Online Business Strategies: Comparing Sales, Security, and Tools

This report examines the profound shift in business practices due to the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on the adoption of online sales and remote work strategies. It presents a detailed analysis of the positive and negative aspects of both online and offline retail, including ease of setup, global reach, and 24/7 sales versus high competition, lack of customer contact, and hardware dependency. The report also explores security and privacy challenges in the digital age, covering data protection, data provenance, and common threats like malware and phishing scams, while offering solutions such as staying updated with security software, blocking cookies, and using secure connections. Furthermore, it compares and contrasts two popular video conferencing tools, Zoom and Webex, evaluating their features, applications, suitability, pricing, and limitations to facilitate effective online communication and collaboration in the current business environment.

Project

Table of contents
INTRODUCTION
MAIN BODY
Positive and negative aspects of services and products being sold online
CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION
The humankind has undergone a drastic shift in the last few months due to Covid 19. The
needs of companies and demand of workforces has changed radically. No one has ever predicted
that the whole world would be voluntarily closed. So to adopt this unwelcoming situation, the
businesses globally are adopting the theory of “work from home”. Many sectors have been
adversely affected by this pandemic, but to keep them going the businesses has smartly started
the use of technology like online session, zoom meetings, online delivery of essential products.
This report covers the optimistic and pessimistic aspect of goods and services being sold online
& offline. Plus the report cover, challenges and measures faced by the individuals and businesses
in working online and different tools used by businesses to deliver their services online.
MAIN BODY
Positive and negative aspects of services and products being sold online
Here’s presenting some plus and minus aspects of online retail-
Pros:-
1. Quick and Easy: - It is comparatively easier to setup an online website than physical
store. Website is easier to execute these days as one need few technical persons plus
there is an advantage as well that the company already had a pre existing route for sales
so they don’t need to spend money on marketing.
2. 24/7 sales: - Online businesses and web stores can simply trade all day long. The
companies don’t have to manage a store in order to trade. It helps the customer to shop
when they are free and when it is convenient for them and this helps you provide your
services for much longer hours than in physical stores.
3. Global Reach: - Online web stores give an additional point and access to businesses so
that they can capture a wider pool of customers. So the companies can sell their
products and services locally as well as internationally if they wish for it. This will
certainly help the business to grow at a higher pace as compared to the physical store.

Cons:-
1. High Competition: - Physical stores are limited in number but when it comes to online
business, no one can constraint the use of internet and thus one can have many
competitors. Web stores like Amazon who sell directly to customers will always have a
superior power than your business. Making yourself distinguishable will take lot of
efforts and marketing, which means higher cost.
2. No Customer Contact: - Their will no contact with the customers, so it wills difficult to
sell them other items that was much easier when meeting them physically. As it was
simpler to catch their attention and their interest if one has a real conversation with
them. In web stores the customer has to click a button and then they are gone.
3. Hardware Dependency:- The businesses are dependent on hardware system. That is
something risky because if there is any small problem the website goes under
construction and then the customers can have trust issues. In order to maintain it
perfectly the company needs to have failover service that requires huge costs and that is
not easy for every business to invest.
Positive and negative aspects of services and products being sold offline
Here’s presenting some plus and minus aspects of offline retail-
Pros:-
Checking products instantly: - The major benefit of visiting physical store to but is that one can right
away check the goods personally and there will be no chance of disappointment with the quality of
product (Chawla, 2020)
1. . As compared to in online shopping the customer check the product on the website and
sometimes it turn into a disaster when one receives the product.
2. No waiting: - Another advantage of offline purchasing is that one doesn’t need to wait
for the delivery to arrive in 2-3 days and can use the product instantly. In time of
emergencies offline shopping is the best solution one has; just go the shop pick
whatever is needed.
3. Personal Touch: - When a customer regularly visits a store, it helps in maintaining
personal contact the shop owner understand choices and preferences of the customers

