Decision Making and Chance

Google Tech Talks September 17, 2006 Dr. Mike Orkin is a Managing Scientist at Exponent, a publicly traded scientific consulting company headquartered in Menlo Park. Mike has numerous research publications in game theory and probability theory and has written data mining and simulation software. He is a nationally known authority on odds and gambling games and has appeared on numerous TV and radio shows to discuss gambling and odds, including CNN, NBC's Dateline and ABC's World News Tonight. ABSTRACT Certain gambling games, such as roulette and craps, are games of pure chance: In repeated play, luck disappears, and the persistent gambler will go broke. Other gambling activities, such as betting on sports or the stock market, may involve an element of skill. One way to measure this is to compare the results of a gambling strategy with chance: A skillful strategy should produce long-run results that are better than would be achieved by someone who is just guessing. One can also compare a gambler’s losses with chance to see if the gambler is doing worse than chance would allow. I will discuss two recent projects that illustrate these concepts: • Automated data mining software discovers that the Baltimore Ravens are 17-3 versus the point spread when they lost their previous game and their opponents played their previous game on the road. Do situations like this give clever gamblers an edge or are such strong win-loss records merely random flukes? • A gambler loses $30 million betting at an online casino. Is it possible to lose this much just by chance or is the gambler being cheated? Or maybe the gambler is part of a money laundering scheme.

A Googly MySQL Cluster Talk

Google TechTalks April 28, 2006 Stewart Smith Stewart Smith works for MySQL AB as a software engineer working on MySQL Cluster. He is an active member of the free and open source software community, especially in Australia. ABSTRACT Part 1 - Introduction to MySQL Cluster The NDB storage engine (MySQL Cluster) is a high-availability storage engine for MySQL. It provides synchronous replication between storage nodes and many mysql servers having a consistent view of the database. In 4.1 and 5.0 it's a main memory database, but in 5.1 non-indexed attributes can be stored on disk. NDB also provides a lot of determinism in system resource usage. I'll talk a bit about that. Part 2 - New features in 5.1 including cluster to cluster replication, disk based data and a bunch of other things. anybody that is attending the mysql users conference may find this eerily familiar.

How To Break Web Software - A look at security vulnerabilities in web software

Google TechTalks April 13, 2006 Mike Andrews Mike Andrews is a senior consultant who specializes in software security and leads the web application security assessments and Ultimate Web Hacking classes for Foundstone. ABSTRACT It all started out as a place to share physics documents, but has grown into potentially mankind's largest and most complex creation. The World Wide Web is a lot of things - a soapbox for everyone, a giant shopping mall, an application platform, and unfortunately a hacker's playground. As more applications get "web-ified" moving from the desktop or legacy systems onto the web, attackers follow the vulnerabilities. Without sophisticated tools or "1337 5x1llz", web applications are now the most attacked technology, with the majority of attacks categorized as "easily exploitable". So, before your application is placed out into one of the most hostile environments, how do you stop your software from being "0wn3d" by the 14 year old in their blacked-out bedroom, or being used by a Russian crime cartel? In this TechTalk, Mike Andrews will look at how web applications are attacked, walk through a testing framework for evaluating the security of an application and take some deep-dives into a few interesting and common vulnerabilities and how they can be exploited.

Advertisements: Stealthy Click Fraud with Unwitting Accessories

Google Tech Talks September 19, 2006 Dr. Markus Jakobsson, Associate Professor of Informatics at IUB Associate Director of CACR ABSTRACT We describe a new type of threat to the Internet infrastructure, in the shape of a highly efficient but very well camouflaged click-fraud attack on the advertising infrastructure, not using any type of malware. The attack, which we refer to as a "badvertisement", is described and experimentally verified on several prominent advertisement schemes. This stealthy attack can be thought of as a threatening mutation of spam and phishing attacks, with which it has many commonalities, except for the fact that it is not the targeted individual who is the victim in the attack, but the advertiser. Joint work with Mona Gandhi and Jacob Ratkiewicz.

Future customer trends, consumers, marketing, products and services for Siemens - by Futurist Dr Patrick Dixon

Patrick Dixon has been ranked one of the 20 most influential business thinkers alive today (Thinkers 50 2005). How customer behavior will change. Why the future is about emotion. Why market research can give us wrong answers. Customers in emerging markets. Lifestyle / consumer trends. How to connect with passion. Impact of wild cards. Customer relationship management - winners and losers. Client event for Siemens.

