the 505 ski connection- bis project 1
TRANSCRIPT
8/14/2019 The 505 Ski Connection- BIS Project 1
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-505-ski-connection-bis-project-1 1/18
INSC 20263 Information Systems in eEnterprise The 505 Ski Connection
Project Proposal submitted to
Dr. Beata Jones
By
Zach Huie
Victoria Lee
Marcus Roper
Peter Severson
8/14/2019 The 505 Ski Connection- BIS Project 1
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-505-ski-connection-bis-project-1 2/18
INSC 20263 -- Project Proposal – Page 1
1. Industry overview, based on library research (include sources):
Despite the retail industry’s growth slowing down over the last 4 years (Apparel Retail Industry Profile:
United States, 2009), the ski retail and equipment industry within New Mexico is fine. In fact, the NewMexico Tourism Department said “the number of skiers and boarders to the region rose by 4% in the
2007/08 winter season” (Travel Week, 2008). Many travelers are substituting the popular Rocky
Mountains of Colorado and Northwestern Ski resorts with lesser known New Mexico slopes. Regardingthe ski retail industry specifically, the market has seen significant growth in a few segments. Females are
a particularly strong section in the market. Despite being about one-third of all skiers, they account fornearly 50 percent of sales (Bouchard, 2008). A major focus for our company will be adults 25 and older,
as they compose nearly 60% of our market (Bouchard, 2008). This is a great segment to target, as adults
in this group tend to have high discretionary incomes and are very responsive to marketing. Another trend
in the industry is the huge growth ski helmets have experienced recently. As they become more standard
within the industry, wholesale shipments have risen about 5% (Bouchard, 2008). New female modeledand music playing helmets are signs of continued growth for the ski helmet market as well. Overall, the
current recession has slowed spending in nearly all retail; however, there are positive indicators within the
Ski retail and equipment industry for the New Mexico region.
Sources:
Apparel Retail Industry Profile: United States, 2009. Apparel Retail Industry Profile: United States
[Serial Online]. Graph. EbscoHost. August, 2009; 1(31):15. Available at
http://imageserver.ebscohost.com/img/imageqv/archive/14hi/20090801/7910532.jpg?ephost1=dGJyMMv
l7ESepq84xNvgOLCmr0iepq5Srqa4SK6WxWXS.
Bouchard, Nancy. Vista Point. SGB [Serial Online]. Business Source Complete. 2008; vol 41:1 Available
at http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=12&hid=3&sid=7e6680d8-1231-499e-bcea-
943826b0c814%40sessionmgr4&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=bth&AN=2851320.
Accessed February 18, 2010.
New Mexico to make its mark on the piste map. Travel Weekly (UK). Business Source Complete [Serial
Online]. 2008; vol 1/7:p15-15. Available at
http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=15&hid=3&sid=7e6680d8-1231-499e-bcea-943826b0c814%40sessionmgr4&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=bth&AN=35007535. Accessed February 18, 2010.
2. Perform a detailed Porter's Five Forces analysis for your industry. Be sure to discuss entry
barriers and switching costs.
Power HIGH LOW Justify
Buyer Power
X Considering many factors in the ski apparel and equipment retail
industry, the buyer holds a lot of power. First off, clothing and
equipment is a very competitive market due to all of the brand
selections. With the vast number of brands and substitute
products, retailers are at the will of the consumers. The industry
is also tied very closely to prices, which makes the buyer power
high as well.
Supplier Power
X With prominent brands such as Northface, Columbia, and Burton,
prices are highly dictated by the supplier. Many ski and
snowboard apparel suppliers are able to set high prices because of
their large market segmentation. They have become the default
8/14/2019 The 505 Ski Connection- BIS Project 1
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-505-ski-connection-bis-project-1 3/18
INSC 20263 -- Project Proposal – Page 2
names in the industry, which empowers them for pricing of their
products.
Threat of Substitute
Products or Services
X Especially in the apparel industry, the competition betweenbrands and products is exceptionally high. Both ski apparel and
equipment has a huge range of quality, style, price, and function,
which makes the industry more challenging. Although most
customers value price, avid skiers will not compromise forquality of equipment and gear.
