Jul 29, 13:44
Poor standards and e-commerce
We discussed Web Standards and how they’re being more and more embraced in the UAE market yesterday. Today, I came accross an interesting article in IT Weekly Middle East magazine, the article titled “Security fears hold back Arabic surfers” in which eHosting’s Ahmad Baig claims:
The basic level of diligence is lacking
IT Weekly Middle East:
Poor Security, lack of original content and bad design on Arab websites are seriously hindering the development of e-commerce in the Middle East, according to a group of organizations, which have joined forces to develop quality standards for the region’s internet industry.
Dubai Internet City (DIC) and eHosting Datafort have formed Interstandards, the Arab Internet Standard Organization (AISO), as a joint initiative to develop a certification programme for Arab commercial websites in association with the British Standards Institute (BSI).
The companies are still working with the BSI on developing the certification standards, which will cover design, content, marketing, applications, and security. They hope to have certified 50 companies next year and say a number of companies have already registered for certification, including aljazeera.net, maktoob.com, tejari.com, and albawaba.com.
The situation
While I see the need for such programmes and initiatives, given that this article is written for a Business audience more than technical IT/Web people I find the argument very general/broad.
The Middle East region has always suffered from failure in delivering successful e-commerce services. To name one of the oldest e-shops in Dubai: Jacky’s e-commerce shop which is still not even known by most of the people.
While Ahmad Baig claimed that “Arabic” surfers suffer from low quality content and online services because of “Security Fears” I get back to the very fundementals of the e-commerce services—the business model.
My take
The reason behind the fall is not the security fears at all. Users might use their credit cards on eBay or Amazon but why not on sites made in the region? Well, the answer is not security. The data discussed in the article shows the observations of the eHosting and associates. Web surfers are not scared nor they know that the sites are insecure. The problem relies in credibility and integrity of the sites.
Not forgetting that Amazon, eBay and likes have been there in the market for long years now and have pioneered and paid for their own mistakes; it’s shallow to say security is the main issue.
e-commerce websites have been victims of the technologists behind who drive the business e-image. Bad designs, horrible brandings, very technical words and messages make it hard for users! Not forgetting that content should come free for website owners (that’s the beleive of the business owners).
It’s the copy-cat-ness nature of the services that make them fall. You ask why? Well, why should I go with a new startup who I don’t even know who they are in the first place while I could get the same from an International service provider?
It’s the culture, selling to your fellow Middle Easterns is not the same as selling to others. Not even one of the e-commerce portals have invested in User Behavior studies in the Middle East as far as I know, not to make it hard, but please, could you name one Usibility expert who is known in the Middle East?
Where are the business models? Is it (yet another eBay?)
Standards?
By standards I still don’t know what that is supposed to mean in the article. Is it some rules and regulations that are supposed to be made to govern the e-commerce services or just to bullet-proof and lebel the sites under a foreign body so that they raise credibility? Is it gaining credibility by a British tag or seriously bringing standards? I’m confused over here. If eHosting itself does not respect the web-standards on their own website, should they even think of setting standards? It’s puzzling me.
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Tuesday August 1, 2006
anil said:
ctrl-c ctrl-v = mideast web problem
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