e-Retailing Chapter 4 Review

What are the two main Web Server Softwares in terms of e-Commerce?

Apache and Microsoft's Internet Information Server (IIS).

What are the two components (or actions) with the In-House service type found in the Building the System stage of the Website Development Systems Life Cycle?

Build your own site and Host your own site.

Summarize the difference between In-House and Out-Sourcing the Website Building in the 3rd Stage of the Website Development Systems Life Cycle.

Building your own (in-house) requires a team with diverse skill sets and choice of tools, but it carries both the risks and benefits.

What is the related concept(s) to the "Where's the money?" in one's imagination of their e-Commerce presence?

Business and Revenue Models.

Describe the SWOT Analysis. (Figure 4.1-Only Categories)

(S)trengths, (W)eaknesses, (O)pportunities, and (T)hreats.

What are some questions that arise when one imagines their e-Commerce presence?

-"Where is the money?" -"Who and Where is the Target Audience?" -"What is the ballpark?" -"Where is the content coming from?"

What do you look for in the Opportunities category of the SWOT Analysis? (Figure 4.1)

-Ability to address large markets with unmet needs. -Potential to capture significant share of this market. -Potential to develop related sites.

What do you look for in the Threats category of the SWOT Analysis? (Figure 4.1)

-Approach could be copied by competitors. -Advertisers may not want to try a new site. -Rapid pace of technological development. -Low market entry costs.

What are the categories of Site Management Tools in terms of e-Commerce?

-Basic Tools (Included with All Web Servers). -Third-Party Software (For Advanced Management).

What are some of the best practices in the Website Systems Development Life Cycle? (Figure 4.5)

-Continous Avaliabliity (99%+). -Design for Scalability. -Build in management for end-to-end delivery. -Plan for Growth. -Design pages for high-speed performance. -Understand and optimize workload on system.

What do you look for in the Strengths category of the SWOT Analysis? (Figure 4.1)

-Current sites do not address market needs. -Unique approach. -Easy navigation. -Better personalization. -Customer base growing. -High-value market segments. -Superior social strategy.

According to the Typical e-Commerce site characteristics (Table 4.2), what are some of the common business objectives?

-Display Goods. -Provide Product Information. -Personalize/Customize Product. -Engage Customers in Conversations. -Execute a Transaction. -Accumulate Customer Information. -Provide After-Sale Customer Support. -Coordinate Marketing/Advertising. -Understand Marketing Effectiveness. -Provide Production/Supplier Links.

What are the key factors when considering a Merchant Server Software Package in terms of e-Commerce?

-Functionality. -Support for Different Business Models (Including m-Commerce). -Business Process Modeling Tools. -Visual Site Management and Reporting. -Performance and Scalability. -Connectivity to Existing Business Systems. -Compliance with Standards. -Global and Multicultural Capabilities. -Local Sales Tax and Shipping Rules.

What do you look for in the Weaknesses category of the SWOT Analysis? (Figure 4.1)

-Limited financial resources. -No prior online experiences. -No existing user base. -No media attention. -No Web design expertise. -No computer background.

What are some advantages of using Dynamic Page Generation Tools in terms of e-Commerce?

-Lowers menu costs. -Permits easy online market segmentation. -Enables cost-free price discrimination. -Enables content management system (CMS).

What are some characteristics of the Third-Party Software in Site Management Tools in terms of e-Commerce?

-Monitor Customer Purchases. -Marketing Campaign Effectiveness. -Keep Track of Hit Counts and Other Statistics.

What are some factors to considered in the Overall Demand when looking at the sizing of one's Hardware Platform, what kinds of demand do they have to consider in terms of e-Commerce?

-Number of simultaneous users in peak periods. -Nature of customer requests (user profile). -Type of content (dynamic v. static web pages). -Required security. -Number of items in inventory. -Number of page requests. -Speed of legacy applications.

What some components of the Page Content Factor in Website Optimization? (Figure 4.10)

-Optimize HTML and Images. -Site Architecture. -Efficient Page Style.

What are some of the Functionalities found in the Basic Functionality Provided by Web Servers table? (Table 4.4)

-Processing of HTTP Requests. -Security Services (Secure Sockets Layer)/Transport Layer Security. -File Transfer Protocol. -Search Engine. -Data Capture. -E-Mail. -Site Management Tools.

