Coventry University, the E-movement.

Coventry University is presently situated at, Priory Street, Coventry CV1 5FB, West-Midlands UK. The University’s website http://wwwm.coventry.ac.uk/pages/index.aspx has a blue colour background, which is cool and attractive. The layout of the web-page is simple and page-viewers can easily navigate each part of the page to the needed web-page. The type-face used makes it clear, the home-page is generally simple, not clogged with information, easy to navigate and clear.


The home page is sub-divided offering different information on courses, business, research, international students, news and events, alumni, the city, the University all providing sub-sects in a slide lay-out format. The web-page displays the University’s logo at the top left site, while other information are available at the top right side, where web users can access site map, contact us, providing course information and University’s contact information respectively.

A click on the contact link provides a query/interactive section where users can post questions to the school and get response. The web-page also feature quick-links and search options, while the home-page is book-marked on Delicious, Digg, reditt, Face book, StumbleUpon, MySpace, and Youtube, while providing a fun and entertainment link on CU Second life.

The University’s library is a huge source of data which is essential for any students in Coventry University. Apart from the library’s vast source of hard-ware books, the library boost of rich on-line materials. The E-Library provides a lot of information on various themes such as Business, Science, and Mathematics. In an e-marketing point of view the E-Library is well organize and can be easily accessed by e-library users. However, though the E-Library is accessible the information available on most e-links like EBSCO is very shallow. In fact, the lack of adequate information in this database forces the student to spend too much time on it. A precise strategy of keyword may facilitate and improve student’s research informat


A world of Information technology! An era characterized by portability at the tip of your fingers, with information available 24/7 a week, 365 days a year, general restructuring of professionalism amongst others. To be in understanding the dynamics of it and wholly control it, for purposes of managing data base, exchanging ideas, there is need for ultimate discipline and profound knowledge which is partially lacking of being in the process of being developed.


Having said that, Coventry university has the scope to cope with the unfolding resources, facilities and the required hybrid Better still, there is need to create more time for IT classes, promote team working amongst PG students and workshops ,extending hybrid working hours and invest more funds into research and development.

With the current hybrid and the student mix, we can create an enhanced IT sphere, broaden our reasoning horizons electronically and be involved as academic IT hybrids both locally and internationally. To set a side funds for research and development will help students’ researchers and students to be more effective in delivering information to the users and keeping a breast with day to day changes in the world of IT, hence, a more thorough deliberations on decision making process.

The library can make use of social networks like Face book to get connected and spread information with people, open up interaction between people and the library management .The library should have a blog where the patrons and library staff can connect and express their opinion without fear and also post videos of the library on YouTube to get same people excited about visiting the library .The library should make Use of IM to help people get information via instant messaging. The library could create exiting events occasionally where visitors can come to have fun and interact with one another than just books.
The library should offer more power outlets to encourage people use laptops in the library.
The library can join chamber of commerce and develop a good relationship with the media.

Overall, the University need to work on some aspects of their web-page. The web design could have make use of hyper-links which would open new pages that will supply information needed. This would have helped retain the original home-page, increase easy navigation and improve the page’s functionality. The world been a technological space, Coventry University should make that count for the institution by promoting themselves on the interface.

Also, the interpretation of the web-page in different languages could be an added advantage, where international students are just a click away from accessing needed information in their own language. This would entice those already enrolled and those willing to enrol, as they will be able to access information correctly and feel more comfortable doing so.

Though a search in Google turns up 805,000 results, there are other electronic and digital ways of promoting the institution.

Finally, the use of divers students from different background and origin is a good international and interdenominational approach, it is easy though to figure that the home-page is openly targeted at newly interested students with little information about presents students studying in the institution.

Neurobics!

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web counter

"Did you know that braincells and connections can be activated."This is by doing things normally but in a different way.For example, washing your face from the left as opposed to the right, doing things the reverse.

This is called neurobics and it enhances underused nerve pathways,hence, giving you the strength and flexibility as we age.The brain is most active when challenged!

