WH Smiths Web Based Business - Case Study Example

E-Commerce and E-Business Fundamentals - WH Smiths Web Based Business Table of Contents Executive summery The implementation of internet technologies has turned out to be an essential part of almost every walk of life and also the organizations now understand that the internet is necessary to run the business effectively. Since, people now want trouble-free ways of accessing information, shopping and banking. At the present, a lot of businesses have presence on the internet and are devoted to redevelop and enhance their sales to increase their profits margin. Since, effective and efficient media coverage could be able to help out businesses to build up a reputation in the society as well as get more customers. In addition, the corporations that cater to the requirements of media are more probable to obtain regular coverage as well as minimize the potential for errors in published stories. Moreover, the online press rooms are working as hubs for organizations, presetting the product information, latest news and visual elements to facilitate them better recognize products and services. In the scenario to enhance the online business corporations are now trying redevelop their business strategies. This report presents a detailed analysis of WH Smiths web based business re-development process and expected potential enhancements. Additionally, this report will offer a new and much better online strategy regarding the potential enhancement in the customary online business practice of the WH Smiths. This report will also present suggestions that can enhance the WH Smiths business and offer better competitive edge to the business. Introduction Business industry is by no means an exception to internet mania in view of the fact that, with the passage of time, the online business is turning out to be an exhortation. The online business means that people can buy and pay from home and even while sitting in their bedroom via an internet equipped PC or laptop. The universal wave of information technologies (ITs) development and implementation has turned out to be a driving force in approximately every part of human job. In this scenario, the internet that is a main element of this global wave has been transformed into a double-edged weapon offering a lot of opportunities, facilities, tools, and capabilities to individuals and corporations (Salifu, 2008). Liam (2009) stated that growing amount of people who make use of the internet is showing to be a boon intended for businesses that are interested in expanding their reach to the online community. Additionally, the huge number of internet clients shows a huge potential customer base that is there for the benefits as well as quite a few corporations have previously begun to occupy the internet in support of their business. Despite the fact that, having an online business is not without challenges and difficulties. One of its main concerns is the online customer experience. When a customer purchase online, he does not interact with other people, he only interacts with the online platform since the customers are linked to the online consumer activities center on the online business' website. Thus, this defines the customer experience that connects our customers with our online business (Liam, 2009). Carson (2009) outlined that a lot of e-businesses are redesigning or designing their business structure, services and processes to gain benefits of internet capabilities, which are very important for the business. The model of e-business comprises e-commerce that supports as “some transaction in that the parties work together electronically rather than through physical exchanges or direct physical communication”. The number of client buying products in the course of the internet amplifies gradually and it is necessary for corporations to adapt their business to customer demands so as to make profit as well as not to loose marketplace shares (Carson, 2009; Laudon & Laudon, 1999, p.25). The main intention or objective of this report is to offer recommendations how WH Smiths that is a multi-channel retailer for products like DVDs, books and CDs could make stronger its online business presence as well as not to go on loosing marketplace shares to other online retailers. Business analysis WH Smiths is a growing online business. The main competitor of the WH Smiths business is Amazon.com. The present evaluation is aimed at offering the business online system redesign impact of the homepage, context of use, page layout, usability and navigation as well as information content. By the analysis of the business of WH Smiths I have found that the main users of WH Smiths online business are customers who desire to purchase a product or compare products prices. In this website analysis for whole procedures it was experienced that website of WH Smiths is effectively structured as well as mostly pursued the applied ecommerce guidelines. In case of the WH Smiths the Amazon is good example of online business competitor that could serve as a high-quality example for WH Smiths business enhancement (Allen, 2010; WHSmith, 2010). WH Smiths business recommendations The number of online customer buying products in the course of the internet augmenting with the passage of time and it is essential for corporations to develop and maintain their businesses according to the customers’ demands and expectations so as to make profit as well as not to loose marketplace shares. This section presents some suggestions for enhancing the WH Smiths business website that are based on an analysis of the Amazon.com web site. Here I will suggest some of positive mechanisms that if WH Smiths business adopts it will be able to gain more competitive advantages. When assessing the WH Smiths homepage particular concentration should be paid to the framework of use, the usability, the impact of the homepage, the information content and the page layout and navigation. Additionally it can be viewed that WH Smiths business contains some information that should be given to the significance of engineering philosophy as well as views to ethical and legal issues. Here I have outlined some of main areas of the WH Smiths online business points that are lacking as compared to other same web based business competitors. Here are the following recommendations for WH Smiths online business (Allen, 2010) & (Liam, 2009): There is need for including a tagline that can offer customers a short statement regarding the corporation’s business purpose. There is need to apply a section on WH Smiths website regarding the “About the Company” preferably at the top of the business web page. There is need to include a part having options for the “recent offers” to offer customers the opportunity to discover advertised products. There is need to offer more customized business environment that offers the “sign in” option for the baseness that can be recognized at the first sight. Another main point that I have assessed from the analysis of its competitor (like that Amazon), at WH Smiths online business there is need for a model that can show WH Smiths brand loyalty. People globally recognize the corporation as well as trust them because of their positive reputation. Additionally