From eCcommerce to eCommerce 2.0: The Changing Role of the Customer

PROCEEDINGS OF THE LIBEREC INFORMATICS FORUM, pp. 171-179, Klára Antlová, ed., Liberec, Czech Republic, Nov. 4-5, 2010

8 Pages Posted: 6 Nov 2010 Last revised: 10 Aug 2014

See all articles by Hans-Dieter Zimmermann

Hans-Dieter Zimmermann

OST Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences; FHS St. Gallen, University of Applied Sciences

Date Written: November 1, 2010

Abstract

The eCommerce developments during the last two decades show how the role of the customer dramatically has changed. Being at the end of the one-way digitalized value chain in the beginning, today the customer can be actively participate in value creation in different roles such as expert, consultant, designer, or seller.

Today, consumers are at eye-level with suppliers. Web 2.0 provides a variety of opportunities for the consumers to interact with suppliers but to interact among each other as well beyond the suppliers’ communication channels enabling social commerce.

For the consumer this means on the one side that he or she gets more power and more independence to follow his or hers own interests. To do so, respective competencies are required. On the other side the consumer carries more responsibility as, e.g., wrong evaluations or feedbacks may have a major impact on companies, brands, or even single persons. A respective media- and information literacy is crucial in order to benefit from the new developments and in order not to get lost or even to suffer.

Keywords: ecommerce, ecommerce 2.0, social commerce, electronic markets

Suggested Citation

Zimmermann, Hans-Dieter and Zimmermann, Hans-Dieter, From eCcommerce to eCommerce 2.0: The Changing Role of the Customer (November 1, 2010). PROCEEDINGS OF THE LIBEREC INFORMATICS FORUM, pp. 171-179, Klára Antlová, ed., Liberec, Czech Republic, Nov. 4-5, 2010 , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1671344 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1671344

Hans-Dieter Zimmermann (Contact Author)

FHS St. Gallen, University of Applied Sciences ( email )

Rosenbergstrasse 59
St. Gallen, SG 9001
Switzerland

HOME PAGE: http://www.hdzimmermann.net

OST Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences ( email )

Rosenbergstrasse 59
St. Gallen, SG 9001
Switzerland
9001 (Fax)

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