watch what happens. you can disable your circles so anyone who doesn't like them can opt out.
just this week my wife and a bunch of her friends, these are 50ish women, created circles and activity feeds and started using Etsy in ways they have never used it before. they can share things with each other in much more natural ways now.
i am very optimistic about what these technologies will unleash, on Etsy and throughout the web. you can look at my firm's portfolio to see that we very much believe in the power of the social web
www.unionsquareventures.com/investments/index.php
Posted at 9:15am Dec 4, 2010 EST
I predict that Etsy will become a place to while away the time, but the newer venues will take over as places to find and purchase handmade and vintage.
Posted at 9:17am Dec 4, 2010 EST
@PetitPoulailler see my reply to @toosonold about my wife and her friends. this is an email from one of my wife's friends when she saw circles and activity feeds:
--------
Fred-
This is a really good idea bc it addresses one of my frustrations with etsy-- there's so much on the site that it's hard to find stuff...this is a great way of editing stuff down so it's easier to find things you might be interested in.
---------
but i totally agree with you about search. we've hired a ton of engineers this year and search is one area we are investing heavily in. fixing search is not a simple task. but the company is committed to it and spending heavily on it.
Posted at 9:19am Dec 4, 2010 EST
Trust me, disabling was my first order of business after it was implemented.
It's certainly your perogative to mold Etsy in any manner you see fit, but the sellers here deserve a clear explanation and advanced warning of changes so that they can make their own business decisions.
Posted at 9:21am Dec 4, 2010 EST
The search here is based on an inherently flawed and easily abused tagging system. I'll be curious to see how this is 'fixed'.
As to the factories, the resellers, the shillers? Will they be staying?
Posted at 9:23am Dec 4, 2010 EST
@TooSoonOld i want to be very clear that I do not set strategy at Etsy. Rob and his team do that. in fact my San Telmo post was written in response to a very inspirational talk that Rob gave the team upon returning as CEO.
that said, i do support the strategy and am very excited about the direction they are taking the company.
Posted at 9:23am Dec 4, 2010 EST
Rokali said a lot of things when he returned as CEO. His posts are still in Admin Section, if you want to read.
Many of those things, one year later, are as far away from reality, or further, as they were when he wrote them.
Posted at 9:25am Dec 4, 2010 EST