eBay News & Announcements
Mpire, an online shopping service, launched eBay Pop, a tool that lets consumers access a variety of information including top selling items on eBay and sales figures related to various hot sellers. In addition to tracking sales trends, Mpire's eBay Pop also features news headlines and a blog that examines buying trends related to current events and popular culture.
In October we reported (see eBay Watch: Stealth E-Mail, Storefronts, Stratocasters) that eBay had announced an alternative method for buyers and sellers to communicate using an Anonymous E-mail Forwarding feature. Sonia Wong from eBay's Product Management team said that eBay is delaying the launch of this feature due to some unexpected product-related issues. The launch will be initiated after the holidays so buyers and sellers will not encounter communication issues during this busy shopping season.
Third-Party eBay Services & E-commerce Tools Round-Up
PayPal unveiled a new incentive program for the holidays. Starting Nov. 23 and running until May 15, PayPal buyers will be eligible to receive cash rebate offers worth $10 to $20, with a limit of one rebate per PayPal buyer. To be eligible for the rebate you must sign-up for the promotion on the PayPal Web site.
Cell)))it is now offering video-based classified ads service. Using a mobile phone with video capabilities, or any device that will allow you to store video files on your computer, sellers can upload video classified ads. Cell)))it listing fees range from $4.95 to a maximum of $24.95, and allow you to keep the item listed until sold. Cell)))it is also providing a free Bio video option that enables sellers to upload a 20 MB video describing themselves and their business to help encourage trust from potential buyers.
Eye on The Little Guys: Ewaey Profile
With a bit of trial and error over the last year, and even a different name at one point, Ewaey has resurfaced, this time as a free auction Web site that will eventually include a portal to blogs, classifieds, video, and games. Alexsandro Pomposelli and partners started Ewaey.com in September 2005. According to Co-Founder Pomposelli, the site name is an acronym for Electronics World Auctions Ecommerce World, and not a play on eBay as some often think. Ewaey was developed by a team of 16 in Brazil and brought to the United States. Pomposelli told ECommerceGuide that plans are in the works for translation of the site to Japanese, Chinese, German, Mandarin, Italian, French and other languages.
One of the latest features to be developed for Ewaey is video hosting. While there are third-party services that allow you to host video content for display on auction listings, Pomposelli says the goal is to integrate the video feed within the site itself. This allows buyers to view any available videos from a seller. Additionally, he says that members will be able to upload any video in the fashionable YouTube style, not necessarily those with auction and selling content.
Ewaey.com currently offers sellers a free auction marketplace — there are no auction fees for listing or selling items and Pomposelli says it will stay that way. Hosted storefronts, called eStores, are also free to use. Ewaey's plan to keep membership free means the group actively seeks partnerships, commission-based sales, hosting services and advertising. Pomposelli's goal is to manage Ewaey without being dependent on membership and auction fees to fund operations. As a result, the site recently began ramping up plans for several portals to increase traffic and therefore boost advertising dollars.
Past Profile Updates
As we all know, smaller auction Web sites come and go, and some go offline faster than others. Last week we took a look at the newly launched OrnaBids marketplace, and less than a week later, visitors to the site were met with the message "This site has been disabled by the administrator." According to the OrnaChat.com discussion forums, OrnaBids was shut down after a number of security holes were discovered in the auction software.
Research Says...
According to research firm Terapeak, the Harley Davidson brand is a hot eBay seller. Harley enthusiasts over the past year have placed over 2 million bids and completed $30,000,000 worth of transactions for Harley Davidson parts and accessories on eBay.
A recent holiday shopping quiz created by SHOP.COM shows that last-minute holiday shopping has become a thing of the past. According to more than 2,400 online shoppers who participated in the quiz, nearly 44 percent of Americans feel it's never too early to start shopping. Called the "Always on the Lookout" holiday shopper they are most likely to be the shoppers out on Dec. 26 hunting for sales. Only 6 percent of respondents resort to 11th-hour antics to complete their holiday shopping.
Only on eBay...
eBay software programmers initiated a rather interesting auction and one that is sure to excite those who consider themselves to be geeks at heart. Up for grabs is your very own "comment block on top of a core Java class in eBay's Kernel code." Translation: this basically means you get to have your full name, eBay User ID, Feedback Score, and a 250-character description included in a piece of eBay's code that helps to power the auction Web site.
The eBay programmer and his cohorts listed the auction in an attempt to win a company contest for the most creative eBay listing, as well as to help a local charity provide Thanksgiving meals to those in need All of the proceeds will go to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. As the auction entered into its last day we noticed more than 66 bidders had pushed the price up to $710. Kudos to the eBay programmer who came up with this unique idea for fundraising.
A footnote to this is the seller's entry of 'legal stuff' posted at the bottom of the description, that reads "I am, of course, an eBay employee and a seller. I paid all the listing fees and will pay all the required final value fees as any other seller." Yes, we certainly wouldn't want the masses to think eBay employees get to list for free.
Vangie Beal is a frequent contributor to EcommerceGuide.com. She is also the managing editor of Webopedia.
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