Different Aspects of E-Business - Essay Example

E-BUSINESS E-business is one of the fastest growing technologies and it is claimed that any firm without e-presence in the coming years would disappear into oblivion. This may be an exaggeration but e-business has been universally acknowledged as an effective marketing took. Knowledge of e-business is then immensely critical for growth of businesses. Real estate business has noticed exponential growth in the number of real estate services online and this growth is truly astonishing. It is true that everyone with any kind of business needs to harness the power of the Internet in order to remain visible.

An 'e-shop' is merely a shop that uses electronic means of marketing. (Timmers, 2000) In this business potential customers would often ask the agent if they have a website and they sound disappointed when the agent replies in negative. There are some amazing websites developed by some real estate businesses and just looking at the site can convinces a customer of the power of the Internet. A successful e-business organization is the one that understands the requirement and meets the expectations of their customers.

(Greengard, 2000) Not only do they have pictures of properties on sale, they also offer immediate quote service, online chat service with a staff member and also make suitable recommendations based on a person's needs. Real estate sector is not comprised of many big players. In most cases, this sector is run by small business owners- who have interest in the field and the resources to conduct marketing and sale of properties. It is precisely due to this that Internet offers greater benefits to the real estate business owners.

It provides them with the much-needed exposure and opens marketing avenues for them so they can reach a sizeable population of home seekers. Potential customers find it easier to visit websites and check out various real estate services in the area and call the ones with the kind of properties they are seeking. So having a website can facilitate the sale process for a real estate agent. We must understand that e-business is not about having a website alone, it also consists of many other services but having a website is the very basic tool.

Usually all e-businesses are either B2B or B2C and in a realtors work, it would certainly be the latter. Unlike B2B companies, B2C businesses, either start-up dotcoms or retailers trying to transform themselves into etailers, must spend millions of marketing dollars to get consumers to change their buying habits and buy over the Web (Parker, 2000). In a realtor's professional life, e-business can certainly come in handy. Brokers can use the website for marketing and reaching potential customers.

A realtor can also save his precious time by employing e-business technology. Over the course of their work, realtors learn that real estate is really a time-consuming job. You have to remain in constant touch with clients, you need to make visits to the properties on your list, customers would often demand a visit too and these can be taxing. However with e-business, they can upload pictures of properties with various simulations so customers can see the interiors as well. They can also put up articles related to different neighborhoods and the activities they offer so customers can make an informed decision.

Since in their job realtors are not allowed to deliberately steer a customer away from a neighborhood he is interested in, it would be more apt and ethical to put up relevant information about the good and the bad points of a particular area so customers are better informed. This will also save precious time, which they invest in other activities and their personal lives. Running an e-business would help them stay connected with their clients without compromising their own personal needs. References1. S. Greengard.

Growing Companies. Industry Week, November 20, 2000. pp.762. Parker, R. (2000) Relationship Marketing on the Internet, Holbrook: Adams Media. 3. Timmers, P. (2000) Electronic Commerce: Strategies and Models for Business-to-business Trading, New York: Wiley.