This week we discuss what the phrase 'eBay Alternatives' has come to mean over the past several years, and also highlight the latest news and launches from the constantly growing alternative space.
So, What Exactly, Is an eBay Alternative?
(Adapted from the Ecommerce-Guide.com Glossary)
When discussing the "eBay alternative" scene, it makes sense to have a common understanding of what the term encompasses.
Online sellers tend to use the phrase eBay alternative when describing a non-eBay Web site that offers services similar to eBay, such as auction, fixed price listings and hosted storefronts, but it is also used when describing a marketplace that offers classified ads and other types of selling services.
The sites that make up this constantly growing list of eBay alternatives are loosely grouped into two categories: those that can offer online sellers a high Web site traffic number (which equates to a larger number of sales) and those that are smaller and serve fewer numbers of buyers and sellers on their site. In many instances, when referencing the first group, the term viable eBay alternatives is used.
Viable eBay Alternatives
The larger alternative sites are generally more firmly established marketplaces that are corporate-owned. These channels, like eBay, are more expensive than other, smaller, alternatives to use as a selling platform. However, they are highly trafficked sites with millions to tens of millions of visitors each month, making them more appealing to larger sellers and merchants.
Some sellers will use these alternative channels in connection with their eBay business. These types of channels are used by B2C (business-to-consumer) and C2C (consumer-to-consumer) sellers and merchants. While not a complete list, some examples of this type of eBay alternative include: Amazon, craigslist, Etsy, Kijiji, PriceGrabber (storefronts) and others.
It's important to note, however, that some do not consider the corporate-owned bigger marketplaces when using the phrase eBay alternative, despite the fact that these are a more viable and financially stable (or financially backed) alternative to eBay for online sellers and merchants.
Other eBay Alternatives
For many, the phrase eBay alternative is used in reference only to the many smaller online auction sites and niche-focused marketplaces. These sites usually promote their services specifically as an alternative to eBay, with lower fees, and many were started by ex-eBay sellers who opposed fee increases and corporate policy changes at eBay.
These sites typically bring in traffic ranging from a thousand or so monthly visitors up to hundreds of thousands of visitors monthly. They rely on attracting sellers who take issue with fee and policy changes on eBay and the larger alternative sites.
This type of eBay alternative tends to appeal mostly to the online sellers who do not sell online full-time; casual, lower-volume, and hobby sellers looking for a community-oriented marketplace to buy, sell and trade online. Few of these sites use proprietary backend systems, but rather are created using an off-the-shelf software product or script (like PHP Pro Bid, Active Auction Pro, or rwAuction Pro). While not a complete list, some examples of this type of eBay alternative include: Webidz, PlunderHere, Blujay, iOffer and many other niche category and auction-based sites. These types of marketplaces are used most frequently for C2C sales.
This Week in eBay Alternative News
Each week there is always news from the smaller group of eBay Alternative sites, and this week is no exception. Some new sites are worth a look, even if only to bookmark and check in on at a future date to see how well they do. While we haven't reviewed all of the following sites and services, smaller and part-time sellers who use alternatives, or those looking for an affordable hosted storefront solution, can check out the following updates and launches to decide which, if any, are worth listing on:
eBid.net Turns 10 and Officially Launches in the U.S.
This week online auction alternative eBid.net announced its 10th anniversary and the "official launch" of its business in the US, increasing its global presence to 18 territories across the US and Canada, UK, Africa, Asia and Australia. According to eBid, in August of this year, the site recorded 1.3 million listings across the United States with a substantial and consistent stream of new sign-ups daily, placing them second only to eBay in person-to-person online auctions.
Bonanzle Announces New Focus, Growing Numbers
When we first looked at Bonanzle back in July, the site and its features were impressive, earning it the "best eBay Alternative to date," from Ecommerce-Guide.com. Since then, the site's member and listing numbers have steadily grown, to more than 2,500 members listing over 100,000 items. In a recent blog post, the founder indicated that an emphasis on the really cool and unique items that are available at Bonanzle will be the site's new focus going forward.
Here is how Harding sums up Bonanzle's new focus and its place in the growing segment of eBay alternatives:
"The gist is that we're going to focus specifically on making Bonanzle a great place to sell items that aren't new, shiny, and mass-produced, because we think Amazon does a great job at selling those items already. Our goal is to continue to emphasize the categories that sellers have already come to associate as Bonanzle's strengths: collectibles; clothing, shoes, and accessories; rare/old books and magazines; jewelry; toys; crafts; and antiques. (No, that's not an absolute list of categories we'll allow — just a list of the categories we have the most items in right now)
What's the benefit of this emphasis to buyers? Simple: when buyers think to themselves, 'Where do I go to find cool, unique items?Tthe answer is now Bonanzle.
It's no coincidence that we're declaring this as our emphasis at the same time that eBay continues set its sights on competing with Amazon via its Buy.com listings and policy changes. eBay was originally founded upon being the best place to find the unique items that Bonanzle sellers have brought with them. As eBay continues to move away from supporting these sellers, we're going to move toward supporting them."
TrooQ Launches in Beta - Neat Features, No Fanfare
In recently new launches this week, we have TrooQ.com, an online marketplace that aims to offer a social marketplace. With TrooQ, members can leverage their existing social networks to create networks of trusted people to buy and sell with. Once you have created your trusted network within TrooQ, you can then use the TrooQ widget on your own blog or social networking profile pages so your friends and acquaintances can search your inventory, all the listings of your friends, and also all of those on TrooQ, from your own site.
TrooQ, which is still a very new site in beta, does offer unique features and a fresh look compared to many of the eBay alternatives, however, like many others, it appears to be having difficulty getting members onboard and signing up. The number of listings hasn't increased since we first lookedat the Web site last week, and its new member stats show only a couple new registrants per day.
Kyozou Offers Private Auctions
Also launching this week is Toronto-based Kyozou Auctions, a new platform that caters to online retailers looking to launch their own private auction sites as an extension to their own Web site and product catalogs. Kyozou Auctions is fully integrated with Kyozou's online sales management solution, and also fully hosted and supported by Kyozou.
OZFreeonline Offers Free Car Listings
Australia's largest free classified ad site, OZFreeonline.com, lets users lists used cars for free, and keep the classified running until the vehicle is sold. The free listings are available to private car owners and also to car dealers who can bulk upload any amount of stock, weekly, in a file.
UK-based MadBid Offers Penny Auction Deals
London-based auction platform, MadBid.com, says that it has broken all records with a recent online auction for a brand new MINI One car ending at just under $13. The auction for the MINI One, which retails for $22, 467, was won by Sandeep Anantharaman, a telecom engineer from Watford. MadBid is a bit unique in that this site is based on a 'penny auction' concept. All items listed are brand new, and bidders can only raise the auction price by a single penny at a time. Currently, MadBid.com is available only to UK residents.
Vangie Beal is a seasoned online marketplace seller, frequent contributor to ECommerce-Guide.com and avid online bargain hunter. She is also managing editor of Webopedia.com.
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