Customer Centric Web Decision Making

Google TechTalks July 24, 2006 Avinash Kaushik, Senior Manger, Web Research and Analytics, Intuit

Rand Fiskin Talks with Matt Cutts

For links and quality by offering sites!

Improved search engines becoming increasingly difficult to obtain, with each passing day. Search Engines incredible to evolve rapidly, which makes it more difficult for us to rank our Seo, in particular.
He, however, there are some tried and true to the principles that should be made in improving our site. First, the one that told me is that people always focus on achieving quality, 1 link road, which refers to your Web site.

And additional links as you can get through your presentation, you will have the greatest season.

Although there are many black hat tricks and tactics they can do to win the short term, I do not suggest you spend time with respect to these matters. The focus will be on my entire how to get other sites to link to you to make the return-related. This is the biggest key to the hierarchy and photos, Yahoo and MSN.

It then said it was easier to do. One of the easiest ways to know the quality is a means to create links and lists of the site and then send to your site. This could be a very laborious process, but there is always a very rewarding process at the same time.

You can make your lists manually, to pay someone to do it for you, or you can use a directory of programs offer a Web page there. The best money we found is a program called "Director me establish Internet marketing expert, Brad callen.

This program allows you to submit your site to more than 1600 pages of the site and the evidence that you can save an incredible amount of time, and in this way. Are Simply enter your details of the programmes scheduled appearance on the list that you want to submit. Program automatically fill in all the criteria for each list and allows you to urgently to your site.

Not only that you spare time for submission to your site, but saves you an incredible amount of time just to find a free telephone line. The recommended list of any halt to the presentation of the programme, if it decides to enjoy one of the easist way to get quality, 1 way links to your Web site.

Sales over the Internet is easy

Sales over the Internet is easier than ever!

According to the latest publications, consumers spent over 100 billion U.S. dollars S. Shin. Internet e-commerce sites last year, including auction sites in hand, the costs of travel, or buying companies. This is a significant growth in recent years - more than 20%. If there is no better time to its customers in the structure of expenditure and keep improving market.

Many people start e-commerce is the primary place of work. If you have bricks and mortar store, where it sells products or operate from their homes and start for e-commerce could provide an additional sales channel for you.

Creating a Web site to sell products or services over the Internet involves a lot of research and planning. When you start a business on the Internet, forgetting one simple step can make the difference between success and failure.

Here are 8 steps to help you get started:

1 Find a business plan and marketing. Time to set a date for a meeting with business partners or members of the team. Together, to develop ideas and all their plans in one document. They should include all the costs of entry and frequent. Set up an account and budget forecasts total sales.

2 A good selection of a site's domain name (), to help customers find. You must choose the domain name of your site, which is exactly what appears in the brand sales and help your business. We believe, however, search engines also use the domain name as a symbol of what can be sold? Think about the appropriate place to store.

3 The right choice of software for e-commerce in the basket. For the purpose of selling products on your side, you have several options. You can hire someone on a website devoted to the development and functional interface. However, smaller companies seeking more effective solutions for the purchase of e-commerce sites hosting programs. This allows customers to select products from the site and placed in the basket on the site, and then select a product using various means of payment.

4 Apply for business spending (traders) to process credit cards. It is important to give customers more options in its website. Most customers are used to pay for goods and services via the Internet using a credit card. Even with the acceptance of credit cards to pay for the products, they must apply for so-called merchant. If you do not accept credit cards on the site, to the great harm the chances of success, so it should be used.

5 Security site and would like to know is safe for customers to do business with you. As a trader on the Internet, security is a key for you. If approved consumers' financial information such as credit cards, payments, responsible for ensuring the safety and security of data and are consistent with the credit card to security requirements.

6 Designing the site should be easy to use. After all products, which were sent to the site on the Internet and can accept credit cards is the time to work on improving the spot, before appearing before the court and went to live with a new interface on the Internet.

7 The test site. You have only one chance at first impressions of each visitor, and make sure research and possibilities for improving the site before going to live with him. Plan at least a few days or weeks. Make sure that everything is working properly, or all of their efforts can not be anything.

In an attempt to invite a few friends to help test. Ask them to go to the site, while they control behavior. Try not to say anything, because all the parties click. Fifteen minutes to them, and then ask them about their experience.

