Using web marketplaces to reach untapped markets

In competitive markets access to customers is often controlled by retail monopolies. In those situations, small and micro-businesses recurrently face great barriers to make their goods and services visible to potential customers. The control exerted by intermediaries is often due to customers’ lack of information about suppliers, or because of excessive complexity of supply. At its core, retail monopolies are dependent on information imbalances, and therefore, such situations can be addressed with information-based solutions that improve info flow between suppliers and their potential customers. 

Recently, advances in information and communication technologies (ICTs) have created innovations that can moderate large and complex sets of product offerings and make them available to customers in efficient ways. Often, these solutions have taken the form of web marketplaces where micro-entrepreneurs can offer their services to desiring customers. It is now possible to sell experiences in a city using Vayable; sell crafts and art using Etsy; sell farm products using Local Harvest; sell gastronomic experiences with Feastly; rent a house or a room using Airbnb; or sell genuine, authentic experiences using web-to-cell technology through People-First Tourism. These marketplaces allow suppliers to showcase their goods or services, and may help potential customers navigate offerings in more or less facilitated ways.

However, the phrase “digital divide” can be applied to the gap observed between individuals with ready access to ICT, and those without such access. In this case, some individuals will still be unable to reach the aforementioned untapped markets if they have limited (or no) internet connectivity. Thus, technologies do not in themselves solve social and economic discrepancies within societies, but they can often exacerbate them. Conversely, a key feature of the People-First Tourism software is that it embraces the advanced ICT functionality of hyper-connected tourists while making the system accessible to even the least ICT savvy micro-entrepreneurs.

Accordingly, we developed the Using web marketplaces to reach untapped markets tutorial with the objective to enhance micro-entrepreneurs’ knowledge and understanding on these emerging market opportunities, and to prompt them to leverage these systems to enhance their businesses.

Currently, we are disseminating this resource on-line to micro-entrepreneurs, extension agents, interested community development partners and anyone else interested in providing feedback on the resource and on desirable ways to disseminate it and implement it.  We will incorporate all input diligently, so please post your comments here, or email us directly to info@peoplefirsttourism.com.

Once we have considered your input, we plan to publish a revised final document and deliver face-to-face workshops using this tutorial in select locations in NC and possibly beyond. Please do contact us if you think this kind of training would be useful to you and/or to other entrepreneurs in your community.

By: Bruno Simões Ferreira

      Master of Science student in Equitable and Sustainable Tourism

      NC State