A Comparative Analysis of Online and Offline Business Strategies

This report provides a comprehensive comparison between online and offline business models, evaluating their respective strengths and weaknesses. It delves into the impact of e-commerce and m-commerce, highlighting the importance of the internet for modern businesses. The report contrasts the cost structures, expansion strategies, and customer communication methods employed by online and offline entities. Furthermore, it addresses critical aspects of personal security and privacy in the digital realm, emphasizing the risks associated with online transactions and data breaches. The report then examines password management solutions, specifically 1Password and Dashlane, offering a comparative analysis of their features, security measures, and user interfaces. The report concludes by providing recommendations for businesses and individuals to navigate the evolving landscape of online and offline commerce effectively.

ASSIGNMENT
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
1. Compare and contrast the online and offline business and explain the positive and negative
impact..........................................................................................................................................3
2. Personal security and privacy when using internet.................................................................6
3. Track and Trace Apps for different mobile platform..............................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9
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INTRODUCTION
The organisations are moving from the traditional sales to online sales where the use of
internet has become the most important factor for helping purchasers and the businesses (Joseph,
2019). They are communicating with each other and getting to understand the behaviour of
customers in the market. The m-commerce and e-commerce has made it convenient for
customers to make the decisions. Internet has made it easy for the buyers and sellers to contact
and m-commerce is giving them options to deliver the products. The report includes the
difference between different sources of the products sold and its impact the services provided by
the organisations which are important for the sales of the product, challenges faced by them and
the apps which are helping to monitor the performance of the organisation.
MAIN BODY
1. Compare and contrast the online and offline business and explain the positive and negative
impact
The online businesses have their customers and sales online where as the traditional
offline business will have the normal brick and motor where the customers are served in physical
locations and have operations in stores. The online businesses are getting the expansion in the
market where they are attracting customers across the world. There are many factors in trading
with online customers and offline customers. The difference between online and offline business
is based on different marketing plan and there are factors which are affecting it. The factors
should be identified and they should be measured to improve efficiency in operations.
Stores and overheads
Online
The low cost structure is the importance of online businesses (Cao and et.al., 2015). The
operating cost is reduced as the businesses do not have to invest in big stores and hiring
employees. It is flexible to operate as they have the inventory tracking systems which makes it
easy for them to operate. It will help the businesses to identify their capacity and the helps in
managing inventory. It reduces the overheads of the businesses and it helps them achieving the
goals of an organisation.
Positive impact- The stores are operating at less cost and the inventory is managed
which is helping the production and operations department when the products and services are
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online. For example, the overhead cost of Amazon is less so they are giving discounts to
customers.
Negative impact- The businesses should have an impact on customers when they have
attractive website. The customers do not want to purchase online when they want to have
products and services on the time. It affects the businesses when they are operating only online.
Offline
The in-store experience for customers is important and it is not there in online businesses.
The businesses are not able to make the long term relationships with customers and they have to
increase the cost of operations in store as they will invest in the store and have qualified
employees. The will have to give good experience to customers and can manage the inventory by
analysing the demand. The brands are focussing on attracting the customers to their stores by
providing services to increase the sales of products and it should be unique so that customers feel
that they are important to the businesses (Villa-Real, 2016).
Positive impact- The customers will get the experience which they enjoy, the employees
in the store provides guidance to customers for what they want and what will fit to them. The
employees are able to generate sales by making customers experience new products and they
expand their buying power.
Negative impact- The overheads are increasing in the offline business as they have to
maintain the stock of products and have to provide quality service to customers. The increasing
cost will have to be analysed and they have to make strategies to achieve profits.
Growth and expansion
Online
The online selling has made the businesses grow faster as they get to expand with many
customers. They have operations in many countries and the marketing strategy is focussing on
promotions to attract customers (Teixeira, 2017). The businesses should focus on competing with
businesses online and they should get the competitive advantage. The growth and expansion
should focus on reducing the cost which is easy in online business.
Positive impact- The businesses are growing and expanding its operations as the
behaviour of customers can be analysed and the businesses will be able to make strategies for
achieving profits.
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Negative impact- The return and replacement is increasing in online business as there
will be damage in transferring or they will not like products when they receive it. The sales of
the businesses are affected and profits are reducing.
