The Analysis Of Pz Cussons Website Marketing Essay

The Analysis Of Pz Cussons network post Marketing EssayE-commerce has the capacity to improve subsisting crinklees and as well as expand operational efficiency. However, in the wake of fierce competition, businesses be forced to be at their best as competitors be conscionable a jail away. (Xia Yang et al 2003)The limitless potentials of the meshing in todays universe amaze revolutionized the way business is done all oer the earth then making the world a global village. The thrust of this composing critically overviews the net order of PZ Cussons as a communication strength in line with e-business management theory, the paper discusses issues bordering on denote and filthing.PZ was founded in 1879 by George Paterson and George Zochonis in which they set up a trading send out in Sierra Leone. By 1899, they opened their prime(prenominal) branch situation in Nigeria (http//www.pzcussons.com/pzc/about/ourhistory/). The keep company has recorded remarkable achieveme nts since then. The company majors on manufacturing leading spots of ho maphold items from soaps to milk.With the issue of the World Wide Web, PZ Cussons is self-possessed to take its business to the next level by taking value of technology. Needless to say that with the advent of e-business PZ Cussons should do even better.In todays world, it would be difficult to extricate a companys success from its wind vane station as this fag end e very(prenominal) attract customers or repel them depending on customer relationship techniques utilise by the mesh designer. The consistent growth in technological feeler and inventive initiatives has made tremendous touch and also made e- liftizing synergistic, exciting, and inexpensive to businesses.This paper psychoanalyses the weather vane grade of PZ Cussons in relation to its competitors and highlights how PZ Cussons heap benefit from enormous potentials of the internet in advertising and promotion as closely as construct a better brand.AdvertisingRe assay has shown that much of what is evaluate from a web localize is largely dependent on the consumer. Lu and Yeung 1998 suggests that human to com launcher larboard design factors atomic number 18 applicable to commercial web applications. However, the nature of the business and the way the business is done has to be taken into consideration when evolution a web site.Putting together and responding to consumer feedbacks are an important government agency of communication activities when attempting to convert a first m emptor to a potential customer, as such fostering an online relationship. (Berthon et al 1996)In a bid to explore empirical studies and dimensions created basically for research on advertising, by works have attempted to forecast consumers behaviour towards internet advertising. It has been notice that culture or beliefs play a more pivotal voice in consumers purchase intention rather than different factors like creativity, g rocery store size or internet usage. (Yang 2003). With the advent of e-commerce, PZ Cussons have taken up the initiative to advertise its company on the web, in time, a lot of issues regarding the website would be discussed in the course of this paper.The process of ensuring that a site visitor becomes a customer and is retained is actually a proactive approach that can be stimulated by interactive features on the site (Geissler 2001). For closely businesses, the home plate page in itself is an advertisement (Singh and Dalal 1999). The appearance of a home page can either engage a customer to go still or make the customer go elsewhere. It is imperative for the company or web designer to make the site as interactive as possible to enable businesses gain higher customer retention. level(p) as advert placement on web sites has become a normal occurrence in e-business world, it is noteworthy to comprehend internet advertising and chthonianstand consumer reactions or behaviours to advert placement on the internet. It is a well known fact that those who are optimistic about advertising are liable(predicate) to be convinced by advertising (Mehta 2000). If a web site is very effective, it would always abet first time visitors to the site to make a future purchase of goods or services offered for sale.Since its melodic line in early 1990s, the structure of internet advertising has progressed from banner ads, spam emails, interstitials, superstitials, site sponsorships, and involuntary browser relocations (Yang 2003). Adverts online have consistently come under criticism (Bulik 2000b) and have been a good deal considered as unnecessary and imprecise (Hwang and Kranhold, 2000). It has been argued that thither is no inter-relation between advertising and corresponding results such as sales or profits (OConnell, 2001).Some Benefits of Online AdvertisingThe power of the internet cannot be overemphasised as its reach is global at a fast pace.Online advertising ha s identified new means of passing personalized heart and souls to be conveyed to item customers.Most people these days would rather spend more time online than read a conventional newspaper. As such, businesses are more likely to create a greater awareness from online advertisement.It has the capacity to properly instalment customer bottom as well as measure