The Internet and Business Online - Assignment Example

The Internet and Business Online Introduction Internet is a crucial factor, which has led to rapid growth of business industry nationally and internationally. Therefore, it is advisable to set internet setting in an organization involving business activities. Internet has relatively abridged distance among persons from different counties. Therefore, people from different countries can communicate efficiently and effectively thanks to internet innovation. Through internet, a person from South Africa can communicate with a person from Canada. The distance might seem impossible but improvements in technology have made it even easier for such people to communicate. Factors, which might hinder communication between people in different countries, are language. It is evident that a person from Australia and a person from Portugal cannot communicate. Nevertheless, internet has come to rescue situation where language becomes a communication. Through internet, such people can translate the language communicated. Therefore, the translated language makes it easier for the people to understand each other. Other than making communication easy, internet has made business more effective internationally. Businesspersons involve internet in their activities in a process commonly known as e-business. E-business is an acronym of electronic name. Therefore, executives involve electronic gadgets in their business activities. Through e-business, executives can engage consumers from all over the world. E-business has enlarged the scope of business activities both nationally and internationally. Just like a normal business organization, e-business online is not easy to manage. It requires hard work and persistent in order to manage all activities taking place. Statistics has that e-business online is sometimes difficult to manage more than the normal business organization. Moreover, people participating in e-business online pass through many challenges compared to organization managers from normal business organization. All e-business online business has different purposes and responsibility. Nevertheless, they rely on a similar platform to pass information to consumer. They all require a website. Unfortunately, creating a suitable is not easy; it requires time and dedication before establishing a website, which will satisfy the intended consumer. A website is a collection of pages and events in a single entity service single or multi purposes on the internet Task 1 1.1 Scope E-business Just like any other business, e-business online has its unique business environment. Nevertheless, transactions in e-business are different from the transaction from any other business activities. The environment involving e-business involves any person having access to internet. Therefore, any person using a computer or a smart phone can reach any business activity taking place taking place in the internet. Therefore, the large number of people accessing the internet makes it easier for e-business online to reach many people. E-business may use social media such as Facebook and twitter to reach people (Canzer, 2006). Therefore, the environment consists of many people. There are many transactions, which take place in different business online activities. Each e-business online activity conducts it process differently. However, they are certain business online organization conducting their activities in similar ways since they produce similar products and services. For instance, uvocorp and academia produce similar services. Therefore, they use similar process to transact their business activity. Many people may find it hard to understand how people participating in e-business earn income since they do not engage in direct conversation with consumers. Ultimately, people participating in e-business business activities have services or products, which consumers do not have. For instance, American student have loaded academic work which makes it hard for them to balance work routine, home routine and academic routine. Therefore, they need help. Fortunately, uvorcorp, an online e-business organization, has rescued such students and has helped them to balance the activities (Elsenpeter, & Velte, 2001). Uvorcorp organization has incorporated competent writers from different countries who help students in handling the overloaded academic work. Each writer handles academic work considering his or her area of competence. The student therefore, pays the organization after submitting work. Uvocorp organization managers use the money to pay writers and as profit to the organization. The student then receives organized and completed work. 1.2 Benefits of e-business E-business online is beneficial to both the consumer and the organization managers. Since, e-business uses internet as a means of transaction consumers do not have to visit the organization. Moreover, the consumers can communicate with the organization managers or customer care service providers directly using the website (Napier, 2006). Communication and activity between the consumers and the organization is confidential. Therefore, other people cannot identify the activities that take place in the website. The confidentiality in e-business ensures that security for the consumers and the organization manager. Therefore, e-business promotes security. The consumer also cannot transfer currency straight from their phone or bank account to the organization account without visiting the account. The service makes the consumers money secure. E-business is also beneficial to the managers or the