Chapter 3: Ebusiness

When the Internet was first discovered, it did not have many users at all because it came very complicated for the public to learn how to. However, when the Internet expanded into more and more of the population, demand for businesses to expand their work onto the World Wide Web started increasing. To be successful in today's business market, one must be available to its consumers and customers via the Internet. The Internet has allowed information to be easier to compile, increased richness, increased the reach of one's business to a global level, and it has definitely improved upon the content of the business that can be shared with the public. According to a Business Week article, successful businesses must be online. However, to remain successful once it is up and running online, the company must keep an eye out on its "reputation" online. There are so many review web sites of companies and products that the company must be aware of what is being said about them from the customers or critics, whether it is positive or negative. Using popular search engines like Google and Yahoo! can be helpful in maintaining an eye and ear on what is being stated from the customers or critics. But if you want extra protection, there are even sites that you can pay for them to send you alerts whenever there is something new posted about you on the Internet. If a company does not pay attention to what is being said about their services and products, the company can potentially lose its customers to the bad reviews. The BW article features the Escapist, "a 39-employee video gaming Web site based in Durham, N.C." that helps companies protect its reputation online. The company's services provides that whenever there is any new information posted about a particular company, that company is informed of it right away; allowing the company to either take action against the negative comment or dwell in the positive feedback they were able to receive. A lot of small businesses are still unaware of its reputation online. Just because something is not said about you on your own website, it doesn't mean that you are not being talked about on other websites.

Link to article: CLICK HERE