eBay to release consumer selling app for iPhone

eBay are ramping up their mobile offering with the announcement that mobile seller apps are about to be launched. As well as launching their buyer app on three new mobile platforms in Europe – Blackberry; Android and iPad, eBay will be releasing a consumer orientated selling app for the iPhone (scheduled for release on July 12th).

The seller app will integrate iPhone software from eBay’s latest acquisition Red Laser. RedLaser is the top-selling iPhone barcode-scanning application for comparison shopping and product information using a mobile device and will enable sellers to simply scan a bar code on a CD or DVD and list it on eBay using eBay’s catalogue information.

Seller App Features

• Click and list – anyone can photograph and list an item within 60 seconds providing almost instantaneous access to a global market
• Sellers can research sales trends and price ranges on eBay and list similar items for sale any time any where
• Barcode scanning enables fast, easy listing
• Listing can be done in auction or buy it now format
• Sellers can share listings using Facebook and Twitter

Mobile commerce is especially important for the UK, £64 million worth of goods were sold in the UK using the eBay app in 2009 with an item selling every 22 seconds. In a month more items are sold with the eBay app than are sold in France in a whole year. The next busiest mobile buying country is Germany with an item sold ever 35 seconds.

eBay was the first ecommerce experience for many in the UK, it was the place I made my first online purchase as well as making my first online sale on the site. 10 years later with mobile Internet use growing rapidly eBay are aiming to lead the way in mobile commerce in the same way that they revolutionised online sales.

Currently sales through mobiles is eBay’s fastest growing channel. If you have your own website it’s worth considering how you can make mobile sales easier and even considering a site optimised for mobile phone browsers.