Amazon for a long time, has been the go to for eCommerce. Over the past year, I have seen Amazon used to buy textbooks, makeup, movies...and even a wedding registry on Amazon. Crazy how this website has become so ingrained into our day to day culture.
Now Google is seeing a business opportunity in an online shop. Google has been speaking to some major American stores such as Macy's about starting an online store offering one day shipping opposed to Amazon's 1-2 day shipping for Prime members, a 79 dollar annual membership fee. Google also wants to add another component into their online retail experience, coupon and using droid phones as electronic wallets.
Google has been doing a very good job of using different Google technologies to promote already existing technology. such as using their web browser to promote their search engine or their search engine advertising for the web browser.
This seems like another Google innovation for the World to watch out for, but while seeing all these articles about Google taking the next step to become bigger and better. It seems like soon, Google will over extend it's reach.
http://www.news24.com/SciTech/News/Google-considering-online-shopping-20111202
Friday, December 2, 2011
Web browsers
Earlier today, Wallstreet Journel just released an article about Google Chrome becoming ranked the #2 internet browsing, pushing Mozilla out of the second place into third. Why are browsers so important, it provides a platform to run more technology on apart for the OS and applications on the computer. Google is able to use it's browser to worth with HTML5 allow with other new technologies.
Google Chrome was started as a "innovation" according to a Google spokeswoman. But this innovation has helped Google compete with Microsoft's Internet Explorer guiding users to use Bing. With their browser, they can guild their user to use the Google site engine, one of Google's largest money makers. Currently Google is unsure of how to make money off of the Chrome web browser, but they are sure with the high volume of users, Chrome will soon be bringing money in for the company.
Google isn't just stopping Chrome as a web browser, they are allowing the software evolve into a new OS which Google is planning to put into notebook computers called "Chromebooks"
It will be interesting to keep an eye on the future of Chrome, perhaps it will sometimes even overtake Internet Explorer as the number one broswer. And with Google's repuation of innovation and their success of their OS, Android. Chrome could be the next big thing.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204012004577071933883857786.html
Google Chrome was started as a "innovation" according to a Google spokeswoman. But this innovation has helped Google compete with Microsoft's Internet Explorer guiding users to use Bing. With their browser, they can guild their user to use the Google site engine, one of Google's largest money makers. Currently Google is unsure of how to make money off of the Chrome web browser, but they are sure with the high volume of users, Chrome will soon be bringing money in for the company.
Google isn't just stopping Chrome as a web browser, they are allowing the software evolve into a new OS which Google is planning to put into notebook computers called "Chromebooks"
It will be interesting to keep an eye on the future of Chrome, perhaps it will sometimes even overtake Internet Explorer as the number one broswer. And with Google's repuation of innovation and their success of their OS, Android. Chrome could be the next big thing.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204012004577071933883857786.html
Censoring the Internet
In class, the topic of internet expansion was something touched about. How internet has changed over the years? What would the future internet be like? But there was one topic about the future of internet that was never touched on, Censorship.
Most of us have been introduced to the idea of internet censorship for a long time. Mainly censorship is something horrible viewed in a negative light. Something only horrible governments would do. But, I have noticed something recently, every time I open my Mozilla browser and the Mozilla homepage comes up, there is a little ad. "Congress is trying to censer the internet. Help Mozilla fight for a free and open web." This line of course completely grabbed my attention. Censorship in America? Definitely something worth researching regardless of a class assignment of blogging.
What has brought all this hype is a piece of legislation called "Stop Online Piracy Act". The act is to giving people the right to protect their copyrights and intellectual property online. But Mozilla is saying this will be threat to free speech and social media. In Mozilla's website the claimed to have worked on a letter with Facebook, Google, Twitter, Ebay, and Yahoo. As time progresses, it will be interesting to watch who will be against the act and the step taken to stop it from happening.
