What is testing?
Testing is where a company carries out different tests onto their product/service/database etc to ensure that there are no problems and it works efficiently. They test every aspect of their product/service/database etc. and many companies even employ people to test them.
Why is it important?
The cost and time of fixing something that does not work properly would be more than testing it in the first place. Also, the company does not want to create a bad reputation for themselves if they release products etc that are faulty and have to recall them and fix them.
Give 2 possible consequences to a company of not testing.
They might have to spend a lot of money after the product/service/database etc. does not work properly. They would need to spend time and money on testing it to see where the problem is and then spending time and using employees to fix it. They would most likely receive a bad name for their product/service/database etc. not working efficiently and putting customer's personal information at risk and would need to spend money advertising themselves again to regain their customers and gain new ones.
Give 2 reasons why it is important to have a test plan.
It is important to have a test plan because to test something efficiently there needs to be a plan of who is doing what, when they tested it and where they are going to record the findings. To save time and money they do not want to have more than the needed people testing a certain aspect of what they are testing. With a test plan there can be assigned tasks and every employee knows what they are doing.
Thursday, 21 February 2008
Monday, 18 February 2008
what is testing
What is testing?
Testing is where a company carries out different tests onto their product/service/database etc to ensure that there are no problems and it works efficiently. They test every aspect of their product/service/database etc. and many companies even employ people to test them as the cost and time of fixing something that does not work properly would be more than testing it in the first place. Also, the company does not want to create a bad reputation for themselves if they release products etc that are faulty and have to recall them and fix them.
Testing is where a company carries out different tests onto their product/service/database etc to ensure that there are no problems and it works efficiently. They test every aspect of their product/service/database etc. and many companies even employ people to test them as the cost and time of fixing something that does not work properly would be more than testing it in the first place. Also, the company does not want to create a bad reputation for themselves if they release products etc that are faulty and have to recall them and fix them.
Consequences of not Testing
Consequences of not Testing
What was the problem?
The company Protx that deals with online payments was upgrading and a problem occurred which meant that thousands of retailers lost business because orders were failing.
What were the consequences?
People could not pay for products so businesses lost money and possibly future trade. The customers did not get the products when they wanted them and Protx has given itself a bad name. Transactions would not be secure so hackers would be able to get hold of customer information – crimes such as identity theft and fraud could occur
How could testing have prevented this?
They could have tested it on one company first and then could have identified problems and see if it worked efficiently. If a problem was identified it could have been solved and avoided the situation.
What was the problem?
The company Protx that deals with online payments was upgrading and a problem occurred which meant that thousands of retailers lost business because orders were failing.
What were the consequences?
People could not pay for products so businesses lost money and possibly future trade. The customers did not get the products when they wanted them and Protx has given itself a bad name. Transactions would not be secure so hackers would be able to get hold of customer information – crimes such as identity theft and fraud could occur
How could testing have prevented this?
They could have tested it on one company first and then could have identified problems and see if it worked efficiently. If a problem was identified it could have been solved and avoided the situation.
Wednesday, 30 January 2008
security report
SECURITY REPORT
Electronic Commerce is often referred to as E-Commerce or eCommerce. E-Commerce entails a person buying or selling products and/or services over an electronic system such as the Internet. It specifically refers to the buying and selling of goods by transferring funds from one account to another. Transactions made with a customer and ASOS.com are part of the E-Commerce process.
With the rapid growth and spread of the Internet, E-Commerce has become a part of many people’s everyday lives. However, creating a revolutionary way of purchasing goods has also brought about many new threats and dangers that online customers are now at risk of.
Although, there are many advantages of purchasing goods online; someone that is housebound can get their food shopping delivered to their house via the Internet, someone that is time-poor can order Christmas presents, birthday presents, food shopping etc. online and get it delivered the next day etc. and someone that does not have the sufficient money to pay for petrol to pick up a product that is only stored in a certain area of the country can buy it online and get it delivered to their house, there are many disadvantages of purchasing goods this way.
E-commerce is more susceptible to threats than normal commerce as confidential details are needed when buying something online. For example you always need to write your address, your full name, date of birth, delivery address, billing address and your credit card details (unless you have a PayPal account). Whereas buying a product in a shop, you do not need to give any of these details, you only need to place your credit card into a machine and the company and your credit card company are the only people that are able to see this information. Whereas shopping online, in unfortunate cases, hackers and viruses can enable your information to be broadcasted.
There are many problems that have arisen from the evolvement of the Internet – allowing us to purchase products online, however, there are methods to help prevent these threats and dangers occurring.
Viruses are a computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer without the permission or knowledge of a user. Viruses normally attach themselves to computers that do not have up-to-date virus software and also, can be uploaded to your computer via opening an email with an ‘infected’ attachment in. As E-Commerce has evolved, virus makers have realised an easy way to get onto someone’s computer is by sending fake emails from online shops etc. urging them to open a very important attachment about their most recent purchase. People that are not aware of the dangers of opening emails that they do not know who are from or do not know how to tell between fake emails and real emails open these attachments and without realising, upload viruses to their computer which can be fatal. Information can be deleted or taken for harmful purposes. A way of preventing viruses from getting onto computers is by installing Anti-Virus software. There are many different types of anti-virus software, however, the most popular one is Norton Anti-Virus Software. This piece of software gives your computer protection against viruses and this software also includes protection against spyware. Regular updates and renewals are available from the website so the websites can always make sure their computers are safe from viruses and spyware.
Hackers are individuals that try to gain access to computer systems or networks without the user’s knowledge or consent in an attempt to steal sensitive and confidential information. E-Commerce websites such as ASOS.com have to be extremely careful that all of their computers and systems have sufficient methods to prevent hackers gaining access to their databases as websites keep personal information about their customers such as addresses and credit card details, which hackers could use to thieve someone’s identity or commit fraud. Hackers often create software that try to guess passwords by guessing millions of different combinations. There are methods to prevent hackers from gaining unauthorised access to networks and computer systems such as Firewalls. Firewalls are a combination of hardware and software that can be configured to block access to a network or individual computer to all except known IP addresses. Also, firewalls can be configured to block outward access thereby controlling the web sites that employees can visit.
This piece of software protects against hackers, spyware and viruses. It is easily installed and enables rapid automatic updates to come to your computer without user intervention and can be as regular as every hour. This software would be very beneficial to ASOS.com as there are hundreds of thousands of hackers that are trying to get into different computers and networks everyday, so therefore they need good protection and regular updates to ensure their computers are safe from hackers and other threats.
Spyware are programs that are installed into your computer without the user’s knowledge. Spyware is often found on most computers however some computers that hold very confidential information need to protect themselves against spyware. Spyware is installed onto your computer when a user goes onto different websites. It then sends back information to where it came from about activities on the computer and it can also open your files and send back any information it thinks is relevant. This can be extremely dangerous for computers at ASOS.com as they hold information about the website, its customers and their products and if this confidential information was sent off to the wrong person via spyware, there could be severe consequences. Websites such as ASOS.com need to protect all of their computers from spyware as although a lot of the time it can be harmful, it can also bring about major problems for its customers if their details are stolen.
This Anti-Spyware software is available to download from this company. It uploads frequent and advanced updates to the computer. It also detects and removes all spyware and adware programs that are uploaded to your computer. ASOS.com is a large company so downloading this software will be too time consuming so they would be advised to use something like McAfee's Secure Web Gateway as caters for a larger network.
An External Hard Drive When hardware fails, it can be very annoying as a user may lose the work they were currently working on. If their hardware cannot be fixed and a backup of the information kept on that computer was not made, then the user will lose all of that work and information. A way of preventing loss of information is by backing it up. Every large organisation like ASOS.com should back up their data as important information about customers that could bring in more business for them, such as email addresses and address, could be lost permanently. The most beneficial way of backing up information for ASOS.com would be a full then incremental back up. This is where a full backup of all files is taken and then at regular intervals after that new or altered information is backed up, this is less time consuming and uses less space when backing up as only information that has changed or has been added is backed up. This information can be stored on any memory apparatus but the best one would be an external hard drive as these can be easily transported and can hold a lot of information.
Also, when hardware is being fixed, care should be taken with what company the technicians are from and their work should be overseen, as although their intentions are most likely to be just to help fix the computers, they may be able to see confidential and sensitive information of their customer’s. Their information could be taken secretly and used to their own advantage.
