Category: E-Commerce

Web page scraping, Website Scraping, Web Scraper, web data scrape

Website scrapping which is also called screen scrapping is the process of extracting data from targeted websites using advanced web scraper tools. Website scrapping is done by using automated script or programs which are written using programming languages like Java, Perl, Python etc. Web page scrapping is the solution to handle web data without the need of any manual intervention by using automated tools. Web scrapper is designed for people who find it tedious to manually copy and paste data from thousands of web pages. Web scraper will allow users to scrap data from targeted websites and export the contents to various formats such as MySQL, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Text format etc.

Web scrapper can help in converting unstructured content from web pages to structured format. Web scrapper can be helpful for extracting product information, online shopping data, news, press releases, contact details, stock quotes and other financial information. Web scraper can gather data or content from business directories, job portals, e-commerce website, search engines and shopping sites. Web scraper will help you save lot of man-hours involved in manual extraction of data and reduce the time taken drastically.

The contents present in websites are present in different formats and structure and in order to gather all information manually we need to copy data from web pages manually and paste them in desired document format. Web scraper can resolved this problem by using advanced web crawling algorithms to extract data from websites.

Web scrapper is nothing but software application which is written to crawl through websites and gather unstructured data from web pages and export them to desired format of our choice. The technical scenario of web scraper is like a human visiting the website by entering the URL and then collection information from web website. Web data scrapper does this job by using advanced crawling algorithms which are implemented using scripting languages like PHP, Perl, Python etc.

Web site scraping is helpful to mine data from web pages to your local hard disks. Web scrapper has a graphical user interface which allows you to designate URL (Uniform resource locator), the data to be extracted and the crawling algorithm to be used for traversing through mined data. Web scrapper can be used at periodic intervals and by using web data scraper you can download an online database to your spreadsheets. Web data scrapper can gather huge amount of unstructured data and convert them to useful format for the purpose of analysis. Web scrappers are used in different business sectors for various purposes like creating leads, establishing marketing strategies based on market analysis, forex analysis, gather stock quotes, product pricing data etc. Using web scrapper, the information required for your business can be gathered from internet.
Web data scrapper can also be used to crawl public email addresses from websites which can be used for creating huge mailing lists for marketing purposes. You can use the mail address for online promotion of your products and sending proposals related to business offers to customers throughout the world. Web scrappers work similar to search engine spiders but are more powerful than that and we can get output in desired format as we like.

The E-sign Act and UETA, Two Laws that Enabled E-Commerce

Two laws were passed with the intention of making electronic signatures valid as a regular means of validation. These two laws are the ESIGN Act and the UETA, both of which made a lot of positive changes possible for e-commerce. Both laws have expanded the functions of electronic signatures, ushering in many new ways for companies to do business in the modern world. E-commerce is now alive and well, thanks to the passing of both laws which particularly support new business practices geared towards online business operations. Both the UETA and the E-sign Act are there to support and protect electronic signatures and the documents they are in, and have provided many benefits for e-businesses in the process.

The E-sign Act is officially known as the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, and is one of the United States laws that facilitate the use of electronic signatures and records for legal electronic contracts and documents both for interstate and international transactions. The E-sign Act makes sure that electronic documents are made legal and scrutinized under similar legal effects as regular paper documents. Nowadays, electronic records and signatures are considered just as valid and effective as regular paper contracts and documents thanks to the E-sign Act. Because of that, these e-documents are also under similar regulations as those imposed on paper documents.

The UETA (Uniform Electronic Transactions Act) is an act that was originally proposed by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. The NCCUSL has since then influenced the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and 47 local states into absorbing similar regulations within their own laws. The UETAs purpose works hand in hand with the E-sign Act as a means of having a governing law that concerns the retention of paper records and the use of electronic processes to validate e-documents as an alternative.

Prior to the UETA, physical copies and printouts of many documents were required by most states. This presented a problem with regards to storage and production of waste, especially in the case of banks, where every check had to be kept in storage for processing. The UETA made it possible for these companies to use paperless processes instead of handling physical paperwork all the time. Keeping everything in electronic data form not only makes storage a lot easier and less space consuming, but also supports the green movement by eliminating a lot of paper wastes and the need for carbon production via paper production.

The E-sign Act and the UETA have both contributed to the now widespread use of electronic signatures in many industries. Companies have seen the many benefits that these laws offer, and are looking at other ways to maximize the convenience present in using electronic signatures and records. The ease of use has helped many companies in wrapping up even the most complex transactions and business deals within a day. With the ongoing trend of businesses going towards web site-driven operations, these laws have definitely made the future of e-commerce a lot brighter.

Helpful Tips for Making a Good E-Commerce Website

E-Commerce is the buying and selling of goods and services over the electronic medium like Internet. This is not just all but it has involved so many other major tasks like supply chain management, electronic fund transfer, Internet marketing etc. Having an e commerce web site is not enough these days, but a good, comfortable and amazingly functional website is required. It should appeal to the potential customers only then they would come to the website and make purchases. If even once you fail to provide them good user experience, you will lose the business. As there are hundred of websites available on Internet. There are plenty of choices available to the customers to select the best suitable for themselves. Following are few tips so that you can make your e commerce website a success:

Let the users to explore and do not ask for registration first: Asking the readers to register first and then providing them with the facility of adding items in their cart is probably the major step where you can lose your customers. Allow the readers to explore all the information which he wants to have. Like by adding items, he might be checking the total amount or the transportation fee etc.

Informing the readers where they are: There should be proper headings, sub headings so that if the readers is exploring in the store in more than one sub level of navigation, he can easily come back to his previous position through some kinds of indication like (Home> one category> another category> product etc. )

Do not show unnecessary details unless asked: Simple things are always easy to perceive in the human mind where as we confuse ourselves and even others by giving out unnecessary long details about the product So, the tip is to keep the short basic information about the product as the standard feature of the product and there should always be an option for “looking into more details” if users want to go into.