Most of us have been introduced to the idea of internet censorship for a long time. Mainly censorship is something horrible viewed in a negative light. Something only horrible governments would do. But, I have noticed something recently, every time I open my Mozilla browser and the Mozilla homepage comes up, there is a little ad. "Congress is trying to censer the internet. Help Mozilla fight for a free and open web." This line of course completely grabbed my attention. Censorship in America? Definitely something worth researching regardless of a class assignment of blogging.
What has brought all this hype is a piece of legislation called "Stop Online Piracy Act". The act is to giving people the right to protect their copyrights and intellectual property online. But Mozilla is saying this will be threat to free speech and social media. In Mozilla's website the claimed to have worked on a letter with Facebook, Google, Twitter, Ebay, and Yahoo. As time progresses, it will be interesting to watch who will be against the act and the step taken to stop it from happening.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
"Fake Ipads flood market as Scammers target top technology gift
Holiday season is coming up and people are rushing to buy gifts for their loved ones and friends. And with the convenience of E-commerce, people now don’t have to leave their homes and fight through the holiday rush to purchase their gifts.
E-Commerce has offed the consumer a whole new shopping experience. In the past, a consumer relied to professional or sales people opinions on products to help them make their purchase decision. This way of shopping can be flawed because the consumer is only hearing one biased opinion on the products. And some stores have an personal motive for pushing a product on the consumer. But, with E-commerce a person can research everyone’s opinion on the products, the pros and cons, and come to their own decision of the product is worthwhile. Also, the internet offers storefronts that are open everywhere. Unlike physical storefronts that only reach a limited area, Internet store front have a reach all around the world…wherever there is internet. People living in rural areas no longer have to drive two or more hours to go into town to do their shopping everything is online. Different venders offering things at different prices, places like ebay, amazon.com, and craigslist are changing the way people buy things online. And with the holiday season coming up, the convenience of a 24-7 storefront is the easiest option for many people to do their Christmas shopping in their hectic schedules. With a few clicks, a person can buy something and have it shipped to that person’s house. No driving, no physically going to different stores to compare deals, no stress. Atleast that what E-commerce can be used for.
Whenever there is a big event such as a holiday or natural disaster, scammers are always looking for a new way to make easy money. Well, it’s not really a big surprise that the top technology gift for this season has caught the eye of the scammers, The Apple Ipad.
The Ipad was a new innovation of a tablet computer. Some might only view it as a over glorified touchscreen phone, but regardless of a person’s personal opinion, the Ipad has changed the market for computers. Ipads caused so much excitement when it was first introduced. Other technology companies tried to compete by making their own versions of a tablet pc. Samsung, Asus, HP, among many other brands have made tablet computers running Googles OS, Android. There is a huge battle between the fans of Apple and Driod over which product is better. But in this holiday season, there Is another competitor for the Apple Ipad. That is all the counterfeits floating around in the market for consumers to buy or be tricked into buying. In July of this year, a Bloomberg article claims to have over 18,000 fake tablet PC. And with Ipad as the top technology gift for consumers, one can only assume that more scammers are placing more fakes and clones in the market.
These counterfeit tablets are illegal. Many of those tablets do not work well and Apple’s software is very hard for the scammers to recreate. Many of the fakes can’t work with Itunes or the apple app store. As one researcher is quoted saying “It’s not necessarily about hardware but the software, and it’s very difficult to copy that.” The competition threat from the counterfeits isn’t that people are looking for a knockoff (although some segment of Apple’s target market might be), It is that people purchase these counterfeits believing they were lucky enough to find an Apple Ipad for a cheap price.
With websites like Ebay where a seller can sell any product they wish and bogus websites offering counterfeit products, it is very easily for a consumer to become fooled into buying a fake. In this article, it sends a warning out there to all the consumers about buying things from retailers they know and trust. If a price of an Ipad is very cheap, they should remember the old saying “If it’s too good to be true, then it probably is.” This wise saying should be on the minds of the consumers while they search online looking to buy their holiday gifts at a cheaper price.
