Samsung Company Analysis
Samsung Electronics is one of the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturers; Samsung Electronics is also South Korea’s top electronics company. It makes many kinds of consumer devices, including DVD players, digital TVs, and digital still cameras; computers, color monitors, LCD panels, and printers; semiconductors such as DRAMs, static RAMs, flash memory, and display drivers; and communications devices ranging from wireless handsets and smart phones to networking gear. The company, which is the flagship member of Samsung Group, also makes microwave ovens, refrigerators, air conditioners, and washing machines.
Nearly half of sales come from the Asia/Pacific region. Top industries for Samsung Electronics Co. are memory chip and module manufacturing, communications chip manufacturing, wireless telephone handset manufacturing. Samsung is no longer the company that it used to be, it is a company that has put in a lot effort and money for changing its reputation. Today, Samsung is striving and growing into one of the most successful companies ever. It has an extensive product line that caters to many different people. It no longer operates on low profits; it’s striving on the highest.
Therefore, let us look at the SWOT Analysis of Samsung to give an idea of how the company is operating in the world. All three companies are strong, despite Samsung takes almost a half of market share. Still Samsung has lots of thing to work on here, in Kazakhstan. I have made an analysis of all three web sites of Samsung, LG and Sony, compared them and indicated Samsung’s weak sides. Samsung. com/kz Samsung doesn’t have a local web site in Kazakhstan. While entering it for the first time system asks to indicate your location. When choose Kazakhstan, Russian language is chosen by default. It is also worth to mention that in Kazakhstani version of website Russian is the only language, Kazakh is not represented.
Generally web site is not very easy to use, even though most of major stuff represented on the main page. The problem is that in order to find an item customer is really has to search for it, using all these tabs and vertical search. Customer cannot just browse web site without knowing what exactly he wants. The main page represents new Samsung products as Samsung Galaxy Note II, Smart TV sets, etc. After clicking on the product you’d like to buy it immediately redirects you to product’s profile page where presented all the information about it, including Store Locator.
The problem with this locator that it works only in huge cities, engine does not allow to narrow search to smaller towns or districts. So, for example, if I live in Almaty and I want to buy smartphone, web-site will give the list of all distributors located in Almaty, not the nearest to me. Also, it doesn’t show the prices and discount that different distributors have. Instead they offer to call them by ourselves. The possible reason to this is security issues that require lot of financial investments.
Also profile page contains the feature called “Compare with other devices” where you can choose up to 5 devices and compare it in terms of technical characteristics. But this is all that Samsung offers as pre-order feature. They do not have any video review of products, 3D models of them, panoramic photos and many other things that could possibly engage them with new customers. Samsung actively works on creating local brand communities as on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. With help of those communities they try to engage together all Samsung current and possible customers.
Another option that web-site introduces is collaboration with KupiKipon company, which provides coupons and discounts on selected Samsung production. To become a participant, customers, firstly, have to enter into Samsung Premium Club, only then all features as KupiKupon will be available, as well as many other options like discounts for AirAstana, service of Toyota service Center, etc. Sony. kz Web site of Sony has Kazakhstani domain and as well as Samsung’s web site, it has not got any possibility of changing language to Kazakh or English. Web site is also quite easy to use, I would say much easier than Samsung’s.
Sony also does not have feature of buying online and store locator, no list of distributors and anything that could somehow get interest of Kazakhstani customers, seems like the web site is made for Russian customers with domain name . kz. Sony runs technical and customer support program that allows Sony production owners to upgrade, fix their gadget almost for free. They have created various brand communities in different social network in order to gather together their old and new customers, organize contests and actions. LG. kz
The web site of LG is pretty similar to Sony’s, especially in terms of search engine: it is very easy to use it. First of all the structure of site is very different from previous two: it all compact and arranged from left to right, so we do not have to scroll page up and down. The main page is divided on three parts: left, central and right. The first ad the last never changes, like a banner ad, they represent the list of production, vertical search and news and actions respectively. The central part is the most active, like a working are, where customer can look through products he chose, compare them and make a final decision.
But in comparison to Sony and Samsung only limited line of production is presented on their web site – only latest models. As LG has a domain name . kz, still default language is Russian and no possibility to change if to any other, only if change the location. Also as two previous web sites, LG does not have an option of buying production online (direct distribution). As it was mentioned earlier, this option might not be used because of very high financial expenses. So web site has only one direct task – to introduce new production to public. As well as Sony, LG has not got any information about it distributors or shops.
LG works a lot on CRM: they create brand communities on different social networks, provide customers with free OS upgrades and free application for their phones, microsite for SMART TV owners. Also they were the only who presented option for slow Internet connection, possibly aware of bad Internet in Kazakhstan. Customer relationship management (CRM) We are looking on internet strategy of Samsung Company. So, CRM in this case should not only manage a company’s interactions with customers, clients, and sales prospects, but also use technology, internet to organize, and synchronize business processes.
The goal is to find new clients, and safe those which company already have. Looking on the brochure that we received from representative of Samsung in KIMEP, we can make conclusion that now we know some characteristics of described printers, but nothing where to buy it. So, customer have to do it own research, to find where he could buy a product in which he is interested. Moreover, the lady that was representative is just from event agency. She cannot tell anything about the product in which students were interested, but which were not presented on the stand and material she learned.
This small research showed us how it is hard for customers find the shop were to buy the product they need. For sure it is cheaper to pay once lady from the agency for representing the material, rather than open department dealing with this. But, we thing department will be more productive, because they can answer on more questions, than just learned. Or not spending more money lady-representative can refer to the site, where customer can find more information about interested product. Also, site should be written on the brochure. Recommendations
While researching Samsung site, we found that company does not represent online shopping or delivery services as all sales go trough distributors and Samsung don’t interfere into contact between customers and dealers. Samsung has no official shop in Almaty or any other cities of Kazakhstan. As we understood their main aim is dealing with promotions, PR, advertisement and publicity. In Kazakhstan many products that are resell by disturbers always have special additional price that have a huge difference between initial and final prices.
It would be a good idea if Samsung on their site near the products placed their prices so customers will know at first hand the cost of the product. On the other hand it could cause discontent of distributor since clients choose negotiated price of other dealers or no profit will be gained. Samsung in advance can discus and find the optimal additional price for distributors so both customers and dealers will be satisfied. Here is the situation; Customer is surfing Samsung site to find the product he or she liked and willing to by right away.
Site provides all dealers addresses and contact numbers and this entire list is about50 shops around one city. Customer need to find on the Google maps of any other gadget where these shops located. While processing all the Almaty streets aspiration can go away and company loosing a potential client. We suggest directing present location of the customer and pick out top 5 closest shops to get product they like. No need for searching and finding out which store is right next to your location. This novation facilitates search and willing to own Samsung products.
Any tracking for products creates a desire to possess and enjoy them. Samsung can create online delivery through dealers just right on their site. No potential customer is missed and no dealer left without profit. This ability gives a client to choose any dealer and store he liked and order the product without leaving home. Another convenient option would be listing all Samsung goods dealers have in the moment. It can ease life and prevent the buyer in the way there will be no need to have a long ride to the store and find out that good you need is out of stock.
Very often happens the situation when a client came to buy a Samsung product but because it is out of stock shop assistance offer goods of other companies, which is detrimental for Samsung sales. The main aim of dealers is to make a potential customer buy and if there is no special product he or she needs they can easily find a substitute as the world of technology is extensive and easily replaceable. Process improvement What makes Samsung’s potential customers to enter the site and search it further? Most important page on the whole website is main page. It makes client be interested in products company offer.
