The Goods and Services it Offers

Many transactional websites offers different services and goods, but some of the websites focus on mainly on either goods or services, but websites like Tesco mainly focus on both and this helps the customers as they can do everything online with just a few click away which saves time aswell. Amazon also offers thousands of goods online and also offers a few services for the customers, as now customers aren’t looking for goods they are looking for services like credit cards and memberships which are beneficial to them.



Above is a image that shows the range of different topics that Amazon sells and in those topics and sub-topics which allows the user to access with ease by clicking on them. Amazon mainly sells electronic goods which is good as they are sometimes cheaper on Amazon than in high street stores.


The Product Information Provided
a website can use multimedia techniques to provide information about a product. it is important for a website to provide as much information as possible since the customer cannt see or handle the goods before they are delivered. by law the information proivided mst be honest and not make false claims.
Pictures are often used. clicking on them can enlarge small images, and short versions of th eitem description can be ex[anded to give detailed specifications. the idea is to provide a brief overview for the person in a hurry but allow the more discerning shopper to obtain further details. Amazon provide relavnt information for a product, and the information is normally little but not broing which play a big part in capturing customer attention, as the customer doenst want to read boring paragraphs, and they can just scan through the item quickly and eventually make the transaction quickly, which benefit the company greatly.



















Above is a image of the muiltmedia feature of amazon which allows te user to scroll through images which are larger than the image on the product screen, heer you can pick a range for different types of pictures, this allows the user to look at the item as if it was in a real shop and they can see it from different angles.

the main purpose of the website amazon is to sell goods or services, it mainly sells goods over services, but amazon has started to sell different services like credit cards, and in a few years time amazon will be selling our services like mobile phone tariffs, banking and many more. As you go on the home screen at the amazon website first impressions is that its has lots of goods and different selling catergories to choose from.

Structured

The structure of any website is very important. Customers need to become familiar with the website ver quickly and both Amazon and Dell both carry out this for the customers, al th eparts to these websites are easy to use and quick as well, all the hyperlink directs you to the page you want adn there is no mistake. As a customers i didnt experience any problems with accessing all the hyperlinks. Sometimes wesbites many get cluttered and it is difficult to then use and access pages, but to stop this from happening then the designers use frames which stop the customers form getting lost in the depths of the websites.

Also on Amazon there is a search facilities which is essential on all websites as this helps the customer to find what they want quickly and easily, and this stops the customers going through menus and layers of the website.

here is the homepage of Amazon.com, from the homepage the website is layed out in many different sections like there is all the Topics on the top of the page where you can access the item you want by just browsering all the pages, also you can save time by seraching the product you want in the search bar, where is normally comes up, also you can either choose the top icons on the side icons, this enages the customer as there are two types of topic the catgoreis on the top adn the side, also down th center is the great savings, and to the right of the page is where the Amazon offers its services.

Ipod ITouch

On Amazon you can search anything, i have put a serach in for the Apple Itouch the new ipod from apple, this will be in very high demand because of chirstmas is coming and there will be high orders for this, there is three pages of different related to the Itouch, from cases to the actually ipod, i then clicked on the Ipod Itouch 16gb, which is the best Itouch with more space on, there are five big images on the Itouch so you can have a look what you are getting, also as you are on the page you can have a look on people reviews and what they htink about apple new installment, as you go down the page you can see a few details about the Itouch there isnt much details and this is good as this doesnt bore you reading a big article, also on the page tells you how much it is and if they are in stock, and it also tells you how many there are form other shops and new and used ones and tells you the cheapest price, also there is recommended items that you can buy with the Itouch which automatically adds up for you,

as you can see from the image you can see how the pages are set out when there is the item on the page, from the image, there is the images for the item on the left with a range of different view adn also where you can click for supersize images, also down the center of the page is where the priceing adn information about the product is and also the delivery infoormation aswell, also to the right of the page is where you can carry out the transaction and here you can add the item to your shopping basket.

this is the second part of the page, here the structure is set out where Amazon offers you promtotions like buying a Ipod you can buy it with another product and get money off, also on the bottom of the page there is the information where others amazon member have brought.

this image shows another part of the page, the structure here shows the tecnhinal details of the product, heer it is in a list and not a borign long paragraph which doenst bore the cutomser and this saves time and so the customer will pruchase the item quicker.

