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Golf Online Sales


Task 1 – Golf Equipment


            Golf equipment encompasses the different items that are used in order to play the sport of golf.  Different types of equipment include the golf ball, implements design for striking the golf ball, devices that aid the process of playing a stroke and items that in some way enrich the playing experience (Wikipedia 2009).


Balls


            The minimum allowed diameter of a golf ball is 4.67mm and its mass must not exceed to 45.93g. The method of construction and materials used affect the balls playing characteristics like distance, trajectory, spin as well as fill. In addition, golf balls are separated into three important groups depending on construction such as two-, three- or four-piece golf balls (Wikipedia 2009). The said factor is important information in selling golf equipment. There are also different categories that must be considered by the company in order to cater to the different demands of the customers such as the brands and ball pack. It can also be observed that different companies, particularly those online sellers, are already selling golf balls which focuses on its visual presentation or design, it focus on personalization, where in customer can design their golf balls, based on their perspective, colored, logo, photo balls, as well as trick balls.


Clubs


            A golf player usual carries number of clubs during the game. There are three important types of clubs such as woods, irons, putters and hybrid (Wikipedia 2009). There are different factors and categories that must be considered for selling golf clubs such as: brands, genders (male or female), age (juniors or adults), hand (left or right), loft, flex, sets or packages. In addition, there are some websites that are offering categories such as fairway woods, and wedges.


Other Accessories



  • A tee is an object that is pushed into or placed on the ground in order to rest a ball on top of the field for an easier shot (Wikipedia 2009). The classification of Tee is based on the size, the color, design (standard, spike or brush tee) and brand;

  • Golf Bags: In terms of golf bags, the different categories to be considered are: brands, model (cart, stand, carry, sunday and hybrid), customization and gender;

  • Ball Markers: A flat round piece of plastic or metal, or generally a coin that is used in marking the position of the opponent’s ball;

  • Gloves;

  • Shoes;

  • Headwear;

  • Apparel;

  • Towels;

  • Pitchfork is a repair tool that is used in order to repair a pitch mark;

  • Ball Washers;

  • Ball Retrievers;

  • Rangefinders which measure the exact distance to the hole from their current position;

  • Stroke counters which enables the players to keep track of the number of stroke that he or she had made during a whole, an entire round or both;

  • Specialized golf attire;

  • Positional guide;

  • Adhesive clubface;

  • Clubhead covers.


In general, all of the equipments that are used in golf can be categorized based on the brand, the gender (male, female, junior), the size, the color and the design, which commonly pertains on personalized equipment.


Task 2 – Outline Project Plan


Business Analysis


            During this stage, the operation of the business, together with its goals, operating methods as well as culture will be examined in order to have a deep understanding about the structure of the business, so that the site can be created in effective manner that will meet the needs of the business. This stage is considered as the most vital of all.


Objectives



  • to analyze the business rules and the different flows of data;

  • to know what, who and how will the decision about the website be made;

  • to identify the different stakeholders and how they can be benefited and affected by the project; and

  • to identify the budget (time and cost).


The time that will be allocated to this stage is: 2 weeks


Requirements Analysis


            Based on the information gathered in the first stage, it will be important to focus on the different technical requirements of the websites. The following are the objectives of this stage:



  • to analyze the requirements for hardware and software tools for:

    • Web Server Operating System Software;

    • Options for Hosting Web Sites;

    • Options for Web Server Software;

    • Options for Creating Web Content;

    • Options for Providing Interactivity (Mar 2009); and



  • to analyze the possible type of e-commerce to be used based on the business rules of the company;


The time that will be allocated to this stage is: 1 week


Website Designing


            During this stage, the data and information that have been gathered in the initial stage will be used a basis on creating the design of the website. The design will be based on the culture and image of the company, together with the different data and information flaw and transactions that can be considered as unique in the organization. In this stage, the following objectives will be considered:



  • to plan the main design theme or visual appeal of the website, focusing on the color, position, sizes and other aspects that are related to styles;

  • to outline the different information that must be displayed in the website, in order inform the viewers or visitors;

  • to list the different possible parts or aspects of the website or design the site map; and

  • to define the methods of navigation or how to get around the website (Mar 2009).


The time that will be allocated to this stage is: 1 week and 3 days


Website Construction


            This stage will focus on the development process or the actual development or programming of the website, which incorporates the data and information in all of the prior stages. The following are the objectives of this stage:



  • to construct the user interface or the look and feel of menus, data entry screens and other related aspects that is seen by users;

  • to create the function development or the application flow;

  • to evaluate the machine performance evaluation;

  • to develop the application such as back-end database schema and reports; and

  • to conduct usability test and revisions (Mar 2009).


