Examples
The majority of the banks operating in the UK have banking online accessible for its costumers. Some websites are: , and .
Internet chat rooms
In the chat rooms people can communicate with each other in real-time. The user should have an ID login and a password to get access to communicate in real-time. Some chatrooms are safer than others because they require users to register by providing their email address and also include safety features, such as “ignore buttons”. There are other ways of communicating over the internet:
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Email – Most of people have email address. They can sign for hotmail, gmail (owned by google), yahoo… and can then access in other computer.
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Instant Messaging (IT) – There are several IM programs available, such as Msn Messenger.
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Message boards or message groups – The message boards allow people to post message on boards for other people to read.
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Forums – The forums are online discussion groups who chat about topics in which they have common interest – from football teams to IT solutions.
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Chatbuttons on websites – The user clicks on the button to ask a query or discuss a purchase with the seller. The biggest advantage of this is that visitors can resolve queries quickly. The disadvantage is that someone has to monitor the site all time.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Online chatrooms provide online chatting, use of email, meet new people, chat with friends which are in other countries, and learn new thing using the online forum discussions. The principal disadvantages within this online activity are: virus and trojans and identity theft and crimes of fraud. To prevent from this we must never give out personal information/details and never meet anyone offline.
Examples
Some chatrooms websites are: , and .
Gambling online
The number of gambling sites on the Internet has increased in the last years. Using the gambling online the user can play Lotto, bet on a racehorse, play poker or blackjack. According to KPMG Consulting, the Internet gambling market is estimated to be worth £5 billion by 2006. Gambling online is secured by a unique ID and password, which must be keyed to gain access to a protected area for the user to bet.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Gambling is very easy to use and the user doesn’t need to travel to a casino. It allows the user to play from the comfort of his home.
Some disadvantages includes: the majority of people who gamble online are "problem" or "pathological" gamblers and the largely unsupervised electronic funds transfers inherent in online gambling are exploited by criminal interests to launder large amounts of illegal cash. Also when we
Examples
Nowadays there are lots of gambling websites. I included some: , , and .
Job searches
Nowadays, people look online to search for a job. Job sites are run by agencies that advertise vacancies on behalf of employers. For an additional fee they will also undertake other tasks such as checking applications and advising on a shortlist.
People can email their CV in response to online advertisements and also register to receive email when suitable jobs come up. The job searches website searches the jobs by job title, by type (permanent/temporary or full/part-time, by location or by salary.
Advantages and Disadvantages
This online activity has many benefits. It is quicker than searching through printed advertisements in newspapers and journals and the online job searches sites cover a broader geographical area than local papers.
Some important disadvantages are: the user needs and account with an internet service provider (ISP) and some job vacancies sites provides the user with wrong information about the jobs.
Examples
Some job searches websites are: , and .
Last minute services
The most well-known “last minute” site is lastminute.com. Lastminute.com plc is an online travel agency and e-tailer founded by Martha Lane Fox and Brent Hoberman in 1998 which became iconic of the UK dot-com boom in the late 1990s. Lastminute.com is famous for its trading of Holiday Packages and Flights and has moved on to become an e-tailer in Car Hire, Unusual Gifts, Experiences, Theatre tickets, Restaurant Bookings and Nights Out. The Website is UK based and therefore its information and sales are aimed towards users from the UK; however it does have more than 20 other international websites. The user can enjoy the last minute service by register on the website and have a credit card.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Last minute service allows the user to buy from home. It is very simple to use and offers competitive prices. The user can book flights at the last minute. Some disadvantages include the need of a credit card to purchase the goods, virus and trojans affecting the system when buying the goods and sometimes fraud can happen.
Example
The most well known website is: www.lastminute.com.
Product supply
Nowadays, most people are becoming to buy products from the internet. In 2003, £2.5 billion were spent in the Christmas shopping over the internet. This shows an increase of 70 % from 2002. Most people bought the new technological goods such as digital cameras, phones, DVD players, as well as, perfume, beer and wine. The user can enjoy this, only a credit card is required.
Advantages and Disadvantages
The buyer can source the goods 24 hours, 7 days a week. There is less paperwork and the orders can be tracked online.
