Research Articles Base: Online Free Essays

MARKETING

Question 1: Buying Computers Online at www.dell.com (Dell–Hongkong site:) 1.1       Small Business category offers the best deals when buying computers in bulk. It is much better than the Medium/Large Business category. Small Business category offers computers at a discounted price when buying online unlike with the Medium/Large Business category where offers are more expensive at the same bulk and yet no discounts too!             But when it comes to technical specifications, Medium/Large Business category offers more. It provides customers with online help or guide, which they call a Workstation Advisor, when buying computers so customers could buy computers that are for their specific needs. However, Small Business category also has specific technicalities, like it could offer basic to advance computer needs.             Yet between the two, the Small Business category is still the best choice. I will present you with a comparison of two desktop systems that they offer:             DimensionTM 1100 – A desktop system for basic essentials. But could still be customized for multimedia needs. It offers a great value for entry level. Costs HK,899 but if bought online, only costs HK,799. Dell Online limits 5 units per customer only. This system is great for consumers and small business that need internet, email and basic productivity applications. It has Intel Celeron 3.06Ghz processor, genuine WindowsXP Home SP2 Edition (Traditional Chinese) (with label) operating system, 90 days warranty with technical phone support, 512MB 400Mhz DDR SDRAM memory, 80GB 7200RPM hard drive, an Intel 865GV chipset, 16X Max DVD-ROM Drive, 15” Flat Panel LCD Monitor (analog only), Dell USB keyboard in traditional Chinese, Dell Optival USB Mouse with Dell Mouse Mat, Integrated 2.1 Audio, Integrated 10/100 Fast Ethernet, Intel Extreme Graphics, System Driver CD kit, and McAfee Security Center in Traditional Chinese.             DimensionTM 3100 – A desktop system for an affordable multimedia experience. Also customizeable to better suit customer needs. It offers a great value for entertainment level. Costs HK,799 but if bought online, only costs HK,199. Also limited to 5 units per customer only. This system is ideal for those who want basic entertainment options and the ability to customize their product at an attractive price. With mainstream performance and an ability to expand to meet tomorrow’s needs, Dimension 3100 is a great choice. It has Intel Pentium 4 with HT Technology processor, genuine Windows XP Home SP2 Edition in Traditional Chinese for operating system, 1 year warranty with onsite response (parts + labor), future technical support, 512MB DDR2 533MHz SDRAM memory, 80GB 3.0 Gb/s hard drive, 48X Max DVD/CD-RW combo drive, Integrated 2.1 audio, Dell USB keyboard in traditional Chinese, Dell Optical USB Mouse, Integrated Broadcom 10/100 Ethernet Networking, system driver kit, Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator, and McAfee Security Center in traditional Chinese.             All are inclusive of shipping, handling and insurance charges. 1.2       The site is great for online buyers! It is user-friendly and browsing is done at ease. Categories are simplified for users to easily identify the help or support needed. It has Workstation Advisor for potential buyers and Solution Center for those who need technical support.                   Dell’s solutions helps customers get started, maintain computers and guarantee maximum productivity.     Question 2: Acting in the same manner but with difference in Cultural Values             I have to agree. But let me clear out first that people don’t act the same, but similarly only to a point where it differs somehow.             Values vary depending on cultural differences where you came from (2002). Throughout man’s history and development, conflicts arise in all formats. Yet, despite the survival nature of man, these conflicts are always controlled for the benefit of the majority. In a more easier light, although man involves himself with a conflict of whatsoever, he always makes sure that his main purpose is for others to sustain from that act.             This has happened over the centuries in the similar manner but done in different approach. The Reign of Terror (1793-1794) in France and EDSA Revolution (1986) in the Philippines are examples. Both had shown hostility over rulings. In The Reign of Terror,  showed efforts of creating a secular society through the guillotine where he was later executed for his participation (1995).  on the other hand, similar to  secular society, created the new society. Because of his alleged devotion to develop the Philippines’ economic status, had declared Martial Law ( 1991).             If we sum it up, both leaders, though coming from different place and time, wanted the best for their subordinates. What failed them was their greed for power and how they handled their leadership and subordinates.     Question 3: Does the notion of high “status crystallization” in society reduce the usefulness of social class as a predictor of consumption behaviour.             First of all, status crystallization has never been accurately or correctly measured or formulated for it to claim any sort of thing. And yet, since its first introduction half a century ago, status crystallization have always been associated with distributive system, social mobility and various sociological issues ( 2003).             In the basic context, status crystallization is the measure of whether persons with a disproportionate share of economic resources are also persons with a comparable share of social prestige (, 2003). So the answer is yes.             In our current social structure, it is not hard to differentiate consumption styles. These behaviors merely correspond with various levels of income (, 2003).     Question 4: How would you compare Global Marketing against International Marketing?             Strategies play a major role in marketing. There is not much difference with strategies when it comes to Global and International Marketing. Global marketing just does its market in a broader perspective. International marketing meanwhile, involves the states with great importance. But due to noticeable involvement of multinational corporations in international trades, some author refer global marketing as international marketing (2000).     Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

MARKETING

Question 1: Buying Computers Online at www.dell.com (Dell–Hongkong site:) 1.1 Small Business category offers the best deals when bu...

