The Internet Technologies and Primarily the Websites: Features of a Website - Research Paper Example

Executive Summary The consumer is the prime factor for any organization’s success and decides the business’s long term competitive advantage. The consumer online is moved by various usability and rich substance which ensures better customer handing, their feel good factor and support issues. The resources of the website must be organized in a calculated manner to arouse a sense of belongingness, finding products and services using simple search, ability to bind the customer’s interest level for purchase of a product, generate repeat usage, generate customer confidence for final purchase and many others. This paper researches the use of several techniques in an E-commerce website and the related customer behaviour. Introduction The visibility of a product or service is enabled using the internet technologies and primarily the websites. The design and look and feel are the prime aspects which make sure that all the various objectives are accomplished to a large length. The focussed features of a website make sure that all the aims are quite distinguishable for making an impact. The website taken in this assignment for evaluating customer behaviour is B &Q, a contender in the DIY industry. The website is evaluated by 5 customers each for the two websites and the responses are noted for analysis. The first section introduces the methodology enforced for the working out of the entire process. It also underlines the evaluation criteria enforced for the consumer behaviour. It also underlines the questionnaire technique to be used and the participants who make the analysis possible. Design for instance demonstrably fitted context of use, considered crucial to online success. It was found usability is an important concept, successfully related to navigation, content and layout. This is identified in the body of the report and in the Heuristic Evaluation, observation, questionnaires and Cognitive Walkthrough. The focus of the customer is quite essential so that one is able to match the exact requirements of the end users and cater them at their best. Unless the site encourages enough focus on a particular audience or a set of audiences, it gets very difficult to fetch the right end user for the product or service. Customer focus is must and the content must be optimized for catering to the customers well. Understanding the customer better is of prime importance for growth and future success. The second section presents the analysis of the data collected and evaluates using the SMART framework. It evaluates the analysis based on the various criteria’s. This framework is used for quantifying the user experience and evaluates the responses received for implementing business intelligence for the online business. The decision making would ensure better use of the web marketing factors and would assign a priority to the marketing techniques for a better judgment. The final section provides a conclusion for the various results and their improvement using the web marketing framework. The final recommendations would involve better strategies for making the customer experience a splendid one for better business generation, handling the customer better and organization of several web marketing ideas for retention of customers and a long term impact. Methodology Evaluation criteria: The foremost criteria for taking up this effort are to find out the best possible distinguishable feature among them. Faulkner (1997) mentions that quite a lot of intractability and comfortableness can be achieved if one can locate the items they are searching for quite distinguishably. Evaluation techniques: The evaluation of the various criteria’s laid above the following evaluation techniques would be taken into understanding for the exact catering of the scenarios and the very derivation of the correct methodology and techniques for making the right impact. Plaisant (2005) and Horton (2005) claims that various use of methods make sure that all the penetrations are evolved quite well and must be there for the derivation of various attitudes. Analytical-Deductive method It is a bottom-up approach and often compounds the theory that “world is a formula”. It constructs the low level problems and issues at first and makes sure that all the various solutions are identified in line with the total problem at hand. The various solutions would finally focus on the various top level goals and makes sure that all the various caterings and services are followed. It finally consolidates the low level solutions and deduces the higher level plan. It can be broken into various forms: The complex problem is modularized in various sections and is further broken into sub-sections which make sure that the ultimate problem is broken down into the finest elements that make up the variable understanding and methodology for solving. The complexity is reduced by making the finer components to be understood and analyzed for better solving of the problem. These form an input of the system. The next portion operator composes of the variety of mathematical scores that are attached with the various components so that they emerge into a variety of output options to select the best among them for the problem at hand. It helps in decision making for derivation of the final output. The numerical codes attachment makes sure that quantitative approach is taken for deriving at final results. The guarantor section of the approach makes sure that two critical parts are taken into account which selects inputs themselves and form part of the features of the system. The composition makes sure that all the various adherences are done to its appropriateness. The first section of the guarantor deals with decision making as to whether the system has chosen right inputs or not. It is quite essential as the selection is crucial to the success of the overall problem solving ability. If the primary selection