The time that will be allocated to this stage is: 3 weeks


 


Name Planning and Registration


            This stage will focus on the process of planning and registering the name of the website that will make it easy for the end-users or the customers of the company to locate and avail the products and services that are available. The following are the objectives of this stage:


·         to list different possible names of the website, based on the information that have been gathered from the initial stages;


·         to select the best domain name for the company; and


·         to register the domain name.


The time that will be allocated to this stage is: 1 week


Web-hosting Registration


            Web hosting is the process of publishing a website so that it will be available to the world on the Web (Web Hosting Ratings 2003). The following will be the objectives of this stage:



  • to select the appropriate web host. It is important to consider that the web host is considered as the guts of the website because this is where the pages, functionality of the website will be created, published and maintained (2 Create a Website 2009); and

  • to register to a web-host.


The time that will be allocated to this stage is: 1 week


 


Testing


            This stage will focus on testing the website by letting the end-users or the targeted customer to use it, and see if it is user-friendly enough and if it caters their demands and needs. The following will be the objectives of this stage:



  • to analyze the usability of the website based on the perspective of the end-users or the possible visitors of the website; and

  • to know if the website has all the necessary information, forms and transactions that are important for the end-users.


The time that will be allocated to this stage is: 4 days


Installation and Training


            This stage will focus on the actual installation of the website, by integrating the website to the entire operation of the company. The following will be the objectives of this stage:



  • to integrate all the hardware and software that are needed for the website; and

  • to train all of the employees or staffs of the company regarding the integration of the website to their entire operation.


The time that will be allocated to this stage is: 1 week and 2 days


Registration with the Search Engines


            This stage is considered as one of the most important stage of all. This is because of the fact that the search engines can help to boost the number of visit to the websites, therefore, it can help to market the different products and services that are available in the company. The quickest way to have a website recognized online is to submit and have the URL accepted at directories. Google and other crawlers then pick up the address (Schenck 2005, p. 265). The following will be the objective of this stage:



  • to register the URL of the website to different directories and keywords will be based on the output of the website construction stage;

  • to submit the link of the website to the following possible directories: Open Directory, AOL, Google, Yahoo!, HotBot, Lycos, Netscape, etc (Schenck 2005, p. 266).


The time that will be allocated to this stage is: 1 week


Launching the Website


            This stage focuses on the actual launching of the website. The following will be the objectives:



  • to set up the website; and

  • to use the soft launch approach.


The time that will be allocated to this stage is: 3 days


Task 3 – Payment Options


Introduction


            Nowadays, it can be observed that we are already facing a super-competitive business environment, where in the consumers have come to expect different payment options for their purchases. A steadfast cash-only payment policy is no longer acceptable even for the small buy-and sell enterprise, and this factor is very applicable in doing business online (Stephenson 2008, p. 40). In addition, it is also important to consider the different payment methods that must be applied to the website in order to ensure safety of information and money.


Background


            The e-commerce website will be having two parts – the first is the sale of the second hand golf equipment and the other is the auction of the memorabilia. The preferred option for the payment of all the second hand golf equipment will be made to the Golf Sales Online. On the other hand, the payment for the purchase of all the memorabilia component of the website will be made directly to the owner of the memorabilia.


The Second Hand Golf Equipment Website Component


            In this component, the end-users of the website will transact directly to the company, which means the money will be deposit to the account of the company. There are different options that this transaction can be accomplished. First, the client can use the C.O.D. where in, the company will advise the customer that there will be an extra charge for the service, and when it is delivered and collected, they will return any payment to the company by money order (AUSWEB 2008). The main advantage of this process, is that it will not cost that much, and the customer will be able to give cash to the company. On the other hand, the main disadvantage is that it will take time before the company can accept the money transfer.


The direct deposit can also be applied, once the customer has made purchase, the website can advise them regarding the bank account of the company, and once the company receives confirmation from the bank that the payment has been made, the good can be shipped (AUSWEB 2008). The main advantage of this mode is that there will be a third party that will check the authenticity of the payment of the customer.


Another method that can be used is the application of merchant account. It will use a payment gateway to be setup through a third party provider. This can help to secure the payment process of the website shopping cart, and then deposit money directly to the merchant account of the website (AUSWEB 2008).


