Pattern Preview

I just had an idea:
Buyers often ask to know in advance what they’ll actually be getting when they purchase a pattern.
Of course, you can’t show that in advance, because then they wouldn’t need to buy it anymore...
But how about one or more thumbnails (those little images)—or even better: a small scrollable window where you can see the patterns COMPLETELY BLURRED (and thus unreadable—even the images shouldn’t be clearly recognizable).
That way, potential buyers would at least have an idea of what they might be getting.
And maybe there would be even more satisfied buyers, because I believe that it’s precisely this uncertainty about WHAT they’re actually buying that makes many people hesitate to buy a slightly more expensive pattern!

What do you think?
And: is this even technically feasible?

Best regards, Angela

Hi Angela,

I think that’s what the free patterns are for.
At least I don’t make any distinction in terms of structure, “effort,” and design :-)
And that’s exactly why I offer free patterns in the first place: so potential buyers can see WHAT my patterns look like and WHAT they can expect … for that price ♥

But for those who don’t offer free patterns, this might be an idea worth considering.

Best regards, Marion

Hi Marion,
thanks for the suggestion—
it’s a good idea to look at the free patterns from this perspective too!
;-) I’ll probably post something for free myself sometime!

THANKS for the tip!

Best regards, Angela

I agree with Angela.
I also think it wouldn’t be very helpful for potential customers to see “blurry” images of the pattern. They still wouldn’t know what the pattern is really like.
Just the appearance of a pattern doesn’t say anything about its quality.
I mean, even if a pattern looks good, it could still be the case that you can’t work with it. I hope you know what I mean?
Best regards, Carola

Of course, I meant to say I agree with Marion—sorry :(

Hi Carola,
of course, buyers wouldn’t be able to tell whether it’s described well or not…
But it does give a first impression: Are there pictures? Is there a chart, a crochet chart, or something else?
I think that alone can already help with the purchase decision.
Plus, there are probably reviews as well. (I realize not every product gets rated equally!)

It was just an idea, after all! ;-)

I’m really looking forward to hearing more opinions!

Best regards to everyone
Angela

And then there are sellers who include a section (or even just one page) of their pattern right in the preview images. That’s also a way to give customers a visual impression of the type of pattern.

Best regards, Marion

I also share Marion’s opinion that free patterns can be used to show buyers how a pattern is structured.

Plus, you can include in the description what prior knowledge is required, what’s explained in the pattern—whether with pictures or a crochet chart—whether it’s suitable for beginners, and so on. The better the description, the greater the incentive to buy. I’m constantly working on improving the description, too.

I don’t think a blurry preview image really helps the buyer at all.

I also think the best way to give a potential buyer a glimpse is to include one or two free patterns. Then, of course, it’s also helpful to describe the pattern. How many pages does it have? Does it include charts, diagrams, photos, etc.? I’d also avoid including a blurry preview image.