eBay’s top goals for 2010 have been revealed in a tweet by their corporate blogger, Richard Brewer Hay. Having seen a poster in a stair well in San Jose he posted an image of it on yfrog. The goals are:
1) Increase eBay’s Net Promoter score by 10 percentage points
2) Increase sales by 6 percentage points
3) Maintain market share.
The Net Promoter score is a rating between 0 and 10 based on a very simple question – “How likely is it that you would recommend eBay to a friend or colleague?”. 9 and 10 ratings are promoters, 7 and 8 ratings are neutral, and 0 to 6 ratings are detractors (or in eBay speak negatives). eBay’s methods to achieve this in the UK include the Fashion Outlet and big brand retailers who they hope will deliver superb products and service to entice current detractors to shop on the site.
Interestingly the second two points are to increase sales and maintain market share. In recent years eBay has grown more slowly than ecommerce in general and this goal appears to acknowledge this slow growth. If Amazon continues to accelerate and Rakutan enters the US and European marketplaces simply standing still in comparison to the competition might actually be a noteworthy achievement.
eBay also list their top priorities to achieve their three goals. “Retail” is something that eBay still struggle to achieve. In retail (whether online or offline) buyers can browse, add and subtract items from a shopping cart, returns, especially in CSA (Clothes, Shoes and Accessories) are the norm and in general a retail experience is based on a new product.
Much of eBay’s uniqueness is based on used items and antiques and eBay still need to figure out how not to disadvantage small sellers with fantastic inventory whilst pushing their retail partners. It is heartening to see that eBay want to defend their C2C (Private Seller) business, but doubtless eBay’s way to achieve this will be with auctions and not fixed price listings. What’s also needed is a focus on the B2C professional seller who isn’t a large retailer and possibly trades in used or antique goods and that’s an area eBay have yet to understand.
Finally eBay want to build their advertising business. Expect to see expansion of AdCommerce, initiatives such as the Delivery Services Hub and more adverts on listings and across the site as a whole.
So how do eBay’s goals align themselves with your own eBay business? Do you feel that their goals will benefit your business or are eBay working in areas which are neutral or will detract from your future profits?
23 Responses
Maintaining may well be a difficult task if BUY’s new owners walk away and take there thousands of listings with them.
Interesting that these are all externally focused goals — none addresses what many external observers identify as the cultural issues within the organisation which hold back the potential of the marketplace.
Like most laundry lists, there are some conflicting (more advertising but better experience?), some specific (enhance selection and value in CSA) and others vague and woolly (deliver value across the site).
Does anyone know what the current NPS is and whether its a survey of buyers or of sellers?
I take it that BBE means Bad Buying Experience, sounds like continued pressure on sellers.
What does “Scale B2C sellers” mean? up or down?
the last 6 months or so we have received the best service and the most understanding support we have had in over 10years from ebay, plus we get hundreds sometimes thousands of pounds in FVF refunds every month, and make shed loads of dosh,
we are as happy as a pig in clarts.
with ebay
we are delighted ebay are now much more realistic and professional, and are not playing silly buggers these days, sending stupid certificates for you to colour in, or inventing idiotic promos like stallholder partnerships,
I think you’ll find that here in the States we are pretty much for the underdog…the downtrodden. The idea that Ebay was a place where the elderly, the disabled and the stay at home moms could earn some money was worth supporting, and make no mistake auctions are pretty much alive here. Ebay, in the last few years, has managed to kill the excitement of auctions and destroyed the feeling of community that was so alive on the site. They’ve pitted buyers against sellers and driven off some good decent small sellers at the whim of buyers having a bad hair day! Ebay’s reputation is mud here right now.
I feel Ebay would profit from splitting their site – much as Overstock has done. Retail on one side – auctions and fixed price listings on the other. Instead, they try to combine them as Amazon does and its not working. They simply have no skin in that game – they sell nothing but a service and right now they are doing that very badly!
I think Ebay may finally be realizing they can’t make it on retail alone. The competition is stiff, wiley and well-honed. Up against the likes of Amazon they look like what they are – shabby and disorganized. It will be interesting to see what Rakuten will add to this mix. If Ebay does not get back to their roots and their niche as a place where one can find the unique, the rare, the vintage, etc. I believe they will drag on like this for years or until the present management is finally ousted. That’s my take on it after selling on and observing this business for past 12 years.
The Net Promoter Score for ebay at the moment is 65. It went up from 61 in 2009 to 65 this year so 75 is rather pie-in-the-sky isn’t it? Amazon.com’s dropped from 74 to 71 during the same period.
Other interesting scores for 2010 are Facebook 65, Google 63 and The Harley Davidson Motor Company 81.
https://www.satmetrix.com/company/press-and-news/pr-archive/pr20100317/
As regards defend sellers.
A lot of sellers are moving to alternate sites such as Etsy, Ecrater, Ebid and Bonanzle and their own websites.
So to defend their sellers may be a big ask, especially in the light of their other conflicting goals.
Also note: **Marketplace** goals – this doesn’t cover Payments, which is rapidly looking like the mainstay of eBay’s business at the mo.
I use to sell $100,000.00 a month on ebay.I will not buy or ever sell on ebay again.They are so foolish and dont care about any one but ebay.Change after change over and over.John D Noise was to much for me.Every change that ebay made they said this is what the people wanted.LOL.I use to love ebay and yes we the sellers did make alot of noise,by telling everyone how great ebay was.But John you have change everyone from love to hate.Yes i sell other sites now and do sell a little less but i dont have ebays bull to put up with and that is worth so much more.
I dont care if ebay is run by the hoards of hell, its still the eighth wonder of the world for selling,
if you cant sell on ebay its because your product is wrong or your price is too high, or your competition is doing it better
Whoooo,
More emphasis on CSA
I feel like a performing seal, with the hoops I am going through,
I agree with your North – but finding a way out of this is impossible, without slashing prices in a race to the bottom scenario which helps no-one, especially the customer, who then is let down when a seller goes bump.
Agrees with Chris, I used to love eBay, I wanted the wrapping paper, lights, and branded stuff, now it feels like a word you darent say too loudly, as so many people are anti-eBay, and thats buyers as well as sellers,
🙁
Hey Ho
Suz x