Ecommerce and Web Malls Tony Leech

 Ecommerce is one of the fastest growing business ventures available today.  More and more people have stopped visiting malls, because they are crowded, take up a lot of time to get to, and to shop in, and items are sometimes out of stock.  Many consumers are now shopping on the internet.  Sales on the Internet reached more than 12 billion in 2003.

The main types of Ecommerce  E-Tailing  Web Malls  Personal Selling

E-Tailers  Retail stores- Target, Circuit City, Wal-Mart.  Catalogs- LL Bean, Pottery Barn.  Internet Only- Amazon.COM, CDnow.  Restaurants- Portillos, Lou Malnati’s.  Anyone can start their own E-Business  Business.Com helps you set it up.

Advantages of E-Tailers  You can shop from home.  No driving around looking for a particular store.  No waiting in long lines.  Wide variety of merchandise available at the click of a button.  Searching for products is much easier.  Its easy to use, and doesn’t take a lot of time.

Disadvantages of E-Tailers  Not receiving your item in a timely matter.  Item gets damaged during shipping.  Clothes or shoes purchased may not be right size.  If item needs to be returned, the consumer is out for the shipping costs.  Many consumers are wary of putting there personal information, such as credit card numbers out on the internet.

Web Malls  A host site that acts like an actual mall.  Consumer is able to search by product category, and available links are posted.  WebSquare.Com contains many different product categories, with links to sites by corporations such as Best Buy, Amazon, and Toys “R” Us.  These sites work as a link to other E- Tailing sites, and get paid for advertising.

Advantages/Disadvantages of Web Malls  All the products you may need are located in one place.  They offer discounts on certain products.  The site only contains links to larger corporations, so if you are looking for an abstract item, you will not find it.

Personal Selling Sites  EBay and classifieds are the most popular.  These sites have exploded in popularity, with many new versions now available.  These sites offer just about any kind of product that you may need.  Items such as autos, antique records, baseball cards, rugs, and many other abstract things can be found.

EBay Sellers  Buying and selling on EBay has become such a phenomenon that over 400,000 people are making a living selling merchandise on EBay.  Its relatively inexpensive to sell your items, so anyone can do it.  Even well established businesses are selling their new, and old merchandise.

Weird EBay Sales  The Internet- asking price 1 million.  UFO detector- $135  The meaning of life- $3.26  Russian Test Space Shuttle- $25,000  Vampire Killing Kit- $4,500  Real Shrunken Head- $25  Ghost in a Jar- No actual sale  Serial Killers Fingernails- $9.99

Advantages of Personal Selling Sites  Consumers can find anything they are looking for.  Items are auctioned so there is usually no set price, making it possible to get items cheaper than retail price.  Entrepreneurs are making a living selling merchandise, so it helps stimulate the economy.

Disadvantages to Personal Selling Sites.  Dishonest sellers/False advertising.  Shipping problems.  Fraudulence is usually not reported.

Summary  Ecommerce is something that is continuing to grow more an more.  As more companies are going online, it adds a lot of convenience to the consumer who is now able to find whatever they want easily, and swiftly.