Practical advice for business Essay

E-commerce has radically revolutionalized the act of selling and buying, introducing both speed and efficiency. It refers to the process of buying and selling goods and services over the internet. It stands for Electronic Commerce, referring to carrying out of trade transactions through the internet. The concept of E-commerce owes it roots to the 1960s after the introduction of electronic data interchange (EDI) . From the days of EDI, E-commerce has undergone many rapid changes that have seen it grow into an efficient instrument evidenced today; the internet. This is a technology that still continues to marvel humanity, it has reduced long hours of wait and long distances traveled to a click of a mouse over the worldwide web. E-commerce involves a multiplicity of varieties ranging from banking, marketing, logistics and many others. A website is a collection of interconnected files available on the worldwide web providing information about a specific topic or organization. It exercises the overfull combinations of multimedia texts, images and sounds. Access to these files requires the use of a web browser like the Microsoft internet explorer. Almost every organization or institution owns a website, with an intention of providing relevant information either to the public or to specific people. It is this website that has totally changed how business organizations are carrying out their trade. Advertising, marketing, purchasing and may other processes have all changed to embrace this modern phenomena and hope to increase customer satisfaction. A website is created with an intention of easing a customer’s access to information he or she may require from a particular organization. It should be attractive by designed, but not too flashy to distract the customer. Implementing a website simply refers to operationalism of it (www. bsinesslink. gov. uk). This is done after a website has been designed, planned and created. The first step in implementing a web page is to design a homepage that should load quickly. This can be achieved by designing a short page, but not too short such that it compromises on the subject of the site (www. rocketface. com). The images too on the webpage should also not be unnecessarily large; this is achieved through the use of graphic software that maintains the images at an agreeable size and shape. There are some few tips on implementation to ensure that the best possible results are got. (www. rocketface. com) †¢ Background music is highly unadvisable as it might distract the web visitors. †¢ The web page should contain no videos; these should be made available as a visitor browses deeper. The next step in implementing a website is to resize the graphics. These graphics should not be larger than they are supposed to be and not be too small as to obscure clarity. Music, video or images should strictly not be put on the web page but should be put further inside so as not to cause distractions to a visitor. Ensure too that navigational tools are available on the webpage, these are tools or commands that when clicked provide instantaneous link either forward or backwards, this in addition to a home link to help a visitor browse through the various pages easily. An FAQ page should also be installed; this is a page that displays the most frequently asked questions saving the organization time instead of having to answer the questions over and over again. Install an FTP program (File Transfer Protocol). It is a program that aids in transferring files from one computer to another, allowing access to any files in a computer connected to the internet. It facilitates either a download or an upload (www. thecomputershow. com). After all the above have been accomplished, it is important before the site can be accessed over the internet, to test the system. This ensures that errors are detected and corrected early enough. It also helps to access how fast it can load and respond during peak times as well as how easily the visitors will be able to navigate through the site. The website now needs to be rolled out or launched out to the people. It is up to the organization to decide whether it will be availed on the internet without hype or through a promotion. The web address through whichever means used should be widely promoted to ensure that the potential customers are aware of it (www. ixda. org). Factors to consider when implementing a website There are several factors that should be put into consideration when implementing a website. It is these factors that will dictate the general outlook of the websites. There is a need to analyze the target audience of the website. The skill level and knowledge of the expected audience should be analyzed as well as the state of technology they are likely to be using. Be it slow or fast computers, high or low quality. It should also be analyzed on the expectations of the audience, what they may want to find out from your website. They might be looking for prices, physical location of the organization or manual. This will have an impact on the implementation (www. techsoup. org) The content of the website also should be put into consideration when implementing a website. This includes whether the information should enable either printing or downloading and whether it is available directly on the screen. Nature of the organization as well as the nature of its product will also influence the web implementation. It will affect the background of the site, the fonts to be used, language, and flashiness of the visual images. Should the fonts indicate seriousness or fun, the colors to be used will also be influenced by the nature