eBay 4.0 released, tries to cater to sellers

A lot of people do their shopping online these days and a lot more do it from the comfort of their mobile devices. But when shopping apps' designs hinder more than help, that becomes not really comfortable. eBay's new app, now at version 4.0, aims to address that, both for buyers but most especially for sellers. With a new streamlined design that gives greater focus to browsing the storefront, eBay's new app jumps into the modern age proliferated by minimalist design and a heavy use of images.

eBay's previous app wasn't exactly the prettiest around and felt quite dated when placed beside other modern mobile apps these days. So eBay took out the mop and cleaned out the cruft, leaving a clean white canvas to start with. Instead of putting back the masses of text, version 4.0 relies more on visual imagery to get things rolling. After all, on a mobile device you'd most likely prefer to see pretty pictures of products than read lines of text.

But eBay is equally about selling items as it is buying, so the company set out to improve that experience on its mobile app as well. The mobile experience is customized and personalized to a seller's level, from beginners to more seasoned merchants. There are guides to help new sellers trying to make a buck on eBay. The dashboard for regular sellers is also now easier to digest at a glance.

eBay 4.0 is also the company's big step into a multi-screen world, embracing not just different platforms but also different sizes, from smartphones to tablets. It is also just the beginning. eBay has been consolidating its mobile presence of late, shuttering its obsolete apps into the main app and closing down services that are no longer relevant. In a market that is increasingly getting more competitive, from giants like Amazon and Google, to smaller, more focused and more personal competitors, this app might just be the clean break that eBay needs.

Download: eBay 4.0 (iOS), (Android)

SOURCE: eBay