Advantages of Using the Internet in Business

This blog is an assignment for my internet marketing class and the topics discussed in class do need to find their way onto the blog at some point or another, which should be easy enough because the internet has been my biggest source of information regarding the preparation of my trip. Whether its lists of possible equipment one may need, suggested itineraries, highlights of various cities, or searching for competitive airfare, the internet has provided me with an infinite amount of information. One of the advantages of doing business online is the ability to compare prices to find the cheapest, which is something I definitely utilized when searching for airfare. Seeing as advantages of conducting business online was the topic my group was assigned for the in class presentation, I have found the following two articles dealing with companies who have benefited greatly from the online marketplace.




Articles on the Advantages of Internet Marketing:


Amazon’s Profit More Than Doubles
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/30/technology/30cnd-amazon.html


This article outlines the fact that Amazon’s profits increased dramatically in the fourth quarter of this year. This company has clearly benefited greatly from the increase in business conducted online and the need to create a positive customer experience. They incorporate many of the different aspects of business by allowing consumers to use their site as an open marketplace in which they can buy or sell any goods. Pricing stays competitive because of the existence of various other sites like Amazon including Overstock.com and Yahoo! Shopping. Customers can leave feedback on their purchase or the seller they have dealt with. The CEO of Amazon.com, Jeff Bezos, has contributed their increase in profit to their continued effort to improve the customer experience including adding applications in the past year that allow for users to download mp3’s and e-books.

Dell Shutters Mall Kiosks in U.S.
http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=206100535


This article deals with the Dell Company closing its kiosks in various malls in the U.S. They opened the kiosks in various retail locations in 2002 to entice customers who were wary of buying a computer sight unseen. Customers could come to the locations, see the physical product they were interested in and have any lagging questions answered. It acted as more of a reassurance to customers than as an actual retail outlet for the Dell computers. The company did start selling its products in retail outlets such as Best Buy and Staples in recent years as it realized other companies such as Hewlett Packard were buying up the market share in that sector. The company states that a majority of its consumers choose to purchase their computers directly through Dell on the website or via telephone. They also are actively trying to stay competitive with Hewlett Packard’s line of entertainment savvy PC’s by coming out with their own version of high-end entertainment focused personal computers.

"I laughed, I cried....I missed my plane."

"these are the days when anything goes. everyday is a winding road." - sheryl crow

So I figured a good use of this whole blog assignment would be to organize my thoughts and information regarding my impending trip to Europe. As a transfer student I never was able to fit a semester abroad in during my college career so I decided to take the next best option: spend a month backpacking through Europe after graduation. A little less than a year ago this thought entered my mind and as exciting as the prospect seemed, it also seemed completely daunting and rife with complications. I let it sit idly in the back of my mind until September, when a casual conversation with two of my friends turned the whole notion into a reality and the planning frenzy began.


My basic idea is to benefit my own need for organization in the formation of this trip as well as explore and educate everyone on all the fun attractions various European cities provide. The idea of venturing across the ocean for a month, essentially by myself, for the first time, ever in my life, causes my head to spin at various moments so this blog will provide me an outlet to organize and a means in which to ground myself in my plans. The tickets are bought so I know there is no backing out now. It's just a matter of preparation.


My basic layout will be to introduce a new country in each entry and outline one or two cities that I plan on seeing. I'm going to try my best to see as much as possible in my limited time over there but I also want to make sure I don't just do the "tourist attraction" things because I don't think you get to really see the heart of a city that way. I mean those things are all well and good and trust me the Eiffel Tower will be on my list to see in Paris, but I also want to see the not so well known spots. So if anyone has been to any of the cities that I list and wants to volunteer any ideas I would be extremely grateful. In fact, if anyone has any suggestions in general, if perhaps anyone has studied abroad or done a similar trip, please share. I'm going into this pretty blind as of now and am actively seeking the information to make this trip a truly memorable one for me and my fellow travelers.


Right now the site I've been frequenting the most is http://www.fodors.com/world/europe/index.html. Fodor's is a pretty well known travel guide so I've just been looking over any links and information they have on various countries. Eventually I will try to post a map of my tenative itinerary.