Affiliated marketing by RashaShomali

 A lot of people have no time for going shopping as before, that is because of e-commerce, and affiliate marketing is one of e-commerce links that bring money. Some people may do not have interesting in their existence job which don’t provide them personal development, so they want to gain cash to have their luxury life.

We as Palestinian did not have yet such this links so why not to do “Affiliate Marketing”!.

(Joelcomm 2008) “As Joel says” the word affiliated marketing is “selling other people’s stuff”” SOPS. On one hand it is an effective way of making money online without own a product. A marched that sells any physical product on the web site and a visitor is click on this site and make a purchase, than the merchants will pay you a commission on that purchase. (Only what you need is a website).

“The growth of affiliated marketing in just a short time, the growth and popularity of affiliate marketing has exploded, so that it is now a significant force in selling products and services on the web. Thousands of affiliate marketing programs are available such as (Commission Junction, LinkShare or Dynamic Trade which you can register in) that can blend with almost any sort of web content you might imagine”(Home Business Randy Duermyer)

Affiliate marketing is a way of making money it is a revenue sharing venture between a website owner and an online merchant. The website owner will place advertisements on his websites to either help sell the merchant's products or to send potential customers to the merchant's website, all in exchange for a share of the profits.

In order to do well in this business you have to know what is needed:

Fist of all it is innovation we need a clean brain, also good computer and the most powerful tool is money to buy a domain name, once we understood and have these things you should have a  the personality traits you require to get involved in affiliate marketing business, such as Imagination, Ability to stick with a project, Focus.  (Affiliate Marketing Introduction 2006)

While you see the affiliate link there are three ways to do the purchase:

Fist Pay Per Click —its happened by every time the customer click on the link and lead him to the merchant's website.

Second Pay Per Sale — Every time a sale is on the affiliate's website a commission, is deposited into the affiliate's account.

Third Pay Per Lead — Every time a potential client registers at the merchant's website as because of the advertisement on the affiliate's account, a commission is deposited into the affiliate's account. (WiseGeek 2003-2011)

 Finally affiliated marketing is the best way of making money in using the internet, of which almost everybody is bring into play as the online marketing is booming. Because the World Wide Web is one of the platforms with which to discover the whole world as well as relate with people without reaching up from one’s seat. It has also become number one of the most considerable means with which to promote a businessperson’s goods and services.

References:-

(Joelcomm 2008) it’s available from: http://www.joelcomm.com (30 March 2008)

(Home Business Randy Duermyer) is available from:

 http://homebusiness.about.com/od/homebusinessglossar1/g/affiliate-mktg.htm

(Affiliate Marketing Introduction 2006) is available from: http://www.affiliatemarketingintro.com

(WiseGeek 2003-2011) is available from:http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-affiliate-marketing.htm

  

Creating E-Webpage By Nadine Shomali

Creating E-Webpage

Websites are a crucial mediatory in today’s business, especially when the companies has no franchise or a branch in a certain country. In this technological era we are living in, all companies has their website and even their online business, trading with their goods or services and maybe making some good deals. So to have your business online, you need to create your own webpage.

 

Creating a webpage is an easy process, but it can also be challenging. The process begins by choosing a domain name; the domain name should be related to the business you want to launch online, for example it could be the name of the company, or your name, remember that the domain name is the name that people know and write down in the browser when surfing the net, but on the network it is known as numbers called IP address. There are legal registrars that are authorized from the government to reserve or buy the domain name from, as for Palestine PNINA is that registrar that gives you .ps domain names for example www.domainname.ps , you can check if that name is used or not before you complete this step, and when it’s completed, the company will give you a username and password to manage it. Note that when you buy or reserve a domain name you will have to pay the company monthly or so.

The second step will be choosing the hosting company. A host is a company that has a server connected to the internet and of course computers. The host gives you a space on the web to upload your webpage files on the web, so when choosing a host make your own research about several hosts so you can choose the best one that has no problems with its server, because if the server crashes down, your website will too. So choose a host that has a good reputation in staying online, and has no problems. Finally when you make up your mind about a certain host, they will give you a username and password to upload your files. In Palestine, HADARA Company has a hosting program that you can use to host your webpage.

Now after choosing your domain name and the hosting company all you need to do is to build up your website. There are several ways to build your page, you may use html, xhtml, php language, or you can use programs such as FrontPage that makes it an easy and quick way. But if you want to use the traditional way with html language for example it will take time and you must have a prior knowledge about it. Keep on mind when building you webpage the keywords that you will define your website with, because they are the most essential thing in the components because when searching on the web with any of these keywords will lead people to your website. After finishing with your design, and have your page set up you will end up with files that contains the contents of the webpage as images and information, those files are going to be uploaded to the server of the host, and when you finish this final step you will have your website published worldwide, and everyone can access your webpage when they surf the net.

Going online with your business is the most efficient way to go nationally and internationally with your business. Having a website for your business would be a competitive advantage for your business, think about the best for your business and then act according to that.

References:

• Web Page Definition, What is a web page? Available from: <http://www.actnowdomains.com/definition-web-page.htm>

• Christopher Heng, How to Start / Create Your Own Website: The Beginner's A-Z Guide. Available from: <http://www.thesitewizard.com/gettingstarted/startwebsite.shtml>. [1 March 2011]

• Solutionsarepower, Create a Website - What You Need to Get Online 2008, (video recording). Available from: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-msld_7j7T0> [10 October 2008]

• How to Register a Domain Name, available from: <http://www.2createawebsite.com/prebuild/register_domain.html>

• Select a Web Host, available from: <http://www.2createawebsite.com/prebuild/web_hosting_tips.html>

• Ra’ad Shomali, computer engineering student at Jordan University of science and technology.2011, process of creating a webpage, interviewed by Nadine Shomali. Bethlehem [10 March 2011]

Phishing by Ala' Bader

“Phishing is a criminally fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication; most attempts will entice email recipients or instant messenger users into clicking on a link that takes them to a bogus website.

The bogus website may prompt the recipient to provide personal information such as bank account number, passwords and/or it may download malicious software onto the recipient’s computer. Both the received link and bogus website may appear authentic, however they are not legitimate.