8 Strengthening the site on the Internet. To enlarge the site can be complicated and costly, but using search engines to induce behaviour targeted traffic to the site could lead to the establishment of long-term return of their own - before investing, and if it is to invest their time and money.

Using these guidelines, you can quickly and easily start selling products on the Internet. This may seem a bit cumbersome in the beginning, but in fact very simple. There are many suppliers that can contribute to meet the needs of work and each step. Photos simply go and look for places to buy the domain name (such as godaddy.com), e-commerce platform for action, and so on.

Using Offline marketing to increase e-business

Whether you are marketing or Internet-level structure, the prospects of turning into buyers is a priority. Many successful on the market constantly testing different media campaigns and integrated. One of the most frequently asked questions is the effectiveness of "off-line marketing," as it relates to traffic and conversions on your site pages of destination.

With this distinction in many products, services, industry and price points, it was difficult to develop a simple yes or no answer when considering whether or not to direct mail will bring traffic. Key is to develop a piece of direct mail Cogent, the right to choose the list, and to create a proposal resonates with the target market. Further, try the following:

1. Package planning is essential for the success of your e-mail. Before you begin to plan their direct mail package. It will include letters, sells sheet coupon, and a business reply envelope? Can you use the postcard. How big? How small? What creative direction will you take?

2. Efectivă creative envelope motivates consumers to open your piece. Your proposal is not good, if seen by you target market. Spend time on the envelope, giving consumers a reason to open it and learn more about your proposal. Create a file napkins other pieces of direct marketing have received personal and open. The fact that he was about these proposals, which led you to take the next step?

3. Alternative formats can help you get at a lower postage rate. Manage your budget carefully, as large mail campaigns can be costly, and adversely affects the revenue. An equally large to reduce costs and increase the proportion of respondents are experimenting with alternative formats, direct mail. Learn more at the site USPS.

4. The value added mail cards can help you get a caution. To avoid problems associated with unread messages, the test card or two. While much simpler than encouraging the use of direct mail envelopes, and numerous mechanisms to respond, Card may be perfectly suited to lead people on the Internet at low cost. Make sure you have a binding reason for them to visit your site and the method of tracking the results. Identifying specific URLs for consumers to help them find a special offer, this is a great way to track activity.

5. Crate a call to action. Too often, directly on the market to create a song, even a great offer, but so difficult to answer perspective. Overcoming this problem by providing jobs with several methods. These different methods may include the possibility of ordering online, call toll-free number, and fax the order form. Consider the pluses and Minuses of various methods of command, and when you do, be borne in mind of consumers. You want your customers have a positive experience so that you again and again.

So, you may wonder if there are direct mail can help to achieve its objectives on the Internet. Start with a simple goal to identify and easily measurable. Select prefer direct mail technology and test it. You will find that the best way to find consumers online is to do with your campaign direct marketing.

Affiliate Programs

One of the best ways to increase traffic on the site is operated from a Web site to earn money to contribute to other people. One of these parties and working to produce more than 35% of its revenues from them, you can sell products and services. If properly developed, affiliate programs can have a significant impact on your revenues.

What is Affililate program?
Partner program is, how can I sell products to other sites. In principle, that the process is simple. You can give to another part of the promotional needs to sell the product (s). However, the affiliate will never take a census of the product you are selling.

A great example of this is a Web site that sells mystery novels. Here is an example, let's call the primary side of Mystery Novels Central dot com. The site offers a partner website (affiliatewebsite1) with banners and buttons to promote the mystery novels. When the browser, affiliatewebsite1 click on the banner, redirect it to the Central Mystery Novels dot com. If the user to purchase new, Mystery Novels Central dot comp affiliatewebstie1 to pay a percentage of sales - also known as the Committee.

As Partner program?
When promotional assets were placed in a second Web site, each asset is a continuation of the URL. To follow-up URL is invisible to viewers, but his follow-up activities. When passing through the purchase and receipt of payment confirmation page, the additional track to confirm the sale. This information has been captured and will be monitored back to the initiator of the sale (or affiliates).

In particular, the most simple form, the program is working partner in real life, such as sales force. Imagine, sales reps, spread across the Internet to sell products at each of their new and existing customers. Every time that the sales rep sells the product, you can fill orders and rep to pay a small commission. In short, that is a partnership programme.