There are many reasons why information should be backed up. Including the above, another important reason why data should be backed up is that natural disasters happen unfortunately and are increasing with the rise in global warming. In America, hurricanes are not unusual and tsunamis are now occurring which can completely destroy hardware and information. Flood and fires are also very common so therefore a back up copy should be made and kept away from the original source is.
To improve security systems within a company, it is also a good idea for organisations to carry out a risk assessment along with the above methods or preventing danger and threats. Doing this will help to identify potential risks faced by the organisation’s systems. The first step is to identify any possible threats, which could be human error – an employee accidentally deleting the wrong files etc., unauthorised access via wireless links, whether employees work off-site or travel with laptops etc. Once these risks have been identified, they are classified as high, medium and low and spending on protection can be prioritised.
Threats can come from inside an organisation as well as outside and although human error is accidental, it can have very bad repercussions.
However, there can be dishonest employees working for ASOS.com and therefore the company needs to make sure that they ensure the correct and sufficient methods to prevent these employees from getting sensitive information and using it to their advantage. Most companies allow employees to have a different amount of access to their databases and files. If a specific person is not allowed access to certain files then they will be denied access and a dialogue box on the computer should appear explaining how they are not authorised to view these files. An example of this at ASOS.com is that some employees do not have access to financial files and databases but the finance department do etc.
This method can also be used with preventing employees going onto dangerous and potentially harmful websites.
A Dialogue Box Explaining How Access Has Been Denied
Also, if passwords are allocated to certain files and databases and only authorised people are told the passwords then this is another way of preventing unauthorised employees gaining access to files they are not allowed to see.
Biometric Security Although data in a computer can be secured with passwords, encryption and different access levels etc. it is always a good idea to have physical security on computers. Locking rooms whenever they are unattended, having relevant padlocks to make sure hard drives do not go missing. Some organisations install biometric security locks that a fingerprint or similar has to be presented before the lock will open.
Terrorist attacks are becoming more frequent unfortunately and companies such as ASOS.com need to make sure that their information is encrypted so that no information can be stolen and used whilst it’s travelling across the Internet. Information can be scrambled according to an algorithm and it can only be translated back to the original by a computer that has the correct unscrambling software. So therefore if there are hackers and terrorists that are trying to take information to cause harm, they will not be able to understand the data as it will not be readable or make sense. Personal data such as credit card numbers are often encrypted to prevent the threat of identity theft and fraud etc.
Another preventative method of securing a safe transaction between a customer and an E-Commerce website. Secure Electronic Transaction (SET) is a standard protocol for securing credit card transactions over insecure networks, specifically, the Internet. SET is not itself a payment system, but rather a set of security protocols and formats that enables users to employ the existing credit card payment infrastructure on an open network in a secure fashion. Websites such as ASOS.com should make sure SET is occurring when customers are purchasing off of their website.
As the Internet has evolved and things like E-Commerce have been created, the government have realised that necessary legislation has to be made to make sure that people are protected when they give personal information to companies such as ASOS.com.
The Data Protection Act is an act that first became a law in 1984 and was updated in 1998. The Act was the consequence of increasing concern about the number of computer-based systems that stored personal data. ASOS.com have a database with thousands of people’s personal information in such as their addresses, post codes, full name etc. so need to abide by the laws set out in this act.
Some people become very worried at the ease of transmitting data and to what purposes it is being used. Although there are exemptions from the act; when data is required for medical or state security purposes, any company or organisation that does not comply with the laws within the Data Protection Act will be prosecuted.
The DPA established the concept of;
· Data Controllers – those who held the personal data.
· Data Processors – those who process the data on behalf of a data controller.
· Data Subjects – those whom the personal data is held.
· The Information Commissioner – a government controlled office that keeps details of and regulates the data controllers.
The Data Protection Act principles:
· Personal data shall be processed fairly and lawfully.
· Personal data shall be obtained only for one or more specified purposes and shall not be further processed in any manner incompatible with that purpose or those purposes.
· Personal data shall be adequate, relevant and not excessive and not excessive in relation to the purpose or purposes for which they are processed.
· Personal data shall be accurate and where necessary kept up to date.
· Personal data processed for any purpose or purposes shall not be kept for longer than is necessary for that purpose or those purposes.
· Personal data shall be processed in accordance with the rights of data subjects under this Act.
· Appropriate technical and organisational measures shall be taken against unauthorised or unlawful processing of personal data and against accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data.
· Personal data shall not be transferred to a country or territory outside the European Economic Area unless that country or territory ensures an adequate level of protection for the rights and freedoms of data subjects in relation to the processing of personal data.
However, there have been some criticisms of the Data Protection Act.
Electronic Commerce is often referred to as E-Commerce or eCommerce. E-Commerce entails a person buying or selling products and/or services over an electronic system such as the Internet. It specifically refers to the buying and selling of goods by transferring funds from one account to another. Transactions made with a customer and ASOS.com are part of the E-Commerce process.
With the rapid growth and spread of the Internet, E-Commerce has become a part of many people’s everyday lives. However, creating a revolutionary way of purchasing goods has also brought about many new threats and dangers that online customers are now at risk of.
Although, there are many advantages of purchasing goods online; someone that is housebound can get their food shopping delivered to their house via the Internet, someone that is time-poor can order Christmas presents, birthday presents, food shopping etc. online and get it delivered the next day etc. and someone that does not have the sufficient money to pay for petrol to pick up a product that is only stored in a certain area of the country can buy it online and get it delivered to their house, there are many disadvantages of purchasing goods this way.
E-commerce is more susceptible to threats than normal commerce as confidential details are needed when buying something online. For example you always need to write your address, your full name, date of birth, delivery address, billing address and your credit card details (unless you have a PayPal account). Whereas buying a product in a shop, you do not need to give any of these details, you only need to place your credit card into a machine and the company and your credit card company are the only people that are able to see this information. Whereas shopping online, in unfortunate cases, hackers and viruses can enable your information to be broadcasted.
There are many problems that have arisen from the evolvement of the Internet – allowing us to purchase products online, however, there are methods to help prevent these threats and dangers occurring.
Viruses are a computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer without the permission or knowledge of a user. Viruses normally attach themselves to computers that do not have up-to-date virus software and also, can be uploaded to your computer via opening an email with an ‘infected’ attachment in. As E-Commerce has evolved, virus makers have realised an easy way to get onto someone’s computer is by sending fake emails from online shops etc. urging them to open a very important attachment about their most recent purchase. People that are not aware of the dangers of opening emails that they do not know who are from or do not know how to tell between fake emails and real emails open these attachments and without realising, upload viruses to their computer which can be fatal. Information can be deleted or taken for harmful purposes. A way of preventing viruses from getting onto computers is by installing Anti-Virus software. There are many different types of anti-virus software, however, the most popular one is Norton Anti-Virus Software. This piece of software gives your computer protection against viruses and this software also includes protection against spyware. Regular updates and renewals are available from the website so the websites can always make sure their computers are safe from viruses and spyware.
Hackers are individuals that try to gain access to computer systems or networks without the user’s knowledge or consent in an attempt to steal sensitive and confidential information. E-Commerce websites such as ASOS.com have to be extremely careful that all of their computers and systems have sufficient methods to prevent hackers gaining access to their databases as websites keep personal information about their customers such as addresses and credit card details, which hackers could use to thieve someone’s identity or commit fraud. Hackers often create software that try to guess passwords by guessing millions of different combinations. There are methods to prevent hackers from gaining unauthorised access to networks and computer systems such as Firewalls. Firewalls are a combination of hardware and software that can be configured to block access to a network or individual computer to all except known IP addresses. Also, firewalls can be configured to block outward access thereby controlling the web sites that employees can visit.
This piece of software protects against hackers, spyware and viruses. It is easily installed and enables rapid automatic updates to come to your computer without user intervention and can be as regular as every hour. This software would be very beneficial to ASOS.com as there are hundreds of thousands of hackers that are trying to get into different computers and networks everyday, so therefore they need good protection and regular updates to ensure their computers are safe from hackers and other threats.
