A01 chaf6542 06 se fm indd

destination site

  there is 

the opportunity to market its products through  

online intermediaries

  or influencers such 

as search engines, price comparison sites, social networks, blogs and other publisher sites. 

We will show you how different information sources can be used to assess customer usage of 

different types of intermediary. We then look at how electronic communications have facili‑

tated restructuring of the relationships between members of the electronic marketplace – a 

key  feature  of  e‑commerce.     

  Business and revenue models for e-commerce 

 Electronic communications have also given rise to many exciting new business and rev‑

enue models that we evaluate in the second part of this chapter. We will use the Business 

Model Canvas which is an excellent framework for reviewing the business models for both 

online start‑up businesses and existing businesses who are developing new propositions. 

Throughout this chapter we mainly consider the  sell‑  side elements of e‑commerce rather 

than the digital business as a whole. (A review of the entire supply chain is completed in 

 Chapter   6   .) 

 Our   Digital business in Practice interview  with Michael Welch of online start‑up 

 Blackcircles.com  gives an example of what a  well‑  managed,  customer‑  focussed online busi‑

ness  can  deliver.   

 

  

  Online  marketplace  analysis 

 Understanding the online elements of an organisation’s environment, which are shown 

in  Figure   2.1   , is a key part of