Internet Marketing

In the late 20th century, young Frenchman Pierre Omidyar came up with the idea to create an online trading platform for his Pez-collecting girlfriend to connect with other collectors. It was this little spark that would eventually result in the birth of the online auction known as eBay.

So said eBay’s marketing team at any rate. While it sounds like perfectly plausible, and though bits and pieces of that original eBay-origination story are true, it undoubtedly comes with plenty of marketing fluff. But that doesn’t really matter. What does matter is how Pierre’s creation changed online commerce forever.

That first software program would eventually become AuctionWeb, the first online auction. Pierre would go on to be the first online auction seller after listing a non-working laser pointer which, astonishingly, sold for $15.

Many sellers followed, initially being allowed to list items for free. When the site grew beyond Pierre’s ability to manage it, he began charging a dime per listing hoping it would stunt the site’s growth and give him some breathing room. But when the dimes started rolling in, it was time to get serious.

It was time to bring on some serious talent. Stanford man Jeff Skoll was called upon to help manage the exponentially growing business, now called eBay. Later on, a suicidal Jim Griffith — an active participant of AuctionWeb’s, and later eBay’s, member-run support boards — was brought on as the first customer support representative. Jim would later recall that the phone call he received from Jeff and Pierre literally saved his life.

As eBay continued its explosive growth, experienced executive and Harvard grad Meg Whitman took the helm and saw the company through soaring stock prices when most dot-coms were dropping like flies. Many early eBay employees, who were paid largely in stock options, became millionaires.

Employees and executives weren’t the only ones making millions off of eBay though. Savvy entrepreneurs stormed the online auction by pitching their wares to an ever-increasing buyer base that was absolutely hungry for the products they offered. eBay’s platform would eventually support tens of thousands work-at-home business owners.

As with all things successful, several companies have tried to emulate eBay’s incredible story of prosperity, with most of them falling by the wayside. Through it all, eBay remains the largest and most successful online auction, and still the #1 platform for beginning “netpreneurs” to get their start.

As a former eBay employee and PowerSeller, Stuart Lisonbee has turned to helping others make money on eBay by teaching them PowerSeller strategies and revealing wholesale sources, including wholesale dropshippers.