Product Description
eBay has changed the way products and services are purchased all over the world. Daily over 1.5 million online customers and providers log on to bid and sell virtually anything that can be bought or purchased. In 2006 eBay sellers are estimated to post $22 billion in sales. There are businesses earning $1 million a year selling products on eBay today. It is estimated that more than half a million people make full-time incomes just with their eBay business. eBay also allows you to run a business that requires no advertising costs. This expertly written new book will show you how to take advantage of this business phenomenon and arm you with the proper knowledge and insider secrets. Filled with actual examples and antidotes from real eBay entrepreneurs, this book is as engaging as it is informational. eBay is a level playing fieldit doesnt matter how old you are, what nationality or income level, whether you own a business now or not, what your background is, or where you are located. Start making money on eBay today! The book starts with a complete overview of how eBay works. Then you are guided through the whole process of creating the auction and auction strategies, photography, writing copy, text and formatting, managing auctions, shipping, collecting payments, registering, About Me page, sources for merchandise, multiple sales, programming tricks, PayPal, accounting, creating marketing, merchandising, managing e-mail lists, advertising plans, taxes and sales tax, best time to list items and for how long, sniping programs, international customers, opening a storefront, electronic commerce, buy-it now pricing, keywords, Google marketing, and eBay secrets; everything you will ever need to get started making money on eBay!
Customer Reviews:
Great for newbies and everyone.......2007-07-12
Cheryl Russell is articulate and specific in walking a person through the ropes of eBay from square one. She teaches how to do business, not just randomly sell (or try to sell) products. Her book covers details of recordkeeping and how to really grow a large, successful business. She methodically teaches the steps to success and helps the reader see the big picture of growing a business from scratch. Excellent resource!
Great referance for eBay Sellers.......2007-06-14
a Gotta Have book if you are planning on starting an eBay business in your home. also a great reference for the experienced eBayer.
Helpful for sure..........2007-05-08
...but not really anything I didn't already know, and I still consider myself to be a bit of a n00b. But the book does contain some good ideas.
If you are a complete newbie to eBay, this book could pretty much be essential.
wonderful book!!.......2007-02-22
great book! valuable resource, packed with accurate, up to date information on building a business with ebay. this is an interesting read-not at all boring. written for a newbie to ebay, but still an important tool for those with more ebay experience. worth the purchase price. this book has definitely given me important information on getting a store of my own-up and running. buy this book! shannontk
Do Yourself a Favor and Read This Book.......2007-02-09
Let me tell you why this book is important:
1. Listing fees on ebay can eat you alive if you don't pay attention.
2. Security risks are high on ebay,as its success has brought every low-life in the world into its realm.
3. If you want to make a bunch of money buying and selling goods, ebay is a place to do it.
That said, I believe this book provides as good of an overview of the ebay business as any.
You may also want to read "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill and "The 17 Principles of Creating Wealth" by Phillip Collinsworth.
Book Description
Strategic Database Marketing is the only resource to explain database marketing from the customer's point of view, instead of the seller's. Now, as exploding research and technology create entirely new market challenges, the Second Edition of this influential bestseller explains the method for computing RFM (Reach, Frequency, Monetary), as well as covering recently developed tools and resources including the Internet, loyalty programs, customer-specific marketing, and more.
Customer Reviews:
Useful content, but not well written.......2007-08-01
For anyone who's looking for a well-written reflection on state-of-the-art direct marketing, this is not the right book. Yet, Arthur Hughes' 'Strategic Database Marketing' still has its merits.
It's a straight-forward introductory text that covers many aspects of direct marketing - mostly from an old-economy point of view. The good thing about this approach is that Hughes explains many procedures in detail that have proved to be useful over many years of practice (as he lets the reader know on many occasions, he has worked in direct marketing for a long time). And while the dull writing-style occasionally makes the content of the book seem dated, most of the ideas discussed in the book still apply. For example, Hughes does a good job explaining lifetime-value calculations, the Recency-Frequency-Monetary approach, regression analysis and other useful tools for anyone involved in direct marketing.
Unfortunately, it's not an enjoyable book. The biggest drawback is that Hughes doesn't come across as an agile intellect. He's good at explaining procedure, but rather clumsy in discussing ideas. Adding to that is his over-reliance on examples taken from his own private life (you'll learn many things about his wife that you never wanted to know) and his strange need to praise the superiority of the American economy whenever possible. If you can look past that, 'Strategic Database Marketing' may well be worth reading for any professional marketeer.
Practical & technical enough for instant application.......2006-01-22
I love this book. Working as a data analyst in the CRM department, this book teaches me all the practical caculation/ideas for my work.
