In the first wave companies thought that they could use the first mover advantage to be at the top of the industry by marketing the same products and services on the internet, before the large corporations did. In most cases this failed because consumers had already grown to know the companies that were on top of the market. As these companies started using e-commerce on the internet, consumers stayed with them. The larger more known companies had the resources to overtake any company that did not have the tools, skills or finances to compete. A few companies did make it through the first wave such as E-bay, because they marketed something that had not been done this way in the past.
In the second wave businesses do not rely on the first mover advantage for success. Now they’re focusing on expanding their products and services into the global market. They have learned to customize e-mail, increase advertising and use multiple languages to connect with consumers at a global level. The businesses that did grow in the first wave by using the first mover advantage are increasing their business in the second wave in the same manner by perfecting their site so that it can also reach the global market.
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