Chapter 3 - Building an e-business: Design, development and management. This chapter includes contents: Generating business ideas; growth of e-business: evaluating risk; finding funding and going public; choosing a domain name; supply-chain management: vendors, distributors and shipment providers; web-site hosting; web design; enhancing the user experience; protecting your e-business.
1 Chapter 3, Building an eBusiness: Design, Development and Management Outline 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Getting Started 3.2.1 Generating Business Ideas 3.2.2 Growth of eBusiness: Evaluating Risk 3.2.3 Finding Funding and Going Public 3.3 Putting Your Plan Into Action 3.3.1 Choosing a Domain Name 3.3.2 SupplyChain Management: Vendors, Distributors and Shipment Providers 3.3.3 WebSite Hosting 3.3.4 Web Design 3.3.5 Enhancing the User Experience 3.3.6 Protecting Your eBusiness 3.3.7 Streaming Media: How Much Is Too Much? 3.3.8 Preparing for New Technologies 2001 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved Chapter 3, Building an eBusiness: Design, Development and Management Outline 3.4 eBusiness Solutions 3.4.1 EndToEnd eBusiness Solutions 3.4.2 Other eBusiness Solutions 3.4.3 Maintaining and Monitoring Your Web Site 3.4.4 eCommerce Consulting 2001 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved 3.1 Introduction • Turnkey solution – A prepackaged ebusiness • Ebusiness templates – Outline the basic structure, but allow the design to be determined by the owner • Project outsourcing – Available to businesses with substantial funding, alleviates the need for businesses to complete projects inhouse • Frontend system – Portion of an ebusiness that is visible to consumers • Backend system – Database management, payment processing and logistics 2001 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved 3.2 Getting Started • Building, Managing and Maintaining – – – – – – – Advertising Marketing Customer relationship management Content management Accepting online payments Recognizing cultural differences and legal parameters Providing security features 2001 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved 3.2.1 Generating Business Ideas • Products and services – Discover what exists – Decide how to improve it • Develop a business plan – Enables you to envision your ebusiness on paper for evaluation purposes – Serves as a presentation of your business’ objectives and longterm expectations 2001 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved 3.2.1 Business Plan Layout • Business plan layout – Introduce your readers to the layout, what you will discuss and when you will discuss it – Provide an overview of the business premise including the primary issues – Headings and subheadings should categorize the content – Focus on what makes the ebusiness unique • Business plan services and software – www.synrgistic.com/busplan/busplan.htm – Mindspring Biz – www.adarus.com/html/demos.html 2001 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved 3.2.1 Business Plan Layout • Primary Purpose – Define the purposes of your business – What do you intend to sell – What services will you provide • Strategy – Describe how your product or service fits in the market – How is it different from existing products and services – How will it be profitable • Business model – What model will you implement – How will you conduct transactions 2001 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved 3.2.1 Business Plan Layout • Support – – – – – Provide evidence that supports the idea of your business How will you justify these as support to the idea Have you conducted research Who are your customers Who is on your management team and what are their credentials – How will you generate revenue – What are your expenses • Process – List the steps necessary to build your ebusiness – Does more research need to be conducted – Inform investors of how money will be allocated 2001 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved 3.2.2 Growth of eBusiness: Evaluating Risk • Many Internet companies have experienced rapid growth • Many others have struggled to get off the ground, find funding and make a profit • Technological advancements usually lead to growth in industry • The Internet has produced new industries and altered and enhanced existing industries • Ebusinesses that target a specific market first must be aware of the changing technologies and their costs 2001 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved 10 3.2.3 Finding Funding and Going Public • Building an ebusiness can be expensive and risky • Competition is intense • Determining a market niche and reaching a target audience often require significant financial backing • Internet incubator – A company that specializes in the development of Internet businesses – Often will serve as the financiers, as well as work with the development team – Often receive a stake in the developing ebusiness 2001 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved 27 3.3.5 Enhancing the User Experience ImagePump Zoom Technology. (Courtesy of Xippix, Inc.) 2001 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved 28 3.3.5 Enhancing the User Experience Enhanced view with the Magnifier. (Courtesy of Xippix, Inc.) 2001 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved 29 3.3.5 Enhancing the User Experience MyEvents.com calendar feature. (Courtesy of MyEvents.) 