Questions
1. In two paragraphs explain why a customer centric Web site design is so important, yet so difficult to accomplish.
It is essential that businesses get this right. When someone is searching online, websites only have a matter of seconds to make an impact on the person viewing it. The whole idea of purchasing online is that it should be a quick and easy experience, if it is not the customer might as well get in their car and drive to a showroom/store. That is why the impact made on the customer must be instant. Then once they are hooked it is a matter of simplicity and practicality to keep them on the site to make the purchase. Also, once they have made the purchase, the correct amount of feedback (affiliate products, use of products, troubleshooting, etc.) needs to be provided, so as to ensure that they will return next time to make other purchases.
The difficulty in achieving this, can be, the varied needs of customers. However, this is overcome, by covering all bases, and having a website that can cater to all needs of various customers. The main problem is that very little consideration is given as to what makes up a good website, and a pleasant purchasing experience. Which is exemplified by websitesthatsuck. These websites have a common theme, of being thrown together, with no thought given to the ease of use for the client. By looking at these websites, it is obvious what is wrong with them. Therefore, businesses need to view these, and ensure they do not make any of the same mistakes. Just like observing market leaders can give you an example of what to do, looking at these market losers, can give you a great example of what not to do.
2. Define the term 'presence'. Write an additional paragraph that describes why firms that do business on the Web should be more concerned about presence than firms that operate in the physical world.
I believe that presence when used in a business context, goes further than just being available, or even being prominent. I feel that a good presence in the business world, is the overall image of the company. It should encompass attire, conduct, posture, and should give an impression of professionalism, confidence, and power.
When you translate this to companies that are web-based. Firstly, people need to be able to find your website, via search, so once you have an understanding of search engine triggers. Then the website needs to be a digital reflection of what a well dressed, well mannered, intelligent, sales executive, would achieve. Therefore the first impressions given by your website, must have all the qualities that I mentioned above. Also, it has to have a degree of support and assistance available, to deal with some minor issues that may arise during the purchasing experience. Therefore, your website must not only look the part, but also have the “intelligence” to support, and in turn have a simple and effective purchasing process.
3. Write three paragraphs to briefly describe the things that Real Estate Agents can best accomplish through (1) their web sites (2) Mass media advertising (3) Personal contact
Quite a number of Real Estate Agents these days have utilised web sites, to convey a large amount of information that was simply not feasible via traditional mediums. The main benefits that I can see, is that the Real Estate Agents, can have all their available properties displayed, but at the same time people can refine the display to houses that appeal to them. Therefore, through the hundreds of properties for sale or rent, the customer can reduce the time spent trawling through them to get a specific group of properties. The other main feature, is the virtual tours available on line. Whereas in traditional mediums, it is not practical to have more than a couple of photos, once people have limited the houses that appeal to them, they can then go through them with a fine-toothed comb, and spend more time viewing pictures and even video of appropriate properties. This time was traditionally used finding the appropriate properties in the first place.
Mass media advertising as the name suggests hits a wider audience. When people visit Real Estate Agent websites, it is because they are looking to buy or sell property. However, mass media advertising has that same goal, but as a secondary goal to actually entice the random market to buy or sell. By doing this they can hit a broader market. Although, it is more of a hit and hope, as opposed to the specific targeting of web-based advertising.
Personal contact still plays a big part in Real Estate, and I believe it is still the vital component in clinching most deals. This is still the element of the sales process that finishes off the objective. The combination of web-based advertising and mass media advertising, would be virtually useless without the personal contact to finish off the deal (in rare cases people will buy property off a plan), sign contracts, conduct inspections, etc.
All three of these mediums incorporated together, into one marketing strategy is still the best solution for Real Estate Agents. To ignore any one of these elements would ultimately end in disaster for the business.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Week Two Exercises
Part 1 - Navigation
What are the four (4) main points Michael Rappa makes about search?
I thought that the four main points that he was trying to make was in relation to the four distinct functions or descriptions of what he thought "search" was. Therefore, I would say that the fact that search engines are databases, collection mechanisms, search protocol and ranking algorithms. This is essentially the points that he was trying to make.
