Associations of Identity Through the Website, LaCie - Essay Example

Associations of Identity Through the Website, LaCie Introduction Building a brand identity through an online portal includes different elements that will provide customers with a deeper understanding of the website. Doing this in a manner that allows for a stronger basis of the company requires several layers and elements that function correctly with the brand. When looking at the website, LaCie, it can be seen that there are several areas of improvement that can be made through the website. The products that are offered, as well as the way in which the information is presented through the site, creates a deeper understanding of what is needed for improvement of the site. Creating a stronger brand identity, and set of website functions, will help to enhance the product as well as the customer relationships that are related to the business. More importantly, altering the website to a different set of elements will produce a stronger set of organizational management to the internal and external environment. Background of LaCie LaCie was developed to create a space where individuals can look at hardware, software and pieces of technology that can be used in the home. The designs that are offered include a variety of products that have been manufactured through the company as well as through affiliations with other corporations that offer different accessories, multimedia displays and technological components that can be used for individuals and businesses. The company also provides services for repair of technological products and for recovery of data that is needed online through specialized technicians. This allows individuals to not only use the various products that are a part of the corporation, but also to have backend support for the different needs that are a part of the company. The LaCie products that are incorporated into this are designed to provide individuals with a stronger basis for their needs and allow them to create a solution for technological products that are outside of the mainstream and which help with communication and development of various products. The company also provides a basis in technology related to customer service so individuals have a deeper understanding of the products that are being offered and the technological services that can be used to provide a stronger basis for the company (LaCie, 2010). Branding The first area of improvement that LaCie can focus on is based on the brand identity of the products. The brand identity of the company is the main facet that will help to improve the performance and will gather recognition on the Internet. Since there are so many companies that are focused on technology, it is essential that LaCie has an innovative reputation through the brand that they create. The unique products that are offered through the company should combine with this to create instant recognition of the brand and to show a customer response that builds a sense of loyalty through the same recognition. To do this correctly, LaCie will need to build a symbolic type of brand as the main reputation. More importantly, they will need to show a reputation on the website that allows customers to feel more comfortable with the brand and what is in the company. There also needs to be an element of showing what the company is about by providing a sense of storytelling about the company, what it offers and why this stands out from other brands that are a part of the corporation (Schultz et al, 157, 2002). When looking at the main website of LaCie, it can be seen that there is no basis of the corporate identity as a part of the business. The only brand that is seen is through the main logo, which is a basic blue design with the name LaCie in it. The basic concept that is applied through this doesn’t provide a sense of brand recognition and doesn’t link to the unique elements of technology that are offered through the corporation. More importantly, the name of the company combines with this into a name that is not easily recognizable and which doesn’t provide a story or a brand name that can be remembered. If the name isn’t changed through the company, than the brand that is seen through the visualization of the company will need to be altered. This will bring instant memory about the brand. The same brand that is seen through the identity should also be offered through the several technological products that are offered through the company and which create a deeper meaning toward what the products are and what is offered. The second concept that needs to be applied with the brand identity is based on the Internet presence that is a part of the website. The ability to have a website as a store front adds in other dimensions when creating a sense of storytelling and corporate identity. Those that are within the marketplace state that brand identity on the web is a more hostile environment than others because of security, reputation and the need to have a stronger portfolio of the business. For a business to succeed online there needs to be a sense of communication on the main website to create a building of the brand. More importantly, there needs to be an application of brand identity through each of the products, content that is used and the overall association that is within the website. The more that the website can say about the specific company, the more likely that the customers will continue to recognize the quality that is associated with the products (Upshaw, 2, 1995). The information that is a part of the brand identity is the basis for creating a stronger presence on the web, specifically through the information that is displayed. There are several layers and dimensions that are required through a web presence to show that the brand identity of this store is unique, provides customer service and is a safe and legitimate business (Wheeler, 15 2006). When looking at this site, there is not a building of brand identity through the creation of the product or the association with brand identity. For instance, the brand that is seen is against a white background with little to no content on the front page. More importantly, there are a series of pictures that take the main display image and which are hard to see. It is difficult to recognize what LaCie offers as a business until looking at the menu items, which is not provided in an organized manner. The lack of communication that is on this site limits what the business is about and doesn’t provide instant recognition of the brand. One has to search to find what the website is about and to look specifically into the products. LaCie needs to present a more colorful image that is easier to recognize. Content also needs to be added to create a corporate story and to show