Lesson 10

This module discussed how the elements of ecommerce can change practices within your company and potentially in your entire industry or market.
Specifically, you learned how to

1. create market demand,
2. draw attention to B2C sites, and
3. keep online customers satisfied through good customer service.

In addition, you learned the distinctions between B2B, B2C, and emarketplace websites.
We briefly discussed personalization, portals, and banner ads, and how they can be used to create one-to-one market ^[1] experiences for your site visitors. We compared eprocurement^[2] and supplier enablement B2B solutions, and how they appeal to buyers and sellers in the supply chain. In addition, we discussed the basic forms of payment processing. Finally, we discussed the impact of emarketplaces, and how they can change entire markets. We stressed how establishing or retaining brand is particularly important in ecommerce, whether you are a dot-com or a click-and-mortar. Investments in ecommerce should be based on the particular needs of the business and should reflect the overall goals of the organization. Having completed the exercises in this module, you should now be able to:

1. Describe the basics of creating demand and drawing attention to e-commerce Web sites
2. Explain the importance and implementation impact of customer service for ecommerce
3. Describe the effect of using one-to-one marketing techniques like personalization and portals
4. Differentiate B2B from B2C sites
5. Define supply chain and third-party service provider roles in e-business fulfillment processes
6. Identify the advantages and disadvantages of payment processing for websites
7. Justify your company's participation in emarketplaces

To address your goals of leveraging e-commerce to create market demand, draw attention to B2C sites, and keep online customers satisfied, here are actionable strategies for each:

1. Create Market Demand
   • Identify and Solve Pain Points: Research your target audience to understand their unmet needs or frustrations. Develop products or services that directly address these issues, creating a compelling reason for demand. For example, if you’re in fashion, offer sustainable clothing options if eco-consciousness is a growing trend.
   • Content Marketing and Education: Use blogs, videos, or social media to educate potential customers about your product’s value. Highlight unique benefits (e.g., convenience, cost savings) to spark interest. For instance, a meal kit service could share quick recipe videos showcasing time-saving benefits.
   • Leverage Trends and Scarcity: Tap into current market trends (e.g., AI-driven personalization) or create urgency with limited-time offers and exclusive launches to drive immediate interest.
   • Influencer and Community Building: Partner with influencers or niche communities to amplify your message. Authentic endorsements can create buzz and trust, encouraging demand.
2. Draw Attention to B2C Sites:
   • Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Optimize your site with relevant keywords, fast loading times, and mobile-friendly design to rank higher on Google. For example, use tools like SEMrush to find high-traffic, low-competition keywords specific to your niche.
   • Paid Advertising: Run targeted ads on platforms like Google Ads, Meta, or TikTok, focusing on demographics most likely to convert. Retarget visitors who abandon carts with tailored ads to bring them back.
   • Social Media Engagement: Post engaging content on platforms where your audience is active (e.g., Instagram for younger demographics). Use shoppable posts or live demos to drive traffic directly to your site.
   • Collaborations and PR: Partner with complementary brands or secure media coverage to gain exposure. For instance, a skincare brand could collaborate with a wellness blog for a giveaway, directing traffic to their B2C site.
3. Keep Online Customers Satisfied Through Good Customer Service
   • Responsive Support Channels: Offer multiple ways to reach you—live chat, email, phone—and ensure quick response times. Use chatbots for 24/7 basic queries, escalating complex issues to human agents.
   • Personalized Experiences: Use data to tailor interactions, like recommending products based on past purchases or sending personalized thank-you emails. Tools like Klaviyo can automate this for email campaigns.
   • Hassle-Free Returns and Transparency: Provide clear return policies and prepaid shipping labels to reduce friction. Communicate order status proactively to build trust.
   • Post-Purchase Engagement: Follow up with customers via surveys or loyalty programs to show you value their feedback. Offer discounts or rewards for repeat purchases to encourage retention.

By combining these strategies, you scan build demand, drive traffic, and maintain customer loyalty, transforming your e-commerce practices and potentially influencing your industry’s standards.

1. Authorization: Authorization is the verification that the connection attempt is allowed. Authorization occurs after successful authentication.
2. commoditization:The term commoditize refers to a process in which goods or services become relatively indistinguishable from the same offerings presented by a rival company.
3. Cookies: Pieces of information sent out by Web servers and saved by browsers. Upon subsequent contacts with the same server, the browser will present the cookie.
4. cross-sell: Cross-selling is the action or practice of selling an additional product or service to an existing customer. In practice, businesses define cross-selling in many different ways
5. digital wallet:A digital wallet is a software-based system that securely stores the payment information of users and passwords for numerous payment methods and websites.
6. digital signature: Digital signatures are like electronic fingerprints in the form of a coded message. The digital signature securely associates a signer with a document in a recorded transaction. Digital signatures use a standard, accepted format, called (PKI) Public Key Infrastructure, to provide the highest levels of security and universal acceptance. They are a specific signature technology implementation of electronic signature (eSignature).
7. mindshare: Mind share, or the development of consumer awareness or popularity, is one of the main objectives of advertising and promotion.
8. personalized content: Personalized content is content which is uniquely tailored to individual consumers, based on their personal data which is available.
9. Shopping carts: A secure shopping cart solution for an ecommerce website. The shopping cart software allows you to accept credit cards and PayPal payments by integrating with over payment gateways.
10. supply chain: A supply chain is actually a complex and dynamic supply and demand network. A supply chain is a system of organizations, people, activities, information, and resources involved in moving a product or service from supplier to customer.
11. trade exchanges:An association of businesses formed for the purpose of trading with one another and using mutual credit to barter. The lead business will run the exchange, performing brokering services and providing an online marketplace for members to meet their reciprocal needs and register their transactions
12. up-sell: Upselling is a sales technique where a seller invites the customer to purchase more expensive items, upgrades, or other add-ons to generate more revenue.
13. Virtual enterprise: An organization unconstrained by geographic location, and a membership intersecting several traditional organizations. An organization that can do business almost entirely in the electronic world.
14. Web storefront:The part of a virtual enterprise that allows a client/end user to interact with the server-side elements, usually in the form of buying and selling.

In the next module, you will learn about the law and the Internet.

Click the Quiz link below to complete a quiz on the material covered in this module.
ebusiness Conclusion - Quiz

[1]one-to-one marketing: one-to-one marketing (also called relationship marketing or customer-relationship management) means, being willing and able to change your behavior or relationship to an individual customer.

[2]eProcurement: eProcurement which stands for electronic procurement or supplier exchange, is the purchase and sale of supplies, equipment, and services through a web interface or other networked system.