Assignment 2

X company now wants you to investigate the planning and implementation issues they would need to consider before going online and report back to them.  You can choose either a presentation or a report to achieve this.

        Task 1 - Planning issues.  Write a paragraph by answering the following:

• Is the business suitable for an online operation?  Say whether or not they could benefit i.e. get more customers or members by having a website.

• What domain name could it have?  Use the link to choose a domain name and explain why you have chosen the one you did. (The domain name is the name of the website e.g. www.hmv.co.uk).  NB.  Large companies such as Microsoft will buy all the different extensions to their name (e.g. .com, .net, .biz) so that other people cannot use them either.  Try some well known company names and see who owns the different URL extensions.  You will need to select the 'Check all domain names' option on the screen.

• Should the website be run by the business or should it be outsourced which would mean they would  pay another company to run it for them?  What is included in the price? For another example of a web design service click here.  In your work compare the costs of a basic site and an online shop.

• What resources would the business need to cope with increased or global demand?  For example would they need more staff to answer the phone?  Would they need to increase production/move to bigger premises? 

• Does the business have the skills (IT, customer service, marketing) needed to run an online business? 

       Task 2 - Implementation issues.  Write a paragraph by briefly answering the following:

• What difficulties might the business face when going online?

• Does the business have the technical and design skills? I.e. can the staff in the business design web pages and keep the site working and up to date?

• Does the business need to customise the website? This means does the business need to change the website that has been designed for them as their business grows and changes?

• What kind of online presence do they require i.e. passive or interactive?

• What kind of service will they be able to offer that they can't/don't offer now?

• Will they need extra support from financial partners (banks), distribution or delivery services?

        Merit task

• The merit task is not an extra task.  You should simply explain your choices for tasks 1 and 2.  For example instead of just describing what a domain name is, choose one and explain why you chose this one and not another one.    If you have written about the problems of going online - explain why that is a problem for the particular business you have chosen to write about.