Very cheap prices should give a warning to the buyer, that it could be a fake that they are purchasing, but on the other side, a very high price could also be a warning that something is wrong. There are also “Grey market goods”. Goods that are not for sale in the country, with those goods there is a markup on the price. And these goods to have issues of no tech support or warranty. The same study that found the 18,000 fakes, also found 5,500 grey market tablets on the market. This good is a bit more rare than the counterfeits because people aren’t willing to pay more for products if offered cheaper at another location. But the overall message was, Buyers beware. It’s the holiday season and scammer are everywhere looking for a cheap quick way to get money.
Holiday season is coming up and people are rushing to buy gifts for their loved ones and friends. And with the convenience of E-commerce, people now don’t have to leave their homes and fight through the holiday rush to purchase their gifts.
E-Commerce has offed the consumer a whole new shopping experience. In the past, a consumer relied to professional or sales people opinions on products to help them make their purchase decision. This way of shopping can be flawed because the consumer is only hearing one biased opinion on the products. And some stores have an personal motive for pushing a product on the consumer. But, with E-commerce a person can research everyone’s opinion on the products, the pros and cons, and come to their own decision of the product is worthwhile. Also, the internet offers storefronts that are open everywhere. Unlike physical storefronts that only reach a limited area, Internet store front have a reach all around the world…wherever there is internet. People living in rural areas no longer have to drive two or more hours to go into town to do their shopping everything is online. Different venders offering things at different prices, places like ebay, amazon.com, and craigslist are changing the way people buy things online. And with the holiday season coming up, the convenience of a 24-7 storefront is the easiest option for many people to do their Christmas shopping in their hectic schedules. With a few clicks, a person can buy something and have it shipped to that person’s house. No driving, no physically going to different stores to compare deals, no stress. Atleast that what E-commerce can be used for.
Whenever there is a big event such as a holiday or natural disaster, scammers are always looking for a new way to make easy money. Well, it’s not really a big surprise that the top technology gift for this season has caught the eye of the scammers, The Apple Ipad.
The Ipad was a new innovation of a tablet computer. Some might only view it as a over glorified touchscreen phone, but regardless of a person’s personal opinion, the Ipad has changed the market for computers. Ipads caused so much excitement when it was first introduced. Other technology companies tried to compete by making their own versions of a tablet pc. Samsung, Asus, HP, among many other brands have made tablet computers running Googles OS, Android. There is a huge battle between the fans of Apple and Driod over which product is better. But in this holiday season, there Is another competitor for the Apple Ipad. That is all the counterfeits floating around in the market for consumers to buy or be tricked into buying. In July of this year, a Bloomberg article claims to have over 18,000 fake tablet PC. And with Ipad as the top technology gift for consumers, one can only assume that more scammers are placing more fakes and clones in the market.
These counterfeit tablets are illegal. Many of those tablets do not work well and Apple’s software is very hard for the scammers to recreate. Many of the fakes can’t work with Itunes or the apple app store. As one researcher is quoted saying “It’s not necessarily about hardware but the software, and it’s very difficult to copy that.” The competition threat from the counterfeits isn’t that people are looking for a knockoff (although some segment of Apple’s target market might be), It is that people purchase these counterfeits believing they were lucky enough to find an Apple Ipad for a cheap price.
With websites like Ebay where a seller can sell any product they wish and bogus websites offering counterfeit products, it is very easily for a consumer to become fooled into buying a fake. In this article, it sends a warning out there to all the consumers about buying things from retailers they know and trust. If a price of an Ipad is very cheap, they should remember the old saying “If it’s too good to be true, then it probably is.” This wise saying should be on the minds of the consumers while they search online looking to buy their holiday gifts at a cheaper price.
