Ask HN: How would you take on eBay? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: How would you take on eBay?

#11

Post by amac » Fri, Apr 08, 2011, 3:12 PM UTC

twelvedigits wrote: post #10

amac wrote: post #9

Focus on people (sellers), not products or categories.

I agree. How can I make selling easier? I can think of many ways to make listings, payment, categorizing easier. But how to make shipping easier?

It's hard to comment without seeing your work, is your product public? Do you have a url?

Re: Ask HN: How would you take on eBay?

#12

Post by amac » Fri, Apr 08, 2011, 3:16 PM UTC

Dnguyen wrote: post #2

I'd fix the scammer issue.

The marketplace (like any) is based on trust, there are always untrustworthy people.

Re: Ask HN: How would you take on eBay?

#13

Post by triviatise » Fri, Apr 08, 2011, 7:14 PM UTC

Embrace and extend. Wrap ebay with a more usable wrapper, then start to give people who are using your wrapper better usability and more features.

Re: Ask HN: How would you take on eBay?

#14

Post by Punter » Fri, Apr 08, 2011, 9:04 PM UTC

twelvedigits wrote: post #10

amac wrote: post #9

Focus on people (sellers), not products or categories.

I agree. How can I make selling easier? I can think of many ways to make listings, payment, categorizing easier. But how to make shipping easier?

10-20 years down the road-3D printing will start to make shipping look like a lost artform.

Re: Ask HN: How would you take on eBay?

#15

Post by farout » Fri, Apr 08, 2011, 9:06 PM UTC

think etsy.

To me etsy was a nichified idea of ebay:

-remove the auctions since these people want just want to sell whenever the item gets sold

-make it super easy for crafts to sell their stuff; make it easier than ebay.

-make the fees more reasonable

-make the first time use - dead easy; unlike the ebay experience - so many options and too confusing. People scared of making a mistake.

What were these crafts people using before etsy: ebay.