Select five applications that you have not heard of before from Popular URL's Web 2.0 awards or the webware awards and describe on your blog page how they could be useful to a business.
www.wufoo.com- Wufoo is an online site which allows you to create online forms easily and quickly. It also will organize the received data so that it can be understood and will also allow you to build graphs and create reports and filter data. A Wufoo form can be integrated into a website as well. The service ranges from being completely free through to $199/month.
This is an invaluable tool for businesses wanting to get data from their clients. A form can be done by anyone in minutes and can be transferred onto the company website as well. This allows the company to quickly receive information about customers and customer trends. The data can also be put into graph form and be turned into a report for easy presentation.
www.grooveshark.com- Grooveshark is a free online jukebox service. Users can search for tracks and listen to them right inside of a Web-based player. Similar to software jukebox applications, users of Grooveshark can control music tracks as if they were playing them right off a hard drive. It also lets you save and create playlists, and mark songs as favorites.
This could be useful for radio station or music industries listening to new talents. Its free so can lower costs and is easy to operate.
www.hulu.com- Hulu is a Web video service from NBC Universal and Fox Entertainment Group. Designed as a deterrent for online privacy, Hulu lets users watch full-length movies and TV shows right in their browser, and with limited commercials and other on-page advertising.
Unlike sites like YouTube, everything on Hulu comes directly from the content providers, and not from users. Another thing that sets it apart from most other video sites, is that content is set to expire after a certain amount of time on the service. This is in part to encourage users to watch programming while it's on TV, as well as boost DVD sales.
This could be useful for movie reviews or for movie makers who want feedback on a movie or tv show
www.zoho.com- Zoho is a suite of more than 20 Web-based productivity applications, nearly all of which are completely free to use. Many compete directly with Google's online productivity and office tools and give users a way to work on projects entirely on their browser.
In addition to having a slew of consumer-oriented applications, Zoho has dipped into some SMB applications including a CRM tool, invoicing service, and Zoho People--which is a recruiting tool. The company has also been known to embrace the latest Web technologies including Ajax-heavy editors and compatibility with offline data access using Google Gears.
This could be very useful for people who move locations a lot for their work. It could also be useful for companies who have different software packages. Eg apple laptops by windows computers in the office.
www.opentable.com- OpenTable is an online reservation service. It lets people find reservations at local restaurants and book them from their computer or mobile phone; all the while, not having to use the traditional system of calling or visiting the restaurants in person.
Along with its reservation system, OpenTable also maintains a database of restaurant information and reviews from both its users and partners. Similar to Yelp and CitySearch, this lets people recommend or discourage restaurants in OpenTable's database. Those reviews show up to other users when they do a search or while they plan to book a reservation.
This could be very useful for event managers who need to make reservations. It would save them alot of time as they can review and compare the different restaurants without having to physically visit them all.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Select five applications that you have not heard of before from Popular URL's Web 2.0 awards or the webware awards and describe on your blog page how they could be useful to a business.
www.wufoo.com- Wufoo is an online site which allows you to create online forms easily and quickly. It also will organize the received data so that it can be understood and will also allow you to build graphs and create reports and filter data. A Wufoo form can be integrated into a website as well. The service ranges from being completely free through to $199/month.
This is an invaluable tool for businesses wanting to get data from their clients. A form can be done by anyone in minutes and can be transferred onto the company website as well. This allows the company to quickly receive information about customers and customer trends. The data can also be put into graph form and be turned into a report for easy presentation.
www.grooveshark.com- Grooveshark is a free online jukebox service. Users can search for tracks and listen to them right inside of a Web-based player. Similar to software jukebox applications, users of Grooveshark can control music tracks as if they were playing them right off a hard drive. It also lets you save and create playlists, and mark songs as favorites.
This could be useful for radio station or music industries listening to new talents. Its free so can lower costs and is easy to operate.
www.hulu.com- Hulu is a Web video service from NBC Universal and Fox Entertainment Group. Designed as a deterrent for online privacy, Hulu lets users watch full-length movies and TV shows right in their browser, and with limited commercials and other on-page advertising.
Unlike sites like YouTube, everything on Hulu comes directly from the content providers, and not from users. Another thing that sets it apart from most other video sites, is that content is set to expire after a certain amount of time on the service. This is in part to encourage users to watch programming while it's on TV, as well as boost DVD sales.
This could be useful for movie reviews or for movie makers who want feedback on a movie or tv show
www.zoho.com- Zoho is a suite of more than 20 Web-based productivity applications, nearly all of which are completely free to use. Many compete directly with Google's online productivity and office tools and give users a way to work on projects entirely on their browser.
In addition to having a slew of consumer-oriented applications, Zoho has dipped into some SMB applications including a CRM tool, invoicing service, and Zoho People--which is a recruiting tool. The company has also been known to embrace the latest Web technologies including Ajax-heavy editors and compatibility with offline data access using Google Gears.
This could be very useful for people who move locations a lot for their work. It could also be useful for companies who have different software packages. Eg apple laptops by windows computers in the office.
www.opentable.com- OpenTable is an online reservation service. It lets people find reservations at local restaurants and book them from their computer or mobile phone; all the while, not having to use the traditional system of calling or visiting the restaurants in person.
Along with its reservation system, OpenTable also maintains a database of restaurant information and reviews from both its users and partners. Similar to Yelp and CitySearch, this lets people recommend or discourage restaurants in OpenTable's database. Those reviews show up to other users when they do a search or while they plan to book a reservation.
This could be very useful for event managers who need to make reservations. It would save them alot of time as they can review and compare the different restaurants without having to physically visit them all.
www.wufoo.com- Wufoo is an online site which allows you to create online forms easily and quickly. It also will organize the received data so that it can be understood and will also allow you to build graphs and create reports and filter data. A Wufoo form can be integrated into a website as well. The service ranges from being completely free through to $199/month.
This is an invaluable tool for businesses wanting to get data from their clients. A form can be done by anyone in minutes and can be transferred onto the company website as well. This allows the company to quickly receive information about customers and customer trends. The data can also be put into graph form and be turned into a report for easy presentation.
www.grooveshark.com- Grooveshark is a free online jukebox service. Users can search for tracks and listen to them right inside of a Web-based player. Similar to software jukebox applications, users of Grooveshark can control music tracks as if they were playing them right off a hard drive. It also lets you save and create playlists, and mark songs as favorites.
This could be useful for radio station or music industries listening to new talents. Its free so can lower costs and is easy to operate.
www.hulu.com- Hulu is a Web video service from NBC Universal and Fox Entertainment Group. Designed as a deterrent for online privacy, Hulu lets users watch full-length movies and TV shows right in their browser, and with limited commercials and other on-page advertising.
Unlike sites like YouTube, everything on Hulu comes directly from the content providers, and not from users. Another thing that sets it apart from most other video sites, is that content is set to expire after a certain amount of time on the service. This is in part to encourage users to watch programming while it's on TV, as well as boost DVD sales.
This could be useful for movie reviews or for movie makers who want feedback on a movie or tv show
www.zoho.com- Zoho is a suite of more than 20 Web-based productivity applications, nearly all of which are completely free to use. Many compete directly with Google's online productivity and office tools and give users a way to work on projects entirely on their browser.
In addition to having a slew of consumer-oriented applications, Zoho has dipped into some SMB applications including a CRM tool, invoicing service, and Zoho People--which is a recruiting tool. The company has also been known to embrace the latest Web technologies including Ajax-heavy editors and compatibility with offline data access using Google Gears.
This could be very useful for people who move locations a lot for their work. It could also be useful for companies who have different software packages. Eg apple laptops by windows computers in the office.
www.opentable.com- OpenTable is an online reservation service. It lets people find reservations at local restaurants and book them from their computer or mobile phone; all the while, not having to use the traditional system of calling or visiting the restaurants in person.
Along with its reservation system, OpenTable also maintains a database of restaurant information and reviews from both its users and partners. Similar to Yelp and CitySearch, this lets people recommend or discourage restaurants in OpenTable's database. Those reviews show up to other users when they do a search or while they plan to book a reservation.
This could be very useful for event managers who need to make reservations. It would save them alot of time as they can review and compare the different restaurants without having to physically visit them all.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Week 13- Security and Privacy
Question 1 -
See if you can find an example of a privacy breach that was reported in the Australian or international news in the last 6 months. What were the consequences? i.e. legal, political, financial, personal etc. What action was taken in response to the privacy breach?
The example I found was of a recent data leak that revealed the email and passwords of senior NSW Police officers and hundreds of journalists. The NSW Police has been embroiled in controversy following a major privacy breach involving the disclosure of the email and password details of senior counter terrorism officers and hundreds of journalists signed up to receive information from the NSW Police Media Unit.
Workshare recommends organisations automate their document compliance processes to prevent the inadvertent transmission of confidential information.
Such systems will:
* Convert content from risky to safe by cleansing and removing 'metadata - or hidden information' such as track changes or speaker notes, hidden columns, etc contained in MS Office files
* Contain potentially dangerous visible information at the desktop and server by monitoring and blocking unauthorised content
* Control sensitive information using document restrictions and on-demand PDF capability. Also record policy violations and hold necessary individuals accountable for their actions.
Source- http://www.ferret.com.au/n/NSW-Police-involved-in-major-privacy-breach-n712847
Question 2 - Have you been using Turnitin software this semester? If you have was it a positive or negative experience and why?
I have not yet used the Turnintin software. I am not personally looking forward to the experience due to the number of students undertaking the same assignment. There will surely be information found and used by more than one student. It can also put a lot of pressure on students as submission dates become closer.
See if you can find an example of a privacy breach that was reported in the Australian or international news in the last 6 months. What were the consequences? i.e. legal, political, financial, personal etc. What action was taken in response to the privacy breach?
The example I found was of a recent data leak that revealed the email and passwords of senior NSW Police officers and hundreds of journalists. The NSW Police has been embroiled in controversy following a major privacy breach involving the disclosure of the email and password details of senior counter terrorism officers and hundreds of journalists signed up to receive information from the NSW Police Media Unit.
Workshare recommends organisations automate their document compliance processes to prevent the inadvertent transmission of confidential information.
Such systems will:
* Convert content from risky to safe by cleansing and removing 'metadata - or hidden information' such as track changes or speaker notes, hidden columns, etc contained in MS Office files
* Contain potentially dangerous visible information at the desktop and server by monitoring and blocking unauthorised content
* Control sensitive information using document restrictions and on-demand PDF capability. Also record policy violations and hold necessary individuals accountable for their actions.
