E-Commerce Security and Marketing Strategies

This assignment delves into the crucial aspects of e-commerce, encompassing both security and marketing. It requires students to identify and classify common security threats faced by online businesses, analyze various e-commerce marketing strategies, and examine how technological advancements influence consumer behavior in the realm of e-commerce. The analysis should consider factors like SWOT analysis, social media marketing, and location-based marketing.

Running head: E-PORTFOLIO
E-Portfolio
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’ s note

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WEEK 3 E-Portfolio: Building E-commerce Apps, Mobile Sites and Websites
Building an ecommerce presence needs a procedural method to be followed. The most
important step is to determine the mission statement and identify their target audience. Analysis
of the strategy to be taken is done later. Next steps are to develop the deadline of the project
along with the initial budget plan. The business as well as the revenue model of the company
needs to be determined.
The next step is to perform the SWOT analysis of the ecommerce business. In SWOT
analysis the business can identify their strengths and try to maximize it (Goodrich 2015). This
analysis also helps to identify the weaknesses of the business so that they can minimize the
loopholes. Identification of the opportunities of the business is important for its growth and
development. The threats in the environment need to be identified so that they can take
protective measures.
E-commerce sites can be developed by following an approach that is systematic. Certain
challenges need to be resolved like getting clear understanding of the goals, choosing the
appropriate technology as well as human resources. System or Software Development Life Cycle
is a methodology that can be used for the purpose of identifying the correct objective for
developing the system. There are five main steps in SDLC like planning, designing, building,
testing and implementation. There are various types of SDLC models like rapid application,
spiral and waterfall models (Alshamrani and Bahattab 2015). Depending on the needs of the
organization a model is selected that is most suitable for the business. The design stage consists
of logical as well as physical design of the system. Testing process involves unit, acceptance and
system testing of the components. The website that is created needs to be optimized for
generating more revenue and profit. The main features of optimization are generation of page,

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optimized content of the page as well as page delivery. The architecture of website can be either
two or multi tier. The two tier architecture has database as well as web server. Web application
and legacy databases form the part of the multi tier architecture. Web servers can be used by
small firms to develop sites that are customized (Castellani et al. 2017). Successful ecommerce
sites are informational and functional in character. They have simple graphics and are easy to
use.
There are several types of m-commerce software like native app, mobile sites, mobile app
and native app. A mobile site can be created by understanding the objectives, functional as well
as informational requirements of the site. Interface, connectivity, hardware and displays are the
unique features of any mobile site. The mobile site can be designed in the following ways like
adaptive design, responsive, mobile first and platform constraint design. Each of the m-
commerce software has its own features. The design that is called mobile first is the most
efficient one. The native app is the most costly and has a lot of programming. A mobile site
should be well protected and updated.

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WEEK 4 E-Portfolio: Payment and Security Systems of E-commerce
According to a survey conducted in the year 2015, every year the average cost behind
cybercrimes is approximately fifteen million dollars. The highest level of security can be attained
by an ecommerce business by incorporating strong security policies, technologies as well as
highest industry standards. The business should understand the money value and the
consequences of any security breach in order to make the network strong. The client,
communication channel and server of a network are the most vulnerable points in an e-commerce
system. The most common and severe security threats for an e-commerce system are given as
follows (Jouini, Rabai and Aissa 2014):
Malicious codes: Malware is a harmful code or program that can harm any system by
injecting viruses, Trojan horses and worms in the system or network.
Unwanted programs: These can harm the system potentially. Some examples are
spyware, adware and parasites.
Phishing: In this type of attack fraudulent mails are sent in order to get access of
sensitive and important information of the users. Email spam is an example.
Cyber vandalism: This attack tends to edit or destroy the online contents of a website.
Hacking: In this type of attack the hacker finds out the system weakness and exploits it
for own purpose and for harming the users of the system.
Spoofing: The sender or attacker hides their identity to access the sensitive or important
information that are coming from the receiver.

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Smishing: In this type of attack the user is tricked to download a harmful file that
contains malware in it.
Insider attack: Sometimes people inside an organization tries to take wrong advantage of
the information that is accessible only to them. This type of attack is called insider attack.
Denial of Service: DOS is a case where a network is overloaded with unnecessary works.
This consumes the data and slows down the server so that the main tasks cannot be done by the
system.
Cloud security threats: The information stored in the cloud can be accessed by
unauthorized users if they are not well protected.
Encryption can be considered to be one of the best methods for protecting the
ecommerce business (Stallings and Tahiliani 2014). In this process the plain or simple message
is converted into a text called cipher or encrypted text. Symmetric and asymmetric cryptography
can be followed in this process.
Digital signature and envelope are other methods for securing any system or network.
VPN, transport layer as well as socket layer security plays a major role in securing the channels
of communication. Implementation of firewalls is very effective in protecting any unauthorized
entry to the private network.
E-commerce websites can be protected by incorporating strong security policies in the
system and network (Gotoltc.edu 2017). Risk assessment is done in the initial stage before
designing or creating any security policy. Implementation plan is developed after this. This plan
includes access controls, biometric systems, authorization policies and management of

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authorization systems. Security audit is the final step that is needed to be done before
implementing a proper security policy.