            Above all, PayPal can also be used. It is gaining its popularity as a payment options. This is because it will costs nothing for the entire set-up of the PayPal account and have a very reasonable processing fee of 1.1% to 2.4% for each and every transaction. There are two solutions that can be applied: first is for the customer to have a PayPal account, and simply pay money to the PayPal account of the customer. The second is it allows the customers to shop on the website then make payment at the PayPal website with a credit card, when the transaction is completed, they will return to the website (AUSWEB 2008).


            Based on all the options, it can be said that the best method that can be applied is the use of the PayPal, this is due to the fact that Merchants who want to use PayPal to accept payments have a wide range of options or choices that are available. In addition, it also provides an extensive service for online merchants. Before PayPal, someone who wanted to accept credit card payments online had to set up a merchant account through a credit card company; however, creating a web interface to use the said account could be confusing and difficult. The said problem can be bypass by PayPal (Grabianowski 2009).


Online Auction of Memorabilia Website Component


            Just like the direct financial relationship between the company and the customers, the success of selling an item on an online auction sometimes depends on the type of payment that an individual accept. There are different payment types that can be applied. Because of the fact that online auction is considered as a type of e-commerce where in the customers are directly related or connected to other customers, the transactions, including the payment method happens between the customer who auction his or her product to other customers.


            First is the credit card payment. Most of buyers pay with a credit card due to the safety net it provides. More often than not, credit card companies issue a chare back if the item is not delivered or if it isn’t what a buyer had purchased (Montaldo 2001).


            Another method that can be used is the debit card, personal check, cashier’s check and money order. Sellers that are accepting these methods of payment commonly wait until the payment is received before the shipping item. This transaction will be based on the terms and procedures that have been understand by both parties (Montaldo 2001).


            Above all, just like what have mentioned in the first component of the website, online payment services such as PayPal are considered as the most popular methods both for buyers and sellers (Montaldo 2001). The merchant can simply provide buyers with their e-mail address, thus the buyers can make the appropriate payments to the PayPal account of the merchant. The website can also enables the sellers in the auction to place a PayPal button on their actions, and checkout invoice PayPal sends to auction winners will include a link in order to pay via PayPal (Grabianowski 2009). This service will enable the seller and buyer to have a direct communication regarding the product that they are trying to sell and buy. In addition, it will help the website not to have any direct responsibility regarding the transactions that are going on between the sellers and customers. Thus, this can help Golf Online Sales to save money and effort.


Task 4 – Revenue Generation


 


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Task 5 – Security Threats


Introduction


            The major disadvantage of the said technology is that there are different security threats that can be encountered by any individual or company that are engaging in the said business. That is the reason why it will be very important to understand the different risks that is facing the e-commerce system, together with the potential effect of any security incident (Business Link n.d.).


Security Threats


            There are different threats that can be encountered by any e-commerce website. This primarily pertains on the security of the information of both the customer and company, together with the issue regarding the transactions that involves processing of money.


Security of Data


            Data and information are considered as the most important aspect of any e-commerce website. This is due to the fact that the company who owns the website has the full responsibility and accountability in ensuring that the information regarding the customers, together with their respective transactions must remain confidential. The common security threats regarding data are: exposure of confidential data, loss or destruction of data, modification of data, denial of service or DOS, errors in software and repudiation (Welling & Laura 2003, p. 274).


            In order to prevent or reduce the risk of these common security threats, it will be important to focus on the different approaches that will ensure security of data. First is that it will be important to limit the methods by which information can be accessed, at the same time, limit the people who can access it. The authentication or the process of asking the people to prove their identity is very important aspect (Welling & Laura 2003, p. 274). In addition, it will also be important to ensure that there are different software or application and hardware that can help the entire system to detect if there are some unauthorized person or application that are accessing the system, which can affect it, such as anti-virus and firewall. All of the said processes can help to prevent any potential hackers to change the content of the website.


Security of Payment


            Another important aspect is the issue regarding the security of payment or the transfer of money from the customer to the website. The most important factor that must considered is the fraudulent payments. That’s why in order to protect both the company and the customers, it will be important to focus on the different technologies that can be used in order to prevent the said attacks. First is that there are different technologies such as LinkPoint Security Payment Gateway that can be used to process credit card payments in real time by using the Secure Socket Layer or SSl technology which encrypts all of the confidential information during the transmission and authorization of all the transactions (Entrepreneur.com 2005). It will be important to ensure that trolley and shopping cart web pages are secure with SSL (An Online Business 2009). It can also be useful to use other fraud-prevention tools like Address Verification Service that will compare the numerical information in the customer address with the records that is stored by card-issuing banks, thus it will returns different codes that will show if the numbers had matched (Entreprenuer.com 2005).


