Ecomm blogger

" If you were confusing of something, just go and 'Google Up'. We always heard of this word -- 'Google Up'. What does it mean? Generally, it means that we would be able to look up and search for whatever information that is needed by surfing Internet using the google software.

Google was developed by Larry Page and Sergey Brin who was joined in later in year 1996 when they were pursuing their Ph.D in Stanford University, California. The domain google.com was then registered and incorporated as Google Inc in year 1998. The name ' Google' originate from a common misspelling of the word ' googol' . Its mission is ' to organize the world's information and to make it universally accessible and useful'. This search engine had attracted a growing number of users especially teenagers and youngsters who fond of its simple design and useful results since its development.

Nowadays, Google is well known of its web search engine and it even ahead of Yahoo and Live Search. Google consists of billion of web pages to enable user to 'google' for the information they required by merely key in the keywords although sometimes it only generate a maximum amount of 1000 results for specific query. Apart from searching information, Google also included a various type of services such as Image Search, Google News, Google Product Search, Google Groups, Google Maps, Google Earth, Google Video, Google Translate, Gmail and so on.

Gmail also known as Google Mail is a free web-based e-mail services. We can use it to search for our daily e-mails. Google Video is another useful and free video sharing websites which enables users to upload, search and watch videos from the larger Internet. It is very similar to YouTube. We can use this provided services to share funny, interesting and meaningful videos with people all around the world. Google Translate is also an useful services cater by Google Inc. It can translate a section of text, messages and even web pages into another language that the user desire. By using this services, languages barriers is no longer a problem to anyone of us, we can select whatever language that is suitable and convenient to us during net surfing.

Another usefulness of Google is fast and convenient. Why do I said so? Well, let's have a 80th flashback. We always heard of our parents, relatives, lecturers said that Y Generation students are so lucky and fortunate as they can easily completed their degree by using advanced technologies. Yup, they are right. Students nowadays are doing easier in their studies compared to our seniors. They are able to complete their assignments and thesis in a shorter time as they would not need to go to the libraries to search and look for necessary information. What they need to do is just finding the relevant information through Internet by " Google Up".

In conclusion, Google is a very beneficial web tool in tackling our daily requirements and problems. It makes our life more interesting and easier. Thus, whenever you are confusing or curious of something, what you need to do is just.......... 'GOOGLE UP'.

Prepared by Chong Hui Qi'

One of the most famous example of e-commerce failure would be the e-tailer Boo.com which was launched on 3rd November 1999, that added fears about stability and viability of existing and other future online retailers. Boo.com was funding by investors such as Benetton and Bernard Arnault, the chairman of LVMH, Europe largest luxury goods group. This Boo.com not only become the most heavily funded Internet start-up in Europe but also become the high profile. But, the launch has delayed for six months due to technological problems that reported from various sources. Huge spending on consulting fees in order to launched the website and $6 million was spent in fashion ware which has to be discounted in the end because it was no longer fashionable by the time the site was eventually launched. In addition, slow browsing, poor navigation and irritating technology make lost of potential customer and gained Boo a bad reputation.

Reason of failure include poor web design usability where products are zoom all around the page an customer need to practically have to play target practice in order to select the product they want. there were several reports of 'computer text' appearing in web browser instead of graphics, and complaints that customers were unable to purchase products. The Financial Times reported that one customer have been advised by Boo to "limit the amount of transactions they made, to three per twenty minutes". Obviously, this kind of approach could discourage potential and existing customers from shopping over the internet at all. It is very clear from the customer poor online shopping experiences, there was no sufficient testing was undertaken nor were their circumstances were taken into account. E-businesses should ensure their sites are fully tested and refined before promoting them otherwise they will risk losing customer as well as revenue. Test should incorporate actual audience members and include some professionals, and those who know little about trading and those who had never traded online.

With bad marketing, Boo marketed itself as a premium sports, urban street wear and fashion retailer, stocking quality products for the conscious young individual. Premium products came with expensive charges but customer are attracted more to by online at cheaper prices. When clothing is view to be important with nature behavior of customer like to see, feel and try on items before buying, Boo.com's clever teccnology enabled shoppers to view the items in 3-D and gave a distinc visual feel of the products. unfortunately, they did not account for the key internet driver-lower prices. Apart from that, brands that involved in Boo.com did not wish to offer discounts as it will devalue their brand. The publisher of 'Computing' show the three main reasons for web purchases in UK as 'easy and convenience', 'better prices' and 'speed of process', but Boo.com fulfilled none of the criteria.

Pattern of spending from technology cost was the construction of Boo's technology platform which involved hefty programming for multi-currency sales and product delivery. In addition to the initial outlay of the website, there were high maintainance expenses with five thousand pounds a month for creating 3d photographs of its products for the website. There is also feedbackfrom employees about excessive employment benefits and luxurious spending but these benefit were later justified as in order to attract 'some of the brightest brains in Europe'. Although there had been improvements in the website, but Boo.com was forced into liquidition when it's investor refused to inject any more cash into the business as it had already spent $380 million. Boo did suceed in creating a 'hip and trendy' image suitable for attracting young shoppers but on the other hand, the performance of the site gave the brand a reputation of being customer unfriendly.