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WEEK 5 E-Portfolio: Concepts and Business Models of E-commerce
E-commerce facilitates the buyers and consumers of products and services to buy
anything online through ecommerce websites. This business consists of set of activities that helps
the business to generate profit. It requires internet connection to run and continue its business.
This type of business benefits the vendors as well as the consumers by saving their costs. The
speed of delivery is also improved (Wirtz et al. 2016). The business model of an E-commerce
business consists of eight major or key components. The key components are:
Revenue model: The revenue generating procedure and process is stated in this model.
This is one of main models as it deals with revenue.
Value proposition: Every organization has a unique feature that differentiates it from the
rest. Value proposition states the reason why one should select the products of their website over
the rest. Customization is one of the features that generate value for the customers.
Competitive environment: In order to become successful, a company must be aware of its
competitors and their strategies. Competitors exist in the environment or the market where the
business operates.
Market opportunity: In order to grow and develop business, a company must understand
and take advantage of the opportunities that exist in the market. Identification of such
opportunities is extremely important in order to be profitable.
Competitive advantage: Every business has its own strategies and techniques that are
different from the rest in the market. This unique feature gives the business a competitive
advantage over the rest.

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Organizational development: In order to successfully operate business and in a smooth
manner affirm needs to find out the most suitable structure for the organization. A perfect or
appropriate choice of organization structure helps a company to grow.
Market strategy: Every company must have a specific strategy to enter a new market.
These types of strategies are called market strategy.
Management team: The presence of a strong and effective management team is needed
for the growth of the firm. This will constitute of experienced and talented people who have the
ability to attract customers as well as investors.
Several business models of E-commerce are present. Categorization of the business
models cannot be based on a single way. G2B, B2G, C2C, B2C, B2B and C2B are the different
types of E-commerce business models.
The B2C models of the ecommerce businesses are responsible selling products as well as
services to the consumers (Habtay 2012). Content provider, portal, service provider, E-Tailer,
market creator and transaction broker are the various types of business models of B2C business.
The B2B model sells their products to another business through a third party. E-
distributor, e-procurement and private industrial network are different categories of B2B model
(Gummesson 2014). Every model has its unique features.
The ecommerce businesses are benefited by the internet as it helps to reduce transactional
as well as information cost. All these improve are responsible for adding value to the business.
E-commerce firms have a value chain that consists of logistics activities and financing activities.

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These activities are secondary. Cost competition and product differentiation are strategies
adopted by firms to generate profit.

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WEEK 6 E-Portfolio: Advertising and Marketing Concepts of E-commerce
Consumer or customer is someone who purchases services and goods for utilizing it.
Customer behavior must be understood in order to build an effective marketing strategy and it
will also help to grow business by increasing customer satisfaction (Solomon 2014). There are
several factors like social, psychological and cultural factors that participate in generating and
affecting consumer behavior. The decision making process of a consumer consists of five main
stages. The stages are as follows:
 Identifying the needs
 Gathering more information
 Alternatives evaluation
 Choosing the best alternative and take a decision regarding purchase
 Consumer behavior after the completion of purchase
The promotional activities, messages and advertisements play a major role in affecting
the decision of the consumers. Customers tend to buy attractive products. They identify their
needs in the initial stage and then select the best option that is available online. Proper decisions
can be taken by the customers. Some forms of online advertisement are lead generation and
email marketing. Search engines, websites and online catalogues can be for the purpose of
providing important information about any service or product to the consumers. Recent studies
have shown that seventy five per cent of the users of internet have involved themselves in the
process of online shopping.
Internet marketing is a process which takes the advantage of the internet to reach the
audience across the world. It has huge benefit over the traditional methods of marketing. The

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creation of a website is very helpful for the purpose of educating customers and creating unique
identity for the brand (Mathews 2016). This is considered to be one of the fastest methods of
advertisement. It has been seen that blogs and other forms of social marketing are reaching a
high level of importance.
Mobile marketing is a form of display ad form of marketing. It is extremely effective in
reaching a huge range of customers (Armstrong et al. 2015). Marketing can be done through
emails also in order to identify potential customers. Potential leads can be found out by the
method of lead generation. Local ads can be put up in a specific area for attracting local
customers. This type of marketing is called local marketing. Multiple channels can be used for
the purpose of succeeding in a business. Pricing and customer retention strategy can be used for
developing business. Personalization and marketing on a one to one basis can increase the
loyalty of the customers and generate for revenue. Loyalty can also be created by adopting
pricing strategy. Products that have no demand can be advertised through a method called long
tail. Online marketing can be done by following various procedures and steps. Data mining and
warehousing concepts are used in the process of online marketing. Data mining helps to identify
buying patterns of the customers. Customer relationship management systems can be used in the
process of online marketing. This method of marketing online is expensive but it is responsible
for generating more sales.

