Online communites: stabilising e-business

Rowley, Jennifer (2001) Online communites: stabilising e-business. Global Business and Economics Review, 3 (1). pp. 84-93. ISSN 1745-1329

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Abstract

Community, coupled with commerce, content and communication are widely discussed as the essential components of successful web presence. Those organisations that control popular virtual communities are in a position to dominate business transactions over the Internet. Community means customer commitment, return visits, repeat purchases, recommendations to other parties and an audience. The challenge for business is to establish consumer communities, or to piggyback on existing online communities. Approaches to value creation through communities need to ensure that value is created for merchants and community members. Key issues in managing online communities are technology, member content, member engagement, member privacy, corporate value, and critical mass.