This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Summary
Fundamentally, commerce can be seen as simply buying and selling. Companies whose business is to sell products can employ many methods to grow their business. With online commerce, it is common that a company might want to create multiple sites to increase its revenue or to maintain its market share.
We listed several typical situations in which multiple sites are important to the success of the company's business. Table 1.1 summarizes these scenarios and the major differences between sites.
Table 1.1. Summary of Multisite Commerce Scenarios
|
Multisite Scenario |
Examples |
Major Differences Between Sites |
|
Country sites |
Sites for USA, UK, Germany, Japan, China |
Language Products and prices customized to local needs Taxes, shipping, payment Presentation style Local regulations |
|
Brand sites |
Upscale brand versus value merchandise brand Brands focused on different products Acquired companies |
Products Presentation and site flow Shipping, payment, and other business rules |
|
Market segment sites |
B2B and B2C: Sites dedicated to business versus consumer customers B2B sites targeted to industry segments B2C sites targeted to homogeneous group, such as women, men, or adolescents |
Presentation and site flow Product selection for each segment Prices adjusted to segment needs Segment-specific content |
|
Product division sites |
Company has one brand but many product lines, each managed by a different division |
Each division has different products Business rules |
|
Large customer sites |
Sites customized to the needs of large customers |
Products might be created specifically for the customer Large customers require unique business rules |
The scenarios that lead to the need to have multiple sites have common characteristics in the way that the sites are created and managed. For example, in all situations, the company needs to create sites easily, and each site must have full control and manageability, as if it were the only site of the business.