Answers to Week 3 Questions

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

Since navigating web site and finding useful information are the main activities which customers do online, weather they can find out what they are looking for when they navigate your web site has great impact on digital organizations. A customer centric Web site design is important because organizations could use the web as a medium to interact with its customers, its employees, its suppliers, and others in an online world.

Web design is also a great challenge for enterprise. Online business is a totally new business format to manage. The web site must catch customers’ attention in one second. The web team must think what customers think. They must build up the web site at the customers' view

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

In computer and telecommunications networks, presence information is a status indicator that conveys ability and willingness of a potential communication partner--for example a user--to communicate. A user's client provides presence information (presence state) via a network connection to a presence service, which is stored in what constitutes his personal availability record (called a presentity) and can be made available for distribution to other users (called watchers) to convey his availability for communication. Presence information has wide application in many communication services and is one of the innovations driving the popularity of instant messaging or recent implementations of voice over IP clients.

Now customers want to have a real-time contact with companies. Since customers will typically want to be able to get help.(http://digitalenterprise.org/transcripts/design_tr.html) They want to know a number of issues which can include anything about your products or services. If you concern about presence, you can provide feedback on products and services to customer immediately, even if it’s negative feedback. That is better than customer going somewhere else to provide negative feedback on your product or service.

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

(1) The web sites of Real Estate Agents are clear and attractive. You can find something you like easily. The suburb you want, the functions you like and some useful tools are already presented for you on the web site.

(2) As to mass media advertising, we can find various ads of Real Estate Agents, such as newspaper, magazine, online advertising and advertising board on street. The agent use different types to give publicity to people.

(3) Real Estate Agent has a convenient personal contact system. You can directly e-mail your nearest agent, which is very personal and effective. Or people could use the list of the contact information of Real Estate Agents on the web site; and contact the agent by phone and fax. Moreover, as a member of Real Estate Agents, one can receive e-mails and mails frequently.