WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT

Oakland City Hall

January 21, 2016

Thank you to Our Sponsors

2

Local Ecosystem

3

Partnership and Hosting

4

Free & Low cost

Seminars

Our Services

Free One-on-One

Consulting

5

Seminar Examples

Access to Capital Successful Business Plans

Starting a Business Meet the Lenders

Social Media Government Contracts

Marketing Law for Entrepreneurs

Worker Owned Businesses Buying a Business

Starting a Restaurant Crowdfunding and Alternatives

Starting a Food Business How to Pitch Your Company

Finding Your Core Customer eMarketing

Website Development Home Based Businesses

6

ACSBDC Consultants

Ron Barrett

Loan Specialist

David Bokash

Business Technology

FJ Cava

Generalist

Deb Doyle

Branding

Ed Duarte

Construction David Gray

Food & Restaurants

Lee Lambert

Director Tara Lynn Gray

Crowdfunding

Deagon Williams

Food & Restaurants

7

ACSBDC Consultants

Mari Lovalvo

Human Resources

David Mitroff

Social Media

Dorian Webb

Operations

Paula

Mattisonsierrra

Retail

Thelma Tajirian

Generalist

Tom Yeh

Strategy

Bob Komoto

Export/Import

Maria Mejia

Finance

Tom Camerato

Financial Modeling

Mary Passarella

Accounting

8

How to register for services

www.acsbdc.org

9

Regional Technology Initiative

o Focuses on qualified technology

companies.

o Assists with commercialization of

technology and preparing for

fund raising

o No fees for its services and

takes no ownership interest.

o Goal is to help technology

companies start, grow and thrive

10

Are we effective?

• SBDCs are required to track and

measure results

o New Business Starts

o Jobs Created

o Jobs Retained

o Increases in Sales

o New Loans Secured

o New Equity Capital Secured

11

ACSBDC 2012 – 2014 Economic Impact

1,490

Companies Counseled

5,118

Seminar Attendees

95 Business Starts

502 Jobs

$20.1 MM Revenue Generated

$27.6 MM Loans Secured

$39.4 MM Equity Invested

12

Please complete the Seminar Evaluation

Form at the end

13

Download Presentation Slides

www.acsbdc.org/handouts

14

15

David Bokash – Business Advisor, Alameda County SBDC (since May 2008)

– 2012 CARAT Outstanding Trainer in Community Development

– Business consultant for Supply Chain Management, application software and Internet projects

Prior Experience

– IT Project Manager/Consultant for application implementations and Supply Chain Strategy Projects

– Product Manager, CRM and SRM Applications, SAP Labs

– Field Engineer, FedEx Express

– IT Project Manager, FedEx Logistics & Electronic Commerce

– Sr. Consultant, Price Waterhouse Strategic Consulting Group

Education

– Honors Certificate, Project Management, UC Santa Cruz

– MBA, Harvard University

– BS & MS Engineering, Purdue University

Instructor

16

WEBSITES & INTERNET COMMERCE

– Two prior website developers quit complex E-Commerce Website: Helped document website design and manage transition to new developer; client website has been operational 4 years!

– Client wanted to adjust pricing by neighborhood income: Studied method for using Census Bureau data, estimated implementation costs and proposed alternative; client decided to use customer reported income instead!

– Performed dozens of Website Audits: identifying website usability, functionality & optimization improvements

BUSINESS SOFTWARE

– E-Commerce company wanted to integrate website orders with inventory management system; found Zen Cart plug-in that integrated with QuickBooks

– Advised dozens of clients on business software: source selection, functional capabilities, operational work-arounds and application implementations

– Advised several business software companies on: application development project management, product management/marketing issues and product strategy

David Bokash: SBDC Client Work

17

SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT (SCM) – Home remodeling retailer wanted to improve warehouse and order

fulfillment operations; analyzed procedures, suggested operational changes and helped upgrade user documentation

– Advised dozens of clients on SCM best practices

– Created Purchasing & Inventory Management (P&IM) course for California Resources and Training (CARAT) that describe SCM best practices and software applications for small business

– Delivered P&IM webinars to hundreds of small business owners

David Bokash: SBDC Client Work (continued)

Website Development with E-Commerce

Oakland City Hall

February 18, 2015

Alameda County SBDC

19

Agenda 1. Website Businesses Roles 2. Understanding the Internet and the World Wide Web 3. Domain Registration and Website Hosting & Development 4. Website Design & Development 5. Website Security, Monitoring & Performance Assessment 6. Website Content & Navigation 7. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Overview 8. Meta Tag Optimization 9. Social Media and Online Directories 10. Business Case for E-Commerce 11. Fundamentals of E-Commerce 12. Types of E-Commerce Solutions 13. E-Payment Processors & Mobile Payments 14. Practical Examples 15. Summary & Conclusion

20

Evaluate Audience Websites

NOTE: In the last part of the webinar we will

be evaluating sample websites.

If you would like the instructor and class to provide a

FREE evaluation of your website, please provide

your website URL using the Chat Box. We will be

looking at: 1. The Ten Second Rule?

2. Navigation & Architecture?

3. Customer Focus?

4. Look & Feel?

5. Establish Trust, other?

1. Website Businesses Roles

22

What can a Website do for our Business?

Key Strategic Questions when Planning a Website:

What functionality will our Website provide?

What will be the role of our Website in our

current/future Internet (Digital) Marketing plans?

23

E-Service

E-Marketing

E-Commerce

E-Sales

Website Functional Roles

“Websites can provide Sales, Marketing &

Service Functionality!”

24

Website Role in Internet Marketing

SEO

Website

Keyword Advertising

Audience

Audience

Social Media

Audience

Audience

Newsletters

“Internet Marketing drives Website Traffic!

Therefore, a Website will be the Center of every

Internet Marketing Campaign!”

25

Website Business Roles

Website Marketing Roles Tool to advertise and promote Your Business

Forum to display Your Products and Services

Platform that enables Current Customers to easily refer their Friends and Family

Channel to publish an Online Newsletter or Blog

“A Website provides the opportunity to reach

billions of people within a global marketplace!”

2. Understanding the Internet and the

World Wide Web

27

The term Internet refers to the combined

collection of academic, commercial, and

government networks connected over

international telecommunication backbones

and routed using IP addressing.

Internet versus World Wide Web

The World Wide Web (abbreviated

WWW) and commonly known as

The Web, is a system of interlinked

hypertext documents contained on

the Internet. With a web browser,

one can view web pages and

navigate between them by using

hyperlinks.

28

What is a Website?

A Website (also spelled web site) is a set of related web pages served from a single web domain. Hosted on a web server, accessible via a network (e.g. the Internet) through an address known as a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) or Internet Protocol (IP) address.

SOURCE: www.en.wikipedia.org

(i.e. http://acsbdc.org)

Typical Internet Protocol

(IP) Address:

209.126.000.012

29

What’s The World Wide Web?

