eBay Users Spending Less Time on Site

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AuctionBytes Blog
News and insight focusing on
ecommerce and the online auction industry
by Ina Steiner, Editor of AuctionBytes.com

July 02, 2007

eBay Users Spending Less Time on Site

By: David Steiner

Mon July 2 2007 15:37:49

A check of Nielsen/NetRatings shows that eBay users are spending less time on the site than in previous years. In 2006, eBay trumpeted in a Seller Central Report on how buyers use eBay that visitors spend more time on eBay than on other sites, and that time spent on the site is increasing year-over-year. It used data from December 2003 to March 2005 to prove its point. A look at more recent data, however, shows the time spent has gone down.

I was looking at the Nielsen/NetRatings report along with other data to see if anecdotal reports had any merit - you can see my musings in today's AuctionBytes Newsflash article here.
http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y07/m07/i02/s00

There's tons of data, I'm interested in hearing what readers have to say, please leave a comment below.

Comments (227) | Leave Comment | Permalink

Readers Comments

eBay Users Spending Less Time on Site

by: Patricia

Wed Aug 1 13:55:55 2007

Ebay needs to cut the nonsense. Traffic and revenue will not improve until buyer's feel safe buying on eBay again! They need to weed out the worst sellers and fraudsters and then heavily advertise that eBay is a safe place to shop. They need to give buyers confidence once again!! They are trying to avoid this every way possible and nothing else is working. They have just about milked seller's dry for their needed revenue - its time for them to be honest about the business itself or watch the whole ship slowly sink!

eBay Users Spending Less Time on Site

by: Ray

Fri Aug 3 19:06:07 2007

As a buyer and shopper I have significantly reduced the time I spend on eBay over the past couple of years. One of the primary reasons is that the merchandise assortment continues to shrink. One of the things that brought me to ebay was the ability to search for specialty and unique items that just could not be found in the typical brick and mortar operations. It seems to me that eBay used to facilitate the ability of sellers to provide those items and today eBay seems to be more interested in the higher listing average and larger volume sellers.

Perhaps eBay's attitude and volumes of rules have chased sellers away. Perhaps times are changing and there are just better options than the eBay experience.

In the past I would shop for my special items on eBay and continue to search for listings for other items I could use. Now, I find that the unique items are disappearing from ebay. There just doesn't seem to be a perceived value in shopping eBay and the uniqueness of a much larger assortment of items is gone.

I don't know if the folks at eBay understand that people don't go to eBay simply because it is eBay. People come to shop and explore the seller's listings. Buyers develop relationships with sellers, not eBay. I could care less about eBay and if all the seller's listings were on another venue I would go there to shop.

With a lack of unique items there just isn't much that is special about the eBay experience anymore. I still find my special items, but it is Google search results that are increasingly beneficial to me. Unfortunately, I am finding my items elsewhere and many of the sellers who once brought refreshing and unique items seem to be gone from eBay.

I have no issues with professional sellers and business flourishing on eBay, but I do miss the atmosphere and wide assortment that once was eBay. If my needs have to be sacrificed in order for eBay to increase it's stock value then I will just have to shop and spend my dollars elsewhere.

eBay Users Spending Less Time on Site

by: Patricia

Wed Aug 8 13:34:43 2007

Thank you Ina and David for the wonderful work you do here. There is such a wealth of useful information coming from the USERS of ebay in columns like this. I can only hope that eBay management reads some of it...but I can see by their actions that they don't. They still think they know what's best (which seems to be to increase their revenue at all costs). Unfortunately that gravy train will come to a halt - the signs of it are already in place! I hope they're smart enough to see it.

