University of Western Sydney E-Marketing Plan - Case Study Example

University of Western Sydney (UWS) E-marketing Plan Introduction:                          The survey of the market over the past century or so reveals the fact that there have been experienced a number of changes in the setting up of the market and the various market forces have evolved and changed in accordance to the various needs, demands and requirements of the individual. The most important change that was experienced was the coming of the industrial revolution, which led to a higher level of production. This in turn led to the complete change in the market system, and with time there was experienced a break down of the local barriers and there has today emerged a strong market economy (Balabanis, G., Reynolds, N., & Simintiras, A, 2006). Due to the emergence of the global market forces the competition that is faced by most of the production houses has increased manifolds and the various organizations are today looking for innovative methods to ensure that there can be ensured creation and sustenance of demand for their products in the international market.                Most of the organizations are today trying to evolve new and more effective strategic policies so that the products that they are producing can secure a wider consumer base. Thus, marketing of the product as well as of the organization has emerged as a highly important function in the strategic management of all organizations. There are various methods that have been evolved over the years to ensure that the marketing of the products is attractive to the consumers, but at the same time is cost effective and efficient. One of the many methods that have been developed by the organizations over the year has been that of the setting up of e commerce websites.               E marketing has today emerged as an effective tool in the hands of the management section to ensure that effective communication channels are established between the organizations and the consumers. It allows for various consumers to access information about the company and the various products that they have to offer. In fact this method is so popular that almost all the global organizations have today set up their own personalized e commerce site (Chan, K., & Fang, W, 2007). It is the most effective method through which as wider range of consumers can be reached. The paper will analyze the role of e commerce in the globalized market, where the focus will be on the Chinese marketing for the University of Western Sydney.             The following paper looks at ensuring that a developed project plan is developed for the establishment of an e commerce site for the University of Western Sydney in the country of China. The paper will look at the e commerce culture that is present in the country today, and then try to develop an effective e ecommerce site for University of Western Sydney, while keeping in mind the competition that is faced in the country from MQ and UTS. The whole set up will be looked into to ensure that a well planned program is developed and established, and all the various risks that are involved will be studied and analyzed to ensure that there are no hick ups or bottle necks experienced once the operation is put to ground for testing. The fact that has to be focused upon is that the promotion of a foreign university in the country, where the culture of e commerce is very strong in the market. Background of the market: The Chinese market is one of the most important markets in the world today, and the country is fast emerging as a global leader in the economic sector. The organization that is under consideration in the paper is the University of Western Sydney, and the paper will look at discussing the setting up of an e marketing website for the University. The university is one of the largest universities in Australia, and has a student strength of over 40, 000 students. The university has students coming in from over 70 countries and has a long history of migrant students coming in to acquire higher education. The university is today looking at expanding its base in the country of China, and the method of marketing that it has undertaken is that of e marketing. The Chinese market is developing rapidly, due to which the people of the country are looking at expanding their knowledge of various cultures and higher education is being emphasized upon in the nation. The population of the nation is the largest in the world today and the market for educational institutions in the nation is high. This fact is only reinstated by the reality that in the past decade or so the demand for higher education in the country has risen dramatically, and figures reflect that the demand for higher education has been on the rise by almost 3.5 % every year. The market is quiet significant as the number of institutions in the nation offering higher education is not increasing at the same rate as the demand, which has led to the development of an untapped market for educational institutes in China. The competition is the region from other universities are high thus, there has to be ensured that an effective marketing scheme is developed. E marketing tactics: E marketing tactics focuses on deciding the optimum marketing matrix. The marketing matrix has to look into a number of areas to ensure that the e marketing site is as effective as is required by the institution. The various factors that have be focused upon in the case of the development of the e marketing site for the university of Western Sydney have been discussed in the section below: Web Site: A web site should be the brochure for the organization, where all the information that may be required by a potential student is available easily. There has to ensured that the website acts as a mechanism through which there can