Module 1
Introduction: E-Commerce & E-Business
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Activities/Assignments
1) Join Twitter
2) Follow instructor: @JessL
class hashtag: #EXSM5513
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Monday 24 November 2014
Module 1
I refer to the following video in my lecture for Module 1, here it is in full:
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Hi! I'm Ali and I'm excited for this course: Online and Mobile Marketing and Commerce. Thus far, I'm not overly familiar with E-commerce, other than purchasing products, and at times, selling products online. Thus, I’m looking forward to learning and expanding my perspective.
ReplyDeleteAfter having read the articles for Module 1, the most interesting thing I found is that when you use apps, or engage in E-Commerce, you're not only getting a service, but also providing a vast amount of information to the company you're purchasing from. In the Harvard Business Review article, Digital-Physical Mashup, it talked about how Nike gained "invaluable data about who its customers are" - that is exciting! Valuable insight, for sure. I want to gain insight on my customers, too. How do I do that?
The video - Introduction to E-Commerce, defines E-Commerce as "any sort of transaction made on the internet". So, is E-Commerce limited to transaction that involve money? I would think not. I can buy goods and services with Air Miles and I would think that such a transaction still qualifies. Right?
Speaking of Air Miles - I get push notifications from them all the time; and, just as the article, Mobil Marketing, suggests, it can be an annoyance. I will admit, however, I'm a sucker for the flashing red light, or the beep that accompanies a new text, email, or social media action on my smartphone. Who can resist? So what better way than to engage for business purposes. Again, how do I do that?
In the first article, Introduction to E-Commerce, although the few spelling mistakes caused me some distraction (electronicakky), I found the data outdated. Anyone else? I believe in the digital age statistics are quickly changing, so providing statistics from 1996 seems to have little impact other than helping to provide a foundation of information.
Overall, I’m looking forward to learning how to better market in the online world. Oh, and hopefully be forgiven for any spelling mistakes of my own, unless electronicakky is a new word I’m not familiar with. Totally possible.
Hi Ali,
DeleteYou brought up a good point about push notifications, which are both hated and loved by customers. There are definitely some pros and cons to this type of mobile marketing for both businesses and customers alike:
PRO: Push notifications are even more “up front and centre” to the user than SMS messages. In most cases, they come right to the front of the user’s screen and require to be clicked or dismissed. As a business/E-marketer, you get your message positioned within some excellent screen real estate!
CON: If an online business/E-marketer abuses push notifications (or SMS alerts for that matter), it’s very easy to offend subscribers and turn them off from the service or brand.
CON: This is a biggie. Before a smartphone user can sign up for push notifications, online businesses/E-marketers have got to get the user to install the app and opt in to push notifications. These are a few more hurdles for the online business/E-marketer to overcome, and it can certainly narrow the pool of subscribers to their alerts.
PRO: Push notification subscribers are identifying themselves to online businesses as some of their most engaged users! They’ve downloaded the app and set-up alerts. They've been willing to jump through many hoops in order to engage with online businesses!
Just some thoughts.
Hi everyone, my name is Gary, @Noface2give. Here are some of my thoughts after reading module 1.
ReplyDeleteI do have to agree with Ali, that the first article about Introduction to E-Commerce is proportionally out of date compare to the other articles. However, it served as a great example of how much the concept of E-commerce had influenced the world between then and now. The “fundamental business problems” did not change drastically with the introduction of electronic means, but these means lead to more opportunities and as well as threats for businesses in the marketplace; more markets with customers but they bring more competitors at the same time. The speed of conducting business also increases exponentially by the tools of E-commerce, such as the emails, SMS/MMS and social media networks. Business can be done as long as it is connected to the internet.
Although E-commerce is not a new concept to businesses, but its aspect of mobile marketing is. Phones are really getting “smarter” these days, not just a calling and a text messaging machine anymore. Just the other day that I was reminded by my iPhone that I should buy some concert tickets with Ticketmaster, prompted me that I was near a Starbucks, and notified me that I should update the game app called “Heads Up!” in order to purchase more holiday-themed contents. Now that I think about it, there are many forces at work with those notifications, the most obvious ones are location services and push notifications. Sometimes it does feel like these so-call push-ads are telling me what to do and what I should like, but can’t help to applaud their effectiveness; such a focused and intelligent marketing targeting my interest, wants and needs.