How can I start My Affiliate Program?
You can start oman affiliate program offers a variety of ways. One of the most simple method has been used and affiliate markets, such as ClickBank or PayDotCom. These partner sites, the total number of subsidiaries. For a small fee and sometimes simply a percentage of sales without the advance, you can join the scheme.

When you join, you agree to the fact that the market for a product to add a list of products to third-party Web sites can help. If not, you may also agree to give the market a partner (ClickBank or PayDotCom) in order to obtain a percentage of each sale. Remember, you must also be paid to the Commission that the actual partner site, which promotes and sells the product. The rates may be rising rapidly, but they are useful if the product is a good margin.

There are other programs from companies such as Commission Junction, but for the significant charges joints, as well as a higher percentage from each sale. They were the CB or PayDotCom is the best choice.

Alexa updates to the algorithm

If you're a fan of Alexa rankings, you might observe significant changes in recent weeks. In fact, every site Alexa ranking has changed under the new classification and improvement of methodology.

Alexa began when the scores are around ten years ago, aiming to show the Alexa toolbar users how popular site Alexa within the community. These positions have been created through the analysis of Internet use by people using the Alexa toolbar. Since then have seen that the Alexa ratings have become a popular test site, which is measurable. Over the past few months Alexa users thirst for knowledge beyond the use of the Internet outside the Alexa toolbar is increasingly important. This is the main reason for revision Alexa methodology.

Alexa the new ranking system is much closer to what users want. Now is aggregated data from various sources to get everybody a better indication of the website popularity within the entire population of users of the Internet.

Here are some frequently asked questions Alexa Alexa community, and their answers.

The position of my site has changed. It is bad?

The score was not bad, but it was different. Alexa Toolbar users' interests and browsing habits may differ from those of the entire population on a variety of ways, and will describe some of these differences, if any, on our website. While the overwhelming majority of sites scores were affected by these disputes have worked hard for our new classification system to take account of situations where they can demand.

The new format should better reflect the interests and browsing habits of the entire population of users on the Web.

Alexa changing the classification?

Alexa is constantly trying to ensure that the most useful if it can. We will continue to refine their algorithms, but no plans for other major changes.

I found the old format better. Are they still available somewhere?

Many people feel the previous form. However, Alexa, the new system in response to numerous requests received from users. After more than one classification at a time will be a source of confusion, so Alexa has been removed from the old form.

Changing Alexa algorithm is good. It is much more complete and accurate, be extended beyond the traditional panel Alexa. If you check your Alexa ranking after the change, you will see a change in form - we hope you enjoyed!

How can you engage your customers

Today more than ever, consumers with Mvid options, and dispersion. The cost of attracting users to your site continues to increase and maintain the interest is more important than ever.

Commitment does not stop reading with the browser or by clicking on the content of the declaration. Instead, the commitment is an ongoing process, which translates into loyal customers to return again and again, more and more invested in your website.

How can you make sure you hire and retain customers?

To establish a loyal following, and there are some basic principles that must be considered. The first appearance of the membership for life, I was in the skin of your browsers and make it a valuable experience.

• Reduce excess. How many times you've visited the site on the Internet only to be overwhelmed and confused? What does this site have you had asked yourself. Or maybe you found your request, "Where is the information I'm looking?" Do not ask browsers or potential customers to this figure. Make your site free of congestion and the creation of visual priority focus on information and resources or actions of your browser you want. By reducing barriers to you in creating a climate of confidence between the new site, visitors and simple to enable them to make decisions - that benefits everyone.
• Obviously, making navigation. There are several ways to navigate a web page, but the intuition of the day. Do not try to obtain passion to your navigation or excessive JavaScript. The following navigation based on the current convention is the best way to lead people through the site to obtain the information they seek.
• Take the interaction relevant. And when it reaches the browser on your site, you have less than seven seconds to get their attention. Make the first site of interaction with regard to people looking for what is necessary to maintain long-term interaction. If you enhance your photos with AdWords, or any pay-per-click advertising, be sure to create the page class that are really relevant to the person clicks - through the ad. Once the importance of the establishment, you can move to deeper into your site's content, tools and resources.
• Make sure the content current. The contents of this site is not one day do not serve your audience and browsers are likely to move forward. One way to ensure that timely information is to provide a flow of news or information. If the static including the text of Web pages, do not try to include in the specified date. But, if you publish the dates and make sure to update this information on a regular basis.
• The beginning of your interaction with users. Whenever the browser presents your webpage, you have the opportunity to interact with them. Do not let this opportunity for you. A great way to interact is to provide something of value for free. This could be a white paper, to obtain a comprehensive list, or just 30 days free trial. Certainly, the adoption of individual e-mail address, and include them on your mailing list. Self Responder is the best if you want to participate in these individuals on an ongoing basis.
• Make a lot of support. Do not hesitate to support your homepage. Supply your prominently in the number of 800, supporting e-mail and other information to customers and prospects, such as your mailing address. This access to this information through search engines and creates a positive sense of legitimacy. Contact information strengthens trust between the views and raise interest in your company.
• Make sharing easy. When you've done your website and easy to use, feel free to browsers provide an opportunity for exchanging your site with others. This may take the form of a simple piece that allows users to your favorite Dick, you subscribe to Lar SS, or the content of your site popular news sites such as digg.com.
  

