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12 amazing new eBay tools |
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Over the last year, eBay has introduced a wide range of tools for better bidding and smarter selling. Here, we look at 12 amazing new eBay tools.
1 Enhanced site design
If you haven't visited eBay (www.ebay.co.uk) for a while, the first thing you'll notice is the new sassier, more modern look. Debuted in January this year, the revamp is an attempt to make the front page more organised by grouping things like eBay Express, Shops and Motors together as well as sticking the Trade Safely section right there on the start page where it belongs. Like all successful re-jigs, it keeps the character of the original while making it easier to use.
2 Add eBay to Firefox
If you're a Firefox user, scoot over to http://tinyurl.com/2uskaq and download the eBay Companion. It'll install as an extension and open a new tab that lets you keep an eye on any items you're bidding on. Occasional auctioneers can get warnings when they've been outbid or when an item is due to end, while eBay pros can tick off items as they sell, one by one. It's still in beta, but stable and very useful.
3 eBay To Go
'Showcase your favourite eBay discoveries directly on your website or blog!' says the blurb for http://togo.ebay.com. It lets you embed a widget in your home page, displaying single or multiple items (up to 10) or a set of search results that visitors can then view, discuss and bid on. Helpfully, eBay provides detailed instructions for MySpace, Blogger, WordPress, TypePad and other popular services, so you don't need to be a web wizard to make it work.
4 eBay meets MySpace
Not literally, but that's what it feels like. Go to http://myworld.ebay.co.uk and you can create a MySpace-style eBay home page that includes a biography, blog, items for sale and your feedback score. It's all part of eBay's efforts to make itself more like a community and less like an international car-boot sale.
5 eBay's best sellers
Still in beta but perfectly usable, eBay Pop is a kind of portal page, combining news, gossip and instant polls. It also includes a regularly updated list of what's selling best on eBay. Select a category – say CDs and DVDs – and eBay Pop will display a Billboard-style top 10 of the biggest movers, listed by percentage, along with the most popular items. Go to http://tinyurl.com/264rrq and see whether it's worth selling that old copy of Pirates of the Caribbean.
6 New Feedback System
Whereas in the past you've only been able to rate eBay sellers via the blunt instrument of 'Positive', 'Neutral' and 'Negative', you can now use the new detailed seller ratings to score their performance in terms of the item description, communication, promptness of delivery and – that old eBay bugbear – postage and packaging charges. At long last the sneaks who sweeten the deal for themselves by overcharging on shipping can get their comeuppance.
7 eBay Blogs
Connect with friends, family and trading partners via eBay's new blogging feature http://blogs.ebay.co.uk, which lets you create a Blogger-style soapbox. Post information about your latest auctions, problems you're encountering with the site or what lovely weather we're having – the choice is yours.
8 New 'Sell Your Item' Form
At the end of May 2007, eBay retired its old 'sell your item' form and replaced it with a brand spanking new one that includes much better help for beginners and more layout options. It makes setting up a listing much easier and will hopefully help sellers conduct their business more effectively.
9 Turbo-charged Turbo Lister
eBay has also 'retired' the original Turbo Lister 1 software (this is the free program that makes it easier for people to sell items in bulk). Turbo Lister 2 is better-looking and more straightforward to use, and includes more pre-filled options to save you an eternity filling in forms.
10 Search inside your browser
Remember that you don't have to actually visit eBay to find something for sale – Internet Explorer or Firefox both let you search for items using their built-in search boxes. In IE7, click the arrow next to the magnifying glass in the top-right hand corner and choose 'Find More Providers' from the drop down menu. Select eBay from the list and then click the Add Provider button. Open the drop-down menu again, select eBay as the search engine of choice and after that, you can find items you're interested directly from the browser's button bar. In Firefox, the feature works almost identically.
11 Vista eBay Sidebar gadget
Windows Vista-users can download a dedicated eBay gadget from www.auctionsidebar.com. The eBay Sidebar Tool Gadget sits on the Vista Sidebar, keeping an eye on items you're selling, bidding on or just watching. This saves you opening a full eBay window whenever you want to check what's happening with your stuff.
12 Improved buyer protection
Provided you pay using PayPal, you now get £150 of protection coverage with no processing fee, no minimum purchase price and no seller requirements for everything you buy. This entitles you to a refund up to that amount if items are not received or fail to match their description. See www.paypal.com/securitycenter for full details.
The above editorial is courtesy of the excellent Webuser Magazine 
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