The Internet

The World Wide Web

A Website

Need a Web Browser to access websites →

Website Development & Hosting © 2015 CARAT 30

Common Web Browsers

• Firefox

• Internet Explorer (IE)

• Google Chrome

• Safari* - “Macintosh Specific”

• Opera

• Netscape Navigator

• Android – “Mobile OS/Browser”

31

Typical Web Browser Elements

• A History List, showing Websites/Web Pages previously

visited in a list (typically, the list is not visible all the time and

has to be summoned)

• A Refresh/Reload Button to reload the current Web Page

• A Stop Button to cancel loading the resource. In some

browsers, the stop button is merged with the reload button

• A Home Button to return to the user's home page

• An Address Bar to input the Uniform Resource Locator (URL)

• A Search Bar to input terms into a search engine

• A Status Bar to display progress in loading the resource

• Most browsers also possess an Incremental Find feature to

search within a web page

32

StatCounter -- StatCounter statistics are directly derived from hits (not unique

visitors) from 3 million sites using StatCounter totaling more than 15 billion hits

per month.

U.S. Government -- The data comes from a unified Google Analytics account

for U.S. federal government agencies known as the Digital Analytics Program,

it collects web traffic from around 400 executive branch government domains,

across over 4000 total websites, including every cabinet department.

Desktop Browser User Share

SOURCE: Wikipedia

33

Observations (December 2008 to December 2015):

[1] Both Internet Explorer (IE) and Firefox losing market share to Google’s Chrome

[2] Slow but steady growth for Apple’s Safari Browser

[3] Google’s Android Browser surpassed the other Mobile Browsers mid-2012

Usage Share of Top Browsers

SOURCE: StatCounter Worldwide Browser Share

34

SOURCE: W3Counter, 2015 Market Share

Observations:

[1] Multiple versions of Internet Explorer (IE), Chrome, Safari and Firefox all in the Top

Ten Web Browsers

[2] Windows 7 has three times the usage share of the #2 Operating System (Android 4)

[3] Almost 8% still using Windows XP which ended support in April 2014

Top Web Browser & Operating Systems

35

Top Ten Screen Resolutions

SOURCE: W3Counter, 2015 Market Share

Observations:

[1] Two Mobile Phones listed in Top Ten Screen Resolutions

36

HTTP - Hypertext Transport Protocol

HTML - Hypertext Markup Language

MYSQL – Database Language (“My-Ess-Cue-El”)

PHP - Hypertext Pre-Processor

(because “HPP” doesn’t sound as good)

SEO - Search Engine Optimization

URL - Uniform Resource Locator

GUI - Graphic User Interface

www - World Wide Web

What Do All Those Acronyms Mean?

37

Other Common Acronyms associated with Website Development and the Internet: – CSS: Cascading Style Sheets – FTP - File Transfer Protocol – TCP: Transmission Control Protocol – IP (Address): Internet Protocol (Address) – SQL (pronounced “Sequel”): Structured Query Language – ISP: Internet Services Provider (often same as Website

Host)

– RSS: Really Simple Syndication

More Website & Internet Acronyms

3. Domain Registration and Website

Hosting & Development

39

Every Website's Basic Requirements

Three separate entities control the ability to publish a Website on the Internet, they are:

• Domain Name Registrar

• A Website Host

• Website Designer

Domain Name

Server/Platform

Content, Layout

& Images

40

Domain Name Registrar

The Domain Registrar plays an important and recurring role

Domain Name and Extensions:

• In order to have a Website, you must first rent a Domain Name (URL) from a Domain Registrar

• Domain Names and Extensions are maintained by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) which sets policy and procedures worldwide

41

Domain Registration/Renewal Cycle

Domain Registration

(1 – 10 year term)

Expiration Grace Period

(1 – 45 days)

Pending Delete

(5 days)

Domain Available

(to the public &

Domain Squatters)

Domain Blocked

Domain can be Renewed

Registration Dropped

Redemption Period

(~30 days)

42

Note: Several U.S. Accredited Registrars

logos are shown for informational

purposes only and is not inclusive of all

accredited registrars in the United States

(or abroad).

Common Domain Registrars & Extensions

Popular Domain Name Extensions

.com Commercial

.net Network

.org Organization

.edu Education

.gov Government

.us United States

.info Information

.ws Website

.biz Business

.tv Television

.mobi Mobile

43

A hosting company is the place that publishes

your website on the world wide web. Besides

hosting the website, the role of the web host

includes the following services:

Email Accounts

File Transfer Protocol (FTP)

Allotted Bandwidth

Secure Socket Layer (SSL)

Administrative Panel

Why You Need A Hosting Company

44

Hosting: Server Platform Options

There are different types of hosting server platforms. The best option depends on the type of website you wish to host:

Shared Hosting – Multiple websites are hosted on one

web server

Dedicated Hosting – One website on one web server

Virtual Private Server – VPS solution is a form of web hosting that displays a virtualization of a server being split into several “virtual” servers

Cloud Hosting – An new emerging hosting technology

45

An Operating System (OS) is software,

consisting of programs and data, that

runs on computers and manages

computer hardware resources and

provides common services for efficient

execution of various software

applications.

Hosting: Operating on a Platform

46

The operating system acts as an

intermediary between application

programs and the computer

hardware. Operating systems

are found on almost any device

that contains a computer,

including: cellular phones, video

game consoles, supercomputers

and web servers.

Hosting: Operating on a Platform

47

Popular modern operating

systems for personal

computers and web

servers are:

Android

Linux

Mac OS X

Microsoft Windows

Unix

Hosting: Online Operating Systems

48

Web Design versus Development

A Web Designer is an individual or company who creates a website. Depending upon a website’s complexity, it can take a few hours or several months to plan, write content and build graphics/multi-media, creating the desired look, feel and functionality. Today due to the prevalence of “Do-it-yourself” Website Design applications, anyone can create a website and can therefore be considered a Web Designer.

Website Design versus Development The terms “Website Design” and “Website Development” are

sometimes used interchangeably to describe the process for creating a Website. However, to most professionals “Website Designer” generally denotes someone with an artistic skill set and training in graphic design. Whereas a “Website Developer” generally refers to someone with software development skill set and education in Computer Science or Engineering.

49

There are literarily thousands of options for building (designing and developing) a Website. To get a feeling for how many web development options exist, do an internet search on some of the following topics:

• Free HTML Editor

• Web Design Tutorials (HTML/CSS)

• Free Blog Software

• Free CSS Editor

• CSS Optimization Software

Regardless of the development application chosen, each tool will provide basic website building functionality, including the formatting and display of content and images as a Web Page. Each tool also organizes the individual pages into a system of interlinked hypertext documents, which is a Website.

