Online Business Culture
Technological progress brought changes in human society culture.
Technological inventions and changes in behavioral patterns reflected on the world of business and marketing activities in particular. Buying and selling is a match up of three elements: the merchant (the salesperson, the supplier) the customer and the goods. In order to bring them together we need some kind of advertising. The potential customers need to know what they can buy and where to find it. In the old marketplace the salespersons stood behind their stands and shouted as loud as they could in order to tell the passing through people what they have to offer and how much does it cost.
Later on they printed placards and posters and attached it to every remarkable spot they could find if they wanted to attract people's minds and attention. After a while newspapers arrived and printed advertisement began to be a business of itself. Radio, television soon followed the track and somewhat over shadowed the printed ads. Today the Internet is a new but very influential players in the game.
But this is only the beginning. Let's say that we brought the horse (the potential customer) to the water trough (the shop counter, the web site) how can we make him drink? (actually pulling out his wallet or credit card and pay) what are the differences between visual contact eye to an eye bargaining and the modern virtual deal closing behavior? Well, two aspects were extremely changed: 1 - no more touching and feeling the merchandise, 2 – no more face to face negotiating and bargaining about prices and such. In the old days you knew what you were buying and from whom and folks were saying that sometimes you “bought the salesperson” and not his merchandise. Anyway – you didn't have any illusions about the nature and quality of what you bought. Using the Internet for buying goods you don't have human touch and interaction and you can't actually feel or touch the merchandise only to watch the screen and believe that “what you see is what you get”.
In 1988 I needed business cards. I picked up the Yellow Pages and looked for a print shop. The most important parameter in my considerations was the geographic location of the shop. I made a few phone calls, asking about prices and suppling durations and drove my car to the print shop I decided to choose. I have to admit that listening to the man or woman on the phone helped me disqualifying some of the responders because of their attitude or even their accent.
When I arrived I was invited to sit down by the graphic artist shoulder to shoulder and together we designed my card. A few minuets later I was given a sample of 4-5 cards just to sea what they'll look like. When I approved the final product I left the print shop happily. Two days later I came to collect my business cards. No surprises - they came out exactly as I approved them. I paid and left the building.
In 2008 I needed new business cards. I typed “business cards” as a query in “Google” and retrieved a list of printing web sites. Using my keyboard and mouse, sitting by my PC at home, I checked several sites deciding which one to order from without taking care of distances or accents. I designed my own card, picking one of the templates which were waiting for me there. I had to rely on the web site and trust the “what you see is what you get” thing because there was no other option. I paid, using my credit card, 5 days before I received my cards by “Fedex” courier. Only then I really saw what I have ordered. Believe it or not – it was much better than on the screen. Through all this procedure I never spoke to nobody, never met a single soul.
Many customers can't cope with the new habits of shopping through the Internet. For instance:
- Although prices are fixed and written all over the screen – some people still send E-mails to the web site's “Customer Service” asking for imaginary wishful thinking discounts.
- Customers want to pay on product arrival and not in advance. Some of them offer paying the courier as if he was a part of the system.
- Customers ask to get a sample of the final product before they'll complete their order.
All these symptoms point at one direction: distrusting the anonymous trading transaction. The “human – machine” interaction is unacceptable. The virtual wide area networking market culture, which is based on mutual trust, is not yet assimilated.
Printing web sites try to integrate visual and virtual suppling services by adapting themselves to both kinds of customers. They offer deals and discounts publicly or selectively to regular customers and maintain a “customers services” department which can be addressed by E-mails or phone calls.
About the Author:
MOJO is an internet business company, providing online marketing solutions to projects in various niches like online radio, download torrent and free business cards. MOJO is also specializing in internet business management applications
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Online Business Culture