Google Base Threat to eBay, Classified-Ad Industry

[mandy]

A new report from Classified Intelligence, LLC, says Google has radically disrupted the $100-billion a year global classified advertising industry with its launch of classified listing services in the new user-generated Google Base database.

"Google Base could soon become the largest free-classified service anywhere, eclipsing even Craigslist and eBay's services,"

full article: http://auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y05/m12/i13/s03

[grrrrrrl]

it needs lots of work too hard to find what to do

[bargainbloodhound]

In terms of number of listings it could definitely become the largest classifieds marketplace, but in order to attract buyers Google is going to have to make some huge usability improvements (which could be coming in the form of Google Automat).  I think in the short term Microsoft's planned classifieds will do a better job of attracting buyers.

[mandy]

A related article:

When Google began testing a payment system in February for Google Base, its virtual catalog product, Internet pundits assumed the company was moving ahead with efforts to go head-to-head with eBay, the online marketplace giant. Not so, Google executives claimed.

That's standard operating procedure for team Google, which is constantly rolling out new products while insisting they are not meant to compete with established players. But in this case, the company may be more ingenious...

And the Google Base/AdWords combination could also help small advertisers buff their own brand via a feedback system that attempts to rank Base sellers' credibility. Once a Google Base seller had established a credibility ranking, it could conceivably brandish the ranking on its AdWords ads...

full article: http://www.forbes.com/technology/2006/03...oogle.html

[xppman]

I don't think Goggle wants to go head to head with ebay or anyone.
We all see where ebays model is heading and if I was some
other company I would NEVER try to compare with or try to be like ebay.

Look at the ones who have tried and failed.


eBay was NOT the success it was because
of the name ebay or the people they choose to run it. (into the ground)

It was the whole concept of a peer to peer electronic
selling platform and the dreams of millions excited about
being able to work from home that started the phenomenal growth explosion.

Once the growth explosion was realized by ebays
founder and would be investors. You know they were dyeing
to get in on the act as they saw this opportunity as one thing
and one thing only.

A cash cow.

A way to fleece and capitalize on the dreams of those
millions excited about being able to work from home.

What I'm saying is ebays success in reality
was just being in the right place at the right time and
a willingness to exploit those dreams of millions
for personal gain.

[sneakymagenta]

What I'm saying is ebays success in reality
was just being in the right place at the right time and
a willingness to exploit those dreams of millions
for personal gain.

The first to market advantage.