Harvard Sample E-commerce Research Report

E-Commerce Research Report 1

E-COMMERCE RESEARCH REPORT

Student’s Name

University

Course

Professor

Date

E-Commerce Research Report 2

Website Information

WEBSITE INFORMATION

Online business name

PETBARN

Online business category

Retail (pet supply)

URL online

Vinotech.co.ke/pets

No. of visible pages

E-Commerce Research Report 3

E-Commerce Research Report

Letter of Transmittal

Compton Technologies

E-mail: [email protected]

Date: 5/30/2016

Russel Brook, The Manager

Petbarn Limited

Twelve street,

Sidney.

[email protected]

Dear Sir,

Enclosed is the report you commissioned on E-commerce research and how it could be used to

promote Petbarn Ltd’s services, which are carried online. The main findings of the report are to

illustrate that:

 E-commerce is a multi-disciplinary field that requires combined efforts from other fields

such as computer science, law, Information and Technology, and chain and supply.

 The competitiveness of a business depends on its ability to take advantage of E-

commerce.

E-Commerce Research Report 4

 Proper management of E- commerce is likely to spur business growth.

 A well-maintained website can help businesses monitor customer changing needs.

 E-commerce can greatly help in reducing advertising and marketing costs.

I would like to acknowledge the assistance of Mr. Scott Monroe in writing this report.

Moreover, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to write this report. Please contact us

anytime should there be any inquiries.

Yours Sincerely,

Jack Rudolf,

Compton Technologies

E-Commerce Research Report 5

Executive Summary

Basically, this report presents the findings of a research on E- commerce and how it could

help Petbarn Limited to fully utilize the online marketing platform. Various internet marketing

platforms were thoroughly assessed and compared to conventional means of advertising. I found

that E-commerce is on track and is highly recommended for business. As a result, I came to a

conclusion that businesses should look deep into e-commerce. Moreover, Companies should take

advantage of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and websites to go for

the online customers.

Introduction

E –commerce is the activity of pursuing businesses online where manufacturers and

retailers are able to sell products to customers who use the internet. With the increased

competition in business, several companies have been forced to think of alternative means to

have an advantage. In turn, this situation has resulted in the creation of websites for business

purposes. Purposefully, a website is a great and innovative platform for business to sell their

products. A well-developed website is able to provide sufficient information of a firm's products

to customers who are far away or those using internet platforms. From the inception of the

Internet, its uses have continued to broaden. Initially, it was meant for research and

communication of large institutions on matters of combined research. However, with time, its

applications have extended to business and entertainment.

With E-commerce, businesses can reduce advertising and marketing costs. For this

reason, most companies have sought services of professional web designers to help them develop

quality websites that are very attractive to customers. The websites are well organized even that

customers with little computer skills can be able to get information and even purchase products

E-Commerce Research Report 6

online. Furthermore, the increase of plastic money has also contributed to the increasing

functionality of E-commerce. The digitalization of several organizations has also contributed to

the increase of services that are carried online. It is difficult at this age to find organizations,

which have not embraced E-commerce.

Ideally, the main purpose of the report is to conduct an E-commerce research for Petbarn

Limited and assess how the company could best take advantage of E-commerce platform to

increase its sales and have a competitive edge against its competitors. In this project, the main

aim was to determine how E-commerce could be effectively used for business and what those

businesses that have not turned to e-commerce are expected to do. Another aim was to determine

how firms could use the various online platforms to increase their sales.

In carrying out this project it was assumed that at this age several firms are very

conversant with the internet and therefore less attention was paid in explaining computer and

internet concepts. Apparently, this situation arises since it is common to find smartphones and

computers in use. In addition, most firms use computers that are well equipped with the latest

technology. The report was structured in a simple manner in that the first part provides a brief

overview of how E-commerce is able to assist businesses to connect with online clients. The

second part provides findings from the research and the methods used. The third and the last

part provide the conclusion and recommendation of the research.