is not made well the entire approach would be quite ambiguous in form. The second approach to guarantor is the application of several laws of contradiction. It is made sure at the second stage to derive and analyze whatever the inputs have been taken are for good or not. That makes sure that correct approach and inputs form the sole decision making pattern for the exact game. The fundamental laws of logic are applied for proposing a method to eliminate any sort of ambiguity and dismissal criteria for fetching the right inputs and at the same time to back it up with right hypothesis for their choice. The logical consistency is emphasized to its highest volume and would make sure that the inputs taken abide by the rules of logic. Unless it does all the inputs are solutions are strongly rejected at will. Logic is regarded as the only differentiator in this approach. It lies down that logic is the most basic guarantor of everything done by the humans. The primary reason for not accepting this approach is its one result method for deriving at a number. The primary reason for fetching the one answer is that the approach is most sought after and would not make any such mistakes in the process to derive the correct result. The steps are quite industrious as it focuses on deriving at the individual or single answer for the solution. It also is a disadvantage of the enquiry technique. It propounds from the theory that the problem is quite complex in nature and would make sure that the very method followed for deriving at the solution is more complex than that. Finally it can be derived from the hypothesis that every act by humans follows a particular logic and world has a formula for solving everything. The following are the various methodologies that are accounted for serving the various interests: The evaluation of the various tools and mechanisms to standardize a website would be as follows: 1. Site Objectives It forms to a large extent the variability of the focus of the website and the purpose for which it has been set up. The aims and objectives must be very clear and must match the very venture one has set out for. Unless one is clear of the objectives, the site would not serve a definite purpose. An investment is required to be made for establishing the website and its productivity is measured through its outcome, its gets quite difficult to fetch the right direction. 2. `Being Customer Led' The focus of the customer is quite essential so that one is able to match the exact requirements of the end users and cater them at their best. Unless the site encourages enough focus on a particular audience or a set of audiences, it gets very difficult to fetch the right end user for the product or service. Customer focus is must and the content must be optimised for catering to the customers well. 3. Content Value and Frequency of Updates Content value is highly desirable from the website. Creation of content by customers increases their involvement, enhances the credibility of the site and builds a community, (Armstrong & Hagel, 2006.) Information content is relevant to users needs and is inter-related to page layout. For instance Amazon writes for scan ability (Nielsen, 2001) and avoids chunking too much information. They tailor content for individual countries known as localization. 4. Content Management System and Organization Some tools of content management systems like Joomla can be used for managing the web content update and manage the site functionality, approach for updation for the areas which are mostly viewed by the audience and clients. The organization of the website is of prime importance as one must desire to make it highly usable. A website must have personalized features with areas "New for you" and "Your store" tailored to user interests and a "Wish list" to track items. These features enhance interaction, user experience and promote "Recognition rather than recall." (Nielsen, 2001). 5. Site Interactivity and Functionality The site must incorporate enough features for the users to manipulate so that one is able to make out the very things to be done for that. The various manipulations would make sure that all the various elements in the website are accepted by the audience and must make sure to match their likeness. 6. Visual Impact, Design and Technology Due to the complexity and diversity of large scale web development it is vital that the website must adhere to web engineering principles when re-developing their site. These principles offer a disciplined approach to achieving the most competitive website. Engineering principles will ultimately affect profit; costs of bad design are high. The Web applications constantly evolve in terms of requirements and functionality and so our clients design must demonstrably fit context analysis. 7. Site Navigation It accounts to a large extent the usability of the website and the appropriate ways to reach the homepage from any deeper page of the website. The navigation map is also a great idea for the website. 8. International Adaptability The international adaptability of the various content is utmost essential for catering to the global customers. It must either have specified domain names for each country or must be globalized for catering to all. Various types of language preferences and country specific information must be observed from the site. 9. Supporting e-Communications Strategy The features like contact us, email to webmaster and various other email addresses, chat options, support strategies must be incorporated in the website. 10. Web Site Marketing Strategy A suitable SEO strategy must be devised using a basic understanding of the site objectives and aims that must be synchronized for fetching the right rank of the website in the search engines. Analysis/ Results The entire analysis is done in Excel sheet attached with the paper. The analysis instils the quantification of the above methodology and thus the results are shaped in that fashion. Company Name / URL  B &Q Question 1: Site Objectives   Which of the following statements best describes the main objectives underlying your Web site?   1. No clear or obvious purpose underlying the site.   2. An `online brochure' providing basic company, product and service information but with very limited functionality or interactivity.   