Internet Business Plan Implementation Issues - Case Study Example

INTERNET BUSINESS PLAN Name: Course: Instructor: Institution: City: Date: Implementation a) Proposed Website Going by the business model of Barwon Taichi, a comprehensive website ought to be designed that addresses the shortcomings of the current system used by the business as far as modern technology is concerned. Ideally the current system only allows the listing of the time and place details of the regular classes, contact details and competition. This can be improved greatly through an integrated website that provides customized, real-time solutions to both the business itself and its prospective client base at their convenience. Basically the website to be adopted should address most of the inefficiencies that are currently being experienced as well as the current gaps in the operations of the business. The current website seems to lack an interactive platform where prospective clients of Barwon Taichi and the business can interact real-time. In fact, the website only informs the prospective clients of the existence of the business and a few photos. In the new website, it is proposed that there has a way in which the prospective clients can literally make inquiries as well as complete transactions online without necessarily having to physically visit Barwon Taichi. In terms of structure, the proposed website ought to address the following issues for Barwon Taichi: Online Bookings and Enrolments – As it is, all bookings for corporate training and individual enrolments in regular classes is done manually. This implies that a client has to physically visit the venue of the business from which they can make the bookings and enrolments. In the proposed website, interested applicants will have access to an online portal where they can (after doing enough online window-shopping of the available products and services) simply click a button and follow the prompts while making a booking or enrolling for a Barwon Taichi class. This can of course be done at the comfort of the clients’ desks without necessarily having to physically be at Barwon Taichi. Real-Time Billing – Having gone through the mode of billing for Barwon Taichi, it is only satisfactory to say that time wastage and lack of an updated system is ripe at Barwon Taichi. This definitely has to be done away with in the new proposed website. From the current system, it means that unless a client possibly keeps their own manual records, it is very difficult for them to know their bill at any given time other than at the end month when a billing statement is sent by Barwon Taichi. The proposed website will have a platform on which every lesson attended and every other service enjoyed by the clients accumulates in terms of costs on the website. This will mean that at any given time, a client is able to know their total bill by simply clicking an icon on entering their unique user IDs. Personal Training Kit – The proposed website will allow clients to have access to a customized training kit that shall have to be prepaid for by the client. On clicking on a particular icon about a training of interest, the client will be prompted to enter user ID, followed by the type of training, then then one can select whether to pay for a personal training kit or one that requires the client’s physical attendance at a specified venue. On choosing the personal training kit, the client is prompted to select a payment mode e.g. PayPal, credit card, skrill etc. This service is available as soon as the client completes the payment process. S/he can therefore use a prepared training kit to train themselves at their own free time. Online Chat Room – Traditionally, emails do not allow for instant information sharing. The proposed website should have a chat window. A potential client has to simply click the window and then initiate a chat with one of the staff members at Barwon Taichi in case of any inquiries that may need real-time responses from Barwon Taichi. Payment Methods Available – the proposed website will allow for clients of Barwon Taichi to choose to pay for the services and products by choosing the most convenient of the three available payment modes i.e. PayPal, Skrill and Credit Cards. Each of the modes will be integrated to the organization’s system in which case a client will just have to enter payment mode and the system automatically updates the information The proposed website structure may be represented as follows for clarity purposes: b) Suitability of the Proposed Design The design is basically aimed at enhancing comfort of the potential clients while making their dealings with the business such as while booking, enrolling, placing an order, training as well as window-shopping. This is essentially what the business solution that has been proposed equally seeks to address. The two are in line with one another. The business solution is aimed at providing web solutions that would deliver value through marketing, enhancing information sharing, enabling sharing of transactions as well as creating a vibrant community of the Barwon Taichi masters, students and organization’s clients. This therefore means that the proposed new website design should provide an integrated solution that packages all these business needs together. Looking at the brief description of the website structure above, it is clear that a number of these issues have been addressed. Benefits and Limitations a) Expected Benefits of the Website Benefits to the Business The business will definitely be part of the beneficiaries of this new proposed website. Since there will be no need for sending billing statements to its clients at the end of every month, the business will save significantly in terms of postage and other courier services. The business will also save in terms of the staff that would otherwise be needed to provide the services of physical enrolments and bookings. Very little stationery will be necessary, if any, and hence the business will save on this too. This is because of the reduced physical transactions which previously required the use of such stationery. All the above-mentioned benefits converge to the fact that the business will now enjoy increased profitability. Benefits to the Prospective Clients The customers would be the greatest beneficiaries of this new system: They would save time since they will be able to do online booking, enrolments, payments, placement of orders as well as training. Clients will be able to make informed decisions with regard to the services and products that they want based on the available information on the new website, unlike if they were to be physically explained to. They would enjoy customized price and feature comparisons of various items and services. They are able to know their bills at any given time without having to wait for the month to end. In fact, some services and products will have to be paid for upfront. b) Possible Limitations of the Website It is only possible where there is internet; otherwise, no transactions can take place. The business will have to incur costs for running, maintaining and repairing their new website which is usually high for such an interactive website. There will be need for employing technical experts to help maintain the website. Most of such experts are heavily paid and may eat into the business revenues. Such packages as Personal Training Kits may make the clients become generally lazy and in some instances may not maintain discipline in training since they are their own trainers. References Amor, D. (1999). The e-business (r)evolution. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall. Beynon-Davies P. (2004). E-Business. Pal grave, Basing stoke. ISBN 1-4039-1348-X Paul, T. (2000). Electronic Commerce - strategies & models for business-to-business trading, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, ISBN 0-471-72029-1, pp.31. Read More