2001 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved 30 3.3.5 Enhancing the User Experience MyEvents.com contacts feature. (Courtesy of My Events.) 2001 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved 31 3.3.6 Protecting Your eBusiness • Timely shipping and effective personalization • Protection from mistakes and misunderstandings – Egghead.com • Privacy policy – Secure Assure • Disclaimers should be easy to locate and information should be presented in a clear and concise manner – Offer protection against: • Small spelling or editing errors • Inaccurate statistics or product prices • Dated information and inaccurate links 2001 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved 32 3.3.6 Protecting Your eBusiness Secure Assure’s example of a Privacy Profile™ (Courtesy of Secure Assure, LLC.) 2001 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved 3.3.7 Streaming Media 33 • While multimedia such as streaming video and audio can enhance content, not all users have the capabilities to download this kind of information • Provide consumers with simpler Web pages • Test your Web site’s effectiveness by running trial downloads of your site through a standard dialup connection prior to launch 2001 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved 3.3.8 Preparing for New Technologies 34 • Keep up with new technology • Plan for new technologies during initial building stages – Cell phone – Pager – Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) • Employ new technologies to make your ebusiness accessible to mobile devices 2001 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved 3.4 eBusiness Solutions 35 • Enable good managers and business owners to build, manage and maintain an ebusiness • Website building services • eConsulting • Marketing 2001 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved 36 3.4.1 EndtoEnd eBusiness Solutions • Endtoend solution provider – Offers services to build Web sites from conception to implementation • • • • • • Design, development and deployment services Payment capabilities Website monitoring services Backend adaptation Fulfillment Data management 2001 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved 37 3.4.1 EndtoEnd eBusiness Solutions • Endtoend solution providers – – – – – – – – – – – – Webvision Microsoft’s bCentral ROIDirect’s Ecommerce Dell E Works Genuity Interland Appnet Sapient Scient Viant Proxicom Inforte 2001 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved 38 3.4.2 Other eBusiness Solutions • Exist for ebusiness development, operation and management • Solution providers – Openair.com – Intacct – BAport Accounting – Netledger – BizTone Financials – Allaire Spectra – Mediasurface – InfoOffice – ITKnowledge.comSM 2001 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved 39 3.4.3 Maintaining and Monitoring Your Web Site • Balanced Scorecard – A method used to measure the success of a business by its performance in customer satisfaction, integration capabilities and potential for growth – An ebusiness must also consider its use of current technologies for management and production purposes • Monitoring software and services – Mercury Interactive, ebSure, Inc., Akamai, iSharp.com, Holistix, Keynote.com, Site Rock, Red Alert 2001 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved 40 3.4.3 Maintaining and Monitoring Your Web Site Holistix’s Web Manager. (Courtesy of Holistix, Inc.) 2001 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved 41 3.4.4 eCommerce Consulting • Guide developing ebusinesses • Consulting services – – – – – – – – – – Accenture (formerly Andersen Consulting) iPlanet SAP Sun Microsystems Kintana Xpedior Ernst & Young Deloitte & Touche eRunway Answerthink Consulting Group 2001 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved ... 3.2.3 Finding Funding and Going Public • Building an ebusiness can be expensive and risky • Competition is intense • Determining a market niche and reaching a target audience often require significant financial ... been delivered and who signed for it – Wireless Internet access allows fulfillment status to be checked from any location at any time • Supplychain management services and software – ChangePoint, GoCargo.com, Evolve, Atlas Commerce, ...2 Chapter 3, Building an eBusiness: Design, Development and Management Outline 3.4 eBusiness Solutions 3.4.1 EndToEnd eBusiness Solutions