Small Business Websites

Tutorial questions week 8

Small Business Websites

Tutorial Notes 8

1.                     What is informational content?

It is a way of categorizing the different types of information.

2.                     Can you regard a shopping cart as an element of informational content?

Shopping cart would not be considered since it is not in any way categorizing information.

3.                     Give examples of different facets of informational content.

Marketing function, product description and site navigation.

4.                     What does the term “integrated content” mean? Discuss.

It includes text wrapping, process descriptions and consistency with map.

5.                     What would you regard as ‘appropriate” language to use on a B2C website? Discuss?

Using appropriate language, using proper grammer etc.

6.                     Should the language differ for a B2B Website?

It shouldn’t be, since dealing business either with customers or business, informational would be shown appropriately.

7.                     What is a “Text Wrap”?

It’s an automated function where text are formatted to fit into a certain area including graphic images.

8.                     What is the relationship between informational content and website map?

Informational content are information detailing what is there whereas website map is showing the user whereabouts things are.

9.                     What is the difference between static content and dynamic content?

Static would be contents that are updated manually usually once in a few days whereas dynamic content are updated real time and regularly.

10.                What are the most essential elements of informational content for commercial websites? Discuss.

News links, Faqs, layout management etc.

11.                What is content customization? Give Examples.

It is which of how the business wants to customize the contents of the website.

12.                 Why is self-censorship important? Who is legally liable for materials published online?

So that private information of customers or users would not be used in a wrong way.

13.                Give examples of “sensitive” content.

Adult material, religious issues and drugs.

14.                What are the key principles for content authoring?

They are often outsourced and relevant to the company’s business activities.

Tutorial Questions 13 *****

Small Business Websites

Tutorial Notes 13

Under the caption “Future Trends” discuss three small business online future trends from your perspective.

Develop 2-3 paragraphs for each trend, using your own words.

1. Virtual human life characters now days is a current new trend in the future. Where it’s an online society within a 3D world, where users can explore, build, socialize, and participate in their own economy.

I believe this trend would only work if it becomes really popular but there’s a slight chance where it might be a flop because not everyone would like to live their life behind a computer scene. Also simple things would be enjoyable like eating food and drinking wine `won’t be the same. www.secondlife.com

2. Mobile computing is another small business new trend now days. Mobile computer allow staff to work within their comfort zone where ever they are including outside of business hours.

Mobile computing doesn’t just give the staff the privileges of working mobile but also the employer can monitor their business and their staff constantly via the internet. www.dell.com

3.   Online marketing is another trend for small businesses. Where surveys been send to online users by emails or simply on a website. Some marketing online business even paid people to take surveys and from there they get paid from sponsors. www.emailcash.com.au

Exercise:

Adding “free” content to your blog:

SBW Tutorial Answers 12

Small Business Websites

1.                     Why do companies need to carry out website performance analysis?

To see if the company’s website has done the job which is needed to be done, and to see wether customers like it or not. It is also important to see if it is achieving the expectations.

2.                     What are the differences between back-end standards and front-end standards?

Back end standards are the standards relating to the company (software used, server downtimes, and hardware).

Front end standards are the standards relating to the customers (customer service, and satisfaction of the customers).

3.                     Give examples of some of the standards that could be used as benchmarks for website performance analysis.

Network Management Standards

Database Management Standards

Software Integration

Payment Processing

4.                     Why is supply chain as essential for e-business as it is for the traditional business? Discuss.

Because in both cases things need to be delivered to certain places and to certain people, therefore supply chain is important in all sorts of business no matter what they do.

5.                     What are the “Terms of Delivery”? Explain.

All the conditions agreed upon between trading partners regarding the delivery of goods and the related services.

6.                     What does “CIF” stand for?

Cost, insurance, freight. A pricing term indicating that the cost of the goods, insurance, and freight are included in the quoted price.

7.                     If you place an order for a CD with a US website, what would you regard as a reasonable time-frame for the order to be fulfilled? Discuss.

It would depend on the actual company, and how much time do they say they would take to deliver the product. But considering it is a business, they would do it ASAP as long as it doesn’t cost them more money, therefore taking in consideration that it is in the US, it should take approximately about 2 weeks.

8.                     What is “colour coordination”? Give examples.

To coordinate the colours of a website depending on the information that is being displayed, the place or/and to whom it is displayed. E.g. Most Chinese websites would be red or yellow because these two colours have a good impression on Chinese people, on the other hand black colour wouldn’t be as good.

9.                     Do you feel that human involvement is required for CM (Content Management) or it can be accomplished fully through the use of content management software? Discuss.

No because, CM techniques were created to help the person or the company which does the all the management of the content. It was not created to do all automatically because it would be impossible.

