WEEK 3
Digital Design

1. In two paragraphs explain why a customer centric Web site design is so important, yet so difficult to accomplish

"Customer-centric" means creating a Web site that is centered around customer wants and needs. Savvy businesses are realizing that focusing their site on customer benefits and ensuring its visitors a unique experience are key drivers of sales, loyalty, and much-desired word-of-mouth advertising.

Projecting information through that flat panel display that is more or less ubiquitous now, is a complex challenge that involves a wide array of issues that go beyond simply the question of how to design a web site well. But we’re just going to limit our discussion today to – what does it mean to engage and interact with users via a web site, and how to think about what some of the issues are in doing that process well. (http://digitalenterprise.org/transcripts/design_tr.html)

2. Define the term 'presence'. Write an additional paragraph that describes why firms that do business on the Web should be more concerned about presence than firms that operate in the physical world.

Under techological definitions of presence, web presence is the appearance of a person or organization on the World Wide Web.

Firms in which operate only on the web have a much greater value of presence because that is their sole marketing tool. Firms that operate in the physical world however have the back up of being seen on the street ect. howerever experts say that "If you aren't advertising online, by 2011, your business will not just decline, your business will likely be dead. Good luck keeping up with your competitors then... it will be too late." (www.ltseo.com.au/online-presence)

3. Write three paragraphs to briefly describe the things that Real Estate Agents can best accomplish through (1) their web sites (2) Mass media advertising (3) Personal contact

(1) Real Estate Websites designs, services and IDX solutions are the cutting edge of real estate technology. Emphasis is given to very lean search engine friendly code and markup, properly formed URL structure, content accessibility, conversion and high-end graphics and presentation.

(2) Mass media denotes a section of the media specifically designed to reach a large audience. By use of mass media a real estate agents can reach almost a whole community and makes there particular firm seem more successful as it is seen more in the media.

(3) Personal contact keeps a real estate agent in front of there contacts. Personal Advantage allows an agent to work on one relationship at a time - for a more focused, results-driven approach to their marketing. Keeping in touch with their past clients and building relationships with new ones is a great way to gain community support and customer growth.