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More on Web Design Internet Service Providers (ISPs) Implementation and Maintenance Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 More on Web Design Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 WHY A WEBSITE? • • • • • • • Reach Customers Quickly & Reliably Establish a Presence in Cyberspace Leverage Advertising Costs Reduce Customer Service Cost Promote Public Relations Penetrate International Markets Test-market New Products & Services Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 LIFE CYCLE OF SITE BUILDING • • • • • Plan the Site Define Audience & Connection Build Site Content Define Site Structure Create Visual Design Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 PLAN THE SITE • Define the Site’s Goals – Determine Who Will Be Involved – Understand the Time & Need Constraints • Ask Questions Deciding on Site’s Mission & Purpose for the Organization Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 DEFINE AUDIENCE & COMEPETITION • Generate a List of Intended Audience • Identify What Prospective Customers Want Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 HOW CUSTOMERS JUDGE WEBSITES • • • • • • • • Product Prices Product Representation Product Selection Shipping & Handling Delivery Ordering Privacy Policy Web Navigation Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 WEB DESIGN • Focus on Speed & Responsiveness • Create Scenarios & Test Cases • Select a Set of Users for Trial Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 COMPETITVE ANALYSIS • Make a List of Competitors • Evaluate Criteria: – Personalization – Consistency – Ease of Navigation Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 BUILD SITE CONTENT • Create Content Inventory • Determine Priority of Each Department • Analyze Feasibility of Each Function Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 DEFINE SITE STRUCTURE • • • • Create Good Site Structure Explore Various Metaphors Define Architectural Blueprints Decide User Navigation Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 VISUAL DESIGN • Use Layout Grid – Show icons, buttons, banners, etc. • Establish Look & Feel of Site via Page Mockups • Develop Web Personalization Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 WAYS TO BUILD A WEBSITE • Storefront Building Service • ISP (Web Hosting) Service • Do It Yourself Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 STOREFRONT BUILDING SERVICE • Offers Customized Online Store – Provide Web Address – Manage Web Traffic – Maintain Store on Web Servers • Drawbacks – Lack of Personalization Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 ISP SERVICES • Provide E-Commerce Software • Offer Well-Versed In-Store building Technology • Advantage – Good Customer Support Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 DO IT YOURSELF • Requires Experience – – – – Security Web Traffic Management Responsive Support Full-Time Web Administration • Benefits – Unlimited Upgrades & Customization Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 WEB NAVIGATION DESIGN • Create User Profiles – Keep Human Factor as Part of the Design • Use Scenarios – Help View Navigation Process Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 DESIGN TIPS • • • • • • • • Keep the Site Simple Address the Problem the Website Needs to Solve Enhance Response Time Raise Transmission Speed Focus on Content Ensure Company’s Name Visible Emphasis on Appearance Allow Easy Return to Homepage Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 DESIGN CRITERIA • • • • • • • Appearance Public Exposure Consistency Scalability Security Performance Navigation & Interactivity Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 APPEARANCE • Is the Site Aesthetically Pleasing? • Conduct Quality Assurance – Check the readiness of a website – Examine how easy it passes under the stress of a Web production schedule • Use a Style Guide – Ensure consistency within the site Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 CONSISTENCY • Will the Website & Contents Appear the Same on Visitors’ Screens? • Usage of HTML • Provide Choice of Browser Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 SECURITY • Protect from Hackers • Critical – Website Access • Knowledge of Developers Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 PERFORMANCE • How Long Does It Take for the Page to Appear? • Depend on Local Networking, Traffic Volume, Web Connection • 45-second Timer Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 NAVIGATION & INTERACTIVITY • How a Visitor Gets from One Page to Another • Format Icons & Buttons • Give out Function Descriptions of Each Icon Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 Website Evaluation & Usability Testing Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 ANATOMY OF A SITE • Use of Colors • Site Evaluation Criteria • Web Personalization Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 USE OF COLORS Color Psychological Effects Red Power, energy, passion, danger Blue Trust, conservative, security Yellow White Black Optimism, hope Purity, precision, innocence Sophistication, mystery, elegance Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 SITE EVALUATION CRITERIA • • • • • • • Color Type & Shapes of Icons Page Content Service Offered Primary Focus Ancillaries Site Classification Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 • • • • • • SITE EVALUATION CRITERIA (Cont’d) Professionalism Speed Consistency Personalization Security Scalability Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 WEB PERSONALIZATION • • • • Cookies Collaborative-filtering Software Check Boxes User-based Personalization Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 WHAT MAKES A WEBSITE USABLE? Sources What Users Are Seeking Forrester Research Spool’s Study •High-quality Content •Ease of Use •Quick to Download •Frequent Site Update •Information Kahle’s Study •Specific Information Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 USABILITY TESTING GUIDELINES • • • • • • Decide on a writing style & stick to it Give visitors what they are looking for Show class Keep the big picture in mind for usability Make the site easy to navigate Focus on content before graphics Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 USABILITY TESTING GUIDELINES (Cont’d) • • • • Make your text scannable Be careful about flashy marketing language Encourage visitor feedback Test, test & test! Remember: Conciseness, Scanability & Objectivity Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 ROLE OF WEB ADMINISTRATOR • • • • • • Database Server Application Server Web Server Special-purpose Servers for Security Internet Bandwidth Internet Performance Status Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 Internet Network Architecture Backbone e.g. High-Speed Backbone Network operated by MCI Network Access Points (NAPs) e.g. New York (Sprint) Regional Networks e.g. AOL, AT&T Regional ISPs i.e. Local Providers User Level e.g. University / Corporate Networks Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 Internet Service Provider (ISP) • An organization providing an entrance ramp to Internet • ISPs offer: – – – – – Linking consumers & businesses to Internet Payment system for online purchases Monitoring & maintaining a customer’s website Network management & system integration Backbone access services for other ISPs Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 