Offline
The offline sales of products are affecting the growth of the businesses as they will
include factors which are direct costs like the rent expense, salary, electricity, furniture and
fixtures, etc. to them and they will be analysed to increase profits (Mayorova, Nikishin and
Pankina, 2016). The businesses will be expanding offline when they manage cost and increase
profits. The plan should be made to achieve growth and the employees should be motivated to
achieve it.
Positive impact- The businesses will analyse the cost and trends which will help them in
making strategies to expand either the product line or market. They will make the smart objective
which will focus on expansion and growth.
Negative impact- The advertising on the traditional businesses will be costly and it is not
effective as they are limited to customers and it is difficult to find its effectiveness on the growth
of the business.
Communication with customers
Online
The communication with customers is possible when they are interacting with the
customer service department or the give reviews on products and services (Agarwal and Wu,
2015). The communication should be based on the customer needs and the businesses should
convey the goals to customers. The businesses will have to understand the behaviour of
customers and they should provide the products according to their needs.
Positive impact- They will make the strategies according to the needs of customers and
will able to communicate it to customers. The impact can be measured and monitored and the
effectiveness can be achieved.
Negative impact- The communication is not effective as customers do not respond
always and they switch to other brands. The sales of the businesses are affected and they will not
be able to have a good relations with customers.
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2. Personal security and privacy when using internet
The businesses are operating online and customers have to give their personal details
which can be misused. They need to be protective and take security measures to save them from
the fraud. They have to give many details which are available to businesses and they collect the
data to monitor them. There are many cybercrimes happening and they steal it which can be a
loss to customers and they will have to pay for it.
The businesses which are operating online are giving options to customers to allow or
decline but there are many businesses which do not function when customers decline access to
personal information. There are many facilities available where the passwords can be protected
which will save the fraud and customers will feel that they are important to the businesses (Yoon
and Occeña, 2015). The websites are using cookies and the search of customers are monitored
and measured. The e-commerce is expanding and it is helpful for them to understand the
behaviour of customers so they will have the understanding of customers and their details are
used to make the strategies. The m-commerce is providing customers to choose when they are
downloading the applications but the fraud there is that when hey do not allow the access to
details they will not be able to use it.
The tools available to customers and businesses but there are challenges and difficulties
which they should address to understand the needs of customers. The problem is that customers
have to manage different accounts and they have to create id and password for it which need to
be remembered by them to login so there are tools available which will help to save the
password.
1Password Web solutions
There are many web solutions available to customers to manage password IOS and
Android devices. They are paid services and the cost is around $40 which will provide
personalize services which can be used in many computers and it is the best method to fill the
passwords for the applications. It works for the website services like Safari, Firefox and Chrome
and the passwords can be pulled from the applications. It works like when customers is on the
website and creates an account and it will have a pop up which save the account in its database.
There are many passwords which are stored manually and it will have a built in manager which
will fill the id and password and the data of the user (Gervasi, 2016).
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It has auto password generator which will provide customers option to select password
which they can use. It simplify the work of the user by helping them choose the length of
password. It will save the data of the user and all password and user generation information
which is stored securely on the computer. It has options to sync it with the Dropbox. It is a free
service provided by 1Password where the data will be stored in the cloud and it is saved in the
Dropbox on desktop. This will be stored in a folder which is accessible across customers and
devices.
Dashlane
They offer limited free services on one device like 50 passwords and has a price of
$59.88 after it. It has services which are given to the organisations and can be used by many
employees (Sukhodolov, Popkova and Kuzlaeva, 2018). It is suitable for Windows, IOS, android
and web services like Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Internet Explorer. It provide a security for
managing passwords and it is simple. It stores the login information and manages password.
They have different plans and the subscription is divided into basic or premium. It fills
password, personal and payment details across the devices and on the web.
The passwords are saved and logins on the browser where there are unlimited passwords
which can be accessed anywhere. It fills the username and password when the user login and the
forms are filled by them. They store the data securely so that it cannot be misused. They do not
make money by selling the personal details of the user and store it so that they can have access to
it.