Ref:Journal of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in the United Kingdom & Ireland, April2009, Vol.114.7

Trusting the Faceless Websites

SURE YOU CAN TRUST THE WEB?
Trust simply can be defined as integrity and surety. For web transaction, customers need to have an assured confidence on a web provider’s ability to deliver. Closely related to this issue is the debate if web transactions are trust-worthy. To be trustworthy means warranting trust and reliable, which is the biggest challenge to web-site transactions, do they deserve customer’s trust and confident, are they dependable and reliable.
Trustworthiness is an important factor in the completion of commercial transactions, which is also true for internet commerce. In the internet commerce environment, people do business interacting with a customer interface, which in this case is the internet vendor’s website. To gain user’s trust and be trustworthy, web-sites must be designed carefully to induce feelings of trust, which will influence the decision to buy from a specific vendor.
Customers have expectations when transactions are been made. If these expectations are met and contracts honoured, customers in most cases are more likely to trust in a vendor. Trust mainly is needed for a long-term exchange relationship. For web vendors, it is financially beneficial to cultivate long-term customer’s trust in order to leverage knowledge of their needs and requirements to provide more customized products and services.
Joel and Carol [2006] researched customer’s perception of quality and satisfaction with online purchases. It was discovered that out of three things: web interaction, delivery of product and retailers preparation to handle problems, product delivery has the strongest influence on customer’s satisfaction and future purchase intentions. Some other factors considered by customers before trusting e-commerce vendors include:
• Competence in product design,
• Manufacturing quality,
• Order processing,
• Delivery,
• After sales service,
• Response to consumer’s need,
• New and better web-design easy navigation [ease of use] and better advanced technology,
• Communication links [providing a hint of humanity/human face],
• Careful web management

For any website to be trustworthy the website must look professional, if not the organization may be losing potential customers and be lowly rated by customer and reducing trust.
Basic steps to building a reliable web-site:
• Minimum links
• Professional and attractive layout
• Provide sufficient information about
1. Web/ service provider
2. Product/services rendered.
• Provide full, visible and traceable contact information
1. Have a well detailed “About US”
2. Information on top staff
• Provide room for customer feedbacks. This
1. Inculcates customer’s participation
2. Build and increase interest
• Constantly update the web-page
• All links to the web-page must be working effectively
• Make sure information posted are correct, recent and valid.
• Finally, a website must be informative, easy to navigate and generally pleasant to peruse by the people.
How much do you trust the WEB!
Trust has become an imperative element of success for companies having online transaction. However, Board Survey found that conducting financial transactions and
(94 JOURNAL OF WEBSITE PROMOTION) purchase though a website may create the most anxiety among users.

Some hindrances to trusting a web-site

• Lack of Security and Privacy: This has proven to be the most vital points in ensuring online trust. Ballenger, Hiller and Smith (2002) found that customers don’t trust merchants that are not able to protect customer information or poor management of customer data. Security threats include destruction, disclosure, and modification of data, denial of service, fraud and abuse (Kalakota and Whinston 1996).

• Website Usability: Vicks, Berman and Jones (1999) argued that information is an important mechanism to reduce uncertainty. Everald and Galletta (2006) et al also found that poor design, errors, incompleteness and perceived quality are limitations to customer trust.

• Expected Product Performance: Customer satisfaction has a stronger impact on trust for repeat customers than potential buyers. So it is essential that the product meets the customer’s expectation to ensure a repeat purchase or positive word of mouth advertising.

• Electronic Customer Relationship Management (e-CRM): e-CRM has positive effects on customer share development. It strengthens trust and cultivates loyalty. A lack of this factor will only give a rise to cognitive dissonance in a customer, therefore acting as a limitation of trust.

• Tangibility: Customers are more bothered about the intangibility of web-site transactions. This fear is brought about by some factors:
1. Trusting online payments
2. Insecurity of user’s private information
3. Not seeing or feeling what is been bought.

