Introduction
Mr. Kirby’s company has been running a webpage to provide the customers with the golf commodities available for online purchasing. However, the firm needs a distinct e-commerce strategy to be able to address the contemporary customer needs and requirements in terms of online shopping experience. Additionally, the company is inactive in social media and has weak digital presence; therefore, it is essential that Mr. Kirby reevaluates the business opportunity that online virtual presence can provide.
Business Challenges and IT Role
At present, Mr. Kirby’s company has several challenges to overcome. First, the enterprise has no online store, which is the owner’s main concern. Second, the firm’s webpage is outdated, and mobile services are unavailable. Third, the company does not deploy the opportunity to furnish customer support in social media. Fourth, the employees have little experience in e-commerce strategy; therefore, they cannot take the necessary measures to improve the digital presence of the golf course.
Notably, limited IT application plays the critical role for the company since, if it implements the technology in a feasible way, the company will increase its performance several times. For instance, the firm will be able to attain its competitive edge through optimization of the processes and tailoring the solution to contemporary business requirements (Thomas, 2015). Moreover, it will reduce costs while increasing sales. It will be achieved by streamlining the employee management and attracting new customers to the modernized website, which will be highly functional and allow mobile browsing appreciated by the modern customers. Quality shopping experience will allow building loyalty and increasing client satisfaction.
Competition
Despite the fact that Mr. Kirby is seeking for a solution that would make the company unique, it is essential to analyze the rivalry to gain an understanding of the ways similar companies were able to gain a competitive edge and expand. According to the secondary data, one of the main competitors in golf course is Hollywood Beach Golf Resort (HBGR). HBGR has been an active user and developer of their webpage. The company has optimized it and employed the mobile version to allow the customers obtain positive experience when browsing the website from their multiple digital devices. Moreover, the optimized look reflects their tendency for keeping up with the IT trends. According to the data, more than 45% of users search the web on their smartphones; consequently, HBGR provided their customers with convenient webpage layout and online service (Hollywood Beach Golf Resort, n.d.). It is crucial to emphasize that the firm is an active social media user. HBGR interacts with its clients on Facebook and Instagram; provides updates on Twitter; holds promotions in social media and responds to all the inquiries. This competitor experience evidences that Mr. Kirby should rely on e-commerce strategy as a way to regain the competitive edge.
Security and Ethics
Security and ethical concerns are an integral part of the IT modernization. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate these concerns and address them appropriately. Opening an online store requires the company to consider payments and customer sensitive information thoroughly. The company should ponder utilizing security and payment extensions and be PCI compliant (Mao & Wang, 2012). Additionally, the company can use Amazon or PayPal Gateways to protect the confidential client information (Grewal & Shivani, 2012). Moreover, the modernized approach will require storing the information from customers’ social accounts, which can be done through HTTPS settings and double approval system.
Regarding the ethical issues, it is recommendable that the firm remains neutral in the sensitive considerations. It is essential to avoid discussions on controversial topics and provide the information of unbiased and politically correct character (Grewal & Shivani, 2012). Furthermore, one of the rough issues is email-spamming. It is highly advisable that the company does not send unsolicited messages to its customers and clients. These simple measures will ensure that Mr. Kirby and his company is able to sustain the reputable status.
Findings and Recommendations
The table below provides the IT solutions that would allow customizing e-commerce strategy for Mr. Kirby and his company. It is necessary to mention that these proposals reflect the company’s current needs and requirements and will help to restructure the existing business practices.
Table 1. List of propositions for the company.
One of the critical advantages of mobile computing is the increased customer satisfaction linked to positive online shopping experiences. The deployment of this strategy ensures enhanced sales and a decrease in expenditures (Bartz, 2015). It should be noted that the application of WordPress provides an opportunity to modernize the entire webpage and keep pace with the contemporary customers who prefer their online shopping experience to be rapid, convenient, and simple. Noteworthy is that the wide use of social computing facilitates the focus on customer interaction, gathering feedback (which will help enhance the e-commerce further), and enables raising the brand awareness of the potential customers. Thus, the proposed measures have been tailored to communicate the company’s value to the customers and assist Mr. Kirby and the firm on their way to gaining the promising market perspective.
References
Bartz, R. (2015). Mobile computing deployment and management. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Grewal, H., & Shivani, A. (2012). A study of ethical and social issues in e-commerce. International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Science and Software Engineering, 2(7), 167-174.
Hollywood Beach Golf Resort. (n.d.). Web.
Mao, W., & Wang, F. (2012). New advances in intelligence and security informatics. New York, NY: Academic Press.
Thomas, C. (2015). eCommerce delivery. New York, NY: SRA Books.
Wang, Y., & Ma, J. (2014). Mobile social networking and computing. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.