Comparing 1Password and Dashlane
1Password is better than Dashlane when the comparison is based on the security
agreements. It is important to compare them to find which is better (Suchacka and Sobkow,
2015). 1Password is easy when they data is stores and they are easy to login to the website
whereas in Dashlane the app is to be installed and it will take to website. 1Password is a web
based tool which will take the user to the sign in and Dashlane will take few steps. The interface
of Dashlane is better than 1Password and provide encryption to the data. It is free and manages
the information of the users where as 1Password is subscription based. The price of 1Password is
less and there is a difference of $15 which is important for customers who wants better prices.
Recommendations
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 Dashlane has the best interface when compared to 1Password and it is easy for the user
and it has the essential functions. They can be used for free and when the user feel that
they like it they can be purchased on normal plan or on the subscription basis.
 Dashlane has better usability and features and is secured which is the most important
factor for the decision of customer (Wu, 2018). The user can have many options but they
choose the one which is identifying the needs of customers and managing it.
 Dashlane is innovative and have password manager features and it is fast and innovative
which is fast to use. It is safe and easy for the user and they should make the decision
based on it as it is important for deciding the plan. The price can be the factor as it is
costly but they provide services which are better in quality.
3. Track and Trace Apps for different mobile platform.
Smart phones are playing important role in the outburst to Covid-19 pandemic. With the
help of these applications the people who are infected with the virus are identified and it is
helping in decreasing the number of cases. Here are some of the most popular track and trace
Apps to identify and track the Covid-19 pandemic.
Trace-Together
It is the most popular smartphone application used in Singapore. The application can be
downloaded by people who are having Singapore mobile number. For the functioning of the
application it is essential to have a blue-tooth feature in mobile phones (Chaparro-Peláez,
Agudo-Peregrina and Pascual-Miguel, 2016 ). Basically it is a contact tracing app which
functions when blue-tooth is on and it tacks the infected people and provide notification to the
individuals who are in close contact with them within the period of 15 days. The feature of this
application is that it don't collect data of GPS locations or the Wi-Fi networks.
App works when two or more people are in close contact with each other there mobile phones
with the help of blue-tooth feature will exchange the temporary ID. This ID takes place by
encrypting the user ID with a private key which is with the MOH (Ministry of Health). The
MOH has the right to decrypt the user ID. One of the good feature of this application is that it
don not disclose the identity of individuals. This application has been developed by Government
Technology Agency with the support of MOH and it has become prototype for other tracing
Apps in various countries.
Aarogya Setu
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This app has been widely used by the people across the globe to track Covid-19 and it has
been downloaded and used by more than 50 million people. The app is developed by the Indian
Ministry of Electronics and IT and it helps in identifying the infected individuals(positive
people) around people. The app perform its function in those phones which has blue-tooth and it
need to be on for its working (Hua, N., 2016). Basically the people need to install the app from
play store and need to switch on the blue-tooth option and location sharing for the tracking. The
one of the attractive feature of the app is that it has self-testing option. In this function the set of
questions are asked which need to be answered by the user. The questions are based on the last
few day activities and practices of the individuals. If response of questions indicated the
symptoms of virus then this information is provided to government for further actions. Moreover
the app also provide the instructions for self-quarantine. The steps which one should take in the
process of self-quarantine in order to obtain effective positive results. This app along with
tracking also provide information to the people about corona virus that is what measures and
safety precautions one should take in order to say away from this virus. Aarogya setu app is
presently available in 11 languages to provide convenience to people and can be used in android
and IOS based mobile phones.
Comparing Trace-Together and Aarogya Setu
 Features of Trace-Together and Aarogya Setu- Aarogya Setu uses GPS and Bluetooth
for tracking data of the users. They will use Bluetooth to track customers and their
locations. They contact the users which have the similar app and detect when the
Bluetooth is switched on. They will exchange information on two devices like date,
duration of contact, back end information and the details of the user. Bluetooth is
connected to the devices will give accurate information and track the data of customers
where as Trace-Together will detect the person who has the disease quickly and will
notify the government officials which will give them preference in treatment. The app
can detect the symptoms and will make the user informed. The healthcare workers and
contact tracers will get the benefit when they come in contact with the person (Yang, Shi
and Yan, 2016).
