Meet the People's Company. Like a d

Meet the People's Company. Like a democracy, it can be a noisy place where
citizens sometimes think the people in charge have no idea what they're doing. But at
eBay, the online auction site, the people are in charge. Its customers - the 70 million
buyers and sellers who trade here - have the kind of influence that most consumers
and businesses can only dream of. It's true, eBay has a business model that doesn't
require carrying any inventory. But the real secret of eBay's unlikely success is this:
it's a master at capturing the awesome communications power of the internet,
tracking customers' every movement so new products and services are tailored to
just what they want.
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eBay's customers are its product development, market research, merchandising
and sales department - all rolled into one. It's not just that they have made eBay into
a global marketplace for almost anything, from a $1 baseball card to a $4.9m
Gulfstream jet, eBay's customers also tell the world about eBay by word of mouth.
They crowd online discussion boards, share tips, point out glitches, and lobby for
changes. eBay's customers even police the site by rating each other. Imagine a
retailer trying to do this: interview every single person leaving every store, post a
list of what each thought of the shopping experience, ask them to write up a
merchandising plan and call suppliers to arrange deliveries - and oh, by the way,
could they keep an eye out for shoplifting? That's what eBay's customers voluntarily
do each day.
Back in 1995, when Pierre Omidyar unveiled Auction Web, he had much more
in mind than simply helping his girlfriend trade Pez dispensers. He aimed to create a
market for a wide range of goods, but with a difference. 'I wanted to give the power
of the market back to individuals,' says Omidyar. But his biggest breakthrough was
the Feedback Forum, a rating system that makes it easy for buyers and sellers to grade
each transaction. Amazingly, it works. And positive ratings, which translate to more
sales, keep people from going to other sites.
Some of its most effective ways of getting user input, though, don't depend on
the internet. Since early 1999, eBay has regularly flown in groups of sellers and
buyers to its headquarters in California to interview them, asking for their views on
new features and policies. The result: fewer problems. Even when something does
go wrong, eBay can respond quickly. 'They can essentially negotiate with 50,000
users at once and make it work,' says Munjal Shah, CEO of Andale.
Most of all, eBay simply watches. Almost all of its fastest-growing new
categories grew out of observing seller activity. After noticing random car sales,
eBay created a separate site called eBay Motors. This year, eBay expects to gross
some $3.8bn worth of autos and parts-many of them sold by dealers. 'It's the way of
the future,' says Bradley Bonifacius, internet manager at Dean Stallings Ford, Inc.
eBay business is the company's latest offering; a new site providing
businesses with an e-commerce platform. It's exciting new territory -and dangerous.
Many rivals aim to be the biggest places for e-commerce, too, and some are making
fast progress. But there's a bigger question. Can eBay's values survive such grand
ambitions? Omidyar worries that the growing participation of large commercial
sellers could dilute eBay's unique culture. 'If we lose that, we've pretty much lost
everything,' he says. eBay's people power made building a business simple
compared with everything conventional companies must do. Keeping in touch with
all those customers from here on won't be easy.

Результаты (английский) 3:

meet the people's company. like a democracy, but it can be a place wherecitizens sometimes think the people in charge have no idea what they're doing. but atebay, the online auction site, the people are in charge. its customers - the 70 millionbuyers and sellers who trade here - have the kind of influence that most consumersand businesses can only dream of. it's true, ebay has a business model that doesn'tfor carrying any inventory. but the real secret of ebay's unlikely success is this:it's a master at capturing the awesome communications power of the internet.tracking customers' every movement. the new products and services are tailored tojust what they want.156ebay's customers are its product development, market research, merchandisingand sales department all rolled into one. it's not just that they have made ebay intoa global marketplace for almost anything, from a $1 from the card to a $4.9mgulfstream jet, ebay's customers also tell the world about ebay by word of mouth.the crowd online discussion boards, share tips, point out glitches, and lobby forchanges. ebay's customers and police the site by rating each other. imagine aretailer trying to do this:: every single person from every store, post alist of what each thought of the shopping experience, ask them to write up amerchandising plan and call for to arrange deliveries - and oh, by the way.could they keep an eye out for shoplifting? that's what ebay's customers receiveddo each day.back in 1995, when pierre Omidyar unveiled auction web, he had much morein mind than simply helping his girlfriend trade pez dispensers. he aimed to create amarket for a wide range of goods, but with a difference. i wanted to give the powerof the market back to individuals, 'says Omidyar. but his biggest breakthrough wasthe feedback forum, a rating system that makes it easy for buyers and sellers to othereach transaction. Amazingly, it works. and positive ratings, which translate to moresales, to keep people from going to other sites.some of the most effective ways of getting user input, though, don't depend onthe internet. since early 1999, ebay has often flown in groups of sellers andbuyers to its headquarters in california to interview them, asking for their views onnew features and policies. the result: fewer problems. even when something doesgo wrong, ebay can respond quickly. they can negotiate with 50000 atusers at once and make it work, 'says Munjal shah, ceo of Andale.most of all, ebay) watches. almost all of its fastest growing newcategories grew out of observing seller activity. after noticing random car sales.ebay created a separate site called ebay motors. this year, ebay expects to grosssome $3.8bn worth of autos and parts - many of them sold by dealers. ' it's the way ofthe future, 'says bradley Bonifacius, internet manager at dean Stallings ford, inc.ebay business is the company's latest offering, a new site bybusinesses with an e - commerce platform. it's an exciting new territory - and dangerous.the rivals aim to be the biggest places for e - commerce, too, and some are makingfast progress. but there 's a bigger question. can survive such large ebay 's valuesambitions? Omidyar worries that the growing participation of large commercialsellers could dilute ebay's unique culture. if we lose that, we've pretty much losteverything, 'he says. ebay's people power for building a business acompared with conventional companies must do everything. keeping in touch withall those customers from here on won't be easy.