According to the Typical e-Commerce site characteristics (Table 4.2), what are the correlating System Functionality and Information Requirements of the "Coordinate Marketing/Advertising" business objective?

-SF: Ad Server, E-Mail Server, E-Mail Campaign Manager, and Ad Banner Manager. -IR: Site behavior log of prospects and customers linked to e-mail and banner ad campaigns.

According to the Typical e-Commerce site characteristics (Table 4.2), what are the correlating System Functionality and Information Requirements of the "Accumulate Customer Information" business objective?

-SF: Customer Database. -IR: Name, Address, Phone, and E-Mail for all customers which can be done through online customer registration.

According to the Typical e-Commerce site characteristics (Table 4.2), what are the correlating System Functionality and Information Requirements of the "Personalization/Customize Product" business objective?

-SF: Customer On-Site Tracking. -IR: Site Log for Every Customer Visit and Data Mining Capabilities to Identify Common Customer Paths and Appropriate Responses.

According to the Typical e-Commerce site characteristics (Table 4.2), what are the correlating System Functionality and Information Requirements of the "Display Goods" business objective?

-SF: Digital Catalog. -IR: Dynamic text and graphics catalog.

According to the Typical e-Commerce site characteristics (Table 4.2), what are the correlating System Functionality and Information Requirements of the "Provide Production/Supplier Links" business objective?

-SF: Inventory Management System. -IR: Product and Inventory Levels, Supplier ID/Contact, and Order Quantity Data by Product.

According to the Typical e-Commerce site characteristics (Table 4.2), what are the correlating System Functionality and Information Requirements of the "Engage Customers in Conversation " business objective?

-SF: On-Site Blog and Users Forums. -IR: Software with blogging and community forum functionality.

According to the Typical e-Commerce site characteristics (Table 4.2), what are the correlating System Functionality and Information Requirements of the "Provide Product Information" business objective?

-SF: Product Database. -IR: Product Description, Stocking Numbers, and Inventory Levels.

According to the Typical e-Commerce site characteristics (Table 4.2), what are the correlating System Functionality and Information Requirements of the "Provide After-Sale Customer Support" business objective?

-SF: Sales Database. -IR: Customer ID, Product, Date, Payment, and Shipment Date.

According to the Typical e-Commerce site characteristics (Table 4.2), what are the correlating System Functionality and Information Requirements of the "Execute a Transaction" business objective?

-SF: Shopping Cart/Payment System. -IR: Secure credit card cleaning with flexibility of multiple payment options.

According to the Typical e-Commerce site characteristics (Table 4.2), what are the correlating System Functionality and Information Requirements of the "Understand Marketing Effectiveness" business objective?

-SF: Site Tracking and Reporting System. -IR: Number of Unique Visitors, Pages Visited, Products Purchased, and Identified by Marketing Campaign.

What are some actions that can be done in one's imagination of their e-Commerce presence?

-SWOT Analysis. (Know yourself) -Develop an e-Commerce Presence Map. -Develop a Timeline (w/Milestones). -Develop a budget. (How much will this cost i.e. websites?)

What some components of the Page Generation Factor in Website Optimization? (Figure 4.10)

-Server Response Time. -Device-Based Accelerators. -Efficient Resource Allocation. -Resource Utilization Thresholds. -Monitoring Stie Performance.

When one imagines their e-Commerce presence and ask "How much will this costs like the website?" What are the price points?

-Simple Websites: Up to $5000. -Small Web Startups: $25,000 to $50,000. -Large Corporate Sites: $100,000 to X Millions.

What are some things that could happen when looking at Implementation and Maintenance of an e-Commerce website?

-Systems could break down unpredictably. -Maintenance could be continually ongoing. -Maintenance costs could be similar to development costs. -Benchmarking.

What are some of the Vertical and Horizontal Scaling Techniques? (Table 4.8)

-Use a faster computer. -Create a cluster of computers. -Use appliance servers. -Segment workload. -Batch requests. -Manage connections. -Aggregate user data. -Cache.

What are the important management challenges found in building an e-Commerce site through a systematic approach?

1. Developing a clear understanding of business objectives. 2. Knowing how to choose the right technology to achieve those objectives.

Describe "E-Mail" as one of the Basic Functionality Provided by Web Servers. (Table 4.4)

Ability to send, receive, and store e-mail messages.

According to the Vertical and Horizontal Scaling Techniques (Table 4.4), what is the correlating application of the "Aggregate User Data" technique?