Spyware are programs that are installed into your computer without the user’s knowledge. Spyware is often found on most computers however some computers that hold very confidential information need to protect themselves against spyware. Spyware is installed onto your computer when a user goes onto different websites. It then sends back information to where it came from about activities on the computer and it can also open your files and send back any information it thinks is relevant. This can be extremely dangerous for computers at ASOS.com as they hold information about the website, its customers and their products and if this confidential information was sent off to the wrong person via spyware, there could be severe consequences. Websites such as ASOS.com need to protect all of their computers from spyware as although a lot of the time it can be harmful, it can also bring about major problems for its customers if their details are stolen.
This Anti-Spyware software is available to download from this company. It uploads frequent and advanced updates to the computer. It also detects and removes all spyware and adware programs that are uploaded to your computer. ASOS.com is a large company so downloading this software will be too time consuming so they would be advised to use something like McAfee's Secure Web Gateway as caters for a larger network.
An External Hard Drive When hardware fails, it can be very annoying as a user may lose the work they were currently working on. If their hardware cannot be fixed and a backup of the information kept on that computer was not made, then the user will lose all of that work and information. A way of preventing loss of information is by backing it up. Every large organisation like ASOS.com should back up their data as important information about customers that could bring in more business for them, such as email addresses and address, could be lost permanently. The most beneficial way of backing up information for ASOS.com would be a full then incremental back up. This is where a full backup of all files is taken and then at regular intervals after that new or altered information is backed up, this is less time consuming and uses less space when backing up as only information that has changed or has been added is backed up. This information can be stored on any memory apparatus but the best one would be an external hard drive as these can be easily transported and can hold a lot of information.
Also, when hardware is being fixed, care should be taken with what company the technicians are from and their work should be overseen, as although their intentions are most likely to be just to help fix the computers, they may be able to see confidential and sensitive information of their customer’s. Their information could be taken secretly and used to their own advantage.
There are many reasons why information should be backed up. Including the above, another important reason why data should be backed up is that natural disasters happen unfortunately and are increasing with the rise in global warming. In America, hurricanes are not unusual and tsunamis are now occurring which can completely destroy hardware and information. Flood and fires are also very common so therefore a back up copy should be made and kept away from the original source is.
To improve security systems within a company, it is also a good idea for organisations to carry out a risk assessment along with the above methods or preventing danger and threats. Doing this will help to identify potential risks faced by the organisation’s systems. The first step is to identify any possible threats, which could be human error – an employee accidentally deleting the wrong files etc., unauthorised access via wireless links, whether employees work off-site or travel with laptops etc. Once these risks have been identified, they are classified as high, medium and low and spending on protection can be prioritised.
Threats can come from inside an organisation as well as outside and although human error is accidental, it can have very bad repercussions.
However, there can be dishonest employees working for ASOS.com and therefore the company needs to make sure that they ensure the correct and sufficient methods to prevent these employees from getting sensitive information and using it to their advantage. Most companies allow employees to have a different amount of access to their databases and files. If a specific person is not allowed access to certain files then they will be denied access and a dialogue box on the computer should appear explaining how they are not authorised to view these files. An example of this at ASOS.com is that some employees do not have access to financial files and databases but the finance department do etc.
This method can also be used with preventing employees going onto dangerous and potentially harmful websites.
A Dialogue Box Explaining How Access Has Been Denied
Also, if passwords are allocated to certain files and databases and only authorised people are told the passwords then this is another way of preventing unauthorised employees gaining access to files they are not allowed to see.
Biometric Security Although data in a computer can be secured with passwords, encryption and different access levels etc. it is always a good idea to have physical security on computers. Locking rooms whenever they are unattended, having relevant padlocks to make sure hard drives do not go missing. Some organisations install biometric security locks that a fingerprint or similar has to be presented before the lock will open.
Terrorist attacks are becoming more frequent unfortunately and companies such as ASOS.com need to make sure that their information is encrypted so that no information can be stolen and used whilst it’s travelling across the Internet. Information can be scrambled according to an algorithm and it can only be translated back to the original by a computer that has the correct unscrambling software. So therefore if there are hackers and terrorists that are trying to take information to cause harm, they will not be able to understand the data as it will not be readable or make sense. Personal data such as credit card numbers are often encrypted to prevent the threat of identity theft and fraud etc.
Another preventative method of securing a safe transaction between a customer and an E-Commerce website. Secure Electronic Transaction (SET) is a standard protocol for securing credit card transactions over insecure networks, specifically, the Internet. SET is not itself a payment system, but rather a set of security protocols and formats that enables users to employ the existing credit card payment infrastructure on an open network in a secure fashion. Websites such as ASOS.com should make sure SET is occurring when customers are purchasing off of their website.
As the Internet has evolved and things like E-Commerce have been created, the government have realised that necessary legislation has to be made to make sure that people are protected when they give personal information to companies such as ASOS.com.
The Data Protection Act is an act that first became a law in 1984 and was updated in 1998. The Act was the consequence of increasing concern about the number of computer-based systems that stored personal data. ASOS.com have a database with thousands of people’s personal information in such as their addresses, post codes, full name etc. so need to abide by the laws set out in this act.
Some people become very worried at the ease of transmitting data and to what purposes it is being used. Although there are exemptions from the act; when data is required for medical or state security purposes, any company or organisation that does not comply with the laws within the Data Protection Act will be prosecuted.
The DPA established the concept of;
· Data Controllers – those who held the personal data.
· Data Processors – those who process the data on behalf of a data controller.
· Data Subjects – those whom the personal data is held.
· The Information Commissioner – a government controlled office that keeps details of and regulates the data controllers.
The Data Protection Act principles:
· Personal data shall be processed fairly and lawfully.
· Personal data shall be obtained only for one or more specified purposes and shall not be further processed in any manner incompatible with that purpose or those purposes.
· Personal data shall be adequate, relevant and not excessive and not excessive in relation to the purpose or purposes for which they are processed.
· Personal data shall be accurate and where necessary kept up to date.
· Personal data processed for any purpose or purposes shall not be kept for longer than is necessary for that purpose or those purposes.
· Personal data shall be processed in accordance with the rights of data subjects under this Act.
· Appropriate technical and organisational measures shall be taken against unauthorised or unlawful processing of personal data and against accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data.
· Personal data shall not be transferred to a country or territory outside the European Economic Area unless that country or territory ensures an adequate level of protection for the rights and freedoms of data subjects in relation to the processing of personal data.
However, there have been some criticisms of the Data Protection Act.
Tuesday, 29 January 2008
security report
SECURITY REPORT
Electronic Commerce is often referred to as E-Commerce or eCommerce. E-Commerce entails a person buying or selling products and/or services over an electronic system such as the Internet. It specifically refers to the buying and selling of goods by transferring funds from one account to another. Transactions made with a customer and ASOS.com are part of the E-Commerce process.
With the rapid growth and spread of the Internet, E-Commerce has become a part of many people’s everyday lives. However, creating a revolutionary way of purchasing goods has also brought about many new threats and dangers that online customers are now at risk of.
Although, there are many advantages of purchasing goods online; someone that is housebound can get their food shopping delivered to their house via the Internet, someone that is time-poor can order Christmas presents, birthday presents, food shopping etc. online and get it delivered the next day etc. and someone that does not have the sufficient money to pay for petrol to pick up a product that is only stored in a certain area of the country can buy it online and get it delivered to their house, there are many disadvantages of purchasing goods this way.
E-commerce is more susceptible to threats than normal commerce as confidential details are needed when buying something online. For example you always need to write your address, your full name, date of birth, delivery address, billing address and your credit card details (unless you have a PayPal account). Whereas buying a product in a shop, you do not need to give any of these details, you only need to place your credit card into a machine and the company and your credit card company are the only people that are able to see this information. Whereas shopping online, in unfortunate cases, hackers and viruses can enable your information to be broadcasted.
There are many problems that have arisen from the evolvement of the Internet – allowing us to purchase products online, however, there are methods to help prevent these threats and dangers occurring.
Viruses are a computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer without the permission or knowledge of a user. Viruses normally attach themselves to computers that do not have up-to-date virus software and also, can be uploaded to your computer via opening an email with an ‘infected’ attachment in. As E-Commerce has evolved, virus makers have realised an easy way to get onto someone’s computer is by sending fake emails from online shops etc. urging them to open a very important attachment about their most recent purchase. People that are not aware of the dangers of opening emails that they do not know who are from or do not know how to tell between fake emails and real emails open these attachments and without realising, upload viruses to their computer which can be fatal. Information can be deleted or taken for harmful purposes. A way of preventing viruses from getting onto computers is by installing Anti-Virus software. There are many different types of anti-virus software, however, the most popular one is Norton Anti-Virus Software. This piece of software gives your computer protection against viruses and this software also includes protection against spyware. Regular updates and renewals are available from the website so the websites can always make sure their computers are safe from viruses and spyware.