Threat of New
Entrants
X The threat of new entrants is high because of the broad industry
we are in. The ski retail/equipment industry doesn’t require
drastic investments, so a likelihood of new competitors is
prevalent. Also the fact that you can find many niches within theindustry makes it more apt for competitive growth. Deciphering
where we stand in the market is important for our success as we
can rely on an established identity.
Rivalry Among
Existing
Competitors
X Considering many other areas of our industry, the rivalry between
our competitors is high. As previously mentioned, price is the key
factor, but also quality and name of brands is critical to success.
Some of our competitors in Albuquerque include SportsAuthority, the Beach Zone, Northeast Cyclery, and Sports
Systems. Finding a niche that attracts a steady target market is
important, as you will have an identity for your customers to
distinguish you from the competition. The tourism of this area
will help provide customers, but the industry isn’t growing too
much given the current recession.
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 use the web to research the products available and to compare
pricing, but the main reason that the customers use the web, is to order
products.
Suppliers
Suppliers use the web mainly for advertising and to raise brand
recognition. They also utilize it to display inventory and to inform
customers/clients/businesses about their products.
New Entrants
New entrants rely strongly on the web to advertise their new stores andto raise awareness of their entrance into the industry. They can also
research and learn about current methods and competitors within an
industry.
Competitors
Competitors use the web in order to advertise and to try to persuade the
customers to buy at their store instead of their competitors. Knowing
what their biggest competitors’ strategies and inventory allows
8/14/2019 The 505 Ski Connection- BIS Project 1
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-505-ski-connection-bis-project-1 4/18
INSC 20263 -- Project Proposal – Page 3
competitors to try to exploit competitive advantages.
Substitute Products
Substitute products use the web to raise awareness of the other option
available. By raising awareness of the other product, a customer is more
likely to choose the substitute instead of the first option.
4. Using what you have learned about good/bad web design in class and using class notes, please
identify: 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 REI All Seasons Sports Inc.
Web Site’s URL http://www.rei.com/ http://www.allseasonsrrnm.com/
Site’s
Target
Audience
Outdoor sports enthusiasts and
people with active and outdoors
lifestyles
Skiers and snowboarders of all ages in the
New Mexico region. They also cater to
tourists looking to equip themselves on their
outdoor trip.
Site’s Purpose
To offer and sell a large assortment
of outdoor, active products to
consumers all over the country.
To inform guests about the Red River, NM
area, and to sell/rent ski and snowboard
equipment and apparel.
Good? (Yes/No) Yes No
8/14/2019 The 505 Ski Connection- BIS Project 1
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-505-ski-connection-bis-project-1 5/18
INSC 20263 -- Project Proposal – Page 4
Design elements from
the 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 withdiigo.com or
awesomehighlighter.com
Clearly displayed- have
multiple panels that have a
range of button links, but
they are organized in a neat
and logical sense where it
isn’t overwhelming
Effective first screen- theopening screen has
complimentary colors and
displays a main picture with
options around the page.
Optimal use of space- site
takes up most of the screen
page
Organized buttons- the
buttons are grouped by
categories and they all
accurately carry you to the
appropriate pages
Logo- displayed at the topleft of the page to clearly
remind you of their identity
Too Wordy- The site uses long
paragraphs and textboxes to
convey information that could be
easily represented by bullet points
Layout- The front page of the site
has two generic pictures of skiers
and two textboxes with paragraphsof information.
Ineffective Title- the title of the
page is in the same color scheme
as the rest of the text which makes
it hard to distinguish amongst
everything else
The homepage buttons- they
aren’t relevant for a retail store to
have. They solely provide
information about the region,
which is fine if your primary goal
isn’t to make sales. There isn’t one
to take you to an apparel link.