There are several technique ways were “phishers” sent an email, an instant message, or from the fraud URL  or another communication that appears to be from a reputable organization, the malicious email could include notice of an account cancellation, a request to verify/update personal information, warning users of suspicious activity on their account or just about anything else that would get you to respond to the communication”(capitalbank, 2006).

“phishing process involves: Planning. Phishers decide which business to target and determine how to get e-mail addresses for the customers of that business. They often use the same mass-mailing and address collection techniques as spammers. Then setup to create methods for delivering the message and collecting the data.After that attack, the phisher sends a phony message that appears to be from a reputable source.Collection, phishers record the information entered into Web pages or popup windows. Finally,identity Theft and Fraud. The phishers use the information they've gathered to make illegal commit fraud”(How phishing works).

“To protecting yourself from phishing scams do not reveal any personal information in e-mail, online or on the telephone unless you know who you are dealing with and why. Additionally, make sure you are in a secure environment; we can fight phishing scams by following common sense guidelines:be cautious about all communications you receive. Think before you click. Also,if the communication appears to be a phishing communication, do not respond,delete it. Do not click on any links listed in the email message and do not open any attachments contained in suspicious email. Do not enter personal information in a pop-up screen. Legitimate companies, agencies and organizations don’t ask for personal information via pop-up screens. Inaddition, Internet-Banking Applications:if you need to enter your account details, only access there by typing the site's address directly into the browser. And educate yourself  by knowing some information and techniques to protect yourself from phishing attempts.” (capitalbank 2006).Also, Secure the hosts file – A hacker can compromise the hosts file on desktop system and send a user to a fraudulent site because the phisher take the advantage of hosts file which store several IP and make a modification to the IP addresses list and add or modify current IP to redirect to fraud link. This can done via batch files that the phishers can create.

“Phishing is a form of criminal conduct that poses increasing threats to consumers, financial institutions, and commercial enterprises .Because phishing  is likely to continue in newer and more sophisticated forms. Government agencies, and the private sector  will need to cooperate more closely than ever in their efforts to combat phishing, through improved public education, prevention, authentication.”( Report on phishing,2006).

References:

Capitalbank, Phishing Scam. Available from: <http://www.capitalbank.jo/sites/default/files/Phishing%20Scam.pdf>.

How stuffworks, How phishing works. Available from:  <http://computer.howstuffworks.com/phishing.htm> [March, 2008]

Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada and the Attorney General of the United States,October 2006,Report on phishing. Available from: <http://www.justice.gov/opa/report_on_phishing.pdf>.[October,2006]

Internet cookies by Jack Mikhail

After reading several online articles about internet cookies, I found interesting information about the topic that I would like to share including: their definition, types, usage, pros and cons, and there relevance to business.

“Cookies were introduced to Internet browsing by the pioneering firm Netscape” in 1994. They are small bits of information that contain a name, value, and expiration date. They are stored in text format with a size that doesn’t exceed 4KB. “They can be read with a regular text editor such as Notepad”. (Surf the Internet Safely 2011). They are not viruses since they don’t carry any plug-in or program but they could be a mean of the virus if infected. Cookies are stored “in a secure area on your computer…known as the cookie jar” (Internet Problems 2011). Each cookie is stored by the Web site you surf, “providers of the advertising banners, or other graphics that make up a Web page” (Surf the Internet Safely 2011). Cookies are accessible only by the website itself, unless a website deliberately passes information across.

There are different types of cookies including: session cookie: a cookie “stored in temporary memory and is not retained after the browser is closed”, and persistent cookie: “a cookie that is stored on a user’s hard drive until it expires… or until the user deletes the cookie. Persistent cookies are used to collect identifying information about the user”. (Vangie Beal 2010)

Cookies are used for different reasons. First, cookies are used to collect demographic information about users. As a result, “This can help companies refine their marketing strategies to meet consumer needs”. Second, they might be used to offer the user “a personalized experience at the web site” because the browser will recognize the user from the saved cookies. Third, cookies are used to monitor advertising messages. “Cookies can help tell the host server which banner ads you've seen and which you have not”. (Solve your problems 2007). Finally, “servers use cookies to help with back-end interaction as well, which can improve the utility of a site by being able to securely store any personal data that the user has shared with a site”. (David Whalen 2002).

Using cookies can also carry several disadvantages. First, “they are seen as an invasion of privacy” for two main reasons; most browsers usually accept cookies by default, and “they are being stored invisibly on your hard drive every time you browse the Internet”. Second, “since your IP address is usually collected, your browsing history and online activities become public knowledge”. Third, “cookies are actual files that are stored on your hard drive. The more you surf the Web, the more cookies you accumulate”. Finally, “there are some individuals and groups who collect personal information (from cookies) for unscrupulous purposes. They may sell the information to third parties, or even use it to hack into social networks or other online accounts”. (Linton, Kim).

In conclusion, cookies are used for various purposes that can benefit each business if disadvantages are avoided. In my opinion, marketers can efficiently target their customers by dividing the market into unique segments that share same interests or tastes using the data supported by cookies to achieve a competitive advantage.

Reference list:
Surf the Internet Safely 2011. Available from:
< http://surfthenetsafely.com/surfsafely5.htm>

Internet Problems 2011. Available from:
< http://www.internet-problems.com/cookies.asp>. [March 2011].

Surf the Internet Safely 2011. Available from:
< http://surfthenetsafely.com/surfsafely5.htm>

Vangie Beal, What are Cookies and What Do Cookies Do?, 2010. Available from:
< http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Internet/2007/all_about_cookies.asp >. [August 2010].

Solve Your Problem 2007. Available from:
< http://technology.solveyourproblem.com/internet-security/why_do_websites_use_cookies.shtml >

David Whalen, The unofficial Cookie FAQ, 2002. Available from:
< http://www.cookiecentral.com/faq/#1.1>. [6 August 2002].

