Important Ruby Lane Site Updates - Search Views, Square Cropping, Pic Management Tools & More

Important Ruby Lane Site Updates

We are excited to let you know of some site updates that are designed to further enhance the shopping experience on Ruby Lane, thus increasing sales throughout the site. It is important to note that these updates have been designed with both shop owners and buyers in mind. Read on for an overview of the updates:

New Look to the Search Results Gallery and List View Pages
In order to stay current with online shopping trends, we have updated the look of the Gallery and List View pages for Ruby Lane Search results. We have streamlined the pages to make them even easier on the eye. Now all item photos display larger than before, and with rounded corners. (Please note that corners will display as square in any version of Internet Explorer 8 or earlier.) We feel the page now has more uniformity and better flow. Unlike our previous Search layout, the new version also displays shop names and a portion of the item title for the Gallery view, which is now the default view.

Optional Square Auto-Crop
We have also added the option for your item thumbnail photos to be automatically cropped to make them appear even larger, and square, when displayed in thumbnail formats on the site (such as search results or in shopping bags). We've been doing this already for the tiny thumbnails on the item pages for the past year. If turned "on" this feature automatically crops the photo to display the top center area of the photo, making it square. This feature is currently optional, and can be turned either on or off for all of your shop items (not individually). You can find the tool for selecting square auto-crop on your Edit Shop Info page.

Square Auto-Crop "on" becomes the default In August 2012
As part of this update, we have set the default to "square auto-crop off" to give shops a choice of whether you would like your items cropped or not cropped. You can c hoose to do nothing at this time and your items will not be auto-cropped. However in August 2012, the site-wide default will be changed to be "square auto-crop on". If you choose not to have square auto-crop you can go in and turn it off.

Square Auto-Crop Becomes Site-Wide Standard in May 2013
Beginning in May 2013 the option to turn square auto-crop off will no longer be available. All items will be square auto-cropped. Again, photos will be cropped to display the top center area of the photo. After this update square photos will always present best.

Some shops may want to begin to update some of your photos in preparation for this change a year from now. This is an advisory that if you have narrow photos in your shop, either tall or wide, we recommend that you take the next 12 months to tweak or retake them so that they are closer to a square. For long slender items such as pens or a piece of flatware, photographing them at a 45 degree angle is recommended. You can also use the improved picture editing tools on Ruby Lane under Modify Item to make adjustments, and you can re-order your photos choosing a more square-shaped photo as the main photo using drag/drop also on Modify Item page.

To summarize, you have three choices when selecting square auto-cropping:

1. Do nothing; i.e. make no selection on your Edit Shop Info page. Your photos will display as square auto-crop "off" until August 1st, 2012, then after that they will display as square auto-cropping "on".
2. Select "square auto-crop off" in Edit Shop Info. After May 1st, 2013 it will change to "on".
3. Select "square auto-crop on" in Edit Shop Info. Get the new picture formats now!

We suggest you try out the new look, even if your pictures are not perfectly cropped. Be sure to click "Update", then "View My Shop" after you make your selection and then do a search to see the difference. You should view both the Gallery vi ew and List view to get a complete idea of how it will look. If you don't like the change, you're welcome to go back and turn if "off" and adjust your shop pictures.

Improved Picture Management Tools
We have also updated the Picture Editor tool to allow even more enhancement options when cropping or editing a photo, with no plug-ins needed. And we've added a simpler new drag and drop tool for re-ordering photos. Again, you can use these newly-updated picture tools to make the necessary adjustments for optimum auto-cropping display and really make your item photos pop.

Why Are We Making These Changes?
This type of auto-cropping is becoming a standard for many e-commerce sites as it lends an artistic look to the photo. Research shows that uniform-looking search results lead to increased visual retention, easier scanning of the page, and an overall improved shopping experience. With more detail viewable, items become much more inviting to prospective buyers. We are aware that some items will not be cropped ideally until they are manually edited by you.

New "Item Suggestion Feature" Added to the SOLD Shop
We are adding a new feature to the Ruby Lane Sold Shop that suggests similar items currently available for sale that the viewer may be interested in for purchase. This has the potential to turn those browsing for research purposes - into buyers. Each time the viewer searches the Sold shop, suggested similar items are presented at the top of the page.

New "Item Suggestion Page" for Items In Newsletters That Have Sold
As many of you have noticed, last year we updated the format of our newsletters to make them much more shopping and item focused. Our statistics show that these items indeed sell! So now when a buyer clicks on an item in the newsletter that has already Sold or is Sale Pending, buyers see a message that the item is no longer available, plus a search page that automatically suggests similar items currently offered on Ruby Lane.

Why Have We Added This New Feature?
Again, Ruby Lane's overall goal is to promote and encourage the sale of items. Shop owners are our customers – and so are buyers. A potential buyer who succeeds in finding the type of item they are looking for is a "win-win" for everyone. If an item in your shop is featured in a newsletter (a free service) and has sold, if you have other, similar items for sale in your shop it is highly likely that those items will be among the suggestions automatically offered on the Search page when a buyer clicks on it. Please note that items are randomly chosen for newsletters by Ruby Lane staff based on the theme(s) of each newsletter, as well as the quality of each item and photo.

Preview Group of Shops
Before launching these updates we asked a test group of shop owners to preview them for us, and give us their candid feedback. We did indeed make a significant number of changes based on the excellent, thoughtful shop suggestions we received. We want to thank all shops who participated in the preview.

We're excited about these new updates, and we hope you are, too. While change is not always easy, we at Ruby Lane feel that updates such as these are a necessary part of delivering a dynamic, ever-evolving e-commerce site.

