casbis project final 2-22-2

8/14/2019 Casbis Project Final 2-22-2

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INSC 20263 -- Project Proposal Page 2

Supplier Power

X

Our industry requires a large amount of goods along withmultiple suppliers. We expect to purchase used and overstocked

bulk equipment from multiple suppliers, such as nearby ski areas

and manufacturing plants. By purchasing our supplies from thelocal area, our shipping expenses will naturally be lower.

Threat of Substitute

Products or Services

X Since our mountain caters to the expert skier and rider, the threat

of substitutes in the British Columbia area for the customers is

limited. Although there are a large amount of substitutes for

family-oriented vacations, the expert or local skier is unlikely tolook elsewhere. To sustain customer retention, each year that acustomer returns to our resort, he or she will receive a free one-

day lift ticket (If they are able to present their ski pass from theprevious year).

Threat of New

Entrants

X

Because the prime locations for skiable terrain are difficult tofind, new ski resorts are uncommon. Establishing a resortrequires a large amount of capital and marketing to make an

entrance into the industry. Many customers have loyalties to

preexisting competitors, so investors are unlikely to find a newresort financially viable. We recognize that this will be our mostdifficult obstacle to overcome. Therefore, in order to enter the

mountain resort industry successfully, our company will

implement effective marketing strategies.

Rivalry Among

Existing

Competitors

X

The mountain resort industry is a highly competitive market. The

large amount of suppliers of similar skiing services in BritishColumbia makes competitive pricing and marketing strategiesessential. By using local supplies and manufactured products on

our mountain, the pricing of our lift tickets will be significantlylower than the more commercialized resorts in the area.

Advanced skiers irritated with these overcrowded mountains willtransfer loyalty to our resort.


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3. Description of the competitive environment that is relevant to the use of the Web by the industry.Competitive Force and their Web Usage within the Industry

Customers

Customers will use the Web to search the different opportunitiesavailable when trying to plan a ski vacation. While comparing the

different websites that they visit, they are able to make a decision on

their destination. Customers will also be looking for discounted prices,which could benefit our company. The high season and low season forvisitation will also decipher when many customers will be visiting our

website to plan their trip.

Suppliers

While a lot of our success depends on the amount of snow in our area(which changes form year to year), we will also have to have manysuppliers for the beginning of our resort. The Web is not particularly

relevant to the use of our website because with the formation of a new

ski resort we will be contacting the suppliers rather than they suppliers

contacting us.

New Entrants

While new entrants have an advantage because they are able to analyze

their competitors before actually entering the force, they are also at a

disadvantage when trying to figure out exactly what it is that thecustomers are looking for. For the Web industry, new entrants will use

the web to market and advertise to potential new customers.

Competitors

Our competitors will utilize the web to compare different ski resorts inorder to improve their websites in the future. If a competitor were to visit

our website and see that we have a deal for Ski five days, get a sixthday free, then that competitor might feel compelled to do the same. Ourcompany will have to use the Internet in the same way to learn our

competitors.

Substitute Products

The web will facilitate substitute products when a potential customer

searches the web for vacations while not specifying what type ofvacation. Our customers will relate to other skiing areas along with

beach resorts all over the world.


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4. Using what you have learned about good/bad web design in class and using class notes, pleaseidentify: four web sites in your industry that you believe are good and four that you consider

poorly designed. (Each individual researches two companies.)

Company Name Whistler Blackcomb Alta

Web Sites URL http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/index.htm http://www.alta.com/

Sites

Target

Audience

Individual skiers and snowboarders or families

looking for a family ski/snowboard vacation.

This is a well-known ski area (especially with

the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver), which willbring customers from all over the world.

Altas target audience for their

website would be aimed mainly

towards skiers in the United

States. This mountain does notallow snowboarders.

Sites Purpose

The sites purpose is not only to inform but

also to provide vacation planning with rentals

online.

The sites purpose is to inform the

customer along with the ability to

purchase tickets online, but no ski

rentals are available online.