• Communication: Most consumers trust and need communication to complete transactions. Their belief is grounded on hearing and be heard instantaneously.


FANS FOR EVER!
Unlike transactional sites, football sites seem to get more trust. Contrastingly, people seem to have less doubt about football sites, this could be because of emotional and psychological attachments hardened followers feel about their clubs. Obviously people feel less urge to doubt information provided on websites and less-bothered about security when making transactions on football sites. Contrary to Herington and Weaven’s (2007) view, that “online service quality has no impact on customer delight, e-trust or the development of stronger relationships” fans do get kicks from buying clubs merchandise from official websites.In this case, quality service does not guarantee fans retention, fans basically are just delighted been a fan and have built a kind of trust.
The internet is far from achieving its potential e-market place due to consumer reluctance to engage spontaneously and continually in online transactions. This could be attributed to lack of trust, which is a critical impediment to the success of e-commerce. Consumers seem to fear providing credit card information to commercial vendors, simply because they lack trust to engage in business with these vendors.

Arsenal FC is a typical example of a club offering lots of merchandise online. These could be bought with any master-cards, but the club has its own Arsenal master-card. The club’s website has an assuring opening page informing their web users its “YOUR CLUB, YOUR CARD.” A very re-assuring way to build customers trust and assure them the website is trustworthy.
The club is currently building a more interactive web-interface, by providing users opportunities to communicate and have a web-chat with specific players at specified periods. The club offers various rewards, benefits and rates [0% on card purchases for 3 months] for transacting online.
The club’s website can be easily navigated; users can easily trace and acquire any information sought. The first page is basically informative, providing present updates on matches, discount prices, chat dates amidst others.
Mainly what the club has done is a segmentation of facts and news. Users will easily navigate to precise page and extract information wanted.
WEB UPGRADE:
Having considered some aspect of Arsenal FC web-page, it is apparent the club work on the following;
• Immediate response to inquiries unit,
• Fans feedback section.


References:
Angriawan, A. and Thakura, R. (2008) 'A Parsimonious Model of the Antecedents and Consequences of Online Trust: The Uncertainty Perspective.' Journal of internet marketing 7, (1) 74-94

Baker, E. M., Tedesco, J. C. and Baker, W. H. (2007) 'Consumer Privacy and Trust Online: An Experimental Analysis of Anti-Phishing Promotional Effects.' Journal of internet marketing

Collier, J. E. and Bienstock, C. C. (2006) 'How Do Customers Judge Quality in an E-Tailer?' MIT Sloan Management Review 8, (1) 35-40


Ejike, O., Patricia, B., Ian, R., Scott, D. and James, M. (2008) 'How Do You Build Trust into an E-Commerce Website.' European Journal of Marketing 25, (5) 7-9

Martin, S. S. (2008) 'Cyberpsychology & Behaviour.' International journal of communication 11, (5) 549-554

Mukherjee, A. and Nath, P. (2007) 'Role of Electronic Trust in Online Retailing.' European Journal of Marketing 41, (9) 1173-1202

Patrick, Y. K. C., Jen.Hwa, H. P., Lee, L. P. B. and Anson, K. K. (2007) 'Examining Customers’ Trust in Online Vendors and Their Dropout Decisions: An Empirical Study.' Electronic Commerce Research & Applications 6, (2) 171-182

Sherman, E. (2008) 'Want to Target Online? You Better Build Trust.' Advertising Age 79, 10-10


TANG, Z., JEFFREY, H. Y. and SMITH, M. D. (2008) 'Gaining Trust through Online Privacy Protection: Self-Regulation, Mandatory Standards, or Caveat Emptor.' Journal of Management Information Systems 24, (4) 153-173

Do online communities exist?

Obviously online communities do exist. Globally the world is getting closer to one big web-community. Social, business, politics, sports, dating, sex, and education amidst others all have web/online communities, with millions universally connected as members of these communities.



