The Web-based Marketplace

Your Virtual Internship Tasks 1: Conduct an eCommerce Analysis

Plan of Approach

You have been asked by Internship coordinator;

1. To choose a Web site that is bricks and mortar business which you think it can be a candidate for an e-commerce website. (replace the Web Site's name with the one you choose).

2. To analyze the commonalities and differences between the Web Site's current business and its potential eBusiness. Based on that analysis, you construct and prioritize the list of activities that the Web Site will need to do to make its eBusiness a successful reality. The analysis and list as the first steps in organizing the Web Site's 's eCommerce initiative and providing the foundation for developing a business case.

This task requires you to prepare two deliverables for Internship coordinator:

eCommerce Analysis of the commonalities and differences between the core facets of the Web Site's 's existing business and its potential eBusiness.

• List of eCommerce Activities that are required to launch and run the Web Site's 's potential eCommerce website. The list should include:

• A list of all the activities required to launch and run the Web Site's 's eCommerce website

• Description of each activity

• The importance of each activity

• Your rationale for including each activity

• When each activity should be completed (before launch, at launch or soon after launch, after getting experience with customers)

The steps below will walk you through this process.

Get Started

1. Review the above instruction from Internship Coordinator to make sure that you understand the details of this task.

3. Add the web site address on your word document and review the Web Site's to get additional detail about the company's history and its current operations.

4. Review eCommerce Analysis Template, the first column (Facet of Business) of the template to familiarize yourself with the aspects of the Web Site's business you will need to consider during your analysis.

Conduct eCommerce Analysis

1. Analyze relevant websites. Review www.amazon.com, www.powells.com, and ONE additional eCommerce website to assess how these businesses approach selling products online and how that differs from how the Web Site's sells its products today.

2. Consult provided resources or conduct your own research. For any aspects of the analysis you have open questions about, conduct additional research to resolve your uncertainties.

3. Use the eCommerce Analysis Template to record your findings. For each facet, enter a description of what the Web Site's does today as a bricks and mortar business and what it will need to do as an online retailer.

4. Submit your completed Commerce Analysis

eCommerce Analysis Template

2020 Name_____________________________

Notes: Any facet that applies to both our brick & mortar business and our eCommerce business, enter information in the right column. Anything unique to one, use appropriate middle columns.

Facet of Business	Bricks & Mortar Business	eCommerce	Both Businesses
Wholesale purchasing (from producers, brokers, importers,)
Warehousing (where goods are stored and retrieved)
Stores & storefronts (what type, where, what expenses)
Employees (what categories, e.g. cash-register clerks)
Logistics (shipping goods to store, from store or warehouse to customer)
Inventory (how to keep tabs on what you have or need to purchase)
Payments (collecting money from customers, how, where, how secure)
Marketing (how to reach and attract customers effectively)
Sales (how to close transactions with customers)
Web presence (none, marketing only, full service, etc.)
Legal (contracting, leasing, purchasing, HR, liability)
Accounting (running the financial part of the business, taxes, )