My take - all eCommerce is part of eBusiness. Not all eBusiness is eCommerce. If there is a direct financial transaction involved with the electronic process using Internet technologies it is eCommerce. If there is a non-financial transaction with an electronic process using Internet technologies it is eBusiness. Any transaction with an electronic process using Internet technologies is eBusiness. Therefore all eCommerce is eBusiness but not all eBusiness is eCommerce.
There is a lot of confusion surrounding these terms. The confusion is not unlike that surrounding Marketing and Sales. Sales is part of Marketing. Marketing includes other activities, such as Advertising which is not Sales. So there is very little (and I mean a lot of little ) eCommerce going on with vehicle sales. It's all eBusiness. Automotive eBusiness. To be honest, there's very little eCommerce happening in vehicle parts sales as well at new car dealers. Service? None. Who can honestly say they haven taken payments online for purchases? Don't get me wrong, you have at some point but an insignificant amount compared to overall commerce. Now if you tell me about some "eCommerce" you've done I will ask to see some receipts. Get it? I hope this is clear. I get this question often. |
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
There is no such thing as eCommerce in the automobile industry. Automotive eBusiness.
Why do dealers give up on thier website vendor? Automotove eBusiness
Recently I've been seeing an increase in dealerships changing thier
website vendor. This concerns me. Let me just say that it's ok to switch. If it's for the right reasons.
You've outgrown the capabilities of your current vendor for example. From a business perspective it's NOT ok to switch when you think the
site / vendor is not performing without first finding out if you are
actually putting in the effort to make it work. In my experience most dealers tend to want to write a check and make a
problem go away or make things "happen". Well I'm sorry to be the one
to let you know that in this case you can't do that directly. You
could flip it around and "write a check" to an employee and pay them
to work this but switching vendors is often not the solution. Most of the time dealers would be better off keeping thier current
setup and paying attention to it. Working it. Setting a game plan for
seo, sem, conversion goals, content, calls to action and most
importantly TRACKING ALL OF IT. So, if your thinking you need a change ask yourself this, are you
fully working your current setup? There is value to the seo traction your current site has. Enough value
to seriously think through your decision of switching. Would be a
shame to loose placement because all you needed was better on page seo
or a call to action.... Plus you will inevitably be in the same situation in a few months. If you're going to do it, do it for the right reasons. Automotive eBusiness
Read more!
website vendor. This concerns me. Let me just say that it's ok to switch. If it's for the right reasons.
You've outgrown the capabilities of your current vendor for example. From a business perspective it's NOT ok to switch when you think the
site / vendor is not performing without first finding out if you are
actually putting in the effort to make it work. In my experience most dealers tend to want to write a check and make a
problem go away or make things "happen". Well I'm sorry to be the one
to let you know that in this case you can't do that directly. You
could flip it around and "write a check" to an employee and pay them
to work this but switching vendors is often not the solution. Most of the time dealers would be better off keeping thier current
setup and paying attention to it. Working it. Setting a game plan for
seo, sem, conversion goals, content, calls to action and most
importantly TRACKING ALL OF IT. So, if your thinking you need a change ask yourself this, are you
fully working your current setup? There is value to the seo traction your current site has. Enough value
to seriously think through your decision of switching. Would be a
shame to loose placement because all you needed was better on page seo
or a call to action.... Plus you will inevitably be in the same situation in a few months. If you're going to do it, do it for the right reasons. Automotive eBusiness
Friday, April 23, 2010
Can auto dealers succeed with open source platform web? Automotive eBusiness #dd8
I'm finishing up a three day automotive ebusiness conference, Digital
Dealer 8, where there was quite a bit of talk on open source
(wordpress etc) and how dealers could leverage that to reduce their
expenses (or create a higher ROI by shifting dollars). This got me thinking. Is this even a possibility for most in the short term? You see, while the intent for the attendees is to succeed, it is the
dealer who allows this to not happen. The conference was full of ethusiastic, qualified automotive ebusiness
professionals. Which was great. However, the target audience was few
and far between. What I mean is the dealer. The one who signs the checks. Until we can
make them understand the vaule of eAnything in their business what
happens is the information the attendees harvested will, most likely,
never get fully implemented. Or worse yet, get implemented wrong. At the end if the day these people need to sell cars. They have
families. Those familes appreciate dinner and clothes and electricity
and the occasional vacation. Until owners can be shown the value of having someone managing all
this, and paying them to do so, nothing will change at the retail level. So how can we even think dealers can manage open source in house when
due to current dealership enviroments most can't keep consistent
processes in place? Now don't get me wrong, there are dealers, mostly multipoint or larger
dealer group, that have seen the value and can do this. These are run
more like a corporation with dedicated people in all aspects of the
business. They don't pay thier office personell or IT team on how many
units they sold so the focus is on what their jobs are. Dealers need to seriously consider hiring, and paying to value, an
alternative marketing manager or online manager or (insert title here)
who is paid to make this happen. Only then can things like open source platforms enhance a dealers
bottom line.
