Phone interface handling of MANDITORY personalization by hiding it unless they click it not good

[TigSylvan]

There is a reason why sellers have a personalization box, we can choose if it is is optional or NOT.

I understand wanting to simplify and shorten the display on a phone (I'm on an iphone) but if that info is necessary, then it should be displayed, not shown with a click arrow.    I know we want it easy for people to click and purchase.

I am offering a listing where buyers need to choose from multiple dog breeds.  The messaging in the box (if it would have been shown) would tell them to choose a breed from the images.   They need to see that instruction (as there is no drop down for the breed)

Now, if they click the arrow, they will get the info.

If they are daring and try to purchase without clicking it, then it comes back with an ugly red box insisting on the personalization. That's kind of a rude way to discover the instructions they should have had to begin with.

I'll also comment that the collapsed descriptions with the SMALL text for 'read item description' is not ideal either, older people also order things, and if it's something that might be important and clickable, I'd like it to be NOTICEABLE.

[FallsAveVintage]

I see what you mean! Are you having to ask buyers which breed very often? Using your cool mugs as an example, perhaps you can make the breed part the lead variation and the optional text box second? Then make 2 listings - one for each size. This way you'd also have 2 listings so 2 chances to show up in search. You can cross-link too to let buyers know there's another size available.

Mobile traffic is much higher and buyers are savvy on phones and becoming used to expanded text. I'd think that 50+ would be more inclined to shop on a computer and our descriptions there are also collapsed now so it's pretty much the norm on all devices. 

[TigSylvan]

A collapsed description that shows a bit of text and indicates it is there is much easier to notice and comprehend than one that is totally collapsed into 'read description' in small text.  Using the images allows me to 'easily' add a new option multiple listings with minimal work.  I don't think a pull down for some 45+ dogs will work well and adding a new dog to all the listings will also require me to fix that link with the pod company.

[FallsAveVintage]

I meant that you can remove the size variation so the text box where the buyer specifies the breed will show first. Then you could have 2 listings - one for each mug size. I don't even think you can create that many variations in one listing!

[howtobooksandmore]

Have the instructions in a separate image.  Etsy is going to keep changing the way they display or not display descriptions so fixing the problem now won't work.  Etsy will just change it later to something worse.

[TigSylvan]

I have instructions on an image on my fully custom ones for how to send me an image, and people don't see it.  If I say customization is manditory, then that should be what etsy supports in a straightforward way.

[howtobooksandmore]

But Etsy has no intention of doing this so it is up to you to find a way to solve the problem.  If you have 45 choices, you can always make 45 different listings.  That way, Etsy will get a lot more listing fees and that is what they want.  More money for them.  Insisting they change it is futile.

[Former_Member]

@TigSylvan You're absolutely right. It's baffling to me that a site would intentionally make these steps such a challenge for buyers.

[VibeEnvy]

Are you saying they hid your personalization box or they hid the description?

If you make personalization mandatory it won't let you add to cart without it, it will give an error, if you select mandatory they shouldn't be allowed to just add to cart, they should be stopped by an error. I'd be happy with "STOP AND READ THE PERSONALIZATION INSTRUCTIONS!!!" rude seeming or not I want the point to get across that there are instructions, I'd prefer that over a generic "personalization required" error but that's better than nothing I guess.

They should change it from personalization to instructions or requirements or something since a lot of us use it as a workaround to get people to actually read details that are hidden by Etsy in our description.

[TBQSC]

I see everything in your listings just fine on my iPhone …nothing is hidden … very easy to navigate.