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this is a image of Amazon customer services details on how to contact them by phone, here you have to inpu tth eorder details same as the Email customer service, and then you have to state what the issue is, then you come to the tab button where it says call me then once you have pressed this then there are a range of numbers that are relavant to your issue, then amaozn states the advantages of calling the, which entcies customers that they are getting a better option by phoneing them rather than emailing them.

as you can see from the homepage Amazon layout is very easy to use, as everything is clearing layed out and is easy to read, also the catgories are along the top of the page where you can then find sub-topics that are in the topic adn are relvant or an easier way to cut the hassle is to use the search bar where you can find whatever you are looking for, alos as you can see from the picture there are the goods down the middel fo the page and then there are the servcies that amazon offers on the right wheer the credit card is and amazon prime which are services that beenfit the customer who use amazon.

What is e-commerce?
E-commerce is a online shopping website that allows the users to carry out transactions between the company, e-commerce has become increasingly popular over the last few years the reason for this is because website like Amazon, Tesco and Play have become more popular as this is a cheaper alternative than buying in the store most of the time. Amazon is a website that allows users to buy anything from goods to some services, Tesco is a online shopping website that allows the user to buy there weekly shopping and also Tesco offers services like insurance and loans, Play is a website that allows the user to make transactions, they sell electronic goods like CD’s, DVD’s, Games and gadgets aswell. All of these websites have become more popular due to saving time and saving money.

Transaction websites
A Transaction website is a website where a transaction is carried out between the customer and company from either goods or services. A transaction website has to collect details of the customer and collect the payment.

This is a screenshot of the homepage of play.com. As you can see from the homepage it is very similar to Amazon but play.com is a smaller website compared to Amazon, but in a few years to come play.com will grow even bigger with selling more goods and it will start to sell services to people online which will grow the company even bigger. As you can see there are Christmas offers and also it shows you pick of the week, which encourages the user to look on that pick, also there is a search facility, and there are many other advertisement articles around the page.

This is a screen shot of Tesco homepage, as you can see it has many different options that the user can take, at the top of the page there is the goods that a customer can buy and also the services that the user can take up. Also you can access you club card if you have one and also there are many other things you can do at the bottom of the page. Also Tesco have started their advertisement campaign for Christmas as you can see from the homepage there is festive advertisement that will encourage customers to purchase goods off Tesco.com

This is screenshot of the homepage of Ebuyer.com, ebuyer is a company that sells electronic products from laptops to office supplies. Ebuyer is a very simple and cheap website, that is very popular, as you can seen from the picture the layout of the homepage is very similar to Play.com and Amazon.com, as there are the different categories at the top of the page, also it shows more advertisement and especially around Christmas time as this is the time where most people purchases goods, before you buy anything you have to set up an account with the company but this is very easy and quick this process if the same as Tesco.com, Play.com and Amazon.com, the reason for setting up an account with these companies is because you can access the account anytime and you can store all your details and you know they are safe and secure. You can search for a particular item with the search facility which is easy and quick as you don’t have to go through all the categories.

The website that I will be looking at is the online shop Amazon. Amazon is a e-commerce company, Amazon.com is based in Washington. For UK users you can order things online form the UK and the items you buy will come quick, also you can buy things off the Amazon.com and they come from America. Amazon allows the user to buy many goods in different categories. Amazon is one of the most popular online shopping website on the internet. The main reason for this is people are finding it easier to sit at home and order things online rather than going out to buy it and in most cases the customers can get a good which is cheaper off the internet.
The reason why I will be looking at Amazon is because it is a large website that offers many options from goods and services, and I have brought items off Amazon before that was straight forward and I know how the process of buying items online off Amazon.


Website Link

http://www.amazon.co.uk/

Amazon is accessed by many different people all over the world, and many people use Amazon around this time of year as Christmas is approaching and people are looking to buy goods cheaper and buying online is an easier way than going out and buying presents. Also there is different themes that Amazon has scattered about on its pages, there is the Christmas theme at the moment. The different themes that they have make it more pleasant shopping experience for the customer. Amazon sells many goods that high street stores have which makes it easier as you can just sit at home and order goods rather getting up and going to buy it from a store, Amazon sells goods from books to shoes and baby items to home and garden.

Amazon not only sells goods but also offers different services like the Credit card plan it offers,Amazon Prime, and The Customer Vote,

Credit Card Plan

Also amazon had a credit card that you can have aswell, and you can recieve many benfits from this and can get money off your purchases. Halifax is the offical bank that sponser this service, and its really easy to set up one you just fill in your details and then a form shoudl coem back adn then you can follw the stages, by doing this when you pay for goods with this card you rceiev a percentage off the item and initally you get money off when you sing up for one asweel therer are also many other benefits from setting up a credit with amazon.

