Review a local e-commerce site: Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC)

Golden Screen Cinemas Sdn Bhd (GSC) is the leading film exhibitor and distributor in Malaysia. It is a subsidiary of PPB Group (a member of Kuok Group). GSC is an click-and-mortar organization which conducting some e-commerce activities (E-payment ticketing and provide online advertising), but do its primary business in the physical shop (cinemas).

Public can get most of the information of GSC through GSC website (www.gsc.com.my). In the GSC website, customers can purchase their tickets via GSC e-payment ticketing (online) and also enjoy the online purchase facility which is available at some of the specified cinemas.

Although there is no search engine available in GSC website, but the site provide public to search the show times of movies in each of the cinemas. Public can check the movies show times before they go to cinemas. Besides that, the site provide a lot of benefits to its members, such as: free movie treat on member's birthday, load up on free complimentary movie passes, chance to get movie passes or vouchers to any movie related events at GSC cinemas, etc.

The site also provide free download on movie wallpaper, greeting cards, trailers, and so on. The download speed of this site is very fast, it take less than 1 minute to download a wallpaper and also the greeting cards.

In conclusion, the GSC website provides its user a lot of benefits and has the following feature:

-Promotions

-Movies show times and details

-GSC upcoming events

-Online Reservation

-E-payment ticketing

-Contest

-Free download of wallpapers, greeting cards, movie trailers, etc

-Corporate and cinemas information

An Example Of E-Commerce Success And Its Causes

An example of an E-Commerce success is Google. Google was co-founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were students at Stanford University and the company was first incorporated as a privately held company on September 7, 1998.

Google is an American public corporation, earning revenue from advertising related to its internet search, web-based e-mail, online mapping, office productivity, social networking, and video sharing as well as selling advertising-free versions of the same technologies. The Google search engine attracted a loyal following among the growing number of internet users, who liked its simple design and usability.

There are 4 main factors how Google success:

Business Model Innovation. By perfecting the nature of targeted ads, Google not only has created a highly effective revenue generator, it has produced what it hopes to be a better experience for its users. It is Google's goal to make their targeted ads at least as relevant and useful to users as the search results themselves.

Brand. According to Drummond, a European study recently determined Google to be the number one most recognized worldwide brand. Indeed, Google has become a verb ("I can't wait to get home and Google him") which poses real challenges to a company seeking to protect the strength of its mark.

Focus On The User Experience. Product decisions at Google are driven by optimizing for the user experience first and for revenue second. The folks at Google firmly believe that the better the user experience, the more easily money will follow.

How e-commerce can reduce cycle time, improve employees' empowerment and facilitate customer support?

Cycle time
E-commerce can reduce cycle time. In other words, it shortening the time needed for a business to complete a productive activity from its beginning to end. It is extremely significant for increasing productivity and competitiveness for a company.

The uses of e-commerce causes the elimination of intermediaries which exist in a traditional distribution channel. This process also known as disintermediation. The intermediaries refer to third party which exist between the sellers and buyers. For example, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers. By using e-commerce, the intermediaries can be eliminated. The manufacturers or sellers can bypass the wholesalers, distributors and retailers, selling directly to the customers.

For example, passengers can access to AirAsia website and booking air tickets directly from AirAsia. Passengers can book their air tickets through Internet and need not book through a travel agent. The intermediary has been eliminated and causes the reduction in time cycle.

Employees' Empowerment
E-commerce can improve a company's employees empowerment by giving them the authority to act and make decisions on their own. Management can delegate authority to individual or a team of employees who can then execute the work faster and with fewer delays.

For example, sales persons and customer service employees are empowered and given the authority to make their own decisions regarding sales and customer service problems through the uses of e-commerce in order to increase to customer loyalty.

Customer Support
As a subsequents of digital revolution, the bargaining power of customers is stronger than ever, and that power is growing. The availability of information and the ability to make quick comparisons online increases this trend. Customers are essential to a business because the success or failure of a business is depend on customers. Therefore, a company must make their customers happy in order to keep them.

For example, e-commerce can facilitate customers support through an online FAQ (frequently asked questions). If customers have doubts about how to collect their online booked air tickets, he or she can access to the airline website and search for the solution through FAQ site..