Question:
To create an experiential learning environment that will consolidate, integrate and reinforce the programme modules.
It’s designed to allow the learner to experience a learning environment that consolidates and integrates the program modules.
Rely on the knowledge and skills acquired from previous modules
Demonstrate a critical understanding about the host organisation, its aims and business model.
A management related issue in business is something that the college or organisation has agreed to.
Discuss, present, and write material that communicates ideas.
Demonstrate improved communication, interpersonal, organizational skills, and build self confidence and self-esteem by working in a group environment.
The following tasks must be completed by learners in order to reach the learning outcomes and pass the work-based module.
Identify the organization you wish to work with and agree a topic. The College Coordinator will then approve it.
Attend the pre-placement workshop. Afterwards, submit individual Learning Objectives.
Send a detailed work-based learning report.
Expose the learning from the work-based experiences.
Answer to Question: GCNNK1 Nursing Knowledge
Introduction
This is an e-learning report on Dahlia Shoe Boutique at Ranelagh.
Rachel O’Bryne owns Dahlia and has extensive retail experience.
Rachel studied and worked as a solicitor before opening Dahlia shoe Boutique. Her strong passion for beautiful footwear inspired this decision.
The boutique is filled with unique shoes, jeweler and bags as well as hosiery (Yellow). Place, 2017).
This is where I am currently working for my placement.
I do all of the work in the shoe shop. This includes opening and closing the shop and stock taking.
The organization’s growth and development may be impeded by some problems. I identified that the shop had an outdated set-up. This included hand-written receipts, an old till and stock records.
The shop does not have a proper online presence.
Dahlia shoe boutique has a strong customer base in Dublin but they are all aware that the shop does no sell online.
This report will be about online selling. It will also discuss how Dahlia shoe boutique can utilize the online platform for increased sales and growth.
Online selling
Aldrich (2011) describes online selling as transactions that take places over the internet.
E-commerce is the trading of goods and/or services for another product or service.
Online selling is possible via traditional websites as well social media platforms and mobile and tablet applications.
Ecommerce was created 40 years ago. With the latest innovations, it has grown steadily.
Ecommerce has made it possible to have a much better user experience and safety since its inception in the 1970s (Miva). Inc 2016).
According to iShift Staff (2010) ecommerce has evolved and most businesses have shifted from traditional real time markets to the online market.
Due to their limited market access, businesses who haven’t yet adopted the new trading method face stiff competition.
Economists say that online selling has led to increased price competition. This is mostly due to customers’ ability gather information about products, prices, and other details.
Small businesses and individuals involved in ecommerce, whether they are buyers or sellers, heavily rely on the internet to conduct their transactions.
Online commerce allows businesses flexibility to communicate with and transact business from any location (Laudon et. al. 2014).
Online business has made international business transactions much easier, which has opened up the possibility for all businesses and consumers around the globe to become customers or suppliers.
Online selling has allowed for the elimination of political and physical obstacles that were preventing the development businesses for a long period. It also gives organizations around the globe equal opportunities in the market as all can now sell their products through the e-stores.
Online selling allows customers and sellers to sell goods or services over the internet. Customers simply need a web-browser.
E-commerce has been a vital part of the modern business world.
Many businesses have their own websites which allow customers to view the products they offer.
Customers can search on multiple websites for the exact same product before making a choice.
Customers can shop online with a variety computers including desktops as well laptops as smartphones and tablets.
An online store that is well-designed and user-friendly allows customers to view a variety of products. It also provides detailed information about prices, specifications, features, and other details.
Customers can also find recommendations from previous customers, who help them make an informed decision about which product to purchase.
This information is not available from the staff of the store.
Online selling is convenient for customers as they can access the products and services they need easily by browsing the company’s website.
Customers also have the ability to buy multiple products in a short time and save time.
Online sellers often offer sales discounts, making it easier for customers to save money.
Ecommerce can help you increase your product distribution.
It can help increase sales and lower costs, while also increasing profits.
It is because many people have access to the internet to learn about the existence of any given business organization as well as the products and services it sells.
The internet offers a platform that millions of customers can use to search for products or services.
Ecommerce transactions are increasing in popularity every year. It is not restricted by geographical or time limitations and can be used to purchase goods and services.
Ecommerce provides businesses with many marketing and sales tools that aid in attracting and retaining customers.
Online Selling Has Many Benefits
Online businesses can be set up and run at a lower cost than those that are located in an office.
It’s cheaper to create an online business than to rent or buy a physical shop.
Online selling allows organizations to reduce the number of employees required to manage their business. This saves money on staff, wages, as well as other business costs.
Thus, the business can save money on their ecommerce website development and increase the products and services they offer to customers (Richardson (2013)).
