- CD-ROM
- Publisher: Random House ebooks (4 Feb 2002)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1843451441
- ISBN-13: 978-1843451440
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 5,372,219 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
| |||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Authors
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Lots of books have been written about how to do business on the Internet, but few can match the understanding and passion for making e-commerce work of Patricia Seybold's Customers.com. Drawing on case studies of companies and organizations as diverse as Boeing, Babson College, National Semiconductor, Hertz, PhotoDisc, and Wells Fargo, Seybold identifies what makes e-commerce work successfully. She argues that any e-commerce initiative has to begin with the customer. She writes:
In the electronic commerce world, knowing who your customers are and making sure you have the products and services they want becomes even more imperative than it is in the "real" world.... The corner grocery needs only to approximate what customers really want because the convenience factor brings in the business. But when you eliminate this advantage--when customers can go anywhere to get what they want--you'd better know what they're looking for.The first section of the book outlines five steps aimed at any organisation grappling with the challenge of doing e-commerce right. The final section offers a technology roadmap and suggestions for getting e-commerce initiatives off the ground. But the heart of the book is the 16 case studies of companies that have successfully embraced e-business and e-commerce. Each is well researched, and includes an executive summary and "take-aways" about what each firm did right. If you're looking to develop your business online, this book belongs on your desk, not your bookshelf. Highly recommended. --Harry C. Edwards, Amazon.com --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Upside Books, October 1998
"What sets Customers.com apart is Seybold's 20 years of experience in the technology industry and her straightforward writing style."
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organise and find favourite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is an excellent introduction to the basic concepts of the Internet and E-commerce. However, it should be avoided by those already in the operating in this industry/ area unless you are looking to get the basics right.
It provides common sense lessons on e-commerce, lessons which anyone already operating in the industry or business in general should already know... otherwise you should question your involvement from the beginning!
For all that, a well written book from an obviously experienced business woman.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Patricia Seybold has produced a text book for e-commerce. This book is based on a series of examples of best practice and the lessons are reinforced and then reinforced again. She tells you how things developed, what worked for other people facing the problems that the you may be facing and explains that this is the new frontier; where we look for signposts along a dusty trail to wealth and riches (so we hope). One of her strengths is that she makes it clear that you will have to modify your vision, that you must let customers' reactions dictate the route you take, because the instructions on your map will not be reliable. Patricia also makes it clear that the Internet is now the vehicle for change thoughout organizations, that the new customer-focused business models change the supply chain, that they faciliate customer relationship management and while she provides value insights into the operation of Amazon, amongst other consumer Sites, that the greatest changes are in business to business relationships. I have strongly recommended it to friends and colleagues.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
CUSTOMERS.COM is a very valuable book in that it focuses both on how to serve customers on-line as well as how to make money doing so. Like a good consultant, the author systematically looks at best practices from each of 16 cases, and combines the lessons into a vision of the future best practice (in 2-3 years) that no one is yet doing. This is an outstanding accomplishment, that is not matched in most best practice books.
I also visited the CUSTOMERS.COM Web site to register for the free booklet that is offered, and was pleased to get many ideas for our to improve our own electronic commerce. Be sure to check here from time to time, because the author updates the 16 case histories in the book on the Web site so that you can keep up-to-date. That is an especially nice touch.
Ms. Seybold does a nice job in CUSTOMERS.COM of critiquing each case history for ways that organization could improve. Let me do the same for her book. Several things stand out. First, the book does not go into enough detail about how to find the weaknesses in current operations that will permit greater profitability through changed processes facilitated by electronic commerce. There is a lot of best practice work needed in those areas before you start thinking about electronic commerce. Second, she does not address the question of what the ideal best practice of electronic commerce is. You might think of a well-informed concierge in a great hotel who knows you well as the model. Third, more needs to be done to help you learn how to facilitate the change process. The steps she describes would be very difficult for many organizations to do that are beset by severe stalls in the form of tradition, disbelief, misconceptions, bureaucracy, avoiding the unattractive (such as customer problems), procrastination, and miscommunication. Fourth, the book highlights a lot of very interesting case histories and shows their successes. I was struck that although I am a heavy Web user and a substantial customer of many of these organizations, I did not know about the electronic services they offer. It sounds like many of these organizations still have a communications problem with their customers. Fifth, the available technology will advance a lot in the next five years. I felt the book does not do enought to make people aware of how technology that is not yet available can facilitate the future success of their electronic commerce.
No book can serve all needs in an area, so we can look forward to Ms. Seybold's next book. I enjoyed the personal touch as she described her own experiences with many of the companies involved. I hope she keeps in touch with them and us.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
If you are embarking on a CRM initiative - Read this first!
This is one of the best books associated with making your business more Customer focused. It clearly explains what you should be focusing on in relation to your customers, and... Read more
Published on 26 Jun 2001 by spencer_wasley@hotmail.com
An excellent insight into e-business
Customers.com is an excellent insight into the imerging need for every business to adopt customer centric business models and strategies. Read more
Published on 30 Jan 2001
Good description of how ecommerce can make you money.
Covers a lot of case studies, clearly describes the business benefits of using ecommerce/web/IT to its best advantage in any sized 'bricks and mortar' business. Read more
Published on 15 Feb 2000
First class ammunition to excite and enthuse a team
I used this book as a giveaway following a presentation to the Managing Directors of our European businesses. Read more
Published on 6 Nov 1999
Buy something else
Patricia Seybold may be an excellent consultant in hi-tech, but this book is nothing special at all, it is only marketing bla-bla. Read more
Published on 27 Oct 1999
True to life and practical structured advice
Having recently read the book and then chaired a confence at which thet VP customer service of Amazon told the same story its easy to believe the research has been conducted... Read more
Published on 22 Sep 1999
A wake-up call for UK businesses !
This book illustrates the benfits for those US companies that have not only aknowledged, but embraced the arrival of the internet as a medium for a new form of commerce. Read more
Published on 14 Sep 1999
An excellent informative read on E-business
A well rounded review of commerce and online business consultancy, giving good references and case studies on Amazon, AA and Hertz, with plenty of practical assistance for online... Read more
Published on 2 Sep 1999
A Good First Book Covering the Principles of E-Commerce
You should read this book now, because it will soon become dated as best practices move forward. I am glad to see that the author will be offering a new book in 2000. Read more
Published on 23 Aug 1999
Overcome "Stalled" Thinking and Use E-Commerce to Profit
What makes this book spectacular are the 16 stories of companies we all know and what they did to develop, improve and integrate their Internet business with everything else they... Read more
Published on 30 Mar 1999
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Business, Finance & Law > E-Commerce > E-business
- Books > Business, Finance & Law > E-Commerce > E-commerce
- Books > Business, Finance & Law > E-Commerce > Managers' Guides to Computing
- Books > Business, Finance & Law > E-Commerce > Web Marketing
- Books > Business, Finance & Law > Management > Management Science
- Books > Computing & Internet > Web Development
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
