ONLINE COMMERCE WEBSITE

Posted: February 21st, 2020

ONLINE COMMERCE WEBSITE

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Online Commerce Website

Task I: Journal

11^th October 2015:

I have visited http://usqu61079948.cloudaccess.host/ (11.00pm) in order to understand the various functions or aspects that a website possesses in order to maintain effectiveness. With the website being an online cinema franchise, the assignment allowed me to comprehend the various factors that constitute an online commerce website.

Task 3: Report

Part One: Website

1. The website in question comprises http://usqu61079948.cloudaccess.host/. The business model in this case involves an online commerce website in the form of a cinema franchise.

1.1.1. In this case, the website is comprised of a range of features. The first part involves a fair and easily accessible Uniform Resource Locator (URL). In definition, a URL mainly constitutes an address for a respective Internet resource (Piechnick 2015). In this respect, the URL allows the client to log in to the site and access ‘Nataraj Movies’. Consequently, the website is comprised of a rational roadmap. Despite being aesthetically pleasing based on its attractive images that display popular movies, its significance is particularly integrated in its effectiveness in respect to the structure and content. Hence, if the client were to Google search for the site, he or she would gain appropriate results. Thirdly, the website exhibits pertinent business information. Usually, people are inclined to create websites that do not necessarily gratify their needs (Dell 2012). However, this website is satisfactory due to presence of basic features such as menu, directions, as well as the contact information. For instance, a potential client is capable of accessing product images. These involve illustrations regarding popular and up-to-date motion pictures such as Ironman. In addition, information regarding booking and the website’s policies were added for purposes of notifying the client. The contact information acts as a crucial part of the website since it provides the customer with an effective platform for contacting us. Based on the simple content of the website, the application program, WordPress, was used. In this exercise, the site was used for creating the pages as well as applying the preferred layout to the respective webpages. Additionally, the program facilitated the addition of a link on each page on the general website. The fair aspect concerning WordPress is based on the way it facilitates the creation of certain elements that may seem difficult to create for an ordinary computer user (McCracken & Wolfe 2004, p. 115; Darlington 2005, p. 45). For instance, creating layout designs manually was difficult prior to the integration of the program. However, WordPress enabled the development of an easy design layout. Furthermore, various options within the program allowed editing of the respective layouts as well as chief features such as the header picture and the background color.

Part Two: Questions

2.1. Routers are beneficial to the business based on the role that they assume as connectors over local area networks (LANs) or wide area networks (WAN) (Schneider 2015, p. 66). Despite this, the passage of information from one network to another may be subject to interruption. As an outcome, the Internet was developed in a manner that encourages the application of the packet switching process. Usually, in a network that is packet-switched, e-mail messages as well as files are disintegrated into smaller parts known as packets (Schneider 2015, p. 66). These packets undergo electronic labeling based on their sequences, destination addresses, and origins. Data packets tend to travel from one computer to another along interconnected networks. However, their ‘journey’ ends once the packets reach their respective destinations. Interestingly, every packet can assume a disparate path via the interconnected networks and thus, reach in a chaotic manner. In this respect, routers translate the packets into the required format. Apart from this, the routers manage packet traffic particularly along the key connecting points of the internet.

2.2. Generally, the stickiness aspect of a website refers to the capability of the site to preserve visitors and appeal to recurrent visitors (Schneider 2015, p. 136). Simply, customers are more inclined to visit sticky websites. The stickiness factor is facilitated in the respective website by its constituent features. For instance, the design of the website’s layout allows users to be attracted to the site. Elements such as appealing movie illustrations and the website’s color also appeal to the clients significantly. Additionally, the stickiness factor assumes an imperative role in enabling the site’s commercial appeal. Based on its appealing features, the cinema franchise website can be utilized as an effective platform for generating more revenue. The simplicity of the website also facilitates the aspect of stickiness. For users, it is easy to navigate through the respective site without encountering any complexities. Furthermore, functions such as booking are easily accessible by the customers allowing them to make reservations online hence facilitating convenience. With such aspects in mind, the respective website facilitates stickiness.

2.3. Normally, organizations that have present sales outlets as well as distribution networks express concerns in relation to their website sales. Such companies assume that the respective sites will steal from their networks as well as physical sales outlets. The issue presented as per these concerns involves a channel conflict. Channel conflicts take place when the sales activities on an organization’s website interfere with current sales outlets (Schneider 2015, p. 145). If allowed to continue, the organization’s website ends up consuming the sales expected to be created in the physical channels. In this case, the proprietor deals with this particular issue by minimizing the number of physical outlets against distribution networks. Through this course of action, the organization is capable of generating considerable revenue via online sales. Furthermore, most of the revenue creating activities is supported online. As such, physical outlets are only useful in terms of convenience especially after orders have been established by clients.

