1. Make a reQuest.
eBay is well-known as one of the first truly effective “Web 2.0” services on the World
Wide Web. For years, eBay users and the world at large have known eBay is an efficient
and effective social networking/shopping service; given that it offers a truly unique
shopping experience, its reputation is well deserved. eBay is the reason people say “You
can find anything online.” It is the site people turn to for everything from cars to shoes to
decommissioned submarines. It is, without a doubt, the most effective way to buy what
you want on the World Wide Web.
But there’s trouble in paradise. eBay users may appreciate the ease with which they can
find virtually anything, but what about the items they can’t find? Regardless of the
possibilities a vast userbase offers, sometimes perfectly-good, perfectly-sellable products
collect dust on shelves across the world—simply because users don’t perceive a demand.
For every man selling used ketchup packets, there’s someone with an antique Big Boy
figurine who doesn’t put it up for sale. For every grand piano sold, there’s a harpsichord
that could go for twice as much. For every…you get the idea. Plenty of items have
potential in eBay’s vast electronic marketplace, but because the owners doubt the
demand, they never reach the userbase. Which means the eBay user in Spokane who
loves Big Boy figurines and the historian who needs a harpsichord are just plain out of
luck.

2. Enter reQuest.
It makes perfect sense: eBay is already the number-one spot on the web for person-to-
person shopping. Why not offer those millions of users a way to request specific products
as well? Look at personal query services like Yahoo! Answers and Google Experts; the
popularity of such sites proves there’s plenty of people willing to answer the most
random questions on the ‘net. Add the profit motive inherent in an eBay sale and its
userbase is even more likely to meet requests.
Some people avoid eBay because they think other sites like Amazon more effectively
meet their needs. But how many sites can say they have exactly what a consumer’s
looking for? eBay’s already got an edge; giving frustrated shoppers a way to ask for
specific products can only heighten its advantage. Instead of searching through hundreds
of pages of vaguely related results, users will find themselves able to ask specifically for
that harpsichord, that big boy figurine, that unattainable object that no one could have
(but of course someone does). As the buzz spreads, sales can only increase exponentially.
Implementation of such a system would be easy. It doesn’t have to be fancy—it just has
to work. Announce and describe the new service, and create an intuitive, easily navigable
space with requests organized into the same categories used for products being sold. eBay
sellers can browse these listings and spot relevant requests; eBay buyers can post new
requests anytime. Spamming and other mischief can be curtailed as easily as it is

3. elsewhere on the site; a combination of moderators and seller/requester ratings can keep
the listings pure.
As a new initiative, the reQuest listings should have their own section on the site and be
clearly defined as separate from the rest of eBay. However, reQuest should have a
presence on the main page, eBay.com, as well. It needn’t be anything excessive or
disruptive; the best implementation would be a “top requests” column with a link to the
reQuest section. This will let the users know that things are being requested and that they
can join in, too.
Social networking, convergence, utter interactivity; these are the new destinations on the
World Wide Web. Users want to feel totally connected and totally in control during their
browsing experience. A service like reQuest would cater to those desires, drum up even
more business, and improve eBay’s already-stellar reputation.
So whether it’s a harpsichord or a Big Boy, don’t let a potential sale gather dust—give
the users a voice, and you’ll see those things fly off the shelves. Let them speak to each
other. Let them reQuest.