Internet giant eBay Inc. is launching three new apps to join its m-commerce site, eBay Mobile app and text messaging program in its ever-growing mobile commerce channel. The new apps include eBay Selling and eBay Classifieds, available immediately, and a version of the main eBay Mobile app for Apple Inc.’s iPad, available April 3, when the iPad goes on sale.
EBay is pouring more resources into m-commerce after a banner year in 2009, when its mobile channel accounted for $600 million in sales, far more than any other e-commerce site has reported. It predicts that mobile sales will hit $1.5 billion this year.
With the new eBay Selling app for the iPhone and iPod Touch, eBay sellers can point, shoot and click to list an item from their iPhones in 60 seconds or less, the merchant says. Sellers can use the app to research sales trends and price ranges on eBay and list similar items for sale, view the status of items for sale, and share listings with Facebook and Twitter social networks.
The new eBay Classifieds app for the iPhone and iPod Touch creates a shopping experience for both classifieds sellers and buyers. The mobile app provides free ad postings with up to eight photos, either from the iPhone’s photo library or its camera; search by keyword, location, price range and other attributes; and single-page ad view with reply, watch and share features.
“The eBay Selling app makes it easy for sellers to bring even greater value and selection to eBay and offer more great deals for buyers,” says Lorrie Norrington, president of eBay Marketplaces. “Whether selling or shopping, we’ve put the world’s largest online marketplace in the palm of your hand, and we’ve introduced a great new option for consumers who prefer to sell and buy in a trusted, family-friendly, local classifieds format.”
EBay is being as secretive about its new iPad version of the eBay Mobile app as Apple is about its iPad. An eBay spokeswoman would only confirm that the iPad app will be available April 3.
While eBay Mobile is also available on BlackBerry and Android phones, the other eBay apps are available only on the iPhone. The addition of an app for Apple’s iPad shows eBay’s dedication to Apple mobile devices.
“The iPhone changed the game with respect to what is possible on a mobile device,” an eBay spokeswoman says. “And we innovate first on the iPhone platform because it’s been a success for eBay since day one. That said, we constantly evaluate mobile platforms for their capabilities and user adoption as we consider new ways to reach buyers and sellers-especially in the mobile space-and we’ll continue to evolve our current BlackBerry and Android apps. It’s important to note that all mobile devices with web browsing capability can access Mobile.eBay.com.”
Apple is No. 5 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide.
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