One more thought about smart phone, mobile marketing and E-commerce. I feel that these “smart” devices are amalgamating my live into E-commerce, especially when I have work email set up on the phone, tablet and laptop. I found myself answering work emails in the same way that I reply text messages from friends – instant, short, and quick. I can also make purchases, manage finances, setting up and host a meeting, and conduct other office duties on my tablet and laptop. I can do many things without physically attached to a fixed location. Does anyone feel the same way, or is it just me?
I have yet to read the “Digital-Physical Mashups” article, perhaps I will make another comment once I’m done later on.
I want to do a quick add-on with some after-thoughts about the “Digital-Physical Mashups” article. I absolutely agree that the digital world and the physical business should not act independently. I believe that the purpose of technological advancements are to make people's life easier and the way of the "Digical" concept is to do exactly that. However, merging the digital and physical is no easy task. I work for a company that is going through the same process right now. We are in the midst of moving into a new system that allows order entry from the end users directly, instead of going through a customer service rep (the old ways). Although the middle person got cut away from the order entry process, but that did free up more time for servicing clients in other areas. The learning curve from this merge is difficult, but i can see it to be beneficial to end users and staff members in the future.
DeleteHello Everyone, I am Vanessa (@VanessaCordery) and currently work at UABookstore in Marketing and Communications and I am really looking forward to this course and especially looking forward to putting my new knowledge to work.
ReplyDeleteAfter completing the reading assignments for Module 1, my takeaways are as follows:
While the first article, Introduction to E-Commerce, was indeed dated, the meat of the article is still valid. E-commerce will continue to grow and vendors / businesses absolutely must be ahead of the trend not only to serve our customers to the very best of our ability and continue to grow ourselves, but in order to survive in what is a cut-throat and fickle marketplace. After all, if we can’t give the customer what they are looking for very quickly, with the click of a button or swipe of a finger, they will go elsewhere, perhaps never to return.
Speaking of the swipe of a finger, mobile commerce, be it a smart phone or tablet, is the latest trend we as vendors must jump on, or rather should already have jumped on. With so many valuable tools at our disposal, such as push notifications, free apps, location services and the like, it is hard to believe that some vendors actually don’t take advantage of them. In my own experience, the Bookstore, not from my lack of championing the digital cause, has been terribly slow to embrace new technology and in my opinion it has cost us dearly. If a student wants to purchase something, they want to do it wherever they are and whenever they choose, I am the same so I understand. Sadly, as noted in Digital-Physical Mashups the Bookstore is not alone in being dragged, kicking and screaming into e-commerce.
We have to embrace the fact that most people “live” on-line and to be truly successful one must not only have a fully functioning website with responsive design (adapts automatically to mobile devices) but the ability to provide after-sale service as well, also on-line and again, as noted in Digital-Physical Mashups, vendors / businesses must be “digical” savvy – balancing the digital and physical environments to give us a new competitive edge.
The bottom line, in our current age of instant gratification in a cut-throat and fickle marketplace, is that if we don’t adapt and embrace technology and offer the very best customer experience possible, we not only lose one customer but many because one negative review, Tweet, post, etc. is all it takes to dissuade others from purchasing.
I agree with your bottom line Vanessa. In my work we have what many think of as a select audience and that we don't really need to think about our online presence. But the generation of parents in the world today are tech savvy and to not meet them where they live means we miss our target audience completely. It is a tough sell in my job but I think these articles will help me present a clear picture of why we need to upgrade our online presence.
DeleteHi Vanessa,
DeleteNice to meet you!
I totally agree with you about how fickle is the marketplace. The evolution is really fast and we have to develop, even more, the ability to adapt us to all these changes to give always the best experience to our audience. As good marketers I think the adaptation is one of our best assets because we are always looking for innovation and new proposals, but now we need to be focused always in customer experience. I think that today the experience that we can give to our audience is the right goal to achieve, after this everything is going to come easier: sales, brand awareness, etc. That´s why today we don´t talk about success brands, we talk about "love marks". Regards!