it was attained to set up a convenient shopping experience because of personalization and their 1-click technology (Assaid, 2006). Business Reputataion According to Stanchak (2007), there is higher need for building the business reputation and market value. In the scenario of WH Smiths’s online business we need to largely concern with how we can quantify, mark, and measure WH Smiths accumulated trust. For the reason that WH Smiths social-network presence is persistent, it is able to play a role in tracking its trustworthiness. In this regard there is need to establish business trust that comes from social networks. In this scenario we need to establish some effective business strategy for enhancing the market based reputation (Stanchak, 2007). Enhancing Customer Experience Carson (2009) stated that there is need to enhance the customer's experience that starts from the first time he visits the online business store. The website's main page should hold simple and easy to understand and business related information. Additionally, this business information should be understandable and linked to the other business areas of the website so that customers could be able to simply navigate to the proper pages to start their transactions. In addition, the main page should contain simple information that will help it load quickly since a number of users would be using slow internet connection as well as slow speed of web page processing have been recognized to drive clients away. As well, it should be planned in a way that is suitable for the entire ages as well as customers (Carson, 2009). Better Promotion Fundamentally the main role of online affiliate business is to promote the business product of the merchant. In the course of promotion, the registered corporation is intended to force the visitors’ traffic on the online sale page of the business. Since, with the increase in business online traffic, the probability of flourishing sales as well improves, in this way the business would get more customers and earn more money in the course of this business service. However, if a corporation desires to make money through affiliation then it can obtain assistance from any specialized services like that Auto-responder (Barnes et al., 2005). In case of WH Smiths business the Auto-responder would be a web based service that would be responsible for distributing emails to the WH Smiths’s web site visitors. However, these business emails are prewritten. Additionally, the idea is to produce traffic on an opt-in-page to gather the email addresses of the web based business visitors. When we obtain the email addresses of the web visitors, we can drive them follow up emails through more information as well as helpful content concerning the products intended for which they were looking for. In this approach the probability of sale as of the merchant website are augmented and the registered website is able to earn enormous sum of money. Essentially it has initiated that visitors do not make several purchase from a merchant’s website on their initial visit. These online business clients require to be pursued at least three to five times. Consequently, WH Smiths online business service like that Auto-responder IS would be able to facilitate it follow the clients unless they make a buy (Hogg & Adamic, 2004). Enhancing business strategy Amazon.com is an online retailer consequently its main concern is to sell products as well as raise revenues. The corporation’s dream is to attain the maximum shares of the business market, to construct a place where people are able to discover and find out anything they might desire to purchase online. Therefore, its main users are people who desire to purchase a product or contrast prices. But as well other groups might be concerned in visiting its online business homepage, such as investors who come across for financial information, companies with the intention to create a partnership with Amazon or competitors who desire to stay informed regarding the latest developments of its online business competitors (Carman & Malik, 2006) & (Stanchak, 2007). Carman & Malik (2006) stated that the context of the commercial objective of the website is like a business slogan that is recognized quickly by the users. To describe the context of use a lot of information has to be taken into concern as suggested by usability point of view. It is significant to know who desire to visit the site with some objectives as well as motivations. Desired categories of information as well as incidence of utilization have to also be taken into account. Additionally, what experiences does the client have as well as how will he be apply with the presented information (Carman & Malik, 2006). Conclusion This report has presented a detailed analysis of the WH Smiths web based business. In this scenario this report covered a detailed analysis of the main aspects of the re-development and potential enhancements of the business structure of the WH Smiths web based business. This report has pointed out some shortcomings in its business areas and offered recommendations in order to increase the potential business revenue. In this scenario I have presented some main areas of business enhancement in relation to the business structure of the Amazon business that is main competitor of WH Smiths. Bibliography Allen, K., 2010. WH Smith suffers fall in Christmas sales. [Online] Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/jan/27/wh-smith-fall-book-sales-christmas [Accessed 20 April 2010]. Assaid, M., 2006. E-Commerce & E-Business Fundamentals - Business report about VJ Jones possibilities to enhance their online business presence and e-business strategy. Northumbria University. Barnes, D., Hinton, M. & Mieczkowska, S., 2005. Enhancing Customer Service Operations in E-Business: The Emotional Dimension. Journal of Electronic Commerce in Organizations, 3(2), pp.17-32. Carman, S.L. & Malik, M.A., 2006. Risk e-Business: Enhancing a Successful Risk Management Process Online. NASA.gov. Carson, A., 2009. Online Business - Enhancing the Online Customer?s Experience. [Online] Available at: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1267909_3.html [Accessed 19 April 2010]. Hogg, T. & Adamic, L., 2004. Enhancing Reputation Mechanisms via Online Social Networks. In Electronic Commerce, Proceedings of the 5th ACM conference on Electronic commerce. New York, NY, USA , 2004. ACM New York, USA. Laudon, K.C. & Laudon, J.P., 1999. Management Information Systems, Sixth Edition. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Liam, M., 2009. Internet Business Idea - Enhancing Your Success to the Next Level. [Online] Available at: http://ezinearticles.com/?Internet-Business-Idea---Enhancing-Your-Success-to-the-Next-Level&id=4054601 [Accessed 20 April 2010]. Salifu, A., 2008. The impact of internet crime on development. Journal of Financial Crime, 15(4), pp.432-43. Stanchak, J., 2007. How can brands enhance their online reputations? [Online] Available at: http://smartblogs.com/socialmedia/2010/04/07/how-can-brands-enhance-their-online-reputations/ [Accessed 20 April 2010]. WHSmith, 2010. WHSmith. [Online] Available at: HYPERLINK "http://www.whsmith.co.uk/" http://www.whsmith.co.uk/ [Accessed 20 April 2010]. Read More