website creators. The managers can work from their homes (Canzer, 2006). Their do not necessarily need to walk or drive to the organization in order to participate in the business organization. E-business has also helped in reducing unemployment rates in America. For instance, e-business online has created employment opportunities for people studying web design. Barriers and limitation to e-business In spite of the myriad benefits and advantages e-business online, have many barriers and disadvantages. Business online can only be effective when a person has access to internet. Unfortunately, a person cannot participate in e-business activity when they do not have access to internet. In some countries, access to internet is expensive, therefore, many people cannot fail to access since they cannot afford amount required to participate in business activities. Such cases lead to slow growth in e-business activity (Kalakota, & Robinson, 2000). In addition, consumers can only participate in e-business activity if they have knowledge on how to operate a smart phone or a computer. Unfortunately, they are many people in some countries unaware of the skills required to participate in e-business. The computer and smart phone literate people lead to a decrease in e-business online activities. E-business developers also face many barriers. For instance, it is hard to create a website, which will convince the consumers that the particular service or product produced by the organization is legit (Elsenpeter, & Velte, 2001). Moreover, few people can create a well-designed website. Moreover, reaching many consumers is also difficult since there are many website in the internet. The website therefore, depends on advertisements, which are normally expensive. It is also hard to earn trust from consumers. Such factors lead to slow growth. Internet access is also another barrier facing e-business managers and developers. Many online business have their serves, which provide internet, therefore, they do not have problems accessing internet. However, the organization which lack serves has difficulties when accessing internet. Accessing internet from external serves is also expensive. Some people decide to quit since they cannot afford the required money to access internet. E-business also faces problems from hackers. Hackers are professional people who can illegal access to the website and tamper with information stored in the website (Stanford-Smith, & Kidd, 2000). Therefore, the organization requires having a protected website created by experienced and competent website designers who are expensive to hire. 1.4 Modes of communication used e-business There are different ways in which people participating in business online communicate. Apparently, the communication modes rely on internet (Napier, 2006). Some of the modes of communication taking place in e-business include chats available on website, e-mail, available phone contacts and visiting care providers in the organization headquarters. The communication modes are imperative as they help in convincing the consumers that the service or products offered by the organization are legit and important. The chats available in the business are channels in which the consumers can ask question and expecting direct answers from customer care service providers (Kalakota, & Robinson, 2000). Through the chats, the consumers can ask question considering the service or products listed in the website. Nevertheless, there are some website, which do not have the chats channel since they are consumers who wrongly use the channels. Such organization provides emails and phone contacts as a mode in which consumers can reach them. The email and phone contact serve the same purpose as the website chat channels (Canzer, 2006). The most effective mode of communication is visiting the organization headquarters where the managers are located. The consumers here can communicate with the customer service providers face to face. Visiting the headquarters will help the consumers in earning the organization trust. Visiting the organization also helps the consumers to have knowledge about the organization, which is not available on the website. 2.0 How the internet works 2.1 Internet technologies Growths of internet technologies have been the main factors, which have helped in the rapid growth in in e-business. Therefore, it is imperative for each organization participating in e-business to incorporate the all improvement in internet technologies, as it will help in stimulating the growth of business online. An internet technology, which has promoted e-business, is the social media, For instance, YouTube, Facebook and twitter. Through the social media the organization, pass relevant information considering the product or service they are offering. The organization chooses to use social media because the social media incorporates many people from internationally (Elsenpeter, & Velte, 2001). Facebook statistics conducted in June 2014 conclude that there are 1.13 billion active users used per month. The large number of people attracts many people participating in e-business. Consequently, the organization have been able to reach the users therefore, there is a relative increase in the number of consumers visiting organization website. The internet technologies have also improved the modes in which organization managers can communicate with consumers nationally and internationally. Introduction of communication via email has enabled the managers to communicate with consumers globally. Moreover, email developers have also created email application, which can fit