Invest in e-commerce?

[bcpt 383 studen]

[POLL]I'm writing a research paper and am taking a poll as to whether or not businesses should invest into an e-commerce system?,Yes,No[/POLL]

[3oltan]

I like the idea of a "one stop shop" when it comes to ecommerce, but I don't like feeling trapped after making a decision. I like options. With my current setup I feel like I'm in control of what's going on and can make needed changes in the future without losing my list, hassling my affiliates, etc.

[dhanda15]

Yes, money is easy in e-commerce.

[Alfred23]

Because online stores let their customers to see something that is on sale. Customers don't have to leave their home to go for shopping. Instead, they can buy anything online from their home or office.

[habeeb24]

Before investing in a e-commerce website,first and top most thing is proper plan and marketing.
We have to analyzing the market completely before investing in a e-commerce website.
The website must be user friendly.

[franklin_mac]

I am torn on one slight issue, what does Ecommerce do to local economies?

will Ma and Pa close down shop and start shipping from their house or have to sell there house

online stores are nice and I have used them from time to time but I also like the cashier who knows my name

anyone else get what I am saying?

[The Old Sarge]

Yes, Franklin. It's called "community". Its not as appreciated or valued as it once was.

Globalization is not always a good thing.

[HostColor]

Yes. The only way to make money out of any website is to have any kind of e-commerce applications installed into the hosting account. it might be a simple PayPal button which take the consumer to the PayPal website, but it has to have one.

[altteam]

Dear bcpt 383 studen,

Just look around. We are living in one-of-a-kind age – it's time when virtual and real world are successfully coexist.
The older generations prefer for sure mentioned above communities and know the name of a shopper. So, real shops are needed at the moment.
But there are also the youngers who live in the virtual world, in the social networks, so of course they are getting used to live, have fun and buy online. And there are millions of them.
That's why – yes, of course a business owner who wants his business to stay on market for a long time should invest in e-commerce system.
Obviously, the whole world now is moving to a virtuality, isn't it?
It's a law of a life – do you want to live? Then, evolve, means - go forward for a company.
So, I think today businesses just have no choice if they want to survive.

Regards, Alt-team.

[rogerwaldrup]

I think that, as 3oltan's answer points out, it's going to depend on what you mean by e-commerce system. If that means a regulated, specific way of doing things; no, that would be a bad idea because different people like things to be done different ways and will always balk at doing business with companies that aren't doing things their way. If you mean taking their business online, a great many companies already are.
Does that mean that every company should? No. In fact, not all can do so and retain the elements that have made them successful - case in point, the Mom&Pop stores, although a few of those have turned into successful online ventures as well.
I do have to respectfully disagree with Alt-team. I don't think it's becoming a necessity that no one can avoid. Some sites like Amazon.com are offering ways to get your food through the Internet, for example, but they're never going to be able to trump the grocery stores (both big and small) that you can physically walk into and pick out the produce, meats, et al that you think are best. The reason for this is that, no matter how many assurances of quality you read on a website, you just can't guarantee that you're going to be shipped the best from what's being offered or even that any of it is actually any good in the first place.

There's a place for both sides of the market and (as long as computers still exist - so barring an apocalyptic event) depending on what you're offering, you could be a successful firm using just one or the other, or integrating both in a balanced way. If you can, I'd pose the question to a philosophy professor as well for your paper, because this is one of those times when there's no single right answer.

[Blunderbus]

I'd like to point out that I am moving away from websites. I tried websites and web advertising and got nothing out of it. I put an advert in the yellow pages and that worked. The yellow pages online did nothing for me. The physical yellow pages got me calls. Sure - everybody claims it works for them and claims that if you do this or that it'll work online. That's all a load of utter BS in my experience. I've been there, wasted the time and money and walked away with nothing. I spend $360 a year on YP adverts and walk away with a profit.

[eCommerce Hacks]

As an marketer online, I would say Blunderbus is doing a good job by testing and keeping what works. I would have thought that physical YP was the worst performer, but in this case, it's not.
Maybe your demographic is composed of a more aged population who is still more comfortable flipping pages than getting on the computer.

[altteam]

Dear rogerwaldrup,

I do have to respectfully disagree with Alt-team. I don't think it's becoming a necessity that no one can avoid. Some sites like Amazon.com are offering ways to get your food through the Internet, for example, but they're never going to be able to trump the grocery stores (both big and small) that you can physically walk into and pick out the produce, meats, et al that you think are best. The reason for this is that, no matter how many assurances of quality you read on a website, you just can't guarantee that you're going to be shipped the best from what's being offered or even that any of it is actually any good in the first place.

That's a good point
But it's already a question of trust to a merchant.
If you've ordered once products which weren't good (not fresh, not newly made) though the product options were showing the latest date of production, you won't trust this shop anymore, of course.
The point is that the same thing can happen in the real shop, you may have say a package of tomatoes and one won't be good. Would you go to another shop next time or refuse to buy tomatoes in the real shop at all?
So if an online shopper wants to gain the trust of his buyers he will sell fresh products. Soon the rivalry of the grocery stores and on-line shop will become very rough.
Anyway, I think that there are more lazy people who won't go to the grocery store to choose attentively. There's also a speed of a modern life when you just don't have or don't want to spend time on going shopping.
Moreover what is the difference between buying fruits in the grocery store and ordering food on the phone? There's also no guarantee to have fresh products but everybody orders anyway.

Regards, Alt-team.

[Blunderbus]

As an marketer online, I would say Blunderbus is doing a good job by testing and keeping what works. I would have thought that physical YP was the worst performer, but in this case, it's not.
Maybe your demographic is composed of a more aged population who is still more comfortable flipping pages than getting on the computer.

My business? I am a photographer. I used to wonder why photography sites were split into two - really quite bland and very artistic. Now I realise the artistic sites are by amateurs. The bland sites are catch-an-extra-penny-possibly by real photographers. The chances of drive-by trade on a photography website are next to nill as photography websites contain virtually no text to search for.

Any photo website that quotes rates is usually run by an amateur. Pro sites might contain an address. Mine contains neither an address nor a phone number. Just a direction to my Yellow Pages advert. This cuts out all of the junk callers.

[algozone]

eCommerce business model is great, but it still needs to evolve, so there is a lot of competition and opportunity at the same time. There is a future and investment opportunity, but it needs to be done selectively and wisely.