E-commerce and online shopping are two terms that are usually used interchangeably. However, they are two distinct concepts.
𝗘-𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲 refers to all aspects of online business operations.
𝗢𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲-𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 refers only to the purely online purchase and sale of goods.
In the construction and agricultural machinery sectors, as well as in commercial vehicles, both forms are still rather the exception here in Germany.
On the websites of dealers and manufacturers, one finds (if at all) only a machine catalog along with performance features and technical descriptions. The potential of digital marketing is almost completely ignored.
On portals and online marketplaces, purchases are generally not possible either—the only exception being online auctions.
In the passenger car sector, it has long been possible to buy a vehicle online. In Germany, one out of every six cars is now purchased online! And the trend is clearly on the rise! Tesla and Polestar are sold exclusively online and demonstrate that products requiring detailed explanations can indeed be sold online.
This development offers new business opportunities. Mobile.de and Autoscout.de have adapted their business models accordingly and now act as dealers or agencies themselves (in addition to operating as marketplaces).
E-commerce offers enormous opportunities and potential, especially for small and medium-sized manufacturers and dealers.
If one recognizes the potential… what’s stopping a company from rethinking its business model and adapting it to the changed conditions?
Wouldn’t it be better to look for ways to implement change rather than searching for reasons why change is impossible?