in smartphone. Therefore, smartphone users can communicate with the organization managers using their smart phone regardless of the distance between the organization headquarters and the consumer (Stanford-Smith, & Kidd, 2000). Email communication has led to rapid growth of e-business since many people are practicing it. Furthermore, there is unlimited space in the internet for creating website. The unlimited internet space has created an opportunity where many people can create website for advertising and selling their products. Therefore, a consumer can find any product or service from the internet. Moreover, the website developers do not require paying any fee when creating a website since it is free. Organization managers pay to reach many consumers. Another internet technology, which has help in promoting business, is internet security. Previously, many website creators complained because hackers hacked their websites without their knowledge. The insecurity had discouraged many people from practicing e-business. Therefore, people were not enjoying the business opportunities created from internet. Nevertheless, internet security has enabled people to create website confidently without fear of hacking from hackers (Napier, 2006). National governments from every countries has established security measures where websites developers and people practicing e-business can use confidently, without fearing hacking. Security has also increased trust in which consumers have from e-business. Consequently, there is an increase in the number of consumers visiting e-business website. Another internet technology is introduction of the blog. Blog is almost similar to website. People may decide to create their own blog or create a blog from a website. A blog moreover is like a website account a person can share with internet users using blogs. They can also share information in the blogs in social media sites (Niederst, 2007). Many people are turning their attention to blogging since it is easy to operate and can earn more income than website. Nevertheless, creative people are creating website, which can accommodate unlimited blogs. Through the blogs, many people including companies can advertise their products and services. Blogging from a recognized website helps people participating in e-business. Moreover, consumers can communicate with bloggers through commenting tables set when a comment is put by the blogger. Currently, many people are using blog to pass information which important to the nation (Canzer, 2006). Unfortunately, or rather fortunately, mane people are passing national information through the blogs. Therefore, there is limited information passed from blogs to other countries. Therefore, blogging has contributed to rapid growth of e-business nationally. People using blogs from websites have contributed to the growth of the website. Therefore, the used websites can reach many consumers. Therefore, there is an increase in the number of consumers visiting the website especially if it is an e-business website. Task 2 3.1 Different e-business models Just like any other type of business activity, there are many different types of e-business models. Some of the models are, direct sales, service based, advertising based and knowledge based (Singh, & Waddell, 2004). Each model has different objectives and task therefore, they conduct their activities differently, in most cases the models depend on each other to ensure in order to ensure success in achieving the intended objectives. 3.2 Direct service based e-business model Direct service based models have a purpose or selling service and products to consumers directly. Nevertheless, they e-business model does not sell literally as is sound. The consumers have to communicate with the client serves in order to know where the consumer can receive their goods (Meier, & Stormer, 2009). After effectively communicating, the consumers then can get their products or services as agreed from the conversation they had with the client servers. The organization, nevertheless, may opt to offer direct transport for product purchased by the consumers. Some consumers may opt to get the products they have achieved from the organization establishments. Service based e-business model There are services where a consumer has received literary. Such services include, consulting, freelance writing article writing and others. A person may communicate with a psychologist or a physician directly using the websites (Singh, & Waddell, 2004). Nevertheless, the consumers have to pay the physicians before consultation. In freelance, a student will receive completed work after they have paid the required amounts. Advertising based e-business model Advertising based model e-business models used for advertising products on the internet Nevertheless; advertising will take place on the visitors, which have many visitors. The internet has many users internationally; therefore, organization practicing e-business take advantage of the huge population to advertise their products and service to the myriad internet users. Popular websites take advantage of their popularity by advertising other products selling their products at a fee. Knowledge based e-business model Knowledge based e-business models are similar to service based e-business models. However, knowledge based is concerned with passing information important to a client life. Knowledge based also has a purpose of teaching clients on disciplines or fields they were not aware (Niederst, 2001). Nevertheless, the consumers who use knowledge-based models have to pay the people offering the