Gazza - Mobile friendly eBid?

[bykimbo]

Okay! So this API is necessary for third party developers to write applications that could be used on eBid. It would benefit me by allowing for applications to be developed that I may or may not wish to use and by increasing the number of large sellers listing large amounts of listings on the site which, in turn, would draw more buyers. Have I got that correct?

Precisely how would Gazza & Mark maintain control of the overall operation of the site if third parties were developing apps for use with the site? Would there be some sort of licensing agreements between eBid and the developers? Surely eBid would have to maintain some form of access control over the site's data and have the final say regarding application access to the site's core, wouldn't it?

Think of the API as a map to the listings database. The map says you may add listings with "this information" held in "this format", and if you wish to read listings you will find the information the same way. They don't fiddle about with the core data in anyway, or change the function of the site. It just allows people to build better interfaces to perform the standard tasks, what the data is and how if performs on site is rigidly defined. So, for example, I could write a "better than Ninja" loader (I won't, but you get the idea), or I could write a data extraction routine that let me read my active listings and feed them to an external app that loaded them all into a standard template and updated the listings with the new format. Or that took my sales data and fed it into a routine that printed personalised invoices and packing lists.

[Saturdayat3]

I know an API is something many on this site have requested long before I ever became a member, however the reason I asked if a mobile friendly version could be developed is :

1. To make it easier for me to access the site when I do not have the luxury of being at my computer (lots of the time).
2. To make it easier for people to access the site and therfore increase potential sales (it's not just 'young' people that access the net this way as the figures demonstrate in my previous post link).
3. The site could receive an increased return on ad spend as a result (see the case study below).

"The Results In the first month after TicketsNow launched the mobile site, average order values from mobile devices increased 8%, conversion rate grew by a sustained 50% and sales grew by 100%. The mobile site also increased return on ad spend by 30%. With a successful mobile site and mobile-targeted AdWords campaign under their belt, TicketsNow has found a winning-formula that works for them—and their customers."
Full details here

And here are some screen shots that highlight the difference between accessing a site on your mobile, and one that is mobile friendly.

[Juliebabe25]

Yes, well lets hope that in 2012 Gazza and Mark do both the API and a mobile friendly version and add a bid column and a best offer feature.

And may be they could forget all the small cosmetics and obscure bugs for 2012 in order to do the above.
Which are all things that should help ebid sellers sell more
.

[bykimbo]

Yes, well lets hope that in 2012 Gazza and Mark do both the API and a mobile friendly version and add a bid column and a best offer feature.

And may be they could forget all the small cosmetics and obscure bugs for 2012 in order to do the above.
Which are all things that should help ebid sellers sell more
.

They shouldn't ignore *any* bugs! If they leave an error on the site after it's been reported they'll be incredibly unprofessional. Bugs trump improvements every time.

[DZAMBO]

Well...’’bugs’’ must be fixed right away all the time, no questions about that, for API we have ‘’time’’ for the future as usual…2013…2014…2015…20…...

[JaBek1]

I'm not quite sure if I'd get much accomplished if there was an API since I still have to slave over simple html tasks, but it sounds like something that will benefit the site in general. Of course, a mobile one also sounds good. I suppose my 10 year old granddaughter might leach me how to use her Kindle Fire if we had an app for that.

[Juliebabe25]

Every piece of software and auction site has bugs.
It just depends on how much time and effort the owners want to devote to them.
And of course how serious they are.

Of course serious bugs should be fixed asap.
But there are probably many that could be left so that more resources could be devoted to these much needed improvements to ebid.

[phoenixautosport]

I honestly believe that an api would vastly benefit the site as it serves both buyers and sellers needs and allows for integration of the site into mobile and tablet environments which are the fastest growing platforms for people making online sales and purchases and also integrate into multi-site software like auctivia, no sense in getting bogged down writing apps as developers will compete to write the best apps if the api is there, I see this as the single most positive move to grow both seller and customer base

[bykimbo]

I honestly believe that an api would vastly benefit the site as it serves both buyers and sellers needs and allows for integration of the site into mobile and tablet environments which are the fastest growing platforms for people making online sales and purchases and also integrate into multi-site software like auctivia, no sense in getting bogged down writing apps as developers will compete to write the best apps if the api is there, I see this as the single most positive move to grow both seller and customer base

Quite so.

[tantrip12]

I am not the younger generation, but I have a smart phone and use apps now for my business. I was just searching for ebids yesterday? So when will you be adding that?

Also I have a question, I am new, Seller+ Lifetime.....Question a free auction doesn't include photos? Am I missing something? I thought when I signed up I saw 5 photos listed?