Good? (Yes/No) Yes No

Design elements fromthe lecture notes/lecture

that contributed to a

Positive/Negative

impression

- provide at least 3 for

each site & explain;

Attach website

screenshots with

discussed features

highlighted with

diigo.com orawesomehighlighter.com

The homepage has a top navigation with drop

down menus that give the customers easyaccess to find what he or she is looking for.The top navigation also includes a weather and

snow base update. Along with the topnavigation, there is also a search bar where you

can find what you are looking for immediately.

The text-based bottom navigation gives further

information about the company and also has

the links for social media networks, such as

Facebook, Twitter, and a mobile device

application.

There is a vacation planner available to the

customer that compares different price dates.

The entire website has a consistent layout with

an easy return to the home screen by clicking

on the main logo in the upper left hand corner

A good color scheme does not turn thecustomer away and makes it easier to read the

important facts. The homepage also includes

online deals that will grab the customers eye

with advertisements that change daily.

The home pages image and

pictures were inconsistent in sizeand of poor quality. We felt thatthis would fail to grab the

customers attention and keepthem on the website.

There is no bottom text-based

navigation, which often includes

the last updated date, the social

media networks and copyrights.

There is no easy way to plan your

trip from the homepage. Whilethere is a link to guide you to

where you could plan your trip,from this website you are not able

to rent your skis online.

Fresh Alta News does not

contain information that would be

relevant for ski customers. Thisbordered text-box is not appealing

for someone that is visiting the

website. While it starts off with

notes of different news, eachbullet will stop in the middle of a

sentence.


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A great top navigation along with a good home icon thatwill always bring you back to the homepage helps makethis ski resort website good. The search engine at the topmakes finding information easier. The background

pictures are a slideshow of pictures that catch the eye.

This homepage is too cluttered and the picture size and

quality is inconsistent.

There is too much unused white space at the bottom ofthe home page, which does also not have bottom text-

based navigation or a last updated date

The drop down quality from the top navigation makes iteasy for the customer to find what he or she is looking

for. Weather and snow updates are also located at thetop of the homepage.

This bordered box of Fresh Alta News does notcontain information that is relevant for what many

customers are seeking. The information for each bulletalso cuts off in the middle of sentences.

There are several online advertisements that attractcustomers with price and a beautiful picture.


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Company Name Red Mountain Resort Sugar Mountain Resort

Web Sites URL http://www.redresort.com/ www.skisugar.com

Sites

Target

Audience

This resort targets a younger audience ofall skill levels. They target families and

college students especially.

The resort targets a young audience aswell as an older audience (70+).

Sites Purpose

To inform customers about the services

and products they offer. The sites

purpose is also to try to convince the

viewers that this is a great spot to take avacation.

To promote their business and all the

services and events they offer


Design elements from

the lecture notes/lecture


Positive/Negative

impression


each site & explain

Attach website

screenshots with

discussed features

highlighted with

diigo.com or

awesomehighlighter.com

This homepage as well as the

corresponding pages are all at 1 to 1.5

screens long. This allows viewers the

ability to scan the page easily and find

the information they desire quickly.

Red Mountain keeps the empty space to

a minimum, allowing the company to

maximize the amount of information

they advertise on their site.

The picture slideshow and other imageswere adequate to keep the viewer'sattention. The pictures are all relevantand they allow the viewers to see

different sides to the mountain.

There is a lot of empty space that could

be filled with advertisement of future or

current events.

There is not a good balance between

words and pictures. The design lacks

any creative appeal.

The pages length is not compensated

with information and creates moreunfilled space.

Color scheme is not very youth friendly.


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The navigation tool bar is conveniently

located at both the top and the bottom of the

website (highlighted). The information is

easy to find and the dropdown menus makesinformation easier to locate.

There is a lack of balance between words

and pictures. The top of the page is verybusy.

Unused space is kept to a minimum and

the pictures and color scheme make the

website more attractive.

There is a lot of unused space in the

bottom half of the home page with few

supporting text or pictures.


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Full screen shot of homepage, highlighting the lack o

navi ation bar

This is the most prominent box on the homepage witha very unclear meaning. The text doesnt provide the

visitor with any helpful information.

