When online auction powerhouse eBay acquired the popular price comparison site Shopping.com in August 2005, people wondered if the two online shopping services would ever be connected. Now, after a major rebranding campaign in which Shopping.com was re-launched as eBay Commerce Network, the verdict is in.
The reinvented eBay Commerce Network has shifted its focus in an effort to provide more services to online publishers and merchants, increasing the likelihood that a customer will actually click-through to a merchant’s store. For everyday users, the new eBay Commerce Network is still a price comparison site, just like Shopping.com. The difference now is that merchants will have many more sales opportunities where they can reach out to qualified customers.
The New and Improved eBay Commerce Network
One of the biggest changes that merchants will notice is that search results produced by the newly launched eBay Commerce Network can now be shown elsewhere on the Internet, significantly increasing the likelihood of a successful transaction. Merchants will have access to all of eBay’s sophisticated transaction tools, including eBay’s popular PayPal checkout. The platform’s new API will provide publishers with real-time access to a host of eBay services, products, features, listings and merchants. Using new value based pricing algorithms; publishers will receive revenue according to the quality of traffic they send to merchants – rather than sheer quantity.
Shopping.com already serves more than 250 million consumers every month, and is accessible in the United States, France, Germany, Australia and the United Kingdom. With more effective incentives for merchants and publishers, the redesigned eBay Commerce Network has the potential to attract a whole new wave of active users. According to eBay Commerce Network General Manager Kristy Troup, the network has been set up to give 4,000 participating merchants access to sites with some 200 million monthly page views. Participants already include retail chains like Macy’s, Target, Best Buy, and Amazon.
The eBay Commerce Network charges retailers on a cost-per-click basis and has been optimized to help merchants effectively manage their CPC bids to produce the highest possible click-through rates and sales. “We’re investing in the network and committed to growing it,” says Kristy Troup. One thing is clear. Online commerce is here to stay and eBay’s renewed commitment to improving the online shopping experience will have major implications for publishers, merchants, and their customers.
About Gevril Group
Gevril Group is the exclusive US representative for select European watch brands, distributing and servicing luxury, fashion and sports timepieces at a wide range of price points. Gevril Group also operates a full-service watch repair department staffed by master Swiss watchmakers.
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