There is a growing body of knowledge on how an ebusiness (or any business online) can be a success (profit wise) on the Internet.
More and more successfull ebusinesses are taking advantage of the relationship between community & commerce. This book describes the relationship and why there are real strong business benefits to be obtained for designing community around any commercial website.
The are a number of benefits for combining community & commerce together. The authors point out increased customer loyalty, lower operational (support) expenses and an increase in direct revenue.
The authors provide examples of websites designed that take advantage of the relationship of community & commerce: ... A two page chart of all customer community pioneers is provided which ranks each site according to the 12 principles of successful community building. These 12 principles are:
1. have a clear purpose for the virtual community (vc)
2. Allow members to be able to identify each other
3. Allow for reputation to arise in the vc
4. Create a system of governance in the vc
5. Allow for communication between members
6. Allow for groups to form in the vc (smaller vc's)
7. Create an environment for members to talk
8. Create boundaries for the vc
9. Create a system of trust
10. Allow for exchange of knowledge & experience
11. Allow community to have character
12. Allow vc to have history.
In the book community is not seen as isolated from commerce rather as an integrated part towards providing increased knowledge for customers and increased revenue for an online business - in other words customers and the business collectively benefit.
The authors also draw on research from ... which supports the relationship of community & commerce online.