Basically, online communities are groups of people who [in most cases] have never met before, from different background and culture with a particular interest or concern been shared over the internet, contacting each other through the mailing list, web conferencing, and newsgroups.(partnership.co.uk) Online communities are supported by listservs, bulletin boards, chats, MUDs, MOOS or combinations of these software programs along with web pages The list of online communities is endless. Groupings to be sparingly done thus: Face book/ my space/Tagged (mainly Social Interest), Linton (Professional), 606 debate (sports)

Online communities can basically be divided into 3 broad groups:
1. Virtual communities of interest: online community with same interest. E.g. Hobby, politics, sickness etc.
2. Organisational Communities: These groups have the same organisational interest. It’s basically done using the intranet or using special systems e.g. Lotus Notus or 1st class. These people could be sitting adjacent each-other or across the world, their business is conducted within the culture of the organisation.
3. Local Communities online: Numerous communities go online to create their own web presence, a kind of existence port-folio, an online presence, providing information [maps, fire& police posts, and shops], discussing civic regulations mirroring the real world.



Importance of online communities to the marketing world
Technology has brought breathtaking changes to the way business is conducted, with globalisation been the key driving force facilitated by the rapid growth of the internet. The impact of the internet on business is massive, with values of product based on creative and informative use of information and technological communications.(Pitta and Fowler 2005)

The internet provides a means of communicating to individuals and organisations. It is more focused on individuals who value convenience, near instantaneous communications, specificity and accessibility. Its importance to marketing is powerful and immeasurable. Once online members build trust prompting personal contact they interact like friends sharing word of mouth.



The internet provides basic advantages to marketers:
• A means of communication{ e-mails, ICQ}
• A means of obtaining information { online customer database, e-libraries, web}
• Overcoming geographical barriers
• Restructuring relationships
• Increasing the use of new global advertising and marketing techniques
• Get users to respond immediately (Tsang and Tse 2005).

Understanding an online community and its purchasing behaviours is important and relevant to marketers, as relationships between consumers could influence brand choice. The understanding and effective use of these communities would be important to marketers.(Simmons 2007)

If properly utilized, marketers can sponsor online communities, discussing topics of interest to their customers. If interest can be gained a growing number of followers can be achieved, which provides an opportunity to interact deeply with customers, create a marketing research opportunity on product design, pricing amidst others

Electronic means of communications is the fastest. Marketers can effectively use its aid to discussion. These online communities optimize market segments with particular interest. With internet spending projected to grow to $331billion by 2010, online consumers are set to rise (Dennis and Danielle 2005).

Basically online retailing has been primarily business-to-consumers; there is an increase in consumer-to-consumer e-commerce. Evidently eBay is a C-to-C estimated to be worth $3billion. The growing increase of online commerce increases consumers’ use of internet purchase decisions.







Video Based Games Communities:
From last decades, we assisted of the huge development of the video consol and video game (PS3, Xbox360) and we notice a major graphic headway. Indeed, this market should weigh 675 million dollars by 2012 only in the United States, according to the society of market studies Parks Associates. The dynamism and the potential of the emergent sector of the game advertising is a great opportunity for marketer to expand their marketing strategy in order to capture this new target segment that is increasing every day.
The strategy may be apparently simple but advertisers tried to achieve that in game extracts in which personalized players appear in video football game such as Pro evolution soccer 2009. A ground surrounded with advertising hoardings in the colours of the automobile constructer Ford, or sports clothes of the football with brands such as Nike or Adidas. The idea is as stated by Jay Sampson, vice-president of Massive Co-op is to create advertisements so naturally in the games as in real life.