 Application of Trace-Together and Aarogya Setu- Trace-Together is simple and easy
to use which can be downloaded and the Bluetooth can be connected. It can have the
access to the user data and do not detect the location of the user. The data will be stored
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in the app and will be used when they install the application. It is a voluntary service
where the use can login and logout according to them. It is important where the user is
having the disease and can be monitored by them. Whereas the application of Aarogya
Setu is simple and the data is stored for 30 days and when the person is detected then the
data for them is stored for 60 days. The location is stored in a server where they have
identity which is different for different people (Liang, H. and Gai, K., 2015).
Importance
The apps are important for the people when they come in contact with person who has the
disease and when they are in contact with others they can get the treatment and their health care
can be made. They are made to help the people from getting infected and can take care of the
person who is infected. The technology is helping people and increase their safety as they will
get the treatment and it is voluntary where people download the app and use it for the safety.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it is concluded that internet is making the marketing of products
and service easy and helping the sellers to increase profits. They are selling their products online
and offline where they are managing cost and increasing profits. The increasing use of internet
wants that the data of customers should be safe and they should protect their privacy. The
applications are helping them to tract the data of the users and helping them in identifying the
infection and they get the treatment.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Joseph, P.T., 2019. E-commerce: An Indian perspective. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd..
Cao, Y. and et.al., 2015. The effects of differences between e–commerce and m–commerce on
the consumers' usage transfer from online to mobile channel. International Journal of
Mobile Communications. 13(1). pp.51-70.
Villa-Real, A.E.C., 2016. Customer-controlled instant-response anti-fraud/anti-identity theft
devices (with true-personal identity verification), methods and systems for secured
global applications in personal/business e-banking, e-commerce, e-medical/health
insurance checker, e-education/research/invention, e-disaster advisor, e-immigration,
e-airport/aircraft security, e-military/e-law enforcement, with or without nfc component
and system, with cellular/satellite phone/internet/multi-media functions. U.S. Patent
Application 14/120,919.
Teixeira, T., 2017. Comércio eletrônico-Conforme o Marco Civil da Internet e a regulamentação
do e-commerce no Brasil. Saraiva Educação SA.
Mayorova, E.A., Nikishin, A.F. and Pankina, T.V., 2016. Potential of the Internet network in
formation of the assortment of the trade organizations. European science review, (1),
pp.208-210.
Agarwal, J. and Wu, T., 2015. Factors influencing growth potential of e‐commerce in emerging
economies: An institution‐based N‐OLI framework and research propositions.
Thunderbird International Business Review. 57(3). pp.197-215.
Yoon, H.S. and Occeña, L.G., 2015. Influencing factors of trust in consumer-to-consumer
electronic commerce with gender and age. International journal of information
management. 35(3). pp.352-363.
Chaparro-Peláez, J., Agudo-Peregrina, Á.F. and Pascual-Miguel, F.J., 2016. Conjoint analysis of
drivers and inhibitors of e-commerce adoption. Journal of Business Research. 69(4).
pp.1277-1282.
Gervasi, M., 2016. East-Commerce: China e-commerce and the internet of things. John Wiley &
Sons.
Liang, H. and Gai, K., 2015, August. Internet-based anti-counterfeiting pattern with using big
data in china. In 2015 IEEE 17th International Conference on High Performance
Computing and Communications, 2015 IEEE 7th International Symposium on
Cyberspace Safety and Security, and 2015 IEEE 12th International Conference on
Embedded Software and Systems (pp. 1387-1392). IEEE.
Sukhodolov, A.P., Popkova, E.G. and Kuzlaeva, I.M., 2018. Peculiarities of formation and
development of internet economy in Russia. In Internet Economy vs Classic Economy:
Struggle of Contradictions (pp. 63-70). Springer, Cham.
Suchacka, G. and Sobkow, M., 2015, June. Detection of Internet robots using a Bayesian
approach. In 2015 IEEE 2nd International Conference on Cybernetics (CYBCONF) (pp.
365-370). IEEE.
Wu, S., 2018. E-commerce decision support system based on internet of things. Journal of
Ambient Intelligence and Humanized Computing, pp.1-7.
Hua, N., 2016. E-commerce performance in hospitality and tourism. International Journal of
Contemporary Hospitality Management.
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Yang, Z., Shi, Y. and Yan, H., 2016. Scale, congestion, efficiency and effectiveness in e-
commerce firms. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications. 20. pp.171-182.
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