Source- http://www.ferret.com.au/n/NSW-Police-involved-in-major-privacy-breach-n712847
Question 2 - Have you been using Turnitin software this semester? If you have was it a positive or negative experience and why?
I have not yet used the Turnintin software. I am not personally looking forward to the experience due to the number of students undertaking the same assignment. There will surely be information found and used by more than one student. It can also put a lot of pressure on students as submission dates become closer.
Week 12- Trust
Questions1) What does this meant by the following statements?
Trust is not associative (non-symmetric)
This statement means that trust is not on the same level for buyers and sellers. Although the buyer may trust the seller to provide payment the seller may not trust that they buyer will send the product. There is no trust factor between them when it comes to the trading of a product.
Trust is not transitive
This refers to trust not being a transitive relationship. For example if person A trusts person B, and person B trusts person C, this does not indicate that person A trusts person C.
Trust is always between exactly 2 parties
This implies that trust needs two parties to exist. There needs to be a party that is trusting and a party that is trusted for trust to occur.
Trust will involve either direct trust or recommender trust
This statement refers to two different types of trust. Direct trust which is developed from personal experiences with other parties and Recommended trust which is trust that is recommended to you by an outside source (another person) which you can choose to believe or not. Again trust will not occur without one of these two.
2a) Have a look at the following websites. What are some of the elements that have been incorporated to increase your trust in the sites? If there are also some aspects which decrease your level of trust describe them as well.
http://www.eBay.com.au-
· The websites layout it simple but attractive.
· The brand is well known and has a professional reputation.
· Security and privacy notices
· User agreements and privacy statement
· Uses only certain methods of payment
· Some products do not have pictures (decreases trust)
· User feedback.
http://www.anz.com.au
· professional layout
· easy navigate
· secure login section
· security alerts
· well known and trusted brand
· provide ABN and copyright notice at bottom of page
http://www.ozrural.com
· amateur layout/ non professional (decreases trust)
· address and contact number
· not well known brand (decreases trust)
· Wide range of books with pictures provided
http://www.paypal.com.au
· professional layout
· secure login section
· “VeriSign Identity Protection”
· Well known/ uses brand
· Security section
2b) Find a web site yourself that you think looks untrustworthy
I often get emails that send me links to dodgy websites. They ask for credit card details and payment options without supplying any information about products. Sites like these are very untrustworthy to me
Trust is not associative (non-symmetric)
This statement means that trust is not on the same level for buyers and sellers. Although the buyer may trust the seller to provide payment the seller may not trust that they buyer will send the product. There is no trust factor between them when it comes to the trading of a product.
Trust is not transitive
This refers to trust not being a transitive relationship. For example if person A trusts person B, and person B trusts person C, this does not indicate that person A trusts person C.
Trust is always between exactly 2 parties
This implies that trust needs two parties to exist. There needs to be a party that is trusting and a party that is trusted for trust to occur.
Trust will involve either direct trust or recommender trust
This statement refers to two different types of trust. Direct trust which is developed from personal experiences with other parties and Recommended trust which is trust that is recommended to you by an outside source (another person) which you can choose to believe or not. Again trust will not occur without one of these two.
2a) Have a look at the following websites. What are some of the elements that have been incorporated to increase your trust in the sites? If there are also some aspects which decrease your level of trust describe them as well.
http://www.eBay.com.au-
· The websites layout it simple but attractive.
· The brand is well known and has a professional reputation.
· Security and privacy notices
· User agreements and privacy statement
· Uses only certain methods of payment
· Some products do not have pictures (decreases trust)
· User feedback.
http://www.anz.com.au
· professional layout
· easy navigate
· secure login section
· security alerts
· well known and trusted brand
· provide ABN and copyright notice at bottom of page
http://www.ozrural.com
· amateur layout/ non professional (decreases trust)
· address and contact number
· not well known brand (decreases trust)
· Wide range of books with pictures provided
http://www.paypal.com.au
· professional layout
· secure login section
· “VeriSign Identity Protection”
· Well known/ uses brand
· Security section
2b) Find a web site yourself that you think looks untrustworthy
I often get emails that send me links to dodgy websites. They ask for credit card details and payment options without supplying any information about products. Sites like these are very untrustworthy to me
Week 8- Online Auctions
Q1: eBay is one of the only major Internet "pure plays" to consistently make a profit from its inception. What is eBay's business model? Why has it been so successful?
eBay uses a brokerage business model where they facilitate transactions between two separate parties, the buyer and the seller. This is a successful business model because it provides a simple and convenient way for the buyers to purchase items they may not be able to find in stores. It also allows for sellers to get rid of unwanted items and possibly make a profit on them. The simplicity of the model also hinders eBay’s success. There is no interference within every transaction but choose to provide a platform for buying and selling of items.
Q2: Other major web sites, like Amazon.com and Yahoo!, have entered the auction marketplace with far less success than eBay. How has eBay been able to maintain its dominant position?
I think the excitement on an auction is a factor that keeps consumers returning to eBay. Also eBay’s strong reputation and the fact that it is well known not only draws new customers but ensures that past customers keep returning also. eBay is also the first to enter the auction marketplace and there for loyalty comes into play as people will choose to stay with what they are comfortable with rather than opting to explore a new option The wide variety of products available on eBay attracts a wider audience than that of amazon.com which also contributes to eBay’s success levels.
Q3: What method does eBay use to reduce the potential for fraud among traders on its site? What kinds of fraud, if any, are eBay users most susceptible?
The element of trust between eBay the sellers and the buyers is very large but eBay do put some measures in place in attempt to reduce the risks of fraud. These include:
A feedback rating- both buyer and seller have a feedback rating which uses the feedback given by other buyers/sellers to create a rating for a certain user. This allows others to determine how trustworthy the buyer/seller has been in the past.
Payment Methods- eBay only allows certain payment methods which are less suceptable to fraud. PayPal is the preferred payment method due to the fact that it has buyer protection for up to $20,000
Source- www.ebay.com.
The main type of fraud that users are vulnerable to include- Purchasing the product and never receiving it or the product being faulty or not what the product was described to be. E.g a fake or cheaper version. Or from a sellers perspective, never receiving payment for the product sold.
Q4: eBay makes every effort to conceptualize its users as a community (as opposed to, say "customers" or "clients"). What is the purpose of this conceptual twist and does eBay gain something by doing it?
The eBay community has advantages for not only eBay but also sellers and buyers. It enables an element of trust to be gained between all users which can potentially reduce the risks of fraud on the site. By allowing all users to contact each other and develop a community feel, users will feel more comfortable and safer using this site and therefore continue to use it. It can also make the trade a social experience between the two, similar to that of a real store.
Q5: eBay has long been a marketplace for used goods and collectibles. Today, it is increasingly a place where major businesses come to auction their wares. Why would a brand name vendor set-up shop on eBay?
A brand name vendor would set up an eBay shop because of the high level of consumers choosing to participate in online shopping. The vendor may only have limited locations of physical distribution and therefore buy selling products online can reach a wider audience. Selling on eBay may be a cheaper, simpler and more convenient option then setting up their own website. It also gives the vendor an idea of how much consumers are willing to pay for a particular product.
Week 7- Digital Automata
1. Write a one paragraph describing the Turing test and another paragraph describing an argument against the Turing Test, known as the about the Chinese room.
Turning test:The turning test can be described as a way to test a machines (system) “capability to demonstrate thought”. This demonstrates a computer/system operating without the need of a user (operator). The turning test, tests “whether or not a system is intelligent”. Alan Turning developed the test and describes it as when a person/human is having a conversation on the computer/system. If the person/human cannot “distinguish the machine from a human” the system would be deemed as intelligent. An example is when a person is on a computer and receives replies the person does not know it is a computer not another person replying to their instructions.
Source- http://www.bcp.psych.ualberta.ca/~mike/Pearl_Street/Dictionary/contents/T/turing_test.html
Chinese room:The Chinese room highlights the fact that if the system uses Chinese symbols then the system would pass the turning test. This argument shows that if the system replies with Chinese symbols the user may think it’s another human which it is not. This in theory would be a successful turning test but the system might just send out Chinese symbols but the symbols do not make sense with the question or conversation. Searle states that a Chinese speaker communicates with the system can the system responds in Chinese the person might think it is another person but the system might not actually be intelligent. This demonstrates that the Chinese speaker may think it is another speaker who may not know how to read the symbols properly.
Source:
http://philosophy.uwaterloo.ca/MindDict/chineseroom.html
2.Can virtual agents succeed in delivering high-quality customer service over the Web? Think of examples which support or disprove the question or just offer an opinion based on your personal experience.
There are a wide range of categories involving agents. These categories include:
Mobile agents
Distributed agents
Autonomous agents
Intelligent agents
Fuzzy agents
Source :
Knox,I.(2009) Automata week 7 power point presentation.
When trying to determine whether or not a virtual agent can be successful in delivering high quality customer service over the web, there are are a number of different factors that should be looked at. The internet has alot of virtual agents. Companies like Google have agents involved when a user/customer put in a word or question into the search engine the agent gives a reply with similar websites relating. This can be very successful and save comsumers alot of time when searching for a particular site or information on the internet. Search engines also have negative aspect. When searching with the search engine the response given can sometimes not be what you are looking for or not relevant to the words entered in the search. In these circumstances google and other similar search engines that are using agents are not always delivering gigh quality customer service. Rappa Explains this by stating “ the agent ideally gives the best customer service it can but does not always give the customer what they ideally want.”
Source-
http://digitalenterprise.org/transcripts/automata_tr.html
Turning test:The turning test can be described as a way to test a machines (system) “capability to demonstrate thought”. This demonstrates a computer/system operating without the need of a user (operator). The turning test, tests “whether or not a system is intelligent”. Alan Turning developed the test and describes it as when a person/human is having a conversation on the computer/system. If the person/human cannot “distinguish the machine from a human” the system would be deemed as intelligent. An example is when a person is on a computer and receives replies the person does not know it is a computer not another person replying to their instructions.
