| WebProWorld eCommerce Forum |
E-commerce Solutions - Suggestions?
We are currently looking at moving some of our sites to
a new E-commerce solution. We have quite a few requirements,
but not a big budget.
Froogle strategies
Anyone have an unusual approach to Froogle that's working
well?
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07.01.05
EBay Bets On ProStores Revenue
 By David Utter
With some sellers seeking the greener pastures of their own web sites,
eBay seeks to retain their presences.
First one's free. That's the offer from eBay for its ProStores
Web Store service to sellers, as the online auctioneer opens its
user conference, eBay Live!, today. ProStores will be offered for
free for the first month for new users.
EBay needs to do something to keep its sellers happy. Recent increases
in its fees and a drop-off in legitimate buyers has combined to compel
sellers to move elsewhere for a better deal.
Yahoo and Amazon have both offered auction services for a while, neither
with the impact of eBay on the marketplace yet. But both of those
services provide options for online selling as well.
Yahoo's stores, based on their purchase of ViaWeb several years ago,
let sellers create a storefront easily. Now, eBay wants to emulate
that success with an easily implemented storefront mechanism.
After the first month, four tiers of pricing will go into effect.
Sellers would pay a total fee including a monthly subscription rate,
a ‘successful transaction' fee, plus any services the seller chooses
to add to their storefront.
Current eBay sellers receive a 30 percent discount off the monthly
subscription fee following the free trial.
Optionally, sellers can purchase design and update services for their
storefront. Also, sellers can purchase domain name registrations and
Thawte SSL certificates via ProStores. Also, traffic generation services
can be purchased to help bring buyers to a new store.
The traffic generation services may be purchased in a way that if
a minimum number of users don't visit a store, the seller would receive
a refund. Another generation service for the top two tiers will see
ProStores submit store categories to the major shopping engines, including
Shopping.com, Shopzilla.com, Froogle, and Yahoo! Shopping.
Buy It Now
ProStores will be integrated with eBay's PayPal service, to allow
for online payment processing. Pricing for items can be tweaked so
certain customer groups, such as those who are members of a loyalty
program, can see better pricing than the general public.
In the wake of what eBay has admitted as less than effective communications,
the company has made an effort to bolster its customer service efforts.
Many sellers were furious at the off-hand way eBay communicated fee
increases to them. The most recent fee increases took place in February.
And, according to sellers, the prices they've been receiving have
been much lower on eBay than in other outlets. That shouldn't be too
much of a surprise; assuming the vast majority of visitors to eBay
have come there to find a bargain, or at least reasonable price, for
an item isn't much of a stretch.
While eBay has continued to grow, traffic to the US eBay site fell
in the first quarter, the first time that has happened in a decade,
according to the Wall Street Journal. It has seen significant growth
in China, Korea, and the U.K.
About the Author:
David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology
and business. |
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