However, I found it quite interesting that Michael Rappa mentioned that most people are only searching a small portion of the databases that exist, due to some search engines not having access to databases and servers. Also, the fact that most people do not understand what drives their search engines, so they are essentially not asking the right questions to get the answers that they seek.
I also found it interesting the way Michael spoke about paid placement of advertising, and how the role of advertises has impacted search engine providers.
Write a paragraph or two, on four points made by Marissa Mayer, that you think were the most interesting or significant for business.
I thought that the most interesting point that was made in the interview, for business, was the fact that social networking sites, such as, Facebook and Myspace, have approximately four times the amount of page viewings as search does. The simple question for businesses, is how do you access this market efficiently? With that amount of page viewings, it seems that businesses would be crazy to miss this opportunity. The next point that I found intriguing, ties into the last one, where Marissa felt that a social networking site, coupled with a GPS style technology, could allow people to find where their friends are. For me this begs the question, if this can be done, then how could businesses utilise this information? By knowing where people physically are with their mobile devices, can companies then advertise accordingly?
I also, liked the way that Marissa mentioned that due to Google's broard advertising base. Google is able to ride out economic uncertainty, because when one market ebbs, another flows. Thus, creating an extremely stable income flow from advertising, and as she pointed out, even in economic uncertainty, companies will still continue to advertise. One of the other points that caught my attention, was that Marissa insisted that Google is not "paid-search", but "advertising-subsidized search". What is the difference? I believe that she was just trying to dodge the follow-up ethical question, that was no doubt coming next. However, to her credit, she avoided it like the professional that she is.
Part 2 - History of the Internet
What are the Six Webs?
1. Near Web: Typing style. eg. Sitting in front of a computer with a keyboard and mouse.
2. Here Web: Pocket style. eg. Device that is always with you, mobile devices, PDA's, etc.
3. Far Web: Sit-Back style. eg. Games consols, high-definition television.
4. Weird Web: Voice style. eg. Voice recognition.
5. B to B: Business to Business communication. eg. Businesses computer's communicating to one another.
6. D to D: Device to Device communication. eg. Meshed networks.
Could there be more?
In my very limited opinion, I believe that there is. I am aware of products such as ANPR, which is automated License Plate Recognition. This technology I would imagine would be taking the next step from "Weird Web", whereas the voice recognition is taken the step further. Under this same banner, would be Facial Recognition systems. Also, there are things such as Virtual Reality. Would it be fair to say that the technology used in these systems do not fit into the six webs already mentioned. However, I may be missing the point here, and these things may already fit into the categories pointed out by Bill Joy?
What does it mean for business?
Bill Joy believes that there are huge entrepreneurial opportunities existing already, to bring the "Here Web" forward in the furutre. He rightly points out that technology improvements such as, long-life batteries with low power consumption, networking improvements, mobile device improvements, are all massive markets that need to be filled in the coming years.
On a totally different tangent, for business. The wide spread use of "Here Web" technology, the employees are no longer tethered to the office. The opportunities exist for employees to be in constant contact with the office, no matter where they are or what time of the day. This also raises the sensitive issue, of when does an employees job end, and homelife start. Does this line need to be clearly defined, so as to obtain a happy balance?
What are the four (4) main points Michael Rappa makes about search?
I thought that the four main points that he was trying to make was in relation to the four distinct functions or descriptions of what he thought "search" was. Therefore, I would say that the fact that search engines are databases, collection mechanisms, search protocol and ranking algorithms. This is essentially the points that he was trying to make.
However, I found it quite interesting that Michael Rappa mentioned that most people are only searching a small portion of the databases that exist, due to some search engines not having access to databases and servers. Also, the fact that most people do not understand what drives their search engines, so they are essentially not asking the right questions to get the answers that they seek.
I also found it interesting the way Michael spoke about paid placement of advertising, and how the role of advertises has impacted search engine providers.
Write a paragraph or two, on four points made by Marissa Mayer, that you think were the most interesting or significant for business.
I thought that the most interesting point that was made in the interview, for business, was the fact that social networking sites, such as, Facebook and Myspace, have approximately four times the amount of page viewings as search does. The simple question for businesses, is how do you access this market efficiently? With that amount of page viewings, it seems that businesses would be crazy to miss this opportunity. The next point that I found intriguing, ties into the last one, where Marissa felt that a social networking site, coupled with a GPS style technology, could allow people to find where their friends are. For me this begs the question, if this can be done, then how could businesses utilise this information? By knowing where people physically are with their mobile devices, can companies then advertise accordingly?
