Online marketplaces have become big businesses whose buyers and sellers need more sophisticated management and logistical tools. As the following article describes, eBay is partnering with e-commerce developer BigCommerce to enhance the online shopping experience.
E-commerce SaaS provider BigCommerce partnership with eBay to make it easier for BigCommerce merchants to sell on the eBay marketplace.
he new integrations will give BigCommerce merchants centralized inventory management and order processing across platforms, as well as the ability to bulk-list items on the eBay marketplace and customize product listings for specific channels within the BigCommerce dashboard.
The integration was built using eBay’s new API set that’s designed to streamline the way other business applications build links into eBay’s selling platform and services. eBay recently revamped its API platform in an effort to boost the number of items in its direct marketplace.
The two companies inked a similar deal in February, under the monicker eBayLINK, but that partnership was limited to buyers and sellers in Australia and New Zealand. Company representatives tell me this new tie up adds a level of native integration that was not previously available.
“The eBayLINK product is an installable app,” said Bob Kupbens, VP of B2C Selling for eBay. “It required a lot of overhead and manual effort in lifting the products and managing the inventory on eBay. The new integration stems from the APIs and gives seamless integration between the two platforms.”
Looking at the big picture, it’s clear that the partnership is strategic for both sides. For eBay, Kupbens noted that BigCommerce sellers will bring in a broader, more diverse selection of inventory. Naturally, more inventory means more sales, especially as the holiday shopping season approaches.
For BigCommerce, the eBay partnership is another way for the company to woo merchants to its platform at a time when e-commerce SaaS providers are plenty and competition is stiff.
Amazon remains the heavyweight of the online marketplace. Competitors can stay relevant and contemporary with technology to sustain customer relationships. While other sites such as eBay still have high user engagement, they still need to ease the business challenges of their sellers, especially for inventory management and order processing. Partnering with the right developers will keep them in the game and keep Amazon at bay.
Overview by Raymond Pucci, Associate Director, Research Services at Mercator Advisory Group
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