Assessment of B2C E-Commerce Platforms: Australian Tax Services

This report provides a comprehensive evaluation of two Business-to-Consumer (B2C) e-commerce websites operating in Australia: Online Tax Australia and Pink Cow Tax Refund Services. The assessment begins with an introduction to the expanding role of e-commerce in modern business, highlighti...Read More

E-BUSINESS FUNDAMENTALS AND SYSTEMS
NAME
DATE

Introduction
As technology advances and more people and organizations use the internet, businesses are
also expanding their horizons into the internet, where they can provide the same services as they
would offer in a brick and mortar location to their customers, or adopting a hybrid with a physical
outlet as well as an online presence1. Retailers, for instance, have retail stores and an e-commerce
website where clients can conduct transactions and purchase goods they would normally obtain
from the physical store, only that the e-commerce option is more convenient as one does not need to
visit the store2. In the online realm, businesses can offer products and services to other businesses,
in a model known as B2B, or provide services directly to consumers without the use of middlemen
such as wholesalers, a model known as B2C3. In this paper, two B2C e-commerce websites are
considered for evaluation; the two websites (all based in Australia), are evaluated based on features
and characteristics that make them B2C websites and then the kind of service they provide is also
evaluated. Finally, the websites are assessed based on various features and graded, and then
conclusions made.
Task A
The chosen financial services provides are Online tax Australia found at
https://www.onlinetaxaustralia.com.au/ and Pink Cow Tax Refund Services, also an Australian tax
services company found at https://www.pinkcow.com.au/en/index. Both are online based financial
services operating out of Australia.
https://www.onlinetaxaustralia.com.au/
1 Patricia Nakache, "Forbes Welcome", Forbes.Com, last modified 2010, accessed May 10,
2018, https://www.forbes.com/2010/08/02/groupon-facebook-shopstyle-technology-ecommerce-
social-media.
2 'Statista', "Topic: E-Commerce Worldwide", Www.Statista.Com, last modified 2018,
accessed May 10, 2018, https://www.statista.com/topics/871/online-shopping/.
3 Ed Bowsher, "Online Retail Sales Continue To Soar", Ft.Com, last modified 2018, accessed
May 10, 2018, https://www.ft.com/content/a8f5c780-f46d-11e7-a4c9-bbdefa4f210b.

https://www.pinkcow.com.au/en/index
Task B
The Online Tax Australia website is a B2C it places focus on selling services directly to
consumers through its e-commerce website. Visiting the page, one is immediately shown a link
where a returning user can log in and a button where new users can sign in to the business. Further,
the main content when visiting the page immediately tells the visitor about the products and
services that the company is offering. Further, the website sells online tax services directly to her
customers without the need for using intermediaries; an individual only needs to evaluate the
available services offered and what each type of service is about and can then register. An e-mail is
then sent to the customer to authenticate themselves and then they are confirmed, meaning that the
registered person is the one dealing directly by the company4. For Pink Cow tax Refund Services,
the company’s website is also a B2C website because it provides individual tax services online
4 'Online Tax Australia', "Online Tax Australia | Lodge Tax Return Online",
Onlinetaxaustralia.Com.Au, last modified 2017, accessed May 10, 2018,
https://www.onlinetaxaustralia.com.au/.

through its website. The company essentially provides tax refund services to her clients through its
e-commerce website; one only needs to visit the website and then select the type of service they
want, such as claiming a tax refund or claiming a super . They will then register and get an e-mail
message to confirm their details, after which they can then provide their details, including on the
kind of refund they want. The website also has a calculator so a prospective user is able to calculate
the exact amount of their tax refunds5.
In both the websites, there is need for the establishment of a clear information architecture
and have compelling content that will keep a user interested and to proceed to check out other
options and services, and hopefully, conduct a transaction. The websites are also B2C sites because
they have another feature of B2C websites which is providing details about the products (services)
they offer; essentially, they are services that would be customers care about; for instance, online tax
filing and claiming tax refunds. The websites offer these services on behalf of their clients so that
the clients pay a small fee rather than have to navigate the process of filing their tax returns or
claiming refunds. Further, the websites have a simple and easy to use interactive website design
where they can also ask queries and get responses through e-mail or make calls. For instance, Pink
Cow provides a calculator from within the website where users can calculate their expected tax
refunds and have an idea of the amount before signing up for the service. Both websites offer
account management services so users can view their past transactions by logging in. They also
have an order management checkout and the transaction process is not long drawn out as would be
the case with B2B (business to business) websites; in the two websites under consideration,
transactions can last less than ten minutes. The websites are used to inform the client about products
(services) offered by the respective firms, and to facilitate transactions such as making payments in
exchange for a service, as well as to influence the customers’ decision to either buy or not buy.
5 'Pink Cow', "Backpacker Working Holiday Tax Back And Super Refunds - Don't Forget To
Claim Back Your Super And Tax When Leaving Australia", Pinkcow.Com.Au, last modified 2018,
accessed May 10, 2018, https://www.pinkcow.com.au/en/index.

