ECT 250: Survey of e-commerce technology

Assignment 6

Reading

Chapter 4 (pages 115 -- 155) in Electronic Commerce.

Assignment

You have been hired to help the owner of a small arts and crafts store build a Web site to sell her goods.  As a first step, she asks you to research some possible Web hosts for her site.  She is interested in selling up to 50 items in her store.

You must research three of the following hosting services:

  1. Bigstep.com
  2. Bizland.com
  3. CNET Quick Site Builder
  4. Freemerchant.com
  5. Yahoo!Store

For each hosting service, you must answer ten (10) of the following categories of questions.  (If you answer more than ten categories of questions, the best ten will be graded).

  1. What is the initial set-up fee?  What is the monthly fee?  What are the transaction fees?  Are banner ads required?
  2. How much disk space would a 50 item store receive?  How much is it for extra space?
  3. Does the service provide a search engine?
  4. What promotion and marketing opportunities are available?
  5. How are customers notified following a transaction?
  6. Is shopping cart software provided?  Is it extra?  How much?  If shopping carts are not provided, how do customers enter orders?
  7. Are storefront-building wizards available to help create a new store?  
  8. Does the service provide any guarantees about server up time?  If so, what are they?
  9. Are the transactions conducted in a secure environment?
  10. Is e-mail provided as part of the service?  Does it cost extra?  If so, how much?
  11. Is it possible for the store to have its own domain name?  If so, it is extra to register the name?  How much?
  12. Can you upload product names, descriptions, images, and costs from files or databases, or must you enter each item manually?
  13. Is there an online user manual for the merchant?

Group your answers to the questions by service.  If there is more than one package for a given hosting service, outline the ones that meet your employer's needs.  

Finally, which service would you recommend she use?  If you know of another service that is preferable to the ones given above, explain why that one is a better option.

Submitting the assignment

To submit the assignment you may:

  1. Bring the assignment to class.
  2. Fax the assignment to me at (312) 362-6116.  Be sure to either use a cover sheet with my name on it or write ECT 250 and my name prominently on the top of the first page.  I will not be responsible for lost faxes if you do not do so.
  3. Drop off the assignment at 243 S. Wabash, room 401.  Make sure that they time-stamp your assignment.