Report Section 1: Social E-Commerce and Social Marketing

Social Media

Remarkably, social media is one of the greatest elements that affect e-commerce in the

modern business world. In such a way, the diverse effects of social media on e-commerce should

E-Commerce Research Report 7

be identified and analyzed. In particular, the increased employment of social media to sell

services and products to consumers is among the common trends in the business world.

Commonly known as social e-commerce, the practice affects the profitability of the specific

business accordingly. In essence, social media are technological platforms that utilize the world

web to connect individuals and organizations socially (Barnes & Hunt, 2013). To be precise, it

facilitates the communication of individuals across the globe since people exchange ideas,

pictures, and messages on these platforms as part of their social life. Despite the fundamental

social purpose of the social networking avenues, most corporations in the e-commerce industry

utilize them as a sales tool. Evidently, specific strategies must be adopted by an organization to

utilize the social media as a sales tool. For this purpose, Petbarn Inc must develop and implement

specific plans to sell products and services through social media platforms.

Social Media Strategies that can Facilitate Social E-Commerce

It is evident that social media is a global network that can be used to sell particular

products and services around the globe. Through the utilization of diverse schemes, the

management of Petbarn Inc can reach its consumers appropriately. Creation of referral links is a

strategy that can be used by the corporation to sell its products. In such a way, through the

development of such links, the consumers are re-directed to the main website where they can

purchase the desired products or services. Notably, such links are created and placed on popular

social media platforms to reach numerous consumers. Moreover, referral links often involve

discount clauses to encourage the customer in the social media avenue to purchase the goods.

Once a customer clicks on the given link, they obtain a discount code that can be employed on

the e-commerce website during the purchase (Basoglu, Daim, & Polat, 2014). Remarkably, this

strategy enhances the purchase of goods through social media in any given online organization.

E-Commerce Research Report 8

Besides, another major strategy that the corporation can utilize is the development of social

media applications that direct the customer to the e-commerce site. In particular, through the

development and utilization of the applications, the customers of the organization can easily

obtain the products and services of the company. Evidently, the creation of applications in social

media is a common tool for the sale of commodities and services in e-commerce businesses.

Social Marketing

As well, social marketing is the utilization of networking platforms to promote specific

products and services within the e-commerce industry. In particular, e-commerce businesses

including Petbarn Inc employ Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook as marketing tools. Social

marketing techniques involve the cheapest and quickest method of reaching the highest number

of consumers in the market (Einav, Levin, Popov, & Sundaresan, 2014). In particular, the

efficiency of the marketing technique is the most crucial aspect of social media marketing. In

such a way, the marketing team of Petbarn Inc must as such identify the best strategies to

facilitate social media marketing.

Challenges of Social Marketing

Remarkably, social media marketing is vital to the success of any online business.

Mainly, the advantages associated with social media marketing are numerous due to the

popularity of the method. However, despite the implications of social media marketing, various

challenges are evident in the social media marketing forums of Petbarn Inc. mainly, the social

marketing is an interactive process and this poses a great challenge for the organizations. In

particular, social marketing must be interactive to achieve the desired results of the company.

E-Commerce Research Report 9

Evidently, through the interaction with the users of online platforms, the organization utilizes

diverse resources. One main resource that is extensively used in social marketing is time.

Notably, the process of social marketing is time-consuming. Markedly, numerous man-

hours must be utilized to reach the highest number of consumers within any social avenues. Posts

must be made and respective follow-ups made to ascertain the effectiveness of social marketing.

In such a way, the time constraint becomes a great challenge that Petbarn Inc must overcome to

achieve the pre-determined objectives. Moreover, social marketing requires a substantial amount

of capital investment which acts as a challenge. Mainly, the primary purpose of online businesses

is the generation of profits. In such a way, through the reduction of all expenses, the company

can create the desired profits. As such, utilization of numerous funds in social marketing is a

challenge facing Petbarn Inc.

