Module Two: E-Commerce Web Sites

Overview

In Chapter 1 of your textbook, (pages 2-33), you became familiar with two major trends affecting Canadian Business: technology and globalization. As you know from your reading, globalization means an integrated system of production, marketing, finance, and management with little regard for borders or distances. Strategic alliances, decentralization, empowerment, and customer focus are among the trends affecting business.
These days, an overwhelming number of businesses are re-engineering in order to respond to the call of the World Wide Web.
Commercial web sites have a variety of formats. Most have a large data base with an online catalogue from which customers can select goods and services. In some cases, the site acts as a broker for others to display wares or services such as an auction format. A site may be one of many allied businesses collected in a mall-like site. And some sites are linked from portals - sites that bring together a number of customer-related services, including newsletters and chat rooms, bulletin boards, listserves, personalization options (you select what you want to see in the way of news, weather, e-mail, and search engines, translation programs, for example).

Resources for E-Commerce Web Sites

E-Commerce technology Links which is maintained by the Institute for eCommerce at Carnegie Mellon University, gives you quite a few links to the "behind-the-scenes" aspects of electronic commercial sites, for example, security issues, data base maintenance, and payment systems. Just scrolling through the list will give you a better appreciation of the many facets of this new way of doing business.
Corporate Communications - a site that speaks to the corporate culture of Dell
Barnes and Noble University - learning online (for free!)
Schwab's Secret Weapon - how a company and a leader evolved in exactly the right way for the coming of the Internet
Inside Amazon's culture - a closer look at this amazing site and its workers
E-Bay Revolution - auction sites are one of the hottest corners of cyberspace right now

Best Examples in Ecommerce (ZDNet & Creative Good)

Amazon.com
Bluemountainarts
eBay
Peapod
Classifieds2000
Ticketmaster
ColumbiaHouse
ONSALE
QVC
rightstart

Assignment

Visit each of the following web sites as listed as the ten leading e-commerce sites by the industry consultancy firm, Digital Trends Corporation - June 2000:

Computers/Supplies - Dell (http://www.dell.com)
Personal Interests - Barnes and Noble (http://www.barnesandnoble.com)
OLD SITE Travel/Entertainment - Sabre (http://www.sabre.com)
Investments/Banking - Charles Schwab (http://www.schwab.com)
Dept Stores/Mall - Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com)
Auctions - Ebay (http://www.ebay.com)
Toys/Collectibles - rightstart (http://rightstart.com/)
Major Purchases - Autotrader.com (http://www.autotrader.com)
Fashion - Lands' End (http://www.landsend.com)
Consumables - Homeruns (http://www.homeruns.com)

Choose two of the sites given above and study the organization and scope of the business being conducted there. Using these two examples, write a proposal for an imaginary company.

Tell the CEO of this company why the company could benefit from having a site constructed.
List the advantages of taking this business online.
Give examples from the two sites you have selected.
Present a clear rationale for how effectively this web site would support the company's mission given the current business trends.

Please submit your completed assignment to your instructor.

Send your answers to your instructor by filling out the form below.

Your Name:
Your Email:
Your ID #:
Book:
Course number/section:
Instructor's Name:
Instructor's Email Address:

Copyright ©2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies. All rights reserved. Any use is subject to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
McGraw-Hill Ryerson is one of the many fine businesses of The McGraw-Hill Companies.
Contact us for further information about this site.

	Overview In Chapter 1 of your textbook, (pages 2-33), you became familiar with two major trends affecting Canadian Business: technology and globalization. As you know from your reading, globalization means an integrated system of production, marketing, finance, and management with little regard for borders or distances. Strategic alliances, decentralization, empowerment, and customer focus are among the trends affecting business. These days, an overwhelming number of businesses are re-engineering in order to respond to the call of the World Wide Web. Commercial web sites have a variety of formats. Most have a large data base with an online catalogue from which customers can select goods and services. In some cases, the site acts as a broker for others to display wares or services such as an auction format. A site may be one of many allied businesses collected in a mall-like site. And some sites are linked from portals - sites that bring together a number of customer-related services, including newsletters and chat rooms, bulletin boards, listserves, personalization options (you select what you want to see in the way of news, weather, e-mail, and search engines, translation programs, for example).
	Resources for E-Commerce Web Sites E-Commerce technology Links which is maintained by the Institute for eCommerce at Carnegie Mellon University, gives you quite a few links to the "behind-the-scenes" aspects of electronic commercial sites, for example, security issues, data base maintenance, and payment systems. Just scrolling through the list will give you a better appreciation of the many facets of this new way of doing business. Corporate Communications - a site that speaks to the corporate culture of Dell Barnes and Noble University - learning online (for free!) Schwab's Secret Weapon - how a company and a leader evolved in exactly the right way for the coming of the Internet Inside Amazon's culture - a closer look at this amazing site and its workers E-Bay Revolution - auction sites are one of the hottest corners of cyberspace right now
	Best Examples in Ecommerce (ZDNet & Creative Good) Amazon.com Bluemountainarts eBay Peapod Classifieds2000 Ticketmaster ColumbiaHouse ONSALE QVC rightstart
	Assignment Visit each of the following web sites as listed as the ten leading e-commerce sites by the industry consultancy firm, Digital Trends Corporation - June 2000: Computers/Supplies - Dell (http://www.dell.com) Personal Interests - Barnes and Noble (http://www.barnesandnoble.com) OLD SITE Travel/Entertainment - Sabre (http://www.sabre.com) Investments/Banking - Charles Schwab (http://www.schwab.com) Dept Stores/Mall - Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com) Auctions - Ebay (http://www.ebay.com) Toys/Collectibles - rightstart (http://rightstart.com/) Major Purchases - Autotrader.com (http://www.autotrader.com) Fashion - Lands' End (http://www.landsend.com) Consumables - Homeruns (http://www.homeruns.com) Choose two of the sites given above and study the organization and scope of the business being conducted there. Using these two examples, write a proposal for an imaginary company. Tell the CEO of this company why the company could benefit from having a site constructed. List the advantages of taking this business online. Give examples from the two sites you have selected. Present a clear rationale for how effectively this web site would support the company's mission given the current business trends. Please submit your completed assignment to your instructor. Send your answers to your instructor by filling out the form below. Your Name: Your Email: Your ID #: Book: Course number/section: Instructor's Name: Instructor's Email Address:
	Copyright ©2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies. All rights reserved. Any use is subject to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. McGraw-Hill Ryerson is one of the many fine businesses of The McGraw-Hill Companies. Contact us for further information about this site.