So far, this is the only book on the market that view database marketing from a quantitative point of view. On the other hand, it also instills the relationship marketing mind-set to the readers. For the rest of books avaliable in the markertplace on CRM/Database marketing, either it's too theoretical or IT. This is the best I read so far.
Fantastic Updated 3rd Edition .......2005-10-23
My approach to marketing was totally changed by reading this book; I was able to refine a jumble of thoughts into a clear, cohesive strategy. If you are at all exposed to marketing at work, Hughes will give you the ability to prioritize what is most important in your job.
Hughes has just released a new edition of this classic. It is thoroughly updated to include developments of the last half decade (the failure of CRM in many applications, advancements in Web and e-mail marketing, etc). Every marketer and entrepreneur should read this book to learn how and why lifetime value is so important and how to build your company's strategy around it.
The best thing about this book is that it covers the technical details adequately, but is still readable enough that you do not need an MBA to understand it.
Exceptional Coverage of Important Marketing Concepts.......2003-08-15
Hughes makes it exceedingly clear why customer loyalty and lifetime value are such critical marketing concepts. Hughes helps marketers understand why our hyper-focus on customer acquisition needs to be adjusted to consider retention and upsell as well.
In particular, Hughes explains:
* What Lifetime Value (LTV) is, why it matters, and how to calculate it
* The importance of testing programs and how best to go about it
* Segmenting your customer base by loyalty and LTV
* How tactics should differ for each segment
* Practical tips for creating a successful database marketing campaign.
Case studies and ROI numbers are used throughout the book. A must read for marketing proessionals.
The Master Book.......2001-05-26
This book is the main book for my Internet Marketing Class at Mercy College's MS in Internet Business Systems program. It includes all necessary topics such as database marketing, banner advertisement, calculating LTV and RFM Email Marketing and best practices. This book is a must read for anyone in direct marketing field.
Book Description
Praise for Lucrative List Building... "Glen is without a doubt a 'List Building Genius!' If you want to quickly explode your list and fill your pockets with cold-hard cash, he's definitely a Must read, Must hear, and Must see!" -Matt Bacak, The Powerful Promoter, www.promotingtips.com, Atlanta, GA "Lucrative List Building is a testament to Glen's profound grasp of email marketing. Internet Marketers everywhere would do well to read this book." -Jason Oman, #1 Best Selling Author, Conversations with Millionaires, www.JasonOman.com "I have built my entire online business using list building and relationship marketing strategies. Over the years, I have identified a select few experts in this industry, and having met Glen Hopkins in person, I can tell he is the real deal. Anyone looking to learn the power of list building needs to learn from Glen. His strategies can help you double your profits in 90 days." -Mike Filsaime, www.MikeFilsaime.com In This Amazing New Book You'll Discover: The untold truth about autoresponders, including the ones you MUST avoid How to build your list from scratch in less than 10 minutes Ten underground strategies that will build you a massive list fast! How to instantly make money from a list, just seconds after people subscribe! How to write subject lines that stand out from the crowd and intrigue your readers so much that they can't wait to open your messages Why you must have your own list no matter what your niche is How to avoid SPAM accusations and get your messages whitelisted Why having your own responsive opt-in email list means you will always have money in your pocket - even if your marketplace were to totally disappear! How to create your very own products and services that will have your readers begging to buy from you The absolute essential elements necessary to MASSIVELY profit from your list ...Plus Much, Much More!
Customer Reviews:
Not real impressed.......2007-02-08
With all the hype I was really looking forward to this book. If your looking for a general overview of list building, it's worth a look. If you want detail and how-to, you won't find as much here. I was really interested in co-registration, but the chapter contained one paragraph about the subject, and told you to try out his service. The rest of that chapter talked about list size and quality. What happened to information about co-reg? Guess I have to pay more to get it.
For the price I can't complain, I did learn a couple things, though there were no "wow" ideas. Much of the book I've already learned on article sites. I dont mind being pitched in a book, as long as the book is useful, but it seemed the book is pretty much a pitch for other higher priced products. Guess that's marketing nowdays.
I'm sure glen knows his stuff, he's had some big success, just wish he would have shared more in the book.
Never received.......2006-11-03
I ordered this book and it didn't come, and I said ok send it to me later, adn then it didn't come and I said ok send it later and again and again after four extensions I gave up. This may be a great book or not, but it is not avaiable. I would have liked to have had a cahnce to read it. Disappointed in the service.
Need a Large List? This is how to do it.......2006-09-10
Glen Hopkins has produced the quintessential work on how to create a list and what to do with it. I was amazed how valuable the information is.