Examples of color usage and varying fonts

Book your vacation online box in bottom right

corner of homepage

Full screen view with large image banner highlighted.

Bottom right corner of the homepage highlighting text

that is difficult to read. It is small and turned on its side.


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Company Name Mammoth Mountain Monarch Mountain

Web Sites URL http://www.mammothmountain.com/ http://www.skimonarch.com/

Sites

Target

Audience

This site is geared towards local skiersand college-aged winter sport

enthusiasts.

Monarch targets large families andoften less experienced skiers.

Sites Purpose

To promote their mountain resort to a

younger-aged group of potential

customers

To appeal to large families through the

use of bright colors and large pictures


Design elements from

the lecture notes/lecture


Positive/Negative

impression


each site & explain

Attach website

screenshots withdiscussed features

highlighted with

diigo.com or

awesomehighlighter.com

The navigation is located conveniently

at the top of the webpage. Its design

allows users to easily see the most

visited parts of the page quickly.Whether their users want to plan a

vacation or search for reality, this

navigation bar provides for their needs.

Mammoth Mountains website color

scheme is easy on users eyes. The fade

from dark blue to white implies the

mountains snowy atmosphere, and theimportant icons are contrasted with a

light brown.

The webpage is separated into twosections. The first main section shows

the navigation and main picture display.

With a half page scroll, another section

reveals local events and a trip planner

for visiting parties.

The amount of icons moving upon

entering the website is overwhelming.

This movement distracts users from the

highest priority links. By reducing thenumber of moving parts, the website

would improve greatly

Monarch Mountains navigation is sub-

par. Not only is it located at the bottom

of the website, but it is difficult to

move a cursor over to the multiple

links. The horizontal expansion of linkscan frustrate users if it is not run

correctly.

Although the inference of snowexplains Monarch Mountains

reasoning for the white color scheme, it

is uncreative and too bright. It is

difficult to tell when the page ends and

useless white space begins.


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The main navigation bar is located at the top of

the page. The live weather update box informs

users of the slope condition. Finally, the bottom

section informs users of upcoming events.

This window shows the drop down feature

to other links from the navigation bar.

The bottom location of the navigation bar

is unnatural to web users. In order to cater

to the customers needs, Monarch should

relocate this function.

In the lower part of his page, an extensive

amount of white space is unused


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5. Industry key competitors (Select four of the well designed websites from the previous section andhave each individual research their company in more depth. Include your perceptions/opinions in

this section.)

Competitors name and URL of the

web site

How (what features?)

are they using on the

web?

What are their

most effective

or unique ways

of using the

web?

What are their

most ineffective

ways of using

the web?

Whistler Blackcomb

http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/inde

x.htm

The top navigation

makes it easy for thecustomers to find what

they are looking for. If

you can not easily findit right on thehomepage, then there

is a search box at thetop right that only

makes using the

website easier. Thesocial networkinglinks are located in the

bottom text-based

navigation and includeFacebook and Twitter,along with a mobile

application for phones.The simple color

scheme is consistent

throughout thewebsite, which reallyallows customers to

see what they are

looking for.

They use their

home screen asa slideshow of

different

pictures of thearea. You areable to view

pictures andvideos to get a

better idea of

what theatmosphere isactually like in

Whistler. The

pictures alsoallow customersto see other

opportunities inthe different

seasons

While the top

navigation isdesigned great

for this website,

there is alsoanother topnavigation,

which crowdsthe top of the

page. The

informationwould be betterfitted as part of

the bottom text-

based navigation

Red Mountain Resort

http://www.redresort.com/

Red Mountain Resort

uses simple navigation

tools, images,

consistent colorscheme, social

networking links,

calendar of events, andweather and

temperature forecast.

The color

scheme and the

pictures help to

attract people toresearch further

into the site. The

top navigationbar is well

organized andinformative, asseen through the

utilization of the

Though the

navigation tool

is great, the font

size needs to bebigger. The

home page

contains a lot ofadvertisements

and informationthat should beleft off of the

home page to


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drop down

menu. Theheader contains

convenient

application suchas the weather

panel and thesocial

networkinglinks. There is

also a video onthe site thatallows the

viewers to

witness a realresortexperience.

make room for

highlightingsome of their

bigger events

and programs.