Hi Everyone, I am Katherine (@Irishkatherine). I work within the communications and media relations sector, and am really looking forward to all that I can learn from this course and to its practical applications within the workplace.
ReplyDeleteAfter completing the readings that were assigned for Module 1, my thoughts are as follows:
An Introduction to E-Commerce, although dated—it mentions faxes—contains many interesting points about the importance for businesses, entrepreneurs and consumers to be up-to-date with all the new developments relating to E-commerce. In fact, all the readings, and the video, were very thought-provoking and informative about E-commerce and mobile marketing, its rise and why it is so important in the commercial market nowadays.
From the readings and from my own experience it seems that much of E-commerce’s importance is based on the fact that these days “time is essence” whether it is for Business-to-Consumer (B2C), Business-to-Business (B2B), Person-to-Person (P2P), or Intraorganizational. Businesses seek to spend less time getting their product to the attention of the public (locally to globally), less time converting people from passive viewers into active buyers, and less time securing an actual sale, and customers seek to spend less time being able to purchase what they want, when they want, how they want, and from where they want.
E-commerce can be much more cost effective than traditional commerce methods. Businesses can cut out the middle person to sell their products, and they are no longer tied by the limits of geographical location. We see this clearly with large businesses such as Amazon, Dell, or Expedia, which allow the consumer to browse through vast directories of catalogues without any hassle, compare prices between products, buy from another country, and on top of that, the consumer can do all of this without leaving the comfort of their home or office. In short, being ahead of the game in relation to E-commerce is essential for today’s businesses and online/mobile marketers. Including E-commerce and mobile marketing as an essential part of business plans is essential for a business if it wishes to survive and stay competitive in the ever changing market.
From the Module 1 readings and video, the possibilities of mobile marketing seem endless, as it is arguably the closest a business or a e-marketer can get to the consumer. There is no other device that is as personal (everybody has their own phone), as pervasive (it is with you all of the time), and provides the opportunity for proximity. Mobile ‘smart’ devices have the potential to be a tremendous enabler, and we are already seeing it. The power to determine that a target consumer, such as myself, is driving or walking in the proximity of a restaurant or store and for the business to be able to feed me an immediate message, flash deals or coupon is unprecedented. Businesses are increasingly using mobile apps to market their products to customers, as we are spending the majority of our online time on our mobile devices. I agree with Gary (@Noface2give), when he said that via ‘smart’ devices, E-Commerce/mobile marketing is truly starting to blend seamlessly into our lives. I recently read that Groupon has introduced Snap, a grocery shopping app for smart phones that pays users cash back on supermarket purchases by using brand-specific coupons. Users can make in-app grocery lists and redeem the offers at any grocery store in the U.S. or Canada by simply snapping an image of their receipt and uploading it to the app. When accounts reach $20, Groupon send customers a cheque.
Mobile/E-marketing truly enables marketers to connect at the right time, in the right place, with the right individual. I look forward to learning more about online and mobile marketing and commerce from this course, and how to use it in the market place.
Hi Katerine, I strongly believe that you hit the nail right on the head with the point "time is essence". The goal to qucikly capture attention, pursuit conversion, and secure businesses is not an easy task. However, it's been proven to be achievable again and again by some very creative strategies; supported by continuous effort on data collection, market analysis and testing. I mean look at all the examples from the activity in Module 2.
DeleteI agree wholly with your assessment, Katherine. It seems silly to think that someone might not follow through with an online purchase if they have to click one extra button, or take 30 seconds to enter in information. With that being said, I'm a prime example of leaving my online shopping cart and going elsewhere (which takes more time than just following through with the purchase). 'What? You want me to make an account on your site which will take me less than a minute? No way!'
DeleteThe more technology allows us to access information and products in an instant, the more we want our online shopping experience to reflect that. I want the information at my fingertips and the ability to complete an action (like making a purchase) in an instant.
