2 Way Comunication Essay Research Paper 2Way

2 Way Comunication Essay, Research Paper

2-Way Communication

Once a company has a website, the possibilities are endless. As outlined in the previous section, a company website has the ability to reach a market of consumers or vendors that may be out of its physical reach. Not only does it have the ability to relay boundless amounts of information, but it can also provide a vehicle of communication to the rest of the world. Any person can log onto a company website and find links to electronic mail (e-mail) or bulletins, perhaps even a “chat” area, an area where individuals can speak to each other live via computer. By allowing this type of access to the public, companies can greatly expand their business.

Electronic mail is becoming the preferred vehicle of communication for almost anyone of the technological era. A company whose website provides links to e-mail instantly reduces the number of phone calls and letters into their office. Customers no longer have to wait on the phone or spend time writing letters to contact a service representative. With a fully functional company website, service representatives are “just a click away”. Customers can relay any questions, concerns, or problems through e-mail. Companies can address issues in a short time frame, therefore increasing the quality of service. Customers will receive responses faster than the conventional mail system (also known as “snail mail”) and can avoid the frustration of being on the phone for hours on end.

A company that utilizes e-mail effectively instantly realizes an increase in production. Not only can companies provide better service to current clientele, they can reach a whole new market of consumers worldwide; potential consumers have access to representatives of companies they would not have otherwise.

Aside from providing enhanced services to their clients, utilizing e-mail is an efficient way to communicate between departments and maximize intra-office correspondence. E-mails give an employer the ability to distribute messages to an unlimited number of employees without leaving his or her desk. There is no need for tangible handouts, memos, flyers, or such. There is no easier way to instantly deliver a fifty-page report to numerous recipients than by attaching the file to an e-mail message.

The greatest advantage to electronic mail is that it is virtually free. There are no envelopes or stamps required. The need for paperwork is minimized to printing a copy of the e-mail when required and filing it in its respective place. Imagine the money a company can save if it did not have to hire people to open mail or answer phones!

Electronic mail is just one form of communication available on company websites. Many also offer electronic bulletin boards, which can be used to post company reviews, job openings, and upcoming events. It is another form of electronic communication that enhances a company’s website.

Companies can provide bulletin boards as a forum where consumers can exchange ideas. Kraft Foods, Inc., the makers of Jell-O, Kool-Aid, and Maxwell House, provide an area on their website where consumers can post their own recipes to share with other website visitors. OnHealth.com provides an area in their website where visitors can solicit advice on health or family related issues from other visitors.

Companies can also benefit from using electronic bulletins. Employers can log on and view what visitors to their websites have to say. It gives them an unbiased venue into consumer concerns, accolades, and general requests. There is no better way to know how your customers feel than to receive direct feedback. Not only can employers post company information and upcoming events for their customers, but they can also post information, such as intra-office job posting, for their employees. Employees can use the bulletin board in the same way that customers do.

Many company websites also sponsor chat forums, used to bring a multitude of people together from all corners of the globe to discuss company-related issues. A chat forum is an electronic version of a conference call. Several people can log into a chat area and hold a discussion by simply keying in responses.

An advantage to holding chat forums is that companies can connect with multiple contacts at real time. Anyone who has authorization to the site can log on and view the chat without becoming an active participant. Alternatively, anyone who has authorization can also join the chat. If companies offered a chance for their customers to speak in a similar forum, they would be able to find out exactly what their concerns were.

On-Line Transactions

The Internet continues to grow at a dramatic rate, with the number of global users now estimated at 195 million – 4.64% of the world’s population. A major trend within this growth is the increase in electronic commerce, with 1999 seeing revenues from Internet shopping grow by 150% and business to consumer electronic commerce generating around $12 billion.

By 2004 analyst predict that more than 56 percent of business worldwide will be online (Rosario, 1). A website on the World Wide Web allows a company to sell its products or services to this growing market. New methods allow for secure and completely confidential transactions over the web. Maximizing the use of the Internet for completing