E-Business of Myer

Currently digital marketing becomes one of the necessary factors in order to increase and improve business status of an organization. There are several advantages of using digital marketing or e-business such as accessing information by customers anytime and anywhere required. On the other hand, it becomes affordable and opens up a wider platform through which the organization can reach to a large number of people. Present report deals with present status, functions and processes supported by e-business initiatives of Myer. In addition, the process of supporting interaction with customers, relationship with customers as well as intra-organization communication in Myer supporting e-business initiatives are discussed in the report. On the other hand, how e-business of Myer is following industry norms and standards, place of improvement are recommended through assessing strong and weak points of e-business supported by Myer.

Optimal trading takes place when seller and buyer have appropriate knowledge regarding the market. Present status of e-business in Australia is currently increasing rapidly to meet demands of the customers (Zimmermann et al. 2015). One of the biggest influencers for development of e-commerce is mobile e-commerce. Myer is one of the mid-to-up market Australian departmental stores that deal with chain trading in various states of Australia along with self-governing territories of Australia. Along with departmental physical stores Myer has online business and announced that revenue from online business has been increased 70 % in 2016 financial year (Myer 2017). There are more than 20,000 featured products.  The first and foremost priority of Myer is to deliver wanted brands and improved customer service through instant feedback from the customers.

On the other hand, the organization has enhanced omni-channel experience that assists .delivering comparable store sales development of 7.1 % across 12 Victorian as well as South Wales Flagship along with premium stores (Sedera et al. 2016). It encourages the organization and shareholders investing in the field of e-business. The organization offers wide range of products including apparels for men and women (Myer 2017). In addition, electrical items like kitchen appliances, white goods, home appliances, TV and audio, entertainment of featured brands are provided to the customers.

Chung, Lee and Choi (2015) stated that there are 97% customers utilize web for searching local business. Moreover, there are a majority of potential customers in Australia are online. Thus, strong online presence is an important element of marketing strategy in a business. In the present case scenario, online presence of Myer is vital for outbound marketing for having several reasons such as reinforcing brands and things that can be offered by the enterprise. In addition, inbound marketing is important to be considered for business of Myer that helps to attract customers (Peppard and Ward 2016). Myer has a user-friendly website through which users can access information of the organization. In addition, in the part of e-commerce business, customers can buy products from website of the company.

Internet Presence in Myer

Search engine optimization is one of most important parts of e-business. In a report it has been stated that there are 89 % of customers use search engines in order to research products and services required by them (Agostinho et al. 2016). Myer has well managed search engine optimization through which the organization gains competitive advantages. Moreover, Myer social media in order to increase and enhance business through opening Facebook group and page as well as twitter account.

Behrendt, Richter and Riemer (2014) commented that Myer is transforming for delivering reinvigorated offers as well as wonderful experiences with the customers as the retail world is changing. According to the report of Myer, 2015 was watershed for the organization that saw strengthened management team chart for aggressively tackling evolving retail environment as well as retaining the business to sustainable and profitable development. The organization is planning to invest $9 million and has designed to lift up online sales from $5 million to $30 million. The facelift involves multi-channel strategy with providing secured database (Zimmermann et al. 2015). Social media elements help to increase business of the organization. At present, Myer provides more than 20000 products that fulfilling demands of men, women and kids (Myer 2017). Moreover, beauty products, electrical items and Giftorium offer different types of products through online. It helps to increase total revenue of the company and sustain with respective position in the market.

Soja and Soja (2016) asserted that an e-business carries out operations that primarily based on the internet. Most of the primary functional components of a successful and conventional business apply to e-business. In order to sell products through e-business, well-designed website is the most important part. Myer has well designed and user-friendly website that helps accessing websites easily by customers in order to buy products.

On the other hand, the company processes efficient logistics system that is required to deliver precuts to the customers. Even though e-business does not require high quality maintenance of database, it is important to provide database security for storing information and proceeding with third party secured payment option. On the other hand, warehousing and drop shipping are provided by the company, which is considered as effective initiative for e-business. In addition, updating with latest trend assists to increase online business of Myer.

Relationship between buyers and customers is considered as one of the most effective elements in business (Majstorovic et al. 2014). In e-business of Myer several aspects like to talk to sales executive, evaluating merchandise as well as place orders is covered up effectively. Customers having questions regarding products or service provided by Myer are forwarded to FAQ section of the website. If the issue is not included in the saved issues and solutions, there is option to contact with customer service executive through phone call or email.