that is not possible in online shopping. Lack of personal touch and understanding about
the mind set of customer is a drawback for online shopping or web stores.
Cons:-
Not many Choices: - The biggest downside of offline shopping is there is not variety of products
available as there are limited spaces in the physical store, as compared to online shopping as there are
unlimited products waiting for the customers. So online marketing has an upper hand on offline
shopping (Chawla, 2020).
1. Fewer Discounts: - As compared to online shopping sites there are fewer discounts.
Web stores keep running cash backs and discounts and most of the time the cost of the
item is more on physical store as compare to online websites. Therefore if the customer
is one of them who like have great discounts so online sites are best for you.
2. Time Consuming: - Offline shopping is more time consuming as one has to visit store
and sometimes multiple stores, but in online shopping one has to invest few minutes
and can select their choice of products. This simply saves times and even gets the
product to the customer’s doorstep.
Discuss the challenges and measures of security and privacy that individuals
and businesses take when they go online.
Challenges
Securing and protecting data online
Due to the huge amount of the data generation ,most of the firms are unable to
maintain regular check as it is profitable to perform security checks as well as
observation within real time.
Validation as well as filtration of End to End points inputs
Data stored within a storage medium for example transaction logs as well as
other information that are sensitive have varying level but all of them are not
enough. Size of the Data continuously enhanced availability over the data is
being moved hence the new challenges are being posted to the big storage as it
does not keep track of location of the data.
Data provenance- it is crucial to classify data to be aware regarding its origin so
that it can determine accuracy data origin ,validation as well as authentication
and also access control could also be gained.

Nowadays internet cans be a dangerous place as malicious software apps that
contains some kinds of viruses as well as phishing scams that are growing day
by day. Data breaching are also becomes common nowadays.
There are several ways through which indivuals as well as business can protect
their privacy as well as personal information online.
The Basics
Nowadays everyone aware of the their privacy concerns.
Stay Updated
There should be always computer’s operating system ,security software as well
as browser up to date and also turn the automatic updates regularly. Think
before while responding the special offer demands as they can easily asks
personal information (Cho, Ippolito. and Yu,, 2020).
Blocking cookies
Another Good way to maintain privacy is that blocking third party cookies while online.
Blocking cookies makes harder time for tracking the last time visited. Such as whats the
username and where a person sign in .In some cases the blocking of the cookies might be
difficult within some cases ,as here the increase within the privacy is worth.
Unlinking accounts – Various websites are now providing the options to link their
accounts for example Google It enables an indivual to link their various Gmail accounts
within a browser. Various sites are now giving the options to access their sites.
Secure connections, Antivirus Services, firewall (Cho, Ippolito. and Yu, , 2020).
If somebody doesn’t have the strong password on home wifi or office wifi to create . Use
firewall ,protecting the computer from the network traffic is crucial.
Stronger Passwords
An indivual username as well as password that combines remain critically crucial for the
maintaining security online. The problems is that each and every websites needed a password as people
nowadays are becomes lazy through creating simple passwords again and again on several websites
(Hong. and Pittman, 2020)
.
Better Browsing
One should delete cookies on the regular basis as well as logout from the social media
sites when not using them.

Privacy settings
It is a good start to protect yourself by updating the privacy settings on websites as well
as services. Since various sites default information being shared publicly and at the same
time it will also aids to makes sure about personal information that can be seen only by
some people. Ideally an indivual choose to share his or her information. An indivual
username as well as password that combines remain critically crucial for the maintaining
security online
Due to widespread of COVID-19, many businesses are turning to provide
their services online. Select any two tools, compare and contrast their
features, applications, suitability etc.
You can consider the following: Zoom, Go to Meeting, Team viewer, WebEx etc.
Due to Covid 19 global gatherings are shutting down and the demand for the video conferencing
is increased day by day. These firms are using this panic condition as an opportunity to connect
their consumers easily on a more deeper level and also attracting the new features and many
more (Cho, Ippolito. and Yu, , 2020)
Zoom and Cisco webex are both of them the most popular web conferencing platforms within
the market right now. Both of them are specialize within the web conferences but at the same
time are the parts of the larger suites of tools that can enables users to manage their web
confining Webinar, VoIP as well as other communication software by only one system.
Features
On the surface of Webex Meeting and Zoom both are very similar products but at the
same time they do have difference within their features that are vital when choosing between the
two
Webex meeting might be good for the larger firms as well as enterprises that are helpful to hosts
the meeting that are in huge number (Li, Chen. and Zhang, 2020 )
. It is noted that the Webex meetings are also easily utilized alongside of the various
other CIisco’s Webex communication tool (Hong. and Pittman, 2020)
. It is good choice for the buyers who are looking to merge their web conferencing , tools of the
clod based phone system.