Very cheap prices should give a warning to the buyer, that it could be a fake that they are purchasing, but on the other side, a very high price could also be a warning that something is wrong. There are also “Grey market goods”. Goods that are not for sale in the country, with those goods there is a markup on the price. And these goods to have issues of no tech support or warranty. The same study that found the 18,000 fakes, also found 5,500 grey market tablets on the market. This good is a bit more rare than the counterfeits because people aren’t willing to pay more for products if offered cheaper at another location. But the overall message was, Buyers beware. It’s the holiday season and scammer are everywhere looking for a cheap quick way to get money.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Fake-IPads-Flood-Market-as-bloomberg-3096691335.html?x=0
E-Commerce has offed the consumer a whole new shopping experience. In the past, a consumer relied to professional or sales people opinions on products to help them make their purchase decision. This way of shopping can be flawed because the consumer is only hearing one biased opinion on the products. And some stores have an personal motive for pushing a product on the consumer. But, with E-commerce a person can research everyone’s opinion on the products, the pros and cons, and come to their own decision of the product is worthwhile. Also, the internet offers storefronts that are open everywhere. Unlike physical storefronts that only reach a limited area, Internet store front have a reach all around the world…wherever there is internet. People living in rural areas no longer have to drive two or more hours to go into town to do their shopping everything is online. Different venders offering things at different prices, places like ebay, amazon.com, and craigslist are changing the way people buy things online. And with the holiday season coming up, the convenience of a 24-7 storefront is the easiest option for many people to do their Christmas shopping in their hectic schedules. With a few clicks, a person can buy something and have it shipped to that person’s house. No driving, no physically going to different stores to compare deals, no stress. Atleast that what E-commerce can be used for.
Whenever there is a big event such as a holiday or natural disaster, scammers are always looking for a new way to make easy money. Well, it’s not really a big surprise that the top technology gift for this season has caught the eye of the scammers, The Apple Ipad.
The Ipad was a new innovation of a tablet computer. Some might only view it as a over glorified touchscreen phone, but regardless of a person’s personal opinion, the Ipad has changed the market for computers. Ipads caused so much excitement when it was first introduced. Other technology companies tried to compete by making their own versions of a tablet pc. Samsung, Asus, HP, among many other brands have made tablet computers running Googles OS, Android. There is a huge battle between the fans of Apple and Driod over which product is better. But in this holiday season, there Is another competitor for the Apple Ipad. That is all the counterfeits floating around in the market for consumers to buy or be tricked into buying. In July of this year, a Bloomberg article claims to have over 18,000 fake tablet PC. And with Ipad as the top technology gift for consumers, one can only assume that more scammers are placing more fakes and clones in the market.
These counterfeit tablets are illegal. Many of those tablets do not work well and Apple’s software is very hard for the scammers to recreate. Many of the fakes can’t work with Itunes or the apple app store. As one researcher is quoted saying “It’s not necessarily about hardware but the software, and it’s very difficult to copy that.” The competition threat from the counterfeits isn’t that people are looking for a knockoff (although some segment of Apple’s target market might be), It is that people purchase these counterfeits believing they were lucky enough to find an Apple Ipad for a cheap price.
With websites like Ebay where a seller can sell any product they wish and bogus websites offering counterfeit products, it is very easily for a consumer to become fooled into buying a fake. In this article, it sends a warning out there to all the consumers about buying things from retailers they know and trust. If a price of an Ipad is very cheap, they should remember the old saying “If it’s too good to be true, then it probably is.” This wise saying should be on the minds of the consumers while they search online looking to buy their holiday gifts at a cheaper price.
Very cheap prices should give a warning to the buyer, that it could be a fake that they are purchasing, but on the other side, a very high price could also be a warning that something is wrong. There are also “Grey market goods”. Goods that are not for sale in the country, with those goods there is a markup on the price. And these goods to have issues of no tech support or warranty. The same study that found the 18,000 fakes, also found 5,500 grey market tablets on the market. This good is a bit more rare than the counterfeits because people aren’t willing to pay more for products if offered cheaper at another location. But the overall message was, Buyers beware. It’s the holiday season and scammer are everywhere looking for a cheap quick way to get money.