Current Status of E-Business in Myer

In addition, the customers can send review about products that are purchased. Through the review customer can have an overview of the product (Wu et al. 2015). The customer service executives of Myer are effective in solving issues. Customer friendly policies like free shipping, money back guarantees and no-hassle returns encourage the customers to buy products from Myer (Myer 2017). Along with these, new offers and promotion event are updated in Facebook and Twitter. With the help of these social media, Myer can interact with customers, understand their demands and fulfill the demands through services.

Effective communication or relationship with business partners ensure long lasting of business. Through integration with major Information System like SAP, business partner relationship provides complete view of relationship that enables effective management in relationship. The relationship Intelligence of Myer is based on following objects.

Shared business objects:

It covers information like contacts of business partners, products as well as services, relationship data like activities, requests along with scopes, history of interaction and unstructured data.

Shared business object: It provides staffs complete as well as consistent view of the customers (Mishra et al. 2015). Shared business rules and engine consists of engines for pricing as well as configuration, checking availability, catalog of products, resolving issues and web flow.

Comprehensive business knowledge: Integration with the main information system, the application has availability using the application as well as analytical tools like knowledge management and business warehouse.  

 Real time collaboration: It provides effective collaboration with the business partners as well as suppliers that add value to the products and services of Myer.

Advancement of internet technology allows developing effective intra organizational communications in Myer (Ensign et al. 2016). As the e-commerce operations are distributed among the employees of Myer, it is required to have effective intra-organization communication channel inside the organization. E-commerce applications use methods as well as pertinent technologies in order to support internal business procedures between individuals, collaborating organizations as well as departments.

Schaeffer and Thorradottir (2015) mentioned that there are two types of c-commerce business such as private e-commerce and public e-commerce. Information system is referred to a system of persons and data records as well as activities, which processes data in the organization. There are different types of methods are used inside the organization that helps to communicate with each other such as interfacing with security framework, using external public key infrastructure and securing messaging, video conferencing and multimedia document authorization architecture along with distributed project management (Choi et al. 2015). It is required to share information among the staffs of Myer in order to solve issues that can be achieved with the help of effective intra-organizational communication.

How Functions and Business Processes of Myer are Supported by E-Business Initiatives

In the words of Palomäki (2015), in order to follow the industry norms and best standards in the e-commerce, Myer follow some policies through which the entire process is successfully completed. The customers agree to the policies and standard when they signed up in the site of the organization. The norms regarding delivery, shipping, returns and refunds polices are clearly stated in the website of the company. There are also specifications and scopes of selecting internal polices of the organization. In addition, law and jurisdiction are strictly followed by the company that can be explored through following areas.

Anti–spam law:  Online business has capability to collect information of the customers. However, it is not difficult to abuse the power. The regulation in place and business cannot legally spam customers without making them consent to the fact (Myer 2017).  Hence, there is clear method for unsubscribing and identifier marking specific messages of advertisement as well as header, which does not mislead the recipient.

Privacy policy:  Schmiedel and vom Brocke (2015) stated that transparency is one of the major keys in order to brand trust. Myer has clear and comprehensive privacy policy that helps the customers.

PCI Compliance:  Svärd (2013) commented that PCI ensures business is operated in secured way that has ability to prevent sensitive data from unauthorized access. As there is online facility for payment, Myer ensures strictly following of PCI compliance.

In addition, in order to ensure best practices in the industry, Myer collect taxes properly, keep business records; ensure fast, secured and efficient shipping along with holds the inventory.

 Even Myer ensure best quality practices in their business, there are some places where the enterprise can improve for smoothly operation of the e-commerce business (Roth et al. 2016). It is required to store personal information and payment regarding information like credit or debit card number more securely that unauthorized person cannot access it easily.

In addition, Myer needs to ensure effective logistic system that can properly package the products and timely deliver to the customers. In this aspect, it is important to hide information regarding private apparels and products that helps the customers to encourage buying. Along with secured messaging with customers and revising user-friendly policies regarding guarantee and warranties will be helpful to ensure bets practices in the e-commerce industry.   

The USP of Myer is mid to high range stores. There are several strong areas for which Myer is considered as one of biggest retailer and departmental stores in Australia. There are a large number of stores around the states of Australia (Maniraj et al. 2014). In addition, e-commerce site of Myer has opens up opportunities to shop from any parts of Australia (Myer 2017). There are varieties of brands available online in affordable price that provides customers a lot of choices. Strong brand presence as well as reputation in Australia helps the organization increasing their business. Customer focused service is one of the advantages of Myer. As the foreign players are dominating in the retail sector, it opens up opportunity to tie-up with the players. Moreover, a scope in increasing footfalls through exploring innovative promotional strategies is one of the strong points of Myer.

