Questions for Discussion

1. I think Amazon.com's critical success factors are easy browsing, searching, and ordering; useful product information, reviews, recommendations, and personalization; broad selection; low prices; secure payment systems; and efficient order fulfillment.

I think Amazon.com's decision to offer a much broader slection of items is a good marketing strategy because variety is the "spice of life" so to speak. You can satisfy more customers with more items. I think this will extend the value proposition to it's customers by providing more needed services and items. Why go elsewhere when on place has all you need.

2. Comparison tools are important because you want the customer to be able to see why going with Amazon.com is the better choice, you want them to see the added benefits of their decision.

Product reviews give the customer a chance to see what Joe the neighbor thinks of things, a person who is just like them, who has the same needs they do. They get to see what these products and services are doing for others, how they benefit them.

Customer ratings  in online shopping hold value because they give an insite to what's was most helpful and benefecial. They get to find out what was most helpful and what was not.

3. The advantage of a specialized e-tailer such as DogToys.com is personalization, uniqueness, variety, meeting and greating with other dog fanatics, free information, recommendations.

Such a store could survive in the physical world because there are millions of dog lovers always looking for the latest and greatest dog things. Great prices and having the right products could keep them in business forever.

4. Build-to-order is beneficial to the buyer because it is customized, special ordered just to your liking and you know it's paid in full once the purchase is made. there will be no payments to be made or interest rates to worry about.

To the seller build-to-order assures payment before any work is done, it gives them a chance to show off their talents with the special orders.

5. Online travel services are a popular Internet application becuase they are cheaper first of all. The competition keeps the prices that way. There are no travel agents to deal with or the fees that come along with them.

So many Web sites provide free travel to drum up future business I think. If things go well then you are more than likely to come back.

6. Online stock trading you can do from the comfort of your own home, anywhere you are for that matter. You don't have to get up and go see someone, you have everything at your fingertips. all your information can be handled right over the computer. The disadvantage is the personal aspect is gone from it all, actually getting to know your stockbroker and the company memebers who handle your life savings.

The advantages of offline stock trading is the personal aspect of knowing and seeing the people who hold your future in their hands. The disadvantage of offline is having to get up and move around, meeting with people, carrying information around with you.

7. I think this could end up being a situation where too many hands are in the pot. There are way to many people involved in the transactions and this could lead to confusion. I think there could be a loss of site and things could get left to the way side that need attention.

You don't want things to get bigger than they need to be and a situation occurs where the customer is not being taken care of as best possible.

8. The advantages of distributing digitizable products electronically is speed, wider customer range. The disadvantage of this is theft, you can't keep of track of who's doing what. Musicians aren't getting there just due all the time.

The advantage of distributing digitizable products physically is you can keep better track of sales. This way you know who got what and how many they got. there are records.

the disadvantage could be a loss of wages because you can't reach as many people.