Despite the fact that most social platforms are free, funds must be employed to pay

employees and create advertisement links and applications within the social networks (Fang et

al., 2014). In such a way, the social marketing process becomes an expensive obligation for the

company. Moreover, the ineffectiveness of social marketing to reach specific groups of

consumers is a challenge facing Petbarn Inc. However, some members of the community do not

utilize the platforms. As such, a wide fraction of the population remains unaffected by social

marketing as they are inaccessible. In such a way, this serves as a major challenge for the

corporation since its intention is to reach numerous individuals. The ineffectiveness of social

marketing to reach a sizeable percentage of the population is a challenge that must be overcome

through other marketing techniques.

Report Section 2: Mobile Platform

E-Commerce Research Report 10

Evidently, various elements affect the e-commerce industry in the contemporary world.

In such a way, the efficient analysis of the various factors that affect e-commerce is crucial. In

particular, comprehension of these elements that impact e-commerce remains a necessity.

Notably, through such understanding, e-commerce organizations become more successful as

strategies are developed based on the elements that affect the business. Notably, mobile

platforms have extensively affected online business activities across the globe. It is evident that

such avenues enable the company to reach numerous people as the platforms have millions of

users. In particular, the employment of smartphones in personal computing and e-commerce

activities has changed the mode of conducting business in the contemporary community. In such

a way, through the employment of mobile devices, online businesses are greatly affected. An

estimated 59% of the mobile users across the globe use smartphones as the primary computing

device.

Remarkably, social media platforms have millions of users in the contemporary society.

Furthermore, Facebook has the highest number of active users in comparison to other social

media avenues. As a result, a great focus must be assigned to Facebook regarding the use of

mobile platforms in the online industry. Notably, Facebook recorded that more than 25% of the

total visits made to its website originated from mobile devices across the globe. As a result, the

figure proves that mobile avenues have become increasingly accepted as a means of accessing

sites and applications in the online industry. As such various implications are generated due to

the increased use of mobile platforms in the online sector (Huang & Benyoucef, 2013).

Implications of Mobile Platforms on the Online Business

E-Commerce Research Report 11

Notably, one of the greatest implications of mobile platforms on e-commerce is the

increased provision of accessibility to consumers. In such a way, various strategies are utilized to

ensure that the business is accessible through the mobile avenues. In particular, the consumers

can easily purchase products and services through mobile platforms. Evidently, mobile platforms

offer direct access to the online business at any given time. As such, the customers become more

willing and capable of utilizing the mobile platforms compared to other methods. Mainly, ease of

use is one major characteristic of mobile platforms in the contemporary society. As such, due to

the convenience involved in the employment of mobile platforms, customers continuously use

the method to conduct online business operations (Turban, King, Lee, Liang, & Turban, 2014).

Remarkably, the growth of success of the online business is promoted due to this continued use

of mobile platforms in the modern world.

Furthermore, mobile platforms reduce the costs associated with conducting business in

the contemporary community. Evidently, mobile platforms are cheap ways of undertaking

business operations in the globe (Laudon & Traver, 2016). In particular, the costs associated with

developing, maintaining, and utilizing mobile platforms are considerably less than other

methods. Consequently, this reduces the general expenses incurred by the organization as it

conducts business operations in the society. Cost reduction is a welcome implication in any

given business as it preserves the limited resources within the company. Evidently, cost

reduction within Petbarn Inc. is partially facilitated by mobile platforms. Markedly, the

corporation employs diverse mobile platforms to promote business operations which reduce the

prices of conducting business. Mainly, the marketing costs are greatly reduced by the use of

mobile platforms. It is evident that social marketing is a cheaper method of marketing compared

E-Commerce Research Report 12

to other modes of marketing. In such a way, Petbarn Inc. reduces general marketing expenses as

mentioned above.

