This paper examines how the design and features of a company's website reflect its underlying business model by comparing three organizations: eBay, Lands' End, and Ecolab. For each company, the paper identifies the target audience, describes the website's structure and features, and connects those features to the organization's eBusiness strategy. eBay's dual-audience marketplace model, Lands' End's direct-merchant catalog approach, and Ecolab's B2B information-support model each produce distinctly different websites. The comparison demonstrates that website functionality is not arbitrary but is a deliberate expression of how a company generates revenue and serves its customers.
The features and functions of a website are a reflection of the purpose of that website, which is in turn a function of the underlying business model. This relationship can be illustrated by comparing the websites of three companies: eBay, Lands' End, and Ecolab. For each website, the target audience will be described, the site itself will be examined, and its features will be linked to the company's business model.
The eBay website is an online bidding platform where the general public can bid to purchase items from sellers. Those sellers may be other members of the general public or may be retailers. As a result, eBay has two distinct target audiences: consumers who bid on items to purchase them, and sellers who list items for sale. eBay's income is derived directly from sellers, through fees charged on each sale, and indirectly from buyers, because more bidders drive up sale prices, increasing the revenue generated per transaction. The end result is that both buyers and sellers are equally important to eBay's business.
The eBay website is designed to serve both audiences. For buyers, it provides items organized in categories and a search function for finding specific products. For sellers, it allows item listings and offers the option to open an eBay Store for a monthly fee of $15.95, giving sellers a dedicated storefront. The site also provides tools that allow sellers to manage product listings, track sales, and run an effective eBay business.
The site's navigation reinforces this dual focus. Tabbed menus at the top of every page include "Buy," "Sell," and "My eBay," making the site's key functions immediately accessible to both audiences. The "My eBay" feature takes users to a summary page displaying items they are watching, bidding on, have not won, are selling, and have sold, along with the status of both purchases and sales. Users can also set up saved searches. Crucially, the "My eBay" feature consolidates a person's buying and selling activity in a single view.
The mission of eBay is stated as "to provide a global trading platform where practically anyone can trade practically anything" (eBay, 2005). Every major feature of the website supports this mission. The "My eBay" tool helps turn buyers into sellers by making selling activities as visible and accessible as buying. Marketing efforts reinforce the same strategy: as noted by Campanelli (2005), eBay operates one of the most successful affiliate programs on the Internet, paying individuals for referring either buyers or sellers — a dual affiliate structure that reflects the dual-audience model. Advertising through Google's AdWords program directs people searching for products to eBay, while other eBay advertisements encourage the public to convert unwanted items into cash. This approach actively recruits sellers from the buyer population, directly supporting eBay's goal of creating a global marketplace where everyone can participate on both sides of a transaction.
Lands' End is a direct merchant that works with manufacturers and sells directly to consumers. Like eBay, it must attract both buyers and sellers, but there is a critical difference: Lands' End's sellers are manufacturing companies, not members of the general public. As a result, the website is designed almost entirely for buyers.
The Lands' End website functions primarily as an online catalog. It is organized into categories including women, men, girls, boys, home, and luggage, with products further subdivided within each category. A special section for overstocked items is also available. The home page features timely promotions; in May, for example, this includes sections for Father's Day gifts and swimwear.
Beyond standard catalog browsing, the site incorporates interactive features that enhance the direct-selling experience. The Father's Day section, for instance, acts as both an advice center and a store, allowing consumers to browse by the type of recipient, a desired budget, or a favorites list. The swimwear section offers a "Swim Finder" tool that guides consumers to suitable styles by selecting an "anxiety zone" — such as "enhance small bust" or "minimize full bust" — along with options for size, style, print, bra style, and leg height (Lands' End, 2005). Consumers can also browse by body shape. An "instant outfit" feature combines individual items into complete outfits, allowing shoppers to purchase the full outfit or selected pieces.
Additional features include gift cards, order tracking, customer service, a free email newsletter, and the option to request a free print catalog in standard, women's, men's, or children's editions. The site also offers "My Virtual Model," which creates a three-dimensional model based on a customer's measurements. As the website explains, "once a virtual model is created the customer can use it to 'try on' items and outfits, to see how they will look on his or her body" (Lands' End, 2005).
Lands' End describes its relationships with suppliers as "valuable partnerships" and conducts quality assurance visits to manufacturers before entering a supplier agreement (Lands' End, 2005). Because these supplier relationships are managed through face-to-face interactions rather than online transactions, the website does not need to accommodate sellers. The interactive features on the site — the Virtual Model, Swim Finder, and outfit builder — directly address the limitations of traditional catalog shopping, such as the inability to try on items or visualize how a garment will fit, making the direct marketing model more effective online.
Ecolab describes itself as "the leading global developer and marketer of premium cleaning, sanitizing, pest elimination, maintenance and repair products and services for the world's hospitality, institutional and industrial markets" (Ecolab, 2005). Ecolab differs from both eBay and Lands' End because it serves a business market rather than a consumer market. The target audiences for its website are business customers and shareholders.
The Ecolab website allows business customers to select their market sector — such as "agribusiness" or "foodservice" — and then view the full range of products and services available for that sector. Customers can read detailed product and service descriptions and request further information. A dropdown menu also allows users to browse by product type. For investors, the site provides the current stock price, annual reports, and other investor relations materials.
The site's features are designed to help business customers locate relevant information efficiently. Users can search for products either by market type or by product name or brand. The website also allows users to select their geographic location, generating a tailored view of the products and services available in that region — a feature that reflects Ecolab's strategy as a global company.
Ecolab's website differs fundamentally from eBay's and Lands' End's in that it does not facilitate online sales. It is an informational resource designed to support offline business activities. This contrasts sharply with eBay, whose entire business operates online, and with Lands' End, for which the online catalog is a primary sales channel. For Ecolab, the website serves as a lead-generation and information tool, reflecting a B2B business model in which sales are completed through direct business relationships rather than online transactions.
The examination of these three organizations and their websites demonstrates that the features and functions of a website are a reflection of the website's purpose, which is itself a reflection of the organization's business model. eBay's two-sided marketplace produces a site that serves buyers and sellers equally. Lands' End's direct-merchant model produces a richly interactive buyer-focused catalog. Ecolab's B2B model produces an informational site designed to support, rather than replace, offline sales. In each case, the website's design is a direct expression of how the organization creates and captures value.
Campanelli, M. (2005). Sharing the wealth: Want to get a piece of the eBay pie? Joining its affiliate program can be a good way to do just that. Retrieved May 30, 2005, from Entrepreneur. Web site:
eBay. (2005). The company. Retrieved May 30, 2005, from eBay. Web site: http://pages.eBay.com/abouteBay/thecompany/companyoverview.html
"Ecolab website supports offline B2B sales"
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