CHAPTER ONE
1.0
INTRODUCTION
1.1
INSIGHT
TO ONLINE MARKETPLACE
Online Market, commonly known as e-commerce
or eCommerce, or e-business consists of the buying and selling of
products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other
computer networks. The amount of trade conducted electronically has grown
extraordinarily with widespread Internet usage. The use of commerce is
conducted in this way, spurring and drawing on innovations in electronic funds
transfer, supply chain management, Internet marketing, online transaction
processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory management systems,
and automated data collection systems. Modern electronic commerce typically
uses the World Wide Web at least at some point in the transaction’s lifecycle,
although it can encompass a wider range of technologies such as e-mail as well.
A large percentage of electronic commerce is conducted entirely
electronically for virtual items such as access to premium content on a
website, but most electronic commerce involves the transportation of physical
items in some way. Online retailers are sometimes known as e-tailers and online
retail is sometimes known as e-tail. Almost all big retailers have
electronic commerce presence on the World Wide Web.
1.2
HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF
ONLINE MARKETPLACE
Over the past decade,
there has been an extreme jump in internet sales. For example, in 2006, from
November 1st to December 26th online shopping soared to
$23.1 billion dollars, increasing by 26% from the previous year. Creating a
competitive battle with retail stores, online shopping presents a more convenient
method of shopping without the lines and the crowds, however, buying online
takes away from the social aspect of shopping. Having recognized the lack of
social appeal that e-commerce presents, new navigating tools to ease decision-
making are being implemented as a result, people are becoming more comfortable
with shopping online. As the pressure from online shopping sites increases,
retailers have to focus on better marketing strategies to promote products and
influence customers to shop in their stores instead of online. In fact, many
retailers are now making their products available online. Thus, a new influx of “click and mortar”
retailers are surfacing. The “click and mortar” retailers that provide online
shoppers with easy to use features are increasing their online profits and
becoming strict competitors to the top online-only companies (ie Amazon and
Netflix.
1.3
STATEMENT
OF PROBLEM
In human endeavor,
there is a lot of development which helps to maximize production, income and
operation of businesses at Ogbete main market.
These have brought increase in complexity of marketing system like B2B
(Business to Business) and B2C (Business to Consumers) and its operations.
Based on these, a
number of problems are facing the Ogbete main market system which include
a)
Day-to-Day pressures of selling
b)
Coping with customers
c)
Solving basic business problems
d)
Competitions (a new player enters,
market conditions changes, sales drops, the company introduces a new products
or services).
e)
Most of the leads came from the sales
staff.
f)
Unable to recognize previously visited
customers
g)
Availability of market (sales and
services) to the whole parts of Nigeria
h)
Unstable fixed price
1.4
OBJECTIVE
OF THE STUDY
The aim of this study
is to design and implement a database driven online virtual marketplace with a
particular reference to Ogbete main market. The web based program developed in
this research essentially provides all the necessary marketing services and
operations done at Ogbete main market which will help increase their operations
based on sales and services.
These operations
include general sales and marketing management.
In this study
therefore, the researchers hope to accomplish the following objective:
a)
To design a better pricing mechanism in
the market
b)
To solve the problem of geographical
location
c)
To maximize sales
d)
To help improve customer relationship
e)
Increases social interaction activities
f)
Reduces pressures mounted on sellers
g)
Increases management of stock items
h)
Easy shopping
i)
Introduces bidding system
j)
Accommodates more marketers
k)
To improve quality delivery system
1.5
SIGNIFICANCES
OF THE STUDY
Buying
and selling is very important to our everyday life, its very important that we
humans have to market what we have like goods and services to other people that
needs it, also purchase what we are lacking. Marketing is highly regarded
everywhere in the whole parts of the world. The following are some significance
of this study:
A.
The secured site for electronic commerce
will help the populace people of Nigeria to get rid of risk in carrying cash
around and the convenience of shopping anytime of the day.
B.
It will reduce the risk of transportation,
since the customer does not have to travel far to shop for any items or goods.
C.
It will reduce the risk of
authentication of the product and improved business transaction as customers
are now sure of the originality of the product they purchased.
1.6
SCOPE
OF THE STUDY
This project looks into
the processes involved in marketing of goods and services in the
marketplace. The researchers
concentrated on the operation going on the general marketing activities like
sales, management of stocks, pricing and registering of customers, security and
policy guiding sales.
1.7
LIMITATION
OF THE STUDY
Some of the constraints
that my have in one-way or another affected the outcome of this work include:
a) Resources: Due
to the complex and insecurity associated with human factors during this
research work, personnel who are used to the manual system perhaps for fear of
losing their jobs have been reserved in relinquishing all necessary information
to make this project an enticingly extensive one.
b) Time: Due
to time allowed for this project work, as a student was limited to come up with
a reasonable work within the stipulated time.
c) Power: Availability
of stable, efficient and reliable power supply was also a major limitation of
this project as it had to be suspended several times during design and testing
stages.