C779-Chapter 10 - Website development for business

3-D Secure

3-D Secure is an XML-based protocol used by credit card companies to add security to online credit and debit card transactions. It is often listed as "Verified by VISA" or "MasterCard Secure Code." 3-D Secure has replaced the Secure Electronic Transactions (SET) protocol

Aggregator

A business (usually Web-based) that markets and sells goods and services that it does not own or store. The aggregator allows other vendors to compete using its site, and then takes a percentage of the business. In essence, the site acts as a portal for an entire industry niche.

Relational database

A collection of information that can be sorted, altered and placed into other similar structures for retrieval.

Structured Query Language (SQL)

A language used to create and maintain professional, high-performance corporate databases

Payment gateways

A payment gateway is a system, either hardware-based or software-based, that mediates between a merchant (i.e., an e-commerce-enabled Website) and an acquirer (e.g., the merchant's bank). End users do not configure their systems to become payment gateways. Once the merchant receives payment from a customer, the merchant uses the payment gateway to transmit credit card information to the bank.

Transport Layer Security (TLS)

A protocol based on SSL 3.0 that provides authentication and encryption, used by most servers for secure exchanges over the Interne

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)

A protocol that provides authentication and encryption, used by most servers for secure exchanges over the Internet. Superseded by Transport Layer Security (TLS).

Relational databases

A relational database stores information in tables. These tables contain fields that allow data in the tables to be cross-referenced and joined in various ways You or your database administrators define the categories and descriptions in the tables Information in these tables can also be updated (e.g., added to or deleted). hen you conduct a search in a site such as eBay to retrieve information about a type of item you want to buy, for example, you are using a Web-enabled relational database. A relational database can consist of a single file or it can be distributed among several database servers. After you have organized a database, you can access its information in various ways. examples of relational database vendors. ►Oracle ►IBM ►Microsoft ►MySql ►PostgreSQL

Site maps

A site map should show the locations of all site sections, usually beginning with the index page on top. Useful site maps include the following: ►Topical hierarchy — A site map should clearly outline the site's sections in a visual, hierarchical format. However, do not provide only a graphic as a site map. Alternative browsers may not render the graphic, and alternative image text may not describe the graphic's content adequately for users who cannot see it. ►Aptly named site sections — Make sure that each section of your site is named accurately to enable users to find the pages they need. ►Search capability — Visitors might not find the exact information they seek even after consulting your site map. You can include a search engine text box on the site map page (or a link to your site's search engine) so that visitors can search for the resource they want. A useful site map is the product of proper site planning. If you begin creating your site map after you have finished creating the site, then you have skipped some steps in proper site planning.

Niche

A smaller, specialized portion of the market. An example of a niche market in IT might be companies that provide clustering (multiple systems acting as a single host) for computer systems. Such companies service a much smaller market than computer users or Web database servers.

Cookie

A text file that contains information sent between a server and a client to help maintain state and track user activities. Cookies can reside in memory or on a hard drive.

Web server application

A user-input form must contain code that references a Web server. This code is called an application, or a Web server application This application helps convey the information provided by the end user to the Web server, or to a database server that can store and/or process the information. Various Web server implementations exist, and use various computer languages and technologies, Perl PHP Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) Active Server Pages (ASP) .NET JavaServer Pages (JSP) ColdFusion Python Django Ajax Ruby

Wiki sites

A wiki is a Website that allows all visitors to collaborate in its construction. You can use a wiki to create an information repository or portal. A wiki uses specialized Web-based software (called wiki software) that allows any visitor to update the site using a Web browser The word wiki is coined from the Hawaiian phrase "wiki wiki," which means "very quick." Wiki software cooperates with a Web server to generate pages in HTML so that a Web browser can render them. However, most wiki pages are written in simplified markup language called LaTeX (www.latex-project.org) that accommodates the fast-paced nature of a wiki site.

Common file formats and MIME types

All of the file formats you will use on your Webpages have a specific MIME type (a protocol that enables operating systems to map file name extensions to corresponding applications). The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) is responsible for standardizing MIME types. Table 10-4 lists common file formats used in Webpages.

HTTP 404 - File Not Found error

An HTTP 404 - File Not Found error indicates that you have requested a file that does not exist on the specified Web server This server-generated error indicates that the server is functioning, but the specific file you requested from that server cannot be located because the file may have been renamed or removed from the site. You will also receive this error if you request a site's default document by the wrong name. Many Web browsers, including Google Chrome, will automatically generate a page when an end user requests a non-existent page. Many Website administrators create a custom page that will appear whenever a user requests a non-existent page.

spiders

An automated program created by search engine companies that scans Webpages and other resources so that the search engine can process data to be used in search results.

