Rob Chesney

As the internet evolves, shoppers looking for vehicles and auto parts online have more choices than ever before. As Bill Cobb said at the 2007 eBay eCommerce Forum in January, this competition raises the bar for all of us. Today, it's more important than ever that we deliver the best buying experience possible.

The eBay Motors team has done extensive research over the past year to learn more about how our buyers shop for vehicles online, and we're excited to put some of our ideas into action. The results of this work form the foundation of a newly redesigned eBay Motors site with significant new features and functions -- letting buyers research, find, and buy a vehicle, all in one place. In February we're going to start piloting these major enhancements.

Here are a few of the highlights:

• Easier To Get Started. You'll see our fresh new look as soon as you hit the new home page. To make it easier to find that vehicle you want, you can now browse for cars and trucks by type (such as sedan, convertible, etc.), or search for a particular make/model. We've also added new navigation across the eBay Motors site so that regardless of where you are, you can quickly jump right to Cars & Trucks, Parts & Accessories, Motorcycles, Powersports, Boats, or Other Vehicles.

• Integrated research at your fingertips. A revamped search results page will put helpful information at your fingertips, such as vehicle specifications, and standard and optional equipment. In addition, easy-to-use tabs at the top of the page will give you quick access to user ratings and reviews, and used car values from Kelley Blue Book.

• New Ways to Refine Your Search. You'll also see a new way to easily refine your search by factors such as price range, transmission type, exterior color, and a host of other options. You can even choose to only see vehicles close to your ZIP code, making it easier to check out vehicles near you.

• Information to Help Your Purchase Decision. On the item page, we've brought all the information the buyer needs together in one spot. When you're considering a particular vehicle listing, it's now easy to find information about shipping/transportation methods and costs, financing options, and Vehicle History Reports. We've even added a Buyer Checklist, so that you're sure to cover all the bases before purchasing your new vehicle.

What sellers need to know about our launch plan
Sellers do not have to change their listings or processes – these changes improve finding and other aspects of the buying process without requiring our sellers to make any changes on their end.

We'll be piloting these enhancements to make sure there are no disruptions to the eBay Motors marketplace. In the next few weeks, a small percentage of randomly-selected visitors will start seeing the new eBay Motors site. We're expecting to launch the site fully later in the spring.

Take a walk-through
To see a walk-through of the changes, please check out our tutorial. My team will also be hosting an online workshop to review the changes in late March, so stay tuned for more information.

Sincerely,

Rob Chesney
Senior Director, eBay Motors