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The Usability of
eBay's Checkout Feature
Article by
Matt Rhodes
Summary
The article briefly highlights
some frustrations sellers have with eBay's Checkout feature.
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Background
Is eBay easy to use? How many complaints does
eBay get about their site? To many experienced "eBayers", the site is fairly easy to use with the exception of eBay's
recent addition of a checkout
feature. Unfortunately, the checkout feature is a real pain in the
butt.
Here is how the checkout feature is supposed to work. The seller enters
information about their product, including all of the associated costs, such
as taxes (if any), shipping, and handling. At the end of the auction
listing, the seller presses a button pays for listing the item. That's the way eBay
wants it to work, but that is certainly not the way it works.
Here is how the checkout
feature actually works. On eBay's "Sell Your Item" form, there is a section where you have a choice of whether you want to use
the Checkout feature or not.
I always mark "no" for the Checkout feature. However, that doesn't stop eBay
from including it despite my request. It is a complicated, annoying and useless process for the seller.
Is this a convenience? Hardly. Not only does it add to the length of the page and increase the loading time, it also has a
"Learn more about checkout" link, which you can see in the screenshot
above. When a user clicks on the "Learn more about checkout" link, it takes
them to a page about the checkout feature in the same browser. Which means sellers lose potential
bidders. As a seller, that is the last thing I want to happen.
To improve the
Checkout feature, eBay should make it easier for sellers to use it. They could achieve this by improving the
"Checkout" section on the "Sell Your Item" form. They should make it easier to enter your contact information, or (for example) if you are signed in, add all your contact information automatically to the checkout form. Also, eBay should open a new browser
window whenever a user clicks on the link to learn more eBay's site
functionality. Lastly, when a seller checks "no" for having the Checkout
feature on their auctions, eBay should abide by that request. Sellers should
definitely have a choice and eBay should treat sellers with respect.
Asides
Lately, eBay has
been bothering me a great deal with their Flash advertisements. I'm starting
to see them all over the place, and they are really annoying. For example,
take a look at this recent eBay
advertisement at viola.fr. Nasty!
Currently, eBay has an interesting promotion going on for users.
You can earn $4 for every new eBay user that you can get to sign up with
eBay. I believe this form of marketing is more efficient than Flash advertisements.
eBay's affiliate
program is also reasonable. You can earn $2.00 for every affiliate who
signs up through your site, plus 5% of each affiliate's lifetime
revenues.
It is unfortunate
that eBay has gotten more and more complicated than when I had first joined in 1999. I have to say, eBay.com was faster, more efficient, and was much easier to use back then.
I've spent a lot of time on eBay and you would think that it would get
easier and easier to use. However, because they keep adding features, it is
actually getting more difficult to use. What a shame.
Useful Links
eBay
users unhappy with "Checkout" feature (CNET)
eBay
revamps Checkout feature (ZDNet)
eBay's
Seller Checkout Tutorial
eBay's
Buyer Checkout Tutorial
eBay's
Checkout Discussion Board
The eBay Marketing Announcements Board
SellYourItem.com
Announces Substantial Increases in Both Memberships and Auction Listings
What next?
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