be the establishment and development of a dynamic dialogue with the customer, and is vehicle for the generation of sale. The websites today are of great significance and they can be made a virtual experience with the installment of appropriate Flash and similar products, and with the increased installation of broadband this can be enhanced even further. Advertisement, Hosting and Interactive functioning:                                Hosting of a website looks at the promotion of the website online. This can be easily carried out through publishing advertisement on websites like Yahoo, Google Ads, and others. The promotion of the website is important so that it can be accessed by a larger number of people. This is important so that the company can fulfill its aim of reaching out to a larger consumer base. There has to be ensured that the information that is uploaded is comprehensive so that a number of search engines can pick up on the website and the number of hits a day can be increased. There has been observed that in the case of the Chinese market the number of users who access the e commerce websites are almost directly linked to the more famous social sites such as Face book, Twitter Yahoo and others. Thus, collaborating with sites would only add to the overall marketing strategy and make it stronger and more effective in the longer time period. This fact is also reinstated by the fact that the target audience is the student body and the younger generation, who are the more regular users of the social sites. Thus the exposure that the site will receive from collaborating with such sites will be much larger and more successful. Opt in E mail. One of the most important tactics that can be adopted while developing the marketing site for the university is the development of the option of E mail, where the customers can be provided with the option of receiving e mails on their e mail accounts about certain topics if they so wish (Frieden J D, Roche S P, 2006). This can also allow the various customers to ask question and enquire about the various topics that they wish to discuss or clarify with the university. This will help allow the customers to have a more personalized experience while using the web site and therefore the impact of the marketing will be greater. This will also allow for the establishment of a communication channel between the customer and the organization. The site would thus offer the option of ‘would you like to receive more information on the university and the various courses that we offer?’ It has been observed that when this marketing tactics has been utilized by the various organizations sensibly, it has led to a greater amount of interaction between the parties involved and led to greater amount of sales. It is perhaps one of the most important marketing tactics that is adopted by any e commerce website. Customer Relation management tools: There has been observed that while developing an e commerce or marketing site there are various tools that can be adopted by the de elopers to ensure that the entire experience for the customers is more satisfying than while using other sites. These have to be ensured to maintain an effective marketing web page. The tool that is most effective while marketing is the creation of the connection with the customer be it on the retail businesses or on the e marketing websites, the basis of the marketing schemes has to ensuring customer satisfaction and appealing to the customer base. In the following section of the paper the various tools that can be utilized while developing the e marketing site have been listed and discussed in details. Usability Analysis: Usability is a very ambiguous concept and there are a number of definitions that are available online. (Usability Evaluation) There also exist a number of theories as to how and according to what factors can usability be measured. Some believe that it can be measured from the view point of the producers, and then the factors that are evaluated are cost of evaluation, appropriateness to project, time constraints, cost of implementation and the cost of training new users (Harridge-March, S, 2006). The sites that are set up have to be easy to access where the information that is provided has to be categorized in the best possible method. It is only through the development of such a systematic system where the instructions are easy to follow that the marketing of an organization be effective. Navigation Navigation is perhaps the most important factor that concerns the customers when one is accessing a site, and it is important that the system that has been set up is able to meet the demands and requirements of the consumers and is easy to comprehend and use. In the case of the website that is being developed there has to be ensured that the information about the various departments is easily accessible (Atkins S, 1999). This is of great significance, as the online website will function as the brochure for the university, and will have to provide information about all the courses that are available and the details will also have to be made accessible to the user. Yet at the same time there has to be ensured that the information that is presented is portrayed in an attractive manner. The web pages that are developed have to be easy to navigate where the users must be able to access one page from the next, and also all the pages should be interlinked so that the information could be more easily available to the customers. Uploading Speed Another very important factor that one has to take into account while setting up a page is that one has to ensure that the pages are easy to upload and do not take a lot of time to download and are light. Studies that have been conducted by various companies and schools from time to time have shown that consumers and customers prefer