Evidently, mobile platforms promote the business coverage of online businesses in the

modern market. In particular, due to the high number of mobile platforms users, the popularity of

a business that employs the mobile platforms increases. In such a way, the market share of

Petbarn Inc is promoted by the mere utilization of mobile avenues as part of its structure. As

mentioned above, mobile avenues have millions of users who serve as prospective customers for

online businesses. Consequently, a company that utilizes the platform will become more

marketable as numerous individuals are aware of the business operations. In particular, Facebook

users are considerably more than users of other mobile platforms. Consequently, more than 25%

of these users employ mobile devices as the primary method of online activity. In such a way,

Facebook creates the greatest impact on Petbarn Inc in terms of mobile platform utilization.

Facebook use has affected the company greatly as it provides marketing opportunities for

Petbarn. Evidently, the mobile users are easily reached through efficient marketing strategies that

precisely target the Facebook users (Mata & Quesada, 2014).

Report Section 3 – E-commerce Security Plan

Certainly, the increased usage of internet has resulted in increased exposure of internet

crimes commonly known as cyber crimes. E-commerce has greatly been affected by these

harmful activities, which have caused several clients to move away from the use of e-commerce

in purchasing goods and services as they fear to be victims. Basically, Cybercrimes include

malicious code, data breaches, phishing, identity theft, hacking, and cyber vandalism.

Unfortunately, many organizations have been greatly affected by these forms of cyber crimes as

E-Commerce Research Report 13

they have lost clients and money. In particular, this has necessitated the formulation of laws and

policies to ensure that those criminals found guilty of these crimes are prosecuted. In addition,

the enactment of laws against cyber crimes by countries such as the US and Russia is expected to

bring a lot of improvement into this environment. Nonetheless, there is need by the business

fraternity to adopt policies and procedures to ensure that technologies are not undermined.

Without a doubt, this is one of the reasons for carrying research of this kind, so as to address the

emerging issues are addressed.

Apparently, It is important that all the fields involved in ensuring that e-commerce

environment is secured come together and look for means that could bring about enhanced

security (Bendoly & Schoenherr, 2005). From the research that I carried out, I was able to

determine ways that could be used to reduce cybercrimes and enhance security. Indeed, if these

guidelines are duly followed then, it will be possible for e-commerce to effectively help

businesses in carrying out their online operation. Firstly, businesses that want to start using this

platform should perform a risk assessment. Conducting such a procedure will give a company a

clear overview of what to expect should their platform be vandalized .also it will provide crucial

information on other risks related to using online platforms.

Importantly, a company using this E-commerce platform should develop a security policy.

Basically, a security policy is used to address matters of goods and the customers on what to

access and through which means, in this aspect you can find a company not selling some of its

products online and requires interested customers to seek them by going to the nearby dealers.

Majorly, this is common within technology companies since these firms mostly use their

websites to market and advertise new products. But when it comes to purchasing, they are given

directions on how to access them mostly they are given contacts of dealers nearby.

E-Commerce Research Report 14

In addition, it is advised that online platforms users should develop an implementation

plan. To achieve security goals in internet marketing, technological companies could be used to

form programs, which will ensure that malicious programs that are of inconvenience are tackled.

However, for this purpose to be achieved, all stakeholders must and should work together. In

such a way, business corporations ought to fund researches of this kind as it is expected to bring

lots of advantages to them in the end (Jelassi & Enders, 2005). However, companies at their level

too have a role to play. They should structure their own implementation plans. In doing so, they

would be reducing their likelihood of falling victims of cyber crime.

In most cases, the corporate sector has a great role to play in creating a favorable

environment for businesses to thrive. As a result, they should form a security organization whose

mandate will be to handle security issues affecting business systems. The organization or unit

formed should be capable of addressing emerging issues and look for countermeasures. Having

such an organization to take care of business stresses gives companies the freedom required to

concentrate in carrying out their operations (Jelassi & Enders, 2005). For instance, entities such

as International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Trade Organization (WTO) and World Bank

should spearhead motives of this nature. Failure to do this will result in continued theft and

crimes through the internet, which it the end, affect business profits.