services. Examples, of knowledge-based models include online lessons and online consultation. Task 3 2.3 Functions if client servers Every person in an organization is important provided they execute the task assigned to them by the organization managers. Client serves or the customers care service providers are important for an organization practicing e-business. The client serves have a duty to respond to the complaint or question raised by website visitors (Meier, & Stormer, 2009). They also have a duty of convincing the consumers that they product or service provided by the organization is legit. Client serve further have a responsibility of explaining to the visitors the products or service produced by the organization. Consumers will also find the lint serves when they visit the organization headquarters. Functions of a browser and search engine A browser is a user interface that displaying files contained in HTML files. The browser is important as it helps website visitors to get the files or information they require or need from information from the organization practicing e-business (Schneider, 2011). Therefore, organization e-business online should always set up a browse which will helps visitors to locate the information they need. Fortunately, almost all website have a search engine. A search engine is a table like feature on the website, which has a responsibility of providing a place where visitors input text where they can search anything they want from the website. The common search engine internationally is Google. Google its self is a form of search engine. Google Company has incorporated all websites found in the internet (Elsenpeter, & Velte, 2001). The website are many therefore, it would be hard if a consumers or any network user decides to visit a website. Nevertheless, Google has made it easier for such people to such the website they intended to get information (Niederst, 2007). The company has provided a search engine where an internet user can put text, which automatically starts to search all sources, which have information regarding the text put buy the internet visitor. The same process occurs to website. The websites have a search engine where consumers or visitors put text, which also automatically, starts to search from the information according to the text put by the visitor. Unlike Google, the search engine can only search information, which the website has. The search engine is important because it makes works easier for the consumers. It is evident that people practicing e-business will put many information in the website (Meier, & Stormer, 2009). Consumers normally, want specific items, which sometimes becomes difficult to find from loads of context put in the website. Through the search engine, people can effortlessly find what they needed. Therefore, it is important for people practicing e-business to ensure that their visitors easily locate the information they require. 2.4 Intranets and extranets Organization practicing e-business usually utilizes intranets and extranets. Intranets are the specific network privately set for the organization. Every network system contains the information used via the network (Schneider, 2011). Therefore, a telecommunication network has all information and communication communicated using network belonging to the telecommunication organization. It is therefore, necessary to keep the information private. An organization employers and employees only have access to the information available in the telecommunication network system (Singh, & Waddell, 2004). They can only ensure confidentiality after establishing intranet. With intranets, employers and employees will have access to the information in the organization. Intranets help in ensuring security of the any information, which hackers can use to hack an organization website. An organization also has network, which feeds the public, and anyone interested in the organization. Such network is called extranets. Unfortunately, or rather fortunately there is limited information about the organization included in the extranet networks. The organization uses the extranets to pass information, which they think consumers deserve. Therefore, the material depicted in the website is the information included in the extranets. 4.1 Web design Fundamentally, web design is a course or a unit where people learn the basics and requirements of creating a website. People learning web design websites according to the knowledge they receive after learning the course (Niederst, 2001). There are many job opportunities offered after a person learns how to create a website. Web designs have different designs structures. The main structures are good visual design, content, navigation, call to action, credibility, mobile site and others. Good visual design is the way in which a website is designed. What a visitor first sees in the website determines if they will stay on the website. Therefore, web designers should ensure that they create a visual design, which attracts consumers. In order to create a good visual design, a web designer should have knowledge of the HTML features. They should also know the organization main colors. The colors are important as they help in portraying the organization real image. Content is the actual information the visitors read on the website. The content contains the information of the products or service provided by the organization. The content also described the objectives of the organization (Niederst, 2001). The content is also a major factor, which helps in determining whether consumers will understand the purpose of the