Zoom is also consider good for the firms of all the sizes. It is also designed within such way
that can fulfill the requirements of the business needs. It also gives the flexibility within the
merging of the conferencing software with their team chat software and VoIP software.
Limitations
Both the Webex meeting as well as Zoom meeting has limitations .such as given below
The accessing as well as learning how to use Webex more advanced features can proven as
difficult. People also complaint that as compare to the other web conferencing tools. On the other
hand Zoom is sparse at times. Zoom is also not a good choice for those people who required
simple setup s it is does not have a browser based clients and also it does not have the same
features as similar to the desktop versions (Gray, Wong-Wyli., Rempel,2020).
Weber Pricing Vs Zoom pricing
Both of them have the comparable pricing plans as both of them offer plans that are free as well
as similar capabilities. Only difference between both of these plans is that WebEx allows free
plans to its user to host any kind of meeting of any length while Zoom caps meeting such as 40
minutes per meeting. WebEx meeting design for small teams as well as mid-sized teams are less
expensive at $ 13.50 per month per host for the small meeting as well as $19.99 per month for
the midsized teams (Li, Chen. and Zhang, 2020 ). These offerings also expand to utilsing the other
communication s such as VOIP, Webinar and many more.
When its comes to the Zoom it also becomes cheaper options as it has around $19.99 per host as
compared to the meeting of the Webex , also webex meeting also enables up to 200 participants
while Zoom increases up to 500 members and also it allows the benfits from room systems and
webinar system solutions (Gray, Wong-Wyli., Rempel,2020).
Suitability
Webex and Zoom meeting both are fairly comparable pricing ,thus if somebody on a
budget WebEx meeting will be more beneficial; as well as cost effective ,also Webex meeting
are mostly used within midsized businesses but at the same time Zoom is also Popular for the
small businesses.

CONCLUSION
From the report it can be concluded that although usage of technology was at boom but
during this pandemic (Covid 19) technology has helped and supported many businesses in
achieving their goals. Online shopping has become trendy and has helped the public in getting
essential products with one click at their doorsteps. Though online and offline shopping have
their own pros and cons, but in this situation online shopping has made it much easier for the
businesses to earn profits and for individuals to get the services. There have been various
challenges that individuals have to face while using online websites like security and privacy.
Same with businesses their trades have become clearer to the public.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Cho, H., Ippolito, D. and Yu, Y.W., 2020. Contact tracing mobile apps for COVID-19: Privacy
considerations and related trade-offs. arXiv preprint arXiv:2003.11511.
Gray, L.M., Wong-Wylie, G., Rempel, G.R.,2020. Expanding Qualitative Research Interviewing
Strategies: Zoom Video Communications. The Qualitative Report, 25(5), pp.1292-1301.
Chawla, A., 2020. Coronavirus (COVID-19)–‘Zoom’Application Boon or Bane. Available at
SSRN 3606716.
Li, K., Chen, Y. and Zhang, L., 2020. Exploring the influence of online reviews and motivating
factors on sales: A meta-analytic study and the moderating role of product category. Journal of
Retailing and Consumer Services, 55, p.102107.
Hong, S. and Pittman, M., 2020. eWOM anatomy of online product reviews: interaction effects
of review number, valence, and star ratings on perceived credibility. International Journal of
Advertising, pp.1-29.1
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