3. The site provides detailed information about our company, its products and services; and has some functionality/interactivity e.g. an online enquiry form, simple e-commerce facility and/or e-mail contacts.   4. The primary role of the site is to support our overall sales and marketing strategy. It is a `key channel' for targeting specific market segments or customer groups. The site provides customized content for different user groups.   5. A multi-purpose/objective site. In addition to providing important company information and a major channel for new customer acquisition, the site also provides significant `value-add' to our existing customers and business partners at home and in international markets. The site provides customized and personalized content and high levels of interactivity and functionality for different customer groups.   Question 2: `Being Customer Led'   Which of the following statements best describes the extent to which your site is `customer-led'?   1. It is product-driven Web site providing information on our products and services. No attempt is made to customize or personalize content for different customer groups.   2. The Web site describes our products and services but with a password protected section for existing customers providing a basic degree of online customer support and service e.g. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), maintenance manuals, enquiry forms, technology/software support etc.   3. The Web site describes our products and services but with a password protected section for existing customers that provides a higher level of online customer support and service e.g. Service hotlines, `Call Me' buttons, Live chat to customer service representatives etc.   4. An attempt has been made to customize and personalize site content for different customer groups. While the core navigation of the site is based around the product or service, a degree of customization/personalization of site content has been achieved for `Key Customer Groups', including a password protected customer section providing a high level of online customer support and service and a high degree of interactivity and functionality.   5. A totally `customer led' Website. Core navigation of the site is by type of customer rather than by product category. There is a very high level of customization of site content for different customer groups, including the facility for users to personalize site features for their own needs. A very high level of online customer support and interactivity is provided and the site is used as a major channel for customer learning and interaction.   Question 3: Content Value and Frequency of Updates   Which of the following statements best describes the content of your Web site?   1. The site provides basic company and product/service information and is seldom updated.   2. The site provides very detailed company and product/service information but no attempt is made to customize or personalize content for different customer groups. The site is seldom updated.   3. The site provides very detailed company and product/service information and is updated on a regular basis but no attempt is made to customize or personalize content for different customer groups.   4. The site provides very detailed company and product/service information and is updated on a regular basis. There are separate sections of the site for different customer groups.   5. The site provides high value content, fully customized and personalized for different customer groups. The site is regularly updated.   Question 4: Content Management System and Organization   Which of the following statements best describes your site's Content Management System and organizational approach to on-going site management?   1. The site has been built using basic HTML. There is no Content Management System in place and the site is infrequently updated. Responsibilities for on-going site content updates have not been clearly defined within the organization.   2. We regularly develop new content for the site but there is a significant time lag between generating this material and getting it onto the site.   3. The majority of the site has been built using basic HTML, but some sections are Content Management Driven, e.g. the news section. Some sections of the site are updated on a regular basis but overall roles and responsibilities for site management have not been clearly defined.   4. Despite having a good Content Management System (from a technology perspective) the site is infrequently updated.   5. Our site is updated on a regular basis in-house. We have a robust and easy to use Content Management System. Roles and responsibilities for site updates have been clearly defined within our organization.   Question 5: Site Interactivity and Functionality   Which of the following best describes the level of interactivity and functionality on your Website?   1. The site provides almost no functionality or interactivity e.g. customers are expected to `e-mail the webmaster'.   2. The site provides only a basic level of functionality e.g. phone, fax, simple e-mail contact details - this may be to an anonymous contact such as info@, sales@.   3. The site provides a reasonable amount of interactivity and functionality including a more personalized and focused e-mail reply facility, e.g. directed to a specific person. The site encourages customer feedback and interaction.   4. The site provides a very high level of interactivity and functionality. It is a major communication channel between the company and its customers.   