How Interactions with Customers are Supported by E-Business Initiatives

On contrary, there are undeveloped channel of distribution that serves only in fewer locations in Australia, which is considered as weakness of the enterprise (Jardim-Goncalves et al. 2013). Prices of retail area are increasing that becomes a threat for the organization. Moreover, target customers of Myer are present in Australia and there is any global presence, which are weakness of Myer.

Brown, Sikes and Willmott (2013) stated that in order to effectively comply with the business of Myer, the enterprise follows some measures like appropriate taxation in the products and services. It is crucial keeping business documents that are present to the agencies.  It involves income taxes, ledgers of business as well as supporting the documents. Moreover, holding inventory is one of the major components of online business (Myer 2017). Having solid terms and conditions minimize personal liability and issues in th the business of the organization. Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard is followed by Myer that makes sure proper operation of business. In addition, anti-spam law and secure privacy policy help Myer to comply its e-business with legal and industry standards.

Security and privacy issue is considered as one of the major concerns of e-business. In Myer, technology is used for surveillance as well as data capture used by the organizations for the purposes of business (Brzisa et al. 2015). It includes producing data trails, data mining, biometrics and data warehousing. Several technical mechanisms lead to the profiles of customers of Myer. Balancing the tracking mechanism are privacy improving technologies that attempts defeating surveillance and tracking the technologies. Along with these, so-called labeling protocols like MIT or World Wide Web Consortium’s platform for preferences of privacy. In addition, cookie-manager as well as persona firewall is helpful for the organization to set up the policies for the organization (Franceschini et al. 2014). Myer follows rules and regulations of the government of Australia in terms providing security to the customers and doing business appropriately. However, there are various points of failure inside the organization and issues like vulnerabilities need to be solved by the organization. The organizations use third party payment gateways for providing secured payment system.    

It is important to make continual improvement in e-business of an organization. There are specific requirements for improving business of the organization according to the demands and areas of improvement required (Myer 2017). It is required to enhance load times of websites. Currently, customer tolerance for delay is becoming shorter every day. Hence, minor enhancement in loading speed can bring major difference in reaction of the customers to the website. Moreover, option for live chatting with the customers will be helpful for understanding demands of the customers and solve the issues instantly.

How Relationships with Business Partners are Supported by E-Business Initiatives

In addition, in some areas like showing seal in the packaging will ensure that online privacy as well as data security is maintained properly. Adding videos can enhance rate of conversion by 10 % to 25%. On the other hand, upsell as well as cross sell also assist improving participation in e-business (Leignel et al. 2016). Increasing urgency if required by the customers will be useful to achieve target of the enterprise.

  Myer needs to improve some areas that will be helpful for Myer to gain competitive advantages in the market of e-commerce and sustain with respective position in the market. Myer needs to improve in communicating with customers and between the staffs of the organization such as interfacing with the enterprise with the security framework and external public key infrastructure. Moreover, the organization needs to secure messaging and keep confidential information safely. Implementing 2-step checkout will secure the process of buying products from the site. There are also 20% to 30% implementations processing in improving rates as well as order completion. Through investment in upgrading as well as streamlining site that including conversion hacks for boosting rate of conversation and sales figures. In addition, providing offers will be helpful to attract customers along with retaining quality in products and services. Use of social media more effectively will also be helpful for the organization increasing its sales and reach target of the enterprise. From above recommendations, providing more security in storing data of the customers can be implemented in Myer.

11th-15 month	6th– 10th month	2nd-5th month	1st month	Main activities
			v	Finding areas required improvement
		v		Arranging equipments for providing more security
	v			Hiring Amazon AWS database
v				Giving training to the staffs regarding security program

Post implementation review in Myer can be conducted after completion of implementation program of recommendation plan. The purpose is to assess if the objectives of the project would encounter or not. It helps determining the process of effectively running of the project and ensures that the organization gets potential benefits from the project. In the present case scenario, security of the customers and their information will be tested. It assists improving overall quality of the information system of Myer. In addition, whether the specific requirements are encountered or not can also be verified through the process. Satisfaction of the users can also be analyzed through the process of post implementation assessment program. Along with these, completeness as well as accuracy of the system output can be verified through the process

Conclusion 

From above discussion, it can be concluded that digital marketing or e-business acts an important role at present days for having several reasons such as cost effective marketing, flexible business hours, and eliminating geographic boundaries as well as minimizing cost of transaction. Thus, it is required to take proper measures that will be helpful for effective marketing of e-business. Appropriate security to the customers in order to keep secret information safely is helpful to encourage customers using e-commerce sites. Moreover, complying with industry norms and regulations and ensuring best practices would be useful to obtain competitive advantages in the e-business.

Intra-Organizational Communications Supported by E-Business Initiatives

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