Starting a Business Online, Part 2
Assignment 2: Starting a Business Online, Part 2�
Due Week 8 and worth 200 points�
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Imagine that you own a small, local clothing store along the Jersey Shore boardwalk and decide that you
want to engage in e-Commerce.�
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Write a 4-5 page paper on the following:�
- Imagine that someone has offered you $1,000 to buy your domain name shortly after your started your
business online. Explain why or why you would not sell and cite the ethical dilemmas involved.� - The e-Commerce software you will be using must provide a catalog display, shopping cart capabilities,
and transaction processing. The convenience and usability for the customer are benefits of these
functions. State how each of these functions could be beneficial to your business.� - Your business will have created a presence in the physical world by having a store along the
boardwalk. Assess how you will create an effective presence on the Web, meeting the objectives listed in
Chapter 3. Be sure to include how you would improve Web presence by increasing Website usability.� - Develop a Web marketing strategy for your company including the following: identify the market
segments you will target, how you will reach that segment, and explain how you will advertise on the
Web.�
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Why I would not sell not sell my domain
I would not sell my domain name given a $1,000 offer; because my business’ products would
already be associated with the domain, following the online presence. Marinković (2012) notes,
that a domain gives a business its online identity or online branding and is generally the online
avenue for my business to connect with customers. It also provides information on the business’
products and where they can be physically purchased or how they can be purchased online.
Selling my domain would therefore mean losing touch with my customers and a negative impact
on my online branding; and consequently the loss of potential customers who may have planned
to revisit the site for more information. Furthermore, it would lead to confusion among clients
who were already using the domain; as a new user introduces new products and information on
the website once it has been sold. I consider this unethical as it denies consumers information
which they would otherwise need to make decisions.
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Selling the domain name would impact the business negatively because a new domain name
would be required. This means that the business would need to invest financial resources and
time in order to develop a new domain. In addition, the fact that I would be creating a new
domain would mean that I start developing it from scratch; and take an unknown period of time
to take my online brand to the same position as the previous domain. This would consequently
lead to lost time and clients as the business attempts to build a new domain.
Obtaining a good domain name is considered an elusive factor and I would therefore be hesitant
in selling my domain. Lindenthal (2014) notes that a majority of the best brand names have
already been acquired as domain names and finding another good domain name may prove
difficult for users. Chances are that the new domain name chosen may not effectively reflect my
business’ activities. Furthermore, the process of selecting a name, tasting the domain and finally
settling with a name that best reflects the business takes a considerable amount of effort, which
would best be avoided by maintaining the current domain.
In considering whether to sell my domain, I would ask myself, what the buyer really wants to do
with my domain once it is purchased and whether they are a genuine user. Ethical issues such as
hoarding of domain names often arise in the domain business and I would not be pleased if the
buyer has the intention of hoarding my domain to sell it later at an exorbitant price.
Benefit of e-commerce software
Effective e-commerce software is user-friendly, in terms of navigation, availability of
information, flexibility and versatility, in order to give consumers a delightful shopping
experience. In this relation, my e-commerce software will provide buyers with a catalog display,
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enable them to use a shopping cart and purchase from the website, by providing transaction
processing. These functions create convenience and usability for customers and are bound to
have immense impact on the business’ return on investment. Each of the functions provides
unique benefits as discussed below.
The catalog display is a rich source of information as it helps consumers to make quick
decisions, based on the availability of items that they want to purchase as well as their prices.
The catalog provides pictures, videos, reviews and user information; which play an important
role in helping buyers make viable decisions (Abdullah, Hossain and Joham, 2011). This benefits
the company in that consumers are more likely to use online sites that provide a catalog, and
having one generally increases sale volumes. Besides informing clients of available products, the
e-commerce software records the number of product views as well as reviews on products;
information which is necessary in assessing how the business is performing. The information can
then be used to make important decisions regarding products that the business should prioritize
or eliminate (Abdullah, Hossain and Joham, 2011).
