eBay On Location September 1st & 2nd 2010 and 15th anniversary in San Jose.
eBay On Location San Jose 2010
Here are the 5 things I learned:
- eBay on location VS eBay live: In 2007 and 2008 I went to eBay Live in Boston and then in Chicago. The events were amazing. Amazing to have 10,000 eBay freaks together. Amazon go have nearly every aspect of eBay's operation represented. Amazing top shelf speakers.eBay on location, and there were 4 of these events over the year, were easily 1/4 as amazing. To be totally honest, it felt a little like the difference between going to Costco and going to Roger's Market down he street here in Podunk McKinleyville, Ca. Authors Below were great and exception.
Me with bestselling authors Mike Michalowicz & John Jantsch
- Where's the love: Buyers, Sellers and investors always loved eBay. It was a great platform that was simple to buy or sell, fair, and made many people into full or part time successful entrepreneurs. But, in 2008 in Chicago the mood was sour, eBay had just announced that they were making some changes that most active sellers were not in favor of, including restrictions on feedback that sellers could leave for buyers, and a fee increase marketed as a few decrease. At one point while grilling the top eBay executives a group of PowerSellers were downright hostile and perhaps without merit. There was a lot of talk of people leaving eBay to go to... Maybe Amazon, maybe start their own web store, anywhere but eBay. So, how was the mood in 2010? Most of the negativity was gone, but a lot that early love was lost as well. The people there talked about selling on Amazon, and on their own sites, and on eBay too.
Me and Lorrie Norrington the President of eBay Marketplaces.
- eBay on Location: Your in business. The tagline "Your in Business" was the key key here. eBay buyers, sellers and executives agree eBay is becoming more competitive, and more big business friendly. No longer can mom and pop sell something on eBay and be assured success and lack of competition. No, your competition may be the family living next to you, Best Buy, or the manufacturer in China making the items for Best Buy.
New Eco friendly Boxes With Tracking. Do you know where your box has been?
- Going mobile: One group that got a lot of attention was the eBay mobile team. I saw an iPhone list a product in under a minute. That is faster than I can do normally. And one of the new apps will allow you to pull some clothes for sale, and superimpose it over a picture of anything on your smart phone camera. You, your girlfriend, your dog. And, a number of sellers talked about how they travel with their smart phone and research items while they go to tag sales, department stores, etc. So, if you have a tag sale, don't be surprised to see people checking the value of your stuff with their smart phone, instead of buying first, and researching later.
At eBay HQ: The Whitman Center in San Jose.
- A proper shopping cart: As a seller I have having my items sell, and then never getting paid and never hearing from the buyer. It's rare, but it happens. And, meanwhile you cannot relist the item until you have confirmed that the buyer isn't going to pay for it. A process that take about 10 days at least. Within the next year, I would expect to see eBay launch some kind of cart system for non auction items that will eliminate the unpaid item.
eBay sellers may no longer be in love like back in they early days. But, they need eBay, and eBay needs them too.
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travis at folkseller dot com!