of products or services. Funeral homes or hospitals are not expected to have similar presentation with music stores or boutiques (drupal. org) Impact of a Website As noted before, websites continue to ease communication between customers and business organizations. Now transactions are conducted over a matter of seconds or minutes regardless of the distance and location of the two components. If a website is created and implemented effectively, it can result to a turnaround of a business. A website presents a ripe opportunity for an organization to expand its clientele due to its ability to reach a large number of people at the same time. It has no physical limitations and can be structured to reach people of different linguas, whenever they maybe providing them with current and updated information regarding the organization’s products and services provided. This can help an organization expand. Its customer base and consequently their revenue. It is an opportunity for the small companies to compete on equal ground with the big companies at no additional costs. This can be done through the proper imaging and designing of the website. The structure and design of a website does not relate with the size of the business entity. A small company can prepare even a better website than a bigger one. Website ensures that organization compete with each other from the same footing. What differs then is the presentation of the webpage (www. 10e20webdesign. com). Websites have seen companies cutting on the costs of doing business, especially reducing on labor costs. For a business to be competitive in the business, it requires good marketers and sales people who take up a lot of company’s resources. This can be changed through a website. E-Marketing allows a company to get hold of a customer without any physical interaction. Although it has a disadvantage as immediate feedback is not certain. It can lead to reduced operation costs for an organization as it does not have to maintain leads of people to deal with potential customers. Marketing is done through the web and those who are interested can get in touch with the organization through E-mails. It saves the company a lot of finance as it can reach long distance customers without any physical traveling. E-marketing is not also limited to hours. It is available to customers 24 hours every day wit no additional costs (www. passioncomputing. com. au) Administration costs are also reduced due to the decreased paperwork. Information on customers is gotten and recorded online. By providing information on how to do it manuals and answers to the frequently asked questions, an organization ends up reducing the number of public relations staff (www. design4dot. com). Follow up calls to customers are replaced by E-mails, promotion cost are cut, and need of prints is reduced greatly (www. yhanpolo. com). It should be noted that simple creation of a website does not eliminate the need of other follow up systems like calls and mails. Alot of businesses lack in the traditional customer service systems or customer inquiry programs. These websites are more structured to suit marketing needs with minimal concerns for customers navigational needs. Not all people are comfortable in dealing with an impersonal organization and an organization should use retain the traditional system as a backup to the modern technology. There a number of negative impacts websites may have on anorganisation arising from the disavantages of implementing a website. One major disadvantage arises from the stiff competition of products in the website, it is a maze of information that needs to be navigated through. Before a customer gets to see your products he or she shall have come across many competing products that may be superior to yours. With an intention of maximising their satisfaction they might opt to go with the competitors products (www. quickregister. net) Many online customers’ nowadys are having a preconceived perception that some online marketers are out to make a killing and hence wary of giving their credit cards details. They fear these details may be stolen. This presents the biggest challenge to organisations today because customers would wish to be guaranteed the security of their details to protect themselves from unscrupulous dealers. The issue of cost also arises, every technology has a catch. The cost of designing a website, implementing, and maintenance costs have to be factored in. There is also the addition cost of softwares and hardwares needed to suport these systems. All in all, the benefits of a website surpasses those of the traditional means. Marketing and administration costs are minimised. The firm too is armed with a potential of competing with bigger organisations offering the same products. References History. Electronic Commerce. Viewed on 12/8/2007 http://flysyko2. netfirsm. com/ecommerce/history. htm Website advantages, 2005. Viewed on 12/8/2007 http://www10e20webdesign. com/website-design-planner-advantages. htm Website advantages. Passion computing http://www. passincomputing. com. au/articles/website-advantages. aspx Advantages of a website. 2007 design 4 dot. com. Viewed on 12/8/2007 http://www. design4dot. com/advantates-of-a-website. htm Advantages of a website. 2006. Yhanpolo. com. Viewed on 12/8/2007 http://www. yhanpolo. com/web-design-articles/advantages-website. htm Practical advice for business. Business link. Viewed on 12/8/2007 http://ww. businesslink. gov. uk/blotg/action/detail? type=RESOURCES&Hemld=1075383651 Susan Tenby, 2000. Implementing your website. Site wise: laying the foundation. Tech soup. 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