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this is a screenshot that show the homepage of the wishlist, the wishlist is the application that allows the user to store items that thye want and they can send this to other user for like birthdays or chistmas present it is used mainly around christmas time. also with a wishlist you can enter your birthday in for people can see this and then purchase this ietm for you, you can enter dleivery address for you the user so people can then can send a present easily without asking for the address, you can also edit how many you want and at what priority you would like that to be, you can alos put comments in aswell which can be seen by the person who is buying the good,

this image shows the Amazon wedding list which allows the couple to be to input items that they want into a list, firstly they need to input all their detials like the place of the wedding date of the wedding adn the names of the bride and groom this allows people to get an exact idea of what thye want and also they can buy cards and have the bride and groom names in the card,

below is a image of the Wedding list details that needs to be inputted into the database, this is for the people who are buying the gifts, Amazon has set up the Wedding list in order to enage both the buying and the reicever which then allows people to scan through amazon and on their way they could find a item that they want and purchase it, this engages the customer as Amazon is not only helping the customers but they are getting more people to bu items online.

Amazon allows the user to order anything on their website, they can now order magazine subsriptions, this is a gift that can be order for any one and you pay for the whole subscription first, here you can choose how many issues you want, the ordering is no different to ordering a normal good like a video game you just click add to basket and then follow the stages just like ordering anormal product and then wait for confirmation email to come and there will be mroe details.

Amazon also is like a community for cusotmer to recommend items to on and other thye just simply tell adn friend button and then they write a message in and write their email in aswell and this directs them to the page, this enegages both the sender and reciever of the email, and then makes them both to have a look on Amazonm, amazon is really easy to use and is clear where products are and people wont get bored browing through the website, adn thats why is is very successful.

below is a screen shot to the stages of telling a freind of an item on amazon and the stages are easy to follow.

Amazon customer service is very effective, the reason for this is so that more people can come back to the online shop adn purchase goods, so they can retain its reputation level,

this is a screenshot on the customer service page, this page allows the users to go through different tabs for either Express, EMail or Phone, and each of these topics thee are sub-topics where they can either choose to contact amazon in different ways this helps t retain its customer popularity as it caters for everyone.

this screenshot shows the E-mail tab which allows user to contact Amazon through email, here you need to add in the Order number or if you dont have ti to hand then you can just click the tab buttong where it says choose order or items by pressing this button it takes you to your account and you can pick any of your items that you contacting Amazon for, then you need to state what issue you it is, you just click the drop down box and then choose from a range of issues, then after you picked you issue then you have a box where you can write you message on whta it is regarding and then after you have finished this you can then click send E-mail and then the process is compltet and then Amazon will send you an Email confirming this and then it says when they will contact you,

this image is a screen shot of

11/12/07

this screenshot shows making a transaction on Amazon as you can see from the image it is a simple process in making a purchase you just click on add to shopping basket and it adds it to you account which you can then pick how many you want and also you can find new or used items that come up when you click on the item and you can sometimes get discounted goods from sellers online at amazon which is good as you can get some goods really cheap this way like the PS3 for £200 which is £100 cheaper than buying it from other websites online.

also this page shows you the delivery status and how much time will it take to come and also it shows you when it will arrive if you purchased it before a time stated by amazon, it also says about christmas delivery and when will it arrive which gives you a better understanding when ordering goods.

this screenshot shows the shopping basket online at Amazon here it shows the list of items that are in your electronic basket, here you can choose the quantity, you can remove the item from the basket, proceed to the checkout where you can pay for the item, also as christmas is comeing you can get amazon to giftwrap the present aswell you can just click the tab box where it says giftwrap, also Amazon encourages you to make another purchase as christmas is coming up this would wnat you to make another purcahse as if you already have just spent £300 on a item like the PS3 then another £50 wouldnt make a difference of games or acceroices for the item, it is shown under the heading Customers who brough this item also brought these items.

this is a screenshot f of the payment process of Amazon, you have a number of different stages from putting your address in and to putting the type og payment method in aswell. this image shows that you need to put in your address where you wnat the item to be delivered to, also if you already have an address on the account, it automatically comes up with that address which saves time as you dont have to keep putting your address in.

after you inputted you address detials you can then choose the delivery option that you want, amazon entices you to spend more on the more expesive delivery option which is highlighted in green, this makes you wnat to select this tab box, also it attracts customer by putting font in BOLD like the word FREE which can instantly make you click it.

after putting in the delivery option then you need to make the payment through credit card, here you need to input your credit card details like the long card number, expiry date, issue date, issue number, the secuirty numbers on the back of the card, or if you dont like paying via credit crad then you can select the tab box and put a cheque in the post but this take a long time to do as you need to send it off wiat till it clears then they send the item after 10 days due to the christmas period it take longer with weekends for cheques to process. after puttign you credit card details into the system then you will recive an email confirm you process and this email gives you a summary fo what you have purchased and at what price and quaniity and how long it will take to deliver to the address. if the payment doesnt go through then they will email you make.