Source- http://www.bcp.psych.ualberta.ca/~mike/Pearl_Street/Dictionary/contents/T/turing_test.html
Chinese room:The Chinese room highlights the fact that if the system uses Chinese symbols then the system would pass the turning test. This argument shows that if the system replies with Chinese symbols the user may think it’s another human which it is not. This in theory would be a successful turning test but the system might just send out Chinese symbols but the symbols do not make sense with the question or conversation. Searle states that a Chinese speaker communicates with the system can the system responds in Chinese the person might think it is another person but the system might not actually be intelligent. This demonstrates that the Chinese speaker may think it is another speaker who may not know how to read the symbols properly.
Source:
http://philosophy.uwaterloo.ca/MindDict/chineseroom.html
2.Can virtual agents succeed in delivering high-quality customer service over the Web? Think of examples which support or disprove the question or just offer an opinion based on your personal experience.
There are a wide range of categories involving agents. These categories include:
Mobile agents
Distributed agents
Autonomous agents
Intelligent agents
Fuzzy agents
Source :
Knox,I.(2009) Automata week 7 power point presentation.
When trying to determine whether or not a virtual agent can be successful in delivering high quality customer service over the web, there are are a number of different factors that should be looked at. The internet has alot of virtual agents. Companies like Google have agents involved when a user/customer put in a word or question into the search engine the agent gives a reply with similar websites relating. This can be very successful and save comsumers alot of time when searching for a particular site or information on the internet. Search engines also have negative aspect. When searching with the search engine the response given can sometimes not be what you are looking for or not relevant to the words entered in the search. In these circumstances google and other similar search engines that are using agents are not always delivering gigh quality customer service. Rappa Explains this by stating “ the agent ideally gives the best customer service it can but does not always give the customer what they ideally want.”
Source-
http://digitalenterprise.org/transcripts/automata_tr.html
Monday, May 18, 2009
Week 6- Digital Makrets
Question 1
a) What experiences have you had with shopping online?
I have used the internet to purchase tickets, book hotel rooms, buy a digital camera and to recharge my pre paid internet.
b) Describe a good experience.
When I brought my camera from the Ted’s Camera House website, I found it really easy to navigate around the site, to compare different camera features and prices and also the different mailing/ payment options were easy to understand and follow. There were no problems with the order or product and I will defiantly consider using the same process next time.
c) What did you like about the online store you used?
Again that it was easy to follow, it allowed me to compare the different camera styles, features and prices. The site was very clear in the procedures I needed to follow when purchasing the camera.
d) Describe a bad experience.
I once used a Best Western motel website to book a room for a night. Although the process seemed simple enough, when I called the next morning to double check my booking had been received they had no records of my booking.
e) What problems did you have with the online store?
The problems I had with this site where that the booking did not actually reach the motel that I intended to make the booking in. I had to leave my credit card details on that site and it made me feel very unsafe about who exactly got those details from that site.
f) What features make an online store more appealing?
· Instructions are easy to follow
· Store is easy to operate
· Well known/ recommended by friends/ family/ media source
· Multiple delivery options
· Multiple payment options
· Wide variety of products
· Detailed images/ features of items
· Refund or exchange for items
g) What features make an online store less appealing?
· No images of products being purchases
· Little known stores
· No refund or exchange on items
· Instructions are difficult to understand
h) Should we expect to see the prices of goods and services rise or fall due to the migration of consumers online?
As more and more consumers migrate to online shopping, the prices of goods and services should fall as the market becomes more competitive.
Question 2
a) The dispersion of prices (that is, the spread between the lowest and highest price for a particular product) will narrow.
I agree. Consumers look for products and compare the prices in general. Consumers look at products from different stores not only in store but online too, and then decide which to buy through the price. If an online store has a product cheaper than a physical store then the consumer will be more likely to buy from the online store to save money.
b) The importance of brand names will decrease.
The importance of brand names in my opinion will not decrease. Due mainly to brand loyalty. People often go with what they know works regardless of the costs.
c) Price competition will make all products cheaper.
I agree that when stores compete on price that the product becomes cheaper. Such items as iPods when people purchase them they look around at the price since the product is the same in each store.
d) Digital markets will become dominated by a handful of mega-sites, like Amazon.com.
I agree. Sites such as Amazon, eBay and other sites dominate since are well known so consumers turn to them first.
e) How do you think the balance of power between buyers and sellers will change?I think that the balance of power will change between buyers and sellers are that people will be looking online for things. The buyers have to make sure that their prices are competing with other stores. If other stores are cheaper than consumers are more incline to go elsewhere. Sellers have more opportunity now since they can go online and see where they can get a product for a cheaper price.
f) Prices are cluster online.I think that the prices online vary.
If products can be purchased online this does not mean that the prices are all the same.
g) Online prices are elastic. (I.e. immune to change up and down with demand).
Most prices would most likely stay the same due to demand always varies. Such items go through waves of popularity. If the items continually change through demand then the prices will change throughout the seasons. The price for a product might reduce for a certain amount of time but I do not think that prices online are elastic.
h) Online prices are generally transparent (the extent to which prices for a given product or service are known by buyers in the marketplace.).
I agree. Online prices would be close to the marketplace prices. Certain products are known for their value so if the online price is more expensive than other prices then consumers would purchase elsewhere.
http://moodle.ballarat.edu.au/file.php/24/Digital_Markets/MIT_price_paper.pdf
Question 3
a) What types of m-commerce services does your cell phone provider offer?My mobile provider which is Optus provides such m-commerce as:· paying bills online,· emailing· Bluetooth· Games· Internet
b) Which of these services do you use?
Bluetooth
Games
c) What types of transactions do you perform through your cell phone or other wireless device?
I only use my phone for calls and messages.
d) What types of transactions would you like to perform, but are currently unable to?
My phone allows many transactions however I’m not really interested in making any transactions on my phone.
e) What is your opinion of wireless advertising/mobile marketing?
Wireless advertising is a good idea as more people have a mobile then internet access. People are always on their phones it makes sense that marketers would tap into this trend. By making it easier for people to make transactions using their phone this helps people do things faster. With the introduction of iphones people have seen this as the latest craze since it allows consumers to go onto the internet to do normal things they would do on their computer. The iphone is bigger and easier to take anywhere.
a) What experiences have you had with shopping online?
I have used the internet to purchase tickets, book hotel rooms, buy a digital camera and to recharge my pre paid internet.
b) Describe a good experience.
When I brought my camera from the Ted’s Camera House website, I found it really easy to navigate around the site, to compare different camera features and prices and also the different mailing/ payment options were easy to understand and follow. There were no problems with the order or product and I will defiantly consider using the same process next time.
c) What did you like about the online store you used?
Again that it was easy to follow, it allowed me to compare the different camera styles, features and prices. The site was very clear in the procedures I needed to follow when purchasing the camera.
d) Describe a bad experience.
I once used a Best Western motel website to book a room for a night. Although the process seemed simple enough, when I called the next morning to double check my booking had been received they had no records of my booking.
e) What problems did you have with the online store?
The problems I had with this site where that the booking did not actually reach the motel that I intended to make the booking in. I had to leave my credit card details on that site and it made me feel very unsafe about who exactly got those details from that site.
f) What features make an online store more appealing?
· Instructions are easy to follow
· Store is easy to operate
· Well known/ recommended by friends/ family/ media source
· Multiple delivery options
· Multiple payment options
· Wide variety of products
· Detailed images/ features of items
· Refund or exchange for items
g) What features make an online store less appealing?
· No images of products being purchases
· Little known stores
· No refund or exchange on items
· Instructions are difficult to understand
h) Should we expect to see the prices of goods and services rise or fall due to the migration of consumers online?
As more and more consumers migrate to online shopping, the prices of goods and services should fall as the market becomes more competitive.
Question 2
a) The dispersion of prices (that is, the spread between the lowest and highest price for a particular product) will narrow.
I agree. Consumers look for products and compare the prices in general. Consumers look at products from different stores not only in store but online too, and then decide which to buy through the price. If an online store has a product cheaper than a physical store then the consumer will be more likely to buy from the online store to save money.
b) The importance of brand names will decrease.
The importance of brand names in my opinion will not decrease. Due mainly to brand loyalty. People often go with what they know works regardless of the costs.
c) Price competition will make all products cheaper.
I agree that when stores compete on price that the product becomes cheaper. Such items as iPods when people purchase them they look around at the price since the product is the same in each store.
d) Digital markets will become dominated by a handful of mega-sites, like Amazon.com.
I agree. Sites such as Amazon, eBay and other sites dominate since are well known so consumers turn to them first.
e) How do you think the balance of power between buyers and sellers will change?I think that the balance of power will change between buyers and sellers are that people will be looking online for things. The buyers have to make sure that their prices are competing with other stores. If other stores are cheaper than consumers are more incline to go elsewhere. Sellers have more opportunity now since they can go online and see where they can get a product for a cheaper price.
f) Prices are cluster online.I think that the prices online vary.
If products can be purchased online this does not mean that the prices are all the same.
g) Online prices are elastic. (I.e. immune to change up and down with demand).
Most prices would most likely stay the same due to demand always varies. Such items go through waves of popularity. If the items continually change through demand then the prices will change throughout the seasons. The price for a product might reduce for a certain amount of time but I do not think that prices online are elastic.
h) Online prices are generally transparent (the extent to which prices for a given product or service are known by buyers in the marketplace.).
I agree. Online prices would be close to the marketplace prices. Certain products are known for their value so if the online price is more expensive than other prices then consumers would purchase elsewhere.
http://moodle.ballarat.edu.au/file.php/24/Digital_Markets/MIT_price_paper.pdf
Question 3
a) What types of m-commerce services does your cell phone provider offer?My mobile provider which is Optus provides such m-commerce as:· paying bills online,· emailing· Bluetooth· Games· Internet
b) Which of these services do you use?
Bluetooth
Games
c) What types of transactions do you perform through your cell phone or other wireless device?
I only use my phone for calls and messages.
d) What types of transactions would you like to perform, but are currently unable to?
My phone allows many transactions however I’m not really interested in making any transactions on my phone.
e) What is your opinion of wireless advertising/mobile marketing?
Wireless advertising is a good idea as more people have a mobile then internet access. People are always on their phones it makes sense that marketers would tap into this trend. By making it easier for people to make transactions using their phone this helps people do things faster. With the introduction of iphones people have seen this as the latest craze since it allows consumers to go onto the internet to do normal things they would do on their computer. The iphone is bigger and easier to take anywhere.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Week 5- Business Models
Look at the list of business models below and describe the features of each of these business models, on your blog page, giving an example of each.