Protecting children online

Measures to Protect Children Online   The growth Internet, or Net, has been explosive. The internet could be considered as a global electronic library containing a vast quantity of information. At present, almost everyone has access to the internet. Many are hooked to the internet. And many still depend on the internet for a lot of things that they do. It is safe to say that the internet has become a normal part of most people’s lives. Being a treasure chest of data, facts, statistics, opinions, speculations, and viewpoints, the internet can be easily used and a first choice as a storehouse of information for many individuals. However, useful as it is, the internet also has drawbacks. The most important of which is that there is no one or no group that monitors the information posted on the internet. No one looks over other’s shoulders to ensure that every contributor plays fair and tells the truth or posts accurate information. It is possible for just anyone to post anything on the internet. And, the same goes true for access, anyone can read or see anything that is posted on the internet. Without proper regulation of content, it is up to the users now to be responsible for which sites they will enter and use. Given the internet’s unsupervised nature, it is better not to trust every site that you discover. To a mature person, this problem is not really a big issue since they would take responsibility for their actions. But to children, this problem is very serious and can pose risks. Studies indicate that nearly two-thirds of children use the Internet (2000). Children online users thus have created unique concerns for Internet providers and lawmakers. Access to pornographic or other unsuitable sites and the privacy of children users online are two issues that affect children’s use of the internet. The collection, storage, and sale of a child online user’s personal information without the child or parent’s knowledge or consent has elicited much concern. Such a practice is commonplace in the world of the Internet. Without proper regulation also of which sites to view and which sites not to view, children can access sites which are not suited for their young ages. As a result of these pressing problems, both the internet industry and lawmakers focused their recent efforts to curb the widespread practice. The internet industry has made conscious efforts which are aimed at protecting a child’s privacy online. These efforts are many and include requiring that Web site operators post a privacy policy. Big players in the Internet industry have also created their own informational Web sites with the purpose of alerting parents about the dangers of their children roaming the Internet without adult supervision (Hertzel, 2000). With regards to children’s access to Web sites that are not suitable for their ages, parental or adult supervision is the key to help solve this problem. There are basic ways on how to guard children from accessing Web sites not suitable for them. This includes, on the part of law and policy makers, aggressively educating parents and the public about the internet and its dangers, increase resources used to enforce existing laws and use existing technologies more often. Education campaigns should stress the importance of involving parents and caregivers in the child’s online activities, explaining what child-friendly sites are, and detailing the protection technologies that are available if someone chooses them.             Parents and guardians of children should remember that parental control softwares available in the market are not enough to protect children’s privacy online and monitor which sites their children access. If there is such a software in a family, additional supervision from adults is still required. Adults should not simply rely on it. Simple ways to do this at home includes keeping the computer in a shared living area, supervising children’s online activities, checking what information and pictures are posted and released in Web sites that the children access, encouraging the children to discuss any unsavory content they have found on the internet, warning children about the potential dangers of using the chat rooms, explaining to children the dangers of giving out personal information such as phone numbers or addresses to strangers, setting time limits on surfing and restrict most computer use for specific purposes such as school, and changing parental control access password regularly, if there is one.             Children’s use of the internet has serious problems that go with it. However, this is not without a solution. Policies and laws implemented by governing bodies, coupled with parental or adult supervision at home on children’s use of the internet can help minimize or even eliminate the problems of children’s privacy and unmonitored access of Web sites by the children.   Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Protecting children online

Measures to Protect Children Online The growth Internet, or Net, has been explosive. The internet could be considered as a global el...

To determine the possibility of increasing customer database through internet banking

