Getting real about virtual commerce.

摘要: In its first generation, electronic commerce has been a landgrab. Space on the Internet was claimed by whoever got there with enough resources to create credible business. It took speed, willingness experiment, and lot of cybersavvy. Companies that had performed brilliantly in traditional settings seemed hopelessly flat-footed Web. And despite their astronomical valuations, new e-commerce stars have appeared be just as confused. Many yet make profit, no one any idea when they will. Now, authors contend, we are entering second generation e-commerce, it will shaped more strategy than experimentation. The key players--branded-goods suppliers, physical retailers, pure navigators--will shift attention from claiming territory defending or capturing it. They forced focus strategies achieve competitive advantage. Success go businesses get closest consumers, ones help customers navigate way through Indeed, argue, navigation is battlefield which advantage won lost. There three dimensions navigation: Reach about access connection. Affiliation whose interests business represents. richness depth information gives collects customers. Navigators e-retailers natural reach affiliation, while product suppliers retailers edge richness. offer practical advice each player competing e-commerce.