Saturday, March 24, 2007
Customer Feedback Sites
In one of his posts, my teammate, Chris Leone, mentioned customer feedback sites. I 100% agree with Chris when he says that it is wise for businesses to “give the customers what they want.” Providing them with online information to aid their purchase decisions will definitely provide for happy customers. I, myself, am a fan of such feedback sites. Before I make any online purchase, I always read customer reviews. Even if I don’t purchase online, I usually read customer reviews or product information before going into stores. The reason I value customer feedback sites so much is because I do not trust salespeople. I know that certain salespeople will say anything to you just to make a sale because I worked as a sales representative on a 100% commission salary. I was often faced with the ethical dilemma of telling the truth or saying what the customer wanted to hear.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Search Techniques
Recently in class, we learned about marketing research online and how search is a valuable way to find information. We discussed several techniques that can be used to refine a search and get better results. One technique is entering a minus sign in front of a keyword that is not wanted, which solves the problem of words with double meanings. I admit that I have a guilty pleasure for celebrity gossip, so the first word applicable to this situation that came to mind was “Paris.” I wondered whether there would be more sites about Paris Hilton or Paris, as in the city, if the just the word “Paris” was googled.
I began my experiment by googling “Paris.” The first three results were websites about the city (the link is the site that was the first result). However, the fourth listing was the Wikipedia article on Paris Hilton. Then, I used the technique we learned in class by searching “Paris –city.” The first result was a casino site, the second was the same Wikipedia article about Ms. Hilton, and the third was the Wikipedia article about the mythological character named Paris. The majority of the rest of the results were sites about Paris Hilton.
To go along with another topic of class discussion, I feel my search experiment supports the idea of the Database of Intentions. The fact that a Paris Hilton website is fourth on the results page of a “Paris” search shows that society is quite absorbed in celebrities' lives.
I began my experiment by googling “Paris.” The first three results were websites about the city (the link is the site that was the first result). However, the fourth listing was the Wikipedia article on Paris Hilton. Then, I used the technique we learned in class by searching “Paris –city.” The first result was a casino site, the second was the same Wikipedia article about Ms. Hilton, and the third was the Wikipedia article about the mythological character named Paris. The majority of the rest of the results were sites about Paris Hilton.
To go along with another topic of class discussion, I feel my search experiment supports the idea of the Database of Intentions. The fact that a Paris Hilton website is fourth on the results page of a “Paris” search shows that society is quite absorbed in celebrities' lives.
Teammate Comment
One of my teammates, Chris Leone, commented on my vanity search entry. He did not post a comment on my blog, but his comment can be seen in an entry in his own blog.
Slashdot: "CD Music Sales Down 20% in Q1 2007" post
On one of the required blogs, Slashdot, there is a post
commenting on the article "Sales of Music, Long in Decline, Plunge Sharply" from The Wallstreet Journal's website. According to the article, compact-disc sales have declined by 20% as compared to sales from the first quarter in 2006. The main causes include increases in illegal downloading, lower prices of CD's, and specialty music retailers, such as Tower Records, closing down stores.
Both the article and post focus on the fact that “big-box retailers,” such as Walmart and Best Buy, take customers away from the specialty music retailers by offering lower prices. At the same time, these retailers carry much less of a selection than the specialty retailers, and some “big-box retailers,” notably Best Buy, are now reducing CD shelf space.
Even though it is already obvious that society is moving into a digital age, which is a prominent theme in our BUAD477 class, the article is further proof of this transformation.
commenting on the article "Sales of Music, Long in Decline, Plunge Sharply" from The Wallstreet Journal's website. According to the article, compact-disc sales have declined by 20% as compared to sales from the first quarter in 2006. The main causes include increases in illegal downloading, lower prices of CD's, and specialty music retailers, such as Tower Records, closing down stores.
Both the article and post focus on the fact that “big-box retailers,” such as Walmart and Best Buy, take customers away from the specialty music retailers by offering lower prices. At the same time, these retailers carry much less of a selection than the specialty retailers, and some “big-box retailers,” notably Best Buy, are now reducing CD shelf space.