Discussion What is online banking? Is it advantageous or it has also disadvantages? What benefits does the consumers and also the bank owners will get to this kind of technology? Do we have to support this kind of technology to apply in not just in our business but also to our daily lives? Online banking isn’t out to change your money habits. It simply uses today’s technology to give you the option of bypassing the time-consuming, paper-based aspects of traditional banking in order to manage your finances more quickly and efficiently. Online banking (or Internet banking) is a term used for performing transactions, payments etc. over the internet trough a bank, credit union or building society’s secure website. This allows customers to do their banking outside of bank hours and from anywhere where Internet access is available. In most cases a web browser is utilized and normal internet connection is suitable. No special software or hardware is usually needed. That is why the number of online banking customers increased to nearly 40 million in the fourth quarter of 2005, according to comScore Networks, which measures and analyzes consumer behavior. That was a 27 percent increase over the previous year; online bill paying increased 36 percent during that time. Online banking is widely used worldwide right? But, how this kind of technology evolved? The advent of the Internet and the popularity of personal computers presented both an opportunity and a challenge for the banking industry. For years, financial institutions have used powerful computer network to automate millions of daily transactions: today, often the only paper record is the customer’s receipt at the point of sale. Now that its customers are connected to the Internet via personal computers, banks envision similar economic advantages by adapting those same internal electronic processes to home use. While helping to eliminate costly paper handling and teller interactions in an increasingly competitive banking environment the bank view online banking as a powerful “value added” tool to attract and also retain new customers.  Today, most large national banks, many regional banks and even smaller banks and credit unions offer some form of online banking, variously known as PC banking, electronic banking or Internet banking. Those that do are sometimes referred to as “bricks-to-click” banks, both to distinguish them from brick-and banks that have yet to offer online banking, as well as from online or “virtual” banks that have no physical branches or tellers whatsoever. The challenge for the banking industry has been to design this new service channel in such a way that its customers will readily learn to use and trust it. After all, banks have spent generations earning our trust; they aren’t about to risk that on a Web site that is frustrating, confusing or less than secure. Most of the large banks now offer fully secure, fully functional online banking for free or for a small fee. Some smaller banks offer limited access or functionality; for instance, you may be able to view your account balance and history but not initiate transactions online. As more banks succeed online and more customers use their sites, fully functional online banking likely will become as commonplace as automated teller machines. In allowing this kind of high technology in our life there should definitely has its advantages not just in business transactions but also in the life of every individual whose using this kind of technology. The first advantage this method have us its convenience, unlike the corner bank, online banking sites never close; they’re available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and they’re only a mouse click away. The next advantage is its ubiquity, wherein even if someone is out of the state or even out of the country when a money problem arises, you can log on instantly to your online bank and take care of business, 24/7. Another advantage is the speed of transaction whereas online bank sites generally execute and confirm transactions at or quicker that ATM processing speeds. Efficiency is also one of its advantage where an access and manages all of your bank accounts, including IRAs, CDs, even securities, from one secure site. And lastly is its effectiveness whereas it can offer sophisticated tools, including account aggregation, stock quotes, rate alerts and portfolio managing programs to help you manage all of your assets more effectively. Most are also compatible with money managing programs such as Quicken and Microsoft Money. For every positive aspect coming to our life it is always varies negatives or what we common known as the disadvantages. Just like in online banking after discussing the positive aspects, there are now its disadvantages.  The first disadvantage is that its take time to start-up because in order to register for your bank’s online program, you will probably have to provide ID and sign a form at a bank branch. The learning curve is also one of its disadvantages wherein banking sites can be difficult to navigate at first. Plan to invest some time and/or read the tutorials in order to become comfortable in your virtual lobby. Changes of the bank site is also one of the disadvantages in having an online banking because even the largest banks periodically upgrade their programs, adding new features in unfamiliar places. In some cases, you may have to re-enter account information. And finally, I think the most important thing is the trust thing, simply because for many people, the biggest hurdle to online banking is learning to trust it. Because printed transaction receipt should be kept in the bank records until it shows up in site or bank statement. By these statements it is up to the consumers or the depositors whether they want this new and high technology method or not. And to end up this curiosity, this research study may help to determined which may vary best in banking transaction in the perception of the 80 respondents. This had done to determine the possibility to increase customer base through internet banking. It is purely quantitative as Canara Bank (Indian Bank) is going to implement this internet banking facility in London. So distributing questionnaire to Canara banks customers in London is of no use, that is why the researcher decided to go to Canary Wharf which is a place where people normally use it and distributed to 60 people. On the other hand London is a place where international students comes so their use is also important to consider fro which he distributed questionnaires to 20 students of London Metropolitan University in a total of 80 respondents wherein 48 of which are men and 32 are female. The less number of females does not mean UK, a high masculine culture and is a conservative country. It describe female as more conscious, than men in controlling money. They don’t want to take risk. Some female respondent in the questionnaire suggest it as uncontrollable technique, some are interested to use other techniques rather going for Internet banking, some take it as insecure technology.  