Discuss about the Interactive Customer Website for Cosmetiks Limited.
This proposal is met to offer innovative solutions to the company’s customers reduced numbers, through it, Cosmetiks limited will be able to develop strategic ideas that will fulfil the need of the consumers while facilitating future company’s endeavours. As a leading cosmetic company, the overall business has relied on the standard structure set at its foundation to sell products and increase the customer base. However, things have changed, majority of the customers are now young people most of who are the millennial generation and as seen time and again, are a generation that requires easy, fast and efficient systems. Their demands cannot be met by the traditional systems where they have to go to a company’s shops or store to buy their products. This proposal offers the solution to this problem while maximising on the currently available resources.
According to Maddie Grant (2015), the millennial generation is quickly taking over the world and with that, they expect speed in every aspect of their lives. They prefer online shopping and quick online customer reviews as compared to physical interactions with company employees. Moreover, their preferences are facilitated by the instantaneous access to information that is enabled by the internet. In addition to this, the current breed of customers grew up with apps that meet their every demand without failure, else they dump them and move on to others that do so. Furthermore, all modern day thriving businesses strive on modern online systems, be it food purchasing sites to transport services among many others. In light of this information, the company needs to adapt to this new order for survival and for maximum customer satisfaction.
Today, the average person spends over five hours a day online and as of 2015, these numbers were said to increase considering television views and even reading are now considered online activities (eMarketer, 2015). Furthermore, even without considering online activities, the average person is also said to use electronic devices eight hours a day including checking their mobile phones when they sleep. These numbers effectively mean people spend more time on their devices than they do sleeping (Davies, 2015). Moreover, it is because of these numbers that all companies are seeking online platforms to expand their customer base, from using websites, social media platforms and even blogs.
Cosmetiks lacks this outlook and for a long time has relied on its renowned name to make sales and expand its customer size. Employing an interactive website will not only serve as a tool to reach the millennial generation but will also improve the company’s brand. Furthermore, a website is a good bet on offering a good first impression on the customers themselves. Again, most purchases today are first made through an online search, and in doing so a consumer is able to pass judgement on the products sold and on the company itself. Moreover, unlike before people no longer do window shopping instead they peruse products via online platforms where based on what they see make the decision to buy the product. In addition to this, online reviews posted by other customers serve as better marketing tools as compared to product advertisements (Nicole, 2014).
As a solution to these demands, the company should develop an interactive website that would offer an array of services including customer enquiry services and purchase services themselves. The said website would have the normal website outline but with the inclusion of an online, active customer platform. This customer platform would be characterised by private profiles created by the customers themselves. Through these profiles, the company would have a one on one interaction with every prospective client, which again is a renowned way of convincing prospective customers. Moreover, one on one interactions is known to create a sense of ownership and worth to the customers who feel valued by a business (PWC, 2016).
A project’s success is determined by the company’s ability to make strategic decisions that are driven by its goals. Similarly, the website in question must be analysed prior to developing it. First, comprehensive research is needed into the technical tools, options and mechanisms to be used. These items are determined by the objectives set by the company, in this scenario they would be; to improve our customer base, improve customer interaction and ultimately increase the profit margins. Technically, a website development starts with a domain name, where a company choose a unique identifier that is later used to market the brand. Moreover, a good domain name is important as it’s used to optimise search engine options. In essence, the domain name used should be something the clients associate the company/business with e.g. renowned names in cosmetics or even the name cosmetics itself (Marsan, 2016). Finally, the website should have the tools to facilitate mobile access, this because handheld gadgets are the most used devices in the world.
When the developing a website the most logical thing to do is to start with a clear cut information structure, where all the relevant information is provided. The basics, such as what the company does, where, who, questions and answers should be at the forefront. After providing the basic information, the website should then delve into the details answering the customer’s queries in detail. Furthermore, the website should also maintain a goal oriented structure where certain items are grouped into one. Most customers have a need to get precise information and for this to work the website must only show the relevant information. Finally, the website should be customizable for the needs of different customers who have different needs and desires (Idler, 2012).