Read more!
Dealer 8, where there was quite a bit of talk on open source
(wordpress etc) and how dealers could leverage that to reduce their
expenses (or create a higher ROI by shifting dollars). This got me thinking. Is this even a possibility for most in the short term? You see, while the intent for the attendees is to succeed, it is the
dealer who allows this to not happen. The conference was full of ethusiastic, qualified automotive ebusiness
professionals. Which was great. However, the target audience was few
and far between. What I mean is the dealer. The one who signs the checks. Until we can
make them understand the vaule of eAnything in their business what
happens is the information the attendees harvested will, most likely,
never get fully implemented. Or worse yet, get implemented wrong. At the end if the day these people need to sell cars. They have
families. Those familes appreciate dinner and clothes and electricity
and the occasional vacation. Until owners can be shown the value of having someone managing all
this, and paying them to do so, nothing will change at the retail level. So how can we even think dealers can manage open source in house when
due to current dealership enviroments most can't keep consistent
processes in place? Now don't get me wrong, there are dealers, mostly multipoint or larger
dealer group, that have seen the value and can do this. These are run
more like a corporation with dedicated people in all aspects of the
business. They don't pay thier office personell or IT team on how many
units they sold so the focus is on what their jobs are. Dealers need to seriously consider hiring, and paying to value, an
alternative marketing manager or online manager or (insert title here)
who is paid to make this happen. Only then can things like open source platforms enhance a dealers
bottom line.
Free turn by turn directions from google coming to iPhone. Watch out garmin..
Google Confirms Free Turn-by-Turn Directions Coming to iPhone:
http://bit.ly/avqRTG
Read more!
http://bit.ly/avqRTG
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Twitter - is it a "client" app or SMS annoyance?
Since facebook tends to be more of a desktop app with users spending
more time on site doing things, it got me thinking. What is Twitter? Well not what it is but how is it used from a
receivers point of view. I asked a colleague of mine and his response was he thought of Twitter
as more of an "SMS application". Text. Plain old, normal text message.
Being notified and posting via normal texting procedures. This is completely different than my initial thought. Since I use a
smart phone (as does he), I tend to use an app on the device.
Occasionally using the mobile browser platform. To me that makes
things a bit easier. Links, streams, searches etc etc.. I never thought of it as a SMS experience. What about you? SMS? Smart phone app? Mobile browser? Desktop? How do you perceive it as being used to receive? Comment. Leave a link to your site. That's never a bad thing. Cat:
Automotive eBusiness
Read more!
more time on site doing things, it got me thinking. What is Twitter? Well not what it is but how is it used from a
receivers point of view. I asked a colleague of mine and his response was he thought of Twitter
as more of an "SMS application". Text. Plain old, normal text message.
Being notified and posting via normal texting procedures. This is completely different than my initial thought. Since I use a
smart phone (as does he), I tend to use an app on the device.
Occasionally using the mobile browser platform. To me that makes
things a bit easier. Links, streams, searches etc etc.. I never thought of it as a SMS experience. What about you? SMS? Smart phone app? Mobile browser? Desktop? How do you perceive it as being used to receive? Comment. Leave a link to your site. That's never a bad thing. Cat:
Automotive eBusiness
This is the level of "expertise" I deal with from vendors. Very poor. Automotive eBusiness
And the sad part? People listen...
