1. Visit http://yahoo.com and http://facebook.com as examples of online communities.
a. What is meant by an online community and how is it important for e-commerce?
Answer:
The online community mean the interactive tools or communication systems such as email, chat and other communication systems that help the web user to communicate each other. This short of communities help to the sellers to make business related product market. For the customer they can make offer and also can give their own requirements or design for the product which matching to them. A virtual community is the technical name of the online community. The most important benefit about the online community in e-commerce is feedback about the product which posted by customer who buy the product from seller and all that feedback can seen by anyone that how many people is really interested for this particular product from particular seller. As for example, on e-bay seller and buyer both can give feedback each other.
b. Is there a common thread and a local community sense in action?
Answer:
www.apple.com , www.apple.co.au and www.apple.co.in
Here, common thread we can find on the website is same product specification and also the customer service like warranty and cooling off time for the product. The difference is the availability and difference in price and time for local shipment and also the TAX of government for the product. As for example, on US website ipad is available online and for Australia and India still customers need to wait for the product to buy online.
Reference:
Brad Hill (6th January 2006) Online Communities and e-Commerce, Retrieved 1st April 2010, from
Kevin jones (8th July 1998) E-commerce Focus: Online Community gives rise to E-commerce, Retrieved 1st April 2010, from
Blanchard, AL & Markus, ML 2004, 'The Experienced "Sense" of a Virtual Community: Characteristics and Processes', The DATA BASE for advances ininformation Systems - Winter 2004, vol. 35, no. 1, pp. 65-79.
Ince, D. (2004), Developing distributed and e-commerce applications, 2nd edn, Harlow, Essex, UK: Addison – Wesley, p.32.
Lewis, S 2008, ‘Using online communities to drive commercial product development’, Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems: CHI '08 extended abstracts on Human factors in computing systems, Florence, Italy, pp. 2039-2043.
Virtanen, T & Malinen, S 2008, ‘Supporting the Sense of Locality with Online Communities’, MindTrek: Proceedings of the 12th international conference on Entertainment and media in the ubiquitous era 2008, Tampere, Finland, pp. 145-149.
2. Visit the famous online store front at http://www.amazon.com
a. Why has it been a successful site? How does the purchase of a book work?
Answer:
There are many reasons that make Amazon very successful than other websites
• Amazon was establish in 1994 which first website as online bookstore concept about sell the product by housing them all in many different warehouses and distributing product from many associated companies for the online customers.
• Its online one of the biggest shop supplies product most of each and every part of the world.
• The most important successful factor about the Amazon is homogeneous characteristic towards the users. The rich content of the interface of the website like one click ordering and product forms etc.
• Using the very advance technology as a product is also one of the success factor for the Amazon website. As for example, kindle.
Steps of purchase of a book:
• Find the items You want:
For all this user need to use the search option and than select the suitable product that user wants to buy. User will see the all product details and other customer feedback too.
• Add the items into your shopping cart :
Its final selection that user want to add into the shopping list.
• Proceed to Checkout :
After selection of the all product that user want to buy, user have to checkout from the shopping cart and it is first step towards the order form
• Sign in :
User have to sign in for the further process if user not register with Amazon, user have to create new account with information.
• Enter a shipping address :
If user want to send the item to the different address than user have to inform the Amazon the delivery address otherwise user will get the items on provided address.
• Choose a shipping method :
It gives option to the user to select the shipping method.
• Provide payment information:
User need to provide the information about the financial detail.
• Review and submit the order :
This is step give all details that users already fill in to the order form and user can see it and place the order.
• Check order status:
User can also make any changes before order shipping to the provided address and check the order status.
b. Are there any secure transactions not involving money?
Answer:
Yes there is very secure transactions not involving money and it is Amazon membership and its use the SSL (Secure Socket Layer) which is able to give secure transaction online.
On Amazon each and every user need to open homogenous account that help to make secure transactions not involving money. Amazon use the SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption method which is capable to give safe and secure money transaction online.
Reference:
Are international sales or purchases allowed?(n.d), Retrieved on 1st April 2010, from
Vallik(14th January 2008) What makes Amazon so successful?, Retrieved on 1st April 2010,from http://www.webdesignideas.org/2008/01/14/what-makes-amazon-so-successful/
Placing your first order (n.d) Retrieved on 1st April 2010, from http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_navbox_lnor_new?nodeId=524700
Dan Bricklin (n.d) What is been successful in B2C, Retrieved on 1st April 2010, from
Peter Sutro (February 26th, 2009) How does the kindle 2 work?, Retrieved on 1st April 2010, from http://ezinearticles.com/?How-Does-the-Kindle-2-Work?&id=2003315
3. What happens with new models emerging such as price comparison sites?
Answer:
The main purpose of the price comparison sites is to make shopping easy and give range of choice to the customer according to their product requirement. The price comparison sites are not mostly related to advertisement of any particular product but it give the different products features and price so, customer get the best product. The one example price comparison site is http://www.nextag.com/.
Reference:
Nextag comparison shopping: Home, Retrieved 1st April 2010, from http://www.nextag.com/
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