Stay ahead of the curve: Insights into eBay's Tech Shoppers

When something happens in the tech world, we see immediate consumer response on eBay. Following an announcement or release of a new smartphone, shoppers visit the platform to find deals on similar devices or check trade-in values. When Apple released the iPhone XS and the iPhone XS Max earlier this fall, eBay searches for both models nearly doubled.

The Consumer Electronics Show next January will likely be another cause for phone tech fever on the platform. For decades, the global stage of CES has inspired millions of shopping lists for eBay’s tech-hungry audiences, such as die-hard gamers, early adopter gearheads and regular smartphone buyers. Just as the technology unveiled at CES plays a role in redefining modern life, eBay has proven itself to be a reliable access point for the industry’s most sophisticated and coveted items.

Tech enthusiasts are always looking for the latest, but the spike in tech and smartphone activity is also largely driven by general fans across eBay’s online marketplace. Using eBay’s proprietary audience tools, advertisers can leverage the impact of major releases, using peaks in tech trends to engage new and recurring smartphone buyers.

Reaching Technophiles and Opportunists 

Technophiles and casual consumers alike to turn to eBay for a wide variety of smartphones—both brand-new models and those they can’t find elsewhere. Considering a smartphone was purchased on eBay every 4 seconds  this summer, old releases are still just as popular as newer ones. And with eBay’s phone-specific listing programs like Quick Sale and Selling Kit, it’s even easier for users to put their existing devices on the market. In fact, more than a quarter of the platform’s smartphone buyers sold a phone around the same time they bought a new one.

It’s for this reason that eBay is top-of-mind among consumers on the eve of big product launches. In the week of the release of the iPhone XS, users searched for smartphones 16 times every second. While most searches were for the new release, users had their minds on selling, too: eBay also saw a 13% increase in older iPhone listings during this period.

Smartphone shoppers are spread over a wide range of eBay’s active buyers. It’s no surprise they spend across intuitive tech categories like Computers/Tablets & Networking along with universal favorites, such as Clothing, Shoes & Accessories. With eBay’s nuanced understanding of its expansive smartphone audience, advertisers can broaden their campaigns to target ideal consumers across the wider reaches of the marketplace.

Plan Ahead for the Trend

Because major release dates are often known ahead of time, eBay’s advertising solutions can keep marketers ahead of the curve with insights into the smartphone customer journey.

More than 80% of eBay users are logged in while browsing, so we can pinpoint the moment customers begin considering a new purchase. Though the process of choosing a new phone can begin over a month before the actual transaction, our data finds eventual buyers are targeted with advertising almost daily. For example, throughout the examination phase– the moment consumers come close to making their decision – smartphone buyers will have been reached with an iPhone ad 30 times on average over the course of 25 days.

The sooner advertisers understand their audience targets, the easier it will be to execute effective, gradual outreach timed to fit within the customer experience and take advantage of high-profile release dates.

As holiday shopping picks up, brands who dial into the phone shopping fervor can find enthusiasts who trust eBay’s marketplace for gadgets both new and pre-owned. And with the right tools and insight to reach these engaged smartphone shoppers, there’s no doubt marketers will click with new customers.

To connect with eBay’s smartphone shoppers, contact our ad sales team today.