The Ebusiness of Books

The eBusiness of Books

eBusiness EBUS/400

Lisa Graham

July 18, 2007

The eBusiness of Books

Over the next four weeks, the authors will analyze three websites that market books. These three websites include Half-Price Books, Barnes and Noble, and Borders Books/Amazon. They will describe the “look and feel” of those websites and the subjective ease or difficulty of navigation for each of those sites. They will explain the supply chain modifications necessary when doing business online versus a brick and mortar store. Finally, the analysis will describe the legal, ethical, and regulatory issues that web sites must address and how each site handles security, confidentiality, and international issues. An explanation of the marketing tools used at each website and an overview of the customer service similarities and differences provided by the sites will also be included.

Today, with the use of the computers, the field of electronic commerce has blossomed into a multi-billion dollar industry, due in part to the ease of use and availability of computer equipment and high speed connectivity to the world wide web.

Half-Price is just one of millions of retailers that have found it necessary to have a presence on the web. Half Price books recycles and reuses overstock and gently used books in good condition. Half Price books is no doubt the most eco friendly of the three retailers. One of America’s favorite bookstores opened in 1972 with over 2,000 new and used books from its co-founders. Today, Half Price books has 85 retail stores in 14 states (halfpricebooks.com, 2006). To keep up with eBusiness, Half-Price has developed a web site that is clearly tabbed with six defined options from store locations to company information.

The navigation of the Half Price web site is relatively simple. It contains a section in which one can find the location of a brick and mortar store. The site is more informational than interactive. The in-store area describes which various products can be purchased: books, magazines, gift cards, music, and software. One can also sell gently used books, games, and music to any brick and mortar store.

Since the site does not offer direct purchases from Half Price books; to purchase items online one will be redirected to Abebooks. Abebooks is a separate site and located in Canada.

For most consumers, a visit to a brick and mortar store will be more productive since the coupons, discount cards, and gift cards for Half Price books are not useable on the Abebooks site.

Half Price books is also committed to fighting literacy. Several options are available for those interested in showing their support by donating time and or money to one of several organizations. This year, Half Price Books raised 170,000 books from book donations to community centers, hospitals, and special needs schools across the world.

The best part about the Half Price Website is the children’s section. The Half Pint Kids area of the site is bright and colorful; children can listen to stories read to them while following along with the words in their own book. The “Half Pint Kids” area of the website also an activity corner and a trivia section.

Half Price Books web site gets the job done, but without a bundle of graphics, color, or frills. However, one will quickly find what they are looking for without a great deal of unnecessary time, or maneuvering. Unfortunately, because Half Price books focus is their retail outlets, a trip to the store is inevitable.

Barnes and Noble, in comparison, is the largest online book site made up of over one million book titles, different links, tabs, and graphic elements used to direct customers to find precisely the books or other related materials, one is looking to purchase. On the front end, the website has a search module, book browser, audio books, bargain-price books, and Barnes and Noble Jr. The site contains specialty components ideal for finding the book of choice or other media by age and specific category. Seven tabs include new releases to meet the writers are included as well. The web site is a highly competitive outlet to provide lower cost products

from the publisher or wholesaler to the retailer, then to the consumer, and back again in the case of merchandise returns.

Barnes and Nobles, unlike Half Price, but similar to Borders/Amazon, increased their growth potential by shifting from the traditional brick