Hometown Computer Services - Viability of Product or Service - Essay Example

The company is based on the belief that our customers' needs are of the utmost importance. Our entire team is committed to meeting those needs. As a result, a high percentage of our business is from repeat customers and referrals. Our services have been centralized in Central Kentucky.

1.             Why does it make sense to go online and be successful?

            Online Business ranges from online marketing to online advertising. To be successful in online business, advertisement, and marketing should be placed on the internet often to complement other mediums. Online business breaks down into several events such as banners-these are small advertisements that are placed on a host website often a free site. They offer something attractive to browsers. The advert always carries a link to the advertisers’ website where there is more information. Pop-ups- an advert that automatically appears on the screen when the internet user accesses a site. Presence website- sites that do not contain any interactive features. They usually explain what the business does and then direct the visitors to the telephone numbers and e-mail.

            With customer feedback, there should be a measure of customer satisfaction by viewing and dealing with their feedback effectively and efficiently. It is important to take customer feedback seriously to aim to improve the product and service in the business. Customer monitoring is important because it identifies customers’ problems early enough in order for appropriate measures to be taken.

            When undertaking online business it is necessary to know the demographic information of your potential customers. These are the social external factors which include culture, sub-culture, social class, reference groups, family, and age. Culture represents the whole set of beliefs and value systems that are shared among people in a particular society. The culture in which consumers are raised affects their values, opinions, and attitude. Culture entails both tangible items as well as intangible such as laws, customs, and social prestige. An online service provider must strive to understand the underlying core values that govern people’s attitudes and beliefs in a particular culture. Every culture is characterized by a unique tendency that service providers must be aware of when addressing a particular audience and the primary appeal must aim at marching the core values of the brand to the core values of the target audience in a particular culture. Sub-cultures are the shared human characteristics such as ethnic background, age, and urban-rural setup. Sub-cultures are segments within a dominant with a different set of meanings, values, or actions that differ in significant ways from those of the dominant culture.

            Social classes are relatively permanent ordered divisions in a society whose members are assumed to share similar values, interests, and behavior. Social class is determined by the level of income, education, occupation, neighborhood, and wealth.

Reference groups- it is a group of people one uses as a model for behavior in specific situations. They play 3 functions; serve as a means of personal comparison, they provide information about a particular issue and finally, they offer guidance to various issues.

1. Pros and Challenges of going online

            There are 3 forms of reference groups- associative, aspirational, and dissociative.