Web Development Options

4. Website Design & Development

51

Web Design & Development Overview

There are four different Types of Websites: • Static Website “Brochure”

• Dynamic Website “User Interaction -> Customized Content”

• E-Commerce Website “Dynamic Website for E-Payments”

• Content Management System (CMS) “Collaborative Development”

Web Development Application Categories: • Desktop What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get (WYSIWYG) Editor

• Do It Yourself Applications “Online Web Builders”

• Content Management System (CMS)

Three (or Four) Website Development Options: • Do It Yourself (Online Web Builders)

• Hire a Professional Website Developer (WYSIWYG or CMS Application)

• Buy a Website Template (WYSIWYG or CMS)

• Hire a Professional to Customize a Website Template

52

Four Basic Types of Websites

Static Website • A Static Website is the simplest form of a website. It

is sometimes described as an Online Brochure since the pages do not change unless modified by the website developer. This type of website is suitable only when content updates are minor and infrequent.

• EXAMPLES: Most small business websites

Dynamic Website • A Dynamic Website interacts with Website Users to

provide content relevant to their needs. It utilizes server side scripting to provide interactivity on individual web pages. This type of website is needed when there is a variety of users with different needs or large stores of information which need to be customized for each user.

• EXAMPLES: The Weather Channel, Census Bureau Online Database

53

Four Basic Types of Websites

E-Commerce Website • An E-Commerce Website is a specialized

Dynamic Website which has functionality to process financial transactions. This type of website is required when something is sold or rented through the website.

• EXAMPLES: Amazon, eBay

Content Management System (CMS) • A CMS is an application that allows for the

maintenance and modification of websites in a collaborative environment where two or more people might be making changes at the same time. This type of website is required if modifications are frequent and extensive, especially when changes need to be done simultaneously (by more than one user).

• EXAMPLES: The Northern CA SBDC Network’s Drupal Websites, any WordPress Website

54

What is a WYSIWYG?

A WYSIWYG “What-You-See-Is-

What-You-Get” editor is a Desktop

Web Design Tool that displays

content during editing which

appears similar to the final output.

Common WYSIWYG Applications

include: Adobe Dreamweaver,

Microsoft FrontPage and

CoffeeCup Web Form Builder.

55

Do It Yourself Web Design

Online web builders are designed for anyone with basic computer skills who wants to start building a website in a short period of time. Most web builders come with several templates in different colors, banner backgrounds, and text styles. Some templates even allow you to use one of your own digital photos as a banner background.

56

Common Online Web Builders

http://www.google.com/apps/

http://sitebuilder.yahoo.com

http://www.wix.com/

http://www.homestead.com/create-a-website

57

Hiring a Website Developer

Before hiring a Website Developer be sure to: • Get References from other business owners.

• Check with the local Better Business Bureau.

• Visit the vendors’ references and call their clients directly.

• Sign a contract.

• Avoid hiring friends and family!

• Understand what programming language the site will be coded in.

• Who is in charge of writing the copy for the website?

• Who will purchase the pictures?

• What are the deadlines?

• Who owns the website when its complete?

• Understand the procedures and/or pricing for website maintenance.

58

Using Website Templates

• Website Templates are ready-made web designs, which can be used as the basis for a fast and high-quality Website.

• They are completely customizable, can be personalized with any content, and can be built-out to suit the needs of your business.

• Website Templates can be purchased in HTML format or for any number of different development platforms, including proprietary development applications.

59

Content Management System (CMS)

A Content Management System (CMS) is a software application that allows

publishing, editing and modifying of website content, as well as maintenance

from a central interface. A CMS manages workflow in a collaborative

environment, so many content creators can work simultaneously on the

same website. Websites built with a CMS allow non-technical users to make

updates and manage their website with minimal training.

WordPress

Drupal

Joomla

60

CMS Functionality

User Management

Business Intelligence

Collaboration

Multiple Portals

Internal Search

Security/Storage/Access

Multi-Media

Online Communication

Workplace/Groups/Forums

61

Alameda County SBDC Website Help Content:

“Options for Building and Hosting a Website” – Overview: http://acsbdc.org/technology-topics/website-hosting – Discusses approximate pricing and the functionality

available with each hosting/development option. Topics Include:

• Large Web Hosting (“Do it yourself Website Design”) • Local Web Hosting (“Using a smaller Hosting Company”) • Website Templates (“Using Premade Design Templates”) • Professional Design (“Hiring a Website Designer/Developer”)

Building and Hosting a Website

62

The minimum cost option to go online:

“Do It Your Self Web Design”

Domain Name Registration $0 -- 40 Year

Hosting (Server) $5 -- 50 Month*

Online Web Builder $0 -- 30 Month

* NOTE: Hosting Costs for E-Commerce

Websites are more than twice those of static

websites (i.e. $20 -- 300 per Month) and will

also include a Transaction Fee of 0.5 - 1.5%

and an E-Payment Fee of 1.5 – 5.5%.

Website Development Costs

63

Website Development/Hosting Options

Development

Option

Examples Typical

Website Host

Recurring

Costs

Nominal Fixed

Costs

Self-built: Online

Proprietary Tools or

CMS System

Yahoo SiteBuilder,

Wix, WordPress CMS

Large (National)

ISP

“See Below”

• Setup Fee: $0-50

• Online Web Builder:

$0-30

Self-built: Specialty

Application Package

MS FrontPage, Coffee

Cup, Dreamweaver

Local ISP “See Below” • Web Design

Application: $200-500

Buy Website

Template

Template Monster,

etc.

Large (National)

or Local ISP

“See Below”

• Website Template: $0-

300

Customize a

Website Template

Buy Template & Hire

Design Firm!

Local ISP “See Below”

• Web Template: $0-300

• Design Upgrade:

$1000 or More

Professional Design

& Build

Hire Design Firm! Local ISP “See Below”

• Website Design &

Build: $5000 or More

Website Recurring Costs:

• Hosting:$5-50/month

• Domain Registration-Renewal:

$0-40/year

E-Commerce Website Recurring Costs:

• Hosting:$20-300/month

• Domain Registration-Renewal: $0-40/year

• E-Payment Fee 1.5-5% & Transaction Fee 0.5-1.5%

64

Website Development Options versus Budget Budget Marketing Website E-Commerce Website

Less than $250 • Self-built: Online Proprietary Tools

or CMS System

• No Options!

$250 to $500 • Self-built Online + Custom

Graphics

• Website Template

• Self-built Desktop Application

• Self-built Online

$500 to $2000

• Customized Website Template

• Self-built Desktop Application +

Custom Graphics

•Self-built Online + Custom

Graphics

•Website Template

• Self-built Desktop Application

$2000 to $5000 • Professionally Built Website •Customized Website Template

• Self-built Desktop Application +

custom graphics

$5000 to $10,000 • All Options! • Professionally Built Website

$10,000 and up • All Options!