Even if you think you know everything about building a list, Glen has some insider secrets to share that can open your eyes.
It's a small book and you can read it in an evening, but the contents are very powerful. He talks about viral maketing, co-registration, and turning that list into cash anytime you want.
Great job Glen. This should be in everyone's library. I know I've got mine on the desk as a reference.
- Scott
[...]
List Building Secrets No One Else is Telling You.......2006-09-06
Sure, everyone will tell you "The Money is in the List." Every person who has ever been involved in any Internet Marketing has memorized this catch phrase.
Glenn Hopkins not only tells you why the "money is in the list" but shows you how to create your own list. This book is power-packed with incredibly useful information. Put "Lucrative List Bulding" on your reference bookshelf and keep it with-in arms reach.
If you use just one of the many techniques contained here,
this book will pay for itself many times over. Hopkins gives you the keys to the "List Building Highway".
This book should be required reading for everyone involved in Internet Marketing as well as anyone who ever thought about Internet Marketing. The book is a quick and easy read. The infomation is easy to digest. Hopkins has a clear vision as he guides you with incredible tips and tricks you need to be a success on-line.
And you always thought "The money is in the list." If you really want to find the money in the list, you need to get "Lucrative List Buiding."
Excellent Book For Internet Marketers.......2006-09-02
Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you already know that thousands of people are preaching "The Money is in the List." Heck, even some people under a rock may have been hearing it. Well, the truth is that the statement is true.
Glenn Hopkins does a great job with Lucrative List Building because he doesn't just tell you the obcvious, but actually explains how to start your own list, even from scratch. So, if you are a newbie to Internet Marketing or a seasoned veteran, you will find something of use in this book and it will easily pay for itself with the tips provided by Glen.
I give this book 5 stars and have bought it myself both in print and other editions. It really is that good.
Book Description
"IN The eBay Billionaires' Club, you will read thestories of twelve professional eBay merchants whorecognized a great business opportunity on the Internetand pursued it-some at great personal financial risk.In every case, the gamble has paid off.
There are some powerful lessons to be learnedfrom these entrepreneurs, whose experiences truly runthe gamut. In the end, what they all have in common is that they started small-and some have purposely decided to stay that way. You'll quickly discover that eBay success really iswithin your reach, because every person in this bookbegan at the very bottom.
What's more, a number of them have achievedincredible growth in a relatively short period of time,which should motivate you to stop thinking aboutyour idea and get started on the road to becoming amember of this elite club yourself.
Get your highlighters out and fasten your seat belts for a journey that will put you on the road to building your own million-dollar-or perhaps even billion-dollar-eBay business!"
—From the Introduction to The eBay Billionaires' Club
Customer Reviews:
Fabulous book!.......2007-06-27
Great book filled with successful eBay stories. My favorite was Chapter 2: Adam Hersh. I leave a copy on the end table in our living room because we pick it up so often.
Amazon.com
Observers of the Net have long considered e-mail the medium's killer application. The Eng@ged Customer, by Hans Peter Brondmo, shows why this may be even more relevant for e-commerce endeavors of the future--and sets out various ways that it can be utilized to develop "profitable, loyal and engaged" consumers today. "Whether you're sending individual customers their stock portfolio update at the end of each trading day, writing a gossip column on the music industry, sending special offers or promotions, publishing an industry newsletter, sending a purchase confirmation, or running a gift reminder-and-product-suggestion service, e-mail marketing can do the job," writes Brondmo, founder of a firm that has helped design and implement such programs for companies ranging from Amtrak to Victoria's Secret. A section illustrating how e-mail can foster the "age-old principles [of] personal service and communication" to more fully engage customers, and one with speculations on the future implications of the practice, are sandwiched around the meat of Brondmo's book: specifics on using e-mail to acquire, convert, and retain real business. The highly detailed advice, consistently delivered with the necessary sensitivity to spam, privacy, and other concerns, should prove instructive to executives and managers at every level. --Howard Rothman
Book Description
In the age of the Internet, how do you keep your customers coming back--again and again--when your competitors are always just one click away? How do you turn casual, anonymous surfers into profitable, "engaged" customers?
The answers to these questions can be found in The Eng@ged Customer, written by Hans Peter Brondmo, one of the Internet's best known and most successful direct marketing experts. In this new marketing classic Brondmo introduces readers to the new rules of Internet direct marketing and shows them how to use email to build service rather than marketing relationships.