Hackers are individuals that try to gain access to computer systems or networks without the user’s knowledge or consent in an attempt to steal sensitive and confidential information. E-Commerce websites such as ASOS.com have to be extremely careful that all of their computers and systems have sufficient methods to prevent hackers gaining access to their databases as websites keep personal information about their customers such as addresses and credit card details, which hackers could use to thieve someone’s identity or commit fraud. Hackers often create software that try to guess passwords by guessing millions of different combinations. There are methods to prevent hackers from gaining unauthorised access to networks and computer systems such as Firewalls. Firewalls are a combination of hardware and software that can be configured to block access to a network or individual computer to all except known IP addresses. Also, firewalls can be configured to block outward access thereby controlling the web sites that employees can visit.
This piece of software protects against hackers, spyware and viruses. It is easily installed and enables rapid automatic updates to come to your computer without user intervention and can be as regular as every hour. This software would be very beneficial to ASOS.com as there are hundreds of thousands of hackers that are trying to get into different computers and networks everyday, so therefore they need good protection and regular updates to ensure their computers are safe from hackers and other threats.
Spyware are programs that are installed into your computer without the user’s knowledge. Spyware is often found on most computers however some computers that hold very confidential information need to protect themselves against spyware. Spyware is installed onto your computer when a user goes onto different websites. It then sends back information to where it came from about activities on the computer and it can also open your files and send back any information it thinks is relevant. This can be extremely dangerous for computers at ASOS.com as they hold information about the website, its customers and their products and if this confidential information was sent off to the wrong person via spyware, there could be severe consequences. Websites such as ASOS.com need to protect all of their computers from spyware as although a lot of the time it can be harmful, it can also bring about major problems for its customers if their details are stolen.
http://www.pctools.com/spyware-doctor/
Electronic Commerce is often referred to as E-Commerce or eCommerce. E-Commerce entails a person buying or selling products and/or services over an electronic system such as the Internet. It specifically refers to the buying and selling of goods by transferring funds from one account to another. Transactions made with a customer and ASOS.com are part of the E-Commerce process.
With the rapid growth and spread of the Internet, E-Commerce has become a part of many people’s everyday lives. However, creating a revolutionary way of purchasing goods has also brought about many new threats and dangers that online customers are now at risk of.
Although, there are many advantages of purchasing goods online; someone that is housebound can get their food shopping delivered to their house via the Internet, someone that is time-poor can order Christmas presents, birthday presents, food shopping etc. online and get it delivered the next day etc. and someone that does not have the sufficient money to pay for petrol to pick up a product that is only stored in a certain area of the country can buy it online and get it delivered to their house, there are many disadvantages of purchasing goods this way.
E-commerce is more susceptible to threats than normal commerce as confidential details are needed when buying something online. For example you always need to write your address, your full name, date of birth, delivery address, billing address and your credit card details (unless you have a PayPal account). Whereas buying a product in a shop, you do not need to give any of these details, you only need to place your credit card into a machine and the company and your credit card company are the only people that are able to see this information. Whereas shopping online, in unfortunate cases, hackers and viruses can enable your information to be broadcasted.
There are many problems that have arisen from the evolvement of the Internet – allowing us to purchase products online, however, there are methods to help prevent these threats and dangers occurring.
Viruses are a computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer without the permission or knowledge of a user. Viruses normally attach themselves to computers that do not have up-to-date virus software and also, can be uploaded to your computer via opening an email with an ‘infected’ attachment in. As E-Commerce has evolved, virus makers have realised an easy way to get onto someone’s computer is by sending fake emails from online shops etc. urging them to open a very important attachment about their most recent purchase. People that are not aware of the dangers of opening emails that they do not know who are from or do not know how to tell between fake emails and real emails open these attachments and without realising, upload viruses to their computer which can be fatal. Information can be deleted or taken for harmful purposes. A way of preventing viruses from getting onto computers is by installing Anti-Virus software. There are many different types of anti-virus software, however, the most popular one is Norton Anti-Virus Software. This piece of software gives your computer protection against viruses and this software also includes protection against spyware. Regular updates and renewals are available from the website so the websites can always make sure their computers are safe from viruses and spyware.
Hackers are individuals that try to gain access to computer systems or networks without the user’s knowledge or consent in an attempt to steal sensitive and confidential information. E-Commerce websites such as ASOS.com have to be extremely careful that all of their computers and systems have sufficient methods to prevent hackers gaining access to their databases as websites keep personal information about their customers such as addresses and credit card details, which hackers could use to thieve someone’s identity or commit fraud. Hackers often create software that try to guess passwords by guessing millions of different combinations. There are methods to prevent hackers from gaining unauthorised access to networks and computer systems such as Firewalls. Firewalls are a combination of hardware and software that can be configured to block access to a network or individual computer to all except known IP addresses. Also, firewalls can be configured to block outward access thereby controlling the web sites that employees can visit.
This piece of software protects against hackers, spyware and viruses. It is easily installed and enables rapid automatic updates to come to your computer without user intervention and can be as regular as every hour. This software would be very beneficial to ASOS.com as there are hundreds of thousands of hackers that are trying to get into different computers and networks everyday, so therefore they need good protection and regular updates to ensure their computers are safe from hackers and other threats.
Spyware are programs that are installed into your computer without the user’s knowledge. Spyware is often found on most computers however some computers that hold very confidential information need to protect themselves against spyware. Spyware is installed onto your computer when a user goes onto different websites. It then sends back information to where it came from about activities on the computer and it can also open your files and send back any information it thinks is relevant. This can be extremely dangerous for computers at ASOS.com as they hold information about the website, its customers and their products and if this confidential information was sent off to the wrong person via spyware, there could be severe consequences. Websites such as ASOS.com need to protect all of their computers from spyware as although a lot of the time it can be harmful, it can also bring about major problems for its customers if their details are stolen.
http://www.pctools.com/spyware-doctor/
Tuesday, 8 January 2008
BACK OFFICE PROCESSES
- The purpose of back office processes is to ensure the smooth ordering, payment and reporting of transactions on the website. Some of the back ofice functions include, accounting, record keeping of clients' orders, stock control and the management of the public facing web site.
- The processes involved in stock control are to make sure that there are enough products to meet the demand, to make sure one item isn't sold twice etc. The centre of this type of system is a database because they can have all of the items listed, information about the item, the supplier of the item, upodates about the item etc.
- A person logs onto a database over the Internet so that everytime a customer goes onto a website and searches for something, it shows what the company actually has and shows whether items are in stock or not. An ASP (Active Server Pages) is a code is run everytime someone clicks onto a search engine, the code then reads the database and looks up something and the answer is sent back via a webpage.
- As a customer moves through an online store orering goods, it is necessary to hold the details of the items purchased. Organisations maintain the virtual shopping basket for a customer by reserving the items that you have put into your basket, prices are then totalled and extra prices are added on at the end for example postage and packaging.
- On sheet
- HTTP Authentication produces the familiar login/password browser sequence. This is where a user is asked for a password and an ID to access the server. Cookies are placed into customer's computier but are typically set using an HTML form and Common Gateway Interface script. A persistant cookie can be used which can save the users having to log in everytime they visit the website. This works until the customer deletes the cookie.
- There are some cookies that enable you to save your username to that computer so when you go back onto that website you only have to type in your password therefore saving time for the user. Cookies are an automated way of knowing who is on your website and for how long and what they look at etc.
- A cookie is a way for a server or a web site to place information on the client computer. Cookies are small text files that are stored on the user's hard disk by the web server. These are useful for transactional websites as it can save settings that the user has previously asked for, for example the language that the webpage is in. They are also useful to the website as they can keep account of what products are viewed the most, the amount of time the customer spends on their website, how often they visit etc.
- It is useful to get a customer to log into a website as they can be tracked anonymously using a random numer sent in a cookie. Other tables in the database will track the customer's actions. Once a customer has logged in, the session can be monitored in much more detail. Actions can trigger data being written to the database. This information can be used in a variety of ways for example, loyal customer can be rewarded by special offers.