In the mean time it can be assumed, men as quite risk takers. This research aims to an Indian Nationalized Bank, which is operating its branches all over the world. In order to get market share and to give a thrust to foreign exchange Canara Bank have established an International branch in London too. The bank is ISO9001 quality certifier with fully computerized branches and offers many services including foreign exchange transactions. Although the bank has good number of account holders a third are current account holders. The bank is interested in increasing the traffic flow of account holders and wants to know what attributes of a banking service add value to customer satisfaction. During this research questionnaire was been distributed to every age group in order to reduce data error. The questionnaire consist of 5 age groups, 20-30; 30-40; 40-50; 50-60; 60+. The largest groups of respondents in this research are 20-30 and 30-40. The 30-40 age groups constitute 41.25% and 20-30 constituted about 40%. This shows that Canara Bank have to give more focus on these age groups. From this study we can also know that these two age groups understand and believe in internet technology. This doesn’t mean that Canara bank have to ignore other 3 age groups. In this questionnaire some respondents above 60 were using internet banking facility as they found as a technology. They use this as; it is easy in managing their accounts. Out of three, 2 customers over 60 years were those who were using internet banking for last 6 to 7 years. So this means they are loyal to internet banking. So Canara bank has to focus these age groups by giving some special reward schemes. This data signifies that majority of the respondents are using the online banking and had experienced the benefits they are getting in using this method of banking transaction. The questionnaire was been distributed to in Canary Warf and in Holloway Road to get an in-depth idea about the perception of people on internet banking. The customers were chosen random bases and the time chosen for distributing questionnaire was lunch time in order to get error free data. As London is a multi culture, it is vital to understand the perceptions of other community. In terms of Nationality most constitute to British nation which covers 36.25% where 29 of them are in this nation followed by Indian and Bangladeshi community. And lastly are the Australian, Chilean, Chinese, Egyptian, European, Irish, and Jamaican etc. As far as Internet banking users is concerned, figures showed a positive response from respondents. Out of 80 respondents (n=80), 63 respondents were internet banking users. On other hand only 17 (n=80), were non internet banking users, as they think it as an insecure, uncontrollable technology. The percentages of internet banking users constitute about 78.75% on other hand non users are only 21.25%.  This shows that, trust among people about internet is increasing, so it is easy for Canara bank to attract customers towards it. In order to compare age groups, researcher distributed first 60 questionnaires in Canary Warf, and rest in Holloway. The main aim of distributing questionnaire in Canary Warf is to understand perception of high class people, as we all know that most dramatic changes happens in Canary Warf. On other hand, researcher distributed rest in Holloway road, as thousands of overseas students come to London Metropolitan university to study. We should not forget that UK is second largest immigrant country in the world for student immigration. So understanding students’ perceptions becomes vital. The increased of the internet banking users may be uncontrollable because they had seen some of its benefits as letting you connect to your bank through the Internet and do things such as view your accounts, transfer money between accounts, view images of canceled checks, print copies of those checks and pay bills online. Aside from that, many banks make it easier to manage the checking account by allowing setting up e-mail alerts so it can notify when checks clear or when your balance slips below a certain level. There is also a detailed listing of your canceled checks. And also it helps to eliminate paper checks from life, and also find that a growing number of companies allow to make automatic payments through the online banking account. After analyzing the perception of the internet banking users and their reason why they are continuing using this online method. The non-internet banking users also should be heard their sides in order for the Canara Bank to get the other side and have answer to the question of what went wrong to their policy and service so that new innovative technology to be adapted so that error can be reduced. This will attract those customers who are non-users. In this questionnaire we have one customer who already face some problem with internet banking and feel it as insecure and difficult.  But majority of respondents, 8 out of 17 which constitute about 47.05% take it as Insecure. Rest takes it as rubbish, fraud, uncontrollable, difficult technology, one respondent suggest it as difficult as she don’t have internet facility. When we compared the reasons for not using internet banking from respondents of Holloway and Canary Warf, researcher studied that Canary Warf respondents are keen to use the internet banking technology, if bank improve the issues related to security and fastness of the service. One respondent from Canary Warf suggest for some reward systems like better interest rate etc. On other hand respondent from Holloway road even don’t have suggestion, in liking internet banking. Aside from the reasons written above on the issue regarding the non-internet banking users’ reasons, the additional are also their opinion why they are not supporting the said technology. Probably the main reason is that online banking is too vulnerable to fraud. The security measures employed by most banks can never be completely safe, but in practice the number of fraud victims due to online banking is very small. This is probably due to the fact that a relatively small number of people use internet banking compared with the total number of banking customers’ world wide. Indeed, conventional banking practice may be more prone to abuse by fraudsters than online banking. Credit card fraud, signature forgery and identity theft are far more widespread “offline” crimes than malicious hacking. Bank transaction is generally traceable and criminal penalties for bank fraud are high. Online banking becomes less secure if users are careless, gullible or computer illiterate. An increasingly popular criminal practice to gain access to a user’s finances is phishing, whereby the user is in some way persuaded to hand over their password(s) to a fraudster.                     Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