simple sites to those that have heavy graphics and are difficult to upload (Dennis, C., Merrilees, B., Jayawardhena, C., & Wright, L. T, 2009). Therefore when setting up a page one has to ensure that it is functional and easy to access and upload. There has to be developed a balance between the amount of information that is made available on a web page and the amount of time that it takes to upload a page. In the case of a marketing site this is very important as it is trying to attract the customers, but if it takes a long time to upload then the customer will simply navigate to other sites and the entire purpose of the web page will be defeated. Customization: Customization and personalization of the page creates a very positive impact upon the customers and consumers. It helps give that added advantage to the organization to maintain a more personal contact with its customers in a system where face to face interaction is missing. There can be developed an initial step of registration, where the users can sign in and create and maintain their own personal accounts. The site then allows them to ensure through this to keep records of all the information that had been accessed earlier by the customer, or by highlighting any new information that may be available online which is in sync or related to the searches that had been previously searched or stored by the customer. It is through such methods that the site will be able to provide to the customers a more interactive and personalized experience. Accessibility According to Green, Peterson and Peterson, accessibility means the availability of the contents and information of a site for use by potential users, for a particular site including individual and disabilities. While developing any site, especially in the case of the marketing site, that the page is easy to upload and that the amount of time that it takes to access a webpage should not be high. This can be ensured through making the pages light but informative and attractive. The pages that are developed have to make use of the standard programs such as flash, etc so that it can be accessed by all users. This is highly significant as there has to be realized that if a marketing site utilizes programs which are not very common then the users will simply move on to other sites, and the information that is available will never be accessed by the users. Thus, for an e marketing website it is imperative that it is easily accessible to ensure that it is able to retain and increase it customer base. Easy to use The next factor that needs to be taken into account is how simple is the site and how easy it is to use it. There are a number of things that have to be considered while evaluating this for any site such as navigational facilities, the extent till which it allows personalization, registration procedures, etc. The fact that the marketing is being conducted for the Chinese market there has to be taken into account the fact that not all users will be able to access the account in English, and to ensure that the website is more attractive, there can be developed a system where the information that is provided is made available to the customers in both English and Chinese. But given that this will make the amount of information that is available almost double, there can be ensured that there is an option put up where the information that is provided will be available in either English or Chinese. This will allow for greater accessibility to the customers while at the same time lend a certain amount of personalization which will only add to the popularity of the site among the potential customers. Actions: Everything degenerates into work- strategies and tactics eventually cascade into actions, which become work that has to be carried out and eventually checked for any mistakes (Amichai-Hamburger, Y., Fine, A., & Goldstein, A, 2004). Tactics break down into actions. In fact a series of actions where each of the tactics becomes a mini project to ensure that the entire is executed in complete precision. In order to ensure that a project is completed in an orderly fashion there has to be ensured that the key steps are allocated to specific people wit specific timescales. Each tactical e tool requires careful planning and implementation. In the following section the role of the development of the e marketing website will be discussed. Website Design:                              The first step that has to be ensured while setting up an e commerce site is the designing of the page. There are certain facts that have to be kept in mind while setting these up (Barkhi, R., Belanger, F., & Hicks, J. 2008). These include firstly, that the page has to be attractive, so that the consumers are engaged and interested in exploring it. The second fact that has to be maintained is that the accessibility of the page should be easy. The fact remains that if the website is attractively designed but difficult to access then most of the consumers will not be interested. Thus there has to be ensured that the website is so developed that the information about the organization, its products and sales and purchase are easy to access for the consumers.   