- List Of The Tables That Might Be Involbed In Tracking Customers' Actions
Affiliates
Affiliates Transfers
Cart Rows
Categories
Categories Products
Credit Cards
Customer Special Prices
Discounts
Emails
Newsletter
Orders
Payments
Products
Related Products
Reviews
Shipments
Stock
Store News
Tax Per Product
Visits
Wap Carts
Wish List - HTTPS encryption is used to secure methods of data transfer. For exmaple, paying by credit card is a relatively easy task but the security of cred card data is very important so when the details are stored in a databse, the table of field holding that data needs to be encrypted as well. This way, if the database is accessed by unauthorised people, the card details cannot be read.
11. This method is safe even when someone intercepts the data travelling through the website as it has been encrypted so is unreadable to anyone looking at it unless they are authorised. - A stolen card is unlikely to be used for shopping as the address details are normally checked and first time orders must always be delivered to the address held by the card company. Once a card payment has been accepted, then the seller is guaranteed the money by the credit card company. Payments cannot be stopped unless the card has been stolen.
- Stock control consists of all the processes involed in ordering, storing and selling goods. An important part of the back office process is real-time stock control. When there is a need to order replacements, the web site could hae inks to the supplier via the internet so that replacement goods can be ordered automatically as too much stock of one thing will tie up money that could be used for other purposes in the business.
- The processes involved in dispatch and delivery are;
Address labels need to be printed along with dispath notes and invoices.
The goods need to be packaged and collected by courier.
The organisation will hand the tracking over to them.
The customer can be informed via email or by logging in to the courier's tracking system so that the customer can track the progress of the consignment.
BACK OFFICE PROCESSES
- The purpose of back office processes is to ensure the smooth ordering, payment and reporting of transactions on the website. Some of the back ofice functions include, accounting, record keeping of clients' orders, stock control and the management of the public facing web site.
- The processes involved in stock control are to make sure that there are enough products to meet the demand, to make sure one item isn't sold twice etc. The centre of this type of system is a database because they can have all of the items listed, information about the item, the supplier of the item, upodates about the item etc.
- A person logs onto a database over the Internet so that everytime a customer goes onto a website and searches for something, it shows what the company actually has and shows whether items are in stock or not. An ASP (Active Server Pages) is a code is run everytime someone clicks onto a search engine, the code then reads the database and looks up something and the answer is sent back via a webpage.
- As a customer moves through an online store orering goods, it is necessary to hold the details of the items purchased. Organisations maintain the virtual shopping basket for a customer by reserving the items that you have put into your basket, prices are then totalled and extra prices are added on at the end for example postage and packaging.
- On sheet
- HTTP Authentication produces the familiar login/password browser sequence. This is where a user is asked for a password and an ID to access the server. Cookies are placed into customer's computier but are typically set using an HTML form and Common Gateway Interface script. A persistant cookie can be used which can save the users having to log in everytime they visit the website. This works until the customer deletes the cookie.
- There are some cookies that enable you to save your username to that computer so when you go back onto that website you only have to type in your password therefore saving time for the user. Cookies are an automated way of knowing who is on your website and for how long and what they look at etc.
- A cookie is a way for a server or a web site to place information on the client computer. Cookies are small text files that are stored on the user's hard disk by the web server. These are useful for transactional websites as it can save settings that the user has previously asked for, for example the language that the webpage is in. They are also useful to the website as they can keep account of what products are viewed the most, the amount of time the customer spends on their website, how often they visit etc.
- It is useful to get a customer to log into a website as they can be tracked anonymously using a random numer sent in a cookie. Other tables in the database will track the customer's actions. Once a customer has logged in, the session can be monitored in much more detail. Actions can trigger data being written to the database. This information can be used in a variety of ways for example, loyal customer can be rewarded by special offers.
- List Of The Tables That Might Be Involbed In Tracking Customers' Actions
Affiliates
Affiliates Transfers
Cart Rows
Categories
Categories Products
Credit Cards
Customer Special Prices
Discounts
Emails
Newsletter
Orders
Payments
Products
Related Products
Reviews
Shipments
Stock
Store News
Tax Per Product
Visits
Wap Carts
Wish List - HTTPS encryption is used to secure methods of data transfer. For exmaple, paying by credit card is a relatively easy task but the security of cred card data is very important so when the details are stored in a databse, the table of field holding that data needs to be encrypted as well. This way, if the database is accessed by unauthorised people, the card details cannot be read.
11. This method is safe even when someone intercepts the data travelling through the website as it has been encrypted so is unreadable to anyone looking at it unless they are authorised. - A stolen card is unlikely to be used for shopping as the address details are normally checked and first time orders must always be delivered to the address held by the card company. Once a card payment has been accepted, then the seller is guaranteed the money by the credit card company. Payments cannot be stopped unless the card has been stolen.
- Stock control consists of all the processes involed in ordering, storing and selling goods. An important part of the back office process is real-time stock control. When there is a need to order replacements, the web site could hae inks to the supplier via the internet so that replacement goods can be ordered automatically as too much stock of one thing will tie up money that could be used for other purposes in the business.
- The processes involved in dispatch and delivery are;
Address labels need to be printed along with dispath notes and invoices.
The goods need to be packaged and collected by courier.
The organisation will hand the tracking over to them.
The customer can be informed via email or by logging in to the courier's tracking system so that the customer can track the progress of the consignment.
BACK OFFICE PROCESSES
- The purpose of back office processes is to ensure the smooth ordering, payment and reporting of transactions on the website. Some of the back ofice functions include, accounting, record keeping of clients' orders, stock control and the management of the public facing web site.
- The processes involved in stock control are to make sure that there are enough products to meet the demand, to make sure one item isn't sold twice etc. The centre of this type of system is a database because they can have all of the items listed, information about the item, the supplier of the item, upodates about the item etc.
- A person logs onto a database over the Internet so that everytime a customer goes onto a website and searches for something, it shows what the company actually has and shows whether items are in stock or not. An ASP (Active Server Pages) is a code is run everytime someone clicks onto a search engine, the code then reads the database and looks up something and the answer is sent back via a webpage.
- As a customer moves through an online store orering goods, it is necessary to hold the details of the items purchased. Organisations maintain the virtual shopping basket for a customer by reserving the items that you have put into your basket, prices are then totalled and extra prices are added on at the end for example postage and packaging.
On sheet - HTTP Authentication produces the familiar login/password browser sequence. This is where a user is asked for a password and an ID to access the server. Cookies are placed into customer's computier but are typically set using an HTML form and Common Gateway Interface script. A persistant cookie can be used which can save the users having to log in everytime they visit the website. This works until the customer deletes the cookie.
- There are some cookies that enable you to save your username to that computer so when you go back onto that website you only have to type in your password therefore saving time for the user. Cookies are an automated way of knowing who is on your website and for how long and what they look at etc.
- A cookie is a way for a server or a web site to place information on the client computer. Cookies are small text files that are stored on the user's hard disk by the web server. These are useful for transactional websites as it can save settings that the user has previously asked for, for example the language that the webpage is in. They are also useful to the website as they can keep account of what products are viewed the most, the amount of time the customer spends on their website, how often they visit etc.
- It is useful to get a customer to log into a website as they can be tracked anonymously using a random numer sent in a cookie. Other tables in the database will track the customer's actions. Once a customer has logged in, the session can be monitored in much more detail. Actions can trigger data being written to the database. This information can be used in a variety of ways for example, loyal customer can be rewarded by special offers.
- List Of The Tables That Might Be Involved In Tracking Customers' Actions
Affiliates
Affiliates Transfers
Cart Rows
Categories
Categories Products
Credit Cards
Customer Special Prices
Discounts
Emails
Newsletter
Orders
Payments
Products
Related Products
Reviews
Shipments
Stock
Store News
Tax Per Product
Visits
Wap Carts
Wish List
10. HTTPS encryption is used to secure methods of data transfer. For exmaple, paying by credit card is a relatively easy task but the security of cred card data is very important so when the details are stored in a databse, the table of field holding that data needs to be encrypted as well. This way, if the database is accessed by unauthorised people, the card details cannot be read.
11. This method is safe even when someone intercepts the data travelling through the website as it has been encrypted so is unreadable to anyone looking at it unless they are authorised.
12. A stolen card is unlikely to be used for shopping as the address details are normally checked and first time orders must always be delivered to the address held by the card company. Once a card payment has been accepted, then the seller is guaranteed the money by the credit card company. Payments cannot be stopped unless the card has been stolen.