A visionary in both the technology and marketing arenas, Brondmo has shown more company executives than anyone how to build lasting, profitable, one-on-one relationships with customers on the Internet. His client list includes such household names as Palm, Hewlett-Packard, Victoria's Secret, Amtrak, Wells Fargo Bank, OfficeMax, Wegmans Food Markets, as well as such Internet leaders as CDNow, E-Trade Women.com, Petopia.com, Sparks.com, and eBags.com.
The Eng@ged Customer makes Brondmo's expertise available to executives, managers, and marketers in both Old and New Economy businesses. The book combines a strategic perspective with tactical guidance, showing where and how to invest in order to build an Internet direct marketing program, and how to plan, develop, and implement your program for maximum success.
While sending email messages to customers may sound like a simple process, retailers and marketers all over the world have discovered just how difficult it is to do it well. Let Brondmo show you how to
- design email communications and marketing programs that have your customers complaining if they don't hear from you
- understand and manage customer information so that you can "get to know" each and every customer--even if you've got millions
- avoid spam and the potential nightmare of privacy violations
- anticipate the organizational impact of customer-focused Internet direct marketing
- define, measure, and track your success.
Whether you are an executive or a manager, The Eng@ged Customer will show you:
- how to keep your customers coming back
- how to rise above the increasing Internet clutter
- how to become the trusted voice that your customers rely on.
Customer Reviews:
Rather Outdated.......2005-05-28
The book is a decent read for those who aren't familiar with online marketing at all, but if the reader has any experience, they will find this to be a waste of their time.
Most of the examples used in the book seem like they were pulled out of 1999. Most online consumers are sick on marketing filling up their email inboxes. Even those that the customer originally expressed interest in become a chore.
At this point in time, Blogs and RSS feeds should be a new focus of online marketing.
If you are interested in email marketing, I recommend Permission Marketing by Seth Godin instead -- his work is excellent.
The New Rules...of the really obvious........2004-09-08
OK, the book was published in 2000. But it still seems to me that if you call your book "The New Rules..." they ought to be somewhat useful and somewhat timeless. Unfortunately, the "rules" in this book are neither. For example "The e-customer expects to be in control." Well, yah...but so has every customer in recorded history. Auto dealers get a bad rap when they obviously and purposely deny any sense of control. In later chapters we get tips like "Don't send unsolicted messages." Even (back) in 2000 (several years after the first successful anti-SPAM lawsuits) this was a no brainer. Instead, check out Shapiro's "Control Revolution" -- written a year earlier (1999) it's still relevant. If you're new to the discipline and haven't already, check out "Permission Marketing" or "Cluetrain Manifesto." They too provide a sense of history...and a lot more insight.
A real and ethical plan for internet marketing and not spam.......2002-02-28
The authors have put together perhaps one of the best and most complete books on marketing via e-mail on the market today. Note that I said "marketing via e-mail" and not spamming via e-mail. The authors actually address this issue and how to use e-mail marketing in a positive manner where it will be welcomed by the recipient and not instantly deleted. Hans Peter Brondmo is an authority on this issue and is one of the owners of Post Communications, which uses e-mail marketing extensively.
The book details how to move from traditional marketing methods to an Internet based marketing system that concentrates on the efficient and positive use of e-mail. It not only covers how to use it to obtain new customers but guides the reader step by step in how to effectively use e-mail to create and maintain customer loyalty and positive relationships.
This books wraps up other online marketing concepts........2001-12-21
I have read many books on e-mail strategies, viral marketing and permission-based marketing and this one makes the cut.
I figured by reading the book I would get some pretty good analysis of what it takes to run a good e-mail marketing campaign, the pros and cons of various strategies (in house vs. outsourcing) and some "big picture" issues to deal with. The author delivered on that but I wish he had some # crunching and data analysis in it.
If you have read about permission based marketing and viral marketing this is a book that will help to "pull it all together." While some concepts will have been covered by then I know it has helped me in pulling together a strategy long-term for a few websites I want to rollout in the next few years.
Good books to read about viral marketing, in order of preference, are (1) Seth Godin and Permission Marketing (2) Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point and (3) Emanueul Rosen's Anatomy of a Buzz. Kim McPherson's E-mail Strategies That Work book is a good book on e-mail campaigns.
The Best Book Available on Email Marketing.......2001-08-29
The Engaged Customer is, in my view, the best book available on email marketing. Hans Peter Brondmo is a top expert and he pours out his knowledge on every page. Even more, it is well written and keeps your interest.
Book Description
Email newsletters are the publishing medium of the future. Angela Adair-Hoy runs her highly profitable emag (Circ. 53,000+) from her home on the Penobscot River, and she's not the only one! Learn from Angela and other profitable email publishers how you can do this, too!