The marketing and e-commerce possibilities for businesses are endless, but so are the ways to do it incorrectly. To do it well, businesses need to dig in to find out what their customers want and then make it happen.
Hi everyone I'm Kathryn and this is my 7th course in the Social Media Citation.
ReplyDeleteFor me the YouTube video made e-commerce easy to understand and easy to explain. I hadn't realized that I was already e-commerce savvy.
I found the readings somewhat dry but educational. They will be useful in explaining why e-commerce is essential as part of a social media plan. I work in the non-profit sector and while we don't sell in the traditional sense we do have programs that people need to register for. I know have a clearer picture of how e-commerce will benefit our agency. Actually it plays a larger role than I had thought. I recently had a shipping problem and that used an "e-commerce" approach to fix it.
The articles also gave me a visual of the evolution of e-commerce and how the advent of the smart phone has changed how we purchase online. The speed, access, and privacy of online purchases make my head spin. In a good but tired way. It feels like a new frontier for me.
Hi Kathryn,
DeleteYou're right about the YouTube video - it was very succinct. With regards to the other articles begin dry, you have a point. The one which had a bit of a story narrative, telling us about the women who wanted the online price while in the store, is the one I enjoyed the most.
Overall - they provided a great foundation. I look forward to hearing more of your insights.
See you in class on Monday.
Hello,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Nanjai. I am taking the Citation in Social Media Strategic Marketing and I choose this elective course because I think that mobile marketing and e-commerce are an important part of Digital Marketing, and I am looking to improve my 360° view in digital media.
What I noticed more relevant in the readings from Module 1 is that we should internalize that e-commerce is:
- Commerce but with electronic tools, which it means that e-commerce is also about doing business, "not just reporting on it or sending messages about it". I think this is really important because sometimes we can lose the focus in the real goals in digital marketing.
- Good option to improve the relationship between business and customers.
- It´s not just about the sale, it also includes service and support after purchases.
- Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) which is invaluable. If we really know how to use all the information that we get from customers, we can enlarge our knowledge about them and perfect our strategies for the right audience.
- Dramatic reduction in distribution and advertising costs, among others factors about rentability of the business.
In conclusion, after this readings I am looking forward to know more deep information and more details about how can we use this tools to optimize our marketing plans!
Electronic Data Interchange is an interesting way our online presence can help and haunt us. Search something once on Google and then all of a sudden it's all you are seeing in the sidebar screen of your computer. More ads for the same thing! For those of us looking at building our understanding of it this can be quite helpful indeed. Big brother but in a good way.
DeleteHi, I'm Shannon. I'm eager to apply the learnings from this class to the real life situations I'm facing at work. You can read more about those on the intro page: https://eclass.srv.ualberta.ca/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=425411
ReplyDeleteA couple key points stood out for me. The first was that the lack of support from the executive team is not a common barrier to implementing e-commerce or digital initiatives. Rather, it's inexperience with execution. This is certainly relates to the barriers I'm facing. Everyone agrees we should do , but HOW do we do it effectively? And where do we turn to for advice when best practices are still emerging.
The second was the Sears case study and the importance of an omni-channel approach to "marry" the online and in-person experience. I now understand why I feel icky walking into a Sears store - they've neglected their physical space in favour of their digital experience. Unfortunately, because of my personal experience, they've dropped off my shopping radar so I'm unlikely to visit their fancy online store.
Hi Shannon! It sounds like we are facing same type of barriers at work - everyone in the leadership team knows how important digital marketing is, but aren't sure what to do as they aren't comfortable with it.
DeleteI also have to agree with you on Sears. The poor appearance of their stores affects my opinion even when I am shopping online. Their nice website comes up often in search results, but I'd rather shop on other websites because I don't like how their stores look.
Hi Kat. I grew up in a small town and the arrival of the Sears catalog was always exciting. For a company that did catalog shopping (the grandfather of online) so well it's sad to watch their decline - hopefully they pull through.
DeleteHello EXSM 5513 – This is Karl from Athabasca (90 minutes north of Edmonton) and learning about E-Commerce is something new for me.