13. Stock control consists of all the processes involed in ordering, storing and selling goods. An important part of the back office process is real-time stock control. When there is a need to order replacements, the web site could hae inks to the supplier via the internet so that replacement goods can be ordered automatically as too much stock of one thing will tie up money that could be used for other purposes in the business.
14. The processes involved in dispatch and delivery are;
- Address labels need to be printed along with dispath notes and invoices.
- The goods need to be packaged and collected by courier.
- The organisation will hand the tracking over to them.
- The customer can be informed via email or by logging in to the courier's tracking system so that the customer can track the progress of the consignment.
Monday, 7 January 2008
BACK OFFICE PROCESSES
- The purpose of back office processes is to ensure the smooth ordering, payment and reporting of transactions on the website. Some of the back ofice functions include, accounting, record keeping of clients' orders, stock control and the management of the public facing web site.
- The processes involved in stock control are to make sure that there are enough products to meet the demand, to make sure one item isn't sold twice etc. The centre of this type of system is a database because they can have all of the items listed, information about the item, the supplier of the item, upodates about the item etc.
- A person logs onto a database over the Internet so that everytime a customer goes onto a website and searches for something, it shows what the company actually has and shows whether items are in stock or not. An ASP (Active Server Pages) is a code is run everytime someone clicks onto a search engine, the code then reads the database and looks up something and the answer is sent back via a webpage.
- As a customer moves through an online store orering goods, it is necessary to hold the details of the items purchased. Organisations maintain the virtual shopping basket for a customer by reserving the items that you have put into your basket, prices are then totalled and extra prices are added on at the end for example postage and packaging.
- On sheet
- HTTP Authentication produces the familiar login/password browser sequence. This is where a user is asked for a password and an ID to access the server. Cookies are placed into customer's computier but are typically set using an HTML form and Common Gateway Interface script. A persistant cookie can be used which can save the users having to log in everytime they visit the website. This works until the customer deletes the cookie.
- There are some cookies that enable you to save your username to that computer so when you go back onto that website you only have to type in your password therefore saving time for the user. Cookies are an automated way of knowing who is on your website and for how long and what they look at etc.
- A cookie is a way for a server or a web site to place information on the client computer. Cookies are small text files that are stored on the user's hard disk by the web server. These are useful for transactional websites as it can save settings that the user has previously asked for, for example the language that the webpage is in. They are also useful to the website as they can keep account of what products are viewed the most, the amount of time the customer spends on their website, how often they visit etc.
- It is useful to get a customer to log into a website as they can be tracked anonymously using a random numer sent in a cookie. Other tables in the database will track the customer's actions. Once a customer has logged in, the session can be monitored in much more detail. Actions can trigger data being written to the database. This information can be used in a variety of ways for example, loyal customer can be rewarded by special offers.
List Of The Tables That Might Be Involbed In Tracking Customers' Actions
Affiliates
Affiliates Transfers
Cart Rows
Categories
Categories Products
Credit Cards
Customer Special Prices
Discounts
Emails
Newsletter
Orders
Payments
Products
Related Products
Reviews
Shipments
Stock
Store News
Tax Per Product
Visits
Wap Carts
Wish List
10. HTTPS encryption is used to secure methods of data transfer. For exmaple, paying by credit card is a relatively easy task but the security of cred card data is very important so when the details are stored in a databse, the table of field holding that data needs to be encrypted as well. This way, if the database is accessed by unauthorised people, the card details cannot be read.
11. This method is safe even when someone intercepts the data travelling through the website as it has been encrypted so is unreadable to anyone looking at it unless they are authorised.
12. A stolen card is unlikely to be used for shopping as the address details are normally checked and first time orders must always be delivered to the address held by the card company. Once a card payment has been accepted, then the seller is guaranteed the money by the credit card company. Payments cannot be stopped unless the card has been stolen.
13. Stock control consists of all the processes involed in ordering, storing and selling goods. An important part of the back office process is real-time stock control. When there is a need to order replacements, the web site could hae inks to the supplier via the internet so that replacement goods can be ordered automatically as too much stock of one thing will tie up money that could be used for other purposes in the business.
Wednesday, 19 December 2007
THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE OFFERED. unit 2
The Customer Experience Offered
A good website will be part of an integrated system that supports the customers from the moment they load the web site to the aftercare they can expect following delivery.
ASOS offers a page with information to help the user through the many problems or fears they may encounter when purchasing something for the first time online. It also offers many ways in which the customer can contact the website.
Although the Help and Contact page is quite long, it is sectioned into categories so that the customer can read the information relevant to their situation.
A good website will be part of an integrated system that supports the customers from the moment they load the web site to the aftercare they can expect following delivery.
ASOS offers a page with information to help the user through the many problems or fears they may encounter when purchasing something for the first time online. It also offers many ways in which the customer can contact the website.
Although the Help and Contact page is quite long, it is sectioned into categories so that the customer can read the information relevant to their situation.
This website does not have a ‘Feedback’ feature where a customer can type in their information and opinions about the website. This can make potential customers shop elsewhere as they do not know whether to trust the website as they cannot see what other people’s experiences have been like.
The Returns section is easy to find creating good customer care as if a customer is not happy with their product they can return it easily and they do not have to search through the website trying to find how to return it.
The Returns section is easy to find creating good customer care as if a customer is not happy with their product they can return it easily and they do not have to search through the website trying to find how to return it.
Tuesday, 18 December 2007
THE SITES USABILITY AND ACCESS. unit 2
The Sites Usability And Access
In the design stages of a website, IT experts need to take into account that not everyone finds using computers easy and by putting too much into the homepage or making the menus confusing can make potential customers shop elsewhere.There is an easy drop down list that changes the currency of the prices on the website, this therefore branches to a wider audience as people from different countries can see how much the clothes are in their currency instead of having to get out a calculator and do it themselves. This is located in the top right hand corner of the website.
There is a search box that helps the user find a specific item that they want without having to search through all of the categories and sections. Also, in this search box the user can type in a code to bring up a specific item. (The codes are found in the magazine that is sent to home addresses.) The advantage of having this type of system is that if a customer sees something they really like in a magazine, they do not have to search through all of the pages in one section to find that specific top etc. they can simply type in the code and it will be uploaded.
The website has a clear structure and has a small menu across the top of the page showing links on how the customer can track their order, log into their account and watch a short video of how to shop if they are new to online shopping.
There is small menu across the bottom of the page showing links to pages where the customer can find out more information about returns, how to contact the company, the terms and conditions etc.
There is also a main menu on the left hand side of the page labeling the main categories of products that they sell. Once having clicked on a category a new page will appear and areas within that category will be shown.
Some people often find it hard to remember whether the URL has a ‘.com’ or a ‘.co.uk’ at the end of it. However, if a customer types into the URL http://www.asos.com/ and http://www.asos.co.uk/, they will be directed to the same page. This is good as the customer will always be able to find the website.
Overall, I think that ASOS have a layout that isn’t confusing and the fact that they have a ‘Help’ page and a 5 step guide on how to shop will make it easier for people that do not normally shop online. They are easily accessed through searching on any search engine and the URL can either be ‘.com’ or ‘.co.uk’ and the same page gets uploaded.
In the design stages of a website, IT experts need to take into account that not everyone finds using computers easy and by putting too much into the homepage or making the menus confusing can make potential customers shop elsewhere.There is an easy drop down list that changes the currency of the prices on the website, this therefore branches to a wider audience as people from different countries can see how much the clothes are in their currency instead of having to get out a calculator and do it themselves. This is located in the top right hand corner of the website.
There is a search box that helps the user find a specific item that they want without having to search through all of the categories and sections. Also, in this search box the user can type in a code to bring up a specific item. (The codes are found in the magazine that is sent to home addresses.) The advantage of having this type of system is that if a customer sees something they really like in a magazine, they do not have to search through all of the pages in one section to find that specific top etc. they can simply type in the code and it will be uploaded.
The website has a clear structure and has a small menu across the top of the page showing links on how the customer can track their order, log into their account and watch a short video of how to shop if they are new to online shopping.
There is small menu across the bottom of the page showing links to pages where the customer can find out more information about returns, how to contact the company, the terms and conditions etc.