5. Our site provides multi-channel customer contact and support. Customers can contact us whatever way they prefer - e-mail, through the Website, fax, phone, mobile etc. There is a `call back' facility on the site and `customer-to-customer' communications are actively encouraged, for example, through online discussion forums. Our Website is one of the main channels used for customer research and learning.   Question 6: Visual Impact, Design and Technology   Which of the following statements best describes the visual impact, design and technology aspects of your Website?   1. We are unhappy with the design of our site. It does not project the right corporate image or identity. We don't know how difficult our site is to access on different modem, browser and monitor settings.   2. We are reasonably pleased with the design of our site. It is `simple and clean' but could project a more professional corporate identity. Our site is more suited to faster Internet connections; we don't know how it looks on different browser and monitor settings.   3. We are happy with the `look and feel' of the site and think it projects the right corporate image. Our site is more suited to faster Internet connections; we don't know how it looks on different browser and monitor settings.   4. We are very happy with the `look and feel' of the site. It projects a very professional corporate identity. Our site works well on `dial up' Internet connections and looks good on all the main browser and monitor settings.   5. Our site projects an excellent corporate image. We have considered international cultures in the visual impact and the design of the site(s). Our site loads quickly on the slowest of connection speeds and looks good on all major browsers and monitor settings.   Question 7: Site Navigation   Which of the following best describes the navigation of your Website?   1. We only have a very basic site so navigation is not really a problem.   2. Our site is easy to navigate. It includes the normal sections `About Us/Company Profile'; `News'; `Products and Services'; `Contact Us' etc.   3. As our site is becoming bigger, with more and more content being added, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find information and to return home from some pages on the Website.   4. Our site provides a lot of value-added information and it is easy to navigate. Users can find what they are looking for quickly and easily.   5. Users/customers can navigate through our site whatever way they wish.   Question 8: International Adaptability   Which of the following best describes the level of international adaptability provided by your Website?   1. No attempt has been made to add an international dimension to the site.   2. The site is in English only, however, minor changes have been made to the site to make it more international e.g. use of international dialing codes, currency converters.   3. A reasonable attempt has been made to internationalize the site. The site has a limited number of language versions for the major overseas markets. The site provides a reasonable amount of interactivity and functionality including currency converters, international and local dialing options and e-mail response to specific contacts on a country-by-country basis.   4. Our site is internationalized on a regional basis i.e. there are different versions of the site developed and culturally adapted for different regions of the world. The design, content and visual impact of the site has considered language and cultural variation. It is a major communication channel between the company and its international customers.   5. We have a truly global site i.e. there are different versions of the site developed and culturally adapted for different countries of the world. Our site provides multi-channel and multi-lingual customer contact and support. Customers can contact us whatever way and whichever language they prefer.   Question 9: e-Communications Strategy   Which of the following statements best describes the e-communications strategy supporting your Web site?   1. We do not have an e-communications strategy.   2. We do not have an e-communications strategy but are currently thinking about it.   3. We have started to implement an e-communications strategy, we contact our customers through: e-mail; e-mail newsletters; new product announcements; use of newsgroups etc.   4. We have made good progress in developing an e-communications strategy. We contact our customers through: e-mail; e-mail newsletters; new product announcements; use of newsgroups, discussion groups etc. We translate standard communications into different languages.   5. We already have a very well developed e-communications strategy. We customize and personalized our communications for different international audiences/customer groups.   Question 10: Web Site Marketing and Promotion   Which of the following statements best describes how you market and promote your Website?   1. We are doing very little to market and promote our site. We do not have a proactive Web site marketing and promotion strategy.   2. We undertake a basic level of site marketing and promotion, mainly using the search engines but we have not yet developed an integrated site marketing and promotion strategy.   3. We do a reasonable amount of site marketing mainly through establishing links to other sites and the use of search engines. Most of our marketing is in English and focused on UK or US sites.   4. We do a reasonable amount of site marketing mainly through establishing links to other international sites, the use of country specific search engines and advertising. We use multi-lingual copy. We do not properly measure the results we are getting.   5. We have a well developed and fully integrated Internet supported International Marketing Strategy. We manage an international affiliate programme and regularly use performance criteria in making decisions regard our international Internet marketing activities.   