Brokerage Model- Brokers are essentially market makers. They bring buyers and sellers together to facilitate a transaction. What makes the brokerage model work is that brokers charge a fee or a commission for each transaction that they enable. An interesting note about the brokerage model is that relationship between the broker and the buyer and seller can vary across a wide range of formulas, in terms of how a fee is structured. The real beauty about most broker models is simply that the broker is focused on one thing and only one thing. And that is bringing the buyer and seller together to consummate a successful transaction. And to the extent that that occurs, the broker walks away with a commission and very little overhead. (Rappa, 2005)
Source- http://digitalenterprise.org/transcripts/business_models_tr.html
Brokerage Models include:
Marketplace Exchange -- offers a full range of services covering the transaction process, from market assessment to negotiation and fulfillment. Exchanges operate independently or are backed by an industry consortium. [Orbitz, ChemConnect]
Buy/Sell Fulfillment -- takes customer orders to buy or sell a product or service, including terms like price and delivery. [CarsDirect, Respond.com]
Demand Collection System -- the patented "name-your-price" model pioneered by Priceline.com. Prospective buyer makes a final (binding) bid for a specified good or service, and the broker arranges fulfillment. [Priceline.com]
Auction Broker -- conducts auctions for sellers (individuals or merchants). Broker charges the seller a listing fee and commission scaled with the value of the transaction. Auctions vary widely in terms of the offering and bidding rules. [eBay]
Transaction Broker -- provides a third-party payment mechanism for buyers and sellers to settle a transaction. [PayPal, Escrow.com]
Distributor -- is a catalog operation that connects a large number of product manufacturers with volume and retail buyers. Broker facilitates business transactions between franchised distributors and their trading partners.
Search Agent -- a software agent or "robot" used to search-out the price and availability for a good or service specified by the buyer, or to locate hard to find information.
Virtual Marketplace -- or virtual mall, a hosting service for online merchants that charges setup, monthly listing, and/or transaction fees. May also provide automated transaction and relationship marketing services. [zShops and Merchant Services at Amazon.com]
Source- http://digitalenterprise.org/models/models.html#Brokerage
Advertising Model- The web advertising model is an extension of the traditional media broadcast model. It works by someone producing content that it thinks people will find interesting to listen to or watch, ( e.g newspaper/ magazines/ websites) usually for free, and then making money off of that content by charging people who wish to advertisements somewhere within it. The advertising model works best when the volume of viewer traffic is large or highly specialised.
Sources-http://digitalenterprise.org/transcripts/business_models_tr.html
http://digitalenterprise.org/models/models.html#Advertising
The adversing model includes:
Portal -- usually a search engine that may include varied content or services. A high volume of user traffic makes advertising profitable and permits further diversification of site services. A personalized portal allows customization of the interface and content to the user. A niche portal cultivates a well-defined user demographic. [Yahoo!]
Classifieds -- list items for sale or wanted for purchase. Listing fees are common, but there also may be a membership fee. [Monster.com, Craigslist]
User Registration -- content-based sites that are free to access but require users to register and provide demographic data. Registration allows inter-session tracking of user surfing habits and thereby generates data of potential value in targeted advertising campaigns. [NYTimes]
Query-based Paid Placement -- sells favorable link positioning (i.e., sponsored links) or advertising keyed to particular search terms in a user query, such as Overture's trademark "pay-for-performance" model. [Google, Overture]
Contextual Advertising / Behavioral Marketing -- freeware developers who bundle adware with their product. For example, a browser extension that automates authentication and form fill-ins, also delivers advertising links or pop-ups as the user surfs the web. Contextual advertisers can sell targeted advertising based on an individual user's surfing activity.
Content-Targeted Advertising -- pioneered by Google, it extends the precision of search advertising to the rest of the web. Google identifies the meaning of a web page and then automatically delivers relevant ads when a user visits that page. [Google]
Intromercials -- animated full-screen ads placed at the entry of a site before a user reaches the intended content. [CBS MarketWatch]
Ultramercials -- interactive online ads that require the user to respond intermittently in order to wade through the message before reaching the intended content. [Salon in cooperation with Mercedes-Benz]
Source- http://digitalenterprise.org/models/models.html#Advertising
Infomediary Model-Data about consumers and their consumption habits are valuable, especially when that information is carefully analyzed and used to target marketing campaigns. Independently collected data about producers and their products are useful to consumers when considering a purchase. Some firms function as infomediaries (information intermediaries) assisting buyers and/or sellers understand a given market.
Advertising Networks -- feed banner ads to a network of member sites, thereby enabling advertisers to deploy large marketing campaigns. Ad networks collect data about web users that can be used to analyze marketing effectiveness. [DoubleClick]
Audience Measurement Services -- online audience market research agencies. [Nielsen//Netratings]
Incentive Marketing -- customer loyalty program that provides incentives to customers such as redeemable points or coupons for making purchases from associated retailers. Data collected about users is sold for targeted advertising. [Coolsavings]
Metamediary -- facilitates transactions between buyer and sellers by providing comprehensive information and ancillary services, without being involved in the actual exchange of goods or services between the parties. [Edmunds]
source- http://digitalenterprise.org/models/models.html#Infomediary
Merchant Model- Wholesalers and retailers of goods and services. Sales may be made based on list prices or through auction.
Virtual Merchant --or e-tailer, is a retail merchant that operates solely over the web. [Amazon.com]
Catalog Merchant -- mail-order business with a web-based catalog. Combines mail, telephone and online ordering. [Lands' End]
Click and Mortar -- traditional brick-and-mortar retail establishment with web storefront. [Barnes & Noble]
Bit Vendor -- a merchant that deals strictly in digital products and services and, in its purest form, conducts both sales and distribution over the web. [Apple iTunes Music Store]
source- http://digitalenterprise.org/models/models.html#Merchant
Manufacturer (Direct) Model-The manufacturer or "direct model", it is predicated on the power of the web to allow a manufacturer (i.e., a company that creates a product or service) to reach buyers directly and thereby compress the distribution channel. The manufacturer model can be based on efficiency, improved customer service, and a better understanding of customer preferences. [Dell Computer]
Purchase -- the sale of a product in which the right of ownership is transferred to the buyer.
Lease -- in exchange for a rental fee, the buyer receives the right to use the product under a “terms of use” agreement. The product is returned to the seller upon expiration or default of the lease agreement. One type of agreement may include a right of purchase upon expiration of the lease.
License -- the sale of a product that involves only the transfer of usage rights to the buyer, in accordance with a “terms of use” agreement. Ownership rights remain with the manufacturer (e.g., with software licensing).
Brand Integrated Content -- in contrast to the sponsored-content approach (i.e., the advertising model), brand-integrated content is created by the manufacturer itself for the sole basis of product placement.
source- http://digitalenterprise.org/models/models.html#Manufacturer
Affiliate Model- In contrast to the generalized portal, which seeks to drive a high volume of traffic to one site, the affiliate model, provides purchase opportunities wherever people may be surfing. It does this by offering financial incentives (in the form of a percentage of revenue) to affiliated partner sites. The affiliates provide purchase-point click-through to the merchant. It is a pay-for-performance model -- if an affiliate does not generate sales, it represents no cost to the merchant. The affiliate model is inherently well-suited to the web, which explains its popularity. Variations include, banner exchange, pay-per-click, and revenue sharing programs. [Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com]
Banner Exchange -- trades banner placement among a network of affiliated sites.
Pay-per-click -- site that pays affiliates for a user click-through.
Revenue Sharing -- offers a percent-of-sale commission based on a user click-through in which the user subsequently purchases a product.
source-http://digitalenterprise.org/models/models.html#Affiliate
Community Model- The viability of the community model is based on user loyalty. Users have a high investment in both time and emotion. Revenue can be based on the sale of ancillary products and services or voluntary contributions; or revenue may be tied to contextual advertising and subscriptions for premium services. The Internet is inherently suited to community business models and today this is one of the more fertile areas of development, as seen in rise of social networking.
Open Source -- software developed collaboratively by a global community of programmers who share code openly. Instead of licensing code for a fee, open source relies on revenue generated from related services like systems integration, product support, tutorials and user documentation. [Red Hat]
Open Content -- openly accessible content developed collaboratively by a global community of contributors who work voluntarily. [Wikipedia]
Public Broadcasting -- user-supported model used by not-for-profit radio and television broadcasting extended to the web. A community of users support the site through voluntary donations. [The Classical Station (WCPE.org)]
Social Networking Services -- sites that provide individuals with the ability to connect to other individuals along a defined common interest (professional, hobby, romance). Social networking services can provide opportunities for contextual advertising and subscriptions for premium services. [Flickr, Friendster, Orkut]
source- http://digitalenterprise.org/models/models.html#Community
Subscription Model- Users are charged a periodic -- daily, monthly or annual -- fee to subscribe to a service. It is not uncommon for sites to combine free content with "premium" (i.e., subscriber- or member-only) content. Subscription fees are incurred irrespective of actual usage rates. Subscription and advertising models are frequently combined.
Content Services -- provide text, audio, or video content to users who subscribe for a fee to gain access to the service. [Listen.com, Netflix]
Person-to-Person Networking Services -- are conduits for the distribution of user-submitted information, such as individuals searching for former schoolmates. [Classmates]
Trust Services -- come in the form of membership associations that abide by an explicit code of conduct, and in which members pay a subscription fee. [Truste]
Internet Services Providers -- offer network connectivity and related services on a monthly subscription. [America Online]
source- http://digitalenterprise.org/models/models.html#Subcription
Utility Model- The utility or "on-demand" model is based on metering usage, or a "pay as you go" approach. Unlike subscriber services, metered services are based on actual usage rates. Traditionally, metering has been used for essential services (e.g., electricity water, long-distance telephone services). Internet service providers (ISPs) in some parts of the world operate as utilities, charging customers for connection minutes, as opposed to the subscriber model common in the U.S.
Metered Usage -- measures and bills users based on actual usage of a service.