Kim Linton, eHow Contributor, Disadvantages of Cookies on a Computer. Available from:
< http://www.ehow.com/about_5047612_disadvantages-cookies-computer.html >

computer worms by Sabrin Aimour

     Computer worms are programs that reproduce, execute independently without the need for a host files to spread through it, the main objective of it is distracting and slow down the network devices, rather than the goal of destroying files that exist in the hardware. There are key differences between a virus and worm in which they reproduces and spreads, a virus is dependent upon the host file or boot sector, and the transfer of files between computers to spread, also he cant spreads as fast as worms and he always cause a damage in computer whereas a computer worm can execute completely independently and spread on its own accord through network connections, spared so fast and it not always cause a damage when it attack computer .


      Vulnerabilities in operating systems my get the computer infected by a worm such as shred computers with weak passwords or through removable devices you can protect your computer by keeping the antivirus up-to-date and installing patches provided by operating system and application vendors also avoiding opening of attachments in your e-mail that you don’t trust the source (sender). You also can protect your computer by using programs that getting rid of worms and viruses such as; Cyber Defender Internet Security, Quick Heal Total Security, ESA Total Security, USB Flash Drive Auto Run Antivirus, and Panda Antivirus for Netbook.

     There are Different types of Computer Worms: Email Worms which Spreading goes via infected email messages. Instant Messaging Worms which spreading used is via instant messaging applications by sending links to infected websites to everyone on the local contact list. Internet Worms These ones will scan all available network resources using local operating system services and/or scan the Internet for vulnerable machines. Attempt will be made to connect to these machines and gain full access to them. IRC Worms such as Chat channels are the main target and the same infection/spreading method is used as above - sending infected files or links to infected websites. File-sharing Networks Worms it Copies itself into a shared folder, most likely located on the local machine. The worm will place a copy of itself in a shared folder under a harmless name. Now the worm is ready for download via the P2P network and spreading of the infected file will continue.

        We have many Computer worms' examples such as: The SQL Slammer Worm, the Blaster Worm, the Melissa worm, the Sobig worms, and the Mydoom worm. All spread through e-mail. These worms shared some features of a Trojan horse(attractive attachments names), in that they spread by tempting a user to open an infected e-mail attachment.

Wiki by Saher Kawas

With the everyday changes in technologies and the everyday trials to keep and to have a collaborative work, wikis have created a two way communication through a click of a button. A wiki can be defined as a web page that anybody can create or edit therefore it's a popular source of knowledge sharing and information gathering.

In the world of business, wiki with its collaboration and teamwork nature can offer a great help to commerce and the workplace. According to Daniel Nations "Wikis can also play a role in enhancing meetings, and in some cases, replace them altogether. A wiki can be a great place to store meeting minutes and provide the opportunity for employees to offer additional input outside of the meeting." And "Taking the wiki meeting one step further, a wiki can be used to centralize the information and organization of an entire project. Not only could it store meeting notes and provide brainstorming synergy, it can organize the project into an open environment with two-way communication.
Think on the drawbacks of the conventional meeting. With too many people, a meeting becomes an information-dump rather than an idea-gathering mission. But, with too few people, you run the risk of excluding someone whose ideas could be vital to the success of the project.
With wiki organization, all participants in the project can get the same information and are able to share ideas seamlessly. It provides a way to empower the employee and let them take ownership of the project, driving it with their own ideas and, in the end, providing better solutions."

(Ezra Goodnoe 2005) "Wikis can centralize all types of corporate data, such as spreadsheets, Word documents, PowerPoint slides, PDFs — anything that can be displayed in a browser. They can also embed standard communications media such as e-mail and IM. Heavy-duty PHP-based wikis can directly interface with company databases to bring in audio and picture files. A wiki's functionality is limited only by the programming skills of the person who implements it." She added that a wiki can be used to create a company intranet quickly and economically without sacrificing functionality, security, or durability. Also, a wiki can help in publishing a variety of corporate documents in one universally accessible location and let employees manage those documents with a minimum of effort, time. In addition, a person can manage and organize meeting notes, team agendas, and company calendars. Moreover, a wiki can be used as a project management tool which is cheap and most of the times is free and accessible through any Web browser. She also added that wiki can act as a file archive where shared documents can be viewed and revised by a large team.

In conclusion, and after much analysis of wiki and how a wiki works, I hope that with the help of wikis communication in businesses between Palestine and other countries can be established through wiki meeting vie the internet. By using this way of communication, online discussions can be made and better solutions and suggestions for improving our workplace and industry could come up.

References

Daniel Nations, The Business Wiki, Wiki in the Workplace. Available from: . [February 17, 2011].

Ezra Goodnoe, How To Use Wikis For Business. Available from: . [August 8, 2005].

Component of E-Business Site By Isra Abu Srour

Component Of E-Business Site

 

Introduction:

“Many of your competitors are already doing business through the Internet. You read that yearly growth rate of e-commerce is over 25 percent. E-commerce segment for the businesses that sells to other businesses or B2B, as it is called, is escalating even in a better pace. Naturally, at one point, you too decide that you need to have a piece of this action! But, what are the main characteristics of a good e-commerce site that you must consider even before you build one? A small research will show that there are numerous choices for you to make your business presence online. In fact, you can be overwhelmed with all the possibilities that are available on the Internet to build an e-commerce website. However, it is important to plan your website before even shop around for tools to build your site. There are some basic components that all e-commerce sites include, such as product or service description pages, a shopping cart - so that buyers can select and keep items from your product list till they generate a purchase order or an invoice, a payment mechanism – so that buyers can pay for your products online or offline”. By Nowshade Kabir ©Rusbiz.com

"Now that we know what is wrong with a bad ecommerce website we can create a good ecommerce website by carrying out a few simple steps during the initial design process of your ecommerce site, according to Microedge website.

1-Product information: Display as much relevant information about the product as you can. Some websites only display a single line of text relating to the product. Ideally you want to see all the different options and sizes and specifications relating to the product. If there is an overload of information this can be tabbed so the customer can click on the specification they are looking for. Plus again this is great for your search engine positioning.

2- Website Security and confidence. When a customer enters in their personal details and credit card number this needs to be carried out under SSL (Secure Socket Layer) or https. Often a pop up will appear in the browser window to let the customer know they are in a secure area along with the padlock. Another point on ecommerce is the web design and the quality of the web site design.