Indexing and cataloging

Another Website feature related to databases is the ability to index and catalog a site. More complex sites provide an internal search engine that allows visitors to conduct searches for site elements. Most Web servers, including Apache Server (www.apache.org) and Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) provide indexing features.

Push technology

Any technology that automatically provides information to a customer list. In legitimate cases, the customer initially makes a request to be placed on the list. Customers receive information until they ask to be removed. One example of push technology is a mailing list server. Illegitimate examples of push technology include spam. Benefit Customers automatically receive new information about a product or service. This technique is often sales-based and marketing-based because many organizations push information to customers and potential customers.

Pull technology

Any technology that provides information to a customer only upon request. A more standard way to disseminate information from a server. For example, whenever you download a file from a Website or collect your email, you are using pull technology. Benefit Because the customer asks for information and content, this technique is demand-based and immediate.

Visitor tracking

Any technology that provides the following information: ►The number of visitors that connected to the site or specific pages ►The length of time visitors remained at the site or specific pages ►The frequency with which a specific visitor returns to the site For example, Websites use cookies to help determine how often end users visit the site. You can also track users by viewing log files Benefit This technique provides feedback that you can use to update site content, revise site navigation, review product offerings, market to all or specific customers, and so forth.

Naming Webpage Files

As you create your Webpages, you may need to restrict the length of file names. You should also consider naming your HTML pages to correspond to their content. For example, if the page is a sales form, you could name it salesform.htm More technologically complex pages may require file name extensions other than .htm or .html. For example, Active Server Pages (ASP) files require the .asp extension, and JavaServer Pages (JSP) files require the .jsp extension

Documenting changes

As you make changes to your Website, make sure that you keep a written record of all changes. The practice of documenting changes to a site is called change management. Documenting change is essential because it allows you to: ►Remember which changes have been made to the ►HTML code and/or pages on the site. ►Ensure that you publish all security updates to the Web server. ►Provide evidence of good-faith efforts to ensure accessibility. ►Verify that you have fulfilled requests from departments in your organization

Search engine optimization (SEO)

the use of specific techniques to increase a page's or site's rank on a search engine (such as Google, Yahoo! or Bing). Such techniques are said to be "organic" because they do not include paid advertisements of any kind. SEO experts edit pages and sites to enable search engines to recognize the inherent value of the content and services on the site. SEO is a specific activity of Internet marketing. SEO experts must learn about and consider the factors that search engines take into account as they rank sites, then try to create and edit Webpages accordingly. SEO experts are expected to lead users to a specific result, or conversion. To do this, SEO experts can use data provided by the search engine providers themselves. Search engine providers, such as Google, Yahoo! and MSN, often provide search patterns for profit. That is, the providers accumulate data on all of the searches that users conduct on their search engines, and then determine the correlation between the keywords used and the results found. The providers then make this data available for sale. SEO experts can use this data to determine the most relevant meta tag information associated with a particular product or service, and ensure that it is used in a site's pages

Keep it simple

you should structure page text so that it is easy for customers to scan Highlighted keywords, meaningful subheadings and bulleted lists are ways to capture customers' attention and help them find the information they are seeking To capture a customer's interest, you should convey the business's central message in the first two paragraphs of the page, and makes sure that all subheadings, paragraphs and bullet points start with appropriate keywords that users will notice as they scan the page. Effectively designed pages: ►Feature crisp, concise text (limiting the word count to half of what would be used in conventional writing). ►Include one idea per paragraph. ►Include search engine keywords in the main portions of text. ►Convey the central message using the inverted-pyramid writing style (i.e., the conclusion is presented at the top of the page, followed by supporting information). Navigating a Website should be easy. Each page should include a navigation bar directing visitors to major parts of the site. The site should provide multiple ways to navigate back to the home page so that customers can start over if they get lost.

There are three major e-commerce models

►Business-to-consumer (B2C) — A model in which a Web-based business sells products and/or services to consumers or end users. ►Business-to-business (B2B) — A model in which a Web-based business sells products and/or services to other businesses. ►Consumer-to-consumer (C2C) — A model in which individual consumers sell products or services to other consumers.