Aggregate user data from legacy applications in single data pools.

What are some common Dynamic Page Generation Tools in terms of e-Commerce?

CGI, ASP, JSP, ODBC, JDBC.

Describe "Site Management Tools" as one of the Basic Functionality Provided by Web Servers. (Table 4.4)

Calculate and display key site statistics, such as unique visitors, page requests, and origin of requests. They also can check links on pages.

What is the related concept(s) to the "What is the ballpark?" in one's imagination of their e-Commerce presence?

Characterizing the marketplace by size, growth, demographics, and structure.

According to the Vertical and Horizontal Scaling Techniques (Table 4.4), what is the correlating application of the "Batch Requests" technique?

Combine related requests for data into groups, process as groups.

Describe Two-Tier as a consideration factor of Website Architecture in terms of e-Commerce.

Considered to be a simple website architecture structure, it only consists of a Web Server and Database Server.

List the activities found in the Social Media Presence in an e-Commerce Presence Map. (Figure 4.2)

Conversation, Engagement, Sharing, and Advice.

With the sizing of one's Hardware Platform, what kinds of demand do they have to consider in terms of e-Commerce?

Customer and Overall.

Describe Dynamic Page Generation in terms of e-Commerce.

Defined as condense stored in databased and fetched when needed.

Describe Out-Sourcing in terms of the 3rd stage of the Website Development Systems Life Cycle.

Defined as hiring vendors to provide services involved in building a site.

Describe Scalability in terms of the sizing of one's Hardware Platform from the supply side in e-Commerce.

Defined as the ability of a site to increase in size as demand warrants.

What is the related concept(s) to the "Who and Where is the Target Audience?" in one's imagination of their e-Commerce presence?

Demographics, Lifestyle, Consumptions Patterns, and etc.

According to the Vertical and Horizontal Scaling Techniques (Table 4.4), what is the correlating application of the "Use a Faster Computer" technique?

Deploy edge servers, presentation servers, data servers, and more.

Describe the System Design stage of the Website Development Systems Life Cycle.

During the 2nd stage, one looks at the hardware and software platforms keeping in mind a need for the system design specification and two main components.

Describe what happens during the 4th stage of the Website Development Systems Life Cycle.

During the Testing the System stage, one will perform Unit Testing, System Testing, Acceptance Testing, A/B Testing (or Split Testing), and Multivariate Testing.

Describe the System Analysis/Planning stage of the Website Development Systems Life Cycle.

During this 1st stage, there are three things to look at: Business Objectives, System Functionalities, and Information Requirements.

List the activities found in the Offline Media Presence in an e-Commerce Presence Map. (Figure 4.2)

Education, Exposure, and Branding.

What are some aspects of the Logical Design component in the Systems Design stage of the Website Development Systems Life Cycle?

In the 2nd stage, this component looks at data flow diagrams, processing functions, and databases.

What are some aspects of the Physical Design component in the Systems Design stage of the Website Development Systems Life Cycle?

In the 2nd stage, this component looks at the details on actual physical, software components, models, and more.

Describe the Building the System stage of the Website Development Systems Life Cycle.

In the 3rd stage, one will look at two different types of services in order to move onto the next stage.

Describe a Multi-Tiered e-Commerce Website Architecture. (Figure 4.11.B)

In this style, a web server is linked to a middle-tier layer the typically includes a series of application servers that perform specific tasks, as well as to a backend layer of existing corporate systems.

Describe a Two-Tier e-Commerce Website Architecture. (Figure 4.11.A)

In this style, a web server responds to requests for web pages and a database server provides the backend data storage.

What are the two service types considered in the 3rd stage of the Website Development Systems Life Cycle?

In-House and Out-Sourcing.

Describe "Search Engine" as one of the Basic Functionality Provided by Web Servers. (Table 4.4)

Indexing of site content and includes keyword search capabilities.

What are some platforms found in the E-Mail Presence in an e-Commerce Presence Map? (Figure 4.2)

Internal Lists and Purchased Lists.

What does IIS stand for in terms of a Web Server Software for e-Commerce?

Internet Information Server.

What does having a shopping cart do in terms of the e-Commerce Merchant Server Software?

It can allow shoppers to set aside, review, edit selections, and lastly make a purchase.

Describe System Architecture as a consideration factor of Website Architecture in terms of e-Commerce.