3-Show larger images in the same window. If you have larger product images show them to your customer, even alternative views of the product. Often customers need to see the back of products. Your customer is thinking of lots of questions before making that purchase, so show them everything you have to offer.

4-Ensure the buying process is easy. Do not force the customer to login to make a purchase. This is bad practice unless it is a membership site. A customer does not want to say “Where they heard about your site”, or even tick that box to receive spam email. They need an instant confirmation email of the product purchased and if possible delivery details.

5-Guarantees: As money back guarantees are becoming increasingly common on online sales you should consider prominently posting your money back guarantee on you website. Be sure to make your money back guarantee generous! Customers are becoming pickier on this issue."

"There are definitely several positive and negative opportunities that ecommerce has brought on in the past couple years.  Globalization is an important aspect of ecommerce, as it is a result of online communications.  As a frequent online shopper, I can attest to the fact that ecommerce is very convenient and simple,"cct260 website

Once you know how to handle all the above mentioned aspects, go ahead and look for a great tool to build your dream e-commerce website and make money online!

References:

http://www.microedge.co.uk/ecommerce-web-design/good-ecommerce-website.htmlhttp://ezine.rusbiz.com/article/Six_components_of_a_good_e_commerce_site.htmlecommerce%20good%20website

http://individual.utoronto.ca/mallozzi/conclusion.html.

Twitter By Ahmad Younis

Social networking sites have become the important point of interest for huge numbers of people, businesses and social organizations, and now all countries and companies try to get the technology advancement. Twitter is one of these social networks

, that bring to us a huge information we can share it especially in businesses. So what’s the Twitter? What’s the tweet’s? How can I create an account, and what’re the benefits from it?



Twitter is a website owned and operated by Twitter Inc. founded by: Jack Dorsey Williams, and Stone. (Twitter is a website, owned and operated by Twitter Inc)” It offer for their user a micro blogging services that can share and comment with anyone, and enabling them to read and send massages called tweets”, which is 140 characters in length, but we can share a lot with a little space, and Connect to each Tweet is rich details that provide additional information. We can tell our story within our Tweet, or we can think of a Tweet as the headline, and use the details pane to tell the rest with photos, videos and other media content.



How I can create an account? At first I direct my browser on this link www.twitter.com , second I log to the sing of “sing up” in the main page, next I type all information needed and I‘ll be sure that are correct, finally I press on “create an account” in the bottom of page, I will Log in my twitter and I should confirm my twitter by my Gmail massage, then it ask me to follow what I prefer such as interests and people you may know.

Twitter brings a lot of services for their users in all side. (Deborah Soltesz), “at first it keeps us connected with our families and friends”. Moreover stay informed, it keep us related to what’s going on in the world, such as: politicians, businesses , news, sports …...). In further more Promotion and Outreach, Individuals, businesses and organizations can use Twitter to promote themselves, drawing attention to events, raising awareness about their products and services and creating "buzz" around their brands. Many businesses have integrated Twitter and other social networking tools into their customer service and support systems. Finally Research Many Twitter users, even those who tend to read instead of post, have taken advantage of the wide range of businesses, expertise, opinions and knowledge easily accessed via Twitter. By simply searching Twitter posts, it is possible to quickly find informal reviews of a product or service. Often, users will pose a question and quickly have recommendations, ideas and offers of assistance in response. People planning a vacation can get recommendations from the locals on where to eat and what to do. Many businesses have customer service quickly and easily available, providing direct assistance when possible and guiding customers to the appropriate level of help when necessary. I think twitter isn’t as facebook or other social media, which is more and more related to the topics it offers, and it has advantages that it differ it from others.



In conclusion, (according to twitter company) today social networks become becomes the future of business it make every thing easy , in other wise ,collecting information and ads about companies get more easy , businesses use Twitter to quickly share information with people interested in their products and services , gather real-time market intelligence and feedback ,and build relationship with customers , partners and influential people ,From brand lift, to CMR(Customer Management Relationship),to direct sales .Twitter offers businesses a chance to reach an engaged audience.



References:





• Twitter is a website, owned and operated by Twitter Inc., From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter.


• Soltesz, Deborah, What Are the Benefits of Twitter?. Available from: http://www.ehow.com/list_6149329_benefits-twitter_.html.

Linkedin by lydia habash

LinkedIn


If you are a person looking for jobs, and you are finding it difficult to pursue your career and improve it then you should try using LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a business oriented social networking site that enables you to connect with colleagues, look for a job or business relationships and get answers to industry questions. It operates as an online professional network designed to help members find jobs, people, and business opportunities. It also offers career management tools to help you manage your career. If you are looking for jobs and business opportunities then I think LinkedIn is the best place to go to.

By using this site you can maintain a list of contacts of people you know and trust in business. The people in this list are called connections. You can invite anyone you want to become your connection. Your connections would make up your contact networks. Your contact networks are made up of your direct connections and your second degree connections. This would be very helpful to you because you can use your trusted contacts to get you introduced to someone you want to know.

You can use LinkedIn in many ways. You can use it to find jobs and business opportunities that are recommended by someone from your contact network. You can also view the profiles of hiring managers and look in your contact list to find which contacts can introduce you to them. You can also follow different companies at once and get notifications about the available new offers. Employers can also list jobs and find workers on LinkedIn.

By using LinkedIn you are able to research the companies that you are interested in working with them. You can type the name of the company in the search box and the company’s statistics will be provided to you. These statistics may include the percentage of the most common positions that are held within the company, a list of the company’s employees, the ratio of male to female employees, and the location of the company’s offices and headquarters. This can make your search for companies much easier.

You can also use LinkedIn as your CV. People are starting to send links to the LinkedIn profile rather than sending their CV for jobs. After all why would you keep on updating and resending a word file continuously when by using LinkedIn, you can have all your career history in one place, and updated as you go.

LinkedIn also works on building trust among the users. If people want to contact a professional, they need to have an existing relation with them, or they need an intervention of a contact they have. This is intended to build trust between the users in LinkedIn.