organization. Therefore, content should be clear and precise. Navigation is the way in which website visitors wander about in the website. Normally, visitors navigate in the website suing buttons and links (Meier, & Stormer, 2009). Webs designers should make navigation easier for the visitors. Easy navigation process will attract many consumers. Therefore, navigation should have browsers and search engines. Calls to act are the words that attract website guests to take action on the websites. Web designers should use call to action words on titles or subheading (Schneider, 2011). The call to action words would be the first words that visitors see when they log in to a website. The words also should have different colors from the contents describing the purpose of the organization. Web designers can also use different formats when using call to action words. There are many people owning smartphones than people owning computers. Therefore, a web designer has a responsibility of creating a web site, which can be compatible with mobile phones. Therefore, internet users using mobile phones can reach organization information listed and explained on the websites. 4.2 Importance of a well-designed website to an e-business A well-designed website will attract many visitors (Frain, 2012). It is evident that most people will visit websites having the best content, mobile view, visual content, call to action words and others. A well-designed website should have the information set in a manner, which satisfy the consumer demands. Ultimately, an organization practicing e-business should ensure that they have a well-designed websites, which has a perfect visual design, mobile, content, and the web design structures (Meier, & Stormer, 2009). The website will therefore attract many consumers from many places. Therefore, the organization will experience increased profits since many visitors will want to engage in business activities with the organization. 4.3 Issues concerning website usability Many issues affect a website usability. Such factors include, content, page layout, colors, download and upload speed. Content shared in the website affect the website and the organization setting the website (Frain, 2012). Visitors will often run away from the organization if the content does not satisfy them. Page layout is the way in which the organization depicts the website. The organization should portray the website according to what the visitor’s value. Failure to consider the visitor’s values the organization. There are websites which have documents which visitors have to download others give visitors opportunity to upload some requirements (Frain, 2012). Upload and download speed ought to be fast. Fortunately, the speed relies on the types of network available. Nevertheless, there are websites, which have slower upload and download speed. Slower download speeds usually chase visitors from the websites (Boulton, 2009). Therefore, website developers should set download and upload speeds, which will satisfy consumer needs. Conclusion Features of HTML HTML is an acronym of HyperText Markup Language (Kalakota, & Robinson, 2000). HTML is a set of text, which determines how a web page should look or appear when someone visits the sites. HTML has different features used differently (Kalakota, & Robinson, 2000). The existence of the features is the reason websites look differently unless a person copied the same features and processing when creating a website. Nevertheless, it is advisable to use different features, different from other website in order to ensure uniqueness and creativity of the website. Moreover, unique websites attract more visitors. Therefore, people practicing e-business should use different HTML features when creating a website in order to attract more visitors. Some of HTML features include paragraphs, titles, numbered and bulleted list, fonts, colors and positioning (Schneider, 2011). Each HTML feature, should serve the objectives of e-business organization. It is imperative to use the features wisely; therefore, all features are necessary for creating e-business website. Nevertheless, when creating an e-business website it is advisable to use the features, which will only serve the business objectives (Meier, & Stormer, 2009). Paragraphs should be set in manner, which will satisfy visitors. The paragraphs should be short. Visitors might feel lazy when they first view long paragraphs short paragraphs often do not satisfy information the consumer need considering the products offered by the organization. Therefore, the website developers should set the paragraphs in a manner which consumers will have the urge of reading. Another HTML feature is the title. The title depicts the name and purpose f the organization participating in e-business. Therefore, before a consumer visits a website they read the title to see if the website can serve, they need. The organization therefore, should set titles, which attract consumers (Elsenpeter, & Velte, 2001). The titles determine if the consumers will visit the website. There are organizations, which produce similar products and services. Consumers in most cases have not tested products or services from, the different organization. The consumers therefore, might have confusion on the organization to choose for providing the service or need. To avoid such confusion organization participating in e-business should set titles in manner, which attracts and convinces their consumers more than other organization (Kalakota, & Robinson, 2000). For instance, the organizations can put titles, which incorporate free products