Blank Space- about 1/3 of the
page is just blank
Cover page is too long- you need
to scroll down the page to find
relevant information
Fake buttons- the site has images
that look like links to other sites
titled “January rates” but you can’t
click on them
Company Name
Alpine Sports Santa Fe, New Mexico Your Store to Explore
Web Site’s URL
http://www.alpinesports-santafe.com/ http://www.yourstoretoexplore.com/
Site’s
Target
Audience
Outdoor sports enthusiasts as well as
people looking for activewear
Families looking for skiwear
Site’s Purpose
To offer outdoor products and
information about the different
brands to consumers specializing in
the Santa Fe and Albuquerque areas
To offer ski and snowboard apparel to a
varying size of customers, from toddlers,
children, and their parents, to “big and tall”
men and plus sized women
Good? (Yes/No) Yes No
Home page is one page
First glimpse- visually
captivating with a
consistent look and feel
First glimpse- too many
hyperlinks on homepage, a lot of
small pictures that are visually
distracting
8/14/2019 The 505 Ski Connection- BIS Project 1
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-505-ski-connection-bis-project-1 6/18
INSC 20263 -- Project Proposal – Page 5
Design elements from
the lecture notes/lecture
that contributed to a
Positive/Negativeimpression
- provide at least 3
for each site &
explain
Attach website
screenshots with
discussed features
highlighted with
diigo.com or
awesomehighlighter.com
Limit colors- page is in
shades of blue
Almost no passive white
space
Areas of screen
importance- exciting and
compelling picture in themiddle, area #1, logo in area
#2 across the top, their
“featured product” and
“what’s new” sections in
area #3 on the right side,
and easy navigation on the
left hand side, area #5
No distracting animations or
music
Easy navigation, very
simple to use
Easy to find the products to
purchase
Passive white space- entire right
side, area of importance #3, is
blank and unused
Distracting animation- instead of
highlighting a product, the logo is
animated, which draws attention
away from the products available On the navigation menu on the left,
some of the items have menus that
pop out; they are distracting, hard
to use, and hard to see because the
text is light blue on a light grey
background
Two pages- homepage is three
screens of information, and it is
poorly organized
No one thing to catch attention
Company NameSun and Ski Sports Buckman’s Ski and Snowboard Shop
Web Site’s URL http://www.sunandski.com/ http://www.buckmans.com/
Site’s
Target
Audience
People with outdoor lifestyles. People
who like warm and cold weather
outdoor activities.
People who wear winter apparel and are
looking to purchase skis or snowboards.
Site’s Purpose
To sell apparel and equipment over the
internet and notify customers of nearby
retail locations in their area.
To sell skis, snowboards, and winter
apparel to online customers.
Good? (Yes/No) Yes No
Animation: There is only one
animation on the whole
website and it is artificial snow
Background: The background
causes the description of the site
to be extremely difficult to see.
8/14/2019 The 505 Ski Connection- BIS Project 1
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-505-ski-connection-bis-project-1 7/18
INSC 20263 -- Project Proposal – Page 6
Design elements from
the 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 or
awesomehighlighter.com
falling from the corner. It is
only on the homepage and is
not distracting from the overall
presentation. It adds a nice
touch.
Grabbing Add: There is a
large add that grabs yourattention upon visiting the
homepage.
Navigation Bar: Easy
navigation from the homepage
and minimal distractions and
confusion.
Minimal Distractions: All of
the buttons are large and easy
to read. There are no
unnecessary buttons and all
serve a purpose.
Colors: Many colors that add
to the presentation of the
website.
Background: Very simple and
appropriate winter
background.
It’s a good thought, but not the
best follow through.
Excess White Space: there is a
lot of excess space on the left
hand side of the screen which is
distracting.
Sub Categories: There are tomany sub categories and not
enough organization with
“folders”. There are over 20 sub
categories to choose from.
Long Paragraph: The long
paragraph is unappealing for the
first thing you see when you log
on to the site.
No flashy attention-grabber:
There is not a big picture or
advertisement on the home
screen.
Repeated Icons: There aremultiple icons that have the
same function throughout the
page.
Text: Some text moves out of
the boxes and looks
unprofessional.
Company Name Gander Mountain Skitruck Snowsports
Web Site’s URL http://www.gandermountain.com/ http://www.marksoutdoors.com/
Site’s
Target
Audience
The site targets those who enjoy outdoor
activities during any time of year. The
equipment is average to expensively
priced, so the middle to upper social
class members would be a segment.
The site targets people who are
interested in skiing and snowboarding.
Site’s Purpose
The purpose of the site is to sell outdoor
apparel and equipment over the internet,
provide helpful information about
certain outdoor activities, and help users
locate Gander Mountain stores.
The purpose of the site is to provide
customers with cheap winter equipment
and apparel by selling inventory
received from old, out of business ski
shops.
Good? (Yes/No) Yes No
Optimal Use of Space- the
website takes up almost the
entire page. Very limited blank
and white space.
