BUS3DIG Assignment 2
AirBnB
AirBnB is a business that connects people wanting to rent out their property for a
short term with people looking to temporarily rent a place to holiday or stay
temporarily. People wanting to rent out their property apply and have their property
approved and listed and people looking for a holiday stay can apply to stay there and
AirBnB acts as a middleman throughout the transaction ensuring that both parties
receive what was promised and abide by the terms and conditions.
Ubiquity:
AirBnB features a website accessible and tailored for any device capable of using a
web browser, however it also has an app that increases the usability of their services
beyond what the website allows. This app is available to all smart phones on the
Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. The entire process of renting a property
through AirBnB can be done completely via a computer or mobile phone meaning
that their service is accessible anywhere an internet connection can be established.
With the rise of coronavirus this past year AirBnB has offered a new service called
“Online Experiences” which allow you to participate in online guided tours or games
like escape rooms or trivia. This has further increased the accessibility of AirBnB as
you now no longer need to leave your home to access their services.
Global Reach:
AirBnB is a global business offering holiday stays in over 220 countries and over 5
million active listings for stays. As AirBnB acts as the middleman throughout the
transaction it makes it very easy to make a booking across borders even if a
language barrier is at play and it allows very easy comparison of a wide range of
different kind of holiday stays. AirBnB advertises heavily worldwide, and its logo can
be found at all kinds of sporting events or during T.V. advertisements. However,
AirBnB is under some scrutiny in Europe and England currently for its possible
effects in manipulating property and rental values and may be forced to disclose
customer data to smaller firms in Europe to ensure no company is prevented from
entering the market. A suggestion for improvement for AirBnB is to talk to legislators
to ensure that they are abiding by all the rules in the areas they wish to conduct
business in so they can make sure they remain as profitable and can provide the
best service possible.
Richness:
The AirBnB website is rich with images and short videos. On the home page you are
greeted with a large picture of one of the types of stays you might expect to find on
the site, however none of it obnoxious or draw too much attention. The images
enhance the user experience by showing snapshots of what their getaway might look
like. I find these videos and images to be beneficial to the user and as a result
beneficial to the host and to AirBnB itself as it attracts users to book a stay.
Interactivity:
AirBnB accesses the user’s general location and advertises locations nearby that are
popular tourist locations and some properties from those locations for each type of
budget and stay type.
Conclusion:
In conclusion AirBnB meets the features of e-commerce technology and goes above
and beyond in a lot of fields. Excluding some issues with local laws and policies
AirBnB does well operating globally and offering best possible service for both hosts
and for guests. This concludes my presentation on AirBnB and its use of the features
of e-commerce technology, thank you for listening.