Design And Implementation Of An Online Virtual Marketplace

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Insight to Online Marketplace

Online Market, commonly known as e-commerce or eCommerce, or e-business consists of the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks. The amount of trade conducted electronically has grown extraordinarily with widespread Internet usage. The use of commerce is conducted in this way, spurring and drawing on innovations in electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, Internet marketing, online transaction processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory management systems, and automated data collection systems. Modern electronic commerce typically uses the World Wide Web at least at some point in the transaction’s lifecycle, although it can encompass a wider range of technologies such as e-mail as well.

A large percentage of electronic commerce is conducted entirely electronically for virtual items such as access to premium content on a website, but most electronic commerce involves the transportation of physical items in some way. Online retailers are sometimes known as e-tailers and online retail is sometimes known as e-tail. Almost all big retailers have electronic commerce presence on the World Wide Web.

1.2 Historical Overview of Online Marketplace

Over the past decade, there has been an extreme jump in internet sales. For example, in 2006, from November 1st to December 26th online shopping soared to $23.1 billion dollars, increasing by 26% from the previous year. Creating a competitive battle with retail stores, online shopping presents a more convenient method of shopping without the lines and the crowds, however, buying online takes away from the social aspect of shopping. Having recognized the lack of social appeal that e-commerce presents, new navigating tools to ease decision- making are being implemented as a result, people are becoming more comfortable with shopping online. As the pressure from online shopping sites increases, retailers have to focus on better marketing strategies to promote products and influence customers to shop in their stores instead of online. In fact, many retailers are now making their products available online. Thus, a new influx of “click and mortar” retailers are surfacing. The “click and mortar” retailers that provide online shoppers with easy to use features are increasing their online profits and becoming strict competitors to the top online-only companies (ie Amazon and Netflix.

1.3 Statement of Problem

In human endeavor, there is a lot of development which helps to maximize production, income and operation of businesses at Ogbete main market. These have brought increase in complexity of marketing system like B2B (Business to Business) and B2C (Business to Consumers) and its operations.

Based on these, a number of problems are facing the Ogbete main market system which include

Day-to-Day pressures of selling

Coping with customers

Solving basic business problems

Competitions (a new player enters, market conditions changes, sales drops, the company introduces a new products or services).

Most of the leads came from the sales staff.

Unable to recognize previously visited customers

Availability of market (sales and services) to the whole parts of Nigeria

Unstable fixed price

1.4 Objective of the Study

The aim of this study is to design and implement a database driven online virtual marketplace with a particular reference to Ogbete main market. The web based program developed in this research essentially provides all the necessary marketing services and operations done at Ogbete main market which will help increase their operations based on sales and services.

These operations include general sales and marketing management.

In this study therefore, the researchers hope to accomplish the following objective:

To design a better pricing mechanism in the market

To solve the problem of geographical location

To maximize sales

To help improve customer relationship

Increases social interaction activities

Reduces pressures mounted on sellers

Increases management of stock items

Easy shopping

Introduces bidding system

Accommodates more marketers

To improve quality delivery system

1.5 Significances of the Study

Buying and selling is very important to our everyday life, its very important that we humans have to market what we have like goods and services to other people that needs it, also purchase what we are lacking. Marketing is highly regarded everywhere in the whole parts of the world. The following are some significance of this study:

The secured site for electronic commerce will help the populace people of Nigeria to get rid of risk in carrying cash around and the convenience of shopping anytime of the day.

It will reduce the risk of transportation, since the customer does not have to travel far to shop for any items or goods.

It will reduce the risk of authentication of the product and improved business transaction as customers are now sure of the originality of the product they purchased.

1.6 Scope of the Study

This project looks into the processes involved in marketing of goods and services in the marketplace. The researchers concentrated on the operation going on the general marketing activities like sales, management of stocks, pricing and registering of customers, security and policy guiding sales.

1.7 Limitation of the Study

Some of the constraints that my have in one-way or another affected the outcome of this work include:

a) Resources:

Due to the complex and insecurity associated with human factors during this research work, personnel who are used to the manual system perhaps for fear of losing their jobs have been reserved in relinquishing all necessary information to make this project an enticingly extensive one.

b) Time:

Due to time allowed for this project work, as a student was limited to come up with a reasonable work within the stipulated time.

c) Power:

Availability of stable, efficient and reliable power supply was also a major limitation of this project as it had to be suspended several times during design and testing stages.

1.8 The Organisation and Her Environment

Fig 1.0 Organizational structure

1.9 Definition of Terms

E-commerce:

Generally refers to exchange of goods or services over electronic system such as internet.

B2B:

Refers to selling of products or services to other businesses.

B2C:

Refers to selling of product or services to end consumers.

Credit Card:

It is a card entitling its holder to buy goods and service from certain establishment.

Merchant:

Refers to as organization (such as an MIT department) accepting credit card payments for the goods or services they provides.

Order:

A record of a request for goods or services initiated by a customer.

Order ID:

A unique identifier assigned to a customer order in clear commerce.

Banner:

An advertisement or image displayed on one or more websites to attract visitors to your site.

Shopping Cart:

A wheeled cart for purchase of goods in a store or supermarket.