Amazon also has a application that you can send gift certificates to people this allows them to buy goods off amazon which are from the sender, its like vouchers but online, this is good as you dont have to go into the store and buy vouchers as you can jsuts end them across the internet, and then reievec them and purchase anything you want but it has to be within the sender price.

this stage of the gift certificate allows the sender to input details liek the quanity how much they are sending, the name of the person, the recipents email, and the sender can type a message with that certificate.

this image show another application that Amazon offers it is called Amazon wishlist, this bascially allows the user to scroll through a number of items and select them to their wishlist then this wishlist can be sent to offer amazon user that you know.

Coursework

This is a screenshot of the second stage of setting up an account, as you can see from the screens hot you just simply add in you email address and select the box as No, i am a new customer and then click on sign in tab, which processes you to the next stage in setting up an account.

this screen shot shows the stage in changing some of your details to something different, this secures you account as you can change the password when ever you like to stop people hacking into your account, this enhances the secuirty of your account.

these screenshots shows your account and you can access many different departments to your account, from changing you payment details like credit cards, addresses, password etc. also you can access your order history, and wishlist, you can track your orders, each department is under different topics from Where My Stuff, Account Settings, Delivery and returns and Need help.

Amazon has many different ways to entice and enage its customer to return for another shopping trip, there is a new way to entice its customers, its called Amazon Customers vote, this is something that customer particpates in to obtain a good for a discounted price, it works like you vote for an item out fo the three items given, and then you vote one and there are 250 avaiable units that go to selected people for a discount price, so in order to obtain one of these items you need to be lucky and have a Amazon account.

this screenshot shows how the Amazon voting system works and what to do, this a short bit of information but eneages the read further also on the side of the page it advertises more items which are discounted christmas present.

Coursework

What is e-commerce?
E-commerce is a online shopping website that allows the users to carry out transactions between the company, e-commerce has become increasingly popular over the last few years the reason for this is because website like Amazon, Tesco and Play have become more popular as this is a cheaper alternative than buying in the store most of the time. Amazon is a website that allows users to buy anything from goods to some services, Tesco is a online shopping website that allows the user to buy there weekly shopping and also Tesco offers services like insurance and loans, Play is a website that allows the user to make transactions, they sell electronic goods like CD’s, DVD’s, Games and gadgets aswell. All of these websites have become more popular due to saving time and saving money.

Transaction websites
A Transaction website is a website where a transaction is carried out between the customer and company from either goods or services. A transaction website has to collect details of the customer and collect the payment.




This is a screenshot of the homepage of play.com. As you can see from the homepage it is very similar to Amazon but play.com is a smaller website compared to Amazon, but in a few years to come play.com will grow even bigger with selling more goods and it will start to sell services to people online which will grow the company even bigger. As you can see there are Christmas offers and also it shows you pick of the week, which encourages the user to look on that pick, also there is a search facility, and there are many other advertisement articles around the page.


This is a screen shot of Tesco homepage, as you can see it has many different options that the user can take, at the top of the page there is the goods that a customer can buy and also the services that the user can take up. Also you can access you club card if you have one and also there are many other things you can do at the bottom of the page. Also Tesco have started their advertisement campaign for Christmas as you can see from the homepage there is festive advertisement that will encourage customers to purchase goods off Tesco.com


This is screenshot of the homepage of Ebuyer.com, ebuyer is a company that sells electronic products from laptops to office supplies. Ebuyer is a very simple and cheap website, that is very popular, as you can seen from the picture the layout of the homepage is very similar to Play.com and Amazon.com, as there are the different categories at the top of the page, also it shows more advertisement and especially around Christmas time as this is the time where most people purchases goods, before you buy anything you have to set up an account with the company but this is very easy and quick this process if the same as Tesco.com, Play.com and Amazon.com, the reason for setting up an account with these companies is because you can access the account anytime and you can store all your details and you know they are safe and secure. You can search for a particular item with the search facility which is easy and quick as you don’t have to go through all the categories.



The website that I will be looking at is the online shop Amazon. Amazon is a e-commerce company, Amazon.com is based in Washington. For UK users you can order things online form the UK and the items you buy will come quick, also you can buy things off the Amazon.com and they come from America. Amazon allows the user to buy many goods in different categories. Amazon is one of the most popular online shopping website on the internet. The main reason for this is people are finding it easier to sit at home and order things online rather than going out to buy it and in most cases the customers can get a good which is cheaper off the internet.
The reason why I will be looking at Amazon is because it is a large website that offers many options from goods and services, and I have brought items off Amazon before that was straight forward and I know how the process of buying items online off Amazon.