Holiday season is coming up and people are rushing to buy gifts for their loved ones and friends. And with the convenience of E-commerce, people now don’t have to leave their homes and fight through the holiday rush to purchase their gifts.
E-Commerce has offed the consumer a whole new shopping experience. In the past, a consumer relied to professional or sales people opinions on products to help them make their purchase decision. This way of shopping can be flawed because the consumer is only hearing one biased opinion on the products. And some stores have an personal motive for pushing a product on the consumer. But, with E-commerce a person can research everyone’s opinion on the products, the pros and cons, and come to their own decision of the product is worthwhile. Also, the internet offers storefronts that are open everywhere. Unlike physical storefronts that only reach a limited area, Internet store front have a reach all around the world…wherever there is internet. People living in rural areas no longer have to drive two or more hours to go into town to do their shopping everything is online. Different venders offering things at different prices, places like ebay, amazon.com, and craigslist are changing the way people buy things online. And with the holiday season coming up, the convenience of a 24-7 storefront is the easiest option for many people to do their Christmas shopping in their hectic schedules. With a few clicks, a person can buy something and have it shipped to that person’s house. No driving, no physically going to different stores to compare deals, no stress. Atleast that what E-commerce can be used for.
Whenever there is a big event such as a holiday or natural disaster, scammers are always looking for a new way to make easy money. Well, it’s not really a big surprise that the top technology gift for this season has caught the eye of the scammers, The Apple Ipad.
The Ipad was a new innovation of a tablet computer. Some might only view it as a over glorified touchscreen phone, but regardless of a person’s personal opinion, the Ipad has changed the market for computers. Ipads caused so much excitement when it was first introduced. Other technology companies tried to compete by making their own versions of a tablet pc. Samsung, Asus, HP, among many other brands have made tablet computers running Googles OS, Android. There is a huge battle between the fans of Apple and Driod over which product is better. But in this holiday season, there Is another competitor for the Apple Ipad. That is all the counterfeits floating around in the market for consumers to buy or be tricked into buying. In July of this year, a Bloomberg article claims to have over 18,000 fake tablet PC. And with Ipad as the top technology gift for consumers, one can only assume that more scammers are placing more fakes and clones in the market.
These counterfeit tablets are illegal. Many of those tablets do not work well and Apple’s software is very hard for the scammers to recreate. Many of the fakes can’t work with Itunes or the apple app store. As one researcher is quoted saying “It’s not necessarily about hardware but the software, and it’s very difficult to copy that.” The competition threat from the counterfeits isn’t that people are looking for a knockoff (although some segment of Apple’s target market might be), It is that people purchase these counterfeits believing they were lucky enough to find an Apple Ipad for a cheap price.
With websites like Ebay where a seller can sell any product they wish and bogus websites offering counterfeit products, it is very easily for a consumer to become fooled into buying a fake. In this article, it sends a warning out there to all the consumers about buying things from retailers they know and trust. If a price of an Ipad is very cheap, they should remember the old saying “If it’s too good to be true, then it probably is.” This wise saying should be on the minds of the consumers while they search online looking to buy their holiday gifts at a cheaper price.
Very cheap prices should give a warning to the buyer, that it could be a fake that they are purchasing, but on the other side, a very high price could also be a warning that something is wrong. There are also “Grey market goods”. Goods that are not for sale in the country, with those goods there is a markup on the price. And these goods to have issues of no tech support or warranty. The same study that found the 18,000 fakes, also found 5,500 grey market tablets on the market. This good is a bit more rare than the counterfeits because people aren’t willing to pay more for products if offered cheaper at another location. But the overall message was, Buyers beware. It’s the holiday season and scammer are everywhere looking for a cheap quick way to get money.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Fake-IPads-Flood-Market-as-bloomberg-3096691335.html?x=0
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Blog 3 = New York sues Internet Marketing Firm
A new york attorney sued an internet marketing firm last week. He claimed the company installed spyware and adware unknowingly into user's computers. The firm downloaded toolbars in to the user's bowers and keep directing them towards one of the marketing firm's websites. The attorney claims that over millions of computers users in America have been affected.