Sun Peaks Resort

http://www.sunpeaksresort.com/

Sun Peaks website

home page includes abox to book your

vacation online,

current weather and

snow conditions,social networkinglinks, and links to

current news andevents. Also included

are a top navigationbar, a search bar,header and footer, a

large image banner,and effective use of

color.

The most

effectivefeatures of this

website are the

boxes for

currentmountainconditions,

booking avacation online,

and the mainphoto images.The site is very

effectivelyorganized with

boxes andmenus, and thecolor and text

makes it veryaesthetically

appealing.

Sun Peaks could

makeaccessibility to

upcoming events

easier, possibly

including aquick link to anevent calendar.

Also, thewebsite should

be used topromote dealsand values to

customers, asonly one small

box shows aspecial deal.

Mammoth Mountain

http://www.mammothmountain.com/

The navigation bar is

the initial feature seenby the user upon

entering the site. It

directs the user tomultiple helpful links

in the website.

Another importantfeature is an eye-pleasing color scheme.

This part of website

development appealsto the senses and

The resort

website not onlyfacilitates

information

about the skiingarea, but also

about the rest of

the town.MammothMountain

identifies that

potentialcustomers will

The icons at the

top of the page(above the

navigation bar)

have thepotential to

confuse a new

customer.Mammoth couldimprove their

site management

by moving theselinks elsewhere.


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perceptions of the

potential customer.Finally, networking

links like Twitter,

Facebook, and RSSkeep the customer

linked to the resort.Updates and

informationcommunication can be

streamlined through

the use of these sites.

spend a large

amount of theirtime in the

closest town.

Therefore, theirwebsite informs

users ofupcoming

events and otherattractions

within

Mammoth.

Once the extra

links areremoved, the

navigation bar

will be the soleicon at the top of

the screen.

6. Industry Key Competitors - Web Site Ratings

(Be sure to come up with three more criteria on your own.)

Company

Name

Website

Content

Ease of

Navigation

Site

Appearance

Quality

of

Images

Professionalism Social

Networking

Overall

Whistler

Blackcomb

8 7 8 9 8 6 46

RedMountain

Resort

8 7 6 7 7 7 39

Sun Peaks

Resort

10 9 9 10 9 8 55

Mammoth 8 7 9 8 9 8 49

Legend: 1-10, 1 being the lowest score, 10 being the highest possible. Overall out of 60.

Company#1: Whistler Blackcomb

Rating Explanation of Rating

Website Content 8While there is very little text content on the home page, the top navigation

easily leads the customers to the information that they are looking for. This

website is simple, but it also displays all of the information necessary to plan avacation to Whistler.

Ease of Navigation 7There is a top navigation that had drop-down boxes that separate activities

and information. While there is no side navigation, there is a search box at thetop of the homepage which will search the entire website. Along with these twomain features, the bottom text-based navigation leads to the social media links

which can give further information of the ski resort and even provide the ability

to see the opinions of other people. The homepage also provides the opportunity


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to buy lift tickets as well as rent equipment for a vacation.

Site Appearance 8The color scheme is not too overpowering for this website with the grays andreds. The color scheme is also consistent through the entire website which doesnot lead the customer to think that he or she has left the resort website. The

pictures found on each page are clear and not too overbearing. They give the

customer a visual of what they could see through the ability to access different

links to pictures and cameras (including live cameras)Quality Of Images 9The image quality on the homepage is very high, along with the consistency

of quality on other pages of the website. They are easy for the viewer to see andshow the customer a real life image of what it would be like to ski at Whistler

Blackcomb

Professionalism 8We felt like the professionalism for Whistler really stood out above other

website that we viewed. Everything was consistent throughout every page whichdid not lead to any confusion when going from page to page.

