Module 2-The Online Ecosystem Final LK

Module 2: The Online Ecosystem

At the end of this module, you will be able to:

 Describe the components of an online ecosystem  Explain how the components of an online ecosystem can be harmonised into an online business  Convert business goals into an action plan for online delivery

1. What is an Ecosystem?

In biology we learn that an ecosystem is a geographic area where plants, animals and other organisms including weather and the landscape work together to create a bubble of life. All of this works together to enable the ecosystem to survive. The ecosystem can be small or large and contains living and non-living parts.

It’s about how we can interact with our environment and make it work for everyone. An example of how we can interact with our environment is through recycling.

2. What is an online Ecosystem?

In business, we create our own ecosystems so the business can grow, thrive and make a profit. However, due to the impact of various events that are sometimes out of our control we need to look at creating a new ecosystem to ensure our business’s survive. Change is a constant in business and if we don’t adapt we will not survive, just as a biological ecosystem will die if something is removed from it and it doesn’t find a way to adapt and change.

Due to changes in the world we need to ensure our customers are able to interact with us and with our brands. An online ecosystem means the following:

Having complimentary digital pieces such as social media, an email marketing campaign, a strong website, a blog strategy, etc; so we can always be in touch with our customers in a meaningful way to ensure our business doesn’t ‘die’.

4