10.                Give examples of intra-industry benchmarks for websites.

http://www.panalysis.com.au

http://www.ifocus.com.au

http://www.thewebistheway.com

SBQ Tutorial Answers 9

Small Business Websites

Tutorial 9

1.           What are the 3 elements of commercial websites?

·         Functionality

·         Informational content

·         Emotional appeal

2.           How do you define emotional appeal?

It means product advertising appealing to emotional desires rather than logic, economy or utility.

3.           What are the biggest limitations of the emotional appeal?

It is to convey this via the Internet, to the customer/s.

 4.           Is emotional appeal more effective in B2B or B2C settings? Discuss

Emotional appeal is more effective in B2C as the business can appeal directly to the customer; the customer is more likely to be affected by an emotional appeal, then a company.

5.           What are the possible ways of measuring effectiveness of the emotional appeal? Discuss.

The most effective way could be to measure the need for a product for an average consumer. The higher the need for the product, the more emotional appeal there will be for the consumer.

6.                      What is the Relationship between informational content and functionality?

·         Interdependence

·         Integration is essential

·         Often poses a major problem for companies as content is developed by people other than web developers

 7.           Would you Use Microsoft Word for Web Content Development? Discuss.

No I wouldn’t use Microsoft Word for web content development, as it doesn’t allow for the correct use of Internet language, and I have an excellent understanding of Dreamweaver to develop webpage’s.

 8.               Give examples of content friendly applications

·         FrontPage

·         Dreamweaver

9.           Discuss the limitations of these applications web-development-wise.

·         FrontPage – What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG)

·         Dreamweaver – When you design a page you can't get it to look like what you want.

10.         What are the key differences between primary, secondary and supporting content?

·         Primary

·         Instrumental in keeping the website up-and-running

·         Key sections of the website

·         Requires regular updates

·         Secondary

·         FAQ

·         Static information

·         Policies

·         Supporting Content

·         Business process information

·         Logos etc.

·         Links can be classified as partially content-focused

11.         Why it is so difficult to classify links is either informational content or functionality?

Links can be a function which helps a user connects from one page to another. On the other hand it also provides users with information which tells them where the link will take them if they were clicked on.

SBW Tutorial Answers 11

1.                      What are the essentials for a shopping cart? List and discuss.

- Database

- Connection between site and database

- Catalogue

- Pay Pal integration

            The listed items above are essential to a shopping cart, without them,                     there would be no site that can sell online. As well as the above items, it is             important to consider other things such as security, integrity etc.

2.                      When designing a shopping cart? What are the necessary features to consider?

- Navigation

- Product service map

- Transaction process

- Dynamic Updates

3.                      Give examples of dynamic updates to a shopping cart

- Scorptec

- Amazon

- FlightCenter

4.                      What is ISC? Explain with examples.

ISC is Integrated Shopping Cart, in which the shopping cart is entwined with the website, supply chain management and online transaction.

5.                      How can ISC improve the JIT?

- Online Shopping Carts should be JIT-enabled

- Links to Suppliers and distributors are required

- It enables companies to have real-time transaction processing

6.                      What are the differences between B2B and B2C shopping carts? Discuss.

For B2B

- High Degree of Customization

- Restricted Access

- Account Information

- Ability to change account details, and payment methods

- Higher degree of security

- In-Built Customer Service Options

For B2C

- User-friendly

- Low Maintenance

- Customer account toolbox

7.                      What is the relationship between the shopping cart and the physical storefront?

The principal is the same, you browse and walk through the store and select items you wish to purchase, head to counter where you pay for them, its practically the same online, instead you virtually browse the website, ad items to shopping cart and finally pay for them.

8.                      What are the key features of “Good” and “Bad” shopping carts?

- A sorted product list

- Ease of payment

- Good stock and account management

9.                      Can you develop a shopping cart? What are your technical/skill requirements?

Ready made shopping cart software is already available such as Pay Pal which is in fact free and can be customized, however to create a shopping cart, someone will need to know how to write programs and or understand and write a particular coding language, and be able to create a database, and entwine the database with the coding, such as mdb and asp, or pearl and mysql.

10.                 What are the differences between the back-end and the front-end of the shopping cart? Discuss

Back End

- Stock Control

- Delivery

- Accessibility Controls

Front End

- User friendly interface

- Customer follow up and account customization

11.                  Identify the elements of a back-end of the shopping cart.

- Stock Control

- Delivery

- Accessibility Controls

12.                 What is an “Intelligent” shopping cart?

- Allow price changes, and changes the price universally

- Ability to change quantity ordered and doing math to cost

- Good customer interaction, customer product updates, delivery details and confirmation emails etc.