            In order to ensure the highest level of security of online payment, it will be important to focus on the following:



  • Avail the SSL certificates from a reputable source. It will be very important to look closely at the online payment service provider as well as their past record and existing customer base (An Online Business 2009);

  • Setting- Up and Maintaining the Servers Properly (An Online Business 2009). It will be important to ensure that the server is set-up and maintained properly, because they are considered as the heart of the entire e-commerce system. In addition, it will be important to communicate with the web-host regarding the issue of security;

  • Strong Relationship with the Bank. Merchant account is considered as a must in online payment system. Thus, it will be important to communicate and talk to the bank regarding the security of the website (An Online Business 2009);

  • Choose PSP Provider. On the other hand, if the website wishes to apply online payment service to a third party, it will be important to first check their security systems in order to ensure that they are robust enough to protect the payments of the customers. This is because the reputation and image of the company is at stake (An Online Business 2009).


Task 6 – Potential Domain Names


            The domain name is considered as the calling card of any online business. Thus it should be short and sweet as well as easy to say and write (Warner 2007, p. 20). The following are the recommended domain name:


golfonlinesales.com


            The following are possible different advantages in using this domain name:



  • it can help the current and informed members of the local golf club to locate the website;

  • it can be easily distinguish and remember by the previous visitors, because of the fact that it is the name of the company and the website, at the same time, it has a meaningful and understandable name;

  • the domain name is directly connected to the different keywords that are related to golf equipment based on Google Adword. Thus, it can help to drive traffic and visits to the website, for possible customers.


discountgolf.com  


            The following are the advantages of using the domain name:



  • the domain name can help to drive traffic in the website because it holds the name discount on it, where in if the users or possible customers search for discounted or cheap golf equipment, the website will be displayed in list of the search engine;

  • there is a website or store named golfdiscount.com and it is already operating since 1977, which means it had already established its name in the market. If the possible customers searched for the store, there can be a great possibility that they will visit the site due to curiosity;

  • the domain name is meaningful and directly related to the service being offered by the website.



GoflerAuction.com


            The following will be the advantages of the chosen domain name:


·         It can help to catch the attention of those golfer who are willing to buy and sell their products;


·         the keyword auction is popular in terms of e-commerce, thus it can help to drive number of people in the website;


·         the domain name can be easily remember and memorize by the users or viewers.


 


References


 


2 Create a Website 2009, How to Register a Domain Name, viewed February 18, 2009, <http://www.2createawebsite.com/prebuild/register_domain.html>


 


AUSWEB 2008, Online eCommerce and Payment Options, viewed 18 February 2009, <http://www.ausweb.com.au/html/ecommerce-payment-solutions/>


 


Business Link, Securing Your E-Commerce Systems, Practical Advice for Business, viewed 18 February 2009, < http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?type=RESOURCES&itemId=1075385886 >


 


Entreprenuer.com 2005, Privacy/Security Issues & Adding E-Commerce Capabilities, viewed 18 February 2009, < http://www.entrepreneur.com/ebusiness/operations/article80738.html >


 


Golf Balls, golfballs.com, viewed 17 February 2009, <http://www.golfballs.com/PB1012/Hole-In-One-The-Exploder-Golf-Balls.html>


 


Golf Discount, golfdiscount.com, viewed 17 February 2009, <http://www.golfdiscount.com/category/golf_balls>


 


Grabianowski, E 2009, How PayPal Works? How Stuff Work? viewed 18 February 2009, <http://computer.howstuffworks.com/paypal6.htm>


 


Mar, W 2009, Building Websites – The Options, viewed 17 February 2009, < http://www.wilsonmar.com/1projweb.htm>


 


Montaldo, D 2001, Tips for Online Auctions – Payment Arrangements, viewed 18 February 2009, < http://couponing.about.com/od/onlineauctions/p/webauctn_2sell.htm>


 


Schenck, B F 2005, Small Business Marketing For Dummies: Updated to Cover the Latest Low-Cost, High-Impact Strategies, For Dummies


 


Stephenson, J & Rich, J 2008, 202 Things You Can Buy and Sell for Big Profits, Entrepreneur Press


 


Warner, J 2007, Web Sites Do-It-Yourself For Dummies: Do-it-yourself, For Dummies


 


Web Hosting Ratings 2003, What is Web Hosting? viewed 18 February 2009, <http://www.webhostingratings.com/faq/What-is-web-hosting-.html>


 


Welling, L & Thomson, L 2003, PHP and MySQL Web Development, Sams Publishing


 


Wikipedia 2009, Golf Equipment, viewed 17 February 2009, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golf_equipment#Clubs>



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