As well, organizations using online platforms to carry out their business should always

conduct a security audit. Such a move is important as it gives them information concerning the

people that access their websites and any illegal behaviors that might have been carried by

customers with malicious intention. Moreover, they should hire internet security experts who

will do such activities regularly and help in monitoring their websites. In such a way, online

platforms used by business such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are very easy to hack

E-Commerce Research Report 15

(Angeles & Nath, 2007). For this purpose, much care is to be taken when choosing an online

platform. In this regard, some internet security policies advise that it is better to use websites

only for selling products and social media platforms for the purpose of marketing. In general,

the security of internet platforms is not very good, so business should weigh on how best they

can balance between the two objectives that are using online platforms and the conventional

methods.

Report Section 4 – E-commerce for B2B Procurement

From the results we had obtained through the use of websites and other internet marketing

platforms, we have gained insight that online business can greatly increase the competitiveness

of a firm. For this reason, we have undertaken another big venture, that of modifying our system

to incorporate B2C (Jelassi & Enders, 2005). Business-to-business (B2B) electronic commerce is

crucial in enhancing coordination of various activities within commercial entities. Ideally, it

makes firms operating together to perform their tasks easily. For instance, in procurement, the

benefits accrued from applying B2B include saving and increasing sourcing opportunities (Sila,

2013). Nonetheless, most organizational have not fully utilized this Web-based B2B e-commerce

system. In fact, some fear that it reduces the level of competition and gives an advantage to large

companies. However, the use of electronic data interchange (EDI) has greatly brought forward

recommendable success. It has enabled easy and faster exchange of information between

departments (Angeles & Nath, 2007).

Essentially, for those businesses that have fully upgraded their systems to incorporate

B2b, they have seen greater changes, which mostly have translated to increased revenues.

Particularly, on the part of increasing the operations involving producers and suppliers, this

E-Commerce Research Report 16

option has greatly achieved success. As a result, it is advisable for businesses that want to

increase their competitiveness to upgrade their system from B2C to B2B. Otherwise, they will

continue to experience delays in the arrival of raw materials and poor communication. With a

B2B system, a business is able to closely monitor its operation with its departments and the

various businesses that they work with.

To successfully extend a business system from B2C to B2B, there are several factors that

must be put into consideration. The first entails its ability to handle large volumes of information

flow. Mostly, there is a workload in companies and many of them do not have specialized

technicians that can handle information flow and coordinate all communication processes. As a

result, this situation poses a great challenge (Sila, 2013). The second factor to consider involves

the relationship with other businesses. If there is poor communication, then it will be difficult for

such a business to achieve success in using B2B.

Particularly, E-commerce can be effectively carried out in the supply chain. Without a

doubt, it is easier for suppliers to communicate effectively with commercial firms since it helps

in saving additional resources, which could be used. However, this move requires great attention.

To be precise, businesses opting for this option need to be very reliable to respond to supplier’s

information in time (Sila, 2013). Failure to do so can greatly affect the relationship between

them. Consequently, companies will have to employ more communication workers that will be

responsible for monitoring these systems. In essence, the B2B system is very advantageous and

should be duly followed. Additionally, an effective and timely communication between a

business and its operational constructs such as suppliers and distributors are the necessities that

bring success to business. Lastly, to ensure that the B2b system is properly functional, I would

source companies that have already applied it to seek their advice and inquiry before proceeding

E-Commerce Research Report 17

to implement. Considering the level of competition in business, there is never a room for failure.

For this reason, I will ensure that the system effectively works to our advantage.

Conclusions and Recommendations to the Business

Recommendations to the Business

Notably, Petbarn Inc. must identify and assess various elements that influence the E-

commerce sector in the contemporary business world. Evidently, the company must

acknowledge the importance of social e-commerce and social marketing in conducting business

operations. In such a way, respective solutions to any challenges associated with social

marketing should be formulated. Moreover, implications of the mobile platforms should be

assessed accordingly to ascertain that the company benefits from the extensive use of mobile

platforms in the world. Besides, promotion of security in the e-commerce company must be

achieved through the adoption of specific plans. Notably, effective procurement plans must be

adopted by the company to ensure that it remains relevant in the business world. Besides, the

company must identify relevant e-commerce technology to promote the business operations of

Petbarn Inc.

