USA consumer goods: Anniversary lessons from eBay

[mandy]

A few months old, but...

The remarkable tale of eBay's growth points to some important lessons for any business trying to operate online--and today that includes, one way or another, most firms. The commercial opportunities presented by an expanding global web seem almost limitless. But the pace of change is rapid, and so is the ferocity of competition. To succeed, firms need agility, an open mind and the ability to reinvent themselves repeatedly. Most of all, they need to listen carefully to their customers, paying close attention to what they do and don't want.

Such qualities, of course, would be valuable in any kind of business. Yet for online firms they are not a luxury, but necessary for mere survival.

full article: http://www.ebusinessforum.com/index.asp?layout=rich_story&doc_id=7280

[xppman]

Most of all, they need to listen carefully to their customers, paying close attention to what they do and don't want.

ebay does NOT do this anymore and haven’t for the last few years or so because they became to arrogant. :-\  ImO

On top of all this, the behaviour of many consumers is constantly changing as well, as individuals discover new ways to shop and interact with each other via the web.

YES consumers are doing biz at our WEBSITES and far away from ebay 
and ebay knows it but continues to publicly deceive it's shareholders and it's "community" of sellers.  Hence the    factor.

Even though there have been signs of the firm's blistering pace slowing a bit in America, its most 'mature' market, there remain vast opportunities overseas, particularly, some argue, in China. Meg Whitman, eBay's chief executive, believes the company is still only at the beginning of what it could achieve.

Like I said. ebay knows it's "pace" is slowing in America.
I think the "a bit" part is severely understated.
This is why they are diversifying at the same time trying to "control" or "slow" the migration of it's "slowing mature" market of sellers and buyers in America. AINT GONNA HAPPEN FEEBAY.

ebay KNOWS the real numbers of "sell through”.
ebay knows the real % of buyers who use their payment system PayPal.

ebay knows the real $$$ figures they and their sellers are making on the site (or NOT making).
eBay KNOWS they can not stop the migration nor change the consumers minds of where they choose to shop.

Yet ebay for understandable biz reasons, will continue to deny and “downplay” this shift
and this SHIFT has been occurring and SHIFTING away from ebays site for the last few years.

I'm sorry for some who still rely solely on ebay and I'm sorry to say this because I want to see all sellers "make it".
But I honestly hope ebay looses all over the world due to their arrogant and dominant monopolistic attitude towards it's paying customers. Us sellers.


In short I'd like to see ebay “the company” fail and fail BIG and I would love to see it's chief officers indicted on anti trust issues, SEC issues, fraud and embezzlement charges.

That would make me do the happy dance.

And if they do FAIL in China and other markets costing shareholders millions in investment $$$. You can bet your
some heads at ebay WILL roll and ROLL BIG.