Online Business Promotion - Essay Example

The web is a worldwide accessible series of interconnected computer networks that transmit data by packet switching using the Internet (Mailu, D 2000). According to him further, internet is a network of networks consisting of millions of smaller domestic, academic, business, and government networks, which together carry various information and services, such as electronic mail, file transfer, and the interlinked Web pages and other documents of the World Wide Web. Before the internet people used to communicate via the phone, letters and many more means of communication. Businesses and other productive sectors used to experience problems carrying out their duties due the communication breakdown and the ineffective methods which used to exist (Barnes, 2000 P. 34). According to Mwenda (2004), for one to appreciate the importance the new computer-aided communication can have, he/she must consider the dynamics of the same in that, it has made the world a global village since every one of us can communicate with his/her accomplices every where they are instantly (P. 41). Businesses have been made efficient since the transactions are made over the net in a faster way than we could have imagined sometimes back, advertisements are nowadays being made over the net, which is cheap. The important sectors of our economies are now safe in terms of communication due to the coming of this technology. Internet has been used for so many beneficial activities in sports, culture and the general wellbeing oh the human race (Richmond, J 2003 P. 102). On the same note, websites are being used by organizations to market their products and also to carry out transactions. For them to be efficient they should be well planned for and the organization of the materials should be in order. In addition, it should be attractive for the users. Intuitive and good level of innovation as well as easy navigation is an important issue for every website that is to sell the ideas of an organization. Poorly designed web pages cause confusion, frustration and total dissatisfaction to would be potential customers. This can sometimes cause them to opt out of using your services and consider using that of your competitor. With website metrics data, a company can test different operations to see how potential customers react and view the data to determine the overall navigation style for your site to take a notch higher. The use of website metrics is also called website analytics and is a tool for enhancing customers experience as well as ensuring that online success has become a necessity (Agnes, B 2006). To demonstrate the above factors, three web sites will be analyzed to show their importance. They are the website on Decathlon, that of JD sports and that of JJB sport store. It is evident that the three sites have been designed by professional in that field and have all the important aspects in websites. The metric information about these sites is collected by opening the site and examining all what is there. Information about their locations is present in all the three sites. A price sample is also present as this will tell aspiring customers how good their financial requirements are taken care of. Likewise, the search engine in the three sites is present and active and the customer can search foe whatever he/she needs from the site. In addition, the services they offer are well documented and advertised for in the sites. Also, potential customers are requested if they would like to join the site and informed of the benefits of such in the site. The issue of directions as to where their stores are is well catered for in the home page. Finally, an active television viewing is allowed in the three sites to boost their sales. The following Is the analysis of the individual site. Firstly, the website for Decathlon is beautiful in appearance as it catapults somebody to look at it again. In it you choose what you want and they direct you to that. It has the portion to direct new customers on how to join them and also has a list of the available stores they have. In addition, it has some picture which acts as a birds eye view to the potential customers. It shows the potential customer his/her number among those that have viewed the site since its inception Secondly, the JD sport website has almost the same feature as that of Decathlon only that, the background in the site is a bit appealing than that of decathlon. It is black. Likewise, it has pictures to attract the potential customers. Has few features than that for decathlon Thirdly, the JJB sport store website is more detailed than the later two sites in that, it has all that a potential customer may want from the site from the prices to pictures. In addition, the site has a part that shows how customers have been visiting it. This is good in this world full of competition as it gives the administration some insights as to how it they can make decisions. Website design has some guidelines which have been followed to the later in the three sites under analysis. Designing a site requires prior preparation of the materials to be included in the site. If possible, outsourcing is done to make sure all is captured in the final thing. The following are the guidelines in to writing an effective site that is appealing in looking at and that can sell the organization. Web usability is key while designing the site as quick usability helps all visitors accomplish their goals at a site quickly and easily. Consistency across all pages in terms of looks and feel, elements in the same position and standard color schemes is key to successful sites (Oloo, K 2001 P.23). The planning process of the site should be properly explained. Further, according to Mwenda (2004), the site organization should be well analyzed so to capture all. It should be useful as much as possible and have attractive web pages. The advantages and disadvantages of should be well valued so as to come up with a well planned site. Further, the sites business objective should be identified early in advance. If about selling products or services, educating consumers, providing technical support, collecting information from visitors, offering a virtual community to customers, directing consumers to other useful sites, recruiting talented employees, all this should be understood prior to the start of the site design. For it to cut a niche, it is good to understand who will visit the site and what the visitors will want from the site. The audience may include primary audience which consists of the targeted customers identified in a business plan. Also, it may include secondary audiences which encompass the following: Vendors, strategic partners, investors or the general public. In designing the site, it should be done to accommodate the most common technological constraints like, experienced/novice users, browser and version commonly used, internet connection speeds and screen resolutions used. In the design the home page should try to answer the following: The owner of the site, what the owner does, where he/she can be found if need be and why the customer should be interested in your commodities and services. Having done with the home page, the secondary pages will include, customer login page. This will tell the customer if he/she can be accosted in the site. Also, products/ services pages are in the secondary pages. This will tell the customer the kind of service to expect from the organization. In the secondary pages, policy pages are also included. This tells the potential customers your privacy values as well as the policies that apply in the operations of the organization. Customers really need support. Special pages on customer support should be included in the design for them to feel as part of the organization. Contact information should likewise be provided for them to be able to contact the relevant authorities in the organization may be to place orders or to inquire about something of both the interest of the organization and the customer. Color schemes for the sites should be carefully selected so as to minimize unwanted conflicts of interest. Images, audio, and video should be used with care and sparingly and only when they support the Web site message. Background images should be avoided as this may lead to confusions and misunderstandings with time and this is not healthy for an organization looking for customers and that which needs to retain them. Incase of images, alternative text to the image links should be provided. Many websites nowadays have an About Us page, frequently asked questions (FAQ) page, employment opportunities pages, what is new page, customer stories/case study page and help page, all aimed at taking the customers needs a level higher. Similar to business organograms, information in the sites is organized in levels. Home page at level 1, main topic pages at level 2 and the additional details about the respective topics in the remaining levels. All the three sites that are analyzed here, have put into practice all that is talked about in the above measures of a complete and a successful site that is to appeal to customers and take the organization a notch higher. In conclusion, the three sites are well organized and those who came up with them had their maiden goals in mind. They serve well the purpose they were intended for. Works cited Mailu, D (2000). Technology in Modern Times. Nairobi: General Printers Barnes (2000). The Internet. How the net has turned the world into a global village Ohio: University of Akron Press, P. 34 Mwenda (2004). The World Wide Web and its Implications. London: longhorn Richmond, J (2003). The Power of the Internet. Baltimore, Maryland: John Hopkins University Press, P. 102 Agnes, B (2006). The future of businesses. Melbourne: Penguin Oloo, K (2001). The World Wide Web. An extension of the net. Nairobi: Government Press, P.23 Read More