5. Website Security, Monitoring &

Performance Assessment

66

Secure Socket Layer (SSL) is a security protocol developed by Netscape Communications. • Encryption Protocols ensure that

Website/User Communication is completely secure • SSL is required for processing E-Commerce Transactions • SSL can also help protect user information (password, email, street address, etc.) • Transport Layer Security (TLS) is the next generation security protocol

Internet Communication Security

67

Malware, Hackers & Spam

Prepare for Malware and Hackers by: • Making regular backups of Website Content,

Media and Files

• Utilize Anti-virus and Anti-malware Applications

• Deploy Authentication Software (e.g. VeriSign, iisPROTECT, etc.)

Reduce SPAM by: • Using Capcha,

• Displaying email address as an image or in plain text {e.g. David (at) Website}

• Avoiding promotional opt-ins (every one could feed several email lists)

• Paying for "Domain Privacy" with Domain Registration

68

Recommendation:

Use a site monitoring tool

to report on site behaviors

and alert you when

problems arise.

Website Monitoring Services

69

Google Search Console: Web Monitor

Google Search Console provides detailed information about a Website's visibility on Google. It helps identify and diagnose problems, discover link and query traffic and share information.

Free Monitoring Tool: Google Webmaster Tools Overview: http://acsbdc.org/technology-topics/Google-search-console Registration: http://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/

70

Search Console: Site Messages & Errors Site Messages: Provides Notification of Website Outages and Errors

Site Errors: Provides Notification of Broken Links and Page Errors

71

Google Analytics: Web Performance

Google Analytics provides rich insights into website traffic and marketing effectiveness. It provides data on visitors, page views, etc. to gauge traffic and trends and, helps evaluate effectiveness of advertising campaigns.

Free Performance Assessment Tool: Google Analytics Information & Registration: http://www.google.com/analytics/

72

Google Analytics: Visitor Information

Visitor Demographics: Language, Country & City

Google Analytics provides detailed visitors information, including: Visitor Demographics and System/Mobile System Information.

Visitor System: Browser, Operating System & Service Provider

73

Google Analytics: Page Traffic Google Analytics Page Traffic provides detailed page-level measurements

that allow content to be upgraded and optimized.

6. Website Content & Navigation

75

Controlling the Navigation

REMEMBER: People can enter a

Website through any page, not

just the homepage

Bear in mind what people expect from good website

navigation: primary navigation (most important links,

categories, etc.), secondary navigation (secondary links,

subcategories, etc.), location of navigation bar, link titles,

number of links per page, etc.

Keep in mind the “fewer clicks → better website"

concept when designing website navigation.

76

• Rule Number One: “Evaluate Everything from Customer’s Perspective”

Consider what your customer (the Website user) wants and needs, and any suggestion, tip or guideline needs to be evaluated in this context

• User Psychology First Visit: “Have just a few seconds to make a good impression!”

• The page must load quickly, and the user should be presented with information that can be scanned quickly (e.g. bullet points not paragraphs).

• Graphics and animations should be used sparingly • Landing Page must be relevant to the advertisement that they just clicked, not

your homepage or a generalized welcome page

Regular User: “The focus now needs to be on getting the user what they want as quickly as possible!”

• A logically organized website hierarchy is critical • Navigation elements need to be consistent across the entire Website so that

the targeted page can be reached with a minimum of effort and thought • Complicated user scenarios should be timed with a stopwatch to be sure that

you are not testing the patience of your users

Website Guidelines: User Psychology

77

Website Design Tools

WHY: Manage Complex Designs & Evaluate Alternatives 1. Complicated or non-standard User Functionality

2. Visualize Page Layout before the Website is built

3. Specify hierarchical organization of the Web pages for large/complex Websites

HOW: Three Primary Website Design Tools

1. Document Transactional Scenarios or “User Functionality” (e.g.

buying, selling, creating a listing, etc.) with Process Flow Diagrams

2. Use Wireframe Diagrams to illustrate the layout of individual pages

3. A Site Map will list all Website pages and specify their hierarchical

organization

78

Website Site Map Site diagrams are used

to plan the broad scope of a site and details of where each piece of content, navigation, or interactive functionality will appear.

The Site Map identifies and lists all of the pages in the Website, shows the organizational hierarchy of these pages and specifies user navigation throughout the Website.

79

Webpage Wireframe Diagrams

A Wireframe Diagram illustrates the layout of content on a web page. It identifies the layout, navigation and functionality of each key web page.

80

Process Flow Diagrams The functional processes of a Website (such as buying,

selling, or creating a listing) can be documented via process flow diagrams which specify the sequence of steps in addition to identifying decision points and criteria.

81

Website Legal Compliance Content

Depending on the nature and purpose of the Website, regulatory and legal compliance issues may necessitate the inclusion of certain disclaimers or statements of use, including:

• Terms of Use (Registered and Unregistered Users)

• Privacy Policy (User Data Collected)

• Disclaimers: Forums, Email

• Opt-in / Opt-Out

• Mailing Lists / Newsletter

82

Content Is King!

Web content is the

textual, visual or audio

content that is

encountered as part of the

user experience on

websites.

83

Customer Analysis Before writing or rewriting website

content, make sure you have a current Customer Analysis

A Customer Analysis is a key part of every Marketing Plan and Business Plan

A Customer Analysis identifies: customer buying criteria,

customer behavior analysis and

customer demographics

Website Content: “What do we say?”

Instructions for Creating a Customer Analysis can be found at:

http://acsbdc.org/business-topics/customer-analysis

84

Customer Analysis: “The Key to Great Website Content and Effective E-Marketing”

The Customer Buying Criteria and Behavior Analysis can be used to formulate the language (i.e. “The Sales Pitch”) appropriate for your Website Content

The Customer Demographics can then be used to identify superior marketing channels for the internet marketing campaign

Marketing Channels Customer Demographics

Behavior Analysis Customer Analysis

Buying Criteria

Website Content: “What do we say?”

Website Content

85

Common Web Myths

• Myth 1. If I build it, they will come.

• Myth 2. Making money on the Web is easy.

• Myth 3. The most important part is technology.

• Myth 4. Flash makes every website better.

• Myth 5. It’s too late to get on the Web.

86

Myths versus Reality

• REALITY: The only time-tested reliable method of driving traffic to your website is high-quality relevant content!

• Myth 3. The most important part is technology.

• REALITY: If making money on the Web was easy, everybody doing it would be rich!

• Myth 2. Making money on the Web is easy

• Myth 1: If I build it, they will come.

• REALITY: Only in the movies and if you’re Kevin Costner. Non-celebrities will need a marketing plan!

87

Myths versus Reality

• Myth 4. Flash makes every website better. • REALITY: Flash content suffers from multiple issues:

– Flash requires substantial RAM, bandwidth and disk space versus HTML and other formats

– Flash has device compatibility issues with iPhone, iPad and other platforms

– Many Search Engines have difficulty with Flash, which lowers your website’s SEO Ranking

• Myth 5. It’s too late to get on the Web.

