About E-Commerce

The introduction of technologies has altered the corporate market, converting most of the firms to electronic commerce. Airline bookings are an example of such purchases in the business to market, also known colloquially as the B2C. Previously, most passengers made their reservations by personally contacting individual airline travel companies (Hua, 2005).

However, those ways have changed as more bookings are now done electronically, where passengers only require an internet connection and a smartphone that can connect to the internet to book their flights. However, the concerns are whether the online bookings have more benefits than the tips and suggestions that travel agencies often provide to customers who visit their offices due to lots of years experience (Hua, 2005).

Gone are the years when customers had to go to their travel agents’ offices to book a flight. The internet has proven as a better option for travelers to shop for and buy flight tickets (Hua, 2005). The differences in preference depend on the ease and convenience of online booking as well as the how much the customers who make online booking lose compared to a few number who still visit their local airline travel agents.

An article in the Boston Globe revealed that the number of people visiting and booking air tickets via their travel agencies is at twenty-five percent and slowly rising. Some of the reasons for such include the techno-savvy older generation who require much guidance when it comes to choosing a flight (Hua, 2005). Some travels require having a return ticket only possible to go to individual countries which only allow visitors possessed return tickets due to stringent immigration rules. Transferring e-tickets in the event of the journey cancellation are never easy as different airlines have their unique ticketing procedures.

Despite the seemingly benefits of visiting trial agents for bookings, online bookings through the internet offer many advantages to customers. Customers can search through lots of airlines thus settling for a cheaper and most convenient airline. Online reservations are cheap and faster as there are no extra charges or queuing or traffic as one does not need to travel to an agent to book (Hua, 2005).

Customers quickly get feedback on the availability of seats, departure and arrival times hence can plan easily (Hua, 2005). Flight rescheduling information is also relayed quickly through emails or messages. Online bookings are the more convenient and cheaper than the traditional agency airline booking services. In the event of any concerns, a customer can quickly call the office and get real-time assistance right in their office or even hotel rooms.

IS

Increased fierce competition among the retailers has increased in the recent past. Online sales and customers services in through the digital platforms have increased the need for retailers to provide online services that reach, attract and retain clients who seemingly never have enough time to waste, rather are always in a hurry racing against time.

The various companies are using different information systems and solutions to increase their competitiveness in the market and obtain adequate information regarding customer needs. Such examples of businesses that have successfully applied and managed the information system and solution in their marketing have appeared in various articles such as magazines, news or even journals.

Recently, the Scandinavian Airlines launched its news featured ‘Couple up to Buckle Up’ strategic marketing technology to increase its customer population. The promotion aimed at couples who frequently travel through the airline whose information was in the company’s database information system.

Through such information, the company was able to provide flight as well as destination solutions to the older couples traveling to various holiday destinations. The Scandinavian Airline based its ‘’Couple up Buckle Up” promotion on the fact that couples often book airlines together and that would ensure their double their customer targets.

The couple would have to scan the two side by side promotional codes, and the company would match the codes. Matching the systems would reveal the true identity and information of the couples for them get the couples’ discount, The promotion saw the company double its customers hence having a competitive advantage over other airline service providers (“Exchange loyalty points for rewards”, 2012).

Case study

The use of smartphones and the new technologies such as sensors and readers are the vital aspects of digital marketing, sales and customer service. The mobile phones have become essential conversion tool and accessing in-store information thus saving the customers a lot of time when making purchases (“Exchange loyalty points for rewards,” 2012).

The use of smartphone technologies particularly in the point of sale has a two side benefit; to the retailer and the customer. One of the categories of the use of mobile phone technologies at the point of purchase is to enable the retailers to generate and qualify lots of traffic at their sales point. The businesses base the application on the Google Analytics’ way of capturing the consumer trends, especially for e-commerce customers (Liedtka, 2014).

The technology enables Google Analytics to understand the pattern and behavior of clients which include where they come from, their proffered purchasing stores and consumption rates and patterns, preferences, and conversion rates. The analyzers use the data the traffic generates to utilization in media and online advertisements, locating their stores strategically as well as develop online platforms such as the quick response codes to attract better and retain lots of customers (Liedtka, 2014).

Retailers have closely linked their loyalty programs to payments through keeping the history track of purchases that the clients make (“Exchange loyalty points for rewards,” 2012). Retailers can pay customers every moment a customer enters a store or make a payment. The mobile applications also allow customers to track and monitor their loyalty points and when they reach the set minimum amount, can redeem such points through a quick response code thus receiving money or free purchase of an item equivalent to the loyalty points they have earned (“Exchange loyalty points for rewards,” 2012).

The Front Flip Company uses quick response codes to reward loyal customers thus attracting and retaining its consumers. Front Flip, based in Kansas offer its customers a unique quick response (QR) code only found at the back of the company’s receipts (“Exchange loyalty points for rewards,” 2012). The customers upon making the purchase enters their personal details through the Flip app, scan the code through the Front Flip app on their smartphones and receive a digital scratch card which they can use for purchases or even share with friends and relatives. The Flip Flop adds to the list of QR code users such as the Starbuck companies to attract and retain customers (“Exchange loyalty points for rewards,” 2012).

The stores can also offer other services using ultrasound, Bluetooth and even Wi-Fi which supports the side of consumers. The use of such technologies allows the retailers to quickly sense and detect the presence of a customer once they enter the store. Some of the uses of mobile technologies allow retailers to develop a friendly consumer interface online, enhancing personalized customer notification of a particular product of their liking thus updating the customers on the new products (Clarke & Flaherty, 2005).

Some of the drawbacks of suing such technologies include spammers using quick response codes to flood the smartphones with unnecessary information while hackers are using such systems, which cause smartphones to download and send unlimited messages at $2 each causing a Smartphone user to lose lots of airtime and money.

In conclusion, the mobile technology can address client needs thus achieving two primary objectives which include offering the services need and addressing the retailer’s point of sales needs. Effective utilization of the online digital technologies would enable the retailers to attract and retain more customers as the two are both linked although many companies rarely use such techniques as many people have not known or adopted the new technologies in marketing industry.

References

Hua, P. (2005). An Exploration of Traveler’s Decisions Relating to Booking Airline Tickets Online (1st Ed.).

Clarke, I. & Flaherty, T. (2005). Increased Advances in Electronic Marketing (1st Ed.). Hershey PA: Idea Group Pub.

Liedtka, J. (2014). Innovative Ways Companies are Using Design Thinking. Strategy & Leadership, 42(2), 40-45

Exchange Loyalty Points for Rewards. (2012). BDJ, 212(12), 614-614.