New Global Header Design Announced by eBay

Also: Pre-order feature on Half.com to return

The header that displays at the top of eBay pages has been re-designed, the company announced yesterday. The new header has been designed to ease search and navigation, according to an announcement by Jenny Copper of the company's Buyer Experience Team posted on the eBay General Announcements board.

Among the features offered by the new header are a new "categories" link which the company says will give customers quick access to eBay categories and specialty sites. A bigger search box front and center and quick links are among the other features offered by the new header. Beyond this, Copper noted some of the change was for cosmetic reasons only.

"Last but not least, we felt it was time to give the header a fresh new look. We hope you like what you see and find the navigational tools overall more useful," she said.

In the "what's-old-is-new-again" vibe that drives much of eBay's business, the company announced the return of the pre-order feature on Half.com. Pre-Orders give buyers the option to place an order using preset item and seller criteria (such as price, condition, and feedback ratings).

"For example, you could use pre-orders to state that you want to buy a new copy of the latest James Patterson book at $15 or less from a seller with 98% or greater positive feedback, Half.com's Raj Reddy noted.

"Sellers can then look through these pre-orders during the Half.com listing process, as well as elsewhere, to see which ones they may be able to fill. If a Patterson seller matching your criteria is willing to sell at your price, the order is automatically placed!"

Look for the implementation of these changes in the next few days.

(Header jpeg from eBay)