You should be aware of the following e-commerce issues

►Currency differences — E-commerce sites such as eBay and global businesses such as IBM facilitate business with people in many different countries. These businesses must be able to automatically calculate exchange rates for the day of the transaction (often called currency conversion). They must also calculate taxes and tariffs on goods, which incur additional costs. ►International shipping — When shipping goods internationally, you must consider searches by customs, costs incurred by customs, delays caused by customs, and all tariffs. A product you sell legally in one country may be illegal in another or heavily regulated. ►Language concerns — Consider the language(s) used by the target audience and the characters necessary (e.g., alphanumeric, mathematical or currency symbols). You may be assigned to create a page for a language that requires a particular character set. To solve this problem, specify Unicode support for all of your site's Webpages. The Unicode Technical Committee (UTC) maintains the Unicode standard. The UTC is a subcommittee of the Unicode Consortium (www.unicode.org). ►Relationship management — Every business wants to establish solid relationships with all parties involved. Two important concepts that can help you ensure success are trust-building and customer self-service. Trust is built through quality customer service and frequent contact. Customer self-service includes the ability to track orders, customize orders (such as modify or cancel an order, change a shipping address, etc.) and choose products without the help of a live person.

drawbacks to consider in relation to proprietary file formats.

►Difficulty/ inconvenience Some plug-ins and software may be unduly difficult to obtain, or may be inconvenient to download, install and manage. In addition, some plug-ins may not be completely stable or may introduce security vulnerabilities. If your development team agrees that a required plug-in or software is stable and is not too difficult for end users to obtain, then you can proceed using a proprietary technology without impacting your pages' accessibility and potential audience. ►Cost Some proprietary file formats (e.g., Microsoft Word) require software that must be purchased. You should consider free or open-source alternatives for file formats. ►Audience limitation As previously discussed, some formats limit a disabled person's ability to obtain information. For example, if you plan on posting essential information in a PDF document, you should provide equivalent information in standard text format elsewhere on the site because sight-assistance tools may not be able to convert the PDF document to audible content.

A business that is just starting up, or one that is changing or expanding its offerings, must perform some key steps:

►Identify a market need or opportunity. ►Identify a unique product or service to address that need or opportunity. ►Define the target market. ►Gather essential user information to help improve the company's product or ability to market and sell. ►Determine how the business can best communicate with the target market. ►Establish a brand for the product or service. ►Determine how to advertise the product or service, including developing a Website and a social media presence. Once the business has completed the first four steps, establishing a brand for the product or service and creating a Website and a social media presence are key steps to building and maintaining demand for the product or service, and helping the business to succeed

Database connection methods

►Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) — ODBC's primary purpose is to allow an operating system to register a database. ODBC supports SQL and all major database vendors. Once the database is registered, the operating system and its components (such as a Web server) can easily read and update the database. ODBC was developed by Microsoft and is proprietary to Windows-based operating systems. ►Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) — JDBC was developed by Sun Microsystems. Unlike ODBC, JDBC is not limited to Microsoft operating systems. Like ODBC, JDBC supports major vendors (e.g., IBM and Oracle), and it also supports SQL. JDBC can be run on various systems, including Windows and UNIX. For more information, visit the Java Database Technologies page at http://java.sun.com/javase/technologies/database/index.jsp

Determining download time for a Webpage

►Step 1: Check the size of the HTML file and any associated images, files or programs. For example, your page may consist of 11 files that total 84 kilobytes (KB). ►Step 2: Determine the speed of your network connection, which is generally measured in kilobits per second (Kbps). Some of the more common connection speeds are: 14.4 Kbps (slow modem speed). 28.8 Kbps (typical modem speed). 33.6 Kbps (typical modem speed). 56 Kbps (typical modem speed). 128 Kbps (upper-limit speed of ISDN connection). 1500 Kbps (typical DSL speed). 20-100 Mbps (typical cable Internet speed). Up to 1000 Mbps (typical fiber Internet speed). 1.544 Mbps (full T1, enterprise-grade network line). ►Step 3: The connection speed and the file size must be converted into a common unit of measure for division: either bytes or bits. Consider that 1 byte equals 8 bits. The connection speed is already defined in bits: 56 kilobits = 56,000 bits. To convert the file size into bits, you should first convert it into bytes (84 kilobytes = 84,000 bytes). Then convert the bytes into bits by multiplying 84,000 by 8 (1 byte = 8 bits), which results in 672,000 bits. ►Step 4: Divide the file size (672,000 bits) by the connection speed (56,000 bits per second). The bits cancel out, and the result is 12 seconds. This result is the amount of time theoretically required to download the Webpage.

Social Media Optimization

Social Media Optimization involves the usage of social media networks to generate awareness and traffic for your business or Website. In the modern day and age, it is essential to utilize social media to grow your online presence Social Media Optimization links directly to search engine optimization, with large social media presence and impact positively impacting your search engine rankings. The first step to achieving a large social media impact is by creating interesting accounts on all the major social media networks, including Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. The next step is to regularly post interesting content regarding your product or service on these networks. Engaging with the social network communities in innovative and interesting ways is a great way to grow a social media following

Branding

The creation of a distinctive identity and place in the market for a product or organization. Allows consumers to readily identify a product and its purpose. The look and feel of your Website is often part of a marketing department's branding.