To determine the possibility of increasing customer database through internet banking

Discussion What is online banking? Is it advantageous or it has also disadvantages? What benefits does the consumers and also the bank o...

Online Auctions

Online Auctions             Technology is rapidly changing and has been transforming the lives of almost all people around the world. Communicating and doing business became easier with the use of the latest technology. The growth of the Internet over the last decade has changed the way individuals and organisation performs their activities.  One of the most popular modes of business using technology is through online auctions. It is a business model wherein the participants or the consumers bid for services and products on the Internet (2006).             In Midland University, one of the biggest problems is the shortage of parking spaces within the campus and every member of the university community should have the top priority for parking spaces. As a member of the task force assigned to analyse the situation, the team have decided to have an annual auction for parking spaces that will be conducted on the intranet of the University.             As mentioned earlier online auction is business model wherein a person or a group sells goods and services while another bids to buy them over the internet. In the case of  University, an annual online auction for parking spaces in the university will be held. A massive information drive regarding an online auction on parking spaces will be made. Stakeholders such as the faculty, students, administrators, visitors, gardeners, maintenance workers and janitors that use cars when going to the University will be invited to bid in a specific date for all the parking spaces in the premises of the University. The bidding will be held only in one day and only in the University’s intranet in order to be fair to all participants. The system of online auction will be an online marketplace for parking spaces in the University after the participants are able to purchase the parking space for the whole year through bidding on the announced date, the owners will now have the freedom to post on the in-house site the information regarding the parking space, the time when it will be available. And then they could also auction the available time of the parking space to the other participants who were not able to get a parking space. And in order to be fair a designated time will only be given to all members of the University community which is 4:00 pm every Saturday to bid to ensure that employees who do not have regular access to computers could bid. And through mobile phones the participants will be notified by the owner of the parking space. (2007) discussed that online auctions has a number of advantages and these are: No geographical limitations- although in the case of Midland University, the in-house site is confined to the premises of the University in order to ensure that the employees that have no regular access to computers could fairly bid. No time constraints- the sellers of the parking space could post anytime of the day, and since the parking space is listed for up to 7 days the bidders could have a lot of time to think about whether the location is good enough or not. Many bidders- through online auctions the bidders could find parking spaces at lower prices. Many sellers- the sellers of the available parking spaces could sell it to higher prices than what they bid for. Joy of winning- part of online auction is the joy of winning because many bidders are attracted to auctions for the purpose of winning.         Online Auction Internet is now one of the most powerful tools for conducting business nowadays. With the current trend in globalisation more and more businesses are utilising this trend because of the benefits that they could gain from it. According to  (2007) a professionally designed website are beneficial to businesses in four ways and these are: Raise company profile- usually the first thing a potential customer do upon seeing the products and services of an organisation is to search the company on the internet. If an organisation does not have a website or has a poorly designed one will leave a negative impression to the consumers. Cheap, Effective Marketing- having a website could be a cheaper and more efficient means of marketing since most of the people nowadays have access to the internet. Enhanced customer service- the customer service of an organisation would be improved because the websites could give a detailed account and information regarding the products and services of the company. Sell online- through websites an organisation could decrease the expenditures on traditional retail and even enhance the number of the consumers because they could buy their products at anytime of the day.             Oyster Bay Inc. is an organisation that deals in-ocean going yachts with main offices in the major ports of the United States East Coast. And over the past months the sales people of Oyster Bay Inc. have noticed that most of heir consumers are starting to be aware on the World Wide Web. In order for the organisation to keep up, they proposed to the management to have a portal on the web. As an electronic commerce consultant for the company the following proposal is made which includes the features of the proposed web site: Information: one of the most important parts of the website is the company profile or information. According to  (2007) it must include the company history, achievements, business qualifications and contact details of the company. In the case of Oyster Bay, Inc. the organisation must display the different branches of their offices with the address, telephone numbers and emails of every office. Detailed information of their history as well as their achievements must be displayed in order to assure the customers on the quality of the products. Project Overview: the project is to build a web portal for Oyster Bay, Inc. dealer of on-going yachts with various branches in major ports on the US East Coast. The company builds various types of yachts and provides maintenance for the products. The target markets of the company are the high-income business executives, rich retirees, and individuals that have inherited a great amount of wealth. The main goal of this website is to give details on the different products and services of the company to the customers and potential customers. Moreover, the company wants to reach customers outside of the United States through the website. Special Considerations: since one of the objectives of the company is to reach out to many consumers outside the United States as possible, a translation of the website to the native tongue of the consumers will also be created such as Spanish, French, Chinese and German. Features of the Website: the style of the website is an e-commerce site, which according to  (2007) stands for Electronic commerce, it is a site that sells products and services on-line wherein it allows the consumers to view and buy the products of the company anytime of the day. The following are the features of the website for Oyster Bay Inc:             Catalogue and Categories- in this section the products and services of the company will be organised by category and sub-category wherein the descriptions of the categories will be shown upon selection of the consumers and will be published in a friendly format search engine.             Product Fields- in this section product options such as size, model and condition will be added to match the needs of the consumers, multiple images of the product will also be displayed and the files of the product will be linked to PDF documents to view other information.             Inventory- the website will automatically manage the inventory of the products and services as it approach the minimum or maximum levels wherein it shows items that are already out of stock.             Shipping- the website will also have shipping options wherein it will calculate the prices of the products and services. It also lists shippers such as the UPS and Fed-Ex and any other shippers.             Checkout- in this feature the customers are allowed to easily re-order from previous orders from the company.             Accept credit card payment/processing online- in this section the customers will have the option of paying through credit cards or pay pal. Through this feature the consumers will be assured that their cards will be protected through address verification and 3 digit codes.             Tax Calculations- if there are changes on the tax laws of any state or nation the website will automatically calculate it.             Search- in this feature the consumers could search various information regarding the products, company or any other information that the consumers need.             Order Management- through this option the management could sort and view the orders of the companies while the consumers will be automatically informed through e-mail.             E-mail status notification- the customers will automatically receive an invoice of their transaction upon purchasing from the website. And the managers or salespeople of the organisation could update the order and could notify the customers regarding the shipment tracking number of the item through e-mail in this way the consumers will feel more secure dealing with the company.             Powerful Marketing Tools- the website also has powerful marketing tools such as mass e-mail to past consumers coupled with newsletters to inform the latest offers, discounts and products of the company. In this section the website also provides suggested items by the consumers or the individuals who specialises this type of product. And a wish list will be displayed in order to determine what products and services to be put on sale.   Development of the Timeline: in creating a website a timeline is important in this section a description of every stage of development will discussed, as well as the estimated date of completion. In this project the proposed timeline is the following: June 10- the request for qualifications for possible developers and builders of the website will be sent out. June 20- the due date for the companies wishing to qualify as possible website makers. June 22- the short list of possible makers will be selected by the management and these companies will be sent out to bid. June 30- the request for proposal of the project will be sent out to the short-listed participants or bidders. July 15- the due date for the response of the bidders to the request for proposal. July 20- the successful bidder will be informed by the management of the Oyster Bay Inc. July 22- the purchase order for the planned website will be issued to the chosen organisation. July 24- the initial meeting for the range and scope of the website will be held. August 30- the development of the site begins. October 30- the website of Oyster Bay Inc. will be launched. Terms and Conditions- in this section the clients knows what to expect from the company, it also gives information regarding what will happen if they do not give the appropriate information requested in the website, details on payment and services and the outcomes if they did not comply with it, at the same time, the company must be clear regarding their services.             In Oyster Bay Inc. the terms and conditions are the following: Oyster Bay Inc. Terms of Use             The website is owned by Oyster Bay Inc. and the utilisation of the site is governed by the terms of use. Ownership- no part of this site may be copied reproduced and transmitted for commercial use unless permitted by the organisation. Oyster Bay Inc. will enforce its intellectual property rights and will seek damages if needed. Content- the management of Oyster Bay Inc. cannot ensure the consumers that the content of the website is accurate and complete and it is the responsibility of the consumer to determine the accuracy and completeness of the information indicated in the website. Unauthorised use of the website- the users of the website are not allowed to copy, access, and distribute any content of the website through various programs, tools, applications and devices to copy or alter the content of the web pages. Unauthorised use of the website will be subjected to termination of use. Access to members-only areas- authorised individuals are allowed to access members-only areas of the website and the members of the website should not share passwords to non-members of the website. Limited License- the visitors of the website are granted limited access to the site provided that they will not interfere or damage the business of Oyster Bay Inc. does not violate the terms of use if the website, does not copy, remove, modify and transmit trademark and copyrighted materials and does not violate the rules and regulations of the website.               Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Online Auctions

Online Auctions Technology is rapidly changing and has been transforming the lives of almost all people around the world. Co...