that the LaCie products are unique to others. More importantly, there needs to be more information on what the corporation offers, shown outside of the main menu. Building a presence on the initial home page and creating a stronger level of communication through the brand will help with the presentation of the products and will create a stronger level of trust toward those that are using the site. Transactional Facilities The second changes that need to be made to the LaCie website are based on the internal structure and the transactional facilities. The facilities that are provided consists of valuable information, data processing, security and back end approaches that provide a stronger basis for the site. A transaction model that is used for a website consists of three main layers that provide a stronger connection to those that are using the site. A transaction manager, resource manager and communications manager are at the center of this and create link to the applications that are used. Each of these combine with the technology that is used through different applications and servers, all which provide a stronger basis toward the transaction that is occurring. Typically, there is a different transaction that is used for the incoming information, as well as a procedure that is used for the outgoing procedures that are a part of the website (Gray, Reuter, 22, 1993). The models that are used as a part of transactional facilities should consist of a network that is based on the management and the applications that are used. By connecting these, there is a smoother process that the customers can affiliate with when using the program. More importantly, there is the ability to show a level of security that is layered through the resources and applications that are available with the main site. Graph 1 presents a main concept that is associated with the transactional facilities and the main procedures that can be used. Graph 1: Transactional Facilities Process (IBM, 2010). As can be seen, the process that is used integrates into the main application that is a part of the program. From one end, this moves into the resources that are used, which is specifically developed through the internal process and the incoming information that customers provide. The transaction that occurs on the other end of the application is a part of the outgoing process that is used. These combine to interact and communicate between the resources and the transactions that occur. The result is the ability to retrieve information and to define the boundaries that are a part of the application and the interface. The specific communication that is used through this internal process is then able to provide a stronger basis for the network and to create an association with the management of the company. When looking at the procedure used for the LaCie website, it can be seen that there are too many resource management arenas that are used for buying a product. For one to browse through products, they will have to go through a basic search or through the main menu. These are divided by specific items as well as through categories. However, when one browses through the items, they are not directed to the pricing or to a checkout area immediately. Instead, the individual has to click on an item, than is brought to different pricing levels. The steps after this include several transactions that are used to pay for one item. However, these don’t provide a sense of security with the transaction, but is instead limited by the basic information that is a part of the site. To communicate at the resource level, there needs to be fewer steps that define what needs to be done. More importantly, the communications of security and a sense of convenience that is associated with the transaction management and the resources that are being used. The second concept that can be applied to the transactional facilities is based on the ideology of building a virtual environment that is synchronized with the activity that takes place through the website. When using this, there is the ability to provide the users with a set of categories and groups that move into sub – categories for different items. When there is a group activity change, the website is able to migrates the different information into different categories while providing a stronger basis for the information that is retrieved. When this occurs, the products are able to move into a distributed application that allows the system to have independent features of a specific item as well as distributed applications that are a part of categorization of the products. The end result of this virtual system is to have an application that is straightforward for the customers and which is flexible while using management and distribution of the specific products (Birman, Joseph, 17, 1987). The virtual synchronicity that is a part of the LaCie website is one that can be improved through categorization and independent changes. When looking at the main menu, it is seen that there are only three main categories: products, support and shop. When looking at the main menu, the categories expand; however, the categorization is one that is not clarified. For instance, there is a section for blu – tooth technology, displays, accessories and software. When looking at these categories, it can be seen that they are either specialized or are general. Having these two extremes and not having a mainstream sense of synchronicity doesn’t provide a clear understanding of what is available and links to a feeling of scattered technology that is available. To change this, LaCie would need to alter the two categories into a sense of technology that was clearer. Underneath the generalized categories would need to be sub menu items that would lead to the specialized products and individual items as a part of the company. The navigation would then move into a list of displays and links to other components of the site to provide a clearer view of what is needed for the site. Handling the displays in this manner would allow users to navigate easily and would provide a clearer view on the designs and components that are a part of the website as well as what an individual needs through the use of categorization. Product The last component that can be changed about LaCie is based on the products that are offered through the corporation. When looking at the marketing mix, it can be seen that one of the main considerations of the site is based on the products, specifically by defining the quality that LaCie is creating through their specialized pieces of technology. However, the displays that are used through the website don’t provide a clear view of what is available through the company as well as what sets them apart from other technology brands and the products