• REALITY: It is never too late because the Web (and Internet) is dynamically changing everyday!

7. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Overview

89

Website Optimization

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of

improving the visibility of a website or a web page to

internet search engines.

The process of improving website performance

(including SEO and other aspects) is known as Website

Optimization. Google’s performance best practices

have been made available to the public as part of their

“Let's make the web faster” initiative:

https://developers.google.com/speed/

90

Optimize Your Website!

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the

process of improving the visibility of a

website or a web page.

SEO may target different kinds of search,

including image search, local search, video

search and industry-specific vertical search

engines.*

* Source: www.en.wikipedia.org

91

Search Engine Share Rankings

comScore November 2015 U.S. Desktop Search Engine Rankings http://www.comscore.com/Insights/Market-Rankings/comScore-Releases-November-2015-US-Desktop-Search-Engine-Rankings

92

Search Engine Relationship Chart

Bruce Clay Search Engine Relationship Chart http://www.bruceclay.com/searchenginerelationshipchart.htm

93

Search Engine Overall Share

1. Google provides Primary Search Results for itself and AOL Search Google Search = 63.9% (Google) + 1.0% (AOL) = 64.9%

2. Bing provides Primary Search Results for itself and Yahoo Bing Search = 20.9% (Bing) + 12.5% (Yahoo) = 33.4%

NOTE: Ask.com holds a 1.7% share of the overall Search Traffic

Conclusions: Google needs to be Top SEO Priority with almost two

thirds of the overall search traffic Bing/Yahoo will be the Secondary SEO Priority with

about one third of the overall search traffic

94

Monitor Search Engine Performance

There are three options for monitoring the performance Search Engine Optimization (SEO) efforts:

1. Monitor Page Position on Google Search Results Page 2. PageRank Tool on the Google Toolbar (IE & Firefox) 3. Average Position of Query from the Search Analytics

Screen of Google Search Console NOTES:

Using Search Results pages and Google’s PageRank Tool may be sufficient for SEO Efforts that are limited in scope, but access to Google’s Search Console will be essential to accurate Performance Assessment.

Enabling Google’s Search Console will require Web Server or FTP (File Transfer Protocol) Access and may not be an easy/quick task for inexperienced users.

95

SEO Performance: Search Results Screen

96

SEO Performance: Google Toolbar Google Toolbar Available for IE

and Firefox o Provides Google+, Google

Translate and other functionality directly through your browser

o Download and follow the installation instructions at:

http://toolbar.google.com

o PageRank tool provides measure of

Web Page Rank on Google (Scale

1-10)

97

SEO Performance: Google Search Console

98

Search Engine Optimization

Alameda County SBDC Website Help Content: “Search Engine Optimization” SEO Overview: http://acsbdc.org/technology-topics/seo

TOPICS INCLUDE: • How Search Engines Work • Techniques for Optimizing Websites • Keyword Density SEO • "Free" Website Optimization Tools • Google Analytics • Google Search Console (f.k.a. Webmaster Tools)

99

Search Engine Optimization Tactics

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tactics (or techniques) which most Webmasters should consider implementing, listed in order of the easiest to implement are:

1. (Web) Page Titles and Page Descriptions 2. Image Names and ALT Descriptions for Images 3. Text-based Content and Links, instead of rich

media (e.g. Flash) 4. Keywords in Domain Name and Page Links 5. Keyword Density of (Web) Page Content 6. High Quality / Unique / Fresh Content 7. Inbound Links from Reputable Websites

NOTE: Please see “Techniques for Optimizing Websites” on the ACSBDC Website for more information.

10

0

Search Engine Optimization Strategies 1. Meta Tag Optimization

Generate Initial Keyword List (about 12) Incorporate Keywords: Page Title & Description, Image Names &

Alternative Text and Page Headings & URLs

2. Online Directories and Social Media Create Page Links, post Updates and solicit Reviews

3. Keyword Analysis and Optimization Upgrade Keyword List (about 50) Prioritize with Keyword Effectiveness Index (KEI) Analyze Keyword Density of Website Pages (and Competition?)

4. Link Building Campaigns Build Organic Links with Proactive Campaigns

NOTE: Keyword Analysis & Optimization and Link Building Campaigns will be covered

in the “Website Optimization” Seminar on January 25th in Fremont (see ACSBDC Website for more information)

8. Meta Tag Optimization (SEO Strategy #1)

10

2

Meta Tag Optimization 1. Generate Initial Keyword List

About 12 Keywords, including single words and combinations Brainstorm with all interested parties, use online Thesaurus for

Synonyms, if necessary. Include Company Name and Misspellings

2. Incorporate Keywords Page Titles (70 Characters) Page Descriptions (160 Characters) Image Filenames (35 Characters and Four Keywords) Alternative Text Descriptions (70 Characters) Page URLs/Filenames (35 Characters and Four Keywords) Page Headings (e.g. H1, H2, H3, Bold, etc.)

3. Measure Results Use Search Analytics (Queries) Screen of Search Console to monitor

performance for desired Keywords. Review all Queries to find additional Keywords to be included in Keyword List.

Use Google Analytics to measure overall Search Traffic

NOTE: Search Console may show increased Impressions quickly, but it may take a few weeks before Search Traffic (Clicks) show the full effects of SEO changes.

10

3

Example Websites: Initial Keyword List

1. B to B Funding Now (Invoice Factoring Solutions; Oakland) invoice factoring, alternative financing, accounts receivable funding, hidden cash, business finance, purchase order (PO) financing, cash flow, oakland ca, california

2. MetroHound Spa (Mobile Pet Grooming; Apex, NC) metrohound, metro hound, mobile pet spa, mobile dog grooming, mobile pet grooming, mobile cat grooming, mobile pet salon, dogs, cats, puppies, pet parents, pet grooming stylist, dog groomers, raleigh nc, cary nc, apex nc, holly springs nc,

NOTES: Google SEO Documentation always emphasizes Good Writing! Consequently,

do NOT replace well written page content with something that does not read well, even if it has a higher keyword density.

Google recently changed the Search Results Page (SERP), it no longer allows for searching by location. Consequently, must include city/state as part of most keywords.