ONLINE AUCTIONS

Online Auctions             Technology is rapidly changing and has been transforming the lives of almost all people around the world. Communicating and doing business became easier with the use of the latest technology. The growth of the Internet over the last decade has changed the way individuals and organisation performs their activities.  One of the most popular modes of business using technology is through online auctions. It is a business model wherein the participants or the consumers bid for services and products on the Internet (, 2006).             In Midland University, one of the biggest problems is the shortage of parking spaces within the campus and every member of the university community should have the top priority for parking spaces. As a member of the task force assigned to analyse the situation, the team have decided to have an annual auction for parking spaces that will be conducted on the intranet of the University.             As mentioned earlier online auction is business model wherein a person or a group sells goods and services while another bids to buy them over the internet. In the case of Midland University, an annual online auction for parking spaces in the university will be held. A massive information drive regarding an online auction on parking spaces will be made. Stakeholders such as the faculty, students, administrators, visitors, gardeners, maintenance workers and janitors that use cars when going to the University will be invited to bid in a specific date for all the parking spaces in the premises of the University. The bidding will be held only in one day and only in the University’s intranet in order to be fair to all participants. The system of online auction will be an online marketplace for parking spaces in the University after the participants are able to purchase the parking space for the whole year through bidding on the announced date, the owners will now have the freedom to post on the in-house site the information regarding the parking space, the time when it will be available. And then they could also auction the available time of the parking space to the other participants who were not able to get a parking space. And in order to be fair a designated time will only be given to all members of the University community which is 4:00 pm every Saturday to bid to ensure that employees who do not have regular access to computers could bid. And through mobile phones the participants will be notified by the owner of the parking space.  (2007) discussed that online auctions has a number of advantages and these are: No geographical limitations- although in the case of Midland University, the in-house site is confined to the premises of the University in order to ensure that the employees that have no regular access to computers could fairly bid. No time constraints- the sellers of the parking space could post anytime of the day, and since the parking space is listed for up to 7 days the bidders could have a lot of time to think about whether the location is good enough or not. Many bidders- through online auctions the bidders could find parking spaces at lower prices. Many sellers- the sellers of the available parking spaces could sell it to higher prices than what they bid for. Joy of winning- part of online auction is the joy of winning because many bidders are attracted to auctions for the purpose of winning. References:                             Online Auction Internet is now one of the most powerful tools for conducting business nowadays. With the current trend in globalisation more and more businesses are utilising this trend because of the benefits that they could gain from it. According to  (2007) a professionally designed website are beneficial to businesses in four ways and these are: Raise company profile- usually the first thing a potential customer do upon seeing the products and services of an organisation is to search the company on the internet. If an organisation does not have a website or has a poorly designed one will leave a negative impression to the consumers. Cheap, Effective Marketing- having a website could be a cheaper and more efficient means of marketing since most of the people nowadays have access to the internet. Enhanced customer service- the customer service of an organisation would be improved because the websites could give a detailed account and information regarding the products and services of the company. Sell online- through websites an organisation could decrease the expenditures on traditional retail and even enhance the number of the consumers because they could buy their products at anytime of the day.             Oyster Bay Inc. is an organisation that deals in-ocean going yachts with main offices in the major ports of the United States East Coast. And over the past months the sales people of Oyster Bay Inc. have noticed that most of heir consumers are starting to be aware on the World Wide Web. In order for the organisation to keep up, they proposed to the management to have a portal on the web. As an electronic commerce consultant for the company the following proposal is made which includes the features of the proposed web site: Information: one of the most important parts of the website is the company profile or information. According to  (2007) it must include the company history, achievements, business qualifications and contact details of the company. In the case of Oyster Bay, Inc. the organisation must display the different branches of their offices with the address, telephone numbers and emails of every office. Detailed information of their history as well as their achievements must be displayed in order to assure the customers on the quality of the products. Project Overview: the project is to build a web portal for Oyster Bay, Inc. dealer of on-going yachts with various branches in major ports on the US East Coast. The company builds various types of yachts and provides maintenance for the products. The target markets of the company are the high-income business executives, rich retirees, and individuals that have inherited a great amount of wealth. The main goal of this website is to give details on the different products and services of the company to the customers and potential customers. Moreover, the company wants to reach customers outside of the United States through the website. Special Considerations: since one of the objectives of the company is to reach out to many consumers outside the United States as possible, a translation of the website to the native tongue of the consumers will also be created such as Spanish, French, Chinese and German. Features of the Website: the style of the website is an e-commerce site, which according to  (2007) stands for Electronic commerce, it is a site that sells products and services on-line wherein it allows the consumers to view and buy the products of the company anytime of the day. The following are the features of the website for Oyster Bay Inc:             Catalogue and Categories- in this section the products and services of the company will be organised by category and sub-category wherein the descriptions of the categories will be shown upon selection of the consumers and will be published in a friendly format search engine.             Product Fields- in this section product options such as size, model and condition will be added to match the needs of the consumers, multiple images of the product will also be displayed and the files of the product will be linked to PDF documents to view other information.             Inventory- the website will automatically manage the inventory of the products and services as it approach the minimum or maximum levels wherein it shows items that are already out of stock.             Shipping- the website will also have shipping options wherein it will calculate the prices of the products and services. It also lists shippers such as the UPS and Fed-Ex and any other shippers.             Checkout- in this feature the customers are allowed to easily re-order from previous orders from the company.             Accept credit card payment/processing online- in this section the customers will have the option of paying through credit cards or pay pal. Through this feature the consumers will be assured that their cards will be protected through address verification and 3 digit codes.             Tax Calculations- if there are changes on the tax laws of any state or nation the website will automatically calculate it.             Search- in this feature the consumers could search various information regarding the products, company or any other information that the consumers need.             Order Management- through this option the management could sort and view the orders of the companies while the consumers will be automatically informed through e-mail.             E-mail status notification- the customers will automatically receive an invoice of their transaction upon purchasing from the website. And the managers or salespeople of the organisation could update the order and could notify the customers regarding the shipment tracking number of the item through e-mail in this way the consumers will feel more secure dealing with the company.             Powerful Marketing Tools- the website also has powerful marketing tools such as mass e-mail to past consumers coupled with newsletters to inform the latest offers, discounts and products of the company. In this section the website also provides suggested items by the consumers or the individuals who specialises this type of product. And a wish list will be displayed in order to determine what products and services to be put on sale.   Development of the Timeline: in creating a website a timeline is important in this section a description of every stage of development will discussed, as well as the estimated date of completion. In this project the proposed timeline is the following: June 10- the request for qualifications for possible developers and builders of the website will be sent out. June 20- the due date for the companies wishing to qualify as possible website makers. June 22- the short list of possible makers will be selected by the management and these companies will be sent out to bid. June 30- the request for proposal of the project will be sent out to the short-listed participants or bidders. July 15- the due date for the response of the bidders to the request for proposal. July 20- the successful bidder will be informed by the management of the Oyster Bay Inc. July 22- the purchase order for the planned website will be issued to the chosen organisation. July 24- the initial meeting for the range and scope of the website will be held. August 30- the development of the site begins. October 30- the website of Oyster Bay Inc. will be launched. Terms and Conditions- in this section the clients knows what to expect from the company, it also gives information regarding what will happen if they do not give the appropriate information requested in the website, details on payment and services and the outcomes if they did not comply with it, at the same time, the company must be clear regarding their services.             In Oyster Bay Inc. the terms and conditions are the following: Oyster Bay Inc. Terms of Use             The website is owned by Oyster Bay Inc. and the utilisation of the site is governed by the terms of use. Ownership- no part of this site may be copied reproduced and transmitted for commercial use unless permitted by the organisation. Oyster Bay Inc. will enforce its intellectual property rights and will seek damages if needed. Content- the management of Oyster Bay Inc. cannot ensure the consumers that the content of the website is accurate and complete and it is the responsibility of the consumer to determine the accuracy and completeness of the information indicated in the website. Unauthorised use of the website- the users of the website are not allowed to copy, access, and distribute any content of the website through various programs, tools, applications and devices to copy or alter the content of the web pages. Unauthorised use of the website will be subjected to termination of use. Access to members-only areas- authorised individuals are allowed to access members-only areas of the website and the members of the website should not share passwords to non-members of the website. Limited License- the visitors of the website are granted limited access to the site provided that they will not interfere or damage the business of Oyster Bay Inc. does not violate the terms of use if the website, does not copy, remove, modify and transmit trademark and copyrighted materials and does not violate the rules and regulations of the website. References:             Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

