Introduction
In the ever emerging technological world, e-commerce is swiftly becoming a component of our daily lives. The internet creates a good number of time saving retail choices (Turban et al., 2008). Very many e-retailers (electronic retailers) are realizing the role of internet in creating a competitive trading environment.
Online stores are faced by other new forms of since they not only need to retain their current customers but also find methods of attracting new clients. Similar to any other market, research is important for the existence of the business.
Electronic retailers must engage in research to enable them acquire the traits and customs of marketing online for superior understanding of their new clients and the process they undergo before settling on what to purchase (Turban et al., 2008).
This essay identifies three behaviors inherent in e- retailing; discusses the medium of communication used in each behavior, clarifying on how each medium facilitates e- commerce, analyzing each behavior in relation to the process of communication (including technology, purpose, message, environment, sender, receiver, noise, and feedback).
Behaviors of e- Tailing
A good number of customers require familiarity with the products that they plan to purchase. Therefore, they will often stick to the brand names they trust and begin their search from this point. The trust built and familiarity will ensure that these brands come out of traditional methods of shopping to an online world of shopping (Roebuck, 2006).
As such, the behavior shown by e-tailing can be divided into three stages: the process, the product, and the partnership. The purpose of e-tailing in all the stages is to get involved at every stage in order to persuade the customer’s buying decision, loyalty, and gain trust to guarantee a continuous sales or visit to their site.
Process Stage
The process stage majorly involves product search and is often influenced by independent variables such as culture, age, lifestyle, and gender (Roebuck, 2006). The controlling or prime variables are within the vendors’ control. The variables such as product variety, services, and price are also considered on a manner in which they can intervene and control the customers’ initial search.
The main medium of communication employed by e-tailers at this stage is advertisements through websites and internet. The engagement of brand name and internet promotion banners often act as the major customer drivers for a particular product or service at this stage (Roebuck, 2006).
Brand name can also cater for additional researches by the customer and finally the purchase of the commodity. With the communication model, the consumer often starts to seek out the internet looking for a service or a product.
The website gives back the message with pricing and advertisement and the customer is then directed to a particular area to purchase or acquire the services or product. This medium helps e- commerce to link with potential customers in particular websites and to find additional information concerning the services and products (Roebuck, 2006).
Purchase Stage
This entails the different strategies that are used by the e-tailer to influence his potential customers to purchase his or her products or services. Some e- tailers can offer trial services or samples for a given period while others may interact with customers to give recommendations on a particular product or offer live chart to enable customers to purchase comfortably (Roebuck, 2006).
Some of the tactics employed by e-tailers at this stage include offering, price reduction, convenience, and secure online payment as well as free shipping. The medium of communication employed may vary at this stage: secure website for financial transaction purposes and live charts are the most common (Roebuck, 2006).
The consumer may be offered a variety of options by e-tailer at this point, including express shipping or warranty purchase. Contrary to the process stage, the communication process is reversed. The e-tailer will provide the consumer with different purchasing options and a lot of service advantages.
There will also be minimal noise during the transaction since the vendor (sender) will usually want the transaction phase to be smart and enjoyable (Roebuck, 2006). Usually, this medium will facilitate e-commerce since a good online transaction will make the customer to return and make purchase (Roebuck, 2006).
Partnership Stage
This stage describes the process where e-tailer goes ahead to give more information to the customer to ensure that they create a strong relation which will facilitate the purchase and services delivery (Turban et al., 2008).
Different behaviors are inherent in this stage: The e-tailer may send the customer a feedback survey or give a coupon discount for the purposes of future use and to crate customer loyalty. The e-tailer may also use cookies to personalize the website so that customers may be comfortable during their subsequent visit to the site (Turban et al., 2008).
The website and e-mail are the major mediums of communication used in this stage. The media assists e-commerce by providing links to different websites hence enabling easy access by consumers. Application of this communication model involves the sender (vendor) conveying the message to the consumer to motivate a recur purchase (Turban et al., 2008).
Like the purchase stage, noise is marginal and the feedback is confirmed when the customers visits the links. Therefore, the comfortable use of these new shopping medium by consumers create behaviors inherent to e-tailing in the e-commerce world (Turban et al., 2008).
Sample Persuasive Messages
Persuasive message should persuade others to acknowledge the benefit in question or course of an event. Therefore, for a persuasive message to be successful there must be degree of credibility for the sender. According to Turban et al. (2008), the sender must possess an expertise in the field, be trustworthy, and seen to be happy about the proposal.
An efficient persuasive message should also have some key components to grab the recipient’s attention and maintain their interest by showing the benefit or satisfying a known need.
In addition, it should create a need to the recipient by employing logical or emotional appeal. Persuasive message should also end with a statement of action which is clear about what the e-tailer expect the recipient to do. An example of a persuasive message directed to an effective audience is as below:
“Do you really want to save more money whenever you want to pay your purchase bills? It is simple! Just go to our purchase website link and follow three easy steps and select Pay Bills service freely. There is no stress of bill mailing frauds or service delivery delay. We also provide guaranteed safe and secure payment delivery. Sign up and start enjoying our services now!”
Conclusion
Effective implementation of strategic measures by electronic retailers into their communication media and websites can be very significant in creating customers loyalty and identification of new ones. The essay discussed three behaviors inherent in e-tailing, the communication medium applied on each behavior, and the connection of how they facilitate e-commerce.
The essay has also shown how communication models are used to analyze the behavior and how the behavior fits the model. Finally, there are the description of persuasive message components and a developed persuasive message using the components to show how it will facilitate e-commerce.
References
Roebuck, D.B. (2006) Improving Business Communication Skills. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Turban, E., King, D., McKay, J., Marshall, P., Lee, J., & Viehland, D. (2008). Electronic Commerce 2008: A managerial perspective. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall