TOPIC 4 - DIGITAL DESIGN

1. In two paragraphs explain why a customer centric web site design is so important, yet so difficult to accomplish?

Designing a website that is customer friendly can be one of the hardest but most essential things to do if a business is to have success online. There are a few important factors that are needed if a website is to be functionally accessed and used by its consumers, which include:
- It should be clealry organised
- easy to navigate
- not have needless information that could distract consumers
- clearly labelled categories with easy-to-find links

The consumer, after all, is the most important link to creating a customer centric web site. You want to be able to sell your website as something worth looking at as soon as the consumer clicks on your page. The consumer won't go looking for something to keep them on the site, it needs to be presented to them on first approach so as to entice them to more time spent on your site.

The reason it is so difficult to get it right, is not only because of the many different user types and individuals, but because of the constant competition in every market. Consumers are in high demand of sites that are better than its competitors, which may be offering discounts or other promotional benefits. It is essential to be aware of the current online market and at a minimum match what the best performing sites are doing. A website will not please everyone but it should make the effort to conforming to as many consumers they can for optimal succession.

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 can be defined as;
"The state or fact of being present; current existence or occurrence."
"Immediate proximity in time or space."
(The Free Dictionary, 2009)

Being present online takes a greater depth into the definition of 'presence'. Online presence is i suppose being accessed by consumers and generating an inclining number of visitors to the site. Businesses who do business only on the web should be more concerned because they have nothing to fall back on if their website doesn't take off. Businesses like General Pants Co. and Jb-hi-fi have presence both in the physical world and online which solidifies an advantage over online business. You will often see online businesses like Asos having to continually offer discounts and promotions like free-shipping to stay ahead of the competition and to stay ahead of businesses who are present in the physical world as well. Customers in the physical world can always just walk into a shop and browse, try things on but when it comes to online, a large part of what sells a website is the amount of trust a consumer has for the business. One bad review of service from the online process can change a potential customer's mind about purchasing items from your business.

3. *Usable Doesn’t Have To Mean Ugly ‘for a web design to be truly beautiful, it has to be functional, have purpose and contribute in some way to the website’s intuitiveness, usefulness and branding. All of these things contribute to the overall effect of a design’. This is a quote from one of the articles on web design linked on Web pages that suck. Find a web page that ‘does not suck’ and discuss the features that make it work.

The website that in my opinion 'does not suck' is the General Pants Co. website because it covers the key criteria i mentioned above. As well as being a site that i visit regualarily and purchase from, it exists in the physical world also. This is a credit to itself as it has achieved a positive basis and output for consumers in both its online website and physical store.




Here are some reasons why it works:

- It is visually appealing on first look
- has clear and easy to find links
- uses an appropriate amount of visual image to counter words.
- specifies on privacy importance
- Advertises discounts where other competitors don't want you knowing about.

REFERENCES

TheFreeDictionary. (2009). Presence. Retreived March 26, 2013, from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/presence

 

TOPIC 3 - SECURITY AND PRIVACY

Security and privacy issues are becoming more and more common in todays era due to society becoming more adaptable to the growing amount of technology at our graps. I'm sure if we were to be asked if we have ever hacked one of our friends phones or facebook accounts, most of us would be guilty, and i'm sure we have all had it happen to ourselves aswell. However this leads to a more serious note; how many other people outside our group of friends have had access to these devices. For example, a few of my mates don't have a lock code on their phone and are constantly logged in to all kinds of accounts on there phone. If they were to lose it, personal details, accounts, even passwords can be easily accessed by whoever were to find it. I guess it comes down to the individual and the measures they go to to protect themselves from these cases.

A single piece of advice i could give is dont have the one password for every single acccount. You should have at least three different passwords for all your accounts. If a person, or an identity theif, were to find out that one password, everything would be accessible to them.

Question 1:
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? What was the action taken in response to the privacy breach?

Early this year it was found that for 4 months, chinese hackers had attacked the New York Times by infiltrating its computer systems and obtaining passwords of its reporters and other employees. It was said to be believed that the reasoning behind this was because relatives of Wen Jiabao, China's prime minister, had accumulated a fortune worth several billion dollars through business dealings.
No real damage was done however that doesnt mean it won't in the future. After tracking the intruders to study their movements and help erect better defenses to block them, The Times and computer security experts have expelled the attackers and kept them from breaking back in. It was believed that the methods the Chinese hackers used were similar to that of the Chinese military but to accuse them without any solid evidence would be 'unprofessional and baseless'.
(Perlroth, N., January 13, 2013)

Question 2:
CASE STUDY ANALYSIS - Data Mining corporation (DMC)

What Ami technologies are identified in this case:
- It collects data about individuals from hundreds of sources and then sells the aggregated data back to many of those same sources.
- sidestepping legislative and regulatory constraints on transfers of personal data through mergers with or acquisitions of companies with their own extensive databases.

What drives DMC's officers to take the actions they took?
On or very near the top of all companies' goals is to make profit. Money drove DMC's officers because any additional information that may have been recognised or found by one company can be essential to another company, which leads to paying generous amounts of money to obtain that new information.

DMC is the clear market leader in the aggregation of AmI data. Are there any comparisons you can make to technology companies today?
In terms of data collection, i think it obvious that no comparison can come close to what they do in terms of obtaining and utilising information however it is important for companies to conduct their own methods of gathering information that comes directly from their consumers. Surveys, a quick questionarre can be resourceful to any company. The Australian Bureau of statistics gathers informtaion ona  regualr basis to keep up with current trends and behaviours of society and consumers.

How realistic is the description of governments using the technology and prohibiting immigration from states with no AmI data aggregation information?
To allow a person's information to be gathered with or without consent isn't realistic. Of course there are exceptions of this depending on the nature of the individual and the information they contain, especially for criminal concerns. This makes the everyday indidvidual really question whether their private affairs are really private, or whether they are just another monday morning read for this company.

List some of the 'unintended circumstances' listed in this case
- I don't think it was intended that the general public find out exactly what they were doing with their personal information, especially as it looks as if perosnal details are as valuable as gold to the public.
- The idea that they thought they were the only ones who could have access to the same information was very ambitious. One cannot simply have so much information without not being able to attract attention or competition or even theft.
- I don't think they thought they would end up with criminal accusations made against them, seeing them being placed in court several times

REFERENCES

Perlroth, N. (January 13, 2013). Hackers in China attacked the Times for last 4 months. Retreived March 20, 2013, from
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/31/technology/chinese-hackers-infiltrate-new-york-times-computers.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

 

TOPIC 2 - NAVIGATING THE WEB.

Part 1: Navigation.

a. What are the four (4) main points Michael Rappa makes about search?
- picking and using the right key words, positioning them correctly.
- using meta tags
- including html links along with graphics.
- submitting only key pages to search engines.

"A simple search of a major web directory can yield hundreds of resultant links. That is usually more than we have the time or energy to investigate. Typically, search accuracy, in terms of the actual number of useful sites, can be very low. This is unsatisfactory for both consumers and businesses, alike. The key to being found on the web is knowing some basic elements about how to code your web site."
(Rappa, M., 2009)

b. Watch or read the Marissa Mayer interview. Marissa says ‘search is in its infancy’. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? What is your personal experience with search? There are no right or wrong answers here, I just want your opinion.
I do agree with Marissa's statement as let's be honest, computer and the idea of search has really only blemished over the past ten - twenty years. For example sales of the computer went from 40,000 in 1975 to 95.4 million in 2011 in the United States. (Computer Sales Statistics, 2012). As for my personal experince with search and especially with google itself, it has really developed and increased over the past 5 years. 5 years ago i would probably have used google 5-10 times a week and only for my key interests. Today im constantly on search and google  up to 10+ times a day, and not just searching about my key interests but also as a kind of second nature thing to do to make sure what im hearing throughout society is real.
I look at search or google as a relief mechanism. If you cut yourself you get a bandaid, if you're unsure of anything you google it. It is a way of healing our curiousity.

 Part 2: History of the internet.
a. So what are the 6 webs?
- Here: mobile devices
- Near: desktop computing
- Far: typical TV viewer experience
- Weird: web voice recognition systems
- B2B: business systems talking to each other.
- D2D: device to device
(Malik, O. 2006)

 b. Could there be more?
- It is clear that with advancing technology and research behind finding new wasy to interact with knowledge and the world around us, that future webs will be introduced.

c. What does it mean for business?
- This means that businesses need to be fully aware of all 6 webs and understand how the market uses them. To fully take potential of the webs they must utilise all resources available to them to substantiate a market that is advancing with technology. A common understanding between consumer and buyer is key to becoming a market leader instead of a market follower.

REFERENCES:

Rappa, M. (2009). Navigating the Web. Retrieved 13 March, 2013, from http://digitalenterprise.org/navigation/nav.html

Statistic Brain. (August 24, 2012). Computer Sales. Retrieved 13 March, 2013, from http://www.statisticbrain.com/computer-sales-statistics/

Malik, O. (February 8, 2006). Six webs of Bill Joy. Retrieved 13 March, 2013, from http://gigaom.com/2006/02/08/six-webs-of-joy/


 



 

TOPIC 1 - INTRODUCTION TO eBUSINESS

1) Internet risks – give examples of four things that can go wrong with a transactional site?
a) privacy and overall security of personal details.
b) the site may be appear proper however its information or products could be misleading, incorrect or untrustworthy.
c) hacking is becoming more common, therefore false orders.
d) communication may be non-existant which reduces a common understanding.