Metered Subscriptions -- allows subscribers to purchase access to content in metered portions (e.g., numbers of pages viewed). [Slashdot]
source- http://digitalenterprise.org/models/models.html#Utility
Looking at the Technology report, particularly the country profiles and rankings. Use some of the tools to answer the following
1) What is the Mobile phone use /100 population - compare Australia, USA, China, India, Your Country
Australia is ranked number 38 with a score of 102.49
The US is ranked number 61 with a score of 83.51
China is ranked number 94 with a score of 41.19
India is ranked number 120 wiht a score of 19.98
2) Internet use / 100 population - compare Australia, USA, China, India, Your Country
The US is ranked in 8th position with a score of 71.94
Australia is ranked in 25th position with a score of 54.19
Chine is ranked in 78th position with a score of 15.81
India is ranked in 99th positon with a score of 6.93
4) What does the survey suggest to you about the Information Technology readiness of Australian business compared to Australian consumers?
The survey would suggest that Australian consumers are more ready for information Technoloy changes/ updates that Australian business. Business is ranked 22 out of 134 nations where as consumers have a much higher ranking of 13.
Brokerage Model- Brokers are essentially market makers. They bring buyers and sellers together to facilitate a transaction. What makes the brokerage model work is that brokers charge a fee or a commission for each transaction that they enable. An interesting note about the brokerage model is that relationship between the broker and the buyer and seller can vary across a wide range of formulas, in terms of how a fee is structured. The real beauty about most broker models is simply that the broker is focused on one thing and only one thing. And that is bringing the buyer and seller together to consummate a successful transaction. And to the extent that that occurs, the broker walks away with a commission and very little overhead. (Rappa, 2005)
Source- http://digitalenterprise.org/transcripts/business_models_tr.html
Brokerage Models include:
Marketplace Exchange -- offers a full range of services covering the transaction process, from market assessment to negotiation and fulfillment. Exchanges operate independently or are backed by an industry consortium. [Orbitz, ChemConnect]
Buy/Sell Fulfillment -- takes customer orders to buy or sell a product or service, including terms like price and delivery. [CarsDirect, Respond.com]
Demand Collection System -- the patented "name-your-price" model pioneered by Priceline.com. Prospective buyer makes a final (binding) bid for a specified good or service, and the broker arranges fulfillment. [Priceline.com]
Auction Broker -- conducts auctions for sellers (individuals or merchants). Broker charges the seller a listing fee and commission scaled with the value of the transaction. Auctions vary widely in terms of the offering and bidding rules. [eBay]
Transaction Broker -- provides a third-party payment mechanism for buyers and sellers to settle a transaction. [PayPal, Escrow.com]
Distributor -- is a catalog operation that connects a large number of product manufacturers with volume and retail buyers. Broker facilitates business transactions between franchised distributors and their trading partners.
Search Agent -- a software agent or "robot" used to search-out the price and availability for a good or service specified by the buyer, or to locate hard to find information.
Virtual Marketplace -- or virtual mall, a hosting service for online merchants that charges setup, monthly listing, and/or transaction fees. May also provide automated transaction and relationship marketing services. [zShops and Merchant Services at Amazon.com]
Source- http://digitalenterprise.org/models/models.html#Brokerage
Advertising Model- The web advertising model is an extension of the traditional media broadcast model. It works by someone producing content that it thinks people will find interesting to listen to or watch, ( e.g newspaper/ magazines/ websites) usually for free, and then making money off of that content by charging people who wish to advertisements somewhere within it. The advertising model works best when the volume of viewer traffic is large or highly specialised.
Sources-http://digitalenterprise.org/transcripts/business_models_tr.html
http://digitalenterprise.org/models/models.html#Advertising
The adversing model includes:
Portal -- usually a search engine that may include varied content or services. A high volume of user traffic makes advertising profitable and permits further diversification of site services. A personalized portal allows customization of the interface and content to the user. A niche portal cultivates a well-defined user demographic. [Yahoo!]
Classifieds -- list items for sale or wanted for purchase. Listing fees are common, but there also may be a membership fee. [Monster.com, Craigslist]
User Registration -- content-based sites that are free to access but require users to register and provide demographic data. Registration allows inter-session tracking of user surfing habits and thereby generates data of potential value in targeted advertising campaigns. [NYTimes]
Query-based Paid Placement -- sells favorable link positioning (i.e., sponsored links) or advertising keyed to particular search terms in a user query, such as Overture's trademark "pay-for-performance" model. [Google, Overture]
Contextual Advertising / Behavioral Marketing -- freeware developers who bundle adware with their product. For example, a browser extension that automates authentication and form fill-ins, also delivers advertising links or pop-ups as the user surfs the web. Contextual advertisers can sell targeted advertising based on an individual user's surfing activity.
Content-Targeted Advertising -- pioneered by Google, it extends the precision of search advertising to the rest of the web. Google identifies the meaning of a web page and then automatically delivers relevant ads when a user visits that page. [Google]
Intromercials -- animated full-screen ads placed at the entry of a site before a user reaches the intended content. [CBS MarketWatch]
Ultramercials -- interactive online ads that require the user to respond intermittently in order to wade through the message before reaching the intended content. [Salon in cooperation with Mercedes-Benz]
Source- http://digitalenterprise.org/models/models.html#Advertising
Infomediary Model-Data about consumers and their consumption habits are valuable, especially when that information is carefully analyzed and used to target marketing campaigns. Independently collected data about producers and their products are useful to consumers when considering a purchase. Some firms function as infomediaries (information intermediaries) assisting buyers and/or sellers understand a given market.
Advertising Networks -- feed banner ads to a network of member sites, thereby enabling advertisers to deploy large marketing campaigns. Ad networks collect data about web users that can be used to analyze marketing effectiveness. [DoubleClick]
Audience Measurement Services -- online audience market research agencies. [Nielsen//Netratings]
Incentive Marketing -- customer loyalty program that provides incentives to customers such as redeemable points or coupons for making purchases from associated retailers. Data collected about users is sold for targeted advertising. [Coolsavings]
Metamediary -- facilitates transactions between buyer and sellers by providing comprehensive information and ancillary services, without being involved in the actual exchange of goods or services between the parties. [Edmunds]
source- http://digitalenterprise.org/models/models.html#Infomediary
Merchant Model- Wholesalers and retailers of goods and services. Sales may be made based on list prices or through auction.
Virtual Merchant --or e-tailer, is a retail merchant that operates solely over the web. [Amazon.com]
Catalog Merchant -- mail-order business with a web-based catalog. Combines mail, telephone and online ordering. [Lands' End]
Click and Mortar -- traditional brick-and-mortar retail establishment with web storefront. [Barnes & Noble]
Bit Vendor -- a merchant that deals strictly in digital products and services and, in its purest form, conducts both sales and distribution over the web. [Apple iTunes Music Store]
source- http://digitalenterprise.org/models/models.html#Merchant
Manufacturer (Direct) Model-The manufacturer or "direct model", it is predicated on the power of the web to allow a manufacturer (i.e., a company that creates a product or service) to reach buyers directly and thereby compress the distribution channel. The manufacturer model can be based on efficiency, improved customer service, and a better understanding of customer preferences. [Dell Computer]
Purchase -- the sale of a product in which the right of ownership is transferred to the buyer.
Lease -- in exchange for a rental fee, the buyer receives the right to use the product under a “terms of use” agreement. The product is returned to the seller upon expiration or default of the lease agreement. One type of agreement may include a right of purchase upon expiration of the lease.
License -- the sale of a product that involves only the transfer of usage rights to the buyer, in accordance with a “terms of use” agreement. Ownership rights remain with the manufacturer (e.g., with software licensing).
Brand Integrated Content -- in contrast to the sponsored-content approach (i.e., the advertising model), brand-integrated content is created by the manufacturer itself for the sole basis of product placement.
source- http://digitalenterprise.org/models/models.html#Manufacturer
Affiliate Model- In contrast to the generalized portal, which seeks to drive a high volume of traffic to one site, the affiliate model, provides purchase opportunities wherever people may be surfing. It does this by offering financial incentives (in the form of a percentage of revenue) to affiliated partner sites. The affiliates provide purchase-point click-through to the merchant. It is a pay-for-performance model -- if an affiliate does not generate sales, it represents no cost to the merchant. The affiliate model is inherently well-suited to the web, which explains its popularity. Variations include, banner exchange, pay-per-click, and revenue sharing programs. [Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com]
Banner Exchange -- trades banner placement among a network of affiliated sites.
Pay-per-click -- site that pays affiliates for a user click-through.
Revenue Sharing -- offers a percent-of-sale commission based on a user click-through in which the user subsequently purchases a product.
source-http://digitalenterprise.org/models/models.html#Affiliate
Community Model- The viability of the community model is based on user loyalty. Users have a high investment in both time and emotion. Revenue can be based on the sale of ancillary products and services or voluntary contributions; or revenue may be tied to contextual advertising and subscriptions for premium services. The Internet is inherently suited to community business models and today this is one of the more fertile areas of development, as seen in rise of social networking.
Open Source -- software developed collaboratively by a global community of programmers who share code openly. Instead of licensing code for a fee, open source relies on revenue generated from related services like systems integration, product support, tutorials and user documentation. [Red Hat]
Open Content -- openly accessible content developed collaboratively by a global community of contributors who work voluntarily. [Wikipedia]
Public Broadcasting -- user-supported model used by not-for-profit radio and television broadcasting extended to the web. A community of users support the site through voluntary donations. [The Classical Station (WCPE.org)]
Social Networking Services -- sites that provide individuals with the ability to connect to other individuals along a defined common interest (professional, hobby, romance). Social networking services can provide opportunities for contextual advertising and subscriptions for premium services. [Flickr, Friendster, Orkut]
source- http://digitalenterprise.org/models/models.html#Community
Subscription Model- Users are charged a periodic -- daily, monthly or annual -- fee to subscribe to a service. It is not uncommon for sites to combine free content with "premium" (i.e., subscriber- or member-only) content. Subscription fees are incurred irrespective of actual usage rates. Subscription and advertising models are frequently combined.
Content Services -- provide text, audio, or video content to users who subscribe for a fee to gain access to the service. [Listen.com, Netflix]
Person-to-Person Networking Services -- are conduits for the distribution of user-submitted information, such as individuals searching for former schoolmates. [Classmates]
Trust Services -- come in the form of membership associations that abide by an explicit code of conduct, and in which members pay a subscription fee. [Truste]
Internet Services Providers -- offer network connectivity and related services on a monthly subscription. [America Online]
source- http://digitalenterprise.org/models/models.html#Subcription
Utility Model- The utility or "on-demand" model is based on metering usage, or a "pay as you go" approach. Unlike subscriber services, metered services are based on actual usage rates. Traditionally, metering has been used for essential services (e.g., electricity water, long-distance telephone services). Internet service providers (ISPs) in some parts of the world operate as utilities, charging customers for connection minutes, as opposed to the subscriber model common in the U.S.