Even though it is already obvious that society is moving into a digital age, which is a prominent theme in our BUAD477 class, the article is further proof of this transformation.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Nordstrom Wikipedia Edit
In my first edit of Wikipedia's "Nordstrom" article, I made changes to the company history section. Before my edit, there was a description of how their "in-House Cafe" was discontinued. However, according to Nordstrom's website, the cafes still exist. Therefore, I deleted the sentence about the discontinuation.
I also noticed that there was mention of Nordstrom's coffee shops, but nothing about their restaurants. I added a very brief description of the Classic Café, Marketplace Café, Café Bistro, and Nordstrom Grill.
I also noticed that there was mention of Nordstrom's coffee shops, but nothing about their restaurants. I added a very brief description of the Classic Café, Marketplace Café, Café Bistro, and Nordstrom Grill.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Lilly Pulitzer Wikipedia Edit
Today, I completed my first edit of the "Lilly Pulitzer" article. The article mentioned how Lilly Pulitzer clothing is carried in major department stores and listed Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's as examples. I decided to edit the article and include Neiman Marcus alongside the other two stores. I felt it was very important to include Neiman Marcus because Lilly Pulitzer takes pride in being a brand of choice among the affluent. While Nordstrom and Bloomingdales sell products of similar price and quality, Neiman Marcus is considered to be above the two stores. With more expensive and higher-end brands, Neiman Marcus competes with stores such as Saks.
Also, in the clothing section of the Lilly article, it describes how Lilly has expanded its product line to include Lilly bedding, men's clothing, jewelry, accessories, and so on. As a former intern at Lilly's corporate office, I know for a fact that Lilly Pulitzer has also introduced children's clothing and, even more recently, shoes. I added the two categories to the list of Lilly's new merchandise.
Also, in the clothing section of the Lilly article, it describes how Lilly has expanded its product line to include Lilly bedding, men's clothing, jewelry, accessories, and so on. As a former intern at Lilly's corporate office, I know for a fact that Lilly Pulitzer has also introduced children's clothing and, even more recently, shoes. I added the two categories to the list of Lilly's new merchandise.
Monday, March 5, 2007
Vanity Search
The other day in class, Professor Brown gave a lecture about security and privacy on the Internet. He introduced the term "vanity search," which is when you enter your name into a search engine. He advised everyone in the class to do a vanity search because interviewers will definitely "google" your name.
I never knew there was actually a term for running a search on your own name, so I had unknowingly done a few vanity searches in the past. I was relieved to find that my name only showed up in a roster on my sorority's website. However, I only looked at the first page of results. Today, for the first time, I conducted a thorough vanity search and was surprised with the results. First, I searched my real name. I was happy to see that my blog was the second result on the first page! A few pages later, my name appeared on the University of Delaware's school newspaper website in an article describing a contest I had won. When I searched my nickname with my last name, the sorority roster was the first result and my profile on a friends networking website was the second. The third result was a website that I never agreed to be featured on, but my name and picture were on the website with several other girls from my school. Apparently, we're all going to be in a calendar that highlights dates important to UD.
I am so glad I took the time to do a thorough vanity search because after I get the one website issue sorted out, I will be prepared for any interviewer to "google" me.
I never knew there was actually a term for running a search on your own name, so I had unknowingly done a few vanity searches in the past. I was relieved to find that my name only showed up in a roster on my sorority's website. However, I only looked at the first page of results. Today, for the first time, I conducted a thorough vanity search and was surprised with the results. First, I searched my real name. I was happy to see that my blog was the second result on the first page! A few pages later, my name appeared on the University of Delaware's school newspaper website in an article describing a contest I had won. When I searched my nickname with my last name, the sorority roster was the first result and my profile on a friends networking website was the second. The third result was a website that I never agreed to be featured on, but my name and picture were on the website with several other girls from my school. Apparently, we're all going to be in a calendar that highlights dates important to UD.
I am so glad I took the time to do a thorough vanity search because after I get the one website issue sorted out, I will be prepared for any interviewer to "google" me.
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