eBay are making it easier and simpler to register on the site and to pay for goods once you’ve bought them.
Registering on eBay
New buyers will be able to register to use the site with minimal information. eBay just want to know your name, your email address, what user name you want to use and have you set a password. They don’t want or need more detailed information such as your street address until you actually buy something, so in future they’re not going to ask for it until that point.
This is all about getting buyers onto the site as quickly as possible, enabling them to set up their eBay Feed and allowing them to watch that item you’re selling on auction.
Bidding on eBay
Look for eBay to start making it as easy to buy on a laptop as it is on a mobile smartphone. eBay will be adding notifications to the site which will tell you when you’ve been outbid or when an item you’re watching is about to end. Like the eBay app on a mobile you won’t have to manually check or rely on an email – if you’re on any page on the eBay site the notification will pop up to warn you.
Bidding and buying won’t even necessarily entail revisiting the view item page. If you’re viewing an item in My eBay you’ll be able to increase your bid from there.
Paying on eBay
Soon the clunky divert to PayPal when you’re paying for an item will be gone. Buyers will be able to link their eBay account with their PayPal account and from then on pay with a couple of clicks – you’ll no longer have to type in your PayPal user name and password every time you pay on eBay. I’ve tested this on the US site and it’s literally click the buy it now button, click the confirm payment button and you’re done!
Simpler registration, easier buying and simpler payments is great news for sellers and buyers alike, anything that removes friction from the buying process has to be good news. We often hear complaints on Tamebay that eBay tinker with the site without ever fixing the basics. It looks very much like some of the basics are being addressed.
4 Responses
I hope they add something that stops people clicking on buy it now multiple times. I would also like a simple address check against post code. It is amazing how many people do not include a house number.
Do those who actually sell things want the ebay venue to make it easier to register?
I’ve not seen any surveys on this.
What is there to check that a new member actually has an ability to pay or is 18 or over?
Not sure this is entirely legal on a site where money changes hands but I may be right or wrong.