HOW ISPs WORK • Web Site Infrastructure – – – – Standby Electric Power Redundant ‘Fault-Tolerant’ Servers Redundant Communications Lines One or More Firewalls Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 TYPES OF SERVICE PROVIDERS • • • • Internet Service Provider Application Service Provider Business Service Provider Wholesale Service Provider Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 TYPES OF WEB HOSTING SERVICES • • • • Dial-Up Access Developer’s Hosting Web Hosting Industrial Strength Hosting Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 HOW TO BECOME AN ISP • Contract with a regional network providing bandwidth • Procure a leased communications line to one of the company’s routers • Procure hardware & software to manage Internet communication • Set up dial-in lines to connect users • Maintain enough manpower to manage ISP traffic & deal with users Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 HOW TO CHOOSE AN ISP • Bandwidth Size – E.g. High-speed T1 & T3 lines • Connection Availability & Performance – Normal: 5 – 10MB • Virtual Hosting • E-mail Aliases Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 HOW TO CHOOSE AN ISP • • • • • Stability & Staying Power Local Access Customer Service & Technical Support Reliability Price Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 ISP NEEDS FOR ONLINE MARKETING • • • • • Register Domain Name Capture & Forward e-mail Host the Website Technical & Managerial Support On-the-road Support Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 WHAT IS A DOMAIN NAME? • Unique Internet address • Domain Name System (DNS) translates between IP address & URL Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 CYBER COMMANDMENTS OF WEBSITE DOMAIN NAMES • Determine whether proposed domain name infringes any trademarks • Determine whether proposed domain name dilutes any famous marks • Obtain federal trademark registration of proposed domain name • Register proposed domain name with InterNIC • Get permission before linking to other websites • Watch for expanded top-level domain names & registries Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 PITFALLS FOR USING ISP • • • • Overcharging Domain Name Status Backup Contractual Language Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 Implementation and Maintenance Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES • • • • • • • • Proper testing & readiness of website Reliability of technology Readiness of ISP to load website & handle traffic Security of lines & payment system Customer service staff training Readiness of fulfillment process with vendor’s warehouse Performance check of entire system before actual deployment Assignment of a Web team to monitor, maintain & upgrade the system Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 PROPER TESTING & READINESS OF WEBSITE • • • • • Response time to inquiries Stress testing Recovery testing Human factor testing Staging testing Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 TEST PLAN • • • • Criteria for visitor testing Load website & prepare website procedure Website & system tests Procedure for making necessary corrections Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 TEST PLAN • Syntax Errors – Violate rules of language in which website is written • Logic Errors – Deviations from a range of acceptability • Website Testing vs. Total System Testing • Visitor Acceptance Testing Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 QUALITY ASSURANCE • Development of controls to ensure a quality website • Emphasized in every stage of website development life cycle Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 QUALITY ASSURANCE • • • • • • Correctness Scalability Maintainability Reliability Optimum Performance Alpha Test vs. Beta Test Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 SITE PERFORMANCE ISSUES • • • • Merchant Server Applications Server Payment Processor Back-end Databases Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 DISASTER PLANNING & RECOVERY • Disaster Recovery Plan – Contingency plan for resuming operations when a problem disrupts normal operations – Identifies potential threats, prioritizes website & other applications, and devises safeguard to minimize losses in the event of a disaster Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 GOOD DISASTER RECOVERY PLANNING • Assessing website’s vulnerabilities via risk analysis • Reducing / preventing technical & operational risks to online environment • Developing cost-effective solutions • Ensuring alternative Internet access modes • Providing disaster recovery procedures • Training e-commerce staff in disaster recovery methods Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 RECOVERY PLANNING • Backup – Redundancy – Mutual aid with another organization – Uninterruptible power supply • In-house vs. Outsource Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 DISASTER/RECOVERY PLAN • Appoint a competent team of representatives (ie - Web designer, IT representatives, and customer service staff) • Prepare planning • Draft a disaster/recovery manual Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 STAFF TRAINING • E-learning – – – – Web-based training Mostly outsourced Less pressure on IT department Hard to monitor Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 IMPLEMENTATION MANAGEMENT • Project Management – – – – – – – – Estimating resource requirements Scheduling tasks & events Providing for training and site preparation Selecting qualified staff & supervising their work Monitoring project’s program Documenting Periodic evaluating Contingency planning Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES • Performance • Personnel • Integrating front-end commerce site with backend fulfillment vendors • Maintenance & enhancements • Post-implementation planning Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS • Ensure each staff knows his/her job • Sell all participants on importance of working together as a team • Plan ahead on how to solve predictable problems • Establish a specific procedure for handling routine problems Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 MAINTENANCE STRATEGIES • Check for website operational errors, links & contents • Web designers use a syntax-checking program to catch errors before the website is fully operational • Eliminate all dead links • Check fax & e-mail orders Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 MAINTENANCE STRATEGIES (Cont’d) • Process invoices for items that are readily available • Use e-mails for communications with customers, vendors, and employees • Upgrade or redesign website Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 MAINTENANCE CONSIDERATIONS • • • • • • Make website attractive Minimize load times Text should be displayed quickly Verify ordering information Encourage customer feedback Maintain & upgrade technology Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 MAINTENANCE CONSIDERATIONS (Cont’d) • • • • • Ensure a reliable invoicing system Ensure easy to maintain inventory system Monitor & evaluate server reports Watch disk usage Bandwidth consumption Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005 MONITORING WEBSITE TRAFFIC • • • • • • • • Dates & times of the hits Visitor’s login name Visitor’s IP address Visitor’s host Request Name of the host Cookies Number of pageviews Sylnovie Merchant, Ph.D. MIS 281 Spring 2005