His exitement is just out of hand Automotive eBusinessGoogle Local Business Center gets renamed Google Places - automotive ebusiness
Google Places: Google’s Local Business Center Gets an Upgrade:
http://bit.ly/csuX
P8 Automotive eBusiness
Read more!
http://bit.ly/csuX
P8 Automotive eBusiness
Monday, April 19, 2010
Next iPhone pics....
iPhone 4G Spotted in the Wild [PICS]: http://bit.ly/bSZCt8 Automotive eBusiness
Read more!
iPad 3g shipping date -
iPad 3G Shipping By May 7th: http://bit.ly/92BrRh Automotive eBusiness
Read more!
Friday, April 16, 2010
Google Cloud Printing. Interesting...
Google Reveals the Future of Printing With Google Cloud Print:
http://bit.ly/bVmUWB
Read more!
http://bit.ly/bVmUWB
iPhone 4.0 OS Jailbreak
Read more!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
RIAA/MPAA Want Government-Mandated "delete" any infringing content software on all computers. Spyware That Deletes 'Infringing' Content Automatically
This blows my mind. Yet another example of the wrong thinking. Instead
of thinking of a solution to the issue (business model needs to
change) they keep trying to police it. That worked well on the war on drugs didn't it.... http://m.gizmodo.com/site?t=vU01nr.fqKiKg-hPqG0Y1g&sid=gizmodoip
Read more!
of thinking of a solution to the issue (business model needs to
change) they keep trying to police it. That worked well on the war on drugs didn't it.... http://m.gizmodo.com/site?t=vU01nr.fqKiKg-hPqG0Y1g&sid=gizmodoip
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Google allows user to search tweets from the past!
Google Upgrades Its Twitter Search Features: http://bit.ly/a3QpzZ
Read more!
Wow. It's only been a week
650,000 TV Episodes Viewed on ABC’s iPad App: http://bit.ly/c53Agg
Read more!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Mobile Web will rule by 2015.
New Study Shows the Mobile Web Will Rule by 2015 [STATS]: http://bit.ly/axEpyu
Read more!
Bing adds tweets to search results
Bing Adds Tweets to Search Results: http://bit.ly/buv2YT
Read more!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Looking for website vendor for small business. Please read and forward.
Looking for a website vendor to create a website (we will host) QUICKLY.
Small business.
Vital aspects required:
Allow for growth
Easily editable tags, all metadata, on page seo
Video friendly
Database capability
Social media integration
Blog
Ability to add custom pages on as needed basis.
We need the framework built. We can manage content from there.
What we do not want is a prepackaged site like wordpress and such.
Need it slick and very professional.
And need it NOW!!!
Please respond with contact info and examples of prior work.
Thank you
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Kevin Reifel wants to stay in touch on LinkedIn
| I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.
© 2010, LinkedIn Corporation Read more!Friday, April 9, 2010Splinter Cell Conviction Actual game play footage xbox360Check out this video on YouTube:
Read more!
Thursday, April 8, 2010Wednesday, April 7, 2010Listen to this feedhttp://relay.radioreference.com:80/nj_njsp_turnpike To open this link on your desktop computer, open iTunes and press Ctrl
Read more!
+U or Command+U, and paste the above URL. Sent using my app from http://SmartestApple.com Tuesday, April 6, 2010Friday, April 2, 2010WSJ iPad subscription sets you back $17.29 per month. WOAH! well at least they are thinking. But the price needs to come downThis is the future of print. Newspapers need to adapt or die... http://i.tuaw.com/2010/04/02/wsj-ipad-subscription-sets-you-back-17-29-per-mo...
Read more!
Thursday, April 1, 2010MISHEARD LYRICS - Pearl Jam - Yellow LedbetterWe all know this song. Just too funny. "Mona said I wanna leave
Read more!
bennigans" Check out this video on YouTube:
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