Stories like these are one reason that I am weary of Internet marketing. The internet can be a great tool to help spread the word about a product or service. Even, I use craiglists to post ads about my father's apartments. But like many tools, it is neither good or bad. It's just a tool, that will preform what the user wants. And people have already chosen to use internet is questionable ways for the sake of marketing. As e-marketers we have the obligation to use ethical moral judgement while gathering information online. Or else, consumers become to jaded and try to block internet marketing just like they did with the telemarketers and no-call list.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Post 2 = E marketing and privacy issues
In class, we've mentioned marketing tools that allowed companies access to which link a person clicked on, where they went after visiting the webpage, what type of browser they are using...etc... All this wealth of information is a very good tool for a company to understand their consumers needs and online habits are. Being able to access information an all users instead of just a sample size gives the company a more accurate perception of their target market. While the tools are helpful to the company, to the consumers it's a scary thing.
For someone to see what you do on webpages, how long you stay, the idea seems big brotherish. And the idea of a website gathering so much information on a person, isn't common knowledge to the consumer. At work I showed my coworkers just how much information I could find by just knowing their name and the neighborhood where they lived. Sometimes all I needed was a phone number to track someone's personal information was online. Many of them were shocked that I could find so much information on the web. If normal consumers are oblivious to that simple fact, there is no way they realize that websites are gathering such precise information about what they do online. Tracking someone's movements without their knowledge in what they assume to be in the privacy of their own home or office... that's an major invasion of privacy. I believe if companies wish to rely heavily on online marketing tools, the consumers need to be made aware of what is happening and have the option to opt out.
For someone to see what you do on webpages, how long you stay, the idea seems big brotherish. And the idea of a website gathering so much information on a person, isn't common knowledge to the consumer. At work I showed my coworkers just how much information I could find by just knowing their name and the neighborhood where they lived. Sometimes all I needed was a phone number to track someone's personal information was online. Many of them were shocked that I could find so much information on the web. If normal consumers are oblivious to that simple fact, there is no way they realize that websites are gathering such precise information about what they do online. Tracking someone's movements without their knowledge in what they assume to be in the privacy of their own home or office... that's an major invasion of privacy. I believe if companies wish to rely heavily on online marketing tools, the consumers need to be made aware of what is happening and have the option to opt out.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Hello World!
Let me introduce you to a little information about myself. I'm Grace Fields a Senior studying International Business at UMSL. I was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri and still continue to live there. This blog is apart of one of my current college course, Internet Marketing.
I chose to take this course because Internet is becoming increasingly more important in today's world of business. Also, my father owns real estate and I have been working on a project to put his business online. I hope this class will help me improve my dad's business as I transfer his main marketing plan from newspapers advertisements to the digital world.
As my major implies, I'm very interested in the world around me. I love traveling and keeping up with current issues in Asia. The thing I most enjoy about UMSL is the diversity of the student body. And my favorite course so far was Cultural Traditions at UMSL's Honor College. The course studied different view points around the world and the class atmosphere encouraged students to speak up about their own experiences.
The least thing I like about UMSL is a blessing and a curse. The School is located in my home town which means I can save money by living at home. But, I never got to experience the full typical university experience of living on campus.
As this is my last semester, my primary focus is on graduating. I don't really have any hobbies outside of school, but I am very interested in advancing my Chinese proficiency. I'm taking a full course load at 19 credit hours. I am enrolled in 7 classes. My other 6 classes are as follows:
Financial Management with Rhonda Tenkku
Independent Portfolio Writing (Honors) with Kimberly Baklus
Business in China with Hung Fung
International Management with Gwen Moore
Consumer Behavior with Haim Mano
Strategic Management with Bindu Arya
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