The seller can process the orders faster and receive it 24 hours, 7 days a week. Also the seller can compete with larger suppliers.
The disadvantages for the buyer are: sometimes the buyer can’t get access to the system because of the virus and hackers. The buyer could loss the information about the transactions if the system goes down.
Examples
Some websites are: , and .
Research
When the user use internet he can find out excellent information. The internet has certainly revolutionised the way which research is carried out. There are good websites which you use to find particularly information. The websites are Google, Yahoo, AltaVista and msn search engine.
Advantages and Disadvantages
The user can find relevant information which he needs and is very easy to use. The disadvantages include: sometimes the user can not get the desirable website, some research websites contain lot of pop ups which prejudice the user’s computer from virus and some websites allow to free access to information whereas other do not. Also other websites specialists in information charge a fee to get access of it.
Examples
Some good research websites are: , and .
Supply of games and music
The games sites are very popular because they contain latest information. In some games websites the user can buy the games at affordable prices. Some games websites also contain forums for games news and exchange information.
Music websites such as the Launch Music and NME websites feature video and music clips as well as information about the artists.
Advantages and Disadvantages
The user can find latest information about the games and music and use the forums to discuss them. Also the user can enjoy playing games and listening online music. The problem of this activity is: the user sit on front of computers for hours to play online games which affect their eyesight.
Examples
Some websites offering this activity are: , and .
Virtual property tours
The user can take a virtual tour of many places online. It enables anyone thinking of moving or renting accommodation to see exactly what the property looks like. The user can check the out city apartments. The virtual tower tours use modern graphical techniques to persuade the customer.
Advantages and Disadvantages
The user can see the property inside and compare prices of the houses and choose the best one.
There is competition in this sector. Some websites provide poor graphical techniques and this prejudices them.
Examples
Some websites are: and .
Case Study - Ebay.co.uk
I am going to explore ebay.co.uk features and show how these features enable them to conduct their activity online.
EBay
EBay started in 1995 in San Jose, California. Within 10 years, eBay.com has grown into the largest and most successful online business model in history. Today, tens of millions of people converge daily at eBay.com and eBaymotors.com to buy and sell millions of dollars in new and used merchandise. The eBay business model is magnificently simple: provide a safe and motivating online marketplace where anyone can gather to trade products with confidence. EBay charge people a small fee to sell their wares, and enforce safety and trust for everyone. EBay is an online auction website used to buy and sell goods.
Items ands services
Millions of collectibles, appliances, computer, furniture and several other things are sold on this particular website. Some items are rare and valuable. Anything can be sold as long it is not illegal. Large companies sell their newest products and offer services on eBay using fixed prices.
Ebay website explained
This is the screen shot of the ebay.co.uk Website.
Description of the website
The principal colours used on ebay.co.uk are yellow, red, and blue. When we open the ebay.co.uk website the first thing we see are some images of products. The font used is nice for the customer. The fonts vary in the headings and in the text. The content of the first page of the website includes: the categories, the register button, some items and the search engine.
Ebay is an interactive website, which the contents are adjusted according the user preferences.
Features of using eBay
- EBay is a globally trade with over 100 million members worldwide.
- More than 25 items are available everyday.
- Ebay can find great deals on brand new and brand name items as well rare and hard to find collectables
- UK users can benefit from FREE Buyer and Seller Protection Programmes from eBay and PayPal.
EBay payment method
EBay uses Pay Pal for money transactions. The requirements that the user need to use Pay Pal are: a valid email address and a valid credit card or bank account.
EBay stores
Opening on 2002, the eBay stores have opened up ecommerce for eBay sellers and a way to access to over 200 million shoppers online.
EBay express
Opening on April 2006, the eBay Express site is designed to work like a standard Internet shopping site to consumers with United States addresses. Selected eBay items are mirrored on eBay Express where buyers shop using a shopping cart to purchase from multiple sellers.
In conclusion, Ebay.co.uk is an interactive website. Most people find on eBay rare and valuable things at low prices. The user is required to use Pay pal for purchases.
In this task I highlighted the online business activities giving examples and showing some advantages and disadvantages. I also carried out a case study based an active website for online auction ebay.co.uk.