I also, liked the way that Marissa mentioned that due to Google's broard advertising base. Google is able to ride out economic uncertainty, because when one market ebbs, another flows. Thus, creating an extremely stable income flow from advertising, and as she pointed out, even in economic uncertainty, companies will still continue to advertise. One of the other points that caught my attention, was that Marissa insisted that Google is not "paid-search", but "advertising-subsidized search". What is the difference? I believe that she was just trying to dodge the follow-up ethical question, that was no doubt coming next. However, to her credit, she avoided it like the professional that she is.
Part 2 - History of the Internet
What are the Six Webs?
1. Near Web: Typing style. eg. Sitting in front of a computer with a keyboard and mouse.
2. Here Web: Pocket style. eg. Device that is always with you, mobile devices, PDA's, etc.
3. Far Web: Sit-Back style. eg. Games consols, high-definition television.
4. Weird Web: Voice style. eg. Voice recognition.
5. B to B: Business to Business communication. eg. Businesses computer's communicating to one another.
6. D to D: Device to Device communication. eg. Meshed networks.
Could there be more?
In my very limited opinion, I believe that there is. I am aware of products such as ANPR, which is automated License Plate Recognition. This technology I would imagine would be taking the next step from "Weird Web", whereas the voice recognition is taken the step further. Under this same banner, would be Facial Recognition systems. Also, there are things such as Virtual Reality. Would it be fair to say that the technology used in these systems do not fit into the six webs already mentioned. However, I may be missing the point here, and these things may already fit into the categories pointed out by Bill Joy?
What does it mean for business?
Bill Joy believes that there are huge entrepreneurial opportunities existing already, to bring the "Here Web" forward in the furutre. He rightly points out that technology improvements such as, long-life batteries with low power consumption, networking improvements, mobile device improvements, are all massive markets that need to be filled in the coming years.
On a totally different tangent, for business. The wide spread use of "Here Web" technology, the employees are no longer tethered to the office. The opportunities exist for employees to be in constant contact with the office, no matter where they are or what time of the day. This also raises the sensitive issue, of when does an employees job end, and homelife start. Does this line need to be clearly defined, so as to obtain a happy balance?
Monday, March 16, 2009
Week One Exercises Continued
Question 9) What are some examples of Digital information??
I am taking a punt here, as I could not find a definitive answer on the Internet, so here goes:
Web sites, electronic journals, electronic books, digitally recorded sound, digital television, and digital moving images.
I am taking a punt here, as I could not find a definitive answer on the Internet, so here goes:
Web sites, electronic journals, electronic books, digitally recorded sound, digital television, and digital moving images.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Week One Exercises
1) Internet risks – give examples of four things that can go wrong with a transactional site?
Network Failure can result in loss of transaction details.
System Failure can result in business inactivity for a period of time.
Security of banking details can be questionable.
Lack of face-to-face customer contact (personal touch).
2) Write down a definition for each:
a) E-commerce: According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-commerce, consists of the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks.
b) E-business: According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_business, may be defined as the utilization of information and communication technologies (ICT) in support of all the activities of business.
3) What is the difference between buy side and sell side eCommerce?
I guess the simple answer is: The buy side of eCommerce is concerned with the actions of the customer. The sell side of eCommerce is focused on the transaction process of the suppliers.
4) Describe the different types of eBusiness
Customer to Customer
Customer to Business
Customer to Government
Business to Customer
Business to Business
Business to Government
Government to Customer
Government to Business
Government to Government
5) Which digital technology has the highest penetration rate? Explain and source your answer.
According to http://comm215.wetpaint.com/page/Australia+Technology+Penetration?t=anon, mobile phones are by far the industry leaders for market saturation. With more mobile phones than people in Australia, due to many people owning more than one mobile phone. The potential for market penetration lies firmly in the hands of mobile phones.
6) List Four drivers to adoption of sell-side e-commerce by business.
According to our lecture notes:
Increase speed with which suppliers can be obtained.
