As eBay shifts its strategy to appeal more to larger sellers, it risks alienating the clientele that made it a success. However, the company is making changes and working toward a strategy it hopes will lead to growth, and that's better than doing nothing, say experts. 11 Sep 2008
Has eBay outgrown the business model that led to its phenomenal success? The company stalwartly maintains that its new fee structure and other changes are designed to benefit all of its sellers - as well as buyers - but its so-called evolution has triggered the exodus of many mom-and-pop operations. 10 Sep 2008
You can thank Google for raising your online customers' search expectations through the roof. The 900-lb. gorilla of Internet search delivers such quality results - in just tenths of a second, as the results page tells you - that online shoppers won't settle for anything less than blindingly fast search results from the e-commerce sites they visit. 8 Sep 2008
A company's reputation can be made or broken with something as simple as a single online review. Anyone can post an online review and the results can be immediate and severe. Here are some tips on how to manage your reputation. 5 Sep 2008
Most consumers probably associate eBay more with vintage lunch boxes and low-priced electronics than with laptop bags made from recycled plastic by women in New Delhi. 4 Sep 2008
In a move that's left some observers scratching their heads, Microsoft has acquired a German comparison shopping site, Ciao for US$486 million in cash. 31 Aug 2008
In a move that could free up backpack space on college campuses nationwide, Amazon is reportedly looking to enter the school textbook market with the release of a new, student-friendly version of its Kindle electronic book reader. 26 Aug 2008
eBay has instituted a fee schedule that allows sellers of fixed-price items to list a product for 30 days - in many cases, multiple quantities of that product - for just 35 US cents. 22 Aug 2008
Small business is under fire - and increasingly, it is the small business website strategy that is being relied upon to create an effective defense. 21 Aug 2008
eBay is looking to expand its overseas reach with plans to acquire a minority stake in the South Korean online e-commerce market Gmarket. 18 Aug 2008
Tiffany has appealed a ruling in a federal court that online auction company eBay isn't responsible for keeping its users from selling fake jewellery that uses Tiffany's trademark. 13 Aug 2008
With fuel prices continuing to climb, a growing number of people appear to be skipping car trips to the shops in favour of online shopping. This, despite an economic downturn that some analysts have speculated could hold back the growth of e-commerce in South Africa. 13 Aug 2008
Are eBay and other e-commerce firms that allow third parties to conduct business transactions on their sites responsible for policing brand infringement? Or is it up to the brands themselves to alert the hosting organisation to suspected infringement? Two recent cases illustrate that it largely depends on where the e-commerce is being conducted. 12 Aug 2008
It's no fun shopping alone. That's the theory behind social shopping, a trend that combines social networking with e-commerce. It's a trend that's coming into its own as increasing numbers of online shoppers turn to the sites for fun, companionship, and camaraderie with other shoppers. 8 Aug 2008
A recent advertising campaign has eBay exhorting consumers to "Shop Victoriously," and, it's true, winning an online auction can be fun. My recent score - vintage hand carders to process wool for spinning, won for a mere US$15 - was a hoot. I got solid tools for an obscure craft at less than one-third the price they cost new. 4 Aug 2008
The biggest mystery about the 2008 Mandela coin, also known as the 90th birthday coin, is not why anyone would want to pay more than R5 for a coin that is worth exactly R5. The mystery is how is it possible that no one in the South African Reserve Bank saw it coming? After all, there have been precedents: the 1994 Mandela Presidential Inauguration R5 coin, as well as the 2000 Mandela R5 coin. 1 Aug 2008
First Amazon transformed itself from simple online bookseller to general e-tailer. Then it spread into the world of Web services and distributed computing. Now the online giant is entering the alternative payments game. 31 Jul 2008
The idea was simple: Build a large catalogue of consumer items and make it accessible in a structured format, unlike what already exists in wide-open search engines like Google. Give users tools similar to what they get on financial web sites. Give a unique online business experience to both the buyers of the goods and the sellers. 30 Jul 2008
South African online technology superstore targeting sub-Saharan Africa, Click2BuyIT.com, launched yesterday with the backing of international online retail IT knowledge and a multi-million Rand start-up investment in the company. 29 Jul 2008
As though in defiance of current economic trends, Amazon delivered second-quarter earnings that gave investors little to complain about. 25 Jul 2008
