04-20-2008, 08:48 AM
Auctionbytes review of iOffer:
full article: http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abu/y208...bu0213/s03
Quote:Like any online business, iOffer has faced a series of other challenges. One is adverse selection: buyers attracted by the free listings but whose merchandise simply wasn't desirable. "We had one seller who listed around 20,000 items," recalls Boyce. "Only half had a picture. Some photos were blurry, and some listings only had three-word descriptions. He never sold a single item." The problem is not only attracting sellers with good inventory, but simply having an adequate mix of buyers and sellers, he adds.
Boyce believes that the computer has replaced the TV as the major form of entertainment, and the key is embracing the whole mobile connectivity. "We see a lot more consumers online everywhere. Most phones have the capacity to get online and take a picture, so we have a notification feature that lets sellers be connected all the time," he says, adding that the feature is still in beta testing. iOffer sends notifications to buyers and sellers, and plans to enable sellers to list items for sale from their mobile phones...
full article: http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abu/y208...bu0213/s03