Author: Ina Steiner

Ina Steiner is co-founder and Editor of EcommerceBytes and has been reporting on ecommerce since 1999. She's a widely cited authority on marketplace selling and is author of "Turn eBay Data Into Dollars" (McGraw-Hill 2006). Her blog was featured in the book, "Blogging Heroes" (Wiley 2008). She is a member of the Online News Association (Sep 2005 - present) and Investigative Reporters and Editors (Mar 2006 - present). Follow her on Twitter at @ecommercebytes and send news tips to ina@ecommercebytes.com. See disclosure at EcommerceBytes.com/disclosure/.

Rakuten to Accept Bitcoin on Global Marketplaces

March 17, 2015August 22, 2017 Ina Steiner

Ecommerce powerhouse Rakuten will allow Bitcoin payments, the company announced. Customers will be able to choose Bitcoin as a payment option on Rakutken.com (formerly Buy.com), to be followed by Rakuten.de in Germany and Rakuten.at in Austria. Rakuten said the advantage Read more

eBay Welcomes Sotheby’s Auction House to Live Bidding

March 17, 2015August 22, 2017 Ina Steiner

Unique art. Live streaming auctions. Exclusive content. That’s what Sotheby’s says it is bringing to the eBay marketplace in a partnership announced last summer that’s now live at eBay.com/sothebys. Why eBay? Bruno Vinciguerra, Sotheby’s COO, said in July, “We are joining Read more

eBay Spring Seller Update 2015: Product Identifiers

March 17, 2015August 22, 2017 Ina Steiner

In last year’s Spring Seller Release, eBay urged sellers to include product identifiers in their listings. With this year’s seller update, to be announced later today, it’s no longer a request – it’s a requirement for certain types of listings. Read more

eBay Spring Seller Update 2015: Revitalizing Auctions

March 17, 2015August 22, 2017 Ina Steiner

As part of its Spring Seller Release to be announced later today, eBay is making changes to fees in an effort to revitalize auctions and bring shoppers back to the site. The timing of the new auction fees coincides with Read more

eBay Runs $10 Coupon Promotion with a Catch

March 16, 2015August 22, 2017 Ina Steiner

One of eBay’s latest promotions eschews the normal free listings, instead giving sellers a coupon – but only if they list an item and it sells. “List an item today and get a $10 coupon to spend on eBay when your item Read more

PayPal Uses Shark Tamer to Promote Its Service

March 16, 2015August 22, 2017 Ina Steiner

Entrepreneur, investor, and and star of ABC’s Shark Tank television program Daymond John appeared in a video promoting PayPal as a safe way to pay for goods and also helped judge a contest for PayPal at the South by Southwest Read more

Facebook Buys TheFind, Sellers Lose Source of Traffic

March 16, 2015August 22, 2017 Ina Steiner

Sellers are losing yet another source of free traffic thanks to Facebook’s acquisition of TheFind. The ecommerce search engine, which provided a source of free and low-cost traffic to online merchants, will go offline in a matter of weeks. “Disappointing Read more

New eBay Promo Encourages Sellers to Run Auctions

March 13, 2015August 22, 2017 Ina Steiner

eBay is running a promotion encouraging sellers to list in the auction format, but it’s only for those sellers who receive an invitation. Those who receive and activate the offer can list up to 1,500 auction or auction with Buy Read more

Did eBay Fix Its iPad App with This Week’s Update?

March 13, 2015August 22, 2017 Ina Steiner

eBay upgraded its mobile apps for iPhone, iPad and Android apps on Wednesday, but it’s too early to tell if users will find the new iPad update more palatable than the last one it launched in December, which saw a Read more

eBay CEO John Donahoe: Economic Volatility is Here to Stay

March 12, 2015August 22, 2017 Ina Steiner

eBay CEO John Donahoe says economic volatility is here to stay. He was interviewed by PricewaterhouseCoopers as part of its presentation of the PwC’s Annual Global CEO Survey. Donahoe said he’s cautiously optimistic about the economy. However, he sees more Read more