Increase speed with which goods can be dispatched.
Reduce sales and purchasing costs.
Reduce operating costs.
7) Four barriers to adoption of sell-side e-commerce by business.
I cannot see any "real" barriers to the sell-side of eCommerce, and my search for answers to this proved to be almost futile. However, the only barriers I could imagine would be:
Lack of available hardware.
Lack of technological understanding.
Fear of the unknown.
Resistance to change.
8) How might a restaurant in Sturt Street Ballarat benefit from an online presence?
According to our lecture notes:
Cost Reduction - Decrease advertising expenditure.
New Capability - Reach new customers/markets.
Communication - Online menus, reviews, etc.
Customer Service - Can handle customers questions and complaints more efficiently.
Control - Expose customers to as mush or as little information as desired.
Competitive Advantage - Very few restaurants currently do this.
9) What are some examples of Digital information?
Will come back to this.
10) What is the semantic web? Are we there yet?
According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_Web, Semantic Web is an evolving extension of the World Wide Web in which the semantics of information and services on the web is defined, making it possible for the web to understand and satisfy the requests of people and machines to use the web content.
In answer to the second part of the question. I would imagine that the various search engines available on the Internet, are supposed to be the facilitators of this. As they are supposed to supply our request with the most relevent answers.
Network Failure can result in loss of transaction details.
System Failure can result in business inactivity for a period of time.
Security of banking details can be questionable.
Lack of face-to-face customer contact (personal touch).
2) Write down a definition for each:
a) E-commerce: According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-commerce, consists of the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks.
b) E-business: According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_business, may be defined as the utilization of information and communication technologies (ICT) in support of all the activities of business.
3) What is the difference between buy side and sell side eCommerce?
I guess the simple answer is: The buy side of eCommerce is concerned with the actions of the customer. The sell side of eCommerce is focused on the transaction process of the suppliers.
4) Describe the different types of eBusiness
Customer to Customer
Customer to Business
Customer to Government
Business to Customer
Business to Business
Business to Government
Government to Customer
Government to Business
Government to Government
5) Which digital technology has the highest penetration rate? Explain and source your answer.
According to http://comm215.wetpaint.com/page/Australia+Technology+Penetration?t=anon, mobile phones are by far the industry leaders for market saturation. With more mobile phones than people in Australia, due to many people owning more than one mobile phone. The potential for market penetration lies firmly in the hands of mobile phones.
6) List Four drivers to adoption of sell-side e-commerce by business.
According to our lecture notes:
Increase speed with which suppliers can be obtained.
Increase speed with which goods can be dispatched.
Reduce sales and purchasing costs.
Reduce operating costs.
7) Four barriers to adoption of sell-side e-commerce by business.
I cannot see any "real" barriers to the sell-side of eCommerce, and my search for answers to this proved to be almost futile. However, the only barriers I could imagine would be:
Lack of available hardware.
Lack of technological understanding.
Fear of the unknown.
Resistance to change.
8) How might a restaurant in Sturt Street Ballarat benefit from an online presence?
According to our lecture notes:
Cost Reduction - Decrease advertising expenditure.
New Capability - Reach new customers/markets.
Communication - Online menus, reviews, etc.
Customer Service - Can handle customers questions and complaints more efficiently.
Control - Expose customers to as mush or as little information as desired.
Competitive Advantage - Very few restaurants currently do this.
9) What are some examples of Digital information?
Will come back to this.
10) What is the semantic web? Are we there yet?
According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_Web, Semantic Web is an evolving extension of the World Wide Web in which the semantics of information and services on the web is defined, making it possible for the web to understand and satisfy the requests of people and machines to use the web content.
In answer to the second part of the question. I would imagine that the various search engines available on the Internet, are supposed to be the facilitators of this. As they are supposed to supply our request with the most relevent answers.
Introduction
Well this is my first experience with a Blog, the whole idea is foreign to me, and a little daunting. Here we go...
I guess this is where I put all my answers to the weekly questions posted on Moodle, and if you are reading this Ian, I hope I'm on the right path. Sorry for the late start on this.
I guess this is where I put all my answers to the weekly questions posted on Moodle, and if you are reading this Ian, I hope I'm on the right path. Sorry for the late start on this.
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