Page 140 - 100 Great Marketing Ideas (100 Great Ideas)

66 FLOG IT ON EBAY

Marketing is about creating profitable exchanges. Even the word
derives from the kind of street market that represents the ultimate
in buyer–seller interaction. Street markets are dying out in most
industrialized countries due to the economies of scale that exist for
large firms (whether retailers or manufacturers).

Taking a product direct to market has many advantages, though.
It means that the supplier and the buyer can get together without
any intermediaries, which means that it is easier to get a clear idea
of what customers want and need. It means that middleman profit
margins are taken out of the equation (although wholesalers and
retailers usually earn their profit margins by increasing efficiency).
It means that the seller has more control over the whole process, in
conjunction with the buyer.

Doing the whole thing online has obvious advantages.

The idea

eBay has been around since 1995, and was originally founded as
an auction site for consumer-to-consumer deals. At the time, it
was more like an online jumble sale or auction than a true street
market—but since then things have moved on.

Many companies now sell goods on eBay. The site allows companies
to set up “booths” from which they can sell goods, at a fixed price
rather than through an auction. Having a booth can be extremely
cost-effective, especially considering the number of potential
customers you might reach.

100 GREAT MARKETING IDEAS • 131