Key benefits of Online Communities
1. Stronger relationships with customers will improve loyalty.
2. An online community will increase Search Engine Optimisation thus driving more traffic to your website. It will also increase the proportion of positive consumer comments online.
3. Your online community will provide a better understanding of customer needs and a platform for immediate customer feedback on new ideas and services.
4. Online communities build and amplify positive word-of-mouth, advocacy and PR.
5. An ongoing dialogue will help keep customers at the heart of the business.(Swinyard et al.2006)
Possible ways of targeting online browser based community
Relevant studies lays emphasis on the perceived risks associated with the online browser communities, online shopping and various consumer attitudes that foster and inhibit online exchange (Teo and Yu 2005) . This perceived risk is what restricts a customer from sharing information and purchasing products online. To ensure customer loyalty in an online context, eight factors were identified that impact on loyalty. They are:
• Customization
• Contact Interactively
• Care Community
• Convenience
• Cultivation
• Choice
• Character (Srinvivaran et al 2002)
The browser based community are a wide range of different people, so the E marketers should put these factors in mind to enhance customer experience.

References:

http://www.freshnetworks.com/learn/the-future-of-online-communties

partnership.co.uk (unknown) what Are Online Communities [online] available from [19 March 2009]

Pitta, D. A. and Fowler, D. (2005) 'Internet Community Forums: An Untapped Resource for Consumer Marketers.' Journal of Consumer Marketing 22, (5) 265–274

R, C., Smith, S. and Swinyard, W. R. (2006) 'E Shopping Lovers and Fearful Conservatives: A Market Segmentation Analysis.' international Journal of Retail and distribution Management 34, (4/5) 308-333

Simmons, G. J. (2007) '“I-Branding”: Developing the Internet as a Branding Tool.' Marketing Intelligence & Planning 25, (6) pp. 544-562

Tsang, P. M. and Tse, S. (2005) 'A Hedonic Model for Effective Web Marketing: An Empirical Examination.' Industrial Management & Data Systems 105, (8) 1039-1052

Mobile Internet…..the future
The mobile phone is considered one of the most successful new pieces of communication technology .It allows the users instant communication. Most mobile phone has multiple functions ranging from internet to entertainment and other business functions. On other hand mobile phone is dangerous if used when driving plus mobile radiation makes it harmful to the health.

Number one advantage is the instant access to the internet .With the mobile phone people can now access the internet on the go which makes it the exclusive device to surf the net. (www.webuser.co.uk March 2009).According to a research released on 13th February, 2007 by the mobile entertainment forum and ovum, 20% of UK subscribers search the web using mobile phones. (http://www.3g.co.uk/PR/Feb2007/4267.htm March 2009).

The population on mobile-internet users climbed to 34.6m In June 2007, a 6% increment from the 32.7 in January 2007. Yahoo mail has 6.51m, weather channels 5.9m, ESPN with 5.3m, followed by Google search and Hotmail [PCMAG 2007].Openwave, Nokia and Motorola top the list of phones used by mobile internet users.





The statistics speak for themselves. Mobile internet users extended over home Pc by 13%, with 87.3% US mobile-internet users subscribing to mobile internet, and 43% of Accuweather customers going mobile, showing that the mobile-internet can only grow.

The importance of mobile-internet can not be over-emphasized, as users’ network socially more using the mobile internet. UK and US leads in accessing social network via mobile phones. Social networking is already a global phenomenon, and going mobile will be the next big thing. In UK, approximately 810,000 [1.7% of mobile users] visit social networks via mobile phones, while US have 4.1m [1.6% of mobile users] accessing via mobile phones.


Mobile Social Networking Reach – US and Europe
mobile subscribers who access social networks over the mobile Internet[A]
Number of mobile subscribers who access social networks per month, over their phone[B]
A B
United States 1.6% 4,079,000
United Kingdom 1.7% 812,000
Italy 0.6% 293,000
Spain 0.8% 291,000
France 0.6% 255,000
Germany 0.2% 141,000
Source: Nielsen Mobile; EU data Q1 2008, US data December 2007

Advertisers and marketers need to understand this growth/ frequency and efficiently use the mobile web traffic [Linda 2008].26% of mobile-internet users view ads while using the mobile internet and data shows that mobile-internet are more advert receptive than average data users. [MC 2009]

Technology wise, cell phones are smaller and more efficient. It allows for instant access and easy mobility, providing access to the internet whenever and wherever .There is also the issue of security, as business transactions will be faster and more secure.

