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142 Lubbe and Pather<br />
or the organization will not win. He also mentions that failing to test early, often,<br />
realistically and outside the organizational intra<strong>net</strong> is an expensive mistake. Lastly,<br />
Abel (2002) suggests that attention must be paid to format of the content.<br />
Organizations should remember that readers normally scan for certain key words.<br />
People most of the times visit a site for reasons not anticipated.<br />
Marketing and Choice of Products<br />
The marketing function is one aspect that has been misinterpreted by ecommerce<br />
businesses. Highsmith et al. (2001) suggest that the most profound of<br />
recent changes are not in technology but in the relationship between the business and<br />
its external markets and customers.<br />
Wilder (1998) reports that one of the myths perpetuated by the advent of ecommerce<br />
is that it means the end of mass marketing. The Web is the first<br />
communications channel that enables cost-effective one-to-one marketing on a<br />
huge scale. Brand names are a key issue. Mass marketing is therefore a necessity<br />
for the leaders of the online industry.<br />
Another lesson is to plan an aggressive marketing budget with realistic goals.<br />
One of the chief errors committed by failed dot-coms was based on the belief that<br />
they could buy a national brand. This only takes place over time and demands<br />
excellence in customer service, product fulfillment, and product quality (Wilson,<br />
2001).<br />
When strategizing e-commerce concepts, a business seeking new grounds<br />
should consider the appropriateness of the product for the Web (Auger &<br />
Gallaugher, 1997). Wilder (1998) in writing about e-commerce myths, claims that<br />
business believes that it leads to product commodization. Price is not the number<br />
one selling point for most companies online. Customers also want brands and<br />
service they can trust.<br />
Adopting a New Culture of Doing Business<br />
The move from a traditional brick and mortar setup to an e-commerce<br />
enterprise can be a test of the organizations ability to adapt to a new way of business.<br />
One of the important factors in such a transition is the development and cultivation<br />
of an e-commerce culture (ITQuadrant, 2001). Many organizations have reported<br />
that cultural change is one of the top challenges in moving to an e-commerce<br />
enterprise. Perhaps an assessment of the cultural feasibility of the project would<br />
assist in this regard (see Satzinger et al., 2001). In this transitional period, the ecommerce<br />
organization should note the various stages of human and organizational<br />
assimilation of new technologies (Erwin & Blewitt, 1998).<br />
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