Use of Space- the site’s
homepage is full of blank,
empty space.
8/14/2019 The 505 Ski Connection- BIS Project 1
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-505-ski-connection-bis-project-1 8/18
INSC 20263 -- Project Proposal – Page 7
Design elements from
the 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 or
awesomehighlighter.com
Logo- the Gander Mountain
name and brief catch phrase is
located in the top left corner to
remind users of the providing
company.
Grabbing Add- the add in the
middle of the homepage is aneffective attention grabber…
but does not distract the user.
Navigation Bar- the category
buttons are across the top of the
page, allowing for easy
navigation of the website.
There is no distracting music or
unnecessary visual aids.
Colors are appropriate for
website given what they are
selling.
Too Wordy- the site lacks any
type of attention grabber, and is
full of boring text.
The homepage is not limited to
one page, or even close to it.
You have to scroll down
numerous pages to seeeverything.
Grammatical errors throughout
site, including in the title (snow
sports is two words)
5. Industry ‘key competitors’ (Select four of the well designed websites from the previous section and
have each individual research their company in more depth. Include your perceptions/opinions in
this section.)
Competitor’s name and URL
of the web site
How (what
features?) are theyusing on the web?
What are their most
effective or uniqueways of using the
web?
What are their
most ineffectiveways of using the
web?
REI
http://www.rei.com/
They utilize a
category style
website to offer and
display products they
sell. Scroll-over,
drop down menus
and grouped links
help navigate to the
site’s products. Theyalso use promotional
text box links to
show off special
offers and sales.
Their navigational
links are very effective
because they are
grouped by category
(ie: “Climbing”,
“Cycling”), which
serves as a great
vehicle to find the
products you areinterested. They also
have a very organized
homepage, which is
refreshing considering
their large online
inventory.
They have two
navigational link
bars (one on the left
hand side, another
across the top page)
that target the same
categories. This
redundancy is
unnecessary andalmost a bit
overwhelming when
you first enter the
site.
Alpine Sports Santa Fe The company uses The simplicity of their Although the site is
8/14/2019 The 505 Ski Connection- BIS Project 1
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-505-ski-connection-bis-project-1 9/18
INSC 20263 -- Project Proposal – Page 8
http://www.alpinesports-
santafe.com/
the internet to
inform, sell, and
display their ski retail
and equipment. They
use navigational
links to narrow
searches andbrowsing options
down to fit viewer
preferences. They
also have a “search”
option, which can
immediately narrow
browsing.
browsing options is
very effective. Along
with specifying
viewing options, you
can use either brand
logos or pictures to
help narrow results.Their simple approach
is refreshing and
proves easy to utilize.
very simple and
effective to use, they
could improve their
product descriptions,
which are smaller
than preferred. Also,
when you click on aspecific product,
you are directed to
an entirely new
page. It may be
more effective to
just open a tab
window in order to
keep the original
search results on
hand.
Sun and Ski Sports
http://www.sunandski.com/
The site utilizes aneffective background
for the industry. It is
not too complicatedand is a perfect
accent to the
homepage. They
have a clear
navigation bar on the
top of the screen and
pictures of popular
products throughout
the page. On thenavigation bar at the
top of the screen,
there are drop down
menus when scrolled
upon..
The site uses socialmedia to share itself
with potential
customers. It uses thesatisfaction of current
customers to spread
the quality of the site.
While buying online,
it gives the option of
shipping to a local
outlet for no cost. It
also offers the option
of “eco gear” which isa environmentally
friendly choice for
winter equipment.
The snow fallinganimation is slightly
distracting but is the
least of the problemsfrom the site. There
is excess white
space at the bottom
but does not distract
from the overall
presence. On the
first screen of the
homepage, there are
no flaws, but whenyou scroll down the
page the blank space
and unnecessary
writing occur
Gander Mountain
http://www.gandermountain.com
The site’s homepage
not only makes for easy
navigation, but greatly
helps in selling Gander
Mountain’s inventory.
The sales and pictures
catch the eye’s of customers, and the
navigation bar located
along the top include
drop down menus,
making it even easier
for users to find
specific products.
Similar to REI, the site’s
navigational links are
grouped by category,
making it easy for
customers to find
products. The homepage
also includes links tosocial media sites such
as facebook, twitter, and
a chat board where
potential customers can
get opinions on products
from others.
