Return to main page

Chapter 7 Exercises

Chapter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Principles of MIS

© 2008 by Jerry Post
  1. Find a site that identifies a large collection of different categories of items for sale on the Internet. Compare the list to items that you would typically find in traditional shopping malls or large department stores. Find at least one type of item that you are less likely to find online? What characteristics make them different? If you do a Web search for that item category, can you find it online?
  2. Using the Web or by talking to retailers, find a company that only sells through retailers. Or, find a company that sells direct, but only at list price. What characteristics of the product and industry support or encourage this choice?
  3. Find a site that lists publicly available SOAP/UDDI applications. Choose one that you might find useful and explain how you would use it.
  4. Choose an industry and assume you are running a Web site for a company in that industry. Select keywords that you might use to advertise your Web site. Estimate the amount you would be willing to bid for Google ads on the keywords and specify a budget. Hint: How many people who click-through an ad will become customers?
  5. Select a Web site and identify the prepurchase, purchase, and postpurchase elements.
  6. Check with a Web advertising site and identify the cost to run an ad on the site. Specify the type of ad and the number of times to run.
  7. Choose a social networking site or other Web 2.0 service site designed for consumers. Identify the amount users pay. Examine a few pages and comment on the amount of advertising displayed. If the site is a public company, find its financial data and report on revenues and costs.
  8. Find a B2C product for sale on three Web sites: one based on simply HTML pages, one hosted on a commerce server, and one based on an auction or MarketPlace site. Briefly compare the descriptions, prices, and ease of use.

    9. Toolbox logoTechnology Toolbox

  9. Select one of the major Web server tools and identify how it handles multiple languages.
  10. Find a reference that identifies the percentage of sites based on Microsoft Web servers.
  11. Check your school’s course catalog or talk with instructors in computer science and MIS to see which Web technologies are taught at your school. Also check a local community college catalog.
  12. Use Dice.com to compare the number of jobs available for the three main Web technologies.
  13. Find current costs for processing credit cards through (a) PayPal, (b) Google, (c) an independent merchant processor.
  14. Find the current VISA merchant security requirements if your Web site handles credit card data directly. Estimate the costs of complying with the requirements if you are a small merchant.

    15. Teamwork logoTeamwork

  15. Choose one common product available for purchase on the Internet and from local retailers (for example, a specific book, CD, or toy). Have each person find at least one Web site and one retail store that sells the product. Compare the prices of the item. Where is it easiest to purchase the product?
  16. Have each person choose a different item for sale on eBay that has similar items for sale at retail stores or other Web sites. Compare the final eBay price to the other prices. Summarize the differences for the team.
  17. Assume that a friend wants to start an online business selling jewelry. Have each person find a hosting company that could handle the site. Identify the costs and tools provided by each company. Share the results and choose one to recommend to your friend. Briefly explain the basis of the decision.
  18. Have each team member choose a Web site that sells products or services. Identify all of the payment methods accepted by the site. Combine the results from each person, summarize the results and comment on any patterns.
  19. Choose a Web site. Evaluate all aspects of the site and write a plan to suggest how it can be improved.

    20. Rolling Thunder Bicycles logoRolling Thunder Database

  20. Identify at least three areas in which Rolling Thunder Bicycles could profit from e-business. Be specific, and explain what technologies would have to be added (for instance, Web hosting).
  21. Find at least five sites on which it would make sense to advertise Rolling Thunder Bicycles. As much as possible, identify the advertising costs and the demographics of the site visitors.
  22. Develop a plan for expanding Rolling Thunder Bicycles into international sales. Be sure to identify any potential problems, and discuss how you will deal with them.
  23. Develop a plan for creating a Web-based system for connecting to suppliers. What software would you need? How can you convince the suppliers to cooperate?
  24. The management of Rolling Thunder Bicycles cannot decide on a Web strategy. For the three main approaches (simple HTML, auctions, and commerce server), list the primary strengths, weaknesses, and costs as they apply to this company. Make a recommendation and briefly explain your choice.