after a consumer initiates conversation or transaction with the organization. The organization therefore will experience an increase in the number of visitor’s visiting the website. Eventually, the organization will experience an increase in the number of consumers. Font is another HTML feature (Niederst, 2007). Font is the manner in which words are portrayed in the website. Fonts have different sizes.it is evident that different websites have different fonts for different sentences. For instance, titles have large fonts than sentences in paragraphs. Therefore, website developers should apply similar strategies when creating a website. Subheadings also have different font sizes. Furthermore, there are many different fonts. Times new roman, old English, Arial and among others are examples of fonts used for creating a website. There are fonts, which are hard to read, for instance, détente. The organization practicing e-business should avoid using fonts, which are hard to read since the fonts will chase visitors especially those who cannot read. To avoid chasing visitor’s websites should use easy readable fonts such as Arial or times new roman when creating paragraphs or titles. Readable fonts will enables consumers to read the information conveyed from the website. Color is another important HTML feature. Different organization has different colors. There are organizations, which use orange as their trademark and other use blue (Stanford-Smith, & Kidd, 2000). Therefore, the organization using orange as their trademark should use orange as the main color in their website. Using a different color might confuse the visitors whom might end up leaving the website. Moreover, the organization should not be too colorful, as it does not attract website. Website developers should use a minimum of five colors when creating a website. Nevertheless, the numbers of colors depend with the purpose of the organization. Some organization will require more colors in their website more than others will. Future developments of e-business It is evident that technology present during the 19th century is different from technology present in20th century. Technology has rapidly improved (Bak, & Stair, 2011). Therefore, anything, which associates itself with technology, has improved its modes of conducting its activities. E-business is one of the entities, which has improved after due to the recent improvements in technology. Statistics has anticipated that e-business will experience an improvement in modes which it conducts its activities (Singh, & Waddell, 2004). Therefore, the process the organization practicing e-business will experience easy ways in which they conduct their activities. Everything included in e-business will experience an improvement. There will be an increase in the number of people visiting the organization websites since there many people will have knowledge of the process included in the websites using smart phones and personal computers. They will also be an increase in the number of consumers since they will be an improvement in the modes which the organization conduct e-business. Many business organizations currently are practicing e-business. The organizations are moving to e-business because it is fast and secure than the normal business. E-business can take place thanks to internet Improvements in internet have led to increase in the number of people and organization practicing e-business. Organizations are engaging in different models of e-business. In order for an organization to have an increase in the number of visitors, they should implement a website, which incorporates all HTML features and the wed design structures. Reference Top of FormBottom of FormTop of FormBottom of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form Bak, O., & Stair, N. (2011). Impact of e-business technologies on public and private organizations: Industry comparisons and perspectives. Hershey, PA: Business Science Reference. Boulton, M. (2009). A practical guide to designing for the web. Penarth, U.K: Mark Boulton Design. Canzer, B. (2006). E-business: Strategic thinking and practice. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Elsenpeter, R. C., & Velte, T. J. (2001). eBusiness: A beginners guide. Berkeley, Calif. [u.a.: Osborne/McGraw-Hill. Frain, B. (2012). Responsive web design with HTML5 and CSS3: Learn responsive design using HTML5 and CSS3 to adapt websites to any browser or screen size. Birmingham: Packt Publishing Ltd. Kalakota, R., & Robinson, M. (2000). E-business 2.0: Roadmap for success. Harlow: Addison-Wesley. McNeil, P. (2008). The Web designers idea book: The ultimate guide to themes, trends, and styles in website design. Cincinnati, Ohio: HOW Books. Meier, A., & Stormer, H. (2009). EBusiness & eCommerce: Managing the digital value chain. Berlin: Springer. Napier, H. A. (2006). Creating a winning E-business. Boston, Mass: Thomson Course Technology. Niederst, R. J. (2001). The web design CD bookshelf: 6 bestselling books on CD-ROM. Beijing: OReilly. Niederst, R. J. (2007). Learning Web design: A beginners guide to (X)HTML, style sheets, and Web graphics. Beijing [u.a.: OReilly. Schneider, G. P. (2011). E-business. Australia: Course Technology/Cengage Learning. Singh, M., & Waddell, D. (2004). E-business innovation and change management. Hershey, Pa. [u.a.: Idea Group Publ. Stanford-Smith, B., & Kidd, P. T. (2000). E-business: Key issues, applications and technologies. Amsterdam: IOS Press. United Nations. (2007). E-business development services for SMEs in selected ASEAN countries and southern China. Thailand: United Nations ESCAP. Read More