that is offered. Changing the marketing activities to focus on the unique product, which is based on the concepts of quality and labels of the brand will provide a stronger basis for the company and will help with the expansion of the company into a recognized name (Borden, 8, 1984). The main approach to marketing that can be looked into is based on the two concepts of the products of LaCie that stand out. The first part to this is the quality of the build of technology, which is looked for among consumers, specifically when considering technology products. The second part is the unique materials that are used for smaller parts, such as the accessories. LaCie has a focus on eco-friendly products and the use of recycled materials as a part of their effort to create a more sustainable environment and to provide quality with the products. Combined with these two unique concepts of the products are services that provide technological support and which offer consumers with a different association with the brand identity. While LaCie is able to provide this as a unique display of technology; however, there is the need to focus on this aspect on the website to show that this is a unique part of the business and that it is able to enhance the customers’ use of technology. To first define how to market the product, there is the need to examine the activities and behaviors that are a part of the Internet. Websites are unique in the way that they look at consumers and the behaviors that are associated with this. Specifically, Internet users are most likely to scan through various websites and different areas to define what they think has the most quality, best price and unique components that fit with their needs. The ability to build on information and the e-commerce that is associated with this is defined through scanners that look through websites and which have different views on what is occurring. To reach to consumers, there needs to be an evaluation of their behaviors in relation to the product, as well as the association that they will create when looking at the technological products. The more knowledge that the corporation can provide toward the products and the ability to design an area that shows the uniqueness of the product will instantly create a response from the user when they are looking into the site (Buchner, Mulvenna, 1998). When looking at the products on the site, it can be seen that there is not a sense to reach out to those that are scanning through products. More importantly, there is not an aspect of unique products and the enhancement of finding technology that is not available through any other site. To change this, the products that are displayed will need to have an image that is not seen anywhere else on the web. LaCie will need to create a presence that highlights the products and the compatibility they will have with customers that are looking for high end technology and environmentally friendly components. The more that LaCie can build their brand on the behaviors of customers and what they are looking for in technology, the more likely they will be able to get a positive response. The customers will also build a sense of customer loyalty as they find the unique products that enhance their user experiences with technology. To focus on the needs of the product, LaCie will need to create a strategic approach to how customers will respond in relation to the technology used. The focus on a product market when working toward a marketing plan will enhance the company and the way that they are functioning on the web. The main concept is to create a link between the physical products and the electronic marketplace to show the legitimacy of the products. To do this, there will need to be a stronger association with the industry, product, buyer, market segmentation and environment characteristics that are a part of selling technology. More importantly, there will need to be an understanding of how this affects potential customers and the relationship that they create toward the website when looking at the various products and the components that are associated with this (Varadarajan, Yadav, 296, 2002). When looking at the LaCie website, it can be seen that the evaluation of technology hasn’t been made for the product. The industry, even though identified as technology, is not focused on a specific set of consumers that need the technology. More importantly, the environmental characteristics haven’t been looked into with the products, specifically with an identification of the competitors and the association with others that are selling the products. More importantly, the market segmentation that is a part of this hasn’t been evaluated with different types of consumers that would be interested in the products. The behaviors of consumers interested in technology, specifically with a focus on green technology, hasn’t been defined and isn’t the main focus of the products on the site. If LaCie is interested in building a stronger reputation with the products, then creating a different segment and focus as a part of the brand will help to provide the right traffic and consumers to the website. Conclusion The use of the Internet for a building of brand identity, an internal structure and marketing creates a different set of dimensions to building a business. When looking at LaCie, it can be seen that there are different components that are associated with building the brand and the relationship that is a part of the website. Changing the focus of the website and creating a stronger presence toward the site will enhance the website and will provide a stronger basis that will allow customers to build a sense of loyalty, trust and a stronger association with the company. Altering the brand identity, product association and internal structure will help the website to enhance the response from customers while allowing the site to have a stronger presence on the Internet. References Birman, K, T Joseph. (1987). Exploiting Virtual Synchrony in Distributed Systems. ACM Operating Systems. Borden, Neil. (1984). The Concept of the Marketing Mix. Boston: Harvard Business School. Buchner, Alex, Maurice Mulvenna. (1998). Discovering Internet Marketing Intelligence Through Online Analytical Web Usage Mining. ACM Sigmod: New York. Gray, Jim, Andreas Reuter. (1993). Transaction Processing: Concepts and Techniques. California: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers. IBM. (2010). Designs for Compliant Transaction Managers. Retrieved from: http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/db2luw/v8/index.jsp?topic=/com.ibm.db2.udb.doc/admin/c0004558.htm. LaCie. (2010). About Us: LaCie. Retrieved from: http://www.lacie.com/uk/company/. Upshaw, Lynn. (1995). 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