10

4

Optimize Website Page Titles

RULES: Website Page Titles should be 70 characters or fewer (do NOT repeat keywords). It should also be well written phrase:

Homepage Title from Invoice Factoring Website: http://b2bfundingnow.com/ BEFORE: “B2B Funding Now — Find The Hidden Cash In Your

Business!” {56 characters}

AFTER: “B2B Funding Now | Factoring Solutions release Hidden Business Cash!” {67 characters}

10

5

Optimize Website Page Title #2

RULES: Website Page Titles should be 70 characters or fewer (do NOT repeat keywords). It should also be well written phrase:

Homepage Title from Mobile Pet Spa Website: http://metrohoundspa.com/ BEFORE: “MetroHound Spa” {14 characters}

AFTER: “MetroHound Spa | Mobile Pet Grooming for Dogs and Cats” {54 characters}

10

6

Optimize Website Page Description GUIDELINES: Website Page Descriptions should be 160

characters or shorter (repeat keywords only once). It should also be an accurate description and, a well written sentence or phrases:

Homepage Page Description from Invoice Factoring Website: http://b2bfundingnow.com/ BEFORE: “Find the hidden cash in your business with factoring cash flow

solutions! B2B Funding Now provides alternate business financing including invoice factoring, accounts receivable funding, P. O. funding, and more! Located in Oakland, CA they provide financing services nationwide.” {277 characters} AFTER: “B2B Funding Now in Oakland provides factoring cash flow solutions (invoice factoring, accounts receivable and P. O. funding, etc.) in California and nationwide! ” {160 characters}

10

7

Optimize Website Page Description #2 GUIDELINES : Website Page Descriptions should be 160

characters or shorter (repeat keywords only once). It should also be an accurate description and, a well written sentence or phrases:

Homepage Title from Mobile Pet Spa Website: http://metrohoundspa.com/ BEFORE: None {0 characters}

AFTER: “MetroHound Spa provides mobile pet grooming services for dogs and cats in Apex, Cary, Morristown, Holly Springs and surrounding communities in North Carolina.” {158 characters}

10

8

Optimize Image Name & Description GUIDELINES: Website Image Filename should be 35

characters or less and, contain four keywords or fewer. It should also be an accurate name:

(e.g. Frontview-MetroHound-Spa-Van.jpg)

GUIDELINE: Website Image Alternative (Alt) Text Descriptions should be 70 characters or shorter and, contain keywords. It should also be an accurate description and, a well written sentence or phrases:

(e.g. “Front View, MetroHound Mobile Pet Spa Van for dogs and cats”)

10

9

Optimize Image Name & Description #1 Original File

Name

Original Alt

Description

New File Name New Alt Description

logoFull.png None Logo-Full-

MetroHound-

Spa.jpg {25}

Full-sized Logo, MetroHound Spa,

mobile pet grooming for dogs and cats

{70}

logoSmall.png None Logo-Small-

MetroHound-

Spa.png {26}

Small Logo, MetroHound Spa, mobile

pet grooming for dogs and cats {65}

jess.png None Jessica-Reed-

Stylist.jpg {21}

Jessica Reed, Pet Grooming Stylist,

MetroHound Mobile Pet Spa {61}

kristen.png None Kristen-Clyburn-

Stylist.jpg {23}

Kristen Clyburn, Pet Grooming Stylist,

MetroHound Mobile Pet Spa {64}

11

0

Optimize Image Name & Description #2

Original File

Name

Original Alt

Description

New File Name New Alt Description

katie.png None Katie-McMillan-

Manager.jpg {22}

Katie McMillan, Manager,

MetroHound Mobile Pet Spa {51}

13s.png None Frontview-

MetroHound-Spa-

Van.jpg {28}

Front View, MetroHound Mobile Pet

Spa Van for dogs and cats {60}

9s.png None Backview-

MetroHound-Spa-

Van.jpg {27}

Back View, MetroHound Mobile Pet

Spa Van for dogs and cats {59}

6s.png None Sideview-

MetroHound-Spa-

Van.jpg {27}

Side View, MetroHound Mobile Pet

Spa Van for dogs and cats {58}

11

1

Optimize Page URLs and Headings GUIDELINE: Include keywords in Page URLs, Headings (e.g.

H1, H2, Bold, etc.) and Attachments (e.g. Application Forms).

EXAMPLE: MetroHound Navigation Menu Original Navigation Menu Headings were: Why, Packages, Cats, Team,

Spas, Contact. Changed “Packages” to the keyword “Dogs”

EXAMPLE: MetroHound Home Screen Original

Website did not include service area description. Add major cities above the page fold

9. Social Media and Online Directories (SEO Strategy #2)

Social Media & Online Directories

GOALS: Engage Customers, establish an

Online Presence and provide Fresh Content

Build Loyalty & Engage Customers

Provide Company Information (e.g. Store Hours)

Easy way to supply Fresh Content

Source of Backlinks to Website

113

Common Social Media Platforms

“Also, special content Blogs or anywhere YOUR customers congregate!”

114

Social Media Platforms

Example: Facebook Timeline

Update Regularly!

Engage Customers!

Collect Customer Endorsements!

115

116

Example: Facebook About Page

Add Contact Information

& Website Backlink

Store Hours

Personalize Content

Online Directories

Online Directories and Review Sites for retail and service based businesses – Google My Business* (f.k.a. Google Plus Local or Places)

– Yahoo Local

– Yelp!

– Angie’s List

*NOTE: Google rebranded “Google Places” and “Google Plus Local” as “Google My

Business”

117

10. Business Case for E-Commerce

119

Electronic Commerce Defined

What is Electronic Commerce?

Electronic Commerce (also called Internet Commerce, Online Sales, E-commerce (or eCommerce) is the buying and selling of products or services over the Internet and/or computer networks. It also includes the entire process of developing, marketing, selling, delivering, servicing and paying for products online.

Business versus Consumer Electronic Commerce

– Electronic commerce between businesses is called business-to-business or B2B

– Electronic commerce between businesses and consumers is called business-to-consumer or B2C

12

0

SOURCE: “Retail E-Commerce Sales Report”, 1st Quarter 2015, U.S. Department

of Commerce, May 15, 2015

U.S. E-Commerce percent of Retail Sales

4th Quarter 2014:

• $93.5 billion

eCommerce Sales

• $1.23 trillion Total

Retail Sales

• eCommerce 7.6%

of Total Retail Sales

Other Notes (from 4th Quarter 2006 to 4th Quarter 2014):

[1] E-Commerce percentage of Total Retail Sales increased from 3.5 to 7.6%

[2] Unadjusted E-Commerce Retails sales grown from $35.2 B to $93.5 B

Update?

12

1

SOURCE: U.S. Department

of Commerce Website

Annual E-Commerce & Total Retail Sales

Observations (from 2000 thru 2014):

[1] Total Retail Sales has grown from $3.0 T to $4.6 T (~50% growth)

[2] E-Commerce Sales has grown from $27.6 B to $298.3 B (~1000% growth)

[3] Total Retail Sales Declined in 2008 & 2009, whereas E-Commerce Sales have

increased every year since 2000 (E-Commerce Sales experienced no Recession!)

2014:

•$4.632 trillion Total

Retail Sales

• $298.3 billion

eCommerce Sales

Update?

