E-commerce Project
In this project, you are required to evaluate one of the websites below based on what you learn from this course and your perspective.
In this project, you are required to evaluate one of the websites below based on what you learn from this course and your perspective. The evaluation will cover the different aspects of E-Commerce such as business idea, website design, marketing, security … etc.
You will need to analyze the business and provide suggestions to improve the current business situation.
The following questions require critical thinking to be answered successfully. The answers to these questions will drive the ways of improvement of the current e-commerce business.
Know the business
- What is the business? (your choice)
- What is the idea? (the visioning process)
- Introduce the e-commerce business you have chosen.
- Provide an overview of the business idea
- Product and type of services.
- What are the different types of products? Explain
- What kinds of services does the online store provide? [ customer service, exchange and return, delivery, and payment options] Explain
- Business statement.
- Business vision.
- Business objective.
- Where is the money?
- What is the company’s business model?
- What is the revenue model? Give a general idea of how the business generates revenues
- Who and where is the target audience? Explain demographics, lifestyle, consumption patterns, etc.
- Characterize the marketplace.
- Size, growth, demographics, structure, competition
- Research the market and give an idea about each point
- Describe the content of the business website
- Conduct a SWOT analysis for the business (Explain each point)
- At least three points for each
- Develop an e-commerce presence map.
- (For example: website, email … etc.)
- What activities does the company use these platforms for? (E.g. marketing, customer service, news…etc.)
Explain the design of the system 5 marks
- Explain in detail the design of the system (business objectives, system functionality, information provided)
What can be improved or added into the system design?
| Business Objective | System Functionality | Information provided |
| Ex: Display goods | Digital Catalog | Dynamic text and graphics catalog |
Explain the current business e-commerce feature
- What are the current website features?
- What types of these features can be annoying to customers? Provide pictures.
- What can you do to improve the current features on the website?
Explain the business e-commerce proces
- Explain in detail all the steps from the time user enters the website until the final user buys a product.
- What can be improved in the process?
Site Design
- Evaluate the website design focusing on the eight most important factors in successful e-commerce site design (ease of use, ease of purchase, simple graphics … etc.). You are required to evaluate each factor.
- What can be improved in the site design to be one of the most successful e-commerce websites?
Business software
The development of an e-commerce website requires more interactive functionalities, such as the ability to respond to user input (name and address forms), capturing customer orders for goods and services, clearing credit card transactions on the fly, consolidating price and product databases, and even adjusting advertising on the screen based on user characteristics.
- Explain the different types of software used on the website to perform the current functionalities.
- What can be done to improve the software?
Payment and Security
- What are the methods of payment available in the online store?
- What other methods can be added? Explain why?
- What are the technologies used on the website to secure the online transactions?
- What other technologies can be added? Explain why?
- What is the current privacy policy of the online store? Outline how the information is collected and used?
- What can be added to the privacy policy? Explain why?
Categorize marketing and advertising strategy and method
- Explain the current online, offline, and social media marketing strategies of the e-commerce business?
- What can be done to improve the marketing aspects of the business?
Know your competitors
- Choose a website of one competitor in the same industry (locally or globally) and compare it with your chosen company’s site. Indicate why the competitor’s website is better or worse than the chosen company’s website. Provide screenshots with explanation.
- What can be done by learning from your competitor’s experience?
Conclude your report
Summarize the above points and include your recommendation to improve the e-commerce business.