ASO AgencyShopping · US iPhone listing
Does their ASO suck?
Listing creative score · first three captured iPhone screenshots
4/10Recognisable. Not convincing.
eBay opens with how to pay before showing what to discover. Then it switches to selling, then back to an order. The individual features make sense. The conversation keeps changing seats.
Gab’s verdict · 4/10Gabriel Machuret
One storefront, one language and a dated capture. This is an independent editorial audit, not a client case study.
Gab’s take · Five criteria. Two points each.
The headings are clear and the selling form is real. Keep that. The buyer, seller and payment messages need a deliberate order so the listing feels like a conversation with someone. Build separate buyer and seller treatments, or finish one coherent marketplace job first. Show actual item or listing value before payment flexibility. Familiar logos cannot supply the missing reason to choose the app.
Payment choice is clear but not the core marketplace reason.
A listing form appears without the completed seller result.
Large headings and simple contrast remain legible.
Payment, selling and tracking change audiences and stages.
Payment logos supply familiarity rather than a marketplace distinction.
0: not earned · 1: useful but incomplete · 2: clearly demonstrated. Judged on the dated opening creative; public metadata provides context. These points assess creative execution, not private conversion or ranking performance. Read the scoring criteria · See all ten verdict levels
Inspect the numbered original, read the problem, then compare the proposed fix. The publisher’s creative stays unchanged.
What the visitor sees → what I’d change
Look at the original: The frame illustrates available payment categories without showing search results or an item page.
Why I’m flagging it: Payment marks lead without an item decision.
Open with a specific buying or selling benefit.
What the visitor sees → what I’d change
Look at the original: The example connects a physical item with the first fields of a listing.
Why I’m flagging it: A draft listing interrupts the buyer-facing payment story.
Use a focused seller treatment and show the completed listing.
What the visitor sees → what I’d change
Look at the original: The screen lists shipment stages and an illustrative arrival date.
Why I’m flagging it: Shipping output does not finish the preceding seller action.
Continue the same chosen buyer or seller workflow with accurate status context.
Proposed copy for discussion. These are not current listing fields or tested winners.
Observed listing
Buy, sell & resell marketplace
Proposed alternative
Shop items. Create listings.
Name 22/30 · Subtitle 28/30 charactersKeep both marketplace roles and make the subtitle name two concrete actions. This is a clarity proposal that avoids implying guaranteed bargains, buyer demand or selling outcomes.
The tradeoff: The current metadata explicitly includes online shopping, selling and resale language. Shorter action copy loses some category wording and may be less relevant for particular queries; research that tradeoff before changing it.
Read the sequence from top to bottom on mobile, left to right on desktop. These are message-layout sketches, not screens from eBay or tested results.
Proposed headline
Put this in the frame: A verified current search with meaningful filters and real, appropriately authorised example inventory.
Why it earns the space: Begin the buyer story with discovery, without promising every item is available.
Proposed headline
Put this in the frame: A current item page showing condition and relevant seller or delivery information.
Why it earns the space: Explain evaluation rather than relying on payment logos to carry trust.
Proposed headline
Put this in the frame: A verified tracking view with clearly illustrative shipment information.
Why it earns the space: Complete the buyer journey; seller-specific creative should have its own coherent opening concept.
The test: Does an item-discovery opening outperform the current payment-choice opening for the default product page? The sketch gives the designer a direction; the actual product and access conditions decide what can ship.
Bring the listing. I’ll help you decide what to keep, what to fix and what to test.
Observed competitor metadata
More benefits, fewer steps
Amazon Shopping uses a broad shopping identity and convenience-led subtitle.
The lesson: eBay needs a reason to choose its marketplace beyond generic payment and delivery convenience.
Observed competitor metadata
Online Marketplace for Special
Etsy foregrounds buying from real people and a marketplace for special items.
The lesson: That is a distinct discovery proposition. Compare how eBay communicates finding a particular item rather than copying another marketplace’s promise.
Observed competitor metadata
Earn money and shop discounts
Mercari explicitly combines buying, selling, earning and discounts.