Online selling can take place from anywhere.
This is because online businesses are not limited by geographic boundaries.
If a business owner has an internet connection, emails, and a computer, he/she can easily run their business from anywhere in the world.
Online websites make it easy to identify the top-selling products, and so increase the product stock.
The online platform allows the management to think of ways to diversify their product offerings and create new products.
The company can increase sales, customer base, profits by increasing the number of products they sell to their customers.
Richardson says that (2013) online selling does not require a time limit.
An online selling platform allows customers to visit the business’s site at any time.
This will maximize the sales of the business and increase profits.
This can be achieved by offering customers special deals and by using marketing strategies to expand the customer base.
Teriz (2011) says that the two most commonly used strategies in online selling include cross selling and upselling.
Upselling refers to selling products that are directly related or similar to the products customers have chosen for purchase.
These products have a low price, which makes it easy for customers to decide whether or not they want to purchase them.
This leads to increased sales and greater profits.
Cross-selling, on the contrary, encourages customers buy additional products and thus increases their spending.
This is possible by introducing customers or other products that could satisfy their customer needs to complement the products.
These strategies increase both the business’s sales and the revenues it generates.
Online selling allows the business to take advantage of a number of powerful marketing techniques that can help to attract more customers. Conversations on the company’s website will encourage negotiation with customers.
Comparable to other sales strategies, online selling is more tangible.
Google analytics, which makes it easy for ecommerce websites to be tracked, allows this to happen.
This allows the business access to its own statistics. It includes orders that were processed by organization’s website as well as cart total, cart abandonment, and total revenue.
It’s a simpler and more efficient way to keep business records (Qin. 2014).
E-commerce websites can also be used to advertise for a business at a much lower price.
Ecommerce News (2015) claims that this can contribute greatly to the growth and development of customer base. Ecommerce News recommends that the company employs Search Engine Optimization (SEO), which helps to improve the website’s ranking in search engines.
SEO is a powerful tool that can be used by an organization to increase its customer traffic.
According to Nadu (2016) online selling is more efficient.
A successful ecommerce website can be set up by an individual or an organisation in a matter of minutes.
Customers can place orders and pay online without needing to be contacted by the seller.
This will give the organization’s managers ample time for making decisions on which products to sell and what offers to attract more customers.
Online sales make it easy to see the trends in the products’ selling, determine which products are most in demand, and increase the supply.
Online selling can allow organizations to sell their products at a higher profit margin, due to lower operational costs.
The customer also pays 100% which allows the company to increase its cash flow. This is especially true if customers pay in installments (Kawai, Tagg, 2017).
Online selling offers the organization the chance to expand its market reach and allows it to sell products worldwide.
Online commerce allows millions to access the internet from anywhere around the globe. This makes it possible for them to purchase goods from any place in the world.
Wills (2014) claims that ecommerce is the most popular way to shop and customers worldwide prefer it.
Customers don’t have the need to travel far for products to be purchased online. They can purchase them from their own home.
You can shop online any time you like.
Updates in The Shop
Chen (2016) claims that people are the biggest determinants of sales. But, a company should not overlook the tools and software used by sales. They can help salespeople work more efficiently.
Integration, automation, data storage and automation can all make it easier to do business, improve customer satisfaction, and increase profit.
Timely.com (2017) stated that digital systems are revolutionizing how business is conducted and it is vital to abandon paper-based systems.
Dahlia Shoe Boutique has been using the traditional way of keeping records. It is less efficient and less accurate.
They will also save time and reduce the cost of replacing the paper system.
When calculating the cost of the paper system versus the digital system, people often forget to consider the time taken to make manual records, duplicates, or read information.
This can make it more costly to pay for software subscriptions to do the same work.
Conclusion
I made many observations during my time at Dahlia Shoe Boutique and identified a few issues the organization should address in order to improve their business.
They are facing fierce competition from businesses that sell similar products. Therefore, they have adopted online selling.
Dahlia must establish an online e-commerce site so that customers can purchase the products they sell, and make payments without ever having to visit the shop.
This will allow the nosiness in Dublin to compete with other companies in the same area.
The organization’s website provides very little information regarding the business and the products it sells.
Dahlia needs to invest in updating their website. It should provide detailed information about Dahlia’s business as well as the product range that the shop sells.
SEO can be used to promote their websites. This will increase their traffic and help increase their customer base.
I was also surprised to see that the business still uses older systems for stock tracking.
This system can be tedious and easy to make mistakes.
It’s also difficult to retrieve information from the traditional business information system, which makes it difficult in the future to make references.
It’s also impossible to keep sales records if the shop has many customers.
A digital record keeping system is a great way to save time and be more efficient in keeping track of information.
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