EBay has introduced a new mobile Web destination that improves the buying and selling experience for consumers.

The company partnered with Netbiscuits to use its software services. The new mobile site lets users access many of the same features they can online.

“With the new site, eBay provides a compelling mobile experience for all of their smartphone-using customers,” said Lars Hartkopf, Hamburg, Germany-based head of marketing at Netbiscuits.

“The user interface includes features like expandable swiping galleries or floating menu bars that improve the user experience on iPhone,” he said. “Ultimately the goal is to provide the richest user experience possible on all of the 1,000-plus unique devices that visit eBay each month.”

EBay connects hundreds of millions of buyers and sellers globally on a daily basis through http://www.eBay.com, which claims to be the world’s largest online marketplace, and PayPal, which enables individuals and businesses to send and receive online and mobile payments.

Netbiscuits serves the mobile Internet programs for companies such as Universal Music, MTV Networks and Axel Springer.

Browse for items
Consumers can browse categories, save and refine searches, sort results by price, time and location or find similar auctions and items listed by a seller.

EBay worked with Netbiscuits to improve the interface with auto-complete for search requests, expandable swiping galleries for teasers and item pictures, remote content for galleries that do not require additional download and a floating menu bar that keeps the most important controls on the screen while consumers are scrolling through pages.

“At launch smartphone users are the primary target audience for the new eBay mobile site,” Mr. Hartkopf said. “Ultimately the goal is to provide a compelling user experience for all eBay buyers and sellers on the go.”

Ebay’s new mobile site

Mobile, mobile, mobile
Currently, the new mobile site is only available for iPhone users in the United States.

An Android-optimized version will be launched soon.

“Adding to eBay’s successful apps for iPhone, iPad, Android and BlackBerry, the mobile Web portal allows the company to reach far more customers on the go,” Mr. Hartkopf said. “EBay has actively diverted millions of users from the company’s mobile Web site to eBay’s iPhone, Android and BlackBerry apps.

“However, eBay’s mobile Web revenue growth is increasing at the same pace as its mobile app business,” he said. “This fact gives straight proof that it is important to have a mobile strategy that includes both mobile sites and apps.”

Final Take
Rimma Kats is editorial assistant at Mobile Commerce Daily, New York