ONLINE AUCTIONS

Online Auctions Technology is rapidly changing and has been transforming the lives of almost all people around the world. Co...

Online Marketing

Introduction Internet has become part of everyday life, and online advertisers seek the opportunity in directing the marketing through interactive advertising and promotions. Internet offers great opportunities for entertainment, information, and marketplace exchange. It became a popular way to sell and promote the products. But despite all the success and the future generation of online marketing, it is still vulnerable in facing threats and how appropriate it can be on the line of the business. Online Marketing Assessment Building a creative strategy is one of the many missions of online marketing. The online marketplace opportunity is available to everyone but only few are entitled to keep their domain. It is because of all the initiatives that drive all the efforts and strategic business goals aligned. Maximizing Online Marketing In a traditional marketing strategy the initial management and team can held a meeting to discuss the strategic goals. The right individuals and appropriate responsibility should be known for the entire group. In marketing, the group should have an interest in brainstorming. The entire organization should identify the key points of opportunities and threats, defining goals, issues, and creating solutions (2007). When all the ideas had been established, it is time to get on the web access. The online marketing should be assessed for t build rationale for the proposed roadmap. This kind of roadmap outlines all marketing strategy in terms of goals, budget, proposed tactics, and perceived business value. In addition, the roadmap provides direction on the creativeness and brand direction, web design, development, and other application integration ( 2007). The proposed material should be delivered with supporting information about the products covered by the management. Evaluation When you say Internet, World Wide Web, and Online it is expected that online service is aware that their page might be viewed by children age 12 and under. Therefore, a website should consider the things that might affect the children. A good site should be friendly for the entire community ( 2002). The internet can also harm the customers and young individuals. One way is to gaining or gathering and use of the personal information from the buyers. This privacy issue is another form of threat for the person as well as for the business (2005). Online marketing can be used as an Internet-based connection where the customers, suppliers, and partners become the main key to the business. The online marketing promises to open new markets and provide better service to current customers. All the things that the marketing should consider are that the systems and networks must ensure the connectivity and function to achieve the key to the business. The challenge in the internet activity is to create ways to take advantage of new markets while remaining committed to better servicing existing customers more productively (2005). Applied Theories The online marketing used the customer-relationship management as the tool to gain the ideas about the customer behavior. Since the online business cannot get in touch with the customers, they are only based their ideas by viewing what each customer wants. Another popular technique for driving traffic to web is blogging where there are streams of ideas are placed. The links, comments, and feedbacks from the readers can be equaled as the marketing opportunity. However, there are still considerations that a business should not take for granted when the proponents are planning to use net as part of their marketing strategy (2005). Pick a business model that works in which the most common are selling physical, shippable products, professional services, or business consumer information. With these the business can attract prospective buyers.  Next to this is choosing a domain name that is easy to remember and simple. Setting up a merchant account and choosing a credit card clearing service so the business can handle the transactions. And the last is earning the trust of the customers and continuous attracting other prospective customers. Threats and Risks A venture into online marketing and e-commerce, the business needs to keep security concerns. The threats can be in a form of internal and external aspect. In internal, the problem is about the applications from the internal systems. To avoid the catastrophe about the internal systems, it is better to use distinct firewall layer to isolate the internet from specific application. The combination of multiple intrusion detection technique, like the host-based, file-based, or network-based can be more helpful for the subscribers. And most important is documenting all the report security breaches and attack (2005). The attacks can be harmful for the company. The breaches can make the business resumed back to the normal business operations if the failure of documentation happened. That is why it is better if there is a person who is concerned in monitoring the business progress. Conclusion In adapting the new world, very few technologies are changing the way business is conducted the way the Internet has. And this process of dramatic change promises to continue for years to come. As a result, all companies will have to carefully watch for how the Internet and related technologies affect the nature of communicating, marketing, and trading. While such change is often disruptive — and that can be frightening — it is also immeasurably rich with opportunity. Thanks to the Internet, what was once the purview of only the largest global organizations is now potentially within reach of even the smallest local business willing to understand and exploit a quickly evolving array of Internet-oriented tools and solutions.       Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Online Marketing

Introduction Internet has become part of everyday life, and online advertisers seek the opportunity in directing the marketing through i...