2) Definition of each
eCommerce: eCommerce is the buying and selling of products by businesses and consumers over the World Wide Web (www) It includes the process of searching and selcting products on online catalogues.
(What is Ecommerce?, 2008)

eBusiness: eBusiness or electronic business is the term used to describe using the internet to operate a business. It includes collaborting with customers, businesses and provides entrepreneurs excellent opportunities to enter a market. (Understanding eBusiness)

 

3) What is the difference between buy side and sell side ecommerce?

In the sell side you are inviting customers to your site and enticing them to buy your products whereas on the buy side you are doing the opposite and buying other business' products and services.

4) Describe the different types of eBusiness

B2C: business to consumer outlook. Sells products directly to online retail consumers. A good examle is Amazon.
B2B: business to business outlook. It involves companies using the Internet to conduct transactions with one other.
C2B: consumer to business outlook. It is a unique e-business model in which consumers create value and demand for products. A good example is Priceline.com airline ticket website.
C2C: consumer to consumer outlook. This enables consumers to behave as buyers and sellers in third-party-facilitated online marketplaces.
(Types of eBusiness models, 2013)

 

5) Which digital technology has the highest penetration rate? Explain and source your answer

By far, the mobile phone has the highest penetration rate. Some countries, for example China, will exceed 120% in 2013 which means that each citizen in china is more likely to have more than one mobile phones. China has already more than 1.1 billion mobile phone subscriptions, aswell as the United States already surpassing its population numbers.
(ChinaDaily, 27 March, 2013)

6) List: Four drivers to adoption of sell-side e-commerce by business

a) expand current market
b) cost reductions contributing to increased profit
c) total control of their current and future image and projections
d) able to expand and reach other markets

 

7) List: Four barriers to adoption of sell-side e-commerce by business.
a) Not having the required or equivalent knowledge needed.
b) Initial start up costs.
c) Lack of communication between consumer and service provider.
d) Lack of resources or lack of time.

8) How might a restaurant benefit from an online presence?:
It is key im sure for every business, whether retail or hospitality, that they are creating the best output of awareness for their services and products to current consumers but also to entice future consumers. It is evident today just how popular online shopping is with retail stores, with the physical retail store being pushed to the side in favour of a few clicks of the mouse. If the restaurant is able to present its menu, goals and future aspects of thir business through current technology, it allows consumers to appreciate the concern of consumers; we want fast information. It further allows the restaurant to be reviewed online and create a vast desire to for consumers to dine and experience the venue.

9) What are some examples of Digital information?:
With the level of technology at our disposal in this day and age, there are many sources of digital information.
They include computers, mobile phones, T.V's, Ipads, tablets, gps systems, and portable devices. Im sure in the next 50 years we will see our windows become a source of digital information.

10) What is the semantic web? Are we there yet?
The semantic web is a web of data - of dates and titles and part numbers and chemical properties and any other data one might conceive of. It is about making information more easier to gather and more accessible to the every day individual. There has been a lot of work been put into semantic web with multiple challenges that still need to be further examined and better executed to allow the semantic web to be an successful technology pushed service.
(W3C, 2013)

11) Describe whether your experience of completing the PENA was positive or negative and give your reasons for your answer

My experience with PENA was positive as it allowed me to exercise skills and understand a constructive evaluation, based on my efforts alone. I felt confident in what i was presenting as information to the questions which reflected in my results.

12) Could you suggest an alternative delivery method for the PENA utilising any alternative media and/or technologies? Include any additional comments you may have.

I think it would be more productive if images and/or videos were used to create diversity and to test us more clinically on what we see, rather than what we think or are able to produce through words and thoughts. You see this method used in Psychology, and would benefit the individual taking PENA.

REFERENCES:

ChinaDaily. (March 27, 2013). Mobile phone penetration rate likely to pass 120% in 2013. Retrieved March 6, 2013, from http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2013-02/27/content_16262196.htm

Gilani,N. (2013). Types of eBusiness models. Retrieved on March 6, 2013, from http://yourbusiness.azcentral.com/types-ebusiness-models-1144.html

Understanding eBusiness. (N/A). What is eBusiness?. Retrieved on March 6, 2013, from http://toolkit.smallbiz.nsw.gov.au/part/15/74/316

W3C. (2013). Semantic Web. Retrieved on March 6, 2013, from http://www.w3.org/standards/semanticweb/

What is Ecommerce. (2008). An overview. Retrieved on March 6, 2013, from http://www.dynamicwebs.com.au/tutorials/e-commerce.htm