It is an arrangement of software, machinery, and tasks in an information system needed to achieve a specific functionality.

Describe the scalability method of vertically in terms of the sizing of one's Hardware Platform from the supply side in e-Commerce. (Think Why?)

It is done to increase processing power of individual components.

Describe the aspects of Apache as a Web Server Software for e-Commerce.

It is the leading Web Server Software that is reliable, stable, and a part of the open software community whose compatibility can work with UNIX and Linux operating systems.

Describe an e-Commerce Presence Map. (Figure 4.2)

It requires firms to considered the different kinds of presence, and the platforms and activities associated with each presence.

Describe "Data Capture" as one of the Basic Functionality Provided by Web Servers. (Table 4.4)

Log file of all visits, time spent, duration, and referral source.

What are the two main components of the 2nd stage of Website Development Systems Life Cycle?

Logical Design and Physical Design.

What are some of the main factors involved in building an e-Commerce site through a systematic approach?

Management, Hardware Architecture, Software, Design, Telecommunications, and Human Resources.

What are some components included in one's imagining of their e-Commerce presence?

Mission Statement, Target Audience, Intended Market Space, Strategic Analysis, Marketing Matrix, Development Timeline, and Preliminary Budget.

List the activities found in the E-Mail Presence in an e-Commerce Presence Map. (Figure 4.2)

Newsletter, Updates, and Sales.

Describe the Website Systems Development Life Cycle.

Occurs during the planning phase, it is the methodology for understanding business objectives of a system and designing an appropriate solution through five stages.

Describe the Choices in Building and Hosting. (Figure 4.7)

One can have a number of alternative to consider when building and hosting an e-commerce site, thus think of a Punnett square with the actions (Building v. Hosting) compared to the service types (In-House v. Out-Sourcing).

Describe the aspects of IIS as a Web Server Software for e-Commerce.

Owned by Microsoft, it is the second major Web Server Software that is Windows-Based and integrated into said OS and is easy-to-use.

Describe "File Transfer Protocol" as one of the Basic Functionality Provided by Web Servers. (Table 4.4)

Permits transfer of very large files from one server to another.

Describe Multi-Tier as a consideration factor of Website Architecture in terms of e-Commerce.

Possessing different layers (2+), it will typically have a Web Application Server(s) and Backend, Legacy Database(s).

What are some platforms found in the Offline Media Presence in an e-Commerce Presence Map? (Figure 4.2)

Print, TV, and Radio.

Describe "Processing of HTTP Requests" as one of the Basic Functionality Provided by Web Servers. (Table 4.4)

Receive and respond to client requests for HTML pages.

According to the Vertical and Horizontal Scaling Techniques (Table 4.4), what is the correlating application of the "Manage Connections" technique?

Reduce connections between processes and computers to a minimum.

With the sizing of one's Hardware Platform, what kinds of supplies do they have to consider in terms of e-Commerce?

Scalability.

List the activities found in the Website/App Presence in an e-Commerce Presence Map. (Figure 4.2)

Search, Display, Affiliates, and Sponsorships.

According to the Vertical and Horizontal Scaling Techniques (Table 4.4), what is the correlating application of the "Segment Workloads" technique?

Segment incoming work to specialized computers.

What does an Objective tell us when one is selecting a Hardware in terms of e-Commerce?

Setting a goal of having enough platform capacity to meet peak demand without wasting money.

According to the Vertical and Horizontal Scaling Techniques (Table 4.4), what is the correlating application of the "Cache" technique?

Store frequently used data in cache rather than on the disk.

What are some factors to consider with looking at Website Architecture in terms of e-Commerce?

System Architecture, Two-Tier (Simple), and Multi-Tier.

Summarize the difference between In-House and Out-Sourcing the Website Hosting in the 3rd Stage of the Website Development Systems Life Cycle.

The difference lies with the definition of two different activities; hosting and co-location.

When choosing a Hardware in terms of e-Commerce, what needs to be considered?

The hardware's Objective and having an Understanding of the factors that could affect speed, capacity, and scalability of a site.

Describe Hardware Platform in terms of e-Commerce.

The underlying computing equipment needed for e-Commerce functionality.

Describe Merchant Server Software Packages in terms of e-Commerce.

They are an integrated environment that includes most of the functionality needed for an e-Commerce Website like shopping cart, merchandise display, and order management. There are two main categories of software packages.