Develop and implement a new website or enhance an existing website to include customer service. This might include features for self-service or use of real-time customer support

Develop and implement a new website or enhance an existing website to include customer service. This might include features for self-service or use of real-time customer support   Integrating a real-time customer support helps companies continue and at the same time grow fruitful business relationships with their customers. Keeping real-time customer support coupled with adept expertise, the technology available; sets the pace for good execution of tasks in business plans. Firms which offer these solutions take careful understanding of every clients business and corporate culture, and if needed specifies a solution based on the culture of the businesses. From this solution, an uninterrupted flow of business tasks pushes through; to the delight of the firm’s clients and to the enterprise itself. This solution converges live operator capabilities, handling both automated and un-automated inbound client inquiries and other options to cost-effectively meet the kind of firm and client relationship needs. A good example of this is, …a good example of an efficient and effective supplier relationship within the computer industry is provided by Sun Microsystems. Sun produces a range of personal computers and file servers, and has become well known for Its extensive use of suppliers, and the ‘symbiotic’ relationship with them. Known as the computer company that does not make microchips, Sun purchases between 75 and 80 per cent of components from other companies. Sun itself does not produce computer chips, disk drives, monitors, keyboards, or, computer chassis. It concentrates on the manufacture of CPU (central processing unit) boards and the efficient assembly of parts. Company managers explain: ‘We try to do internally those parts that provide us with a competitive advantage . . . we take our talent to address the most critical value-added areas and partner the rest. The goal is to eliminate non-value-added and to simplify.’ The core of this real-time customer support must be its commitment to present particular customer care results. Specifically based on what the firm takes is good for them. For this, the firm must recruit and hire qualified individuals and then further teach them to stand out in the highly attentive service atmosphere. To attain this, the firm must point out thorough procedures to ensure that the people on the team are both capable and responsible ion achieving the desired results of the set program. In the team building process, it must utilize a combination of time-saving and cost efficient appraisal tools. As the individuals who handle the task are also an integral aspect in successfully finishing the task, care must be also given in screening and interviewing applicants to ensure that the competent employees are always ready to handle the situations in the right way at the right time. The design must be carried out by going through the nature of the business and the clients they have. The design must also go through understanding the setting of the business, and the aims and goals of the customer care program. Furthermore, it must also analyze the current communications to determine the ways to handle the communication and then later define the objectives. The set objective reflects the technical directions, communications skills and handling situations Moreover, to achieve success within the tasks, the facilities and equipments must also meet the needs of the calls. This means that the hardware must be able to allocate the call traffic through the network to be able to  handle control of you’re the system. It is would be wise to use a dedicated telecommunications system, which completely bypasses local telephone networks. This capability eliminates call blockages and overload situations that might occur locally or regionally. 2. Develop and implement a new website or enhance an existing website to include online catalog sales. “The business of e-retail has been defined as the sale of goods and services via internet or other electronic channels, for personal or household use by consumers”. This definition includes all e-commerce activities that result in transactions with end. Online catalog shops offer retailers a number of advantages. First off, the location of the retailer is now unimportant. This enables them to equally sell anywhere in the country and overseas. Secondly, size does not matter – small e-retailers can compete on equal terms to large ones, can reach a larger audience than the high street and can be open 24 hours a day. A good example of this is …Net-shop Ltd is a privately owned company specializing in the online retail of computer networking products to end consumers. Evolving out of Homestead Electronics Ltd, a mail order electronics company founded in 1983, Net-shop now forms part of a multi-business e-retail portfolio with offerings in diverse market segments. The technology and mail order origins of the company, along with an established customer base and in-house knowledge of the networking market, assisted a smooth transition from mail order retail to e-retail, since much of the order processing and fulfillment infrastructure was already in place and the company possessed the necessary skills to develop its own transactional website and start small alongside its traditional business. Once its e-commerce systems were proven, they provided a platform for further online activities.             The company’s background as a family business, coupled with its attention to success factors in the e-retail marketplace, helped it foster an appreciation of customer expectations, and the requirement to be competent at more than just the technical process behind the shopping experience…” There are many other distinct vantages. The socio-demographic profile of e-shoppers is attractive to many retailers, with higher-than-average education, employment and disposable income levels. In theory at least, online selling saves on the wages costs of face-to-face sales people and the costs of premises. The savings may be less than expected, though, as there are still costs in Internet customer contact and packaging and delivery can be more expensive to provide. Perhaps a more substantial advantage is the ease with which e-retailing integrates with customer relationship management and micro-marketing systems which refers to identifying and treating the customer as an individual. This, together with the easier provision of product information, leads to greater opportunities for cross-selling and selling up. Finally, the late entrants into e-retailing are largely being driven by the idea that if they don’t indulge into online catalog selling then their business counterparts will. The operation of the online catalog activities can never be done alone by any company, in theory, unless the firm is on big company with reasonable resources. If not, retailers then must require suppliers and partners to furnish them with the needed product provisions, fiscal arrangements, legal advice and other related services. The online architecture which makes up the online catalog system is made up of the Internet and systems which enable the business suppliers and partners to keep the stakeholders updated of the recent activities with minimum delay and hereby allowing faster feedback and other important issues. Use Cases: 1.                  Get an overview of the current technological developments. This is to get an idea of which technology you would want to assimilate and take advantage of within the current business. 2.                  Generate a selection of strategic options This is to have a general idea on the steps which the company may take if the previous selected option doesn’t work out. 3.                  Purse all fronts. This is to take advantage of the fact that adapting technological within a company’s setup virtually allows it to opens up new doors and options for the company.     Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Develop and implement a new website or enhance an existing website to include customer service. This might include features for self-service or use of real-time customer support

Develop and implement a new website or enhance an existing website to include customer service. This might include features for self-serv...