eBay was one the first websites of its kind and by giving people a high level of bargaining power it completely democratised ecommerce. With its quirky and offbeat advertising, it was a fresh idea bought to life by a well thought out marketing campaign. By understanding that consumer retail habits were at an inflection point – trust in online shopping had been established, but people still valued the ability to browse on the high street – the company opened up a completely new way to shop online. Without question the company established online internet marketplaces as a viable business model. But perhaps more importantly than that it demonstrated sustainable consumer demand for this type of retail mode.
Without eBay, companies such as notonthehighstreet.com or Etsy would not have risen so rapidly.
You didn’t need to be a retail giant to be on eBay and that opened a lot of doors for many people and companies. eBay also democratised ecommerce, and as a result spawned a whole new economic system. Retailers that were too small or couldn’t afford a website, found their audience on eBay. Individuals also jumped on the bandwagon, selling their wares and making money from ‘stuff’ that they no longer needed.
It wasn’t just a new route to market that eBay, along with the likes of Amazon, has helped to pioneer, but an ecommerce marketing revolution also. This is especially true when it comes to utilising customer data in order to deliver a more engaging and seamless online experience. eBay pitches itself just right and they never over step the ‘creepy line.’ From day one the company has showcased a responsible attitude to customer data, using it to bring more context and relevance to an individual’s experience. In other words, they’ve recognised the power of data in continuing to advance their services. When you hit the big time, it’s easy to rest on your laurels, but eBay hasn’t fallen into this trap. It constantly strives to move forward and is only getting better at contextualising its data sources. eBay might be 20 years old, but its lesson to the internet has been that success comes from continual data innovation.
By Barbara Marino, EMEA Commercial Director at Datalicious.
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