Question Score Summary for:-     0 1. Site Objectives 2 An overall score of 25 to 39 is a medium score indicating that some progress has been made but there is still scope for significant improvement 2. `Being Customer Led' 1 3. Content Value and Frequency of Updates 3 4. Content Management System and Organization 4 5. Site Interactivity and Functionality 5 6. Visual Impact, Design and Technology 4 7. Site Navigation 4 8. International Adaptability 3 9. e-Communications Strategy 2 10. Web Site Marketing and Promotion 5 Total Score (Out of 50) 33 Figure 1: Graph for the User rating Verbatim quotes from participants Participant 1 said “The site needs to gear up more in the customer led section and focus more on what the customer of every sector needs, that focus is not to the mark…………..” Participant 2 said “Online dynamic support options like live chat for a quotation and configuration are not present, that would have enhanced e-communications………..” Conclusions The visibility of a product or service is enabled using the internet technologies and primarily the websites. The design and look and feel are the prime aspects which make sure that all the various objectives are accomplished to a large length. The focussed features of a website make sure that all the aims are quite distinguishable for making an impact. The usability criteria for the website are judged well by the SMART framework and would make sure that all the various micro details are observed and analysed in greater length. The maximum exposure of the usability criteria’s like that of being customer centric, following an E-marketing strategy and design of international adaptability would make sure that almost all the usability characteristics are met for making the site a global nest and communicative in nature. The quantitative analysis of the user experiences (through the use of SMART) are worth noting to analyse further the responses according to the criteria set in the SMART framework. The evaluation of the website according to the SMART criteria makes sure that all the customer experiences relating to site objectives, e-communications strategy, website information organization and detail are rated for future judgment. One is able to figure out the essential aspects that are required for the site and this analysis would prove enough fruitful for any website. The section “content value and frequency of updates” depicts to a very good method to upgrade the freshness factor of the website. Periodic updates would make sure that the site is not back dated and assures good and updated information on various products and services for the business. The analysis in this section is most importance as it speaks that the business is moving towards with innovations and future predictions. Visual impact, content management systems and e-communications support are some of the essential areas of a website and accounts for maximum exposure. The analysis of this sections demand greater attention and focus to target customers to their website and to the appropriate sections. The e-marketing strategy demands enough market survey and competitor survey to plan and organize the various search engine criteria and to optimise their websites for getting listed in Top 10 search listings in the search engines. The identification of the keywords that are searched at the maximum must be capitalized for the website so that one is able to fetch the right volume and content to a website. Effective SEO and other web marketing techniques would facilitate the spreading of the good word of the company or the website over the internet. The right perspective towards competition, right demand to knowledge and support must be done for fetching the right section of customers for making an impact. The final sections denotes the e-communications strategy and web marketing methods which seems to be an essential step in venturing to the internet and spreading the global word of the website and the business. The support and online assistance provided would go a long way in making the website well communicative in nature and encourage customer communications. References Dix et al (2004). Human Computer Interaction, 3rd Ed, Prentice Hall. Faulkner, C (2001). The Essence of Human Computer Interaction, Prentice Hall. Preece et al (2002). Interaction Design – Beyond Human Computer Interaction, Wiley. Pressman. R. (2000). Software Engineering: A Practitioners Approach, McGraw Hill, Maidenhead. Shneiderman, B and Plaisant, C (2005). Designing the User Interface, 4th ed, Addison Wesley. Nielsen, J. (1999). When Bad Design Elements Become the Standard. Retrieved 10, February 2009 from http://www.useit.com/alertbox/991114.html Nielsen, J (2005). Alert box: Current Issues in Web Usability [Internet], Retrieved 10, February 2009 from Lynch, P and Horton, S (2005). WEB STYLE GUIDE, 2nd edition [Internet] Retrieved 10, February 2009 from EMMUS (1999). WP3 Deliverable [Internet], Retrieved 10, February 2009 from Addison Wesley (2003) The Designing the User Interface Book site [Internet], Retrieved 10, February 2009 from Learning Support Services (2005). A Guide to Harvard Referencing [Internet], Retrieved 10, February 2009 from http://www.leedsmet.ac.uk/lskills/open/sfl/content/harvard/index.html A DOWNLOADABLE HARVARD GUIDE ‘QUOTE UNQUOTE’ CAN BE FOUND ON THIS PAGE. Weick, K. (1995) Sense making in Organizations. Appendices Interview Question format: Interview Outline Interviewee: Interviewer: Name of person being interviewed Name of the person leading Location /Medium: Appointment Date: Office, conference room or phone number Start Time: End Time: Objectives Reminders: What data is to be collected? Background of the interviewee On what to gain agreement? Known options What areas to explore? Agenda Approximate Time Introduction on project 1 min Background on project 2 min Overview of interview 1 min Topic 1 questions…………. 5 min Topic 2 questions…………. 5 min Summary of Major points 2 min Questions from Interview 5 min Closing 1 min General observations Unresolved issues, topics not covered Read More