eBay revamps mobile website to leverage smartphone innovations

Online marketplace eBay unveiled a retooled mobile website optimized for smartphone users, promising on-the-go buying and selling tools mirroring the desktop experience. Built in association with cross-platform mobile solutions provider Netbiscuits, the new eBay site enables users to browse categories, save and refine searches, sort results by price, time and/or location, and uncover related auctions or other items listed by the same seller. Upgrades include auto-complete for search queries, expandable swiping galleries for teaser and item photos and a floating menu bar that keeps key controls onscreen as users scroll through pages. At launch, the eBay site will be available exclusively to iPhone users; a version optimized for Android smartphones will soon follow, and over the course of 2011, the site will extend to more than 1,000 unique devices.

eBay said that the relaunched mobile website will work in tandem with its existing smartphone applications. "When discussing traffic numbers on a device basis, I think it's important to note that we've actively diverted millions of users from our mobile website m.ebay.com to our iPhone, Android and BlackBerry apps," said eBay director of platform business solutions and mobile engineering Han-Shen Yuan in a statement. "However, despite us proactively diverting traffic, mobile web revenue growth is increasing at the same pace as our mobile app business. Therefore, it is important to have a mobile strategy that includes both mobile sites and apps."

eBay's mobile services yielded over $600 million in gross merchandise volume in 2009. Earlier this year, the company said it is on pace to generate $1.5 billion in GMV via mobile commerce channels in 2010, adding more than half of its mobile sales originate from international purchases.

For more on the new eBay mobile site:
- read this release

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