Website Linkhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/

Amazon is accessed by many different people all over the world, and many people use Amazon around this time of year as Christmas is approaching and people are looking to buy goods cheaper and buying online is an easier way than going out and buying presents. Also there is different themes that Amazon has scattered about on its pages, there is the Christmas theme at the moment. The different themes that they have make it more pleasant shopping experience for the customer. Amazon sells many goods that high street stores have which makes it easier as you can just sit at home and order goods rather getting up and going to buy it from a store, Amazon sells goods from books to shoes and baby items to home and garden. As Christmas is coming up Amazon has a feature that it recommends many different items and this comes up on the homepage when you go on the website, also if you have already created an account and recently brought an item off Amazon you once you sign in items that relate to the one previously you brought comes up and similar items aswell. This allows the user to save time and hassle as they don’t have to go back and search through all the categories,

This is a screen shot of Amazon's page that recommends items to the user for a hasslefree and quick shopping online, the reason why Amazon does this that it makes the user take less time to order things and catches the user eye aswell which will increase more products being sold.

Before anything can be accessed on Amazon like recommends and wish list and shopping basket you need to create an account with Amazon this is a hassle free operation, and once you have set up an account you can buy anything and access anything on Amazon, with an account Amazon stores all your details like payment details, address of the user, phone numbers and recent orders, this can only be accessed by the user, this secures all your information and helps prevent fraud.

This is the screenshot of setting up a account on Amazon, which you only need to provide you email address firstly and the procedure is simple and easy.

Production

Production

Many different businesses sell a product, in the process of making the product there is the production process, this is either mass production, batch production, continueoues production or one-off production, with a good IT system the production is kept going and the supply under control if this supply was not kept under control then for example a car manufacturer may run out of components and th eproduction line will come to a standstill, either though the workers are getting paid for this.

Batch Production- is when there is a small amount around 1000 being produced
Mass production- when there is huge amount being produced like car manufacture like Ford
One-off production- is when a product is made only once like a conecpt gadget
Continueous production- is when the production line is running 24/7 like making aluminiun cans

Activity
A Large Bakery Company

Ingrediants - what types of wheat,flour etc, how much of each ingrediants.
Timing process- how much time they have to produce the bread/cakes
Workers position- like what workers do what and what status they have
Cleaning materials- how much, what types are used for what machinery
Machinery being used- what type produceing what cakes/bread
Quantities of cakes/bread to be made

Screen Forms, processing, automated data capture

Screen forms
Can delete mistakes
Can be validated, can check your mistakes, it works in software, spreadsheets
No surname is longer than 15 letters
No name has numbers in it
Company need validation to Reduce mistakes, reduces time, increase money,
Validation cant stop all mistakes, can be the wrong information put in but the right format,

Screen forms are much easier to use adn more quickly than paper forms, you can make frequent mistakes on paper forms, but using screen forms reduces these mistakes,

also validation cannot stop all mistakes, validation is used many different ways and used by many different programs like microsft spreadsheet as you can set a validation for a amount or no text.

also with screen forms there is drop-down boxes and other screen controls this will reduce the likeihood of erros by putting in controls of the screen that can only accept certain entries. They also have certain information that has to be selected like the title you are or country you live. this will reduce spelling mistakes and normal mistakes.
also instead of using a drop down boxes, and tick box system could be used, as ou have to tick one of them.

Automated Data Capture

Bar Codes- bar codes are used ebery wheer around the world, from scanning goods on labels, to tracking parcel through royal mail or courier, also scanning goods in a warehouse where they check goods in stock

Magentic Stripes- these strips are used in ATM cards, Train tickets, plane tickets, car park tickets

Smart Card Chips- these smart card chips are used in credit cards, satellite t box viewing cards, identiy cards

Opitcal Mark Recognition- this mark recognition systems is used in lottery tickets and school registers and school exams tests

Magnetic Ink Character Reognition- are used in cheques

Chip-A chip must appear on the front of the card. Cardholders are required to enter a PIN number to make a purchase.
V PAY logo-The V PAY logo appears on the front of the card. Alternative logo placement options and vertical orientation of the card and logo are possible.
Ultraviolet “V” element-When placed under an ultraviolet light, a “V” printed in ultraviolet ink will be visible over the V PAY logo.
Flat card-Unlike other Visa cards, V PAY cards feel flat. The cardholder’s name, account number and expiration date may be printed on either the front or back of the card, not embossed.
Visa holographic magnetic stripe-Use of the Visa holographic magnetic stripe with doves in flight is optional. You may see this magnetic stripe or a traditional one on a V PAY card.