Customer Reviews:
nothing i haven't heard elsewhere.......2007-02-27
This book feels to me like a compilation of the simplest pieces of other books on the subject. I didn't get a real authoritarian feel here, which I think is necessary in a 'How To Make Money' book. With the way the world is now, anyone can claim themselves to be an expert, and here, I did not see anything other than regurgitation. If you are looking for a book on this subject, I would go with Carol Harris's book.
Wonderful and straight to the point.......2003-03-04
The book is wonderful for the busy business person who wants to get straight to the point on how to organize a profitable e-mag. I wanted to use an e-newsletter for marketing purposes for my small business. Because of this book, I have started a whole new subsidiary to my business. It has actually started to become an income stream, though minor, for my business. It more than pays for itself. I owe a large percentage of this success to "How To Publish A Profitable E-mag. If read from front to cover, it will take you less than 1 day to read. The author presents valuable resources and bullet point information. She also promotes other valuable resources that she doesn't even profit from. I find her book to be genuine and practical. I have used it as a blue print for our new business. She is very honest in mentioning the limitations in her book, but she points you to other books and periodicals that get further into the technical aspects of e-magazines. "How To Publish a Profitable E-mag" is definitely the first stop in publishing a profitable e-mag.
E-Books level the playing field..........2000-03-01
I bought this brief "How To" book and was rather impressed. It provides a sound methodology for writing and publishing e-books in an age where small self-publishers can theoretically compete with the large publishers, especially if the self-publishers are skilled at digitizing their publications for online sales. The references to key "virtual" partners were also invaluable. Finally, I liked the fact that I could read the entire book in an hour or so.
Book Description
Though it's a powerful driving force for commerce, early misuse and misapplication of business principles can lead to bad business practices a -- as well as perceptions that the Internet is not a viable sales channel. Farce to Force sets the record straight. Written by an author extremely well versed in the dynamics of e-business, this timely, insightful book takes the reader step-by-step through the process of choosing the right e-commerce strategy and building a plan to achieve success. It is packed with helpful templates and powerful techniques to implement effective strategy, as well as examples of successful e-commerce marketing techniques and additional resources to build programs.
Customer Reviews:
Right-on eMarketing Observations.......2006-01-18
eMarketing is a key component of our business and much of our success. Sarah's success comes from helping others, which she does very well! With so much being said about emarketing, often by self-serving authors, Sarah continues to be objective and forthcoming with real-world observations.
- Burke Franklin, Author of Business Black Belt and BizPlanBuilder business planning software.
Book Description
In B2B, it's not a matter of winning or losing—it's getting into the game that matters.
Companies on the Internet fast track are buzzing about the unquestionable potential of B2B e-commerce. And why not? Reliable estimates suggest that trillions of dollars will be transacted over the Web in the next few years—and the bulk of that will occur in the business-to-business space. For all of the discussion, however, this vast frontier of Internet commerce is still unexplored by most companies with the potential to profit. They simply don't know how to move beyond the hype to get started.
B2B provides the first definitive blueprint for creating a profitable business-to-business Web strategy. It describes phenomenal B2B success strategies such as those used by VerticalNet, Travelocity, and Cisco, and details smaller operations moving into the B2B market to illustrate how any company can navigate this space.
Michael Cunningham, a leading expert in B2B strategy and technology, breaks this previously cryptic topic down into actionable steps. B2B, Cunningham explains, is as old as business itself—what is new is the speed at which new and more efficient business connections and services can be made. He describes specific ways B2B cuts transaction expenses, aggregates buying power, and exploits the efficiencies of single and specialized markets.
Not to be missed, B2B is the first book to provide a how-to game plan for succeeding at the greatest opportunity yet in online business.
"B2B is the first and most comprehensive account of the electronic B2B revolution. Michael Cunningham has separated the substance from the hype and provided the reader with a pragmatic approach to crafting a winning E-commerce strategy. Essential reading for today's leaders!" —Christopher H. Greendale, Senior Partner, Internet Capital Group
"If you are a business executive looking for a clear, detailed explanation of the technologies used in Business-to-Business E-commerce applications, as well as an insightful review of the opportunities and market dynamics driving the digital economy, this is the book for you." —Tom Willmott, CEO, Aberdeen Group
Customer Reviews:
Thorough and useful information.......2006-01-27
Michael J. Cunningham, founder and CEO of the Harvard Computing Group, has provided strategies and best practices to launch a business-to-business E-Commerce solution for your organization. Financial transfers, online exchanges, auctions, delivery of products and services, supply-chain activities and integrated business networks are all examples of B2B e-commerce. Business-to-business E-commerce is a rapidly growing market. The author guides you through the process from transforming an intranet into an extranet, using portals and digital procurement systems, finding partners, selecting applications and software and finally designing architecture and infrastructure for a B2B business. He has also included a list of best practices used by successful B2B E-commerce companies.