ReplyDeleteThere were a number of points that made me think of where we are today with E-Commerce and how far we still have to go. I knew there was a history to it but I didn’t know what it was. When it was said that SMS and faxes are considered forms of E-Commerce it made me wonder how effective they would be today. The only marketing I receive today via SMS is from my wireless service provider and the only one I’ve seen on the fax machine lately has been from an old school travel agency.
Successful business leaders always look at the bottom line and balance it with the potential for the future. In the case of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, the bottom line wasn’t very good and the growth they saw as the result of E-Commerce would make any CAO jealous. Great example of how E-Commerce can be championed.
The graph showing the breakdown of E-Commerce use by various sectors illustrates how the financial sector has been able to make the connection with their customers and within their industry. Other sectors can learn from this success. It made me think of my own experience with my bank. I deal with RBC and they don’t have a branch in my community. The ability to conduct online banking helped me stay with them.
Future growth of E-Commerce will require corporate leaders to buy into the process and learn more about it in general. With a customer base that isn’t tied to a geographical location, it could mean a significant difference (ie: for industry, which hasn’t embraced E-Commerce to a great extent yet).
This is a method of doing business that makes it easy for the customer to buy. If there’s anything that we know about ourselves today it is that we will take the path of least resistance. A few clicks, a VISA number, enter your shipping address and it’s on the way.
Like the Digital-Physical mashups paper outlined quite well, I feel a significant barrier to e-Commerce growth is making a seamless connection between online and off the shelf. Consumers, like the daughter buying Dance Revolution game, are savvy and will shop around online before heading to the storefront to make the purchase. While this isn’t E-Commerce in a true sense of the word at least it is still a purchase.
It was interesting to note that regulations, reimbursement practices and liability issues is preventing the medical technology and health care sectors from experiencing the growth they might otherwise have had. It shows us that even though security has come a long way there is still room for improvement.
Hi Karl, I enjoyed reading your thoughts on E-Commerce, and in particular your thoughts on it in relation to medical technology and health care sectors. It is indeed going to be a fine balance now and in the future between increased online and mobile marketing and commerce, and people's privacy! Can we find the sweet spot that makes it work for both the corporate sector and for the customer (with our concerns about privacy)?
DeleteThere has ground gained when it comes to the medical field but they have their own secure networks that allow the transfer of date between labs and doctors for example. It's a digital transfer of information but is not on the world wide web. I think this is why these medically based companies are a bit gun shy.
DeleteHello, I'm Yolanda and this is my sixth class in the Citation in Social Media Strategic Marketing program.
ReplyDeleteAfter going through the readings in Module 1, I have to say that two resonated with me--albeit one positively and one negatively.
Although peppered with dated language, the Gao article was a very good introduction to e-commerce. Many of the foundations and issues of e-commerce are still relevant, more than 15 years after the article was published, which shows that even though technology may develop and change rapidly, the core principles of e-commerce do not.
Rigby's article was fascinating and the realization that to be successful, a business needs to embrace a balance between digital and physical--"digical". It's a fine balance that very few companies do well. Some companies put all of their proverbial eggs in one basket and fail (poor Sears...), others stick their head in the sand and hope that whole digital thing will pass (poor Blockbuster...) and a small number of them embrace new technology and create the environment that will work best for their customer (integrated experience), not their company.
The need that consumers (both digital and physical) have for an integrated shopping experience, but how rarely they encounter such an environment was surprising. After reading the article I began to evaluate my most recent online purchases and yes, very few retailers integrate their online and physical store presence. In the last few months I've personally encountered a disconnect between numerous online and physical stores (lack of ability to price match, different customer service policies).
Mobile Marketing, published by Boundless, was somewhat disturbing to read. To quote Uncle Ben from Spider-Man, "With great power comes great responsibility." The amount of data and personal information that is available to companies from their e-commerce customers is enormous. Just like striking a balance between digital and physical, companies also need to evaluate their need to advertise and the need to protect their customers privacy. Are push notifications appropriate? Is it okay to use location information? What about wireless security?
As technology keeps changing more rapidly and consumers seek a more integrated shopping experience, companies need to ensure that their e-commerce and mobile marketing strategies reflect what the customer wants.