Mind share

The effect of marketing efforts influencing a particular target market or demographic. Mind share includes commercial phrases, catch words and sound bites that provoke recognition of the product, service or company by the public.

Character set

The group of symbols used to render text on a page to support various languages (e.g., Chinese, Arabic and Russian)

electronic commerce (e-commerce)

The integration of communications, data management and security capabilities to allow organizations and consumers to exchange information related to the sale of good and services.

Web analytics

The practice of collecting data and studying user behavior in an attempt to increase market share and sales There are two types of Web analytics: ►On-site analytics — studying visitor behavior once that visitor has accessed your site. You can use trend-analysis software, such as WebTrends (www.webtrends.com) and Webalizer (www.webalizer.org) to review log files and determine the number of hits (i.e., page views) your page received, the length of each stay, and demographic information about the visit ►Off-site analytics — determining your potential audience and how well your site has addressed and penetrated a specific market. It includes identifying the size of your market, identifying competitors, determining your market penetration, conducting surveys, and consulting market research sources

Design and branding standards meetings

The primary way to achieve such recognition is to clearly define and execute a branding standard, which is a set of comprehensive marketing goals and strategies. Most organizations devise a branding standard through well-coordinated meetings and carefully devised plans. The primary goal of a Web developer is to help the company reinforce its branding standard. Such meetings generally focus on the following: ►Target markets ►Market messages ►Media choices ►Color combinations ►Sales strategies ►Technologies you want to use

Target date

The projected point in time that a product or service will be released.

Target market

The specific sector in a market (i.e., the audience) that a product or service addresses. The target may be broad or it may be a niche market. For example, Microsoft and Ubuntu target several markets, including the market for Web and database servers for e-commerce.

demographic

The study of groups of people. Specifically, the practice of gathering statistical data by studying populations based on characteristics such as age, income and education.

Default files and the HTTP server

Usually, an HTTP server looks for a default page, which is a specially named file The server will present this page automatically each time a user enters the minimum amount of information required to connect to the site. Default document names differ from server to server. Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) looks for the default.htm Apache HTTP server looks for the index.html file. You can change the name of the default document, but you should be aware that every Web server is preconfigured to a default document name Following are some common default page names: index.htm default.htm welcome.htm home.htm index.html default.html welcome.html home.html index.asp default.asp welcome.asp home.asp index.jsp default.jsp welcome.jsp home.jsp

Request for Comments (RFC)

Request for Comments (RFC)close A document published by the IETF that details information about standardized Internet protocols and those in various development stages. (RFC 2246).-TLS documentation

SSL/TLS

SSL and TLS are protocols that are included within transaction methods to secure transactions.SSL/TLS secures transactions through encryption. Encryption can provide authentication, data confidentiality and data integrity. Many other encryption methods exist, but SSL/TLS is arguably the most universally applied.

Audience development techniques

You may be asked for your input regarding ways to develop an audience for your Website. You might discuss the following methods: ►Providing standard Website features, including properly placed video, audio and active content. ►Providing unique Website features, which include ideas generated by you and your Web team, and input from other areas of the company (marketing, sales, upper management). ►Using logos and other images traditionally used by the company. ►Coordinating your efforts with traditional marketing strategies. You should work with the marketing department to ensure that your Website's look and feel complements the company's marketing slicks and traditional paper items (e.g., letterhead, envelopes, notepads). ►Tracking user visits, which can indicate the popular parts of your site, and can help you to improve the unpopular parts. ►Analyzing and interpreting statistics to help increase Website efficiency. For example, consider ways to increase visitor time at site locations where revenue is generated. ►Working with the sales and marketing teams to obtain input from customers about desired Website features. additional techniques that can help develop your audience. ►Push technology ►Pull technology ►Visitor tracking

SSL/TLS and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)

You need a certificate to enable host authentication before you can begin an SSL session. So before an organization can use SSL/TLS to enable encryption, it must participate in Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), which is a collection of individuals, networks and computers that together have the ability to authoritatively confirm the identity of a person, host or organization. PKI makes it possible for two parties that have never met each other to trust each other. Once trust is established, encryption can begin PKI involves two elements with which you should be familiar: ►Digital certificate — a signed public key that verifies a set of credentials associated with the public key of a certificate authority (CA). All SSL/TLS sessions require a valid certificate, which acts as a trusted third party to allow unknown parties to authenticate with each other and begin encryption ►Certificate authority (CA) — a trusted third party that verifies the identity of the person or company that has submitted a certification request (CR). A CA is an organization that issues digital certificates and helps to ensure the identity of a person, host or process. A CA is more than just a computer that issues digital certificates; a CA is an entire organization.