Even if you do not know English you can still use LinkedIn because LinkedIn is also available in other languages. LinkedIn is available in English, Spanish and Portuguese, French, German, and Italian. Today, LinkedIn are still trying to extent their languages to as many as possible to help many professionals around the world.

I believe that LinkedIn is the perfect site for business relations. You can see the recommendations of others. You can also look for jobs and opportunities. It also gives you the ability to build your resume. LinkedIn can be also used as your CV. In the end, LinkedIn will be very helpful to you and to your business career.


Resources

http://www.crunchbase.com/company/linkedin

http://jobsearch.about.com/od/networking/a/linkedin.htm

http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/linkedin.com#

http://www.linkedin.com/static?key=pop_privacy_policy

Components of E-Business by Henriette Farah

What is E-commerce?

E -commerce which refers to electronic – commerce that means selling and buying products and services through the internet or other computer network.

It becomes one of the most useful ways for the customers to make their purchases without the barriers of time or distance, by logging on to the internet at any time you can sell or purchase whatever you want by a single click of the mouse and it is much cheaper than traditional means because of the absence of the human assistance.

There are many components in order to build a good e-commerce site, and I would like to mention the most seven ones.

The first one is (product information):
You have to give all the information of your product or service in a very clear and specific way because buying from your site depends mainly on the information provided.

It is preferable to add videos and pictures about your goods because it is not tangible for the customers, so seeing it or watching a video about it removes the lack of item intangibility

The second component is (different ordering methods):
Using different ordering methods give strength to your web site; you can use telephone, fax or ordinary mail, that way customers can always feel safe because they can talk to a live person if anything goes wrong

The third component is (different payments methods):
In your e-commerce web site is it preferable to use different payment methods like: electronic checks, e-bullion, PayPal, and credit cards.
In that way users can choose the most convenient way and feel more secure to buy from your site or to sell their products through your e commerce site.

The fourth component is (Shopping Cart with Tax Calculation):

In your web site you have to create a shopping cart or shopping bag beside each item you would like to sell, so that customers can add the items they are willing to purchase in that cart when they are buying more than one item and your shopping cart should have the ability to calculate them correctly.

The fifth component is (Guarantees):
You have to mention your guarantee policy to convenience your customer that if the product or service did not match their expectation they will be able to get their money back, in this way customers will fell more secured and more comfortable to buy from your web site.

The sixth component is (privacy policy):
your website must have a privacy policy, and you have to explain to your customers what you plan to do with the various information that you collect, and if your site is planning to use cookies, make sure to mention this aspect in your privacy policy as well.

The seventh and final component is (Security):
In order to build a good e commerce web site you have to use a security system like SSL (Secure Socket Layer) this system will ensure your customer that the information given will not fall into the hand of hacker while transferring from his computer to the web server, and in this way you also show your customers how you really concern about their sensitive information.

Finally you have to add all these components all together in order to create a professional e-commerce website that every one prefers to use in order to buy or sell products and services.

________________________________________________________

References:
1. http://is.gd/nr5FPN, (2002-2009)
2.http://is.gd/YIV34Q ,(2011)

Online Intermediaries by Jumana Abu Leil

Online Intermediaries make transactions between third parties easier through allowing access, host and transmit index content.

They play a very important role in business. They help maintain a connection between buyers and sellers.

For instance if someone wants to open a small business on the internet, he will not be able to attract a lot of customers without the use of an online intermediary such as e-bay where he can actually make an account and display his products and therefore making things easier for him which actually affects his business since it brings him more customers.

There are a lot of types for online intermediaries such as e-commerce intermediaries.

E-commerce intermediaries have one very important characteristic. Not only they connect Buyers and suppliers but also they allow for internet transactions to be performed.

They do provide B2B as well as B2C proposals.

Some intermediaries or Internet service providers deliver their own

Content. Some e-commerce platforms sell goods that they take title to.

An important question that may rise is if e-commerce and e-business are the same.

Both are Different since in e-commerce ICT (Information and communication technology) is in interactions between firms or firms and individuals while in e-business it is used to enhance a business.

-There are different types of e-commerce among them are B2B and B2C.

B2B (Business to Business) is actually between companies

B2C (Business to Consumer) such as customer buying goods etc..

-Another important question is what is actually fueling the e-commerce?

There are three important things:

1) Economic forces (resulting from lowering the communication costs)

2) Market forces (Corporations get more encouraged to use e-commerce to capture international markets)

3) Technology forces (More efficient communication)



-Let us take a look on how is the internet relevant to e-commerce.

We all know that the internet allows people to connect together thus it allows people or businesses to show and sell their products online which allows others to view them and lead them to purchase.



-We now take a look at the advantages of e-commerce on businesses.

1) Reducing cost

2) Mass customization: for instance if someone wants to buy a specific computer, the applications actually include easy to use ordering systems to fit each ones unique needs.

3) Network production: Reduction in costs and selling add-on products.



-For consumers e-commerce makes information easier and accessible which makes for a better decision for consumers on what they really need. For example when buying a computer, details are provided as well as the price which lets you see if its fits both your budget and your needs.



-How does e-commerce link workers, suppliers, customers together?

A supply chain management is needed.

A SCM is divided into three linked and important things.

1) Product flow: The movement of goods from the supplier to the customer.

2) Information flow: status of delivery.

3) Finance flow: everything that is related to payment.



In my opinion I can see that online intermediaries are really important , they do play a very huge role in business , helping develop businesses and benefits both the suppliers and the consumers.

Twitter by Duaa Mustafa

    Twitter is a social site like Face book and My Space helps connect people with each other through short text messages does not exceed 140 characters display on the user page . Twitter is characterized also feature relay in the sense there you follow on it care about what is posted on the site and vice versa, meaning that there are those who follow them on it so we can get to know each others through Twitter and also gain useful information that is important to us. Users can send and receive messages via twitter website, smart phones and PCs .And users can reply or comment on other user's messages through @ sign followed the user name, for example: if I want to reply on "S" message I will write @ "S" then I write my comment on it. Also users can use hash tag, Know it by the symbol # it allow them group posts together by topic or type.