12

2

Nordstrom.com: Integrated E-Commerce

"Nordstrom Links Online Inventory to Real World" by

Stephanie Clifford, The New York Times, August 23, 2010

In September 2009, Nordstrom made Inventory from all 115 regular stores available online

Shoppers could reserve items for pickup at the retail location or have it shipped directly to them

123

Nordstrom.com: Integrated E-Commerce

Performance Improvements Observed:

– Same-store Sales up 8% (11 months since the

change) versus down 12% (11 months prior to

the change)

– Percentage of Customers who bought

merchandise after searching for an item doubled

– Close-out Items sold for full price on the Website

versus taking a large markdown in the Store

– Multichannel Shoppers spend four times (on

average) what a single channel shopper spends

124

The Business Case for E-Commerce Advantages of adding E-Commerce:

E-Commerce growing faster than Retail in general

Adding E-Commerce to Brick-n-mortar Retail will increase

Inventory Turns, which will improve financial performance

and decrease product obsolescence

Adding E-Commerce to Brick-n-mortar Retail could help

attract Multichannel Shoppers

Product/Service would be available to a global customer

base 24 hours/day and 7 days/week

Cautions: In general, E-Commerce retailers can NOT compete on

Price alone!

If not planned correctly, operational challenges could

impact performance of Brick-n-mortar operations

11. Fundamentals of E-Commerce

126

“Internet Commerce, Electronic Commerce,

eCommerce or E-Commerce consists of

buying and selling products or services via

the Internet and/or computer networks.”

Commerce on the Internet

127

• Product Information • Product Photos (sized for website: 100-300 KB each) • Product Descriptions • Product Prices & Discounts

• Supporting Information: • Shipping Details (size, weight, etc.) • Warranties, Guarantees and other Product Documentation • Return Policy • Cross-sell/Up-sell Recommendations?

• General Website Content • Company Information • Blog Content

Information You Need …

Do NOT start building Website until 50% of Content is Ready!

128

Basic Product Display

Computer-generated product display: photo, name, price …

(Boring! No descriptions, no branding messages, no calls to action!)

129

Basic E-Payment Transaction

Customer Online

Store

Shopping

Cart

Payment

Processor

Gateway

Merchant

Bank

Credit Card

Institution

Issuing

Bank

Customer Shopping

Cart Customer

Credit Card

Holder’s Bank

E-Commerce

Vendor’s Bank

130

Basic Order Fulfillment

Customer Delivery

Service

Sales

Order

Independent

Fulfillment

Center

Company

Warehouse

Key Question: Will you outsource fulfillment?

131

E-Commerce Customer Conversion

The acquisition and conversion of E-Commerce Customers

is a complex process involving many stages of evolution.

Visitors [1] First-time Visitors are driven to the Web

Store via, Keyword Advertising, Organic

Search or other means.

[2] As these visitors become more interested

in the company/product they may browse the

product catalog or research the company.

Shoppers

[3] Once these Shoppers purchase a product

they become Customers. Customers

[4] Customers can be converted to Regular

Customers by providing a valuable product/service,

good after-sales service and building loyalty through

Social Media or other means.

Regular Customers

132

E-Commerce Customer Conversion

“In converting E-Commerce Customers many of the

original website Visitors are lost”

1,000 Visitors

100 Shoppers

[1] Some website visitors may only spend 5-10

seconds on the website. The website must

present a message worth investigating.

10 Customers

[2] Many visitors curious enough to Shop may

never purchase anything, Customers are won

over with a compelling value proposition.

One Regular Customer

[3] New Customers must not only be

impressed with the product/service, they must

be nurtured through E-Mail Marketing, Social

Media or other methods. Only 0.1% of Visitors

may be converted to Regular Customers!

133

Understanding E-Commerce Profitability

“The importance of Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) and Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC).”

Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) or User Lifetime Value (LTV) is a prediction of the net profit attributed to the entire future relationship with a customer. The purpose of the customer lifetime value metric is to assess the financial value of each customer. Customer lifetime value (CLV) is calculated as the present value of the future cash flows attributed to the customer during his/her entire relationship with the company. {SOURCE: Wikipedia}

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) is the total cost of acquiring a customer. It calculates the resources that a business must allocate (financial or otherwise) in order to acquire an additional customer. It plays a major role in calculating the value of the customer to the company and the resulting return on investment (ROI) of acquisition. {SOURCE: Wikipedia}

13

4

Understanding E-Commerce Profitability

E-Commerce Profitability: CLV > CAC

This results in two E-Commerce Marketing Goals: [1] Increase Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) Use Marketing Techniques (e.g. E-Mail Marketing, Social Media, etc.) to increase the value of customers (i.e. revenue from each customer).

[2] Decrease Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) Use Marketing Techniques (e.g. Search Engine Optimization, Social Media, etc.) to reduce the cost of acquiring customers.

12. E-Commerce Solutions

13

6

E-Commerce Solution Types

• Website: Locally installed & hosted

• Custom Built Website that includes:

Server, Website & Software

• Web-based Services

• Online Marketplaces

• Online Store Builders

• Online Stores

• Online Payment Processor (& Mobile?)

13

7

E-Commerce Solution Components

Website (internet domain, host, etc.)

Shopping Cart

Payment Processor

Policy Statements

Business Information

Online Catalog (pictures, pricing, etc.)

13

8

Online Store Solutions

Online Marketplace

Online Auction

Online Merchant Service

Online Retail Store

Online Payment Processor (& Mobile?)

13

9

Online Marketplace

Online Marketplace: A website that sells

your products as well as many others

Examples:

• Amazon (everything!)

• E-Bay (online auctions)

• StubHub (tickets)

14

0

Amazon Marketplace

Sell directly on the product detail page where

Amazon.com sells the same item new.

Listing is free, you only pay a fee if you sell. Product

categories include:

Books Music

Video DVD

Video Games Electronics

Office Products Tools & Hardware

Kitchen & Housewares Outdoor Living

Sports & Outdoors Musical Instruments

14

1

Amazon Marketplace

14

2

Online Auction

An online auction is an auction which is held

over the internet; they break down and remove

the physical limitations of traditional auctions

such as geography, presence, time, space, and

a small target audience.

Examples:

• eBay

• OnlineAuction.com

• eBid

143

eBay Online Auction Site

144

Online Merchant Service

An online service that allows you to set up an

online store to sell your products

Examples:

• Shopify.com

• Yahoo Stores

• Volusion

• eBay Stores

145

Yahoo Stores: Cost

146

Fees for eBay Stores

147

Issues with “Stores”

Benefits:

• All in one solution

• Wide array of design templates

Drawbacks:

• May limit customization & branding

• Takes time to learn the store builder

148

Online Retail Store

A branded website that is built and

“owned” by a company and sells only its

lines of selected products

Examples:

• Target.com

• Macys.com

• <YourDomainName.com>

149

Example: Target.com

150

Build versus Buy & Customize

• Options: • Buy a product, adapt your business processes

• Build a custom solution to conform to your business processes

• Hybrid: buy and customize

• Risks: • Custom development is very expensive!