The lesson: The same two-sided challenge appears in its metadata. Separate buyer and seller comprehension before selecting one default opening.
Intent candidates grounded in the listing—not fabricated search-volume or difficulty scores.
Visitor’s job: Find items or create a listing for something to sell.
Evidence: Both roles appear in the observed metadata, and the second still shows listing creation.
Decision: Split buyer and seller intentions in research rather than assuming one creative satisfies both.
Visitor’s job: Locate a particular item that may not be available in ordinary retail.
Evidence: A selected historical review describes this discovery motivation.
Decision: Validate current inventory and query intent; one account is not evidence of search volume or guaranteed availability.
Visitor’s job: Turn an owned item into a purchasable listing.
Evidence: The seller screenshot shows photos, a title and description assistance.
Decision: Verify fees, supported categories and actual steps before promising quick money or effortless sales.
The unseen keyword field may already cover some of these terms. Build an evidence-backed keyword shortlist before making a metadata change.
The three accounts were deliberately selected for item evaluation, discovery and transaction feedback. All are historical and carry five stars despite mixed or critical text. They do not establish current policy, defect prevalence or a typical buyer or seller outcome.
Sample: 3 selected accounts from 8 displayed reviews. Dates: 18 March 2022–9 December 2023. No sentiment percentage is calculated.
9 December 2023 · 5/5 stars
“hard to read”
A December 2023 reviewer criticised item-description readability and described a transaction dispute.
What I’d investigate: Use the readability concern as a current usability research prompt; do not treat the disputed transaction or old interface as verified present behaviour.
Listing review source · Review ID 1067482699918 March 2022 · 5/5 stars
“rare treasures”
A March 2022 reviewer described finding unusual items and following purchases, while also discussing seller limitations.
What I’d investigate: Separate the discovery motivation from historical feature complaints and verify the current buyer and seller flows.
Listing review source · Review ID 846995158420 August 2023 · 5/5 stars
“leave feedback”
An August 2023 reviewer questioned which cancelled transactions allowed feedback.
What I’d investigate: Check current policy and interface separately before making buyer-control claims in acquisition copy.
Listing review source · Review ID 10278801883A displayed review can be old, unusually positive or internally inconsistent with its star rating. These accounts suggest questions; they do not establish current defects or typical customer experience. Use the Review Research Desk to keep evidence and interpretation separate.
Payment marks lead without an item decision.
Deliverable: Open with a specific supported buying or selling benefit.
Creative brief and current-product checkA draft listing interrupts the buyer-facing payment story.
Deliverable: Use a focused seller treatment and show the completed supported listing.
Creative brief and current-product checkShipping output does not finish the preceding seller action.
Deliverable: Continue the same chosen buyer or seller workflow with accurate status context.
Creative brief and current-product checkDoes an item-discovery opening outperform the current payment-choice opening for the default product page?
Check Apple’s current product page optimization guidance and custom product page guidance before configuring a test. Write your experiment brief.
1–3: thumbs down · 4–6: thumbs up and down · 7–10: thumbs up
The basics need a serious rethink.
Too many obvious things have been left unfinished.
There is a useful product here. The listing needs to show it.
Some basics work, but the opening wastes attention and under-explains the benefit.
There is usable creative here, but too much of the sales argument is left to the visitor.
Real strengths, undermined by meaningful gaps in the opening story or execution.
A clear, useful demonstration with specific refinements still needed.
The main promise is clear and supported. Refinement matters more than reinvention.
Clear positioning, thoughtful choices and very few loose ends.
An unusually clear, convincing storefront worth learning from.
An editorial verdict on the captured storefront, not a measured ASO score or an assessment of an agency’s private work.
No private analytics, search-rank dataset or internal keyword field was supplied. Review quotations are short excerpts; explanations are our summaries. App names and screenshots belong to their respective owners. We are not affiliated with eBay. Read our editorial methodology.
Your app. Your priorities.
Send your listing, market and the problem you want to solve. I’ll explain the scope and fee before work starts. Your budget should buy decisions, not a longer PDF.
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