2.4. The World Wide Web creates a platform that facilitates transactions between sellers and buyers. The same notion is also included in activities involving advertising or general promotional campaigns. Accordingly, buyers and sellers engage in convoluted communication approaches due to the advantages that the Web provides. In fact, the ability of the Web to adapt to any environmental situation allows buyers and sellers to participate in different forms of communication with similar objectives. In this case, customer-based marketing approaches offer an appropriate illustration. Usually, customer-oriented marketing tactics allow websites to cater to the different needs and demands of clients (Schneider 2015, p. 177). However, for Nataraj Movies, applying a customer-based tactic is a significant challenge. This is because the manager may view the website from his internal perspective. Hence, with that in mind, it may be hard for the manager to locate and cater to the needs of various types of customer groups. Nevertheless, the manager can assert certain approaches in order to witness the gains of a client-based marketing strategy. In this case, he will need to view the Website as an archetype of the customer’s activities. For instance, the website can be designed further by establishing different links catered to the disparate customer groups that it plans to attract and preserve.

2.5. Presently, the Internet has provided cost-effective ways of reducing the expenditure that companies utilize on pertinent activities. For instance, processes that involve marketing and advertising have become considerably accessible due to the presence of dimensions such as social media (Janoschka 2014, p. 112). Using such platforms, organizations do not necessarily need to inject substantial amounts of capital in order to conduct the mentioned activities. For the cinema franchise, the Internet can assist in limiting the expenses that it uses especially in catering to its respective suppliers. For instance, the Internet can be useful in managing logistical activities that involve supplier-based obligations such as procurement (Schneider 2015, p. 230). In this case, the organization may utilize tailor-made Web-purchasing websites especially in sourcing. If the organization experiences substantial difficulties that involve the movement of raw materials and finished products, the Internet can be useful especially in establishing systems that deliver shipment data to customers in real-time. Furthermore, the losses experienced in activities such as delay or theft of customer packages can be solved via the integration of web-based tracking systems within the organization’s framework. These tracking systems will allow customers to follow their shipments personally.

2.6. As asserted previously, modern organizations have become adept in the implementation of social networking within pertinent activities. Obligations such as advertising and marketing have become integrated as part of social networking strategies aimed at exploiting the benefits arising from the relationship between organizational activities and the facilities offered by the Internet (Schneider 2015, p. 272). In this respect, social networking strategies have become particularly imperative in the daily routines of an organization. Elements such as social media as well as mobile-based commerce have evolved into significant aspects of contemporary organizations. For Nataraj Movies, the application of tactics based on social networking will enable it to appeal to different types of customers via cost-effective measures. Foremost, developing a social networking strategy for the organization will allow it to create significant savings especially on the financial resources that it may incur in physical advertising. By taking advantage of popular social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, the organization can advertise its products at little or no costs (International Symposium on Computer and Information Sciences 2005, p. 106). Consequently, social networking strategies will enable the organization to develop a close relationship with its clientele. In this respect, creating a page or an account within the mentioned social media sites will allow other clients to access and form bonds with the company in question.

2.7. Despite the benefits associated with the exploitation of online commerce, ethical issues are evident. Generally, online commerce is governed by an array of regulations. Such regulations are developed in order to protect the customer and the buyer from unethical and illegal business dealings. Additionally, technological advancements in relation to the Internet have facilitated security threats that can pose physical harm on users as well as the general population (Schulte 2015, p. 211). This is evidenced by activities involving money laundering and other forms of cyber crime. For this particular website/online venture, ethical issues may arise in relation to the legal boundaries that govern online commerce. For instance, the organization may contravene laws that are established by other state and local governments in respect to the fact that conventional geographic boundaries are non-existent on the Internet (Schneider 2015, p. 320). In other situations, the company may encounter ethical issues arising from unfair business practices with the product providers that may involve prejudicial movie reviews.

2.8. A web server can assume an important role in establishing the effectiveness of the website. Generally, web server software allows websites to operate smoothly by facilitating the loading of web pages and other related activities. Additionally, web server exhibits platform neutrality (Schneider 2015, p. 368). Simply, the respective software can easily facilitate communication among computers within different networks effectively. By running multiple interconnections simultaneously, computers are capable of receiving and transmitting information over disparate spans of networks in limited time. In this case, a web server can make the organization’s website more effective by improving communication between the client and the seller. However, this is based on the approach used by the web server when responding to requests from client computers. Additionally, the facets of a web server generally comprise the operating system software, hardware components, and the Web server software. For the organization, such aspects can be selected in order to apply specifically to the intentions of the website in terms of functionality, stickiness and other appealing factors (Yeager & McGrath 2006, p. 56).