Describe Information Requirements as a part of the 1st Stage of the Website Development Life Cycle.

They are information elements that a system must produce in order to achieve the business objectives.

Describe e-Commerce Merchant Server Software.

They can provide basic functionality for sales through online catalog, shopping cart, and credit card processing.

Describe Web Application Servers do in terms of e-Commerce.

They can provide specific business functionality required for a website, act as a type of middleware, and replace single-function applications through integrated software tools to combine all functionality needed for the e-Commerce site.

What are some characteristics of the Basic Tools in Site Management Tools in terms of e-Commerce?

They can verify that links on pages are still valid and identify orphan files.

Describe the Factors in Website Optimization. (Figure 4.10)

This action request three factors page content, page generation, and page delivery.

Describe the scalability method of horizontally in terms of the sizing of one's Hardware Platform from the supply side in e-Commerce. (Think How?)

This is done through using multiple computers to share the workload.

What are some platforms found in the Website/App Presence in an e-Commerce Presence Map? (Figure 4.2)

Traditional, Mobile, and Tablet.

How does credit card processing work in terms of the e-Commerce Merchant Server Software?

Typically works in conjunction with the shopping cart to verify the card and put the credit through the company's account at checkout.

Describe how website "hosting" work on the Out-Sourcing side from the 3rd Stage of the Website Development Systems Life Cycle.

Typically, the procedure is that a firm will purchase or lease a web server (with control over its operations), but the server is located at a vendor's facility. Also known as "co-location".

Describe how website "hosting" work on the In-House side from the 3rd Stage of the Website Development Systems Life Cycle.

Typically, the procedures will obtain a hosting company's contract who will be responsible for ensuring that the site is accessible 24/7 for a monthly fee. Also known as "Hosting".

According to the Vertical and Horizontal Scaling Techniques (Table 4.4), what is the correlating application of the "Create a Cluster of Computers" technique?

Use computers in parallel to balance loads.

According to the Vertical and Horizontal Scaling Techniques (Table 4.4), what is the correlating application of the "Use Appliance Servers" technique?

Use special-purpose computers to optimize task completion.

Describe the Logical Design for a Simple Website. (Figure 4.6)

Using a data flow diagram per the Logical Design, can describe the flow of information request and responses for a simple website.

Describe the Physical Design for a Simple Website. (Figure 4.6.B)

Using this design, one can describe the hardware and software needed to realize the logical design.

Describe "Security Services (Secure Sockets Layer)/Transport Layer Security" as one of the Basic Functionality Provided by Web Servers. (Table 4.4)

Verify username and password in order to process certifications and private/public key information that is required for credit card processing and other secure information exchanges.

What are some ways Scalability is performed in terms of the sizing of one's Hardware Platform from the supply side in e-Commerce?

Vertically, Horizontally, Improving the Processing Architecture, and Outsourcing to Cloud Service (CDN).

Describe an e-Commerce Presence Map. (Figure 4.2-Only List Types/Kinds of Presence)

Website/App, Social Media, E-Mail, and Offline Media.

What is an example of a Third-Party Software used as a Site Management Tool in terms of e-Commerce?

Webtrends Analytics 10.

What factor is the most important in Customer Demand when sizing one's Hardware Platform in terms of e-Commerce?

Whatever aspect affects the speed of the site the most.

Describe the need of the 2nd stage of the Website Development Systems Life Cycle.

When considering a system design specification, a description of main components of a system and their relationship to one another ie needed.

What is an example of e-Commerce Merchant Service Sites as a category of a Merchant Server Software Package?

Yahoo Aabaco Small Business.

What are the two main categories of Merchant Server Software Packages in terms of e-Commerce?

e-Commerce Merchant Service Sites and Open-Source Merchant Server Software.

What are the stages of the Website Systems development Life Cycle?

1. Systems Analysis/Planning. 2. Systems Design 3. Building the System. 4. Testing. 5. Implementation.

What is done in Business Objectives as a part of the 1st Stage of the Website Development Life Cycle?

A list of capabilities one may want a site to have.

What is done in Systems Functionalities as a part of the 1st Stage of the Website Development Life Cycle?

A list of information system capabilities needed to achieve business objectives.

What is needed for an online catalog in terms of the e-Commerce Merchant Server Software?

A list of products available on website.

What are some platforms found in the Social Media Presence in an e-Commerce Presence Map? (Figure 4.2)

Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Pintrest, and Instagram.