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MD253 - E-Commerce. Module 5: Virtual Communities Spring 2003. Some Types of Communities. Chat / Paging / Instant Messaging free-form, person-to-person moderated (e.g. Barnes & Noble author chats) Bulletin Boards Interactive Games / Contests
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MD253 - E-Commerce Module 5: Virtual Communities Spring 2003
Some Types of Communities • Chat / Paging / Instant Messaging • free-form, person-to-person • moderated (e.g. Barnes & Noble author chats) • Bulletin Boards • Interactive Games / Contests • e.g. EverQuest, You Don’t Know Jack, Fantasy Leagues • Homesteading • web site hosting services
Users = Value? source: InternetWorld, Wired News
Why Communities? • Higher sales among members • Users for 2/3 of sales from only 1/3 of users • Lower churn rates / higher retention • Message posters are twice as loyal • Longer & more frequent visits • Message posters visit 9 x as often • More page views per session • Lower customer service costs • ex. Cisco Connection Online Source: McKinsey Quarterly
Loyalty Sales
Community Participation • Focus of online communities • 42% professional • 35% social • 18% hobby • Examples: • Cisco Connection Online, QuestLink, State Street FXConnect • L’Eggs ?? source: BusinessWeek / Harris
Challenges • Some services suffer Congestion Externalities • at some point value can decrease with expansion • ex. Ultima Online, America Online flat-rate fiasco • lessons: scale, focus/concentrate, prune • Generating contributions & stickiness • incentives: special recognition, bios, gifts. E-mail reminders • Revenue models (ads, subscription, commerce) • ad conflict: participate or click-through • possible solutions include no-click-through ads, forum sponsorships, and ‘bridge sites’ • Free Speech • relationship with advertisers & among users