Although the color
scheme goes well for a
company selling
outdoor products, it is
rather simple and
boring. The main
advertisement on thehomepage brings
sometimes distracting
colors and pictures,
depending on the
product being
advertised at that
particular time.
8/14/2019 The 505 Ski Connection- BIS Project 1
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-505-ski-connection-bis-project-1 10/18
INSC 20263 -- Project Proposal – Page 9
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
Use of
Social Media
Ease of
CustomerService
First
Impression
Overall
REI 4.8 4.6 4.3 4.9 4.8 4.2 4.6
Alpine
Sports
Santa Fe
4.9 5 4.9 0 5 5 4.13
Sun and
Ski Sports
4.8 4.6 4.5 5 4.2 4.6 4.62
Gander
Mountain
2.5 3.8 4.7 3.8 4.8 4.5 4.02
Legend: Scale of 1-5 with 1 being the worst and 5 being the best
Company#1: REI
Rating Explanation of Rating
Website Content REI has a huge inventory posted online for purchase and browsing. The site
carries all products offered throughout the nation, as opposed to the physical
store, which hosts limited stock. They also post online-only sales and clearance
items, which are another benefit to the online experience. When viewing aproduct’s page, you can read product specs, ratings, reviews, and related items.
Ease of Navigation The site hosts an abundant number of products that can be easily accessed
through the sites navigational links and sorting preferences. You can quickly
narrow your search to “Outdoor gear,” to “Climbing Packs,” to “Lowest Price” to
find the exact matching products you may be seeking. Browsing is also easy, as
the site provides correlating pictures with the inventory links it offers. The only
negative is the homepage’s double reference bar, which is redundant.
Site Appearance Overall the site’s colors are effective. They use subtle earth tones (jade greens,
browns and burnt orange), which correlates nicely to the outdoor market they are
involved with. The site’s background is primarily white, which is a bit stale, butit keeps the attention on the products, not the website.
Use of Social Media REI has four social media resources: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr. Ithas links at the bottom of the screen that lead to an REI page on each. It has its
own YouTube channel that has videos of products and outdoor tips for
customers. The Facebook link has events, sales, information, and a wall where
people can post comments. REI’s score is high for its web 2.0 sophistication.
8/14/2019 The 505 Ski Connection- BIS Project 1
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-505-ski-connection-bis-project-1 11/18
INSC 20263 -- Project Proposal – Page 10
Ease of Customer
Service
The site has multiple links leading to the following: customer service, contact us,
live help, order tracking, returns and exchanges, shipping info, phone number
listings, and product safety procedures. Each link leads to a different page,
unlike other pages which has links that lead to the same page with all of the
information. It received a higher score in this category for the ease of use.
First Impression The first impression of REI was not perfect but does have a flare that other sites
do not have. It has a white background with only orange and green auxiliarycolors. Although the site is using earth tones, the orange and green do not blend
well together and give the site a strange appearance. The layout of the site is
easy on the eyes and not confusing in any way. The only other issue is the fact
that a user must scroll down to read all of the quick links on the left sidebar. The
site received a medium-high score.
Company #2: Alpine Sports Santa Fe
Rating Explanation of Rating
Website Content The site offers everything from the weather of the surrounding area to the details
of the different vendors of the brands on the site. The site only has one page and
is the simplest of all the sites. The simplicity adds to the overall appearance.
There are five rotating pictures on the homepage and they are high quality. The
biggest problem with the site content is that there is no homepage link. It is
impossible to get back to the homepage without typing the site into the browser a
second time. With fifteen links, it offers everything one needs to navigate.
Ease of Navigation The site is extremely easy to use. There are only fifteen navigation buttons, so
the clickstream is very simple to arrive at the final destination. There is a single
page and the site requires not scrolling to find addition information.
Site Appearance The site looks professional and has a stunning background. The background is
not garish and does not interfere with any text nor does it distract from the
overall presentation of the site. There are only two colors: white and blue. The
background adds additional colors and character to the site. The simplicity of the
site is its biggest advantage.
Use of Social Media In modern times, social media is a necessary aspect to include into a website.
We included this category for that specific reason. This site has absolutely no
social media links or references on any part of the homepage or categories. It
received a zero in the category.
