In Part A you will analyze an existing e-commerce website, providing insight into the nature of the business, its business model, approach, technologies, etc. In addition, you will comment on user interface and interaction, site design, security, site optimization, etc. and offer recommendations to improve any potential issues you might discover.

Pick a business or company that is related to your personal preferences or interests, has received recent publicity, has demonstrated innovativeness regarding their business model, or has otherwise stood out for some reason.

Please note:

Do not choose any of the following: Amazon, eBay, YouTube, Baidu, Yahoo, Wikipedia, Taobao, Walmart, LinkedIn, Instagram, Alibaba/AliExpress, any social media site, Google, PayPal, any airline, and Starbucks.

The reason for this is that these EC websites are very complex and not easily manageable for the detailed analysis we are looking for. There are also a lot of analyses of these websites published already. You are much better off with a smaller EC website where you can really explore the details.

Analyze your chosen e-commerce business/company.

Use the REI analysis that you completed in Module 9 as a starting point and guide to assessing the firm. It provides you with helpful ideas of what you should be looking at while analyzing a website. Feel free to add and expand on the suggested sections and questions.

Identify the EC business models that the e-commerce business is applying and comment on the strength and appropriateness of the model for what the firm is doing.

Look for details, including but not limited to, Vision/Mission, Industry Information, Business Strategies, and Financial Performance (where available), Industry Developments, and Future Outlook.

Do NOT engage in any primary research such as talking to people, doing interviews, and conducting surveys. These are all methods
of primary data collection, and all primary research at universities needs clearance from the university's ethics committee. Therefore, only secondary research is allowed for this project.

Please only collect and use data that was previously collected by somebody else, for statistical purposes, published research articles etc.

Research multiple sources online and/or offline, and cite all sources to avoid plagiarism.

Write a report of your analysis of the e-commerce business.

Write a final report of your analysis of the e-commerce business below a 4000 word maximum, ideally formatted in 11pt font, and with 1 inch margins. Refer to sample report A and sample report B as a guide.

E-Commerce 

Website Analysis of REI Website

Pretend you are a consultant. Prepare a report and recommendations based on the following points for the REI website : 

Organization / consistency

Does the information REI provides on their site encourage a sale? Are the product categories easy to understand? 

Can you find REI's mission statement? Does it resonate throughout the site? 

Does being a co-op change anything? (Communication, products,  community involvement, etc.) 

Environmental efforts? 

Design

Is REI's corporate design consistent? How would you describe it?  (Layout, colours, appearance) 

If you find inconsistencies, explain them; are they advisable? 

Product pages are crucial

Customers should be presented with all the information they need to make a purchase decision, from delivery details to technical info. 

Do you find everything you need on REI's product pages?

Navigation

Clearly, it's important to ensure that the site's navigation is easy to use and  understand, and makes sense to the target audience. 

Clear, consistent navigation is  essential, as well as effective filtering options that allow customers to find if a  suitable item is recommended. 

What are your thoughts on REI's navigation?

Security

As well as providing third party certification to increase customer trust, e-tailers  must ensure that protection for their site's information/software is up-to-date and  effective.

What security information is available on the site?Website Analysis of REI Website

Ease of purchase

Improving the checkout process can be the single most effective way of increasing  conversion, so examine the checkout process for any problems that may be causing  abandonment.

Common problems include hidden charges, clumsy user registration, lengthy checkout processes, and technical issues. What is your analysis? 

You can also compare with other sites you know or use. 

Communication

Consider how customers will want to contact REI; a phone number is essential, but some may prefer click-to-call or email. 

In addition, a comprehensive FAQ section will answer many possible customer queries and avoid the need for them to contact  the company. What is available on REI's website? 

Are product reviews available? 

Customer retention: What makes users come back? 

SEO

Look at how the site is performing in the search engine rankings for targeted keywords.

It is worth examining which pages are delivering the best organic search  results and finding out what is effective on these pages.

What is your SEO analysis  of REI's website? 

Affiliates/referrals

Can you find REI affiliates and referral pages? 

Which other e-commerce sites sell REI products and/or link to the REI site? 

Evaluate these sites. 

Technology

Test any new software, content, or redesign. Ensure the site displays properly on different browsers. 

How does REI score in terms of technology use? Have they adopted any new technologies and if so how? 

Others

Which core competencies from the store can be useful for their travel business? 

Any recommendations for improvement?