Finally, in both the websites, purchases can be made directly by the customer for a variety of
services. These features fulfill the characteristics and features of B2C websites as described by6,7,8,9
Task C
https://www.onlinetaxaustralia.com.au/about-online-tax-australia/services-pricing/
Online Tax Australia has four main principal business goals; to inform the wider public
about their presence, to provide high quality online personal tax services, to facilitate transactions
with customers, to provide customer services, and to sell their services. In terms of informing, the
website is used as a portal to create a Online presence, so that is someone searches for ‘personal
online tax services Australia’, the website will show up among the search returns. As such, the
website serves the role of an advertising platform in the world wide web10. The website also serves
to inform; that is , to show potential clients the services offered, along with their pricing. For Online
tax Australia, the website under ‘services’, also give the prices of the products they provide and a
description of eat each service package entails. Its other business objective is providing customer
services where a client can make a query or contact the company by e-mail (or phone) and get a
response; a client may inquire on the status of a service or make a complaint, or seek additional
information. The website also has the business objective of selling; where the company sells
services and then facilitates payment. The principal business of Online Tax Australia is providing
online tax returns and consultancy services geared towards the consumer
https://www.pinkcow.com.au/en/index
The main business provided by the company through its website is tax claim services; Pink
Cow’s website has the business objectives of promoting its services, using the site for advertising
purposes, customer service and interaction, and selling its services with an online payment
transaction processing feature. For advertising, the website informs visitors of their products and
services and when a user searches for such services using a search engine, they are likely to be led
6 Adam Sarner, "Defining A Primary Goal For Your B2C Website", Computerweekly.Com, last
modified 2018, accessed May 10, 2018, https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/Defining-a-
primary-goal-for-your-B2C-website.
7 Steven Snell, "9 Characteristics Of Well-Designed E-Commerce Websites", Vandelay
Design, last modified 2016, accessed May 10, 2018, http://www.vandelaydesign.com/well-
designed-ecommerce-websites/.
8 Desikacharya Rajagopal, Managing Social Media And Consumerism: The Grapevine Effect
In Competitive Markets, 1st ed. (New York: Palgrave MacMillan, 2013).
9 Jaap Ham, Persuasive Technology (Cham: Springer, 2018).
10 In Lee, Electronic Commerce Management For Business Activities And Global Enterprises
(Hershey, Pa.: IGI Global (701 E. Chocolate Avenue, Hershey, Pennsylvania, 17033, USA), 2012).

to the website of have the website appear among the search results, given that it is providing a niche
service. Through the website, that is linked to social media, the company can advertise and
promote its services as well as interact with customers, and provide a first point for customer
service. It is also a portal for selling its services where customers can make payments and the
website processes the payments
Part D
Assessment factor Rating for Australia
Online tax Services
Rating for Pink
Cow
1 How does the website URL relate to the
business name?
4.4 4.3
2 How easily is the website found using general
internet search engines (e.g. Google, Ask,
AltaVista, Bing, Yahoo!)?
3.3 3.1
3 Does the website give me all the organizational
information a user could reasonably require?
4.5 4.4
4 Are requirements to provide a user’s
information appropriate?
4.3 4.2
5 How well website reassures users on security 4 4.1
6 How website fosters user trust 3.8 3.9
7 How well legal issues are addressed by the
website
3.8 3.9
8 How well accessibility needs of users is
provided for by the website
3.5 3.6
9 How well the website 3.4 3.5
10 Does the website contain all the product
information that a user could reasonably
require?
4.5 4.6
11 Does the website allow all the customization
(user-managed features) that a user could
4 4