Data Processing

Batch Processing- a batch process is a process where a set of similar data is first collected together, then fed into a computer system for it to process. each record is processed in the same way and there is no further human intervention. batch processes are used in many business actitivtie. batch processing is useto process numerous record such as:

• Preparing Electricity bills
• processing cheques
• processing exam results
  

Transaction processing-

Transactional Websites

Transactional Websites

A transactional website, allows the user to make a purchase over the internet between the customer and company providing the goods and services. They have to collect the details off the customer and collect payment.

Databases will be used in these websites for purchase history, stock, details address name, payment details,

Organizations need information to function details,
Details like username, email addresses, password, stock levels,
Amazon, police investigate things databases, paypal need card details and passwords
Hospital need databases information, as their patients need precise medicines etc.

Data- is a collection of facts, store data, data is processed in the computer and output in the form of information, data is typed into the computer, or clicked. Computers need data,

Information- is what the humans want; it is generally the output from a computer system. It is data in context; it has a meaning to us. The real world is made out of information. Information follows data,

Knowledge- goes even further, it is coherent understanding based on information. It includes understanding links between different items of information and how actions can be decided on because of the information

We need to do data capture is a process of getting information from the outside world and putting it on the computer, collecting the data, voting on a reality TV program,
Mistakes can be important as can get mislead for someone else or something like grades,
or prisoners.

Paper Forms
They collect the same fields of data from each person,
The data is easy to process as there are exact fields
They have structure there are sections
Tick boxes this restricts what people write back

Screen Forms
Can delete mistakes
Can be validated, can check your mistakes, it works in software, spreadsheets
No surname is longer than 15 letters
No name has numbers in it
Company need validation to Reduce mistakes, reduces time, increase money,
Validation cant stop all mistakes, can be the wrong information put in but the right format,

Online Shopping (Amazon)

Amazon


The website that i will be looking at is the online shop Amazon.Amazon is a e-commerce company, Amazon.com is based in Washington. For UK users you can order things online form the UK and the items you buy will come quicke, also you can buy things off the Amazon .com and they come from Amercia.

Website Link

http://www.amazon.co.uk/


Amazon is used by many people, and it is very popular around this time of the year as we are approaching christmas, also there is a christmas theme on amazon which gives you a more pleasant shoppping experience, Amazon sells a lot of different items from books to shoes, and baby items to home and garden. As christmas is coming up Amazon recommends many diffreent items and this comes up on the homepage when you go on the website, but beofr eoyu can buy anything you have to make an account up first which you need to submit your details and address and also your credit card details, but this is all secure. Also on this website you can create a wish list which you can submit diffreent items to a list and and this is highly premoted at christmas.




Credit Card Plan
Also amazon had a credit card that you can have aswell, and you can recieve many benfits from this and cna get money off your purchases.
Also Amazon allows you to sell your items aswell as buys items, in every topic there is a subtopic of sell you stuff with this you can sell anything used and new and people do tedn to buy your items this is a fast and effective way of selling your goods and could be a alternative to ebay because it may seem more secure and more genuine.














Prime Membership


Amazon has also introduced amazon prime is a membership program which you have to pay £49 a year for but you get great benfits these benefits include free one day delivery, express delivery, you can share your benefits with other users. It may seem a lot fo money but if you are a frequent user of amazon and also with christmas coming up then this is a could time to sign up as you can recieve the items fast and in time for putting them under the christmas tree.














Amazon allows you to track your order anywhere in the world, and to see where they are if they are in the dispatch stage or delivery stage.



Accounts
Creating an account is easy you need to provide an email address firstly, then you need to type you name and birthday, you dont have to put your birthday is, but when you log into amazon if comes up with a birthday greeting and tells you about different offers, after you entered that you need to provide a password of anything once you done that you then press continue to the next stage, then you need to complete different stages like what topics interest you the most, then you need to add in last purchases in each topic you dont need to do this as this waste time and you could be buy stuff in this time, after you need to click your account and then you have an account, at your account there are many different services you can go to from view order, you change details, and to payments settings.