As always, if you have questions, or if we can be of assistance at any time, we invite you to contact Ruby Lane Customer Support.

Team Ruby Lane

Check your shop email for a copy of the above notice.

If anyone has questions, let me know.

Carol

Tags: Carol Augustine, Online Antiques Mall, Photos, Ruby Lane, picture cropping, rubylane

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by The Old Grey Mare on May 30, 2012 at 2:58pm

Having been part of the preview group, and having seen the screen shots from the new Square Auto Crop, I would strongly suggest that ALL shops owners go and turn it on. Your home page remains unchanged. However, view all items, having it in gallery view, which is now the default, and take a look at your pictures. All of them. I just did this. It's very informative.

Permalink Reply by CheriShops - Admin on May 30, 2012 at 3:23pm

well I turned it "on" and it totally distorted most of my photos by cropping them too closely so am leaving it "off" for now till I can sort it out

Permalink Reply by CheriShops - Admin on May 30, 2012 at 3:29pm

ps I am pleased though that the Gallery view is finally the default now and also with the rounded corners. looks really nice

Permalink Reply by The Old Grey Mare on May 30, 2012 at 3:54pm

Oh yes, I like the Gallery view too, I like the fact that there is a bit of description in the Gallery view, and I love that our shop names appear, that's a serious plus. And I think the suggestions when something has sold is another good idea. I have many, many questions about what to do with the photos, how to "fix" them, can they be fixed as is, how to take the pictures to fit in with this new format.

Permalink Reply by Ornaments on May 30, 2012 at 5:00pm

I also have a lot of questions about how to fix things - after a quick look at what the cropping did to my pictures, I can't figure out why some pictures look fine and others are cut off in the middle.

Agree that the gallery view is great.

Permalink Reply by CheriShops - Admin on May 30, 2012 at 5:13pm

Dexter, did they not explain this issue with the cropping "on" to the test group? I feel for people who have a large inventory and may have to take new pics when this becomes mandatory

The Old Grey Mare said:

Oh yes, I like the Gallery view too, I like the fact that there is a bit of description in the Gallery view, and I love that our shop names appear, that's a serious plus. And I think the suggestions when something has sold is another good idea. I have many, many questions about what to do with the photos, how to "fix" them, can they be fixed as is, how to take the pictures to fit in with this new format.

Permalink Reply by Ruby Lane on May 30, 2012 at 5:15pm

The best thing to do is to play around with the picture editing tool to get a square image. If you have tall photos then they will appear to be cut in half. It is because the auto-crop tool is squaring up the picture. Some tall pictures you can simply rotate and get a closer to square image. Other pictures may need to be cropped to show just the piece or an important main element in the piece.

When you are taking pictures remember the auto-cropping centers on the upper center of the photograph, so if you have a necklace with a pendant and it is a tall image then the end result will be a picture showing just the necklace chain/beads and not the pendant because the necklace is in the upper half of the tall image where the auto-cropping is centered.

Carol

Permalink Reply by Graceful Antiques on May 30, 2012 at 5:17pm

I am so afraid to go and look. I am starting to feel like one of those guys or girls with the juggling plates on poles.

Permalink Reply by Ruby Lane on May 30, 2012 at 5:22pm

I thought I saw you last night on America's Got Talent!

Permalink Reply by The Old Grey Mare on May 30, 2012 at 5:37pm

Cheri, they sent me screen shots with the "new" images. Probably 30-40% were not acceptable, cut off, only the top half showing. I did go to the individual shops and look at their picture, comparing. The shop pictures were perfectly cropped, but the thumbnails on the screen shot were not good ~ a perfume bottle showing only the stopper and neck, a basket showing only the handle, I remember them quite well. The shop owners had done a good job with their pictures, but the new Square Auto-Crop had altered them in such a way that some weren't even recognizable for what they were ~ the only reason I would click on to see it was to have my curiosity satisfied about what they were selling. And I did share this information with RL, and I did say I saw a major problem. However, I am only one person, and I have no idea what the other people who previewed the changes had to say. Like Ornaments, I'm curious why one set of cufflinks shows perfectly, and another has one half of each side by side cufflink. And why one tin is perfect, and another is cut in half. And Carol, I haven't mentioned this before, but now that it is public, and they mentioned asking a test group to give their opinions, I hope that RL doesn't have a problem with my discussing it here. I have to say, I still see it as a major issue. Regarding your pendant analogy, I'm sorry, I don't understand not being able to show the entire piece, and for the most part, I don't believe in showing only "an important main element in the piece." In that first photo, I want the whole piece to show. Since the preview test, my opinion has remained the same, and seeing my shop images in the new format, I have not changed my mind. I'm perfectly willing to make changes, change IS necessary. But not being able to show my entire item, having to redo who knows how many photographs, taking pictures of items at a 45 degree angle....I'm just not impressed.

Permalink Reply by Ruby Lane on May 30, 2012 at 5:54pm

Dexter,

You can show the entire necklace with a pendant but you either have to get the entire piece in a square format or use a secondary picture to show the entire piece. It is only the first picture, the gallery picture that needs adjusting. As far as discussing your feedback etc, I don't think that is a problem. I had only a few pictures I needed to make adjustments to and they were relatively simple. But, in the future I will keep the 'center at the top of the photo' in mind when I am taking my primary picture. I am just making suggestions on how one might compensate and get a square photo as opposed to having to retake a primary picture photo.

Like all changes, it will take some getting used to but we want to be part of what is happening 'now' and this style of photo is it.

I think others will have good suggestions once they have had an opportunity to play around with the picture tools and taking photos. Hopefully they will share their findings.

Carol

Permalink Reply by Marni Bakst on May 30, 2012 at 6:01pm