Ease of CustomerService
The customer service is stellar on this site and it has features, such as GoogleMaps, to show its exact location from the air using terrain view, map view, and
from-the-street view. This feature is not a common feature to use on sites these
days. It is not a hyperlink, but an embedded interactive map within the site. In
addition to this breakthrough feature, the site has numbers to call, addresses to
email, and fax numbers. This site is top-notch in customer service.
First Impression The first impression is nearly perfect. The pictures are enticing, crisp and make a
user want to get onto the mountain and ski. The simplicity of the site enable the
8/14/2019 The 505 Ski Connection- BIS Project 1
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-505-ski-connection-bis-project-1 12/18
INSC 20263 -- Project Proposal – Page 11
user to focus on the pictures and after all the pictures have cycled, the user can
easily navigate the site and accomplish their task quickly. The site look very
well put together and professional.
Company #3: Sun and Ski Sports
Rating Explanation of Rating
Website Content The content of the site is very good and has almost everything that a retail site
needs to function. It has various links and sub-menus that give the site extreme
customization which allows for easy use.
Ease of Navigation The navigation is very clear cut and has many options for narrowing one’s search
down to specific items. If a customer was looking for female, infant’s clothing,
they would only have to click one time in order to reach that specification.
Site Appearance The appearance is overall satisfactory but is lacking in color. It is not exciting to
look at but does grab attention with its ads and large initial picture. The websitehas a large advertisement for “50% off of snow gear”. In the box, there is a link
to go straight to the promotion and lists the brands and items that are on sale.
There are light blues, dark blues, dark reds, bright reds, and a strange green color.
The strange green color attracts the users attention to an interactive packing list.
It is a new feature on the website and does a great job of bringing attention to
itself.
Use of Social Media There is a drop-down menu on the left side of the screen that has links to
hundreds of social media sites that a user can share with his or her friends. In
addition to the sharing feature, at the bottom of the screen there is a list of the
following: Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, blog, and YouTube. Each link leads to a
page that has Sun and Ski Sports content. Of all the sites, it has the mostextensive social media content.
Ease of Customer
Service
The customer service is the least effective feature of the website. The customer
service page possesses all of the requirements for a good customer service page,
but all of it is on the same page. The store locator, “contact us”, about us, Online
customer service, available jobs, and a list of all stores are all on the same pagewith the title, “Store Locator”. The page is confusing, but does the job it has set
out to do.
First Impression Upon arrival of the homepage, a user notices that there is no white space on the
first screen of the page. There are various promotions, pictures of products,
navigation bars, help for international customers, and customer service at the top
of the page. No other site has the customer service at the top of site. It
emphasizes the importance of service to the company. The light snow effect on
the homepage adds a great touch to the overall impression of the site. It looks as
if the site offers just about anything an outdoorsman could need, including a car
rack for one’s gear.
Company #4: Gander Mountain
8/14/2019 The 505 Ski Connection- BIS Project 1
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-505-ski-connection-bis-project-1 13/18
INSC 20263 -- Project Proposal – Page 12
Rating Explanation of Rating
Website Content The site has good content for non snow activities, but does not offer skis,
snowboards, ski equipment or snow sports gear. It does offer winter equipment
for hiking on the mountain ranges, camping, fishing, hunting, and boating. The
website lacks in the competitive aspect of snow sports sales.
Ease of Navigation The site has three ads that are clickable and lead to a separate page for each
promotion. Each category is very clear and specific for what product is being
sold for that category. There is no quick link side bar to help in navigation. This
detracts for the overall normalcy of the website, considering that most other
professional websites have this sidebar.
Site Appearance The site has red, green, and white in its layout. The colors blend well together
and give the site a professional accent. The site has a clear message, “We Live
Outdoors,” and has a logo in the left corner. There are several different
navigation bars that comprise the top of the website. The top of the website
defines the whole layout of rest of the site and it does a good job of doing so.
There are tabs at the top of the site which lead to other affiliated sites. This is agood way to give the user more of a choice in products.
Use of Social Media Gander Mountain has a Facebook and Twitter page. It only utilizes two of the
hundreds of social media websites that are available. Their pages on the social
media sites are professional and well done but are minimal when considering the
amount available on the internet. There is also a feature called “The Bragging
Board,” which is a place where users can brag about their fishing catches and
hunting kills.