People are much more likely to visit a Web site based on the recommendation of a friend of marketing Another type of initiative. Force viral marketing tools with the easy part.

Your website could be greater than your assets. It is unfortunate that a large number of traders and owners of sites that are focused on increasing traffic, they lose site of the public already visit web pages, but simply is not conversion.

Do not make the same mistake. Improve the quality of content through the site is updated and easy to find. Once committed users, to encourage them to share. Doing so make your site more efficient, increase conversions, and deliver value for all stakeholders.

Marketing mix

Price
Under the Contracting (in practice conditions policy) covers all contractual conditions (conditions), in connection with an offer. This includes adding policy e.g. Rebates, bonuses, loans and delivery and payment terms. Does Under these additional Drauf-and three-disclosure. Strictly speaking, is the price policy is a part of the Contracting. Since the price policy the central element of Contracting, is generally of the price and Contracting spoken to the special importance of pricing policy into account. The price includes all policy decisions that affect the amount of the award and the manner of price fixing and Enforcement. As a central aspect can be stated that the price is always directed to the market, which consists of the components suppliers, customers and competitors. However, besides the inevitable focus on the market, the costs incurred as companies are dependent on their products and services profit.

The two main design options for the entrepreneur in relation to the pricing policy are the price levels and price differentiation.

Promotion
Under the communication policy is objective and uniform measures decisions on the design of all relevant product information (Corporate Communication and Corporate Design). The main instruments of communication policy are advertising, sales promotion, personal selling, sponsorship, exhibitions, events and publicity (including the Corporate Identity) and merchandising.

Place
Under the distribution policy, all decisions and actions of the company in connection with bringing a product from manufacturer to end-users. The possibilities of distribution policies are diverse. In trade, the question arises whether the products in a traditional outlet (POS, business) be sold or whether the goods are brought directly to the customer (such as mail order houses, the product directly to customers at home). The various possibilities of distribution are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Often companies offer combinations or several options in parallel.

Product
The products or services a company offers to provide the core of the entire business activities and form the base of each entrepreneurial success. The product includes all policy considerations, decisions and actions that are directly related to the combination and variation of the characteristics of the product or service. These include notably the range planning, quality and service, but also packing, marking and product design and produktbegleitende services.

Two aspects of product innovations of particular importance: Deal offer width and depth. Companies that offer a wide range, are also known as generalists. The supply depth, however, describes the different types and variations of a particular offer. Companies that focus on their job has a deep, generally referred to as specialists, those with a wide range full-service provider.

LITERATURE REVIEW

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 INTRODUCTION
This chapter will be used to review all the necessary related literature for this research. The meanings and definitions of some of the key terms in this study will be discussed too.
The researcher will discuss some of the terms of E-Business as it relates to this work before embarking on the research.
The researcher will start by looking at what other researchers suggested that might prevent SMEs from adopting effective Internet marketing, discuss and analyze some of the winning Internet marketing strategies and methods that were recommended to be adopted by any E-businesses.
The summary of the chapter will be made at the end of this chapter.