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WEEK 7 E-Portfolio: Mobile, Local and Social Marketing
Social marketing is a marketing method where the social media platforms are used for
the purpose of reaching the target audience. It helps the customers to participate in the
conversation with the ecommerce site people and convert them into fans. The aim of social
marketing is not restricted to sharing business messages to customers (French and Gordon 2015).
Social marketing targets to get fans engage them in conversations and also increase the fan
numbers. Social marketing plays a huge role strengthening the name of the brand in the market.
The new generation is very active in social media and they are the main target audience here.
Marketing via Facebook has a great impact on the audience. This is a social media
platform where maximum numbers of users can connect among themselves. News feeds, pages,
like button, share options and mobile advertisements are the major marketing tools used in
Facebook. This is a most simple method of marketing. Anybody can create their own page by the
brand name, invite users to like the page and share the posts of the page. This will help the brand
name to spread among the users of Facebook.
Marketing via Twitter helps the consumers to interact on a real time basis. Messages,
tweets and retweets are the marketing tools in this case. Mobile ads and videos are also shared in
order to spread brand awareness. In twitter the audiences that are interested in a particular type of
business follow such businesses. Display ads, buyable pins and promoted pins are twitter’s
marketing tool.
In the process of Pinterest marketing individuals and businesses get the opportunity to
share their thoughts and ideas in the site. Users are able to share images in order to promote
brands instead of sharing long written messages. In case of Pinterest marketing, the brand page is

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created first. After that the product pins are utilized and then integrated with Facebook and
Twitter. LinkedIn and Instagram play very effective role in spreading the brand name and
creating brand image among the target audiences.
In the process of mobile marketing different advertisements are displayed in the
applications that are installed in a mobile device (Ström, Vendel and Bredican 2014). Search ads,
display ads, video and messages are the major tools of mobile marketing. The marketing contents
are extremely interactive and hence it plays a major role in brand promotions.
Marketing can be done on the basis of location also. This is known as location based
marketing. In this process messages are targeted to the users on the basis of their locations. It has
been observed that customers have a tendency to respond to local advertisements faster than any
global ads. Wi-Fi and GPS can be used for the purpose of determining the location (Strout and
Strout 2017). Google map is a marketing tool here. Geo-aware method first determines the
location and then promotes the advertisement. In the process of proximity, perimeter of a region
is identified and promotes advertisements based on perimeters of the location. Eighty percent of
total mobile device users purchase local goods by using their phones instead of visiting stores.

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WEEK 8 E-Portfolio: Online Retail and Services
Goods and services can be sold online through the E-commerce sites. This process is
called online retailing. Consumers get the option of choosing from several items over the
internet. Market predictions can be done by using the concept of data mining. The offline
features of retail are also included in the features of online retailing (Laudon and Traver 2013).
There are seven main segments in retail industry. Clothing, durable goods and electronics are the
main segments of retail industry. Consumers can save their time and energy by comparing and
searching products online. They are also able to save cost. Online retail facilities have improved
the revenue of the retail businesses. This industry is expected to grow at a huge pace in the
future.
Strategic analysis is a procedure where the industry and firm are analyzed. Value chain,
customer power, supplier power as well as barriers are the strategic factors of the industry. The
firms also have certain strategic factors like synergies, social challenges, and technology and
value chain of the firm.
Financial analysis is a method where the firms are analyzed on the basis of their
financial performance. Revenues, operating expenses, net margins, gross margins and EBIT are
calculated to determine their financial strengths and weaknesses.
Catalog merchant, virtual merchant and manufacturer direct are some of the online retail
or E-tailing services. Online retail services give maximum importance to the role of data mining
because it can help to predict future marketing strategy.
Service industry forms the maximum part of the economy. Household, institutional as
well as business firm services are provided through this industry. Health services, professional

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services, educational, financial, travel as well as insurance services form major groups in the
service industry. Marketing and consulting services are also part of service industry. Two main
categories of industries in the service sector are transaction brokers and hands-on services.
Customization is provided by service industries.
The finance sector of the service industries provides online banking services. People are
able to conduct any type of financial transaction online. People get the facilities of checking their
bank balances online. Multiple channel services are given the maximum preference by the
consumers (Chorafas and Steinmann 2016). People are also able to contact mortgage vendors
and financial advisors over the internet. Some of the insurances are bought or purchased online.
The financial services are spreading through the help of internet technology at a fast pace.
Real estate sector also provides services online. They have not achieved much success.
Travel services have achieved huge level of success by going online. It is a very convenient
method for the consumers as it saves their cost and time. They are able to compare places and
book online tickets very easily. Suppliers find it very easy to find out their target audience
(Xiang, Magnini and Fesenmaier 2015). Food delivery and recruitment service are also available
online. Online retail and several other services have been extremely advantageous for the
expansion and growth of markets.

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