Metered Usage -- measures and bills users based on actual usage of a service.
Metered Subscriptions -- allows subscribers to purchase access to content in metered portions (e.g., numbers of pages viewed). [Slashdot]
source- http://digitalenterprise.org/models/models.html#Utility
Looking at the Technology report, particularly the country profiles and rankings. Use some of the tools to answer the following
1) What is the Mobile phone use /100 population - compare Australia, USA, China, India, Your Country
Australia is ranked number 38 with a score of 102.49
The US is ranked number 61 with a score of 83.51
China is ranked number 94 with a score of 41.19
India is ranked number 120 wiht a score of 19.98
2) Internet use / 100 population - compare Australia, USA, China, India, Your Country
The US is ranked in 8th position with a score of 71.94
Australia is ranked in 25th position with a score of 54.19
Chine is ranked in 78th position with a score of 15.81
India is ranked in 99th positon with a score of 6.93
4) What does the survey suggest to you about the Information Technology readiness of Australian business compared to Australian consumers?
The survey would suggest that Australian consumers are more ready for information Technoloy changes/ updates that Australian business. Business is ranked 22 out of 134 nations where as consumers have a much higher ranking of 13.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Week 4- Web Analytics
1) Looking at the site usage, what doe the terms visits, page views and pages/visit mean? What does the bounce rate mean and does it vary much from day to day?
Visit – A period of interaction between a visitor's browser and a particular website, ending when the browser is closed or shut down, or when the user has been inactive on that site for a specified period of time. For the purpose of Google Analytics reports, a session is considered to have ended if the user has been inactive on the site for 30minutes.
source-http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?answer=33073
Page views – The number of requests to view a specific web page in a specific time frame.
source-http://totheweb.com/learning_center/seo_glossary.htmlPages/
visit – The number of pages the average visit generates. This is an average number.
Bounce rate - Bounce rate is the percentage of single-page visits or visits in which the person left your site from the entrance (landing) page.
source-http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=139826
The Bounce rate for this particular site does vary a great deal from day to day. It ranges from 33.33% to 100%, with an average of 70.57%. There is no pattern consistency in the percentage of bounces from day to day.
2) Now look at the traffic sources report. What are the three sources of traffic and where has most of the traffic come from?
The three sources of traffic for the 350 visits are: Search Engines – 288 (76.57%)Direct Traffic – 68 (19.43%)Referring Sites – 14 (4.00%) The most amount of traffic has come from the search engines. For smaller or less known sites most people go straight to search engines to assist them in finding the particular website they are wanting to visit. It is easy to use and a fast process.
3) What was the most popular web browser used to access the site?
The most popular browser used to access the site is Internet Explorer. Accounting for 239 visits (68.29%).
4) How many countries did visitors to OZRURAL come from and what were the top three countries?
The 350 visits to Ozrural came from 24 Countries/Territories. The highest three visiting Countries/Territories were Australia (240 visits), United States (52) and United Kingdom (18).
5) Having clicked every possible link on my analytics, make a few comments on:
a) What you can track ?
Google Analytics gives you the ability to track most things you would require in order to understand the visitors to your site. Although it does not say what you are necessarily doing right or wrong in blatant terms. It does give you the stats you require in order to improve your webpage. Over time it will show you in specific areas what works and what does not. Some of these stats include:
Visitor Trends – number of visitors, bounce rate, time spent on website, number of absolute unique visitors, pageviews, and average pageviews.
Browser Capabilities – browser type, operating system, browser and OS, java support, flash version, screen resolution, screen colors.
Visitor Loyalty – depth of visit, length of visit, recency, loyalty.
Network Properties – hostnames, connection speeds, network locations.
b) What you can track over time?
You can track most of the items listed by constructing a 12 month average stats graph or through more specific time related charts and graphs.
c) What you can’t track?
It can’t directly track user satisfaction. Although this can be indirectly viewed from loyalty, although you may be the only site providing the service. It fails to track which visits were converted into sales. Finally it is unable to show any difficulty the users had in finding your website, for examply users may have had to use multiple search engines to find your website oor use multiple combinations of keywords until your site becomes visable through a search engine.
6) What do the following terms mean? These are just a few, you may like to add some more and perhaps include them on the Moodle glossary.
High bounce rate - A high bounce rate generally indicates that site entrance pages aren't relevant to your visitors.
source- http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=81986
Key words - A significant word or phrase, relevant to the web page or document in question. Keyword searching is the most common form of text search on the internet.
source-http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=33035
Average Page Depth - The average number of pages on a site that visitors view during a single session.
source-http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=32974
Clickthrough rate - The number of times an ad is clicked on, divided by the number of impressions it receives. For example, if an ad is shown 20 times and receives 3 clicks, the clickthrough rate is 3/20, or 15%.
source-http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=32982
Click - 'Click' refers to a single instance of a user following a hyperlink from one page in a site to another. For example, the 'Clicks' display in the Site Overlay report shows how many times a user clicked a hyperlink on the selected page to travel to another page.
source-http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=32981
Cookie - A small amount of text data given to a web browser by a web server. The data is stored on a user's hard drive and is returned to the specific web server each time the browser requests a page from that server.Cookies are used to remember information from page to page and visit to visit, and can contain information such as user preferences or shopping cart contents, and can note whether a user has logged in so that they do not need to authenticate again as they navigate through the site.
source-http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=32989
Impression - A display of a referral link or advertisement on a web page.
source-http://www.google.com/support/googleanalytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=33030
Hyperlink - A text reference in a web page that, when clicked, directs the user's browser to another page or document. Hyperlinks are integral to the World Wide Web, allowing every page to be linked to any other page.
source-http://www.google.com/support/googleanalytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=33347
Navigation - Describes the movement of a user through a website or other application interface. This term also indicates the system of available links and buttons that the user can use to navigate through the website.
source- http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=33042
Pageview - A pageview is an instance of a page being loaded by a browser.
source-http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=33050
Session - A period of interaction between a visitor's browser and a particular website, ending when the browser is closed or shut down, or when the user has been inactive on that site for a specified period of time.
source-http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=33073
Unique Visitors ( Absolute Unique Visitors) - Unique Visitors represents the number of unduplicated (counted only once) visitors to your website over the course of a specified time period. A Unique Visitor is determined using cookies.
source-http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=33087
URL - is a means of identifying an exact location on the Internet. RLs typically have four parts: protocol type (HTTP), host domain name (www.google.com), directory path (/analytics/), and file name (conversionuniversity.html).
source- http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=33084
Visitor - A Visitor is a construct designed to come as close as possible to defining the number of actual, distinct people who visited a website. There is of course no way to know if two people are sharing a computer from the website's perspective, but a good visitor-tracking system can come close to the actual number. The most accurate visitor-tracking systems generally employ cookies to maintain tallies of distinct visitors.
source- http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=33094
Visitor Session - A Visitor Session is a defined period of interaction between a Visitor (both unique and untrackable visitor types) and a website.
source- http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=33095
Comparison shopping – Where the purchaser will compare on the basis of price and quality before a purchase is made.
source- http://www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/written_statement-glossary
Visit – A period of interaction between a visitor's browser and a particular website, ending when the browser is closed or shut down, or when the user has been inactive on that site for a specified period of time. For the purpose of Google Analytics reports, a session is considered to have ended if the user has been inactive on the site for 30minutes.
source-http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?answer=33073
Page views – The number of requests to view a specific web page in a specific time frame.
source-http://totheweb.com/learning_center/seo_glossary.htmlPages/
visit – The number of pages the average visit generates. This is an average number.
Bounce rate - Bounce rate is the percentage of single-page visits or visits in which the person left your site from the entrance (landing) page.
source-http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=139826
The Bounce rate for this particular site does vary a great deal from day to day. It ranges from 33.33% to 100%, with an average of 70.57%. There is no pattern consistency in the percentage of bounces from day to day.
2) Now look at the traffic sources report. What are the three sources of traffic and where has most of the traffic come from?
The three sources of traffic for the 350 visits are: Search Engines – 288 (76.57%)Direct Traffic – 68 (19.43%)Referring Sites – 14 (4.00%) The most amount of traffic has come from the search engines. For smaller or less known sites most people go straight to search engines to assist them in finding the particular website they are wanting to visit. It is easy to use and a fast process.
3) What was the most popular web browser used to access the site?
The most popular browser used to access the site is Internet Explorer. Accounting for 239 visits (68.29%).
4) How many countries did visitors to OZRURAL come from and what were the top three countries?
The 350 visits to Ozrural came from 24 Countries/Territories. The highest three visiting Countries/Territories were Australia (240 visits), United States (52) and United Kingdom (18).
5) Having clicked every possible link on my analytics, make a few comments on:
a) What you can track ?
Google Analytics gives you the ability to track most things you would require in order to understand the visitors to your site. Although it does not say what you are necessarily doing right or wrong in blatant terms. It does give you the stats you require in order to improve your webpage. Over time it will show you in specific areas what works and what does not. Some of these stats include:
Visitor Trends – number of visitors, bounce rate, time spent on website, number of absolute unique visitors, pageviews, and average pageviews.
Browser Capabilities – browser type, operating system, browser and OS, java support, flash version, screen resolution, screen colors.
Visitor Loyalty – depth of visit, length of visit, recency, loyalty.
Network Properties – hostnames, connection speeds, network locations.
b) What you can track over time?
You can track most of the items listed by constructing a 12 month average stats graph or through more specific time related charts and graphs.
c) What you can’t track?
It can’t directly track user satisfaction. Although this can be indirectly viewed from loyalty, although you may be the only site providing the service. It fails to track which visits were converted into sales. Finally it is unable to show any difficulty the users had in finding your website, for examply users may have had to use multiple search engines to find your website oor use multiple combinations of keywords until your site becomes visable through a search engine.
6) What do the following terms mean? These are just a few, you may like to add some more and perhaps include them on the Moodle glossary.