Update on the first edition.......2002-10-01
The revised and updated version of B2B (paperback edition) reflects the changes in the market since the first version was published. As the author of the book, I would like to thank both the input from the press, editors, industry analysts and users of B2B technologies for their experiences and knowledge to keep this title current. I hope that others still find this a useful blueprint for the development and delivery of their stategies.
B2B - Bible........2001-04-18
Charles Stevens, this is possibly the best B2B book I have ever read. Cunningham provides a clear-cut approach to B2B business. He clearly defines differences and avoids excessive jargon making this book ideal for the experiences business professional or anyone new to the field. It was key in developing the fundamentals and our approaches of our own corporate B2B plan. As sacrilegious as it may be this book has been our B2B Bible. 75% of business - to - business transactions for computers, electronics, and storage are done online. There is a need to develop B2B commerce, improving systems and methods are crucial. People and corporations are hesitant about investing in the Internet because of the current tension in the ecommerce market highlighted by the media. Let it be understood that the failings of high-profile corporations should not be a reflection on the B2B market. Even considering this media-driven pseudo-bear market the estimated revenue from B2B business for 2004 exceeds 3 trillion dollars. Pick up this book, at the very least flip through it at the bookstore (and take notes).
B2B: It's about creating value.......2001-04-12
Many organizations today are focused on the bad news in the B2B markets. Failing exchanges, dot com crashes and vendor and consulting layoffs. In my experience, B2B is and will be a potent weapon the the development and optimization of business processes and technology to support new and better ways of conducting business. Collaborative technologies, widespread affordable communication and faster to implement solutions will allow winning firms to take the lead in this segment of the market. While some start-ups have failed, most are because they were not adding enough value to their clients and partners in the first place. B2B technology, tools and platforms are providing the opportunity for organizations to improve and optimize their position in the market. There are good examples of start-ups, existing businesses and others moving to leverage the Internet sprinkled throughout this book. Winning strategies are built by companies following good business practices and being innnovative in their approach to the market. This book was obviously created as a blueprint for individuals and organizations that are looking for a path through this maze. The examples are based on strategies that have worked and produced excellent results for the firm's using them. Like all technologies and strategies there are winners and losers. Emulating winners is still the best way that we know to reduce risk at the early stages in the marketplace. This book helps others achieve this goal, by providing guidance on the good, bad and the ugly of this complex subject. An powerful and comprehensive read.
An Informative Guide to B2B.......2001-04-09
I was extremely pleased with this informative book. Cunningham clearly explained the ins and outs of B2B in a clear and thourough fashion, making this book a great guide as to how to improve B2B strategy most effectively. It was a superb introduction to B2B strategy, as Cunningham was able to address the many issues associated with B2B and instruct on the best ways to use B2B to the advantage of your business. A comprehensible guide to understanding the newest revolution in international commerce. Great as an introduction for those new to B2B, as well as a guide for experienced business professionals looking for a tool to enhance their commerce.
Amazon.com
Lots of books have been written about how to do business on the Internet, but few can match the understanding and passion for making e-commerce work of Patricia Seybold's Customers.com. Drawing on case studies of companies and organizations as diverse as Boeing, Babson College, National Semiconductor, Hertz, PhotoDisc, and Wells Fargo, Seybold identifies what makes e-commerce work successfully. She argues that any e-commerce initiative has to begin with the customer. She writes:
In the electronic commerce world, knowing who your customers are and making sure you have the products and services they want becomes even more imperative than it is in the "real" world.... The corner grocery needs only to approximate what customers really want because the convenience factor brings in the business. But when you eliminate this advantage--when customers can go anywhere to get what they want--you'd better know what they're looking for.
The first section of the book outlines five steps aimed at any organization grappling with the challenge of doing e-commerce right. The final section offers a technology roadmap and suggestions for getting e-commerce initiatives off the ground. But the heart of the book is the 16 case studies of companies that have successfully embraced e-business and e-commerce. Each is well researched, and includes an executive summary and "take-aways" about what each firm did right. If you're looking to develop your business online, this book belongs on your desk, not your bookshelf. Highly recommended. --Harry C. Edwards
Book Description
Patricia Seybold is one of the few people with the credentials and experience to write the one book on electronic commerce everyone in business must read. Seybold has advised major companies not only on the technical requirements for a successful electronic commerce strategy, but also on the management, marketing, sales, and customer support systems necessary to create an infra-structure that seamlessly blends a company's e-commerce initiative with its overall business.