2009 by team O’Relly and Sarah Milstein



    (According to Darren Rowse) There are many benefits of twitter: the first one is, research tool:Twitter is the way that it allows to tap into an amazing community of people from around the world to find out what they are thinking, feeling and experiencing in different ways. Secondly, Branding: how a personal online brand is made up of the many ’strands’ of ‘presence’ that you have. Thirdly, Collaboration and Networking: many opportunities to interact with amazingly talented, smart and insightful people on Twitter. Finally, Direct traffic: Twitter helps to strengthen the links between the others through retweets to a message someone posted on the site, thus acting as the promotion of the person.

2011 TwiTip.

   Practical Ways Twitter Can Help Your Business This is where it gets interesting. A lot of people are doing some very innovate things with Twitter. Here are some of their stories. (According to Cindy King), an international sales specialist, saw a huge boost in business inquires by implementing a strategic Twitter plan.” Following the right people on Twitter was key . There are some people very gifted at building relationships on Twitter. As I followed these online community builders, I realized that some of them are also excellent direct response copywriters. They get their Twitter followers to take action,” said King. “Light bulbs went off, and I spent a weekend putting together a tweet marketing plan and entered in 6 weeks worth of tweets, 5 a day, using Tweet Later. I used a mind map, created categories, varied times on tweets and used BUDurls so I could track results and improve my tweet plan the next time around. That was a month ago,” explained King. When King finds a spare minute between projects, she logs into Twitter and watches what folks are talking about. When she Tweets, about 90 percent of the time she presents useful information and resources to her followers. The remaining tweets are surveys and questions. Following this strategy, King saw an 800 percent increase in inquiries about her business after her setup her Twitter campaign.


    In the end twitter has contributed in many aspects of social, economic and political. Have conributed to the social aspect of the communication and people regard each other, either in economic terms has contributed to support and promote products and services to companies such as Pepsi-Cola , Jet Blue,and others, either in political terms has played an effictive role of communication to the recent events that have occured in Egypt and Tunisia to stand with the people and achieve their demands.

References:-

O'Reilly, Tim, S. M., The Twitter Book. Available from:

. [2009].

Rowse, Darren. 5 Ways I Benefit from Twitter. Available from:

< http://www.twitip.com/benefits-twitter/>. [December 4, 2008].

Stelzner, Michael n.d., How to Use Twitter to Grow Your Business. Available from:

. [2006-2011].

Internet Intermediaries by Hala Shawria

   Intermediaries - businesses that provide connections between supplier and end purchaser.
Internet information intermediaries derive revenues from those same companies they are supposed to advise their clients about . This introduces conflicts of interest . This report explores the efficiency of intermediation markets and examines the contractual arrangements governing the use of listing and directory services ; such as Google orYahoo .Billboard and click –through pricing are compared. Billboard pricing guarantees an audience for a given price . Click –through is a pay –as-you-go scheme where advertisers pay only for the number of customers they actually got . Those two types of contract lead to different motivations for the intermediary . The first doesn’t encourage it to monitor the relationship customer-suppler ; since its result is not under its province anymore . The second gives more leeway to the intermediary and may force it to monitor the messages sent from the supplier to the customer through the intermediary :as it imposes no limits on how many customers a supplier may get ; there is a risk that only the most profitable messages are transmitted ; instead of those that are of interest to the customer . Those two dimensions (profitability to the supplier vs. interest to the customer )are not always concomitant .
The report models Internet intermediaries as advisors to customers . Intermediaries receive queries for information about products or information . They answer those requests by providing an assessment or a ranking of the alternative offerings . Customers expect to be given an objective assessment of the adequateness between a supplier's good and their needs . Intermediaries are caught between repeat customers whom they want to retain ; and suppliers who pay to get listed among the options available to customers . Intermediaries provide a forum for suppliers to make claims about their products . Those claims can be exaggerated ; leading some customers to be misled into buying the product .( By Eric Goldman)

A two-sided media market is modeled where media outlets offer informational content to users and in turn sell their audience to the providers of that content . The intermediary contracts with suppliers to provide customers with information about their product ; and users then decide ;based on how objective the information was ; whether to keep on using the intermediary's service . Competitors can divert an intermediary's clientele by offering content providers more advantageous contracting schemes . Since the intermediary's service is to offer information about a product ; it loses customers if it cannot provide content .

This report is concerned with the concentration of media markets ; more particularly that of search engines on the internet . Search engines control the access to information about products for many consumers and there is a natural tendency to monopolization of intermediation services. Indeed ; it is often better from the point of view of welfare that there be an unique intermediary as this allows every member to benefit from maximum network effects – the value of an intermediary to its clients ; and the larger that pool ; the higher its value . The usual criticism of monopoly for information intermediation is that it leads to the price exclusion of too many players ; so that a competitive setting can increase welfare by lowering prices for intermediation services . Google, a search engine, AOL, both an Internet service provider and a portal, Amazon, a book seller, my Simon, a comparison shoppingservice, Free Markets, an e-marketplace and exchange, all are among the many listing and directories services, online newspapers, newsletters and search engines that provide information to customers aboutproducts. Information intermediaries select information, organize it and present it to customers. (Alexander Gaudeul)



References:


(1) (http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/8/59/45997042.pdf.

(2)OECD Project on Internet Intermediaries

By Eric Goldman

http://blog.ericgoldman.org/cgi-bin/web/mt-t.cgi/1177.

(3) http://agaudeul.free.fr

Alexander Gaudeul.

Youtube by Noor Sharaf

Introduction :


YouTube is an internet service that allows people upload their videos for many purposes, so that they became available online. These videos can be of any type: personal, commercial, political, social… etc. It represents community - with numerous user groups and contests to encourage users to create their own videos. Since its establishment, it has been an issue of much controversy, due to some political and illegal videos that were uploaded.

Establishment:

YouTube was founded by Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim, who were all early employees of PayPal. In February 14.2005 .

It is now serving two billion videos a week accompanied by advertising.

