eCommerce:
(Week 6, question 10)
In the past few years, there has been an explosion of online retaliers. It really makes things conveinent for us, the consumer. I have sat at the desk at work and shopped for birthday gifts, Christmas gifts, vacation deals, and personal items at random. It saves time from running to the local stores, or making an hour long drive to the mall, or the pressure of a travel agency. However, many of the sites I deal with have physical locations. Dick's sporting goods for example. And that helps. I am able to shop in Dick's virtual store and see what I am interested in, then when I go to their actual store, I know exactly what I want. Or like wise, I can go to the mall and try on shoes, but then usually find a better deal from Zappos. Reading reviews on different models of cameras and tvs in the virtual stores is helpful before going to Best Buy or Walmart to make a final purchase after seeing and feeling the product in person. BUT, the examples I have given are all businesses with physical locations, AND an online presence. So, what are the pros and cons about having a business exclusively online, with no phsyical location?
And I am thinking in terms of a business which sells a tangible product, Zappos for example...
Here are some of the pros and cons to having a business exclusively online:
Pros:
-Low Start Up Costs
-Omnipresence on the Web
-International Customer Access
-Business House 24/7/365
-Low Overhead
-Work From Home
Cons:
-You can't see customers phsyically
-Contstant need to maintian site
-Lack of customer trust (due to location, and inability to 'touch' product)
-Disruption of business
Of course these are not the only pros and cons for an exclusive online business. Issues such as shipping logistics come to play, as well as currency conversion when dealing with international customers. But you get the general idea.
Is owning a business that operates exclusively online the way of the furture? I guess wake me in 100 years and I will update my Blog.
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