EBay Comes Onshore By Fully Localizing its Website
Published: April 10, 2013 (Issue # 1754)
MOSCOW — Online auction and shopping portal eBay has opened a Russian language version of its website, eBay.com. Inquiries from Russia-based IP addresses will automatically go to the new page, which offers an expanded selection of products from around the world from vendors who make deliveries to Russia.
The page will offer clients special offers based on their preferences and previous activity. It is also possible to search for goods both in English and Russian and pay for the purchase via the local PayPal system.
“The launch of a site in Russian is part of a thought-out strategy of the company to enter the country’s market and strive to offer its clients in Russia an easy and convenient instrument to make purchases,” said Vladimir Dolgov, general director of eBay Russia.
The localized page offers delivery tracking, a purchase protection program and a help desk, all in the Russian language.
This move is a further development of the company’s business in Russia, which started in 2010 with the launch of eBay.ru. Last year the company released a Russian-language edition of its eBay Fashion cell phone application, which is now one of the most popular in the Russian Appstore, ranking second in the lifestyle category.
Last year Russian consumers bought products through eBay totalling $400 million. The number of active users of the online shop has increased by 75 percent in the past year.