the impact or military posture of an advert.Online advert gives the customer the opportunity of choice found on their knowl leap of a companys return or services.Website EffectivenessAlthough a lot of work has been done in the overall area of e-business (Hoffman Novak, 2000 Kauffman Walden, 2001) however, to further drive down the issues with PZ Cussons web site, we would take a look at Nathan Heinz and Quing Hus web site measurement effectiveness technique to help analyse their internet advertising application.They classified web site measurement effectiveness technique into three categories which are the interactivity metrics, the breeding metrics and the service metrics. (Heinz and Hu 2006)Interactivity involves a platform in which customer feedback is encouraged for optimum performance. It also includes the approachability of search engines on the web site as well as sound chat or blogs in order to get the customers forthright opinion on products or services. It also maintains a data base for registered customers. Zhu and Kraemer (2002).Information involves true and precise culture on the web site at a particular time. This refers to continuously updating clients with reliable information on goods or services offered for sale. For example the cost of product or services and updating photos of new stock etc. It also encompasses the model of simplicity of information passed across and gives detailed analysis of product uniqueness and relevance. This, if communicated effectively would go a long way in retaining first time customers. Kim et al (2002) Barnes and Vidgen (2003).Service involve s maintaining good customer care trading operations as well as responding to customer query or issues. It also involves timely processing of online orders and security of online transactions on a web site. It also involves intermediating with social networking sites like face book to maintain an online partnership for excellent customer service. Barnes and Vidgen (2003) Rust and Lemon (2001).Analysis Based on TheoryWhen we closely observe the PZ Cussons web site based on these three classes of efficiency measurement, we can see that interactivity level is very low. web site navigation and interactivity are significant factors of system quality for web buyer satisfaction (McKinney et al 2002). thither is the absence of chat rooms to encourage customer interactions of feedback on brands. Though there is a search engine in place it is however limited to the site instead of expanding search capability to other search engines such as goggle.On the information metrics, it has been obs erved that PZ Cussons does not update its web site quite a lot to notify customers of changes made to products or upcoming events. Liu and Arnett (2000) highlight information preparedness as a major factor in the success of e-business web sites. PZ Cussons produces a wide variety of brands and with competitors such as Proctor and put on the line and Nestle, a lot needs to be done in ground of quality of information and timeliness of delivery.The service metrics on PZ Cussons web site shows very customer biased attributes as the is the absence of an online register, no avenue for customer registration online so no opportunity for feedback on customer queries on brands, there is also no opportunity for placing online orders so the issue of timeliness of orders does not even arise. Quite clearly, PZ Cussons has been able to puzzle their brand name over the years but are unless to tap into the vast potentials of the web for a greater market share. markA brand has been viewed as a promise made by a company to its customers and not a name or asseveration (Sterne 1999). Given the emergence of the World Wide Web and the revolution in the way business is being done across the globe, it would be expected that the perception of brands would come under a new dimension (Rowley 2004). Also, harbor and Lee (2000) suggest that an effective online comportment is pivotal to a brands online success.A brands website has the capacity to create an impression on the consumer (Muller and Chandon 2003). From the graphics and pictures to texts on a web page can either attract or put off potential buyers. Chiang, I-Ping (2008) also suggests that brand awareness can be put ond together with specific consumer requirements and consumer behaviours to better position online brands.Most clear and large businesses across the globe today can boast of an online presence. However, creating an online presence is hardly enough as Porter (2001) suggest that creating an online presence at a point in time was a free-enterprise(a) payoff but today a web site requires more competitive and distinctive features in order to achieve competitive value.The elements of a web site can be classified in different contexts depending on the products or services being marketed on the web site. For instance a car manufacturers website cannot be designed in the same pattern as a fast food website. World brands seek to identify with value that are common to many communities such as safety, style and attitude and service, which can be classified in different ways in diverse national contexts (Rowley 2004). However, for the purpose of the analysis of PZ Cussons website we would analyse the following elements Logo, Graphics, Colour, text