There is also a main menu on the left hand side of the page labeling the main categories of products that they sell. Once having clicked on a category a new page will appear and areas within that category will be shown.
Some people often find it hard to remember whether the URL has a ‘.com’ or a ‘.co.uk’ at the end of it. However, if a customer types into the URL http://www.asos.com/ and http://www.asos.co.uk/, they will be directed to the same page. This is good as the customer will always be able to find the website.
Overall, I think that ASOS have a layout that isn’t confusing and the fact that they have a ‘Help’ page and a 5 step guide on how to shop will make it easier for people that do not normally shop online. They are easily accessed through searching on any search engine and the URL can either be ‘.com’ or ‘.co.uk’ and the same page gets uploaded.
THE TECHNIQUES USED TO ENGAGE, RETAIN AND ENTICE CUSTOMERS. unit 2
The Techniques Used To Engage, Retain And Entice Customers
As ASOS are an online based website, there are no sales people to persuade a customer to buy goods. There is also no way for a customer to build up a relationship with the vendor helping to ensure that the customer comes back.
Because of this, the website uses special techniques to help retain customers.
Because of this, the website uses special techniques to help retain customers.
ASOS has created a good name for itself and you always hear people recommend their friends to browse the website as they do very good deals and sell a variety of products.
Customers go to web sites for many reasons, so a web site needs to reflect as many of these reasons as possible.
There are banner advertisements to engage the customers and show off their products that are on sale. These can be found on the homepage below the main image.
Customers go to web sites for many reasons, so a web site needs to reflect as many of these reasons as possible.
There are banner advertisements to engage the customers and show off their products that are on sale. These can be found on the homepage below the main image.
Also, other products that are on offer are shown in the homepages in their different categories.
To retain the customers, the website has to make sure that the customers become engaged in the pages as quickly as possible because if they are not then they will leave. If the web site is too slow the potential customers will leave before the page has even finished loading.
On ASOS, as soon as a user clicks onto a link the page loads itself up which is good as the website is not loosing customers through the lack of it loading fast.
Other ways of retaining customers is bargains and money off items.
On ASOS, as soon as a user clicks onto a link the page loads itself up which is good as the website is not loosing customers through the lack of it loading fast.
Other ways of retaining customers is bargains and money off items.
The content of a website should be relevant and up-to-date with its prices and items. Any images should show the latest product, not something that is well out of date. ASOS does this through its blog.ASOS created a blog so that they could constantly update its customers with information on new items available, new offers and deals and celebrity fashion news. This is a brilliant way to engage and retain customers as the customers will want to return to read any updates and keep coming back to read further stories and offers.
Customers can also find a link to the blog in the menu at the bottom of the page.
ASOS is a catchy URL name and is an abbreviation for As Seen On Screen, already the user is potentially persuaded by the name as what they see on screen is exactly what they will get and also implies what they see celebrities wearing on the television is what they can find on this website enticing them to look further and browse to see if there is anything they like.
Monday, 17 December 2007
Conditions Of Purchase. unit 2
Conditions Of Purchase
As ASOS is a reputable company and want to make shopping a fun experience and if any problems occur they want to help the customer in any way possible, they have made it possible to see the conditions of purchase very easily.
Companies are often criticised for making them long and difficult to read, however, ASOS has made it very simple and has labeled each section with a subtitle so that the customer only has to read the sections that are applicable to them or what they want to read.
Every good website should make it clear to the customers how they can return their items that they do not like. And as this is a purely website based company they are more likely to have more requests for returns as the customer cannot try the items on.
The Identification And Authentication Routines The Website Has. unit 2
The Identification And Authentication Routines The Website Has
After creating an account with ASOS, you will have created a password and should use this password when logging in to your account on this website. It is important not to share your password with anyone else as your account holds details about you including credit card details. If someone who has malicious intent took your details, you may be open to identity theft or fraud.
When a customer enters a transaction website, it is important to identify and authenticate the customer.
Servers on the Web use two basic ways of identification and authentication;
HTTP: This authentication is where the user is asked for a password and an ID to access the server.
Cookies: As described previously, these are placed on the customer’s computer. Many users view cookies with suspicion as they are able to view your actions (what websites you use, how many times you go on them etc.)
After creating an account with ASOS, you will have created a password and should use this password when logging in to your account on this website. It is important not to share your password with anyone else as your account holds details about you including credit card details. If someone who has malicious intent took your details, you may be open to identity theft or fraud.
If a customer has forgotten their password, it gives you the option of typing in your email address and your unique password will be sent to that email address. This is useful as it only sends the forgotten password to an email address that is specified. This stops someone from stealing your password and is a better method than using a secret question such as ‘What is your favourite colour’ etc. as many people might be able to guess this.
THE METHODS USED TO CAPTURE CUSTOMER INFORMATION. unit 2
The Methods Used To Capture Customer Information
Websites use many methods to capture customer information. Overt methods are the obvious methods that the customer knows about; this is done by a customer filling in a form etc and they know what information is being taken about them.
In other cases, information is collected without the customer realising. Methods that do this are called Covert.
Some websites, when taking credit card details, will log the IP address of the computer making the transaction. This is a good security measure that the website takes as if someone has stolen a credit card and starts using it to make transactions online and the person states that their credit card has been stolen, the police can go to ASOS and ask for the IP address of the computer making that transaction. They can then go to the ISP (Internet Service Provider) and ask for the name that that particular computer is under. Then further action can be taken.
Other methods of collecting data involve putting a code on a website that leaves cookies on the user’s computer.
A cookie is a small text file that is stored on your hard disk. It contains information about the user, normally in the form of an identification number. When the user visits the website again the cookie is read and the website can then access a database of information to look up the user’s identity.
Other information is also recorded, such as the number of time you visit the website, what items you look at etc.
Websites use many methods to capture customer information. Overt methods are the obvious methods that the customer knows about; this is done by a customer filling in a form etc and they know what information is being taken about them.
In other cases, information is collected without the customer realising. Methods that do this are called Covert.
Some websites, when taking credit card details, will log the IP address of the computer making the transaction. This is a good security measure that the website takes as if someone has stolen a credit card and starts using it to make transactions online and the person states that their credit card has been stolen, the police can go to ASOS and ask for the IP address of the computer making that transaction. They can then go to the ISP (Internet Service Provider) and ask for the name that that particular computer is under. Then further action can be taken.
Other methods of collecting data involve putting a code on a website that leaves cookies on the user’s computer.
A cookie is a small text file that is stored on your hard disk. It contains information about the user, normally in the form of an identification number. When the user visits the website again the cookie is read and the website can then access a database of information to look up the user’s identity.
Other information is also recorded, such as the number of time you visit the website, what items you look at etc.
Sunday, 16 December 2007
THE TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS THAT CAN BE MADE. unit 2
The Types Of Transactons That Can Be Made
A Transactional website is a website where the user purchase items, for example amazon.co.uk, ebay.com and asos.com. Other transactional websites can provide services such as AA with car insurance etc. It is called a transaction website because a transaction is carried out between the customer and the company providing the goods or services.
Every transaction website entails;
· Collecting details from the customer (address, contact details, card details etc.)
· Collecting the payment (a system that is efficient with collecting card payments, however some companies use PayPal – an intermediary between you and the company)
Databases play a vital role in these websites as they store the details of the customers, card details, details of the purchases you have made, details of the products they sell and whether there is any in stock etc.
Tansactions can be as simple as clicking on an image of an item to see if any are in stock. However, there are more complex cases such as when a user is the customer on a website for the first time and has to fill in a form where all their details can be captured.
The next page to appear is where the customer either inputs their account details or creates an account before they can purchase the item.
If the customer does not have an account they click the icon that says Create Your Account. A new page will upload and it will ask the customer to input their details in order for them to purchase their item/s.
The main way of interacting with these pages is to use texts boxes that require information typing into them. The payment method shows another method, called a drop-down menu, where a choice is given (i.e. what credit card they will be using etc.) and the user selects one of these choices.
Just to make the reader feel that they are giving their personal details to a safe website, the website gives an option of the customer viewing a verification that that is the actual website and that they are a safe website.
Just to make the reader feel that they are giving their personal details to a safe website, the website gives an option of the customer viewing a verification that that is the actual website and that they are a safe website.