High bounce rate - A high bounce rate generally indicates that site entrance pages aren't relevant to your visitors.
source- http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=81986
Key words - A significant word or phrase, relevant to the web page or document in question. Keyword searching is the most common form of text search on the internet.
source-http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=33035
Average Page Depth - The average number of pages on a site that visitors view during a single session.
source-http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=32974
Clickthrough rate - The number of times an ad is clicked on, divided by the number of impressions it receives. For example, if an ad is shown 20 times and receives 3 clicks, the clickthrough rate is 3/20, or 15%.
source-http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=32982
Click - 'Click' refers to a single instance of a user following a hyperlink from one page in a site to another. For example, the 'Clicks' display in the Site Overlay report shows how many times a user clicked a hyperlink on the selected page to travel to another page.
source-http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=32981
Cookie - A small amount of text data given to a web browser by a web server. The data is stored on a user's hard drive and is returned to the specific web server each time the browser requests a page from that server.Cookies are used to remember information from page to page and visit to visit, and can contain information such as user preferences or shopping cart contents, and can note whether a user has logged in so that they do not need to authenticate again as they navigate through the site.
source-http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=32989
Impression - A display of a referral link or advertisement on a web page.
source-http://www.google.com/support/googleanalytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=33030
Hyperlink - A text reference in a web page that, when clicked, directs the user's browser to another page or document. Hyperlinks are integral to the World Wide Web, allowing every page to be linked to any other page.
source-http://www.google.com/support/googleanalytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=33347
Navigation - Describes the movement of a user through a website or other application interface. This term also indicates the system of available links and buttons that the user can use to navigate through the website.
source- http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=33042
Pageview - A pageview is an instance of a page being loaded by a browser.
source-http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=33050
Session - A period of interaction between a visitor's browser and a particular website, ending when the browser is closed or shut down, or when the user has been inactive on that site for a specified period of time.
source-http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=33073
Unique Visitors ( Absolute Unique Visitors) - Unique Visitors represents the number of unduplicated (counted only once) visitors to your website over the course of a specified time period. A Unique Visitor is determined using cookies.
source-http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=33087
URL - is a means of identifying an exact location on the Internet. RLs typically have four parts: protocol type (HTTP), host domain name (www.google.com), directory path (/analytics/), and file name (conversionuniversity.html).
source- http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=33084
Visitor - A Visitor is a construct designed to come as close as possible to defining the number of actual, distinct people who visited a website. There is of course no way to know if two people are sharing a computer from the website's perspective, but a good visitor-tracking system can come close to the actual number. The most accurate visitor-tracking systems generally employ cookies to maintain tallies of distinct visitors.
source- http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=33094
Visitor Session - A Visitor Session is a defined period of interaction between a Visitor (both unique and untrackable visitor types) and a website.
source- http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=33095
Comparison shopping – Where the purchaser will compare on the basis of price and quality before a purchase is made.
source- http://www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/written_statement-glossary
Week 3- Digital Design
In two paragraphs explain why a customer centric Web site design is so important, yet so difficult to accomplish?
Website design is becoming more user-centric day by day. Most of the websites have some products or services to sell, so they want high conversion rates. High conversion rates mean more sales. To convert visitors into sales you need a simple design which is user centric. In reality a user centric website sounds easy enough, although truly understanding the demands of the customer and converting this to a simple easy to use website is hard. Less is better in website design. The more information, links and products you have on the one page the harder it is to find what you are after. Because most users only scan the information, you want them to be able to find what they are after with minimal clicking and time involved.
2. Define the term 'presence'. Write an additional paragraph that describes why firms that do business on the Web should be more concerned about presence than firms that operate in the physical world.
Presence is defined as “a theoretical concept describing the effect that people experience when they interact with a computer-mediated or computer-generated environment” (Sheridan, 1994). Having a web presence you have the ability to let others know what it is you can do for them. A website presence can mean anything from a website or a blog. Both are very good ways to get known (Miller, 2008). Web presence relates to website design, accessibility from search engines and links, effectiveness of information and how easy it is to find what the user is looking for. Word of mouth can be both a negative and positive for a website. If a user has a bad experience in most cases they will not visit that site again, they may also tell others not to bother with the website either.Firms that operate through the web should be more concerned about ‘presence’ than those firms that operate in the physical world because it is there only form of contact and means of satisfying the potential customer. Online firms are competing for the consumer the same as the firms in the physical world, although there is a lot more competition for sales online, because of the fact there are tens of thousands of firms in each particular industry in operation. Online firms need that extra something to catch the eye of the consumer. Firms in the physical world have the options of outlets, employees, face to face sales, customer service, Physical presentation and presence in the community. Although online firms have these features to some extent, in the end all they really have is a webpage, a webpage that will bring success to the firm through ‘presence’.
3. Write three paragraphs to briefly describe the things that Real Estate Agents can best accomplish through (1) their web sites (2) Mass media advertising (3) Personal contact
Real Estate agents have the opportunity through there websites to reach a higher percentage of the population. Newspapers generally are targeted at a local area, whereas a website is global. Through a website agencies can display a greater number of listings as appose to a newspaper. It also offers an almost endless amount of space to display everything and anything about the listing, photos, videos and virtual tours just to name a few. A search option will give the users a quick and targeted way of searching for properties that suit there needs and not have them searching through endless amounts of properties that don’t suit what they are looking for. “Internet marketing for real estate agents is one of the most efficient and cost-effective ways to find new clients and advertise real estate listings” (Brandon, 2009). A Real Estate Agent will use mass media advertising to show that they are advertising to a large scale market and that they are quick and efficient in doing so. The agency would not use mass media advertising for a particular listing, but for the agency itself, in displaying information about the business. Personal contact for a Real Estate Agent is very important in that it builds a relationship between agent and seller, and agent and buyer. It shows that the agent is willing to deal with the customer on a one to one basis to help with any problems, questions or misunderstandings they may have. A Real Estate Agent nurtures both the buyer and seller through the biggest transaction they will make in there lifetime, and this is why personal contact is so important.
sources- cheers toddy for your help :) -http://toddyjames.blogspot.com/
Website design is becoming more user-centric day by day. Most of the websites have some products or services to sell, so they want high conversion rates. High conversion rates mean more sales. To convert visitors into sales you need a simple design which is user centric. In reality a user centric website sounds easy enough, although truly understanding the demands of the customer and converting this to a simple easy to use website is hard. Less is better in website design. The more information, links and products you have on the one page the harder it is to find what you are after. Because most users only scan the information, you want them to be able to find what they are after with minimal clicking and time involved.
2. Define the term 'presence'. Write an additional paragraph that describes why firms that do business on the Web should be more concerned about presence than firms that operate in the physical world.
Presence is defined as “a theoretical concept describing the effect that people experience when they interact with a computer-mediated or computer-generated environment” (Sheridan, 1994). Having a web presence you have the ability to let others know what it is you can do for them. A website presence can mean anything from a website or a blog. Both are very good ways to get known (Miller, 2008). Web presence relates to website design, accessibility from search engines and links, effectiveness of information and how easy it is to find what the user is looking for. Word of mouth can be both a negative and positive for a website. If a user has a bad experience in most cases they will not visit that site again, they may also tell others not to bother with the website either.Firms that operate through the web should be more concerned about ‘presence’ than those firms that operate in the physical world because it is there only form of contact and means of satisfying the potential customer. Online firms are competing for the consumer the same as the firms in the physical world, although there is a lot more competition for sales online, because of the fact there are tens of thousands of firms in each particular industry in operation. Online firms need that extra something to catch the eye of the consumer. Firms in the physical world have the options of outlets, employees, face to face sales, customer service, Physical presentation and presence in the community. Although online firms have these features to some extent, in the end all they really have is a webpage, a webpage that will bring success to the firm through ‘presence’.
3. Write three paragraphs to briefly describe the things that Real Estate Agents can best accomplish through (1) their web sites (2) Mass media advertising (3) Personal contact
Real Estate agents have the opportunity through there websites to reach a higher percentage of the population. Newspapers generally are targeted at a local area, whereas a website is global. Through a website agencies can display a greater number of listings as appose to a newspaper. It also offers an almost endless amount of space to display everything and anything about the listing, photos, videos and virtual tours just to name a few. A search option will give the users a quick and targeted way of searching for properties that suit there needs and not have them searching through endless amounts of properties that don’t suit what they are looking for. “Internet marketing for real estate agents is one of the most efficient and cost-effective ways to find new clients and advertise real estate listings” (Brandon, 2009). A Real Estate Agent will use mass media advertising to show that they are advertising to a large scale market and that they are quick and efficient in doing so. The agency would not use mass media advertising for a particular listing, but for the agency itself, in displaying information about the business. Personal contact for a Real Estate Agent is very important in that it builds a relationship between agent and seller, and agent and buyer. It shows that the agent is willing to deal with the customer on a one to one basis to help with any problems, questions or misunderstandings they may have. A Real Estate Agent nurtures both the buyer and seller through the biggest transaction they will make in there lifetime, and this is why personal contact is so important.
sources- cheers toddy for your help :) -http://toddyjames.blogspot.com/
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Week 2 Questions
What are the four (4) main points Michael Rappa makes about search? Please write them on your blog page.
1.Vast amount of Data- Rappa explains that there is a massive amount of data that is generated and can be stored for a long period of time. In today's society data is almost never thrown away. These create many opportunities but also many problems.
2.Search Is Highly important- As there is a vast amount of data available search has become a very significant component of the Internet. People want to know where to find the information they are looking for, hence the use of search engines. In contrast to this is how organisations get found on the net by prospective customers. Online Advertising was one of the commonly used devices for businesses. Most companies used search based advertising
3.Search Protocol- Rappa refers to language people should use when using search engines in order to gain the best possible results. He suggests that using ‘natural language’ will allow search engines to find the most relevant information. Asking questions like you would in conversation with another person is an example of this.
4. ranking alga rhythm- Rappa refers to this as the system that ranks the information in order of relevance to the key words used in the search field. Most relevant will be towards the top of the page, least relevant as you work further down the list.
http://digitalenterprise.org/podcasts/navigation.mp3
Watch or read the Marissa Mayer interview. Write a paragraph or two, on four points made by Marissa Mayer, that you think were the most interesting or significant for business. There are no right or wrong answers here, I just want your opinion.
Google is very engineering driven . I think this point contributes a lot to google’s success. The fact that it is focused more on consumer need s then making a profit is a reason why it is so largely popular. It is always seeking to improve and go one step further rather then focusing on marketing its company or producing sales. Marissa also mentioned the importance of competition such as yahoo. Having competitors will ensure that the company keeps moving forward and therefore sustaining and increasing its customer satisfaction. It also means more advancements in technology if everyone is striving to be the best and that customer needs will be better met.