Conclusions

To conclude with, E-commerce is a popular element of business activities in the modern

world. Evidently, e-commerce serves as one of the most utilized method of conducting business

in the contemporary society. Remarkably, social media is employed by online businesses to

conduct the sale of goods. Petbarn Inc utilizes various social media platforms including

Facebbok, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Mainly, various benefits are associated with the use of social

media as a method of making sales within the online business. However, despite the advantages

E-Commerce Research Report 18

various challenges are associated with use of social media to sell the products and services of the

company. Petbarn Inc. must as such develop and implement specific challenges that curb the

challenges associated with use of social media. Markedly, mobile platforms have become a

popular platform through which consumers interact with online businesses. Increased use of

mobile platforms has increased the accessibility of online companies. Consequently, the online

sector has experienced diverse implications. Notably, most effects of mobile platform use is

positive as discussed in the report. Mainly, security threats facing the e-commerce industry are

numerous. Malicious codes, hacking, and data breaches are some of the threats facing online

businesses. As such, the management of Petbarn Inc must develop and employ a security plan

that protects the integrity of the business. Business model affect the business of the company as

illustrated in this report. As such, the management of Petbarn Inc. should develop a supply chain

that effectively aids the company achieve its objectives. E-commerce technology aids in the

automation process of Petbarn Inc as discussed in the report.

E-Commerce Research Report 19

References

Angeles, R. and Nath, R., 2007. Business-to-business e-procurement: success factors and

challenges to implementation. Supply Chain Management: An International

Journal, 12(2), pp.104-115.

Barnes, S. and Hunt, B. eds., 2013. E-commerce and v-business. London: Routledge.

Basoglu, N., Daim, T. and Polat, E., 2014. Exploring adaptivity in service development: the case

of mobile platforms. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 31(3), pp.501-515.

Bendoly, E. and Schoenherr, T., 2005. ERP system and implementation-process benefits:

Implications for B2B e-procurement. International Journal of Operations & Production

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Chaffey, D., 2007. E-business and E-commerce Management: Strategy, Implementation and

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Einav, L., Levin, J., Popov, I. and Sundaresan, N., 2014. Growth, adoption, and use of mobile e-

commerce. The American economic review, 104(5), pp.489-494.

Fang, Y., Qureshi, I., Sun, H., McCole, P., Ramsey, E. and Lim, K.H., 2014. Trust, Satisfaction,

and Online Repurchase Intention: The Moderating Role of Perceived Effectiveness of E-

Commerce Institutional Mechanisms. Mis Quarterly, 38(2), pp.407-427.

Huang, Z. and Benyoucef, M., 2013. From e-commerce to social commerce: A close look at

design features. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 12(4), pp.246-259.

Jelassi, T., & Enders, A. (2005). Strategies for e-business: creating value through electronic and

mobile commerce: concepts and cases. Pearson Education.

Laudon, K.C. and Traver, C., 2016. E-Commerce 2016: Business, Technology, Society. Pearson

Higher Ed.

E-Commerce Research Report 20

Mata, F.J. and Quesada, A., 2014. Web 2.0, social networks and e-commerce as marketing

tools. Journal of theoretical and applied electronic commerce research, 9(1), pp.56-69.

Ngai, E. W., & Gunasekaran, A. (2007). A review for mobile commerce research and

applications. Decision Support Systems, 43(1), 3-15.

Sila, I. (2013). Factors affecting the adoption of B2B e-commerce technologies. Electronic

Commerce Research, 13(2), 199-236.

Taylor, I.J., Deelman, E., Gannon, D.B. and Shields, M., 2014. Workflows for e-Science:

scientific workflows for grids. Springer Publishing Company, Incorporated.

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platforms, and tools. In Electronic Commerce (pp. 51-99). Springer International

Publishing.

E-Commerce Research Report 21

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