Ipod ITouch



On Amazon you can search anything, i have put a serach in for the Apple Itouch the new ipod from apple, this will be in very high demand because of chirstmas is coming and there will be high orders for this, there is three pages of different related to the Itouch, from cases to the actually ipod, i then clicked on the Ipod Itouch 16gb, which is the best Itouch with more space on, there are five big images on the Itouch so you can have a look what you are getting, also as you are on the page you can have a look on people reviews and what they htink about apple new installment, as you go down the page you can see a few details about the Itouch there isnt much details and this is good as this doesnt bore you reading a big article, also on the page tells you how much it is and if they are in stock, and it also tells you how many there are form other shops and new and used ones and tells you the cheapest price, also there is recommended items that you can buy with the Itouch which automatically adds up for you,

The Purpose of The Site and How Successfully It Meets This Objective

the main purpose of the website amazon is to sell goods or services, it mainly sells goods over services, but amazon has started to sell different services like credit cards, and in a few years time amazon will be selling our services like mobile phone tariffs, banking and many more. As you go on the home screen at the amazon website first impressions is that its has lots of goods and different selling catergories to choose from.

these are many more webites like amazon that are easy to use, the webites called Dell is a large computer company which sells desktops computer and notebooks at very reasonible prices. the website allows a customer to buy a range of products starting with small home computers and going up to large file server suitable for a big business, these is also other proucts like printers and scanners and PDA's. The websie only operates onine and telephone sales. There computers are not sold in any retail stores. Dell would be a more successful business if they sold in stores the reason for this is because it is popular at the moment but if they sold their computers in store then they would have more customers and these customers dont have to wait for their computer to be built which takes a while to build and dispatch.

This is a image of the dell's home screen, this shows a variety of different options from laptops and desktops to printers. Also is advertises newer computer systems aswell.

Structured

The structure of any website is very important. customers need to become familiar with the website ver quickly and both Amazon and Dell both carry out this for the customers, al th eparts to these websites are easy to use and quick as well, all the hyperlink directs you to the page you want adn there is no mistake. As a customers i didnt experience any problems with accessing all the hyperlinks. Sometimes wesbites many get cluttered and it is difficult to then use and access pages, but to stop this from happening then the designers use frames which stop the customers form getting lost in the depths of the websites.

Also on both Amazon and Dell there are search facilities which is essential on all websites as this helps the customer to find what they want quickly and easily, and this stops the customers going through menus and layers of the website.

this screenshot shows the website ebuyer.co.uk, ebuyer is a website that sells thousands of computer related items. the screenshot shows the homepage which contains large panels with special offer items, and these change on a regular basis, there are many tabs on the top fo the website to seprate the website, adn this allows the user to search what they what, also it also has a product finder search facility which allows the customers to search what ever they what on the website which saves time and prevents the user from going through all the pages and getting lost, if you move the cursor over the frames at the top of the website they drop down to show othr sub-topic that are in that group.

The Goods and Services The Website Offers.

Many websites make it easy for the suer to see what types of goods or services that site offers. a website that sells goods aswell as services is http://www.tesco.com/ this is a online shopping website where you can place your order and get them delivered. also tesco offer servcies like insurance, finance and telecoms.

this screenshot shows the homepage of the tesco.com, as you can see form the picture is shows different frames and just like ebuyer as you move your cursor over these frames then other sub-topic comes down to offer more options. also the bottom frames allow you to acces clubcards, and other clubs that you have signed up to, tesco allows the user to do pretty much anything online and this helps the customer as it offers many things that many people use everyday, and this is quick and easy.

this image shows the different options that tesco finance offers, tesco is a very good transactional website because it allows the user to do anything from buying bread to applying for a loan, with tesco finance you can apply for loans mortagages and credit cards online which is quick and easy and no hassle.

The Product Information Provided

a website can use multimedia techniques to provide information about a product. it is important for a website to provide as much information as possible since the customer cannt see or handle the goods before they are delivered. by law the information proivided mst be honest and not make false claims.

Pictures are often used. clicking on them can enlarge small images, and short versions of th eitem description can be ex[anded to give detailed specifications. the idea is to provide a brief overview for the person in a hurry but allow the more discerning shopper to obtain further details.

this screenshot shows the ipod itouch up for sale on ebuyer.com, this image shows the main image and then it shows a image gallery at the bottom of the article, this shows customers what you are buying and what are you going to recieve, also this is easy as you canjust click on a picture to enlarge it.

this screenshot shows an enlarged image of the itouch, if you click on any of the images then it enlarges it to a different screen, and you can scrol through all 8 of the images and they are at a reasonable size and this gives a better e-commerce experince.