reasonably expect?
12 How well does the website personalize the
experience for users?
4.5 4.2
13 Does the website identify sufficient channels for
user service/support?
4.5 4.3
14 How easy is it to find any information on the
website about the organisation, their products or
services?
3.9 4
15 How easy is the information on the website to
read (i.e. is provided information in appropriate
language and with sufficient detail for most
users)?
4.2 4.5
16 Is the website easy to navigate (i.e. move
through the website to find information,
products, or services, and engage in transactions
with the organisation)?
4.6 4.1
17 How appropriate are the website aesthetics (e.g.
use of layout, colours, imagery, fonts, etc) for
the target audience?
4.5 4
18 How well does the website foster community
among users?
4.5 4.3
19 How quickly does the website load into your
browser and do all website features, links and
embedded objects (eg: media files or applets)
work as intended?
4.0 3.9
20 How well does the website support different
web-browsers or platforms (e.g. mobile
devices)?
4.5 4.7
21 Does the website provide a sufficient range of
payment options as could be reasonably
expected?
4.3 4.3
22 Does the website provide a sufficient range of 4.4 4.1

delivery options as could be reasonably
expected?
Part F
After evaluating both the websites the Online tax Australia is likely to be more successful
than Pink Cow; while Pink Cow has done very well with concepts of HCI (human computer
interaction) and have a visually compelling website as well as a niche service it offers to customers,
for an online accounting/ tax service, being conservative is the key. The name may mean anything
and it is highly unlikely that a user would search for Pink Cow; likely, a user will search for
something like ‘Online tax services Australia’ or something similar and then get the websites
offering such a service. The naming of the Online Tax Australia is very strategic as this gives it an
upper edge when it comes to search engine rankings. Further, Online Tax Australia also provides a
wider range of services and products, and have listed their prices for the various categories of
products, something that Pink Cow does not provide. Provision of relevant and detailed information
to consumers creates customer confidence and is likely to lead to a purchase decision11 by a visitor
using Online Tax Australia than when using Pink Cow.
11 Ian Daniel, E-Commerce (S.L.: NeuroDigital, 2011).

Bibliography
Bowsher, Ed. 2018. "Online Retail Sales Continue To Soar". Ft.Com.
https://www.ft.com/content/a8f5c780-f46d-11e7-a4c9-bbdefa4f210b.
Daniel, Ian. 2011. E-Commerce. S.L.: NeuroDigital.
Ham, Jaap. 2018. Persuasive Technology. Cham: Springer.
Lee, In. 2012. Electronic Commerce Management For Business Activities And Global Enterprises.
Hershey, Pa.: IGI Global (701 E. Chocolate Avenue, Hershey, Pennsylvania, 17033, USA).
Nakache, Patricia. 2010. "Forbes Welcome". Forbes.Com.
https://www.forbes.com/2010/08/02/groupon-facebook-shopstyle-technology-ecommerce-
social-media.
'Online Tax Australia'. 2017. "Online Tax Australia | Lodge Tax Return Online".
Onlinetaxaustralia.Com.Au. https://www.onlinetaxaustralia.com.au/.
'Pink Cow'. 2018. "Backpacker Working Holiday Tax Back And Super Refunds - Don't Forget To
Claim Back Your Super And Tax When Leaving Australia". Pinkcow.Com.Au.
https://www.pinkcow.com.au/en/index.
Rajagopal, Desikacharya. 2013. Managing Social Media And Consumerism: The Grapevine Effect
In Competitive Markets. 1st ed. New York: Palgrave MacMillan.
Sarner, Adam. 2018. "Defining A Primary Goal For Your B2C Website". Computerweekly.Com.
https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/Defining-a-primary-goal-for-your-B2C-website.
Snell, Steven. 2016. "9 Characteristics Of Well-Designed E-Commerce Websites". Vandelay
Design. http://www.vandelaydesign.com/well-designed-ecommerce-websites/.
'Statista'. 2018. "Topic: E-Commerce Worldwide". Www.Statista.Com.
https://www.statista.com/topics/871/online-shopping/.