Social Networking 6The social media networking is very well distributed for this website. There

are links to Facebook, Twitter, and mobile applications to download. These aregood applications to have on a website to draw different generations through the

Web. The fact that they are at the bottom is not too overbearing on the rest of the

website.

Company #2: Red Mountain Resort


Website Content 8 Red Mountain Resort's website is very easy to read and its design is very upto date. The site contains answers to all the questions a customer wants to know

within the navigation toolbar as well as on the homepage. The site contains acalendar of events, weather and temperature forecast, videos, and images, and

ads highlighting current specials.Ease of Navigation 7The navigation bar presented at the top and bottom of the screen are easily

identifiable; however, they are a little small. Any information you are looking for

can be located on the navigation bar. The pages that the bar directs you to arekept on an average of one page, which makes the information even more

accessible.

Site Appearance 7It looks recently renovated and the color scheme is very effective for

targeting a youthful audience. Although the home page contains pictures and avideo, the images add to the site appeal.

Quality Of Images 7The picture slideshow located at the top of the page helps to advertiseupcoming events. The video also helps to showcase a authentic view of theresort.

Professionalism 7The site maintains its professionalism throughout every page. It solidifies itsauthenticity through the copyright information and photo credits. There are no

flashy or distracting images, and the website has consistent color scheme and

layout throughout every page.

Social Networking 7 The site contains four different mediums of social networking: Facebook,

Twitter, YouTube, and RSS feed. They are located at the top of the site and they

are big enough for people to identify them, but possibly distracting to the rest ofthe content.


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Company #3: Sun Peaks Resort


Website Content 10The website includes everything a visitor could hope to know about Sun

Peaks. The home page includes a report of the current weather conditions, aBook Your Vacation box, and links to important news and events occurring on

the mountain. The top navigation bar features well organized categories with

links to all information on the site and a search bar. The footer includes allimportant information such as phone number, copyright and ownershipinformation, and links to administrative information.

Ease of Navigation 9Navigation is very simple throughout the entire site. The main navigation barfeatures links to all the important information on the site, and it is easy todetermine what each subtitle links to. Within each section, a side bar appears

with links to each subsection. The search option is also very helpful. The only

addition that could make navigation even easier would be the inclusion of a sidenavigation bar on the home page with links to the most popular links.

Site Appearance 9This website is very aesthetically appeasing. A large picture that stretches the

width of the screen is the first aspect the eye notices. There is limited white spaceon the site, and it is organized neatly with boxes for each aspect. The headerincludes the resort logo, current weather conditions, and other links, while the

footer is also neatly organized. The home page requires the visitor to only scroll

down slightly to see more information. One suggestion to add to the siteappearance would be to revamp the company logo. Currently, the logo is very

small and located only in the top left corner of the screen. A larger and higherquality graphic would certainly add to the appearance. The use of color is also

highly effective; with certain links including color, but not overwhelming.

Quality of Images 10The primary graphic on the page takes up a large percentage of the homepage. This graphic features pictures of the resort, and the photos change

approximately every 5 seconds. It also has a link to a photo gallery. The homepage includes other small images in links to other pages within the site. Each

different section and subsection features a large graphic at the top of the page,and other photos on the page.

Professional 9This site includes all the important information to present the resort as aprofessional organization. It includes important content such as an onlinebooking option, information about copyrights and ownership, and contact

information. The overall appearance of the site is very professional, with highquality images, use of color and fonts. The only aspect that could make the site

appear more professional would be a larger, higher quality logo. The logo

graphic is very small, slightly out of focus, and not extremely prominent on thepage.

Social Networking 8Sun Peaks includes links on its website to social networking sites Facebook

and Twitter. These images are seen in the header at the top of each page on thesite. The simple inclusion of these links is important, and the location of them inthe header is highly effective. However, each graphic is fairly small and not

highly visible. Larger and more visible images would cause visitors to be more

likely to visit these social networking sites, when currently, they simply blend in.


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Company #4: Mammoth Mountain Resort


Website Content 8This site ranks as one of our most impressive resort page. The key to scoring

well begins with website content. Website content makes it user friendly andcaters to the needs of their target audience. Most needs imaginable for those

seeking a ski vacation or information on Mammoth Mountain are managedeffectively.

