Ecommerce Although everyone seems to understand that ecommerce can be used to bolster ecommerce sales, a study by the Harvard Business Review found that only 12% of businesses feel that they are using social media effectively (Mills, 2014)
200 words The history of ecommerce definitely begins with the technological innovations that made this option possible. Over the past 12 years, the Internet has changed the way we buy and sell goods and services and by definition, e-commerce means the buying or selling of goods and services over the Internet; according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 66% of the adults online have purchased something over the Internet and this figure is increasingly growing (Roos, 2007)
This particular ecommerce website does not take direct comments, however the owner of the store and website provides an email address for contacting her, and feedback/commentary can also be left on the store's facebook page, which has a direct link on the site (Hello Books, 2012). While on the one hand the lack of directing commenting and interactive abilities might seem a downside, research has shown that a growing number of consumers rely on static information available online rather than on interactions with other people, even online interactions, in making decisions about purchases (Clifford, 2012)
Customers can maintain strict control over their passwords and the like, but ultimately if they are going to use payment methods online they are at the mercy of the businesses they do business with; ensuring reputability and regularly monitoring credit card statements and credit reports is necessary for all consumers these days. Companies have an obligation to take technological steps to prevent unauthorized retrieval of payment information from a variety of attacks (Mookhey, 2010)
Target markets from online retailers can be reflected in numerous ways, from the style and design of the website to the product and price offerings to contact options and other features. There is still a misconception that "online shoppers" are themselves a particular market segment with strong identifiable trends and demographic similarities; while it is true that some demographics are more likely to engage in ecommerce than others, it is also true that broad segments of the world's population now shop online, and there is just as much potential for segmentation and targeted marketing online as in traditional retail, and possibly more so given the amount of information that can be quickly collected and assessed regarding online consumers (Toomey & Wysocki, 2009)
In defining which aspects of e-commerce systems and strategies are delivering the greatest value, the foundational elements of long-term learning first need to be taken into account. Of the many theories and concepts that seek to define long-term learning effectiveness and context, the three factors of autonomy, mastery and purpose are by far the most pervasive in practical, empirical research results (Albright, Burgess, Davis, 2011)
The accumulation of knowedlge and insight within the context of any online strategy is beneficial to the long-term learning of an enterprise. The breadth and depth of learning that is achievable from the accumulated experiences of initiating, maintaining and continually improving e-commerce strategies is significant both from a financial and operational standpoint (Abrahams, Singh, 2010)
This is however a secondary concern of many companies building e-commerce systems as the focus is purely on the business strategy and getting it completed. Yet the more forward-thinking forms are designing in scaffolding and online analytics, measurement and performance evaluation applications to ascertain the relative value of tacit and implicit knowledge captured (James, Okpala, 2010) and quickly using it to better plan subsequent strategies (Cappel, Hayen, 2004)
The breadth and depth of learning that is achievable from the accumulated experiences of initiating, maintaining and continually improving e-commerce strategies is significant both from a financial and operational standpoint (Abrahams, Singh, 2010). Individual and organizational learning is enhanced and strengthened by the accumulated investment of time and resources to improve transaction workflows, increase the level of pricing accuracy, and fine-tune catalog management and merchandising innovation (Fomin, King, Lyytinen, McGann, 2005)
The integration of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems into e-commerce processes and strategies is critical to their success, and presents many opportunities for individual and corporate learning due to the critical and complex nature of these systems (Tsai, Hung, 2008). Individual and organizational learning is therefore achieved by the continual need to translate lessons learned in using these systems to the actual functioning of the e-commerce sites themselves (Gunasekaran, McGaughey, McNeil, 2004)
This is however a secondary concern of many companies building e-commerce systems as the focus is purely on the business strategy and getting it completed. Yet the more forward-thinking forms are designing in scaffolding and online analytics, measurement and performance evaluation applications to ascertain the relative value of tacit and implicit knowledge captured (James, Okpala, 2010) and quickly using it to better plan subsequent strategies (Cappel, Hayen, 2004)
The best e-commerce strategies and global initiatives are unified in their approach of using team-based collaboration and intelligence to solve complex challenges (Gunasekaran, McGaughey, McNeil, 2004). Creating an effective foundation for ensuring a team-based learning and knowledge transfer process happens needs to define through the use of role-based analytics and shared accountability over project performance (McBride, 2005)
These lessons learned are having a major impact on team learning environments in that they are generating tacit and implicit knowledge that is being transferred quickly to business strategists and planners. The accumulation of this knowledge and its use to achieve more effective e-commerce strategies is accomplished due to the long-term learning being achieved by e-commerce, it, lone-of-business and executive management (Morrison, Ganiyu, 2002)
These four areas are where individuals involved in e-commerce discover their innate strengths over time and master specific aspects of e-commerce strategy and system execution. Individual learning is also accelerated from the standpoint of defining which specific strategies generate the highest and lowest levels of trust with potential and existing customers as well (Ratnasingam, 2005)
Yet the more forward-thinking forms are designing in scaffolding and online analytics, measurement and performance evaluation applications to ascertain the relative value of tacit and implicit knowledge captured (James, Okpala, 2010) and quickly using it to better plan subsequent strategies (Cappel, Hayen, 2004). Many universities are relying on intern programs with local small businesses to achieve this same net effect in terms of learning for students (Tabor, 2005)
The need for process-based expertise at the individual level and corporate-wide is also a very strong catalyst of organizational learning. The integration of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems into e-commerce processes and strategies is critical to their success, and presents many opportunities for individual and corporate learning due to the critical and complex nature of these systems (Tsai, Hung, 2008)
The authors also make an excellent point that the main catalysts or fuel of e-commerce growth in many nations is market research and mass customization (Molla, Heeks, 2007). There are myriad of examples of how e-commerce combined with mass customization has led to explosive, profitable growth on the part of companies with Dell not only reaching over $1B in revenues from online sales but also achieving double-digit inventory turns and extensive operational efficiencies at the same time (Luo, John, Du, 2005)
eCommerce in Developing Countries What are the most important ideas in the two articles? Both articles and their extensive empirical and theoretical research have a wealth of insights and intelligence that brings e-commerce into a more realistic and pragmatic perspective. Starting with Exploring E-commerce benefits for businesses in a developing country (Molla
Instead, the authors state that the greatest gains are being made in the area of intra- and interorganizational communication and collaboration, clustered primarily in services industry as evidenced by their cited research (Molla, Heeks, 2007). This is certainly the case in Brazil where the continued growth of e-commerce has succeed while other nations have failed mainly due to the exceptional stability of the nations' banking system, strong laws and regulations to protect e-commerce and online commerce, and an infrastructure that makes automating supply chains more achievable than many other regions and nations of the world (Paulo, Dedrick, 2004)
Small businesses in commodity driven industries will also do this to specifically drive down the cost per transaction and pool purchasing power to gain an advantage in negotiating with suppliers (Salcedo, Henry, Rubio, 2003). All of these actual benefits are completely different than the much-hyped and promoted benefits of e-commerce being frictionless commerce throughout a supply chain, greater revenue growth at lower transaction costs, and ease and speed of generating customer loyalty, all contributing to skyrocketing profitability of an enterprise (Romano, 2009)