Using youtube as a business website :

• You can use YouTube for business by directing clients to video clips that show your expertise or things on how to use your products or services.

• transforming your podcast into a YouTube video, thereby reaching even more customers.

• Share the expirement of people or customers who tried the product with those who did not, in order to encourage them to do so.

• recording and uploading a job that your business has been working on.

• Show a meeting held in a company you are working in.

• Invite people to social events your company is holding.

As a Customer Service

• Create videos that help customers to use the product

• Put some links and videos related to the service or product



Why is it significant?

Internet is now free, easy to use and accessible to most people, in addition to easy watching and uploading videos, the fact that makes you tube a really useful and good service that uses online videos for many purposes

It also offers opportunities for expression through video publishing, making content available for anyone interested in consuming it .

Being a social meeting, you tube attracts people to meet each other and recognize different cultures and share opinions with each others.

.

Conclusion

Any internet website can be exploited and used in a bad way. Same is applied to You Tube. But, We can avoid that and use this social website in a positive way by allowing YouTube draws users into viewing videos and to be involved with the content by commenting and creating activities that makes people’s skills much better. Even if most of the content on YouTube lacks an educational goal, the application encourages experimentation with new media.

Many people believe that creating content—in any form—is a useful learning exercise, helping develop a better and deeper understanding of the subject matter and the tools used to create that content.

To the extent that YouTube makes such creation easier, it has the ability to expose students to new skills and capabilities, as well as link them to various
online communities.


*Hopkins, Jim (October 11, 2006). "Surprise! There's a third YouTube co-founder". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2006-10-11-youtube-karim_x.htm. Retrieved November 29, 2008.

http://askbobrankin.com/what_is_youtube.html









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Flickr Website By Johnny Asfour

Flickr is considered the most popular photo-sharing website. Its collaborative tools have made it popular in higher education, some faculty have begun using Flickr images in their courses, art schools, biologists. Others use Flickr to share critique and analyze visual information. Nowadays Flickr is owned by yahoo, the website offers eight different languages, which make it easier to the popular.

Flickr- provides users with considerable control over how their photos can be used. Users can indicate whether each photo is public or private. Users can associate a Creative Commons license with the users’ content, to grant people the right to use your work under certain circumstances’’1. The site provides the tools, but the value derives from the contributions of the user community photos, comments, ratings and organization and the connections that the site facilitates between individuals.

The tools that Flickr provide enable users to post photos from any camera of directly from a PC or cell phones, I-pad, HD videos’’2. Make it easier for the user to tag photos from any place he exists.

Business people or organizations have the ability to use this website to enhance their business market. It provides users with sharing products’ photos, comments, ads, researches to share their items related to business markets and sharing experience with others and build strong business relationships.

Flickr offers a “World Map” where the user can browse the whole globe from the hometown to your favorite place, or places you had never heard of’’1. Other than sharing photos with others, flickr present a website showing different places responsive to the demand of the user. A photographer can add pictures of famous places where tourists can visit.

Despite the benefits of using the website Flickr; it has some disadvantages as well. To gain more capacity, users have to pay subscription about $24.95 for one year, to have unlimited uploads and storage, unlimited sets and collections, access to your original files, stats on your account, ad-free browsing and sharing and HD playback for high-definition video uploads’’1.

People how are interested in business field or in taking picture, Flickr is the most effective website to be used. From learning about this website, I advice all the business students and colleges to have an account, in order to share comments, receive feedback, engage with a community of experts gain experiences or accept constructive criticism on projects from other communities how are interested in the same field.

Improved by yahoo Inc, 2011. Available from:

1- <http://www.flickr.com>.  [1 February 2011]

Improved by Educause Learning Initiative, 2008. Available from:

2- <http://www.educause.edu/ELI/7 Things you should know about flickr/162592>. [8 February 2008]

Wiki by Jessica Salameh

I am sure that every one of you had heard about Wikipedia which is known as an encyclopedia that built by its users. You have certainly used it yourself. So today I want to tell you about wiki which is the basis of Wikipedia. (Nathan Matias,2003) A wiki is a page or collection of Web pages built in a way that allows anyone who admissions them to add new information of their own and modify content already there. It is also the name of the software that enables us to create, edit and link the pages. Wiki has many benefits and uses in business which I want to tell you about them in this report.

(Christopher A. Richard, 2008) A wiki is essential because -according to Christopher- “it invites all users to edit any page or to create new page within the wiki Web site,” Which help Keeping information current and accurate.(wiki website) It also make it easy to switch ideas and information on projects or any teamwork without having any conflict. Moreover, Wikis end the unused of reflecting emails and communication failures, wikis just get everyone on the same page. (Daniel Nations, 2011) wiki is used in Business in many ways some of them are: according to Daniel “global communications is an obvious target for wiki in the workplace”. Because it could be easy used and spread all over the world it could be edit easily and quickly, keeping everyone in connects with the new information. It also keeps employees all over the world informed about the system of their team and connect all the members in different places to work together and share information on a project. Another excellent use for the business wiki is as a replacement for knowledge origins and normally asked questions. The shared nature of wikis makes it the perfect tool for small teams of people who need to create and issue information to a large group of readers. Furthermore, Wikis can also play a role in improving meetings, and in some cases, restore them altogether. A wiki can be a great place to collect meeting and provide the opportunity for employees to offer additional input outside of the meeting. Finally, a wiki can be used to combine the information and organization of an entire project. Not only stored meeting notes and provide brainstorming collaboration, it can organize the project into an open environment. (Daniel Hean, 2010) Wiki have a big advantage which is version tracking In a considerable wiki, having a large number of writers can create the challenge of not knowing what has been updated, so Versioning is best for keeping track of every change made to a page.

In conclusion, a wiki is a collaborative, informal technology for organizing information on websites. which have many advantages for everybody whether they are business people or normal people . Since the authoring is spread several users have the possibility to improve the content by contributing knowledge and experience. And do not fear to make mistakes! I trust that “there is always some new piece of information to add, some old piece to delete or revise and so on”.