editions, specie and news (Rowley 2004).LogoA logo presents a graphic run-in and discipline for the clear, consistent reflection of a companys visual identity (Henrion and Parkin 1967). Although the PZ Cussons brand name has built a reputation for itself in Africa, Asia and Europe over the years, it has done very little to project its logo. Its red, blue and white logo remains in it simplest form. Some of its leading brands like Venus have become more popular than PZ Cussons as a result of its unnoticeable logo. The logo represents a companys collective visual identity through formal corporate symbol (Balmer 1995). It is believed that a company corporate identity transcends unmingled symbols and signs but relates more to issues like corporate culture.GraphicsThis refers to visual logos, pictures and other images that may depict a brands values on a website (Rowley 2004). There are not too many graphics on the PZ Cussons web site, the pictures are not holistic and does not reflect the charisma of the company. Also, the Web Content Accessibility Guideline reveals that the PZ Cussons website is using (WCAG WAI) 1.0 (1999) which is an outdated version.ColourThe PZ Cussons website makes use of a white background with red and b lue discolors. This is a very common colour combination as millions of websites use this same colour combination. This does not give any uniqueness to the company web page.textText addresses the tone of voice, and determines whether a message is intellectual, understandable and necessary (Rowley 2004). Text typifies the brands individuality it is the brands vocal cords. The words that are written carry the brands message and the font determines the approach of communication. The PZ Cussons website uses the Calibri body font, and a text size 11. This is considered to be quite small and depicts timidity. The words on the home page are too much and should have been more of pictures and less words.NewsThis refers to allowing visitors to the site access to current news and information relating to products and happenings in the industry. The PZ Cussons web site however, is not being constantly updated. On the PZ Cussons front page, there is a column for latest news, but the news in quest ion are actually stale. A lot needs to be done in that regard.RecommendationPZ Cussons has come a long way since its inception without doubt, with its eruditeness of major companies and continued expansion but yet to tap into the vast prospect ability of the World Wide Web.A web advert can be for both infotainment and promotional activities (Diaz et al. 1996) however, PZ Cussons seem to just now have tapped from using the web as an informative medium thus relegating the latter. PZ Cussons in a bid to further expand the global reach of its company can take advantage of the web and supercharge its leading household brand to continents like America and Australia, this must however be done with some of the following recommendations.PZ Cussons must realise that its website is its corporate identity to the world and a representation of its corporate image as such should take advantage of that medium to make it web site more interactive with site visitors. It can incorporate the use of live chats and blogs to gather customer feedback on its brands. It can also adopt the archetype of an online register to enable it maintain a database of customers online.PZ Cussons must come to legal injury with the realities of digitization and begin to open up marketing and sale of its brands online. With the emergence of e-market places, grocery shopping can be done by the click of the mouse. There must also be consistent updates on product offers, special sales and product information and ensure maximum customer satisfaction.With the advent of social networking sites like face book and twitter, PZ Cussons must prove an online community for its customers who can share brand experiences with friends and further expand their network.It is often difficult to distinguish between online and offline brand. However, online stigmatization comes with a lot pros and cons as such it will be reminiscent to highlight the plausibility of online branding and its effect on businesses with an online presence.PZ Cussons operates as a promoter for leading other brands which are distributed through an organised distributive canalize. The online presence merely transmits brand messages and houses information. PZ Cussons would need to take advantage of their online presence build a slashing approach to marketing its brands online.ConclusionPZ Cussons has to come to terms with the cutting edge of technology. It must parallel its real world brand dominance with that of its online branding experience and as well deliver its promise to customers.PZ Cussons must use their online presence to create awareness for its brands and encourage customer rapport. There is a huge difference between businesses that do not use online channel in marketing their goods and service and those that use the online channel. PZ Cussons must take advantage of both online and offline channels to expand their reach.Given the publicity the internet generates, PZ Cussons can benefit from cost savings s pent on television and grade media adverts by channelling funds to a single and cheaper advertising channel.