¶ … behaviors inherent in e-tailing (in business-to-Consumer relationships / communications). Note the communications medium in which each behavior occurs.
Explain how each medium enables e-commerce.
E-tailing is the business of electronic retailing or retailing over the Internet (*). There are three types of e-tailing behavior: independent, intervening variables, and dependent variables.
Independent:
The independent retailer will want to know two variables of the people who generally resort to e-commerce. These are: (a) personal characteristics and (b) environmental characteristics. The retailer will want to know the buying habits of the consumers in order to target a given market. These demographics include age, gender, marital status, occupation and income.
The retailer, too, will want to know the environmental variables, namely background variables of what or who influence the consumer; where the consumer shops; what the consumer would like to buy and so forth. This is so in order that the retailer would know where to advertise.
2. Intervening variables
These are variables that the retailer controls and that include factors such as pricing, advertising, branding, technical support and consumer service. Advertising is mostly done by social media outlets such as Facebook or blogs. Online pricing has to be competitive and includes shipping rates. Since e-commerce is extremely competitive with consumers browsing for cheapest rates, retailers have the challenging task of combining quality with attractive cost.
Retailers monitor success of their 'intervening variables' by hosting consumer service on their website. This enables the business to see whether consumers are interested in their product and return for more.
3. Dependent variable
This factor actually involves consumer decision-making protocol where consumer decides what it is he actually wants to buy, which site seems to be most attractive, where it would be cheapest for him to go, which product would be better for him to buy, and so forth. In other words, this involves all the elements that constitute the buying decision.
All three variables singly and together constitute, and enable, e-commerce to occur.
Analyze each behavior using the communication...
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