 Christopher, 2008, ‘A Research Report Submitted to the Faculty in Partial Fulfillment of the Graduation Requirements’ http: //is.gd/SrpDcJ. By (Christopher A. Richard, 2008)

 Daniel Nations, the Business Wiki. Available from: 2011 .By (Daniel Nations, 2011)

 2008

 Daniel hean, Document Management Software & Web Collaboration Information. Available from: < http://is.gd/WPGAgL >2010 .By (Daniel Hean, 2010)  

 2007 ‘Wiki in plain English’ available from [may29, 2007].

 Nathan Matias ,2003, What is a Wiki? November 3rd, 2003

Blogs by Reem Freij

Blogs have been spread widely all over the world at the personal, social and organizational level. As a result, blogging has become more popular over the last few years especially in the business environment.




Blog is a type of a website which is published by either an individual or group of individuals. It can also be defined as personal journals or diaries that are updated frequently. Moreover, it enables visitors to leave comments and messages on all sorts of topics depending on the interest of the blogger.



(Saksham Talwar 2010) There are several types of blogs:

• Personal blogs: This is the most common and popular type of blogs. Many individuals maintain blogs to keep a track o their life. Personal blogs are updated with the individuals’ day to day activities.

• Company blogs: Various companies have a blog that keep people updated about the company’s activities, progress and goals. The blog updates are about the things that are happening in the company.

• General blogs: They are one in which the writer publishes content related to any niches. Unlike personal blogs, these blogs don’t include personal or life updates.

According to Misty Belardo there are other types of blogs:

• “Travel and cultural blogs: This type of blogs is perfect for those writers who love to chronicle their journeys. Moreover, this kind of blogs enables travelers to upload their photos and map their trips as well as meet other travelers.

• Fashion and Lifestyle blogs: Fashion is a multi-million dollar business all over the world. People look for trends and one way for them to follow a trend is via fashion and lifestyle blogs. Nowadays, people always check out recommendations from bloggers or the fashion and lifestyle themed sites before they even leave the house to go on a shopping spree.”



Blogs are used enormously by companies because of its many advantages in business; here are some advantages of establishing and maintaining a business blog:

(Matt Jackson 2003)

• “Quick and easy: A blog is simple to set up and easy to use by the company

• Inexpensive Setup: To integrate a blog into the page of your site costs little, since someone within your organization can usually do it.

• Provides Easy Access To Company News.

• Appear Accessible: A blog makes you more approachable especially if you allow freedom for all your visitors to post comments.

• Brand Awareness: A blog gives you the opportunity to mention your company name and ensure that your readers think of you.

• Relationship Building: As the blog enables you to speak more freely and in an informal way to the customers, they have the potential to help the organization develops stronger relationships and brand loyalty with its customers.

• Reduce Calls And Emails.

• A positive way of getting feedback.”



Finally, blogs are social networks that people benefit from in many fields. People can use them for entertainment and communicate with others, or they can be used to get information about different topics. Furthermore, businesses can use blogs as a marketing tool to promote their activities and some can use blogs to gain revenue by adding ads in their blog.





Saksham Talwar, Types Of Blogs,2010. Available from:

< http://www.bloggingjunction.com/4-types-of-blogs/>. [12/2/2011].





Misty Belardo, The 5 Types of Blogs
Which One Suits You Best?. Available from:

. [12/2/2011].



Matt Jackson, 10 Big Benefits Of A Busy Business Blog (And How To take Advantage), 2003. Available from:

< http://www.webreference.com/authoring/bus_blog/ >. [17/2/2011].

Flickr by Firas Nofal

Flickr is a website where you can find free images and videos, web services suite, and online community. It is created by Ludicorp and later acquired by Yahoo. It has a lot of benefits in art world as well as business world. Yet, I will clarify Flickr website and its rules. After that I will talk a little bit about its application in marketing world.


Flickr offers two types of accounts: Free and Pro. Free account users are allowed to upload 300 MB of images a month and 2 videos. They can also contribute to a maximum of 10 photo pools. If a free account is inactive for 90 consecutive days, Flickr reserves the right to delete it. For a free account, no one can access the original file. However, Pro accounts allow users to upload an unlimited number of images and videos every month and receive unlimited bandwidth and storage. Pro account users receive ad-free browsing and have access to account statistics.

The old adage about a picture being worth 1,000 words is really true in marketing. Flickr is quickly becoming a popular online marketing tool for it allows creative agencies to market their products through a visually appealing medium. It can help you generate traffic to your website and ensure that your website ranks higher on the major search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing too. According to Nielsen or NetRatings, “Flickr is the fastest-growing photo sharing site on the web. It is the 7th most trafficked social media site overall.” When you use Flickr to market your products you must be sure to tag each with relevant keywords. The more your photo ties in with current, hot topics, the more the keywords in the title, tags, and description will drive traffic. However, marketing on flickr might not work for all kinds of businesses but giving it a try will not be harmful.

It is important that you do not send spam mails on Flickr. According to Flickr Terms “you cannot upload, post, email, transmit or otherwise make available any unsolicited or unauthorized advertising, promotional materials, junk mail, spam, chain letters, pyramid schemes, or any other form of solicitation, except in those areas (such as shopping) that are designated for such purpose”. It is always good to know about their terms and start being creative on Flickr. By this, I mean the following:

1- Comment on other photos you like, whether they’re related to your business or not.

2- Add great photos to your “Favorites” list.

3- Take part in discussions in your groups (but avoid the hard-sell tactics).

Remember that every time you do one of these things, your screen name will show with your comment, with your discussion posts, etc. And if your screen name is your URL, that’s free advertising.

Finally, after we wrote about Flickr, we know that Flickr can be used to advertise and market goods and services without paying money, through uploading their images and also upload videos for presentations. However, we must not use hard sell method through sending spam and junk mails, which will negatively affect prospects.



References



• Alka Shakya, Marketing on Flickr. Available from: [22 September 2008]

• Michelle Crossley, Using Flickr as an Online Marketing Tool. Available from: [11 October 2009]

• Matt McGee, Small Business Search Marketing. Available from:

• Sean Rasmussen, Using Flickr For Internet Marketing. Available from: [16 October 2009]