It all starts with customers. For the past several years, Seybold has been working with electronic commerce pioneers who have made life easier for their customers by figuring out what they want and designing their Internet strategy accordingly. Seybold's guide is packed with insights on how both Fortune 500 giants and smaller companies have created e-commerce initiatives that place them well ahead of their competitors. Some examples:
National Semiconductor made huge improvements to its bottom line by
targeting the right customers (not always the ones who make the final buying decision) on its Web site.
Hertz coordinated its e-commerce strategy with its entire business so that it is now head and shoulders above its competitors in
owning the customer's total experience.
The National Science Foundation
streamlined its customers' business processes by involving all stakeholders in the development of its Web strategy.
Wells Fargo provides its customer sales and service representatives with
a 360-degree view of its customers, providing one-stop shopping via the Web and making its on-line banking services the fastest-
growing part of the company.
iPrint transformed a commodity business by using the Web to let
customers help themselves in designing the end product exactly as they want it.
Boeing designed its Web site to help
customers do their jobs more effectively.
Dow Jones
delivered personalized service with its electronic version of The Wall Street Journal, showing that customers will pay for information of value on the Internet.
Tripod grew from a start-up to a company with over a million members by
fostering a vibrant on-line community.
With additional in-depth examples from American Airlines, Amazon.com, Babson College, Bell Atlantic, Dell Computer, PhotoDisc, General Motors, and Cisco Systems,
Customers.com is an exceptionally rich source of ideas and information: the one book you need to stay in business in the rapidly changing era of electronic commerce.
Customer Reviews:
A good read.......2006-01-27
The authors of this book ask the question, "Are you doing business on the Web? Or are you just on the Web?" According to the author, technology consultant Patricia Seybold, most companies have web sites that give some information about their company and their products. Today, customers are demanding much more from websites, they expect to be able to purchase on line, interact electronically, and be part of a community in cyberspace.
The main point of the book is to show companies that if they meet these expectations, they will grow. In order to achieve this growth, companies need to evaluate their customers. Specifically, they need to start with the basic question of who exactly are their end customers. What to these end customers want? What do these end customers expect from the company?
Once these questions are answered, it is important to develop the electronic structure that will serve the needs of the customers. Create a web site that not only has the basic information on the company and the product, but allows the customer to shop, order, purchase, and track delivery. Companies need to capture personal information by ensuring customers fill out an on-line profile. By collecting these profiles, it will help answer the previous questions and allow the company to better anticipate the needs of its customers.
The author also argues for designing or redesigning business processes from the outside in, specifically organized around your end customers, not around the products and services. The inside-out model, the one designed around products and services, will not work in today's e-commerce, according to the author.
Further advice includes making it easy for consumers to do business with the company, and they will help themselves to want they need. This will empower customers to make choices, thus they will have reasons to keep coming back. The author uses numerous examples to demonstrate how this is more difficult than it sounds. By reading about these companies' experiences combined with the solid advice offered, the reader will be taking the first steps to developing an effective e-business strategy.
Self Helped, jobs done excellent, decreased time waste.......2004-11-12
Target the Right Customers
1. Focus your electronic commerce efforts on your most profitable customers.
2. In deciding what information to put out start with the most requested information your call centers put out.
3. Think about marketing offers you can make electronically that are not practically to do any other way.
Own the customer's total experience
1. Identify each step or business event where the customer is most likely to interact with your firm and streamline each of those steps.
2. Reassure the customer at each step
3. Capture the customers profile and off them the oportunity to change their profiles at any time and to select a set of profile defaults.
4. Give customers access to their entire transaction history.
5. Let the customer specify if they want proactive notification.
6. Recruit thousands of business partners who can represent your firm to customers
7. Make it easy for your suppliers to deal with you.
8. Focus on excellence in the customer experience.
Streamline business processes that impact the customer
1. Use online forums to overcome internal organizational barriers to success.
2. Use streamline electronic forms that are visible to all legitimate parties involved.
3. Make the right bets on technology
Provide a 360 degree view
1. Layout the groundwork
2. Start by focusing on the convenience of the customer
3. Target your most profitable customers
4. Use middleware to pull customer information together
5. Make sure the answers and information that your customer receives are identical
6. Don't let technology limit your vision
7. Begin by offerring information then transactions
Let Customers help themselves
1. Cooperation is the name of the game on the internet
2. Provide information on the web that helps the customer make a decision or answer a question
3. The best combination is where the person can access the information they want but get a person on the phone if needed.
