Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Maintaining and Improving Your Web Site
Web site operators must constantly monitor the traffic to their site and the response times
experienced by visitors. Internet shoppers expect service to be better than or equal to their
in-store experience, says AMR Research (a Boston-based, independent research analysis firm).
Nothing will drive potential customers away faster than if they experience unbearable
delays while trying to view or order your products or services. To keep pace with technology
and increasing traffic, it might be necessary over time to modify the software, databases, or
hardware on which the Web site runs to ensure acceptable response times.
Web site operators must also continually be alert to new trends and developments in the
area of e-commerce and be prepared to take advantage of new opportunities. For example,
recent studies show that customers more frequently visit Web sites they can customize.
Personalization
is the process of tailoring Web pages to specifically target individual con-
sumers. The goal is to meet the customer's needs more effectively, make interactions faster
and easier, and, consequently, increase customer satisfaction and the likelihood of repeat
visits. Building a better understanding of customer preferences also can aid in cross-selling
related products and more expensive products. The most basic form of personalization in-
volves using the consumer's name in an e-mail campaign or in a greeting on the Web page.
Amazon uses a more advanced form of personalization, in which each repeat customer is
greeted by name, and a list of new products is recommended based on the customer's previous
purchases.
Businesses use two types of personalization techniques to capture data and build
customer profiles.
Implicit personalization
techniques capture data from actual customer Web
sessions—primarily based on which pages were viewed and which weren't.
Explicit person-
alization
techniques capture user-provided information, such as information from warranties,
surveys, user registrations, and contest entry forms completed online. Data can also be gath-
ered through access to other data sources such as the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Bureau of
Vital Statistics, and marketing affiliates (firms that share marketing data). Marketing firms
aggregate this information to build databases containing a huge amount of consumer
behavioral data. During each customer interaction, powerful algorithms analyze both types
of data in real time to predict the consumer's needs and interests. This analysis makes it
possible to deliver new, targeted information before the customer leaves the site. Because
personalization depends on gathering and using personal user information, privacy issues are
a major concern.
These tips and suggestions are only a few ideas that can help a company set up and
maintain an effective e-commerce site. With technology and competition changing con-
stantly, managers should read articles in print and on the Web to keep up to date on ever-
evolving issues.
Now that we've examined how to establish e-commerce effectively, let's look at some of
the technical issues related to e-commerce systems and technology that make it possible.
personalization
The process of tailoring Web pages
to specifically target individual
consumers.
E-COMMERCE AND M-COMMERCE
Successful implementation of e-business requires significant changes to existing business
processes and substantial investment in IS technology. These technology components must
be chosen carefully and integrated to support a large volume of transactions with customers,
suppliers, and other business partners worldwide. Online consumers complain that poor Web
site performance (e.g., slow response time, inadequate customer support, and lost orders)
drives them to abandon some e-commerce sites in favor of those with better, more reliable
performance. This section provides a brief overview of the key technology infrastructure
components (see Figure 8.7).