Thursday, 13 December 2007
THE PRODUCT INFORMATION PROVIDED unit 2
The Product Information Provided
The more information a customer has of a product the more likely they are to buy it. It is especially essential for a website based company to give as much information and show as many pictures possible about a certain item as a customer cannot go to the shop and quickly try it on or see what it looks like.
Although the returns policy is good, if the website does not give enough information and picture sit can certainly put a customer off of buying a product. I think that this website gives a lot of information about the product and gives many different angled pictures of an item to make me want to buy it as i am a regular customer on this website.
Having clicked on an item I like, a new web page loads with more information about that item. The screenshot above is a dress, which I saw a small picture of and liked so therefore clicked on the picture to find out more information.
At the side of the picture of the item, there are a few bullet points detailing information about the item. It also tells you the price and what sizes the item is available in.
At the bottom of the page there is an information box that tells the customer what the item is made out of, how to wash the item, what size the item is (the item shown in the picture, if a different size is chosen then obviously these measurements will change). There is also there is are two other tabs on the information box, one describing the returns policy of this item and the other describing the different types of delivery that can come with this item.
THE GOODS THAT ASOS.COM OFFERS - unit 2
The Goods That ASOS.com Offers
ASOS.com is a fashion store for both women and men. However, it is unclear from the URL or the website name what the website sells (ASOS stands for As Seen On Screen, so therefore could mean anything). This website sells everything from bangles and dresses to shirts and ties. However a list of items available is on the side menu in both the men and women’s sections. By clicking on one of the categories it may show more areas within that category of items the website sells.
They have a wide range of items available in different sizes and colours and this is one of the many reasons why it is a popular website.
I think the homepage could be improved a little as it is not quite obvious what their main products that they sell are (clothes) as it is disguised within the word Collection in the menu bar at the side of the page.
There is a link at the bottom of the homepage that takes the customer to a page that lists everything that the website sells and the designers that they sell clothes for.This can be found by clicking on this link ‘ Store Search’ in the bottom toolbar.
I think the homepage could be improved a little as it is not quite obvious what their main products that they sell are (clothes) as it is disguised within the word Collection in the menu bar at the side of the page.
There is a link at the bottom of the homepage that takes the customer to a page that lists everything that the website sells and the designers that they sell clothes for.This can be found by clicking on this link ‘ Store Search’ in the bottom toolbar.
Wednesday, 12 December 2007
HOW IT IS STRUCTURED - unit 2
How is ASOS.com Structured?
ASOS is a very well structured transactional website. It uses a frame to ensure that the customers that visit the website do not get lost. The designers have kept the pages simple and uncluttered to make sure they are easy on the eye.
The homepage consists of their logo on the left hand side corner. There is an advertisement at the top of the page and then a shopping basket with options on the top right hand corner. The main toolbar options then start. There is an option of choosing between Women’s and Men’s, there is a search box and then there are hyperlinks to pages that offer the reader help such as, How to Shop, Track your Order, Help and Contact etc.
There is a menu down the left hand side of the homepage. This is where the items the website sells are listed. There are categories of items and if a category is clicked on then it produces another list of areas within that category. The main picture is advertising new Christmas stock and items that are the most popular. There is a blog at the side of the main picture which updates customers on fashion, celebrities and new items.Below the main picture and blog is two pictures that portray items on offer, these pictures are directly linked to the pages where the items on offer can be found. This is to make it easier for the user to find the items on offer and entice the reader to buy them, as they haven’t had to search through all the items to find those that are on offer. Below this is a dialogue box where a customer can type in their email address to hear about new items on sale and fashion news. This is a way to entice the readers back onto the website and share information with them. At the very bottom of the page there are links that may interest the reader such as Terms and Conditions, About Us and Returns.
Once having clicked on one of the options down the side menu, it opens the homepage of the link that you have just clicked but also creates a drop down menu with the main areas in that category.
I clicked onto Collection, and then Dresses to see how the layout changed and what new options and information was available to the customer when they were browsing further into the website.
Also, part of the layout is a shopping bag feature. This allows the customer to choose many different items and store them in a virtual shopping bag. When finishing shopping, the customer can go to the shopping bag and purchase all the things they have chosen. ASOS.com also has a drop down menu feature where the customer, depending on the currency of their country, can change the currency so that they understand how much the items are in their money.
A search facility is essential on a big website such as ASOS.com as it allows the customer to quickly browse what they want without the hassle of searching through all the different menus and pages where their desired item could be.
ASOS is a very well structured transactional website. It uses a frame to ensure that the customers that visit the website do not get lost. The designers have kept the pages simple and uncluttered to make sure they are easy on the eye.
The homepage consists of their logo on the left hand side corner. There is an advertisement at the top of the page and then a shopping basket with options on the top right hand corner. The main toolbar options then start. There is an option of choosing between Women’s and Men’s, there is a search box and then there are hyperlinks to pages that offer the reader help such as, How to Shop, Track your Order, Help and Contact etc.
There is a menu down the left hand side of the homepage. This is where the items the website sells are listed. There are categories of items and if a category is clicked on then it produces another list of areas within that category. The main picture is advertising new Christmas stock and items that are the most popular. There is a blog at the side of the main picture which updates customers on fashion, celebrities and new items.Below the main picture and blog is two pictures that portray items on offer, these pictures are directly linked to the pages where the items on offer can be found. This is to make it easier for the user to find the items on offer and entice the reader to buy them, as they haven’t had to search through all the items to find those that are on offer. Below this is a dialogue box where a customer can type in their email address to hear about new items on sale and fashion news. This is a way to entice the readers back onto the website and share information with them. At the very bottom of the page there are links that may interest the reader such as Terms and Conditions, About Us and Returns.
Once having clicked on one of the options down the side menu, it opens the homepage of the link that you have just clicked but also creates a drop down menu with the main areas in that category.
I clicked onto Collection, and then Dresses to see how the layout changed and what new options and information was available to the customer when they were browsing further into the website.
This is the new window that appears after having clicked on Dresses. We can see that the top of the pages layout has stayed the same and the bottom has too however, the side options have changed.
Also, part of the layout is a shopping bag feature. This allows the customer to choose many different items and store them in a virtual shopping bag. When finishing shopping, the customer can go to the shopping bag and purchase all the things they have chosen. ASOS.com also has a drop down menu feature where the customer, depending on the currency of their country, can change the currency so that they understand how much the items are in their money.
A search facility is essential on a big website such as ASOS.com as it allows the customer to quickly browse what they want without the hassle of searching through all the different menus and pages where their desired item could be.
Tuesday, 11 December 2007
PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES. unit 2
What Purpose Does This Website Have and Does It Meet Its Objectives?
We can see straight away that this website sells fashion items as beneath the website’s logo it states that it is an ‘online fashion store’.
We can see straight away that this website sells fashion items as beneath the website’s logo it states that it is an ‘online fashion store’.Having first clicked onto this website, I could tell that it was an online clothing store as there were many pictures of new items available and there were many offers on the homepage portraying pictures of trousers, tops, dresses etc.
My first impression of the website was that it’s main target audience was women, as there were many female items available. However, when looking further, I could see that they also had a men’s section as well.
I thought the website must have been popular and created by a company that had high aims and expectations as their layout is very clear and aesthetically pleasing and also, they have their own blog - which portrays to me that they are a big company that does not just use pictures to sell their products they also use ways which involve ICT to tell their customers about new products and information available.
The objective of the website is the online sales of women and men’s fashion. Especially as this is a website based company and does not have any stores throughout the UK.
I think that people that search through this website will be enticed to look further as there are many large boxes of information with offers and special deals etc.
This news clipping from the BBC website proves that ASOS’s objectives of selling their products was definitely met this year as their sales were very profitable and the number of people visiting the website each month (two million) proved that the whole website was aesthetically pleasing and you could easily navigate yourself around the website as their customers would not keep coming back if they found it difficult and confusing.
The pictures that portray the products are on a person, so that the customer can see what the product will look like in contrast to the product being laid flat on a table etc. There are also different views to the pictures available so the customer can see what the top for example really looks like. This is another way that they meet their objective of selling as much as possible through an online method as the more a customer can see an item, the more they will be enticed to buy it. Online based companies are very aware that a customer cannot ‘try’ the items on or see what they are like until it turns up at their house so they have to ensure that they give the customer better than satisfactory ways of seeing the items available.
On my first impression, the fact that this website has a logo, has their own blog and gives the customer many ways of contacting them, it proved to me that it was a trustable website.
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