2.2 Small Businesses
The terms “SME” and “small business” are often used interchangeably. The definition of a small business as outlined by the Small Businesses Act 1953 is “one which is independently owned and operated and not dominant in its field of operation.” Hodgetts (2001)
Another definition of small businesses which used by European Commission is that they are privet companies with fewer than 250 employees and their annual turnover does not exceed 50 million EUR, and/or their annual balance sheet total does not exceed 43 million EUR. (European Commission 2003)

According to European Commission (2003) the SME sector is made up of 3 components:

1. Micro-enterprises: those with between 1 and 9 employees, their turnover is equal or more than 50 million EUR or their balance sheet total is equal or more than 43 million EUR.
2. Small enterprises: those with 10 to 50 employees, their turnover is equal or more than 10 million EUR or their balance sheet total is equal or more than 10 million EUR.
3. Medium enterprises: those with 50-250 employees, their turnover is equal or more than 2 million EUR or their balance sheet total is equal or more than 2 million EUR. (European Commission 2003)

For the purpose of this study, the definition provided by Small Businesses Act (1953) will be used when referring to small businesses and the term SME will remain as defined by the European Commission. (2003)

This sector was chosen because according to European Commission Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SMEs) are the main drivers of the economy and represent 99 % of all the enterprises in the EU and also provide for almost 65 million jobs; furthermore SMEs contribute hugely to the economy, entrepreneurship and innovation . (European Commission 2006)

SMEs in UK according to Yeo (2002) employing fifty seven per cent of the workforce, moreover and according to Small Business Service (2006) in 2005 there were approximately 4.3 million businesses in the UK. 99.3 percent of them are small (0 to 49 employees). 27,000 (0.6 per cent) are medium-sized (50 to 249 employees) and 6,000 (0.1 per cent) are large (250 or more employees).

Effective use of Internet marketing can provide SMEs with a low cost gateway to wider markets and offers them huge opportunities. Also good planned strategic approach if adopted by SMEs can help to overcome many of the barriers and obstacles that they might face.

E-marketing strategies, tools and techniques for SMEs

Employing effective and economical E-marketing strategies, tools and techniques for SMEs

Small businesses that are the main drivers of the economy and represent 99 % of all the enterprises in the EU and also provide for almost 65 million jobs are facing huge competition online.

Effective use of Internet marketing can provide SMEs with a low cost gateway to wider markets and offers them huge opportunities. Also good planned strategic approach if adopted by SMEs can help to overcome many of the barriers and obstacles that they might face.


1.1 Introduction:
Businesses and consumers nowadays increasingly rely on the Internet as both a primary revenue generator and information provider. It also has become a key element of the global economy and a major driver of new businesses. (UNCTAD 2006) The Internet also offers opportunities for companies to market their products and services around the world without physically making contact with customers or forced to advertise in other parts of the world.

The growth of E-Business attracted big companies to invest heavily on online advertising to attract more consumers to their business and furthermore start building reputation, which include the reputation of the firm itself, the brand name, and the product or consumer experience. (IAB 2006)

Online advertising with growth of 40.3% in year 2006 (IAB 2006) remains to be the fastest growing advertising medium in the advertising market; it has become a popular advertising channel attracting much media attention, and raises fresh opportunities and challenges.
The latest report by (IAB 2006) showed a record spending of online advertising during the first half of 2006, reaching £917.2m, (£1,653.2m in 2005), which increases the online advertising market share to 10.5%, up from 7.3% for the first half of 2005.

1.2 The Main Drivers for Online Advertising
The increase of the online population and the e-commerce boom are fuelling this growth, and also:

1. The dramatic increase of broadband users , (IAB 2006)
2. The increase number of online shoppers . (Lombardi 2006)
3. The increase of the money online shoppers spends . (IAB 2006)
4. The increase of the average time shoppers spends online.
5. Cheaper and faster Internet access.
6. Cheaper and more reliable computer hardware and software.

And further to the above, the cost effective and highly targeted nature of E-Marketing, together with the ability to monitor the results quickly and precisely, which meant that any E-marketing campaigns can be improved in real time to produce the best possible results and return on investment.( Rafi Mohammed et al. 2003)
Though it is widely accepted that the Internet offers companies a wide range of opportunities, there is still a lack of adoption of effective Internet marketing among SMEs to be able to exploit the Internet.

1.3 Research Context
This study is to examine the Internet marketing strategies and techniques which currently adopted by SMEs in all sectors in the UK, and furthermore investigate and analyse the existing issues that prevent these SMEs form identifying and employing effective and economical Internet marketing.