2.9. Hosting, as a course of action, allows organizations to carry out business transactions online while utilizing the server software as well as their respective servers (Foo 2011, P. 46). For the website, different alternatives are present in terms of hosting. The first course of action involves shared hosting. This allows the website of a customer to host other sites concurrently. Furthermore, the respective process enables the website to undergo operation by the service provider within the respective location. The second action involves dedicated hosting. In this type of hosting, a Web server is made accessible to the client by the service provider. In both processes, the service provider possesses the hardware component and rents it to the customer. The last course of action involves co-location hosting. In this particular service, the service provider is capable of leasing physical space to a customer. This allows him to implement his individual server hardware (Schneider 2015, p. 405).

2.10. Cookies comprise significant parts of a website. In definition, cookies constitute diminutive text files that are used in the identification of returning visitors. For this process to be successful, Web servers need to position the respective files on to the client computers. In this case, the website requires cookies. Foremost, such files will enable the website to recognize the customers who visit the website considerably. The identification of such visitors will allow the website to maintain communication for purposes of facilitating repeat visiting (Loshin & Vacca 2004, p. 89). For example, persistent cookies may be beneficial to the website. Unlike session cookies, which only exist during a computer session, persistent cookies are consistent. This type of cookie may possess information that can assist the specific website in identifying visitors in the event that they access the site again. On the other hand, session cookies may allow the computer to retain data concerning a specific website visit (Schneider 2015, p. 439).  

2.11. An acquiring bank may assume an oversight as well as a partnership role on the website. Due to technological advancements, financial institutions have adapted to new forms of money-based transactions over the Web. Common instances are illustrated by the relationship between online payment systems and banking structures. Through partnership, banks nowadays team up with respectable payment systems in order to facilitate the transfer of money from one location to another (Rambure & Nacamuli 2008, p. 78). Systems such as PayPal have become considerably pertinent in today’s banking industry due to the way they facilitate online commerce transactions (Schneider 2015, p. 66).

2.12. Conducting the business via the website will gain different forms of benefits for the organization. In order to recognize such benefits, the organization can focus on the identification and enumeration of objectives. The objectives that the company has set will mainly comprise the long-term goals that it has planned to accomplish. However, in another instance, the respective elements can be implemented in comparing the present accomplishments with the expected objectives (Shim 2010, p. 123; Schneider 2015, p. 485). Accordingly, these aspects can be used in gauging the performance of the organization in relation to the benefits that the website has imposed.

References

Darlington, K 2005, Effective website development: Tools and techniques, Pearson/Addison-Wesley, England.

Dell, L 2012, 10 Essential Features of Every Good Business Website, Accessed 13 Oct. 2015 <http://mashable.com/2012/02/09/website-must-haves/#.pfdFtCZ_iqp/>

Foo, C 2011, WEB hosting, ORDOS, Los Angeles.

Harwood, M 2011, Security strategies in Web applications and social networking, Jones & Bartlett Learning, Sudbury.

International Symposium on Computer and Information Sciences 2015, New trends in computer networks, Imperial College Press, London.

 Janoschka, A 2014, Web advertising: New forms of communication on the Internet, John Benjamins Pub, Amsterdam.

Loshin, P & Vacca, J R 2004, Electronic commerce, Charles River Media, Hingham.

McCracken, D D & Wolfe, R J 2004, User-centered website development: A human-computer interaction approach, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River.  

Piechnick, D 2015, Website setup guide: The dummies’ guide to setting up a website, Accessed 13 Oct. 2015 <http://websitesetupguide.com/basic/set-up-website-wordpress.htm/>

Rambure, D & Nacamuli, A 2008, Payment systems: From the salt mines to the boardroom, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke.

Schneider, G P 2015, Electronic commerce, Cengage Learning, Stamford.

Schulte, P 2015, The next revolution in our credit-driven economy: The advent of financial technology, John Wiley & Sons, New York.

Shim, J K 2010, The international handbook of electronic commerce, Glenlake Pub. Co., Chicago.

 Yeager, N J & McGrath, R E 2006, Web server technology: The advanced guide for World Wide Web information providers, Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, San Francisco.