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New software to be developed by eBay will be handed to bloggers so the worldwide network of online diarists can alert their niche readers to the auctioneer’s products. The move would mark the first attempt by an e-commerce giant to monetize the buoyant yet largely unprofitable market of web logs – growing at 75,000 a day, according to Technorati data. The unveiling would also help silence claims the Internet has failed to deliver enough ‘touch points’, as for example, an opera fan still buys music in a different place to where it’s discussed. The plan for the software, said to be in its very early stage, was yesterday revealed by Doug McCallum, the managing director of eBay’s UK business. “Our approach would be to develop new tools that we can turn over to bloggers, so they can define the natural shape of the marketplace on their own,” he said in an interview with the Financial Times. His vision is to reportedly empower worldwide bloggers by allowing them to create hyperlinks between niche communities and relevant products. Some of the ideas for the software are likely to come from eBay’s open-source network, Mr McCallum said. The targeting of online communities to beef up sales coincides with the auctioneer’s revived interest in prospective sellers, perhaps offline, which have been muscled out of the market place. As a result, Ebay Express will go live in the autumn as a stand-alone site that will allow small-to-mid sized retailers to compete on a level playing field with online retail giants. According to The Independent, the site will only offer new products at fixed prices, and all sellers will be vetted to ensure they are reputable, can guarantee prompt delivery and can accept returns within a week. Mr McCallum reflected, “We want to create a virtual high street with a plethora of businesses.” Jul 6, 2006 Email this article Printer friendly page Previous Page
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