24/7 Presence

the biggest advantage to having a busines online is that customers can shop 24/7 there are no opening hours, no restrictions such as there are on sunday trading, christmas day, or easter sunday. people can shop from home whenever they like and look round many stores in a short time. this 24/7 presence does not cost extra: the web servers are online all the time and unlike staff in shop they do not need to be paid overtime for working extra hours or holidays. in the case of an online store orders can be placed at any time of the day or night. the system stores the orders in a database until the staff arrive again to deal with them. in the case of goods such as dwonloads, the system can email passwords or access codes immediatelt and the goods can be downloaded with no need to wait.

the advantage of eletronice shopping is the instant online purchases. a few clicks of a mouse button is all that it takes. however it is pointless it it takes up to 28 days for delivery. customers expect a faster response when an order is placed. in many cases an order placed on day is delivered the next, but in some cases if a item is ordered before a certain time then it could get dispatch the same day, this is because an order is placed direct with the warehouse with no needd to wait for stock to move to the shop. most websites offer a choice of delivery with the next day delivery often costing more. faster response times are possible for a number of reasons

• credit cards transactions can be validated online automatically so the risk of not being paid for goods is low




• much of the clerical work required cna be automated




• invoices and delivery notes can be printed at the same time the order is placed




• the system can analyse sales patterns to make stock control easier

Real-Time Sales Information

real-time information is provided by ilinking the sales web pages to the stock database. this provides the customer with true online information if the goods are in stock. it is also possible to provide estimated delivery dates if the goods are not in stock. if goods are not available the site cna collect a customers details and then send an email when the goods are in stock. many sites offer a way of tracking an order that has been placed so that customer cna log in adn see the progress of the order.

Types of Transactions That Can Be Made

a transaction is where interaction takes place with a database management system. on a shopping website you are interacting with a complex and customer database. transactions can be as simple as clciking on an image of an item to see it any are in stock. they may be more complex in the case of the order form for a first time customer where all new details need to be captured. A system needs to collect the payment information in this case a credit card number and other details used to validate the card and the name and address of th eperson paying bthe bill and the delivery or sometimes called shipping address. the main way of interacting with this page is to use text boxes that require information typing into them. the payment method shows another method, called a drop-down menu, where a choice is given and the user selects one of the choices.

many websites also allows the customer to track orders and see if an item is in stock. on most websites you will register as a user by entering you details which will be stored in a database. other transactions might include being able to edit your customers details.

The Methods used to Capture Customer Information

websites use many methods to capture customer information. some of them are open and obvious called overt methods. with these methods the customer knows that the information is being taken. in other cases the information is collected without the customer realising. methods that do this are called covert methods. the amount of information that is collected in this way is quite considerable. some websites when taking credit card details will log the IP addressof the computer making the transaction. since the IP address are allocated to a computer by the ISP the payment can be easily traced back to a particular computer.

Other methods of collecting data involve putting code on website that leaves cookies on the user's computer. the cookie contains code that indentifies a computer when it returns to a website. using cookies a company can see how often you visit the website what pages you have looked on and how long you have stayed on the site. all the methods on websites nowadays are secure and the amount of information lost is reduced.

this is a screenshot of a payment process that a customer would go through and fill out each feild with information about themselves

The Techniques Used to Enage, Retain and Entice Customers

The only problem with a website is that there is no sales person to persuade the customer to purchase that good, or for a customer to build up a relationship with the vendor helping to ensure that the customer comes back. a website needs to use special techniques to help retain customers.

for a website to be successful people must be know that the website exists adn they need to be encouraged to visit it. customers go to website for many reasons, so a website must relflect as many as these reasons as possible. once a potential customer is there, several techniques can be used to hold visitors. banner advertisements can show off special offers to visitor and these need to be as eye-catching as possible.

advestisements in newspapes and on TV can inform potential consumers about the website, so some supermarket mark their carrier bags with the website so people are aware that it exists. the use of a simple and well-chosen URL can draw people to the website through simple trail and error.

When the customers do eventually find the website it is very important that they become engaged in the pages as quickly as possible. they are not they will leave and never return to the website. the websites content should engage people. presentation and clear design will do this, but slow and poor content and complex interaction can push customers away. once a visitor is engaged then it is important to retain his or her attention, to do this then the content of the website should be updated on a regular basis, and the content that is shown should be relevant and up-to-date prices. also images will also make the website more enjoyable to access.

The Site's Usability and Accessibility

websites should be easy to use, in the design stages the complex of the website should be taken into account, as some people find it very difficult like the elder who arent educated on a computer, and they need to access the website with the easiest way possible, also it is important to make the website accessible to people who might not be able to read small text on screen. many website now make changing the text size feature.

here is a screenshot of the dell homepage where you can change the text size,to regular size or large size

Conditions of Purchase




all websites have conditions of service displayed somewhere on them. they are sometimes difficult to find, but a good website from a reputable company will mae them not only easy to find but also easy to understand. companies are often criticised for making them long and difficult to read. some companies make it difficult to return the goods. security of customers personal and credit card information and likely to be covered in the terms and conditions. a good company will make its position clear and have a statemnt about how it complies with good practice.