With the huge expansion of the mobile technology, it has become crucial for companies to develop competitive strategies to become leaders in the market. The provision of wireless in mobile phone allows consumers access to the internet directly, providing total privacy, also phones have security tracker which allow to find the invention anywhere in the world and a system of blocking in case of theft.

TV AND INTERNET? WHOSE IDEA!

A very good proposition though, having your internet with your TV connection which provides the opportunity to switch between watching your best programme and chatting with a friend or browsing the net for updates, while building and encouraging family rapport, but the idea greatly has some flaws.

This concept might be awesome in Countries where a lot of bounding is done, with family members spending a lot of time together, but will run into stumbling block in western world where the believe is that of individuality and more personal life style.

The issue of privacy will definitely be a hindrance. Teenagers mostly want to have their privacy, view the net at their own speed and not been watched over. A joint TV-Internet system totally wipes out all atoms of privacy.

As of May 2008, the US mobile internet audience (age 13+) is about evenly split between those over the age of 35 (48%) and those under the age of 35 (52%) and is slightly more male than female [MC 2009]. This age bracket [13+] loves and cherishes privacy

There are other constrains too, the issue of individual differences, family member having divers interest but stuck/bound together in the lounge in other to use TV and internet facilities, which could be monotonous and generate conflicts within family members getting bored, tense with and conscious of each other.

REFRENCES

Chart, M. M. (2009) Us Mobile Internet Reaches Critical Mass for Marketing [online] available from [11 March 2009]

Charts, M. M. (2009) Mobile Internet Users 60% More Likely to Accept Mobile Advertising [online] available from [11 March 2009]

Magazine, P. (2007) Mobile Internet Usage Climbs [online] available from [12 March 2009]


Moss, L. (2008) Mobile Internet Extends Site Reach by 13% [online] available from [10 March 2009]

Okimoto, P. (2007) Social Networking Going Mobile, Nielsen Finds [online] available from [11 March 2009]

At Cov Uni

The benefits of e-marketing

E-marketing gives businesses of any size access to the mass market at an affordable price and, unlike TV or print advertising, it allows truly personalised marketing. Specific benefits of e-marketing include:

1 Global reach - a website can reach anyone in the world who has Internet access. This allows you to find new markets and compete globally for only a small investment.

2 Lower cost - a properly planned and effectively targeted e-marketing campaign can reach the right customers at a much lower cost than traditional marketing methods.

3 Trackable, measurable results - marketing by email or banner advertising makes it easier to establish how effective your campaign has been. You can obtain detailed information about customers' responses to your advertising.

4 24-hour marketing - with a website your customers can find out about your products even if your office is closed.

5. Personalisation - if your customer database is linked to your website, then whenever someone visits the site, you can greet them with targeted offers. The more they buy from you, the more you can refine your customer profile and market effectively to them.

6 One-to-one marketing - e-marketing lets you reach people who want to know about your products and services instantly. For example, many people take mobile phones and PDAs wherever they go. Combine this with the personalised aspect of e-marketing, and you can create very powerful, targeted campaigns.

7 More interesting campaigns - e-marketing lets you create interactive campaigns using music, graphics and videos. You could send your customers a game or a quiz – whatever you think will interest them.

8 Better conversion rate - if you have a website, then your customers are only ever a few clicks away from completing a purchase. Unlike other media which require people to get up and make a phone call, post a letter or go to a shop, e-marketing is seamless.

Finally, the importance of e-marketing cannot be over-emphasized. Its global reach, lower cost, personalization and better conversion rate makes it a guaranteed and an effective marketing tool. A recent poll carried out showed 62% of marketing executives categorically stating that e-marketing is very effective.