Ease of Navigation 7The navigation bar was located conveniently at the top of the webpage. Thedrop down function from the bar helped users move through the website

conveniently. All of the links were well described, and if a user needed to make

his or her way back to the original page, it was well facilitated by the main logoin the top-left corner.

Site Appearance 9The overall site appearance was excellent. The color scheme was

aesthetically pleasing, and the pictures chosen for each page on their websiteidentified well with the subject topic. Also, the limited number moving objects

within the site kept the user from being distracted or overwhelmed. The overallfeel focuses on their college-aged audience.

Quality of Images 8Although the main display features a large picture, the slide show function islimited. Providing more images to circulate through on the front display wouldhave given this website a higher score. In order to score well, Mammoth would

need to feature multiple parts of their mountain.

Professionalism 9A scale to critique website networking is often difficult to determine. Thenetworking link must be easily visible from the main page, but the number of

links cannot be superfluous. A modest number of links allows users to connect to

the resort without being overwhelming.

Social Networking 8Overall, the professionalism of the website is adequate for their audience.

Mammoths target audience is college-aged; therefore, they design their website

accordingly. A corporate, more professional feel could turn away potential

customers because of their perceptions of the mountain resort. BecauseMammoth effectively manages their online site in a professional manner, their

score is high.

7. The industrys strengths and weaknesses in regard to the effective use of the web?(at least 3 each)Strengths Weaknesses

1. The opportunity to purchase your lift tickets

online.

1. Websites weaknesses start with animation and

falling snow which is not professional are a


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10.Detailed description of the proposed new business, including mission/goals, services and productsit will offer, size, etc.

Palladium Ski Resort is a ski resort focused on the actual mountain experience. Our services and

products consist of the ski area itself. Primarily, our product is a lift ticket, which includes the ski lifts

and runs for our customers to enjoy. Accompanying this basic need, Palladium will include diningservices, ski patrol services, and other on-mountain activities. The actual product that is sold will be a

lift ticket; however, Palladium will supply all the necessary services to provide the customer with the

best ski experience on the mountain.

Our mission is to provide a high-intensity winter mountain destination, primarily geared towards

experienced skiers and riders hoping to escape the large corporate resort environment, by maintaininga real connection to the local area. Our goal is to become the most popular ski area for advanced to

expert skiers and riders not only in the British Columbia/Alberta area, but the greater North Americancontinent.

11.Determine which of Porter's Three Generic Strategies you will use as you build your company forthe 21st century. Explain your answer.

Palladium Mountain will use a differentiation strategy in order to achieve the highest profits. Becausebig-name ski areas like Whistler, Vail, and Jackson Hole overwhelm the mountain resort industry,Palladium must offer unique services to separate our company from historically popular resorts.

Alternate services such as snow cat transportation to extreme terrain and inexpensive heli-ski access

will attract expert skiers to Palladium. Our resort will not only be a product differentiator, but it willoffer lower prices. By providing an economic friendly resort, Palladium will appeal to frequentlyactive skiers. Through both product and price differentiation, our new British Columbian resort will

find its market niche.

12.Discuss the many eBusiness strategies that your company could use to increase revenue anddecrease cost.

A. Company web sites target audience who will use the website (internally and externally), forwhat purpose and where are they located geographically?

Our websites target audience will be aimed towards the more advanced skiers along with a local

crowd. The terrain will be more difficult that many places, which makes our Resort not a great

place for beginner skiers. Families will enjoy skiing here as long as there is experience byeveryone. People will be using our website to: 1) Decide that our Resort is where they would liketo ski or snowboard, and 2) Purchase tickets and reserve skis and snowboards for their vacation.

Internally, we will use the website to update different promotions and price changes for ourcustomers to see. The weather and snow tracker will have to be update daily. As the managers of

the website, we will also have to use the website internally as a means to track who has paid for

their vacation and how many people will be estimated for a time. The geographical location ofour target audience will range from local skiers in the Canada area to customers from all over


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Canada and the United States. Our resort is located fairly close to two big cities in Canada, which

gives customers the opportunity to decide to where they would like to fly.