eBay Users Spending Less Time on Site

by: HEIDI

Wed Aug 29 20:00:50 2007

Ebay does get to be much at times and sometimes I have to grit my teeth. I sell children's sterling silver and gold at VERY reasonable prices. I also sell on Blujay.com and on OnlineAuction.com. It's slow everywhere, infact Ebay is still my better marketplace to sell. I just opened my store on Ebay about 18 months ago. Things were slow for me in the beginning, but I expected such. Christmas of 2006 put my name out there and sales stayed steady, $400 to $500 a month after, until June this year. It is my understanding that the economy is bad everywhere. First gas prices went off the board and then your store bought items followed, groceries and all of our other essential needs, due to the truckers having to raise their prices for transporting. I think if we all got together and refused to let whoevers behind this gas situation know that they are not going to get rich off us, you would see gas prices drop and everything else to follow. Meaning, stay home more and plan your outings efficently. Make a list at the first of the week as to what you need to take care of and then plan your outings by grouping these areas together. Instead of making 5 trips during the week, see if you can group it into 2. It's like I told the lady at WalMart, not to think I will increase by spending budget on groceries just because the prices have gone up, I will instead buy less or look to recipes and items that are less expensive to prepare. So, I'll buy ham one week and have tuna salad the next and I'll mend clothing items, if possible, rather than buying new. There's more of us, than there is of the gas greeders and if we all take a stand, well, watch what happens.

Another thing is, I read in our local paper that our malls are looking for ways to bring customers back. Seems they had lost business due to online marketing. For example, shoe stores will run sells as to buy one get one 1/2 off. People come in w/ 3 to 4 kids and they make a big sale. Next stop is the candy store, game room, pet store or food court on the way out, so forth and so forth. It seems we will need to look for ways to compete w/ our malls as well as our greedy gas handlers, but I don't have any advice for that, except stay home and play games w/ the kids, shop online more and save gas. Love the sight. Thanks, Heidi. http://www.stores.ebay.com/HEIDIS-JEWELRY-GEMS-AND-TREASURES

eBay Users Spending Less Time on Site

by: John

Fri Nov 9 08:47:44 2007

Simple reason is that the service is really bad. Used to sell alot until I had a problem, tried to get customer service, but ll the employees I dealt with were thick and arrogant.

eBay Users Spending Less Time on Site

by: mike g

Tue Feb 19 08:30:03 2008

What a great story, especially in the context of what is going on right now -- it truly makes you wonder what the next year or two holds for eBay and how many blows its buyers and sellers can take before it become damaged beyond repair.

eBay Users Spending Less Time on Site

by: oltxgal

Wed Nov 12 12:09:35 2008

Been doing business on eBay for over 10 years. It was great, until last year, when eBay changed the feedback policy. Something which should have never happened. Instead they whould have properly policed the site, anddealt effectively with both abusive sellers, as well as nonpaying and dishonest buyers. Plenty of problems on both sides, but as mentioned above, ebay didn't want to hear it.

The latest and greatest SNAFU is the Plastic only payment policy, making the use of wholly owned subsidiary, PayPal, the inescapale vehicle. Basically,I consider eBAy to be my landlord, for fees, I use their venue for my independent business. They may require my fee payment by any method they see fit, but golly, what unit of exchange I take for payment is none of their damned business, as long as I pay the appropriate fees. The Australian government recently intervened when they tried to impose this this policy down under. Where the heck is our government?!?! Some of my customers refuse to have any of their credit information online, and insist on payment by check or money order. That should be their choice. Odd thing, in this tough economy, my domestic sales have declined, but international sales have spiked. Most transactions were paid for through PayPal. Those customers who used to pay by check or money order have abandoned the site.

There was a comment above about "apathy" on the part of the eBAy commmunity.... as reflected in the blogs and discussion boards. Good reason for that...not apathy, it's resignation. EBay does not listen to the community. It trots out policies, and lamely "sells" them as "improvements" to the site... increased safety, and more FUN! They sound like Washington politicians, legislating unwelcome regulation and higher taxes "for our own good".

What they're looking at is the bottom line at the expense of just the people who have made this site succeed. Read that eBay made significant layoffs recently.... should have started at the TOP! They've driven many great sellers from the venue, and with this new PayPal only policy, they've driven a significant number of buyers elsewhere.

Don't know what the future holds, but expect the eBay decline to continue, until the distructive policies are repealed, management is replaced, or a leaner, hungrier auction venue emerges.

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