eBay

[30 March 2010]

eBay is no longer partying like it's 1999.

I have never analyzed eBay using my technology rankings algorithm because, frankly, there'd be no reason. The service is hopelessly out of date, unlike the highly rated (partly owned) Paypal service.

But eBay finally embraces one of my core business strategies: the smartphone is the computer.

They've developed a pretty savvy mobile app for both sellers and buyers.

This morning, eBay introduced two new iPhone applications, designed to make sellers’ lives easier when it comes to listing items on the giant online marketplace from their Apple phones. The ecommerce juggernaut also casually mentioned that it is on pace to reach a whopping $1.5 billion worth of goods sold via mobile phones in 2010 – more than double the mobile GMV (gross merchandise value) it registered in 2009 ($600 million).

The company claims its primary iPhone app, which is available in more than 190 countries and eight languages, has been downloaded 8 million times to date, and that 1 item is purchased using eBay mobile every 2 seconds. Also, eBay disclosed that it will have an iPad version of the eBay app ready at launch day (April 3).

More here. The service will need to incorporate more social media and hyperlocal features for it to thrive in our new world.