Give the best visual experience of the product to the readers: The Audio visual aids work many times more than the simple text about the product. Since the readers are not able to touch the product or experience its functionality. So, keeping this in mind provide them with the best of images or any video (if required) so that the readers can have a prior idea about the product before he actually makes a purchase. The images shown should be of high quality and the videos should be clear and audible.

Search options and refinement benefits: When the search has been performed, keep the search bar in front having query in it with the search results so that users can modify their query. Also give your readers the advanced options like to select prices, colors, models etc. facilitating them to make a purchase on the spot.

Customer support: The customers buying online need instant support. The provision of live chat support on every page is a great help that you can provide them with.

Use a prior tested software: You have to check the functionality at every level like browsing, payment options, cart functions etc. so as to give your customers an enjoyable and comfortable experience.

All the very successful e commerce websites like eBay, Amazon.com, are not by chance, but they have provided their users with all the options that makes the shopping experience just superb.!!!

Counterfeit Mobile Accessories Increasing in Number

Jakarta, Indonesia The government of Indonesia has admitted to have loopholes in its security. The demographic location of the country makes it hard for the authority to seal and guard more than 17,000 islands from fraudsters who are illegally transporting fake products in and out of the country. Counterfeit medicines, illegal drugs and gadgets have the highest number of fakes. The latter of which have been too dominant and mainstream that it can be found in the streets of the suburbs of the capital, lined side by side on the pavement, with policemen seemingly oblivious of the haggle of the vendors and passersby. It has already been an accepted fact in the country to have those kinds of products scattered around and the authorities neither tolerate nor discourage the people anymore.

Warnings continue to be carried on, though, by international organizations. Along with legitimate manufacturing companies, raids are being operated and thousands of fraudsters have been caught red handed.

The Peterson Group, a Taiwan-based company which distribute mobile phone accessories and laptop accessories across Asia noted that the international commerce sector has tightened their licensing programs and inspection process to carry out more operations and jail few more thousands fraudsters.

In Singapore, two men were arrested last August 21 for their suspected involvement in the wholesale distribution of counterfeit mobile phone accessories. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested men aged 24 and 53 who refused to give their names in the media. In total, about 76,200 pieces of trademark-infringing accessories such as phone casings, batteries, power banks, screen protectors, headphones, Bluetooth receivers, speakers and power adapters – with an estimated street value of about S$941,000 – were seized.

The authorities are considering taking serious views on intellectual property rights for the infringement and will not hesitate in punishing the two if found guilty. The problem though is that both of them do not want to divulge the other members of their party who deal with them in selling counterfeited accessories. Investigations are still ongoing.

A key way of ensuring safety and quality is to only buy mobile phone accessories from a registered manufacturer and trusted retailer and having confidence that those accessories are genuine and have been tested to ensure they are safe for users, which includes testing to ensure they meet national and international standards.

Consumers are advised to be more cautious of buying these products as it can be harmful and dangerous after few times of usage.

Key factors that affect the success of an M&A

The cost of capital is low and your company made it through the recession. Now may seem like a good time to buy but youre scared off by the high business mergers and acquisitions failure rate. Studies conducted in the late 1900s and early 2000s show that M&A failure rate hovered around 70%.

However, recent results project an upward trend. According to Bain & Co, only 30% of M&As underperform, down from 50% of previous years. While the science of predicting the success (or failure) of M&A may seem hypothetical, there seem to be factors that hinder or help M&A.

Integration program

Budgets and people dont integrate themselves. Before the deal closes, its important to have a detailed integration plan that covers all facets of the organization. Moreover, first steps towards integration should be taken before the ink dries. Combining synergies on paper is easier than doing so in practice, but cultivating and maintaining processes should smooth the transition.

Target sighting and metrics

M&As with synergy targets and metrics in place have a better chance at succeeding. Collecting, analyzing, and presenting data on a regular basis lets the board know if the unit is growing according to plan or if actions need to be taken to correct missteps, should growth plateau or slow.

Maintaining business intelligence

Loss of key people has a definite impact on the future performance of the merged entity. Its important that new organizational structure and leadership is set early in the integration process to prevent business intelligence from literally walking out the door.

Protect your base business

While its important to have a smooth transition process, getting work done should still be top priority. Management shouldnt be distracted by M&A activity. They should be vigilant against competitors who may try to take advantage of the flurry of activity and present a unified front to customers despite gaps in the integration.

Lack of due diligence

Performing proper due diligence can unearth factors such as pending law suits, outstanding tax debt, and extreme vulnerability to litigation that can dissuade a potential buyer. A thorough background check can protect your base business and can save you time and money.

Relative Size

A significant difference in size between the acquiring and target company has been found to be a factor in poor acquisition performance. M&A can flounder if the divested company is too large to manage or if smaller acquisitions dont receive the time and attention they required.

Cultural Differences

Salient differences in corporate culture is another factor that can hamper the chance for success. When a company is acquired, the decision is typically based on product or market synergies, “soft factors” that can be overlooked with the assumption that personnel issues can be overcome. While cherished aspects of a work environment may seem petty compared to the bottom line, their removal may result in resentment, productivity decrease and loss of key employees.

Business Merger and Acquisition Experience

While previous M&A experience is not a necessary requirement for success, it does help when detecting red flags and creating and implementing a better integration plan. If this is your first M&A, seek the advise of expertise of knowledgable professionals.

Proformative.com is a free, open and independent community of corporate finance, accounting, treasury and related professionals that offers a wealth of expert advice, information and accounting resources . Finance forums like Proformative allow you to learn about M&A and other relevant issues important to finance, accounting, and treasury experts.