Ease of Customer
Service
They offer live help on the internet and phone. Other sites do not offer this. The
site also has a separate customer service page that has the following categories:
ordering topics, stores, policies, email, and phone with sub-categories under eachprimary category. The customer service is utilized very successfully.
First Impression The first impression of the site is, “professional”. There is no unused white
space on the homepage and no distractions from the content of the page. The
links on the homepage can take the user to any part of the site. A user does not
have to navigate to ten different links to get to a certain part of the site. The links
are so clear cut that a child could navigate the page and be impressed with the
visuals.
7. The industry’s strengths and weaknesses in regard to the effective use of the web?
Strengths Weaknesses
1. Ease of Navigation
2. First Impression
1. Social Media Implementation
2. Ease of Customer Service
8/14/2019 The 505 Ski Connection- BIS Project 1
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-505-ski-connection-bis-project-1 14/18
INSC 20263 -- Project Proposal – Page 13
3. Website Content 3. Site Appearance (Interest Level)
8. Proposed website enhancements for the industry(at least 3 each):
i. What type of information would you recommend they add to their websites?
We would recommend that most of the sites should add more information about the
products and more information about a substitute at a lower price, especially for the very
highly priced products. Implementing social media functions to target younger audiences
would also be helpful for their sites.
ii. What modifications would you recommend to their web design?
We thought that most of the websites had really good content and first impressions, but
that they could possibly add more interest to the site appearances. Most of the color
schemes were greens and browns or blues and whites, which could get boring for some
customers. It may be more effective to include pictures on the homepage, which would
make the site more attractive as well.
9. Name of the company that you propose to create and its geographic location:
Our team would like to create The 505 Ski Connection, located in Albuquerque, NM, which is in the ski
apparel and equipment segment of the ski industry.
10. Detailed description of the proposed new business, including mission/goals, services and products it will offer, size, etc.
Our team plans to start The 505 Ski Connection, located in Albuquerque, NM, which is in the ski
apparel and equipment segment of the ski industry. Our basic mission is to provide quality products atreasonable prices to our customers, obtain new customers when we first enter the market, and
eventually obtain customer relationships to bring our buyers back.
The 505 Ski Connection is mainly focused on the Albuquerque ski market, although we will ship to
anyone in the nation. We will offer a wide variety of ski and winter apparel and equipment. We plan
to specialize in “hybrid” equipment, meaning that some of our products will include both new and
used parts. For example, a snowboard’s most crucial parts are the bindings, while the actual board
itself is relatively unimportant and varies little with used ones. We plan to drop prices and bring in
customers by producing “hybrid” equipment when possible.
8/14/2019 The 505 Ski Connection- BIS Project 1
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-505-ski-connection-bis-project-1 15/18
INSC 20263 -- Project Proposal – Page 14
11. Determine which of Porter's Three Generic Strategies you will use as you build your company for
the 21st century. Explain your answer.
We will be focusing on having a mix between the Cost Leadership and Differentiation Strategies bytargeting mid-upper level of the market segment. We will offer a range of medium to expert level
equipment for all ages. We will offer a hybrid package of equipment, which will allow customers to
piece together brand name components with generic pieces to lower prices on total ski equipmentpackages. We will do this in order to cut the cost for the customer, which is the Cost Leadership
Strategy; however, by doing this, we hope to differentiate ourselves as a store that supplies high
quality products along with flexible price packages.
12. Discuss the many eBusiness strategies that your company could use to increase revenue and
decrease cost.
A. Company web site’s target audience – who will use the website (internally and externally), for
what purpose and where are they located geographically?
Internally, the site will allow business to expand across the country. This will allow an easier
method for additional locations to open within the next few years. Communication will
increase through kiosks and with the delivery services that our company has partnered with.
Customer service specialists will use the site to interact with customers and can live chat with
them to solve any issues they may have.
Externally, the site will outreach to a new geographical market. It can ship equipmentanywhere in the United States and will provide extensive service in New Mexico. Anyone in
need of equipment can use the website. With eBusiness, there are no boundaries to what can
be accomplished. Many of our potential customers will be tourists, so it is imperative that our
site reaches out to people living outside New Mexico.
B.
