Week 4 - Creative models are taking businesses online

What can you not sell online? This is a difficult question to answer. Increasingly companies are using technology and creative business models to take commerce to the web. The Warby Parker and Dollar Shave Club are great examples. The former is selling designer prescription glasses and the later razor blades.

After reading all the articles and examples, I can postulate that there are some common threads in order to be able to successfully sell online:

• Be interesting and innovative
• A website that offers an intuitive and hassle free shopping experience
• Offer value or unique customized products
• Improve consumer confidence (through free returns)

For example, Amazon satisfies 3 of the above conditions (except perhaps the first one). Warby Parker and Dollar Shave club offer all of the above. For companies that are just starting, it is important to be unique, interesting and innovative.