eBay: Dominance in the On-line Industry
eBay is The World’s Online Marketplace®. Founded in 1995, eBay created a powerful platform for the sale of goods and services by a passionate community of individuals and businesses. On any given day, there are millions of items across thousands of categories for sale on eBay and its subsidiaries, half.com and shopping.com, to name a few (“eBay Inc Outlines Global Business Strategy”, 2000.) Retrieved October 31, 2008 from http://investor.ebay.com). eBay enables trade on a local, national, and international basis with customized sites in markets around the world. eBay is leading the way in Internet auctions over competitors, Amazon.com and Yahoo.com. The Internet brings together a larger number of both buyers and sellers and has opened the way for individuals to trade on a global scale. eBay has taken a number of steps to increase consumer confidence and reduce theft risks .There is no doubt that eBay holds the power in the on-line auction industry. An analysis of the key factors of the company was compiled to find out what the eBay strategy is, and how it is doing financially. Finally, an internal analysis of the company’s strengths and weaknesses and an external analysis of its opportunities and threats have been provided. The intent of this paper is to unveil the meaning and value of growth strategies or models at eBay as well as to provide an in-depth study of their significance and reputation in the on-line industry. From its inception in a San Francisco living room, eBay has grown to be in a league by itself.
Analysis of eBay’s Strategy and Business Model
Before eBay could begin ...