My Favorite Site
My favorite site happens to be eBay, whether I admit it or not. Let me explain, some people may believe one thing about themselves but then do another. It is their actions that show true behaviour. I just realized after logging into my eBay account that I have been a member since 1999.

A Member Since 1999
Wow, I knew I had used eBay for a while but after looking at my profile I did not recall having signed up on June 24, 1999. Over the last 10 years I have bought and sold 129 items. Now that is not a lot however I do not utilize eBay as a business but I do use it to buy and sell items. More buying than selling.

So let us analyze me as a typical customer. I have been a member for 10 years and bought or sold a total of over 129 items. That is more than 12 items a year, or at least one item per month. That is one good customer to come back and interact every month for the past 10 years. Let’s just say we wish every site we operated or company we worked for had that kind of customer loyalty and lifetime value.

I have bought so many different items I cannot even begin to recall, and sold a couple items from cameras to cars. I sold two cars on eBay, amazing eCommerce platform when you think about it.

Are They a Success?
eBay is a huge success in my opinion. Their site and service have grown over the years and I am sure they have modified their customer outreach and site look and feel, but done it with such grace that I never had a reason to complain or notice their constant upgrades.

As a business they are worldwide, and as a company they own some of the top online properties such as Skype, StubHub and many many others. Not only did they perfect the online auctions and have one of the best, if not the best, eCommerce online platforms, but they also pioneered corporate communications online. Follow the eBay Ink Blog, my personal favorite and Mr. Brewer-Hay as he keeps everyone apprised of the goings on at eBay corporate. You can also follow him on twitter @ebayinkblog. He is a good friend and under the weather as of the writing of this article so wish him well.

Model Yourself
If ever there was a business case to review and study, this is the one. If ever there was a site communication strategy, look and feel, and overall user experience to imitate, this is the one. Model yourself after the best.

Roam and Study
I suggest you roam around the eBay site and study how they do what they do. Enjoy!