If you are a seller on [tag]eBay[/tag] hoping for a return to the good old days - you were disappointed with what CEO-elect [tag]John Donahoe[/tag] had to say today at eBay's Q4 2007 earnings call.
Mr. Donahoe promised (among other things) "a break from the past" including changes to fees, feedback, and trust and safety. He promised to make the site reflect what buyers are asking for such as making the site easier to use, speed, convenience, and reliability. Maybe the most disturbing thing on the horizon is what sounds on its face like a Frankenstein-like "marriage" of [tag]auction[/tag] and fixed-price listings. Will eBay force sellers to add a Buy It Now to every listing?
The anticipated fee changes basically sound like a move toward Amazon's model. Lower up front cost, higher final value [tag]fees[/tag]. Also, a lower priced Gallery photo - maybe even free? - was announced. We'll see next week.
In any case one word that really stood out during the call was "aggressive," as in "aggressive changes." Do you think sellers will be aggressive in their efforts to skip this new idea that is, according to Mr. Donahoe, "uniquely eBay"? Is "uniquely eBay" even a compliment right now? [tags]ecommerce,ebay stock[/tags]
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Pay for performance is possible now since search will be based on relevance and desirability as opposed to end time. eBay used high listing fees to throttle listing volume, but that’s no longer an issue if Best Match (on eBay.com) will work as intended. I think 2008 will be a rough year for sellers that sell primarily in the auction format.
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