Pay per click (PPC)

an Internet marketing technique in which you pay for high search engine results by advertising on keywords that describe your product or service. You pay your site hosts only when your ads are clicked by the user. Using PPC, you place your ad with established services that provide you with keywords to help your site's ranking. PPC is not considered an "organic" solution. Instead of optimizing pages to help make them appear naturally more relevant, you simply pay to have your page listed as highly as possible. PPC is a good way to reach your target market and generate high-quality sales leads. Most Internet marketing campaigns combine SEO and PPC strategies.

brand

concept or collection of symbols associated with a product, service or person. Brands can be expressed in the form of pictures, icons, logos and other graphical representations of the item that the brand is intended to represent. The brand that a business establishes for itself can be extremely helpful in increasing the public's awareness of its product or service, and can help sustain and increase the growth of the business. Branding is the process by which a business uses its brand to enable people to remember its product or service over a competitor's product or service. A Website is a primary means of establishing and maintaining a company's brand.

Portals

portal is a Website that acts as a centralized access point for other sites. A portal is also known as a gateway. There are two types of portals: ►Vertical — a portal dedicated to one specific interest or field (e.g., women's health, network security, sports or politics), also called a "vortal." Each linked site on a vertical portal maintains a topical focus. Examples include CNET (www.cnet.com), Slashdot (http://slashdot.org/) and Zillow (www.zillow.com). Intranets and extranets are also examples of vertical portals because they provide links to external sites and are dedicated to a specific topic: the businesses that host them. Intranets are sometimes known as corporate portals. ►Horizontal — a portal that provides links to various Websites with no particular focus. Examples include Google (www.google.com)and Yahoo! (www.yahoo.com). Each of these sites contains links to other sites, but linked sites represent diverse interests (e.g., travel, news, shopping), rather than one focus. ►Portal benefits A portal can benefit both end users and businesses. A portal benefits end users because it directs them to the best sites for a particular topic, and helps users find information and products faster. A portal benefits businesses because it can create a stream of customers who generate revenue. A business can also use a portal to help position its brand, improve brand recognition in a market, and strengthen the brand by comparing it with competitors

Database

Databases provide the ability to: ►Present stored information to customers, and allow them to search and retrieve. ►Receive information from customers and save it for later retrieval. Types of databases ►Flat file — Information is stored in a single table, often in a simple text file. The Windows registry is an example of a flat-file database. ►Non-relational — Information is stored statically. Information can be searched, but cannot be reorganized or placed into another database. ►Relational — Information can be sorted, altered and placed into other databases for retrieval. ►Object-oriented — A newer form with the capabilities of a relational database, plus greater storage and search efficiency.

Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)

Electronic Funds Transfer is a generic term that describes the ability to transfer funds using computers, rather than using paper. Banks use EFT to save time and ensure that monetary exchange between individuals and businesses is as secure as possible. Other large organizations use EFT as well.

Front-end issues

Factors that affect the accessibility and presentation of a Web page to an audience. Front-end issues are essentially interface issues

Back-end issues

Factors that affect the operations of a Web site, such as file download times, file names and file locations. Server resources that process and store user input are referred to as the back end of a Website. common back end issues Database connectivity Indexing and cataloging

branding concepts to consider

Following are some branding concepts to consider when deciding on a brand: ►The brand should be simple — Easy-to-remember logos or graphics make very good brands. People tend to remember simple things and ignore or forget complex things. ►The brand should be different — A business's brand will be easier to recollect if it is different from those of competing products or services. A truism of marketing is that a brand helps differentiate a company's product. An effective Website can help with product differentiation. ►The brand should be safe — A business must ensure that its logo, icon or picture does not inadvertently offend its target market. Decision-makers must be aware of cultural, regional or national attitudes before deciding on a particular brand. However, you can still create an "edgy" brand as long as it will be perceived as acceptable by the company's key demographic. ►The brand should make a promise — The brand needs to clearly express to customers the most important benefits of the business's product or service. ►The brand should reflect the company's attributes — The brand needs to describe what the customer will experience when he or she buys that business's product or service (e.g., quality, a unique experience, customer service and so forth). ►The brand should reflect the company's personality — The brand needs to reflect the way the customer will feel when they purchase that business's product or service. The customer's emotional connection to the business's brand is a critical component to establishing repeat business. ►The brand should appeal to the intended audience — A brand is often chosen because it helps customers self-identify and decide to purchase a particular product or service.