台灣網路購物網站經營模式探討—以雅虎奇摩個案為例

Abstract

電子商務已經成為網際網路產業生態中，繼廣告、搜尋業務之後，成為另一個最重要的獲利模式。電子商務近年的發展讓經營者已逐漸區分為（1）企業對消費者（B2C）、（2）消費者對消費者（C2C）以及企業透過開店平台來面對消費者的 （3）B2B2C三種模式。消費者除了透過搜尋、比價、推薦、社群、導購等功能去找尋商品外，商家也在下列四大方向：（1）自建網路商店平台；（2）利用網站業者提供的開店平台；成為（3）網購業者的產品供應商；或者（4）加值服務提供者等，尋找最有效率的獲利模式。 台灣的主要電子商務經營業者PChome網路家庭以及雅虎奇摩，都提供了B2C的購物中心以及C2C的拍賣，另外也提供了商店街、超級商城等開店平台以供商家透過平台來經營B2C的網購業務。究竟每一個服務的價值主張為何？除了本土業者以外還有潛在的威脅來自大陸及國際競爭業者，這樣的經營方式是否可以成為一個長期的經營策略？ 本研究的目的在於探討下列問題：（1）產業內以及相關產業之間的競合態勢如何？（2）網路平台業者如何能掌握消費者及商家的使用需求，進而建立起一個完整的價值鏈以充分掌握電子商務發展的機會？（3）如何利用既有的競爭優勢，及可運用的具體策略，以提供給個案公司未來經營的建議藍圖？ 研究結果發現，電子商務以業務模式來說總結為兩大業務經營模式：以提供完整價值鏈的網路商店B2C經營模式，以及以提供網路開店平台為主要業務模式包括以提供B2C或者C2C等交易模式的網路購物平台經營模式。 網路商店以龐大商品種類、迅速金流服務、綿密物流系統、和完善的售後服務吸引消費者到訪。商品差異性的策略加上人性化的平台服務，包括多平台合一的簡易搜尋、瀏覽、完整的商品評價討論區、關聯性選購建議和個人化推薦，都是網路商店藉以累積忠誠用戶、成為網路零售商的成功關鍵。 網路開店平台成功匯集眾多網路商店為「超級電子商城」，平台業者結合網路媒體、內容、廣告、搜尋、社群以及電子商務集於一身的跨國公司優勢，據有絕佳的戰略地位可拓展海外市場並建立規模經濟。雖不足以完全阻絕國際競爭者的進入，但仍然可以構築強大的進入障礙。若能結合更多本土的網路商店經營者於平台，以完善的價值鏈提供平台服務，更得以取得更高的經營價值。

Research background After Online Advertising and Search Marketing, E-commerce has become the third most promising revenue model for Internet businesses. It has evolved and developed into three major business models, which are （1） Business to Consumer B2C model, （2） Consumer to Consumer C2C model, （3） Business to Consumer through an e-store marketplace platform as B2B2C model. Consumers look for targeted products via search, comparison-shopping, recommendation, and social network or guided shopping. And merchants seek for most efficient profit model via 1） self-build an e-store system, 2） set up an e-store on e-commerce platform, 3） serve as an supplier to online shopping sites, or 4） become a value-added service provider. PChome and Yahoo! Kimo, the key e-commerce players in Taiwan both own and operate a B2C shopping business, provide C2C auction service, and offer marketplace platform for merchants to run their online shopping business. What is the value proposition of each of these services? And besides the local competitors, there are potential threats from Mainland China and other global players. Can this e-commerce business really sustain for the long term? Research Objective The objective of this research is to explore and answer the following questions: (1) What is the co-opetition （cooperative competition） landscape within and across industries? (2) How should e-commerce platform service provider grasp and fulfill the needs of consumers and merchants to establish a comprehensive value chain in order to fully capture the e-commerce business opportunities? (3) What advices can we offer to the case study company for its business planning in leveraging its competitive advantages and adopting some feasible strategies for execution?

Significance of the Research From business operation perspective, e-commerce businesses are mainly operated by two models – Online Shopping Site runs a B2C operation with its own value chain end-to-end; and Marketplace Platform offers platform solutions for merchants to sell online by either B2C or C2C transaction models. Online Shopping Sites attract consumers to shop on their sites with enormous and diversified merchandises, full logistics coverage, efficient payment choices and quality after-sales customer service. Differentiated merchandising strategy and human-touch service interface, including easy and integrated search & navigation across multi-platforms, comprehensive forum for product rating & review, related items suggestion and personalized recommendation are some of the key factors to acquire loyalty users and become successful online retailers. On the other hand, marketplace platform operators onboard all kinds of merchants to become a super online shopping mall. The case study e-commerce platform company possesses great advantage as a global Internet giant to synergize its media services, contents, advertising, search, community and e-commerce altogether as one integrated network. It is well positioned to build the economy of scale and strategically expand to overseas markets. This may not be enough to completely block out international competition, but has surely set a high barrier for any new entrants. Marketplace platform operators can also partner with local retailers to integrate into their platforms to form a strong alliance of a complete value chain ecosystem in order to pursue higher business opportunities.