Transcript Usability of the Internet

Usability of the Internet
Week 3
Objectives
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Defining the Internet
Internet tools to access information
The world wide web
Intranets versus extranets
Web site hosting
Internet Retailing
Internet Marketing Mix
What is the Internet
• Started in 1960s as the ARPAnet research and
defense network in the USA
• Infrastructure: the hardware, software, databases
and telecommunications
• Services: Software-based services such as search
engines, digital money and security systems
• Products and services: the web sites of individual
companies and marketplaces
The Internet
• As compared with other alternative technologies the
Internet offers:
– international connectivity and access to international markets,
– a strong North American market, which in many senses could be
viewed as the domestic market for most Internet retailers,
– full multimedia display facilities, which allow retailers to display
and demonstrate their products, possibly with the use of audio and
video (in some cases, as in the sale of music, for example, such
facilities allow the customer to sample the product),
– more sophisticated electronic ordering and payment facilities,
– much larger installed base of workstations, thus giving access to
customers, in both the consumer and business sectors of the
marketplace.
The Internet refers to the physical network
that links computers across the globe. It
consists of the infrastructure of network
servers and communication links between
them that are used to hold and transport the
vast amount of information on the Internet.
The Internet enables transfer of messages and
transactions between connected computers
worldwide.
The passing of data packets around the
Internet occurs via the TCP/IP protocol, or
transfer Control Protocol/Internet Protocol.
For a PC to be able to receive web pages or
for a server to host web pages it must be
configured to support this protocol.
Application of Different tools
Internet tool
Summary
Electronic mail or e-mail
Sending messages or documents, such as news about a new product or sales
promotion between individuals. A primitive form of push channel.
Internet relay chat (IRC)
This is a synchronous communications communications tool that allows a text-based
chat between different users who logged on at the same time. Of limited use for
marketing purpose.
Usenet newsgroups
An electronic bulletin board used to discuss a particular topic such as a sport, hobby
or business area. Traditionally accessed by special news reader software, these can
now be accessed via a web browser from Deja News (www.dejanews.com)
FTP file transfer
The File Transfer Protocol is used as a standard for moving files across the Internet.
Used to download files and update HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) files on
web pages.
Gophers, Archie and WAIS
These tools were important before the advent of the World Wide Web for storing and
searching documents on the Internet. They have been superseded by the web.
Telnet
This allows remote access to computer systems. For example a retailer could check to
see whether an item was in stock in a warehouse using telnet.
Push channel
Information is broadcast over the Internet or an intranet and received using a web
browser or special program for which a subscription to this channel has been set up.
World Wide Web
www is widely used for publishing information and running business applications
over the Internet.
Web Browsers and servers
• Enable web addresses to be entered, to set up
communications links with sites and to download HTML
pages.
• Display web pages and interactive forms,and to run
programs such as plug-ins and Java
• Enable navigation between sites by using forward and
backward options and hyperlinks
• Record on the hard disk a copy of sites visited and the
pages downloaded (caching), to enable quicker
downloading and referencing in future.
• Allow useful sites to be bookmarked for later use
• Enable information to be saved to disk or printed for a later
use
The Benefits of Web Browsers
• Easy to use since navigation between documents
is enabled by clicking on hyperlinks or images
• They can provide a graphical environment
supporting multimedia, which is popular with
users and gives a visual medium for advertising
• The standardization of tools means there is a large
and fast-growing target market
How Are Web Pages Displayed
• User requests web page by clicking on a hyperlink or
typing in URL (Universal Resource Locator) into web
browser.
• Request is sent across Internet from web browser to web
server using http (hypertext transfer protocol)
• Information is returned using http from web server to web
browser
• Information is displayed as the different elements of a web
page
Main Elements of a Web Page
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Text information (HTML and XML)
Static graphical images (GIF and JPEG files)
Animated graphical images (GIFs and plug-ins)
Interactive form elements (CGI – Common
Gateway Interface and script elements)
• Plug-in components
Intranets and Extranets
The Internet
Extranet
Intranet
The
World
The
World
Company
Suppliers only Suppliers
Customers,
Customers,
collaborators
collaborators
Connecting to the Internet as a User
• Hardware –
– Computer to run the web browser and software required
– Modem, gateway server
– Digital or analogue connection
• Software
– Web browser (Netscape, explorer)
– Connectivity software - TCP/IP standard
• A service provider
Hosting a Web Site
• Register domain name
• Find ISP to connect to the Internet or host web server
• Find an appropriate server computer to enable the
following standards:
– http:// serving web pages
– ftp:// remote file access
– SMTP Internet e-mail
• Develop graphic and HTML content
• Upload to web server using FTP to transfer files
Development stages
• Maglitta (1994) identifies the following initial
development stages associated with opening for business
on the Internet:
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set the information-sharing policy,
restructure database,
develop applications,
integrate external and internal databases,
test links with customers,
negotiate the role of sales,
develop a marketing strategy, and
deploy client software.
Advantages of Internet Retailing
• Small businesses can extend their reach.
• It eliminates prohibitive costs of entry to many industries.
• Hardware and software advances permit improved
interfaces and functionality.
• Online information is current.
• Interaction with customer representatives and immediate
ordering are possible.
• It eliminates costs associated with the store, salespeople
and possibly some warehousing costs.
• As compared with conventional catalogues there are no
printing and mailing costs, and the information can be
rapidly changed and updated.
• Much more extensive advertising coverage can be
achieved for a relatively small outlay.
Internet Marketing Mix
• Promotion - includes advertising and creating product
awareness. Information must be presented in a way that
will hold the users' interests.
• One-to-one contact - unlike a real store, the Net does not
offer marketers opportunities of synchronous one-to-one
contact with customers. The Net does, however, allow for
asynchronous contact via e-mail, and this can be used to
develop a relationship with a customer.
• Closing - involves setting the price and closing the deal.
While this can be achieved through a collection of e-mail
messages, Net buying is more like ordering from a catalog.
On the other hand, there is an electronic record of the sale
and the deal struck.
Internet Marketing Mix Con’t
• Transaction - payment for goods is typically made
in cash, or by credit card. Digital forms of
currency are also being developed by companies
like DigiCash, CyberCash and NetCash.
• Fulfillment - involves the delivery of goods.
Delivery online is restricted to digital products
such as electronic books and software. Fulfillment
includes not only shipping, but also effective
electronic order processing.