A website should be vigorously tested and the structure and site should be completely ready before marketing the brand. using professionals to ensure the site is one hundred percent robust, will deter any embarrassing publicity from damaging the brand and ensuring customers of a stress free shopping experience. budget and sound marketing plan should be in place beforehand and followed. Expensive advertising campaigns maybe effective, but more investment should be placed on retaining existing customers through good Customer Relationship Management.

Prepared by Wong Kai Lei

When a discussion was given in the topic of the successful E-Commerce nowadays, for sure Amazon, Ebay, and Dell will come to mind. We will discuss and share with you one of the mentioned company which successfully captured the consumers' heart, ebaY.

eBay, the world's largest online marketplace which offer a great opportunity to consumers in buying and selling any item at anytime. The key success that ebay hold which is built on commerce, sustained by trust, and inspired by opportunity. What make the global leader with million of people everyday on commerce? Online payment and communication would be some of the others criteria that cause ebay success. Those corporate media with ebay which are paypal, Skpe, Shopping.com, StubHub and Stumble Upon .

Get to know how success ebay is, let's have a quick view of ebay.

There may have some causes to make eBay a successful E-commerce. One of the reasons is offering an exciting feature which provided buyers and sellers a quick, easy, and safe way to negotiate price online. It helps the consumers bargain for the best price on eBay and this would probably build customer satisfaction as to bid desired item at reasonable price. ebay extensively offers products in different categories such as collectible, vehicles, real estate, office equipment and others. It has a safe and reliable reputation protected by the company.

eBay has good strategies in terms of web site design, customer services, technical proficiency, advertising, accuracy of billing and guarantees and warranties. All these affords that eBay made satisfying small and large consumers. Talented workforce, product innovation, brand name and expertise in technology are the strength that ebay has in order to survive in this competitive market.

eBay always understand about its customers and here is some tutorials for the eBay new comers:

how to sell: http://pages.ebay.com/bestoffer/seller/index.html

Other than the tutorials, eBay also provides various online help features which that help consumers a hand and assist them while they are facing problem in some activities. The online help features are including help topics, learning center, resolution center, eBaY university and contact us. eBay has considerate to the consumers situation and provides a lot of guidelines for them to refer and since then build up consumers network and satisfaction accordingly.

eBaY has also created a friendly environment to the consumers as they can easily find the instruction and the layout and arrangement of the website looked tidy, in order and comfortable. The guarantees and warranties which provided by ebay has build up customers confidence and trustworthy.

In consequences, eBaY has put in more affords and make improvement for their company as a return to consumers' support. Hence, eBaY will continue to grow in the future.

sources from:

prepared by Wong Chuan Chi

Introduction
E-commerce, also known as electronic marketing, it is not just the buying and selling activities. It defines as the process of buying, selling, or exchanging products, services or information via computer network. Nowadays, it brings more convenient and entertainment to the users in those activities such as downloading songs, purchasing clothes on online boutique shop, bidding on the online auction and so on. In fact, the most important feature of E-commerce is it allows people to buy or sell anything they want at anytime of the day or night. Now, let us turn back to the time tunnel and get to know about the history of E-commerce and its evolution to this advancement society.

The history and evolution of E-commerce
When there is no invention of electricity during prehistoric period, all business transactions were done face by face via letters. Gradually, telegraph and telephone were took place of it and then turn to fax machine in the mid 1980's. These telephone and fax machine were the first E-commerce transaction. Follow by the technology advancement, more new technology was replace the old technology which make it more consistency and more faster. Turning back to the history, it is come from the development of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). EDI is a set of standard developed in the 1960's to exchange business information and do electronic transaction. Mosaic web browser was came after this and it was quickly adapted into downloadable browser, Netscape which allowed easier access to E-commerce. The third step in E-commerce development was DSL which allowed quicker access and a persistent connection to the internet.

Years & Event
1960's
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) was formulated to facilitate business transaction electronically.

1969
ARPANET, was developed by America deparment of defence for researching new reliable network and later this enhanced into internet nearly 20 years.

1991
Tim Berners-Lee developed World Wide Web that started the first Internet transaction. These technology supported exchange of data that was in text format only.

1993
Mosaic was developed by Marc Andreessen, this is the first graphic web browser launched to interchange text and graphic and loads of people started downloading it. Later on, he develop Netscape. On the other hand, Microsoft come out with Microsoft Explorer.


1994
First business deal took place in this year and since then there have been billion of dealings.

1998
DSL was launched into market that provided much faster access and persistent connection to the network.

E-commerce spread into a significant group globally within a span of 4 years from 1996 to 2000. Another major improvement in E-commerce came with the development of Linux a platform more reliable and open sourced that allowed itself to be customized by its users and to a tough competition to Microsoft that compelled its development much better version of networking.

Amazon and Ebay were the first international companies that implemented electronic transaction.Initially public offering by Amazon, Ebay and Netscape have tremendous and almost everyone started implement business on internet.

sources from www.netecommerce.net/history-of-ecommerce.html

prepared by Wong Chuan Chi