4. Customers design their own products
Help the customer do his job
1. Make it your goal not to waste the customers time
2. The best website offer at least three different types of search engines
3. Keep track of what the customer looks for and does not find
4. Use electronic mail for targeted marketing
5. Listen to the customer tell you what they need to appear on their bills.
6. Make it easy as possible to help the customer help their customer use your product.
Deliver personalized service
Foster Community
Good book but needs updating now........2004-03-12
With so much changes in the internet business, this is a good reading to understand how should you start, but new technologies are available now. This book was written in 98, so Patricia Seybold should rewrite.
An education in itself..........2002-12-20
Being a college student, I was at first reluctant to read Seybold's book as a class assignment. In hindsight, it's one of the best decisions I could've made. This book presents dynamic ideas that are being overlooked at universities today. Rather than focusing on the "how to's" Customers.com gives you the "why's" of the customer market. Talk about making me think! Not only did this book provide an excellent point of reference for class discussions, I found myself unconsciously transferring the knowledge into my job. One thing to take note of: THIS IS MORE THAN A TECHIES BOOK! Anyone in business will undoubtedly benefit from reading it. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
Remains solid.......2001-10-13
Got this when it came out and gave it a read. Three years have passed and I just referred to it to support writing a paper on technology. The details are good and the higher level dialogue do a nice job of getting the message across without belaboring anything. If you are about the web and doing business, this is worth the bucks and time.
Book Description
Research your competition. Develop your idea and business plan. Find customers and expand your base. Build your home page. Setting up shop on the Internet is easier than you think. Are you ready to grab your piece of the trillion-dollar online marketplace? One week from now, you could be counting the click-throughs and collecting the orders on your own online storefront!
In your hands is a complete, start-to-finish, seven-day plan for taking your existing business online or opening up a successful new virtual store on the World Wide Web. Top Internet consultant Sherry Szydlik and high-tech writer Lamont Wood draw on more than a decade of online experience to spell out what works and what doesn't on the Web to help you succeed where others have crashed and burned.
Taking you day by day through the steps of building a Web-based business, Szydlik and Wood help you plan your online store-analyzing the market for your services or products, sizing up the competition, and drafting a practical business plan. You'll see how to:
* Outsource the technical functions-how to cheaply get your ECP (Electronic Commerce Provider) to handle everything from online credit card processing to electronic shopping carts
* Anticipate and handle the special demands of 24/7 service
* Understand taxes and the laws applying to online, interstate, and international sales
* Avoid common scams, credit card fraud, and deadly foul-ups
* Bring in customers-using online and offline advertising, banners, postings on search engines, e-mail promotions, affiliate programs, and other resources for building your customer base
* Retain customers-how to use "click trails" and other information to give better service and build long-term relationships with your customers
Packed with clear information, expert pointers, and real-life examples from e-trepreneurs who've been there and done it successfully, E-trepreneur's "radically simple" seven-step plan gets your business on the Web and in the black . . . quickly, easily, and, best of all, sensibly.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Resource for the Beginner.......2006-05-21
This is an excellent resource for someone that is new to ecommerce. The book covers nearly every conceivable topic from writing a business plan to shipping your first order. It also contains contact information for additional resources.
The writing is clear and easy-to-understand which means it won't be difficult to implement.
The cover infers that it is possible to create a profitable internet store in 7 days. While I do not believe it is likely that your store will be profitable in 7 days, I do believe it is possible to establish a site in 7 days.
If you already have an ecommerce site then you will find this book to be too primary. However, if you are new to ecommerce then you definitely need this book.
Some of the links are old, but good business advice.......2002-02-20
We have a small retail business in Vermont and I am no computer genius. This book was very helpful as we put together our first ecommerce site. Some of the links are outdated, but the business advice is especially good, and the book is well organized and easy to read. We are actually making money at our internet site!! I never would have thought.
Forget the title, this book is worth reading........2000-09-07
When I first came across this book I was turned of by its unnecessary title - The whole notion of building a "profitable internet store in 7 days" is insane in and of itself. The title aside though the book does cover in great detail different aspects of building a business plan with key examples for small and medium sized businesses. Whilst the early parts of the book may seem basic, coverage of areas such as finance, operations and in particular marketing are well detailed and efficiently summarized. Szydlik's background of working with over two hundred Fortune 500 companies makes this book well worth a read as a refresher or the perfect gift to someone who is looking to start their own business.
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Books Index
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General
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