Ethical, Legal, and Regulatory Issues Differ on a B2c Site Compared to a B2b SiteJoin now to read essay Ethical, Legal, and Regulatory Issues Differ on a B2c Site Compared to a B2b SiteWeb Site MarketingThe ability to effectively develop an appropriate marketing mix and convey the desired marketing message is an essential element in any successful business strategy. The ability of the Internet to reach new markets requires the creative use of marketing strategies as a means of gaining a competitive edge in the marketplace while developing loyal, satisfied customers and achieving long term growth.
This paper evaluates marketing strategies used by the websites of three major domestic retailers (Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and Tiger Direct) with specific emphasis on the customer service provided by each site. It first identifies the marketing tools used by each website, and then describes the evaluation tool and the essential customer service characteristics developed by Learning Team C (LTC) to assess each site. Using the chosen evaluation criteria, the paper then evaluates each site for customer service, then compares and contrasts each website in terms of marketing tools used and customer service provided. The paper then identifies the best website based on the evaluation criteria with an analysis of the marketing tools used and the website’s approach to customer service. Based on this analysis, LTC offers recommendations for improvements to both marketing and customer service for each website. The paper then concludes with a summary of LTC’s observations.
Marketing Strategy and ToolsIn terms of marketing strategy, Best Buy and Tiger Direct use product-based and customer-based marketing strategies, the latter to a much lesser degree, to establish Web presence (Schneider, 2004, pp. 156-159). Both retailers’ commercial Web site home pages are organized in typical product-based fashion, listing the various product categories one would expect to see for a traditional business-to-consumer site design. However, they also provide links for the various business-to-business customer segments they serve, including business/corporate, education, and government customers, to use for ordering business related products and account management. For their part, Wal-Mart uses a product-based marketing strategy and Web site consistent with the various product segments sold at the firm’s brick and mortar store outlets.
In addition, the three retailers use “affiliate marketing” (Schneider, 2004, p. 188) as brand leveraging and revenue generation strategies. Using this marketing approach will further establish each retailer’s footprint on the Web as merchants having a diverse product mix available to meet customers’ needs. For each site, banners for affiliates open to Web pages showcase the affiliate’s products within a dedicated, full screen window of the retailers Web site. For example, Tiger Direct’s site enables consumers interested in purchasing AMD and ATI products, two well established technology brands, to explore various product offerings from these suppliers sold by Tiger Direct. Wal-Mart and Best Buy use TV and Radio advertising as part of their “emotional branding strategy” (Schneider, 2004, p. 186), while all three retailers supplement their Internet marketing strategies with print catalogs pointing potential customers to the respective Web sites.
Wal-Mart and Tiger Direct use “viral marketing” (Schneider, 2004, p. 191) to build customer awareness through a virtual equivalent of word-of-mouth communication. Wal-Mart gives site visitors the opportunity to join Working Families for Wal-Mart, a group whose charter members spread word about how Wal-Mart helps working families. This user group enables Wal-mart to engage in “cause marketing” (Schneider, 2004, p. 189), which at this point of Wal-mart’s maturity cycle is needed to supplement the firm’s public relations strategy. To an outside observer, these two strategies appear to be part of an integrated marketing and communications plan using the Internet and TV to combat the constant stream of bad press leveled at Wal-Mart. Tiger Direct prominently displays customer testimonials on the Web site that provide customer third-party endorsements.
Furthermore, each retailer uses “e-mail marketing” (Schneider, 2004, p. 182) as way to communicate with users to promote products, inform customer of new deals and discount programs, new affiliate product offerings and to disseminate company specific newsletters and event calendars to consumers. Wal-Mart and Tiger Direct use an “opt-in” (Schneider, 2004, p. 182) approach that gives consumers power to control personal information usage. To their credit, both firms make it abundantly clear that they will under no circumstances share or sell user information except in the course of executing transaction related activities, such as sharing delivery information with sanctioned couriers. Best Buy uses an “opt-out” (Schneider, 2004, p. 182) approach that
s to ensure consumers’ control over their information and to offer a transparent and effective system that ensures that consumers have choices on how they want to use their information. (See also R. H. Hogue and J.C. Culp, “The Consumer Right to Know and the Public Choice Theory of Information Sharing in the Consumer Age: The Consumer’s Right to Know and the Public Choice Theory of Information Sharing,” Proceedings of the ACM-ESS Conference on Ethical Issues, March 2005 ) Although a consumer may have access to information (e.g., contact details and phone numbers) provided to them by multiple parties, the right to information for consumers depends on the ability of the consumer to decide for himself or herself what information to disclose and how to use it.
2.3:
3.1.3 Shared information—access to third-party, third-party analytics and information systems data and data extraction The first, and most significant, advantage that sharing the user’s personal information with third parties offers, is that it enables consumers to receive detailed, user-driven reports that provide more accurate information about what is being shared—with the consent of the consumer. The more informed consumers, for example, may be about product recalls, product changes, or product warranties when given the opportunity to opt out. Moreover, shared data can enable consumers to help keep track of what products are to be recalled (e.g., which brands to buy, which brand specific services are listed in a specific supplier’s catalog, and for whom information is being used), prevent customer theft, and to keep track of a consumer’s account balance. To make effective use of these third-party data analytics and data extraction capabilities, the system has been developed by the Center for Consumer Rights, and has been widely used online to provide consumer protection and protection of consumers’ rights. It is intended that these capabilities would lead to better and faster access to information by consumers that is not being used elsewhere on the Internet. It is crucial that consumers fully understand the need for these benefits without providing third-party agencies with any guidance that would exclude and exclude third-party agencies from obtaining information through disclosure of information. The system currently contains a number of features that prevent third-party agencies from sharing data. First, the Center for Consumer Rights and its partners (e.g., Amazon and other payment processors) will have to choose exactly which data consumers want to share with them from which data they can choose. This includes access to all the data, including consumer information, data from outside sources, or the collection and presentation of other consumer information. Second, third-party entities, such as third parties to acquire or hold consumer information who want to share such information with retailers and others, may have to provide consumer information that allows for the sharing by others. As discussed above, the Privacy Shield will restrict third-party third-party data collection activities and is therefore not intended for consumers to obtain