Saved Searches & Site Functionality

I just wonder why one is limited to fewer saves if using a computer rather than a phone.

Separately, I don’t need anything instant, just a daily mail.

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I think it’s because the app software is different to the desktop software in terms of programming, and because the app is sometimes used to test new features (there’s a thread on this and some recent updates from Ben on this link - App vs Website Differences - #63 by Ben-Product). I think the product team are busy trying to align and iron out the differences as and when updates occur. So it’s a watch this space :slight_smile:

thank you - I’m reading that thread now. perhaps I’ll mention this particular asymmetry there.

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thank you, I now see there’s a thread where one can mention asymmetries between app and web, so I’ve mentioned it to Ben. I don’t want to use the phone or upgrade for a lot of pounds more just to get more saved searches.
best, laura

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I have been using the Saved Searches for a couple of weeks now, restricted to 3, as I use the website version.
While it is useful for searching for a specific country where the results are 6 or less, it is not really helpful when you are searching for wider areas.
I, like @JackieX , do not know where I want to go in 2022. Part of the attraction of THS is finding new places all over the world. So I have set up a couple of searches for Anywhere and specified dates from March to May and August to December 2022 which is when I am available.
More often than not, these will throw up searches of over 6. I can view these 6 but when I click onto next page, I have no idea where the others are. Yesterday’s email stated that there were 16 searches in one of the categories but I could only view 6. The other 10 have been swallowed up into 12 pages of other sits. I can’t remember which I have read and which I have not.
So this new tool does not replicate the daily emails.
Like @JackieX and @temba states, why cannot we keep the daily email? What is the problem? Ever since I joined in 2010 we have had a daily email apart from Covid
I feel it is a step backward to now eliminate them without any explanation.
@Ben-ProductManager , I would really appreciate it if you could re-instate this important tool.
Thanks

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On the topic of saved searches, is it possible to save a search for europe minus the UK? The UK is just so overwhelming with the number of listings compared to continental europe that weeding through them is cumbersome and I only want to go to the UK during specific months that don’t match when I want to be in continental europe. I would much prefer to have them as separate saved searches.

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Hi @Itchyfeet

As we have more listings on the site. (So more Sitting opportunities) the old Daily Alert email is not scalable and impacts our sending reputation.

To go into more detail: we need to ensure that our emails are under a certain size, to stop our emails from being categorised as spam. As well as the size of the old daily alert it also had very low open rates, high spam complaints and caused high unsubscribe rates, which also impacts our sending reputation.

At the same time majority of members, we surveyed and interviewed were requesting personalised and more relevant emails hence we created Saved Searches.

We currently allow for 10 saved searches (for standard & premium members) or 28 listings within the email, whichever limit we reach first.

We show a preview of 6 listings with a clear call to action to view all other listings that match the saved search criteria. You can view all new results within the app or on the website and these are shown in order as newest first.

Thanks, Ben

Thank you for your explanation of the daily emails.

Commenting on the saved searches again, viewing the results are not as clear as you state.
I realise that, unless you view the email immediately, the results on the website will include new ones that have appeared since the email.
I have looked at the 6 listed on my email and have then viewed all of the other listings. The six do not appear in this list in one block. They are interspersed with many others. Then taking into account any new ones that will have appeared, it is impossible to see where the other 10 are within the 16 that the email states that it has.
I may have not explained this in the best way but there must be someway of duplicating the items in the email to form one block on the other listings?

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Hi @Ben-ProductManager
All I can say is I am really disappointed at this news. As I’ve stated above in my comment this is a lot less user friendly for us
Jackie

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I save them by country and dates I know I will be there or am available to go there.
I also favorite sits I see listed even if I am not available on the advertised dates it is a favorable match for me. If they have a good history they will have future needs. I then get notified if a new date pops up and I can see if that will work.
I have saves for many European and Asian countries. I create maps and timelines in an organized matter of what I desire.
How have you done so in your experience?

until now i’ve not really used the saved searches so I don’t have a system. before I would just check daily and zoom in on europe in general to weed out areas I’m not interested in. but i think you can only have 3 saved searches, so that limits options quite a bit. I just drop sits on my calendar once they’re confirmed. nothing fancy. :slight_smile:

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Yeah I’ve taken my Type A to new levels :grin:
I have a Google calendar all colour coded and I have a spread sheet too with my plans (travel, sits) and my financials so everything is “planned” but it’s like the weather forecast so I make effort to remain flexible and be as prepared as possible for the unexpected, both delightful and muddy.
Fancy. :laughing:

I believe you get unlimited? saves with premium. I have a lot.

Maybe. I don’t think I have premium. I’ve been riding on free months for years from referrals and when I signed up I don’t think that was an option. lol.

I’ve found that generally the further in advance and the more complicated the plan, the more likely it is to fail so I block off sits and then I wing everything else. But I also just stick to europe so last minute stuff is a bit easier. It’ll be an adjustment being in my van now.

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@Ben-ProductManager I appreciate you sharing the logic behind the changes, but I still think there is a repeated call here that should not be ignored, and that is a preference by many for regular emails. The changes put into place have taken away an easy method for sitters to discover places they may not have considered.

If the size of the previous email is an insurmountable problem, surely sitters could select categories, perhaps continents, to receive those daily emails. Those who want to see all sits could subscribe to all. I see these options on other sites (not house sitting).

The open rate for many business emails is low, so perhaps you’re still meeting industry standards. That’s just a problem with online marketing that all businesses face.

As for unsubscribe rates, that’s also not surprising and similar to open rates. I noticed recently how many members on the forum open a profile and yet never participate. When people can easily opt in to something, they often do so and then don’t participate.

Bottom line is that many members miss the daily email, and the saved searches, no matter how intricate you set them, does not replace that. It’s unfortunate as it really feels like a step backwards to me, whereas I’ve experienced so many positive changes during my time as a THS member.

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Thank you so much @Snowbird couldn’t agree more

I have just received my weekly update of available sitting opportunities, but the list stopped at Germany?? I cannot believe there are no UK sits on offer.

@DavidO See @Ben-ProductManager 's explanation from earlier today. The U.S.A. listings haven’t made it to that email in months. :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

Thank you @Snowbird for summing up how I feel too. @Ben-ProductManager it seems like it’s the old, experienced sitters who have stuck by THS who are missing the daily emails. Saved Searches is no replacement for them. And as for today’s weekly listing stopping at Germany, that’s just not good enough. You’re a British organization yet have not published your own nation’s listings! As an owner I would feel mighty displeased that my listing had not been advertised as soon as possible.

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I must ask, now that the weekly emails no longer list any country following Germany, what is the point of them? @Ben-ProductManager how do you select which listings appear in them?
How does THS sell itself to new owners, do you tell them their listing won’t be actively listed?

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Yes, what does ‘boosting a listing’ mean?
A listing could be doing a whole song and dance routine to itself, but if nobody is actually looking for it it will remain unnoticed.
@Ben-ProductManager How are sits being promoted, advertised, pushed forward? Sitting passively on the website may explain why there are so many ‘panicked’ homeowners not getting applications. What are they paying for?

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