1.4 Research Problem
SMEs with small business budget and limited knowledge and expertise can not identify and use effective Internet marketing strategies and techniques to be able to compete online with larger businesses and to enable them to strengthen their online presence.

1.5 Research Questions

1. Why do SMEs fail to identify and employ effective and economical Internet marketing?
2. How SMEs with small business budget and limited resources and expertise identify and use E-Marketing strategies and techniques to compete online with large businesses?

1.6 Research Aim
Identify effective and economical e-marketing strategies, tools and techniques for SMEs to improve their competitiveness and to enable them to strengthen their online presence.

1.7 Research Objectives

1. Investigate and analyse the existing issues that prevent SMEs form identifying and employing effective e-marketing framework.
2. Identify and analyse online advertising strategies and techniques of small businesses.
3. Suggest an effective and economical E-marketing strategies and techniques for SMEs to follow.

1.8 Research Value (what does it contribute to IT research/practice)
The outcome of this research will help system analyst and web site designers to plan, design and implement E-commerce site that optimized for search engines.
Furthermore by highlighting the importance of Internet marketing, system analyst will be encouraged to design inexpensive and easy to use systems for small businesses.

1.9 Research Rationale
This research will help small businesses understand the impertinence of Internet marketing to their business and use it to gain competitive advantage, reaching new customers and expending their market share and also permit SMEs to sell globally.
Furthermore the researcher thinks that the field of Internet marketing is not investigated properly in the past because it is new emerging technology.

The study also helped the researcher himself understand Internet marketing’s strategies and methods, and also understand the problems that prevent small businesses from using it to compete successfully online either locally or globally.

1.10 Research Strategy & Methodology Overview
The multiple explanatory case study methodology will be used for this study, concerning competitive disadvantages affecting SMEs in the UK.
In order to solve the research question the case study methodology was chosen among the other theories because case study method involves using multiple sources and techniques in the data gathering process, furthermore because the researcher needs to know how and why E-marketing campaign had worked or not, according to (Yin 2003) how and why questions are more explanatory and will lead to the use of case studies as the preferred strategy.
The case study will investigate issues such as E-Marketing and advertising strategies and techniques; however before defining the research problems data gatherings will be carried out using quantitative and qualitative methods such as semi structured interviews, questionnaires, direct observation and documentations, focusing on the “what” and “how” questions (Yin 2003), moreover the researcher will state how the data was collected and analysed.
The researcher will select SMEs as the unit of analysis (Tellis 1997); focusing on their marketing strategies and techniques, and the outcome of this case study will be represented in report format.

1.11 Research Scope and Limitations
There was not enough up to date information regarding SMEs and their use of online marketing.
Furthermore the researcher thinks if more small businesses participated in the survey that could generated more data which could help the research. Also the researcher was restricted to analyse only the data which came from companies who have responded to the survey.
Moreover the time limit for organising the interview and getting appointments with the interviewee. The time limit also prevented the researcher from making further efforts in getting more studies in this field.

1.12 Thesis Layout
This dissertation will contain the following seven chapters:
A short introduction to the entire report will be in chapter one. It will provide a brief background of the study, the aims and objectives of the research, the research study methodology that will be used in this study, data gathering methods and finally the layout of the dissertation.
A review and analysis of past and present literature concerning different issues that affect and prevent small businesses from adopting effective Internet marketing will be in chapter two.
Chapter three will discuss the methodology used in this research; furthermore explain the data gathering methods and the way that data was analysed.
Chapter four will analyse the data gathered in relation to the research problem, questions and objectives.
Chapter five will evaluate and discuss the out come of the research.
The conclusion will be in chapter six, which will include the summary of the research and suggest future recommendations.
Chapter seven is the self evaluation of the research.

1.13 SUMMARY
This chapter started with short introduction to the dissertation followed by the aims and objectives of the study by discussing what the study would attempt to achieve on the long run.
A background to the proposed study was provided by drawing attention to the concept of adopting some Internet strategies that will influence SME’s and the issues predominantly raised in the said sector.

Section 1.4 stated the research questions that will guide the study, followed closely by a summary of the theoretical framework that this study will be based. Section 1.5 is the research methodology that describes the methods that would be utilised to obtain data for the study before progressing to provide an outline of the following chapters of the dissertation.
In the next chapter, a literature review will be done and the theoretical framework will be further expatiated on.

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