The most significant point made in my opinion was that that search is in its “infancy”. There is still so many more improvements that can be made and that google will only get better. Such things as audio and visual search will be developed as well as google on mobile phones. Google its self is still growing as it continues to develop. Chrome is a good step but the possibilities are really endless.
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/03/06/marissa-mayer-on-charlie-rose-the-future-of-google/
1.Vast amount of Data- Rappa explains that there is a massive amount of data that is generated and can be stored for a long period of time. In today's society data is almost never thrown away. These create many opportunities but also many problems.
2.Search Is Highly important- As there is a vast amount of data available search has become a very significant component of the Internet. People want to know where to find the information they are looking for, hence the use of search engines. In contrast to this is how organisations get found on the net by prospective customers. Online Advertising was one of the commonly used devices for businesses. Most companies used search based advertising
3.Search Protocol- Rappa refers to language people should use when using search engines in order to gain the best possible results. He suggests that using ‘natural language’ will allow search engines to find the most relevant information. Asking questions like you would in conversation with another person is an example of this.
4. ranking alga rhythm- Rappa refers to this as the system that ranks the information in order of relevance to the key words used in the search field. Most relevant will be towards the top of the page, least relevant as you work further down the list.
http://digitalenterprise.org/podcasts/navigation.mp3
Watch or read the Marissa Mayer interview. Write a paragraph or two, on four points made by Marissa Mayer, that you think were the most interesting or significant for business. There are no right or wrong answers here, I just want your opinion.
Google is very engineering driven . I think this point contributes a lot to google’s success. The fact that it is focused more on consumer need s then making a profit is a reason why it is so largely popular. It is always seeking to improve and go one step further rather then focusing on marketing its company or producing sales. Marissa also mentioned the importance of competition such as yahoo. Having competitors will ensure that the company keeps moving forward and therefore sustaining and increasing its customer satisfaction. It also means more advancements in technology if everyone is striving to be the best and that customer needs will be better met.
The most significant point made in my opinion was that that search is in its “infancy”. There is still so many more improvements that can be made and that google will only get better. Such things as audio and visual search will be developed as well as google on mobile phones. Google its self is still growing as it continues to develop. Chrome is a good step but the possibilities are really endless.
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/03/06/marissa-mayer-on-charlie-rose-the-future-of-google/
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Week 1 Questions and Answers
Internet risks – give examples of four things that can go wrong with a transactional site?
1. You could pick up programs that are harmful to your computer including things like Trojans, spyware or a virus that could inflict serious damage to your computer.
2. There is always a risk of privacy when using a transactional site. Your credit card details may come into the wrong hands as well as other personal details such as your address and phone number could be misused.
3. The products you purchase may not be to the standard in which they were advertised. You could receive the wrong item or never receive it at all. It could also be a fake product.
4. Identity fraud is another risk where your personal details may be obtained without your knowledge and used to form a fake identity.
Sources used- www.iskiv.net/sec/en/risks.html
http://fallen-angel18.blogspot.com/
Write down a definition for each:
E-commerce: Electronic commerce, commonly known as e-commerce or eCommerce, consists of the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks
Sources used- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecommerce
E-business: Electronic Business, commonly referred to as "eBusiness" or "e-Business", may be defined as the utilization of information and communication technologies (ICT) in support of all the activities of business
Source used- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EBusiness
What is the difference between buy side and sell side eCommerce?
Buy-side e-commerce refers to transactions to procure resources needed by an organization from its suppliers. Sell-side e-commerce refers to transactions involved with selling products to an organization’s customers.
Source used- http://www.davechaffey.com/E-business/C1-Introduction/E-business-E-commerce-defined
Describe the different types of eBusiness
1) B2B (Business-to-Business)Companies doing business with each other such as manufacturers selling to distributors and wholesalers selling to retailers. Pricing is based on quantity of order and is often negotiable.
2) B2C (Business-to-Consumer)Businesses selling to the general public typically through catalogs utilizing shopping cart software. By dollar volume, B2B takes the prize, however B2C is really what the average Joe has in mind with regards to ecommerce as a whole.Having a hard time finding a book? Need to purchase a custom, high-end computer system? How about a first class, all-inclusive trip to a tropical island? With the advent ecommerce, all three things can be purchased literally in minutes without human interaction. Oh how far we've come!
3) C2B (Consumer-to-Business)A consumer posts his project with a set budget online and within hours companies review the consumer's requirements and bid on the project. The consumer reviews the bids and selects the company that will complete the project. Elance empowers consumers around the world by providing the meeting ground and platform for such transactions.
4) C2C (Consumer-to-Consumer)There are many sites offering free classifieds, auctions, and forums where individuals can buy and sell thanks to online payment systems like PayPal where people can send and receive money online with ease. eBay's auction service is a great example of where person-to-person transactions take place everyday since 1995.
Source used- http://www.digitsmith.com/ecommerce-definition.html
Which digital technology has the highest penetration rate? Explain and source your answer.
The Moblie phone has the highest penetration rate. This is demonstrated in the graphically shown infornation collected from MORI Technology Traacker January 1997.The graph indicated that in the UK with 85% use a mobile phone 64% use digital and tv 61% use the internet anywhere.
Source From- http://moodle.ballarat.edu.au/file.php/24/Topic1/Topic_1_Introduction_to_eBusiness.ppt
List::Four drivers to adoption of sell-side e-commerce by business.Increasing speed with which supplies can be obtained
Avoid losing market share to businesses already using e-commerce.
Meeting customer expectations to have a web site
Administrative cost reductions from more efficient routine business processes such as recruitment, invoice payment and holiday authorization.
Source used- http://moodle.ballarat.edu.au/file.php/24/Topic1/Topic_1_Introduction_to_eBusiness.ppt
1. You could pick up programs that are harmful to your computer including things like Trojans, spyware or a virus that could inflict serious damage to your computer.
2. There is always a risk of privacy when using a transactional site. Your credit card details may come into the wrong hands as well as other personal details such as your address and phone number could be misused.
3. The products you purchase may not be to the standard in which they were advertised. You could receive the wrong item or never receive it at all. It could also be a fake product.
4. Identity fraud is another risk where your personal details may be obtained without your knowledge and used to form a fake identity.
Sources used- www.iskiv.net/sec/en/risks.html
http://fallen-angel18.blogspot.com/
Write down a definition for each:
E-commerce: Electronic commerce, commonly known as e-commerce or eCommerce, consists of the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks
Sources used- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecommerce
E-business: Electronic Business, commonly referred to as "eBusiness" or "e-Business", may be defined as the utilization of information and communication technologies (ICT) in support of all the activities of business
Source used- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EBusiness
What is the difference between buy side and sell side eCommerce?
Buy-side e-commerce refers to transactions to procure resources needed by an organization from its suppliers. Sell-side e-commerce refers to transactions involved with selling products to an organization’s customers.
Source used- http://www.davechaffey.com/E-business/C1-Introduction/E-business-E-commerce-defined
Describe the different types of eBusiness
1) B2B (Business-to-Business)Companies doing business with each other such as manufacturers selling to distributors and wholesalers selling to retailers. Pricing is based on quantity of order and is often negotiable.
2) B2C (Business-to-Consumer)Businesses selling to the general public typically through catalogs utilizing shopping cart software. By dollar volume, B2B takes the prize, however B2C is really what the average Joe has in mind with regards to ecommerce as a whole.Having a hard time finding a book? Need to purchase a custom, high-end computer system? How about a first class, all-inclusive trip to a tropical island? With the advent ecommerce, all three things can be purchased literally in minutes without human interaction. Oh how far we've come!
3) C2B (Consumer-to-Business)A consumer posts his project with a set budget online and within hours companies review the consumer's requirements and bid on the project. The consumer reviews the bids and selects the company that will complete the project. Elance empowers consumers around the world by providing the meeting ground and platform for such transactions.
4) C2C (Consumer-to-Consumer)There are many sites offering free classifieds, auctions, and forums where individuals can buy and sell thanks to online payment systems like PayPal where people can send and receive money online with ease. eBay's auction service is a great example of where person-to-person transactions take place everyday since 1995.
Source used- http://www.digitsmith.com/ecommerce-definition.html
Which digital technology has the highest penetration rate? Explain and source your answer.
The Moblie phone has the highest penetration rate. This is demonstrated in the graphically shown infornation collected from MORI Technology Traacker January 1997.The graph indicated that in the UK with 85% use a mobile phone 64% use digital and tv 61% use the internet anywhere.
Source From- http://moodle.ballarat.edu.au/file.php/24/Topic1/Topic_1_Introduction_to_eBusiness.ppt
List::Four drivers to adoption of sell-side e-commerce by business.Increasing speed with which supplies can be obtained
Avoid losing market share to businesses already using e-commerce.
Meeting customer expectations to have a web site
Administrative cost reductions from more efficient routine business processes such as recruitment, invoice payment and holiday authorization.
Source used- http://moodle.ballarat.edu.au/file.php/24/Topic1/Topic_1_Introduction_to_eBusiness.ppt
Four barriers to adoption of sell-side e-commerce by business.
1) Their may be a sizeable start up cost for your business and if your not a big business you may see the move as a risky one.
2) Your staff might not be as skilled because your business is online and their getting less face to face sales.
3) The running cost of being on the Internet may seem large and might be greater than the sales your doing on-line
4) You may believe that confusion may occur with sales over the Internet and that some customers won't receive what they have payed for meaning your reputation as a business could be at stake.
Source used- http://grouch18.blogspot.com/2009/03/week-1-questions-and-answers.html
How might a restaurant in Sturt Street Ballarat benefit from an online presence?
Potential Customers who may be browsing the internet for a restaurant could come across this particular restaurant and view the menu, make a booking and poossibly get directions which would be a big advantage over the competition who have a yellow pages add with just a phone number or no advertising at all. It could also allow a customer review section on its website that will give it an even stronger stance and bring in more customers.
What are some examples of Digital information??
Mobile phones
Internet
Digital televesion
Vidoe games
Source used- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_media#Examples_of_digital_media
What is the semantic web? Are we there yet?
The Semantic Web is an evolving extension of the World Wide Web in which the semantics of information and services on the web is defined, making it possible for the web to understand and satisfy the requests of people and machines to use the web content. I think that we are at a good place already but there is still much more that can be developed in the future.
Source used- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_Web
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