B. Companys website purpose:The main purpose of our website is to show that the quality location of our resort provides greatski service by allowing customers to buy their lift tickets and rent their skis or snowboards at the

same time that they book their trip.

C. Companys primary usage of the web

a. Is the primary use going to be informational or transactional or both? Justify.The primary use of our website will be both informational and transactional. While our

website will demonstrate the advantages of skiing at our resort, customers will also be

able to plan their vacation and rent their equipment on our website.

b. What pages will be found on the website? Please list major sections of the site.The major pages of our site will be Plan Your Vacation, Events/Activities, The

Mountain, Rentals/Lessons, and Photos/Videos. Many subsections will be includedunder each in the drop-down navigation bar.

c. Is the website primarily for B2B (business to business) or B2C (business to consumer) orboth? Justify.

The website is primarily for Business to Consumer (B2C). We are the business and our

consumers will be individuals or families who are planning a vacation to our resort.

D. How can an eBusiness strategy help your company attract customers and increase sales?Through forming business relationships with multiple intermediaries, Palladium can increase its

total sales. Intermediaries bring together buyers and sellers, or in our case, skiers and resorts.Travel-facilitating websites and search engines can provide increased visibility to potential

customers for Palladium as well.

E. How could eBusiness strategy help customer service?Potential customers of Palladium have specific wants and needs. Information such as weather

updates, snow condition reports, and ski run openings can be facilitated through eBusiness.Customer service is key to a differentiation strategy. Furthermore, because our alternate services


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increase the amount of interaction with patrons, our service is critical to customer retention. By

using our website and other technology effectively, Palladium can provide quality service thoughthe internet.

F. How could you use an eBusiness strategy to partner with suppliers?In order to fully integrate our company and our suppliers, we will use e-procurement. Thisstrategy uses the Internet to facilitate the purchase and sale of supplies over the internet. Becausethe materials needed to run our resort do not need interpersonal interaction with suppliers, the use

of technology is essential. E-procurement will facilitate an efficient way to link us to the suppliers

necessary to run Palladium Mountain Resort.

G. How could a portal help your employees?A ski resort portal could be helpful to our employees. This would allow our employees to

research information around the industry to determine pricing, and possibly consider ideas for

new services. Also, a portal could be a very good opportunity for purchasing equipment fromsuppliers, as well as selling used equipment to other companies in the industry.

H. How could a kiosk help your business?A kiosk could definitely be helpful for our business. Placing a computer system in the main

mountain lodge with access to the Internet could be very beneficial to customers. Customerscould research current mountain statistics, trail maps, ticket purchasing information, and other

helpful information. This would allow customers to feel more connected to the ski area, to bemore comfortable on the mountain, and discover services they may not have been familiar withthat Palladium can provide. Kiosks can also be located away from the ski area for customers to

purchase lift tickets in advance. These potential locations could include grocery stores, ski shops,and hotels.

I. What types of metrics would you want to track on your eBusiness Web site? Be sure to justifyyour answers.

We would want to track interactivity measurers for our website. We would want to know thenumber of visitors we receive, how long a visitor spends on the site, how many pages they view,

and how often they return to the site. These are important for advertisers, but also for our own

benefit. We could compare how decisions we make influence our site visitors, such as marketingpromotions, changes to the website, advertising, and more. Tracking clickstream data would also

allow us to analyze the effectiveness of our site design by knowing how visitors navigate throughthe site. Cookies, click-through, and banner ads are all possible metrics that could help us

measure our site effectiveness.


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Appendix: Storyboard for your new companys website homepage


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Works Cited

"Industry Overview: Ski Facilities."Hoovers: A D&G Company . First Research, Web. 22 Feb 2010.

.

Sandler, Corey. Ski and Snowboard America. Lincolnwood, IL: NTC Contemporary, 2000. 176-271.

Print.

"US Ski & Snowboard Industry Market Research Report."IBIS World. Web. 22 Feb 2010.

.

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