Team of experts:                               Before embarking on any program development, there has to be ensured that there is in place a team of experts. The fact remains that although there are a number of soft wares that are available to set up e marketing websites, there are a number of problems that can be encountered while setting up these. Thus, it is always more advisable to hire a team of experts to set up and manage the website so that any problems and issues that come up can be easily rectified and there are not experienced any bottlenecks once the system is functioning (Chaudhury A, Jean Pierre K 2002). In order to set up a functional e marketing site there has to be in place certain soft wares and hard wares. The company will thus have to employ a team of experts to ensure that these are managed. The team that will be formed will comprise of a project manager who will ensure that the needs of the team are communicated to the management and that the idea of the marketing team are translated onto the webpage so that the overall development of the page is holistic and comprehensive in nature. The other members of the team will be experts who will set up the e commerce website and maintain it. This can be easily accomplished by two experts who can design the web site in accordance to the marketing team and update all the information on the website as and when it is required by the university to do so. Cost of development of the e commerce website:                             The cost of the setting up the website needs to be estimated. This estimate will look at not only the monetary cost that the company will have to sustain but also all the various resources that will have to be channalized into the project (Jarvelainen, J, 2007). This includes time, man power, infrastructural resources and the monetary costs of course. Firstly, the infrastructural costs that have to be sustained to set up the whole program include a certain amount of hard ware resources, where at least four systems have to be set up just to sustain the websites and the various operations that are related to it. There will also be required electricity, space for setting up the team and the hard ware. Also a certain amount of soft ware will be also required (Nissanoff D 2006). These will be discussed in details below. The time that is required to set up the program is not much but the fact that certain processes will take time like the setting up the internet merchant account, needs to be taken into account. Also a certain amount of time will be required to periodically upgrade and update the website. But the overall cost of setting up of the whole system is more short term while the benefits that will be borne are long term. SWOT Analysis: When the strategic management of the company is analyzed in face of the SWOT analysis there has to be realized that the role of the strategic management of the organization is very high (Baskin, Otis & Arnoff, Craig, 1992, pp 1250130). When one looks at analyzing the marketing scheme of an website, the SWOT analysis is the best methodology that can be adopted. In the following section of the paper the SWOT analysis of the e marketing site that has been discussed will be developed. Strengths: Unaffected by slowdown trend of economy Short period of promotion and a standing brand that people trust Government support for industry in the shape of low duties The overall cost of marketing is low, as the cost that has be undertaken is mainly at the time of setting up of the e marketing site There are a number of departments and courses that are offered by the university It is already an internationally acclaimed university where it has students from 70 countries attending the university The marketing scheme allows the customer to personalize the experience, thus allowing for greater interaction. Weaknesses: High dependence on domestic demand Stiff Competition from other universities such as MQ and UTS Marketing and accessing the website does not ensure enrollment of students Opportunity: Easy system of setting up, with low cost of maintenance Well developed supply and logistics chain A very rapidly increasing demand in the market, whereas the supply of the institutions that are providing higher education is low Threats: Unknown/undiscovered  structural error will lose public’s confidence Increasing competition could be a problem as new institutions are coming up in the country Faces tough competition from the already existing universities in the country such as MQ and UTS. This is the SWOT analysis of the marketing scheme that has been undertaken through the development of the e marketing website. Conclusion:      Marketing is ‘the social process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging products and value with others’, (Kotler, et al., 2006) One of the better ways of ensuring that there is a proper retention and expansion of bases of consumer base is to ensure that the business is able to ensure deliverance of a consumer needs that is suited to the manner and processes of the need at the time and place needed in a manner that delivers on the brand promise (Accenture, 2008).  People today, do not just "buy" a product. They "buy" the concept of what that product will do for them, or help them do for themselves. It is in this context that the relevance of the marketing concept becomes clear as it helps a given organization understand its product and the market to which the product is aimed. Thus with the changes that are taking place in the IT sector, the development of a e marketing website allows for greater possibilities of reaching a wider customer base, in a more effective manner which is also highly economical in nature. Reference: Accenture Publication, 2007, Creating Loyalty, A Customer Centric Approach, p2-5, accessed Sunday September 5, 2010 at Amichai-Hamburger, Y., Fine, A., & Goldstein, A. (2004). The impact of Internet interactivity and need for closure on consumer preference. Computers in Human Behavior (20) pp 103-117.  Atkins S. (1999) The Web of science. D Lib Magazine. September 1999 Balabanis, G., Reynolds, N., & Simintiras, A. (2006). Bases of e-store loyalty: Perceived switching barriers and satisfaction. Journal of Business Research (59) pp 214-224. Barkhi, R., Belanger, F., & Hicks, J. (2008). A model of the determinants of purchasing from virtual stores. Journal of Organizational Computing and Electronic Commerce (18) pp. 177-196. 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