Shopping cart capabilities have gained popularity and large online sellers such as e-bay and
Amazon have gained immensely from providing a shopping cart functionality. The shopping cart
allows customers to choose products they are interested in and actually proceed to pay for them
at the comfort of their homes (Wilson, Pettijohn and McMurtrey, 2006). Given that the items on
the shopping cart can be paid for immediately or at a later date gives the buyer flexibility to do
‘window shopping’ and save products that are of interest. A shopping cart is beneficial to the
business as it eliminates the need for physical purchases; which in essence allow the business to
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sell to customers in large geographical regions, away from the area of operation (Wilson,
Pettijohn and McMurtrey, 2006).
An organization can only benefit from e-commerce and online selling if is in a position to make
sales. Transaction processing allows the buyer to make purchases online instantly and is
therefore very convenient. Given that there is no physical contact with the customer and that
online purchasing is a ‘self service’ undertaking, it is highly convenient for both clients and the
business.
Creating web presence
Creating effective web presence is among the most important aspects of online selling.
Consumers should have easy access the business’ products, if they are to consider purchasing
them. There are various approaches that I would use to achieve this.
The first step would be to survey the online space, to identify what competitors are doing, and
consequently design strategies aimed at penetrating the web space. This also gives an idea of
what customers expect in terms of clothing and how best it can be achieved.
I would create an online presence through investing in search engine optimization. This involves
influencing the visibility of the website on search engines, such that it is ranked higher on the
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search results whenever users search for information online. In order to achieve this, I will
ensure that my website content is well written, coded and incorporates keywords that customers
in my line of business search for (Jöran, Bela and Wilde, 2010). This will ensure more visibility
of the website and consequently a higher volume of customers.
An effective way of gaining web presence is to make the website a resource. Atwong (2015)
notes that by providing internet users with information on topics of interest can greatly increase
online traffic. I would achieve this through creating a fashion blog to provide valuable
information for potential customers As people visit my blog to access various resources and
follow fashion trends, they would consequently end up viewing my clothing and become
potential clients.
A good website is determined by the degree of usability; including ease of navigation, presence
of adequate information and flexibility of user options. My website will consist of content that is
easy to read and easily understandable. In consideration that web readers mostly skim through
content, I will make use of images and graphics as much as possible, while reducing text, in a bid
to make it more user-friendly (Huang, Lurie and Mitra, 2009). I will ensure that unique features
are installed to help users use the website with ease. In this respect, the website will be available
in a mobile-friendly format to ensure that mobile phone users can access it without the need of a
computer. To further increase usability, my website would not only provide a catalog, but it
would also give users an option to test the products virtually before making a purchase.
Web marketing strategy
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My online business will target the youth and middle-aged individuals (age 20-49) due to the fact
that they are more likely to use the internet and make online purchases. Statistics indicate that 97
percent of individuals in the U.S. aged between 18-29 use the internet, while the statistics for
people aged 30-49 and 50-64 was 93 percent and 88 percent respectively. In addition, more than
half of online shopping is linked with individuals aged 21-34; with individuals aged 35-49
accounting for 28 percent of online shoppers.
Enhancing the reach of this population will involve strategic tactics, aimed at attracting
viewership and consequently the purchase of products. The first strategy will involve mainstream
media advertising including television and magazines, with attractive infographics, which direct
users to the company’s website for further information (Goswami, 2015). The advertisements
will be strategically placed during popular programs or in fashion magazines that are of interest
to the age group. The use of outdoor advertising with conspicuous banners and billboards
offering attractive packages, discounts and trendy clothing will also attract online shoppers to the
website. To achieve this effect, the media will contain a clear link to the business’ website and
indicate the availability of more products.
The use of social media has gained importance in the modern world and it is often considered
among the most effective avenues of creating web presence. This is especially so in the target
market selected, as they are more likely to use social media to interact with the rest of the world.
To promote my business, I will maintain active social media pages, with an objective of creating
awareness for my products. In order to create traffic to my sites, the social media pages will be
populated with unique, interesting and attractive digital media content, to be shared across the
web through various marketing websites and popular social media pages (Atwong, 2015). By
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creating content that is appealing to customers; my clothing business can achieve adequate
online traffic to the site and thus promote sales.
References
Abdullah, A. M., Hossain, M. M., & Joham, C. (2011). e-Catalogs: How Can Brain
Hemisphericity Relate to Online Shoppers’ Preferences?. Journal Of Internet Commerce, 10(1),
17-34.