Company’s website purpose:
The company’s websites purpose is to interact with potential customers and offer them
quality equipment for outdoor activities and snow sports gear. The site’s main goal is to
increase profit through sales (online) and to raise awareness of products offered at our store.
C. Company’s primary usage of the web
a. Is the primary use going to be informational or transactional or both? Justify.
The primary use of the website is going to be transactional. The site will provide
information about the mountain and activities, but, primarily, will be to provide
equipment for outdoorsmen and women. There will be shopping cart capabilities and an
account for purchasing multiple items at once. Items can be shipped or picked up at the
physical location of the store in New Mexico.
b. What pages will be found on the website? Please list major sections of the site.
8/14/2019 The 505 Ski Connection- BIS Project 1
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-505-ski-connection-bis-project-1 16/18
INSC 20263 -- Project Proposal – Page 15
The major sections of the site are sale items, men’s apparel, women’s apparel, children’sapparel, hiking gear, skis, snowboards, Sub Zero© gear, camping, and brands. They each
will have a separate page and will have thumbnail pictures for each product. From these
“hub” pages, browsers can narrow down search options even further through price,
relevance, and style options.
c. Is the website primarily for B2B (business to business) or B2C (business to consumer) or
both? Justify.
The website is a retail website created from a physical store in New Mexico. The
primary form of business is B2C. The site will provide an easy, online resource to allow
consumers to purchase equipment. Equipment can be purchased from anywhere in the
United States and can be shipped or picked up from the store in New Mexico. This gives
the consumer power to choose what he or she wants to do regarding shipping.
D. How can an eBusiness strategy help your company attract customers and increase sales?
An eBusiness strategy can help the company attract customers by using a website that
reaches out to all possible customers and utilizes social media to spread news, events, and
promotions concerning our company. It can also provide more ways to purchase
products, thus increasing sales. Implementing social media functions may attract a
younger demographic of potential clients.
E. How could eBusiness strategy help customer service?
An eBusiness strategy will help customer service by providing live chat features, a phone
number to call twenty four hours per day, and provide written policies and procedures toclarify any confusing protocol to the customers.
F. How could you use an eBusiness strategy to partner with suppliers?
An eBusiness strategy could help to collaborate with suppliers from around the country
by eliminating intermediaries. Instead of using catalogs for wholesale orders, you can use
live, updated online mediums to make relevant orders. You can also use the resource to
compare prices and offers from different suppliers.
G. How could a portal help your employees?
Portals may be an effective way to increase customer awareness and interaction, thus
improving sales. If we allowed for active and open interaction between customers,
awareness of products would be elevated along with overall site satisfaction. Specified
customers could also interact on chat rooms or blogs to help answer customer specific
questions pertaining to industry equipment and specifics.
8/14/2019 The 505 Ski Connection- BIS Project 1
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-505-ski-connection-bis-project-1 17/18
INSC 20263 -- Project Proposal – Page 16
H. How could a kiosk help your business?
We have created a strategy to provide a kiosk in several places: in the physical location,
in the local mountain ranges’ lodges. We could provide a delivery service to customers
who need a certain piece of equipment or apparel and they would not even have to leave
the mountain range to receive them. The customer could log onto the kiosk and order the
product from that kiosk instantly. Given a delivery cost, the order could be processedand delivered that day. This could increase profits and gain customer base from providing
such a premier service.
I. What types of metrics would you want to track on your eBusiness Web site? Be sure to justify
your answers.
There are a number of measurements to record from the website. Firstly, tracking the
number of site views and length of time on the page is important to see if we have an
effective initial online appearance. Next, and possibly most importantly, measuring the
online sales will be imperative. This can provide us concrete evidence to the site’s
success. If we implement social media functions, simple member following lists and
counts will be an easy measurement to check advertising effectiveness.
8/14/2019 The 505 Ski Connection- BIS Project 1
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-505-ski-connection-bis-project-1 18/18
INSC 20263 Project Proposal Page 17
Appendix: Storyboard for your new company’s website homepage
The 505 Ski Connection
Apparel Ski Snowboard Accessories Exclusive Offers
Sale Items
Men’s
Women’s
Children’s
Hiking Gear
Skis
SnowboardsSub Zero©
Camping
Brands
Home About Us Support Contact Us My Account
50% OFF SALE
Site Help - Site Map - Links - Facebook - Our Promise
Image
Search