Rarely on time and under-budget.

• Who will support your custom solution?

• If you over-customize a commercial product, what will happen when a new version is released?

13. E-Payment Processors & Mobile

Payments

152

E-Payment Processors

What is an E-Payment Processor:

Companies that process credit card transactions.

Systems that accept credit card information from

the customer and transfer funds to your merchant

account.

153

Typical E-Payment Services

Shopping Cart

Online Credit Card Processing

Virtual Terminal

Merchant (Credit Card) Account

Gateway

Checks by Web, Phone and Fax

154

Basic E-Payment Transaction

Customer Online

Store

Shopping

Cart

Payment

Processor

Gateway

Merchant

Bank

Credit Card

Institution

Issuing

Bank

Customer Shopping

Cart Customer

155

Typical Fees

Service Fee (e.g. $30/month)

Gateway Fee (e.g. $20/month)

Transaction Fees:

[1] 2.5% to +5.5% “Commission”

[2] 15¢ (or more) per transaction “Flat Fee”

Return Fees

Reporting Fees

156

Typical Payment Processors

157

2Checkout – Features

158

2Checkout Cost (~ April 2011)

5.5% is Very pricey! plus 45 cents!

159

2Checkout Costs (Today)

(1) Rate has dropped 5.5% to 2.9%

(2) Fee has dropped $0.45 to $0.30

(3) Discount Pricing for

Larger Volumes!

160

Payment Processor Pricing

If you use an E-Payment Processor or Mobile

Payment Solution, you must re-check your

pricing every 12 Months!

161

Mobile Payment Solutions

Process credit card transactions at remote locations (and

provide other payment processor functionality).

Examples:

(1) Square Mobile POS Systems

https://squareup.com/sell-anywhere

(2) VeriFone – GlobalBay Merchant {formerly VeriFone SAIL}

http://www.globalbaymerchant.com/

(3) Intuit GoPayment

https://payments.intuit.com/mobile-credit-card-processing/

162

Mobile Payments Square

163

Square - Costs

14. Practical Examples

165

Practical Examples -- Content

Review Example Websites Other?

Example Websites

167

Evaluate Audience Websites

Evaluation Criteria

1.Ten Second Rule?

2.Navigation & Architecture?

3.Customer Focus?

4.Look & Feel?

5.Establish Trust, other?

15. Summary & Conclusion

169

Course Review

Domain names and registrars

Web hosting: find a home for your website

Activate Your Email Account – Use it

Explore the backend of your website

Monitor Statistics

Stay in Legal Compliance

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

E-Commerce Fundamentals

Types of E-Commerce Solutions

E-Payment Solutions

170

Post-training Evaluation

• Thank you for attending this seminar!

THANKS EVERYONE

Seminar Homework

17

3

Optional Web Dev Homework Optional (Suggested) Website Development Homework 1. Google Search Console

If you have not done so already, register for Google’s Webmaster Tools by following

the instructions at:

http://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/

Next, read the overview on the Alameda County SBDC (ACSBDC) Website at:

http://acsbdc.org/technology-topics/Google-search-console

2. Google Analytics

If you have not done so already, register for Google’s Analytics by following the

instructions at:

http://www.google.com/analytics/

3 "Intro to Webmaster Academy" Google Search Console Help

Each of the three modules will require about an hour to finish. Ideally, anyone looking

to do SEO or hire an SEO Consultant should know all of this information first.

https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/6023933

17

4

Optional Web Dev Homework (continued)

4. Customer Analysis

Update or create a initial customer (marketing) analysis. This will be part of

your Business Plan or Marketing Plan, if you have done one of these. Follow

the instructions on the “Customer Analysis for Marketing” page of the Alameda

County SBDC Website:

http://acsbdc.org/business-topics/customer-analysis

5. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Read the SEO content on the ACSBDC Website starting with “Introduction to

Search Engine Optimization” at:

http://acsbdc.org/technology-topics/seo

Then when you feel comfortable with SEO in general, create a table of Page

Titles & Descriptions for each of your website pages with columns for both the

current and the revised versions. Next, create a table of Image Filenames and

Alt Descriptions for each of your website images with columns for both the

current and the revised versions.

175

Optional E-Commerce Homework

Optional E-Commerce Homework 1. Please spend fifteen (15) minutes making a list of ways you believe that

E-Commerce can either save time, money or both prior to attending the live webinar. Please Note: Participants will be asked to provide one or two of their answers during the webinar.

2. Please spend fifteen (15) minutes reviewing "How E-Commerce Works" topic on the How Stuff Works Website:

http://money.howstuffworks.com/ecommerce.htm

3. Please spend fifteen (15) minutes reviewing the NoChex Live Demo store at:

www.ukgadgetsrus.com

4. Please spend fifteen (15) minutes reviewing "How to Choose an Online Payment Processor" topic on the eHow Website:

www.ehow.com/how_2034858_choose-paymentprocessor.html

176

Optional E-Commerce Homework (continued)

Optional E-Commerce Homework

5. Please spend thirty (30) minutes reviewing a couple of the websites listed below. Attempt to identify a unique feature that helps at least one of these E-Commerce Websites to better connect with or serve their online customers:

• Amazon: www.amazon.com

• Alpine Exposures: www.alpineexposures.com

• Blurb: www.blurb.com

• Iron Planet: www.ironplanet.com

• Printfection: www.printfection.com

• StubHub: www.stubhub.com

• Zappos: www.zappos.com

• Zazzle: www.zazzle.com

17

7

References – 1 of 3

Description: Web Address:

2Checkout.com http://www.2checkout.com

Sell on Amazon http://services.amazon.com/selling/benefits.htm

Alpine Exposures

(Shopify Store Example)

http://www.alpineexposures.com

Authorize.Net http://www.authorize.net

Blurb http://www.blurb.com

FedEx http://www.fedex.com

Google Checkout http://checkout.google.com

Intuit http://www.intuit.com

17

8

References – 2 of 3

Description: Web Address:

Iron Planet http://www.ironplanet.com

Nochex http://www.nochex.com/

PayPal http://www.paypal.com

Printfection http://www.printfection.com

ProStores http://www.prostores.com

Retropolis Travel Bureau

(Zazzle Example)

http://www.zazzle.com/retropolis_travel

Scootertronics

(Yahoo Store Example)

http://www.scootertronics.com/

Shopify http://www.shopify.com

Stamps.com http://www.stamps.com

17

9

References – 3 of 3

Description: Web Address:

StubHub http://www.stubhub.com

UPS http://www.ups.com

Volusion http://www.volusion.com

Yahoo Stores http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/ecommerce

Zappos http://www.zappos.com

Zazzle http://www.zazzle.com