Hi Yolanda, I agree with your statement that businesses really need to do a better job at integrating their digital and physical store presence, as the separation that currently exists for many businesses breeds discontent and distrust in customers, particularly as we become more and more smart device oriented. I agree also with your thoughts on the amount of personal data that online businesses are trying to collect from customers. For example, if I want the ease of using my facebook account to log-in to an online business I dislike if that the business requests access my information and my contacts list. It is indeed going to be a fine balance now and in the future between increased online and mobile marketing and commerce, and people's privacy. You are spot on when you say that "companies need to ensure that their e-commerce and mobile marketing strategies reflect what the customer wants."
DeleteHi. My name is Crystal Armstrong and I am a Dual Citation student for the social media program. This is my last course for completion and by far the one that I am interested in.
ReplyDeleteReflecting on my impressions of the Gao article, may I simply say: Dear Gao - Infographic/flow chart please! I found myself taking notes and graphing his definitions to try to ensure that I was not confusing them (I was), while trying to clarify his message - I am still waffling a bit due to his format.
As a self-defined 'Power Shopper' my demands from an e-commerce site are; quick, accessible and responsive search bars ie:sizes, colors options with actual product visuals for better visualization, suggestive 'Did you mean...' intuitive search options (these rate high for my experience) quick cash out and most certainly, free shipping is a bonus however, not a deciding factor in my searches. I absolutely do consider products/service reviews when making purchasing decisions but, as I research before I buy, I consider several sources before closing the sale.
Rigby's reflections on 'Digica' resonated with me as a marketing professional. I am of a school of thought that screams 'Through the Line Marketing' meaning that Online, Head office and
'Bricks and Mortar' experiences should mirror each other in experience and offerings but, issues of departmental communication, inconsistent management and difficulty with staff buy-in are often stumbling blocks in a clean execution of this process which, are not always easy to resolve in my experience.
A separation of business units when it comes to; social marketing, marketing, communications and ecommerce is rampant in most companies (as discussed) which naturally makes e-commerce a confusing and segregated business unit for most companies - left to 'tech savvy' personnel and often considered a confusing yet essential part of companies who integrate it. A general lack of 'tech-knowledge' among senior management is a serious impediment in the journey toward 'digica' integration and the successful management of the e-commerce equation..
The article by 'Boundless' specifically, the reference to personal information handling and security concerns resonates with me. Recent CASL changes in Canada. My need to garner followers (demographic/Psychographic) data as balanced by constant vigilance to respect and safeguard personal information is a challenging equation.
I have many questions yet un-answered after this module.
Hi, my name is Katja. I am in marketing and this is my sixth course in the citation for social media strategic marketing.
ReplyDeleteWhile Gao’s article seemed a bit dated, in the end it is still relevant and provided a good foundation for e-commerce. The YouTube video was a great, brief explanation of e-commerce.
I enjoyed reading Rigby’s article the best because it describes the current shopping experience for most consumers so well. As a marketer I try to see things from customers’ perspective and believe that integrating the digital and physical aspects is so important.There are still so many businesses that do not know how to do it well and we have seen many fail because they did not even try (such as Blockbuster). I believe the biggest obstacles are not having digitally-savvy leadership and segregating departments such as e-commerce and marketing.
With new technology, our shopping experiences have changed and keep changing, but few companies know how to stay ahead of the curve. I was positively surprised to learn how much of an impact Nike’s app has made.
As for the article on mobile marketing, this reminded me again how many options are available, and how few companies know how to do mobile marketing well. I see QR codes in strange places such as billboards, and push notifications are nothing but annoying to me. Maybe this is because marketers like to try new technologies without first thinking about the customers‘ experience?
Hi Katja, I'm happy to hear you mention your customer perspective approach. With a little bit of time and effort, services could be improved and delivered more efficiently if they were designed with customers in mind. I'm currently taking a course on Human-centered design through IDEO.org. I'll tell you more about it tomorrow if you're interested.
DeleteMy favorite place to see a QR code is on a website. Sigh.
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