Several options are available when developing a website however they are determined by need, cost and time available. The first option is to develop a website using a website builder however, this method is appropriate for small businesses with little content. Secondly, option is to develop a website from an existing template but this option may be liable to loyalty costs and may lack the necessary development tools. Finally, hiring a professional website development company that would apply the concepts of content management system to develop a customised website (Soderlund, 2015). This is the best option as it provides the company with the freedom to determine the structure, access and size of the website (Katkin, 2015).
Custom websites are the most expensive websites to develop having an average cost of between 20, 000 to 100,000 dollars. However, the cost is determined by the project quota which includes the number of pages, response, SEO guarantee, database integration, e-commerce services and customer management services (Webpagefx, 2017). Since the proposed website requires all these items the maximum cost would be expected, however, the cost should serve as a substantial investment to the success of the business. Moreover, with a responsive and interactive website the amount spent developing the website can be easily recovered owing to our already established customer size.
On the other hand, the timeline for the website development will depend on the milestones set, including; design, content material development and programming. However, a comprehensive website should follow the following basic timeline.
Conclusion
Innovation and technological development is the key to the success of any business, it’s because of this objective that big companies such Apple, Microsoft and Google invest heavily on new products and development tactics. For a cosmetic company, the market competition is too high to depend on old systems for the success of the business. Moreover, other competitors in the same field also seek to apply similar channels to enhance their customer outreach. Therefore, as a business, the company should invest in the basic form of technology to improve the chances of survival. Furthermore, having mastered the basics of this new innovation such as those suggested by the interactive website, the company can then develop other channels to maximise the outcome of the business. In conclusion, the proposed website is not a supplementary product for the business success but a necessity for the survival of the business in the modern competitive market.
The current society is characterised by a global market where people can buy products from different countries and continents than the ones they live in. Such efficiencies and resource availability are enabled by facilities such as online marketing shopping and online interaction. The proposed website offers many advantages unmatched by any other business module. Furthermore, developing the said website should be the foundation of modernising the company which is currently stuck in the traditional ways of doing business. In the future, the company should invest in other online interactive platforms such as blogs and even social media platforms.
Moreover, investing in an online marketing department that solely focuses on online activities and customers could serve to boost the company’s online presence. This department would be responsible for establishing a strong online footprint by ensuring the company’s visibility and presence are maintained. In addition to this, the said department could engage with customers over social media platforms to understand their desires and preferences. This customer input would then help the company develop better products geared towards their needs.
Domain Name – This is form of identification, used to uniquely identify a given IP addresses that uniquely identify a website. For example consider the website designated by https://www.cosmetiks.com/index.html, the domain name in this instance is cosmetiks.com.
SEO – Search engine optimization is the overall processes that determine the visibility of a given website in an unpaid search engine result. In essence, how quickly can a customer find a company’s website from a search engine e.g. Google?
References
Davies M. (2015). Average person now spends more time on their phone and laptop than SLEEPING, study claims. Mail online. Retrieved 14 January, 2017, from: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2989952/How-technology-taking-lives-spend-time-phones-laptops-SLEEPING.html
Grant M. (2015). Speed and Trust – Why Millennials Need Both. Higher logic. Retrieved 14 January, 2017, from: https://blog.higherlogic.com/speed-and-trust-why-millennials-need-both
Idler. S. (2012). Top 9 Guidelines For A Better Content Organization. Usabilla blog. Retrieved 14 January, 2017, from: https://blog.usabilla.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-content-organization-in-web-design/
Katkin Z. (2015). What does a website cost? Atilus. Retrieved 14 January, 2017, from: https://www.atilus.com/what-does-a-website-cost-web-site-development-costs/
Nicole L. (2014). 3 Reasons Websites Are Vital for Small Businesses. Forbes. Retrieved 14 January, 2017, from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicoleleinbachreyhle/2014/09/29/websites-for-small-businesses/#63c27d5a4318
UPANUP. (2017). Website Timeline: A Plan for Success. Retrieved 14 January, 2017, from: https://www.upanup.com/blog/website-timeline-plan-success
Webpagefx. (2017). How Much Should a Website Cost in 2017? Design services. Retrieved 14 January, 2017, from: https://www.webpagefx.com/How-much-should-web-site-cost.html
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