Topic 3 - Digital Design

1) This week we are looking at Digital Design. Look at the Powerpoint presentation and explore some of the links. I recommend spending a good deal of time looking at 'Web Pages That Suck'

2) Listen to the podcast or read the transcript Digital Design on the Digital Enterprise page.

Questions

1. In two paragraphs explain why a customer centric Web site design is so important, yet so difficult to accomplish.

"Customer-centric" means creating a Web site that is centered around customer wants and needs. Savvy businesses are realizing that focusing their site on customer benefits and ensuring its visitors a unique experience are key drivers of sales, loyalty, and much-desired word-of-mouth advertising.

By proactively considering the needs, wants, and beneficial preferences of your customers, you can make more effective decisions about the content, offerings, design, and processes available on your site (http://www.4hb.com/0520cpcustomercentric.html).

It is important to have a customer centric website because it means that if a customer has an ‘enjoyable’ experience within your website, chances are they will return. Return custom is an important aspect of a sales based website. Not only that, but customers will also pass on your website to family and friends. This type of ‘marketing’ because of a good website design is invaluable.

Some websites can get so caught up in graphics and technology that they become almost impossible to use, and considering a lot of people only have bare knowledge of how the technology itself works, some would be put off a website if it proved too difficult to navigate, or couldn’t find what they were looking for either information or products and services.

2. Define the term 'presence'. Write an additional paragraph that describes why firms that do business on the Web should be more concerned about presence than firms that operate in the physical world.

I define ‘presence’ on the world wide web as meaning a combination of both a physical and mental sense. In the physical sense, that someone can go to a website and physically see what the site has to offer, whether it is goods, services or simply information. And in the metal sense that you know (or hope and pray) that the goods, services or information you’re looking for is there somewhere, it’s just a matter of finding it.

Firms that do business on the web versus the physical world seem to have a lot more competition. Not only is it possible to have more firms online than in the ‘local’ area that customers can have access to, but items are more easily transported from all corners of the earth, meaning that competition can come from all corners of the earth. To have a name (in a reputation and recognisability sense) that stands out from the rest, could mean the difference between boom and bust for a firm.

3. Write three paragraphs to briefly describe the things that Real Estate Agents can best accomplish through (1) their web sites (2) Mass media advertising (3) Personal contact.

1. Their websites: Put simply, information. People are able to use their sites to gather information, what properties they have for sale or rent, what their office hours are, who is on their staff.

2. Mass media advertising: Competition. By advertising what they have to offer, interest is generated to more people thus creating competition between prospective buyers.

3. Personal contact: Although the world seems to be turning towards digital technology, nothing REALLY compares to the physical senses human being possess. To be able to speak to someone in person and gage their reaction, to be able to smell a home and listen to the surroundings, to be able to shake someone’s hand. None of this is available in the digital world and is still very important to some people. Personally, I would never buy a house off a real estate agents website. I would have to see it for myself, meet the agent responsible and get a general sense of whether that home would be right for me and my family.

About the questions

You will need to look beyond the Powerpoint and the Digital Design notes, to answer the questions this week. Use a combination of your own opinion i.e. what do you think the answers would be, and search for additional information. The concept of 'Presence' on the web is very important. Just attempt to answer the questions, and we will also explore it on the discussion page. Towards the end of the week I will provide some additional notes.