An Online Success Story

2009 ◽  
pp. 1236-1253
Author(s):  
Olli Kuivalainen ◽  
Hanna-Kaisa Ellonen ◽  
Liisa-Maija Sainio
Keyword(s):  
Business Model ◽  
Positive Feedback ◽  
Web Site ◽  
Network Effects ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Discussion Forums ◽  
Community Activities ◽  
Customer Feedback ◽  
The Web

The aim of this article is to provide a holistic exploration of the development of the business model of a magazine Web site, and of the factors behind its success. The discussion is based on an explorative case study of a successful Finnish magazine publisher and its Web site. We use triangulated data (interviews, observation, statistical data, customer feedback, newspaper articles) to describe and analyze the development of the Web site and the subsequent changes in the e-business model of the magazine from the Web site foundation in 1998 to the situation in fall 2004. Our case illustrates that a magazine’s Web site is linked to all of its functions (editorial, circulation, and advertising), and to the business-model elements that are vital to its success. We suggest that the discussion forums in question, one type of virtual community, benefited from the positive feedback that resulted in positive network effects, and led to the adoption of the service. Moreover, community activities have enhanced customer loyalty and added a more lifelike dimension to the magazine concept. As such, the Web site now complements rather than substitutes the print magazine. Interestingly, although it does not independently fulfill the requirements of a successful business model (e.g., Magretta, 2002), it enhances the customer experience and adds new dimensions to the magazine’s business model.

Complementary Role of Website in Business Model Development

2011 ◽  
pp. 136-154
Author(s):  
Olli Kuivalainen
Keyword(s):  
Business Model ◽  
Web Site ◽  
Network Effects ◽  
Model Development ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Discussion Forums ◽  
Community Activities ◽  
Complementary Role ◽  
The Web

The aim of this chapter is to provide a holistic exploration of the development of the business model of a magazine Web site, and of the factors behind its success. The discussion is based on an explorative case study of a successful Finnish magazine publisher and its Web site. We use triangulated data (interviews, observation, statistical data, customer feedback, and newspaper articles) to describe and analyze the development of the Web site and the subsequent changes in the e-business model of the magazine from the Web site foundation in 1998 to the situation in fall 2004. Our case illustrates that a magazine’s Web site is linked to all of its functions (editorial, circulation, and advertising), and to the business-model elements that are vital to its success. We suggest that the discussion forums in question (one type of virtual community) benefited from the positive feedback that resulted in positive network effects, and led to the adoption of the service. Moreover, community activities have enhanced customer loyalty and added a more lifelike dimension to the magazine concept. As such, the Web site now complements rather than substitutes the print magazine. Interestingly, although it does not independently fulfill the requirements of a successful business model (cf. e.g., Magretta, 2002), it enhances the customer experience and adds new dimensions to the magazine’s business model.

Scripting the active patient in online health communities

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 86-99
Author(s):  
Femke D. Vennik ◽  
Samantha A. Adams ◽  
Kim Putters
Keyword(s):  
Assistive Technology ◽  
Web Site ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Active Patient ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Health Communities ◽  
Group Characteristics ◽  
Active Patients ◽  
The Web

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to improve the general operationalization of an “active patient,” by examining the specific activities and skills expected of active patients. Design/methodology/approach – Expected activities and necessary skills were studied through a qualitative case study into the development and use of an assistive technology (i.e. web site) aimed at stimulating active patient-ship. Interviews, observations and document analysis were used to capture and explore designers’ inscribing practices and their consequences regarding expected competences and activities of patients using the web site. Findings – Designers inscribed two “co-design roles” that active patients were expected to perform on the web site (co-designing their own healthcare and co-designing the healthcare of peers), for which at least eight different competencies were needed. The absence of skills or facilities to apply these skills resulted in incomplete use, a different use than intended by designers and non-use of the web site. Practical implications – Technological choices and inscribing processes determine who is able or facilitated to become active and who is not. Due to inscribed co-design roles, it also influences the extent to which already active peers are able to perform health-related activities. Different users with different conditions should be taken into account in the design as specific group characteristics can influence level of individual activity. Originality/value – This study is, as far as the authors know, the first that examines the “active patient” concept by studying an assistive technology and using scripting literature, resulting in an improved understanding of what it means to become “active” in terms of skills and activities.

Analysis of Specifications for Web Screen-Design Using Rough Sets

2006 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 688-694 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshinobu Harada ◽  
◽  
Ryousuke Tanaka
Keyword(s):  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Web Sites ◽  
Rough Sets ◽  
Web Site ◽  
Information Design ◽  
Screen Design ◽  
Nonlinear Methods ◽  
Aesthetic Appeal ◽  
The Web

Recent Web sites have created the impression of representing companies or universities. Little research has been done to verify the relations between the composition elements of Web sites and the sense of values using nonlinear methods such as rough sets. We made a Web site for a university in the design and information design field into a case study, and aimed at clarifying the relation between the composition elements and users’ sense of values regarding the Web site. First, a questionnaire for sample Web sites was conducted using six terms to evaluate the sense of values. We then analyzed the results with multiple regression analysis, and clarified what evaluation terms affected their degree of aesthetic appeal. As a result, the subjects were classified by their sense of values into five clusters. Furthermore, combinations of composition elements for the Web site affecting the degree of aesthetic appeal in each cluster were extracted using rough sets. As a result of assessing the new Web site on the basis of the above results, we found that impressions and aesthetic appeal are controllable.

Voter Information Web Sites

2011 ◽  
pp. 1623-1628
Author(s):  
A. Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Web Sites ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Web Site ◽  
Future Trends ◽  
Discussion Forums ◽  
Design Features ◽  
Site Design ◽  
Voter Information ◽  
Voting Decisions ◽  
The Web

Several election studies observe that considerations regarding issues and policies have been gaining weight in voting decisions in Western countries, at the expense of previously existing class or partisan alignments (Denver, 2003). This development may imply that voters show more information-seeking behaviour. In the 1990s, various Web sites have emerged that are designed to support the voters in this job. These voter information Web sites are nonpartisan Web sites that provide the users with information on the election promises, issue positions or past performance of political parties or individual candidates. The term Web site should be understood as including various Internet-based resources and facilities, such as databases, decision-support systems, and discussion forums. In this article, we address the question what these voter information Web sites may offer in terms of their potential of enhancing the quality of voting decisions. The core of this exposition will centre on the Web site design features and on how the voters make use of the Web sites. In the next section, we will highlight the distinction between prospective and retrospective Web sites. The section titled “Voter Information Web Sites” provides an overview of the main design features of voter information Web sites. Some examples of prospective and retrospective Web sites will be discussed. In the Future Trends section, we point toward some future trends. Finally, a tentative assessment will be given of the significance of voter information Web sites for enhancing the functioning of representative democracy.

Enhancing E-Commerce through Sticky Virtual Communities

2009 ◽  
pp. 477-481
Author(s):  
Sumeet Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Web Site ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Semantic Space ◽  
The United States ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Common Definition ◽  
E Learning ◽  
The Web

Virtual communities (VCs) are places on the Web where people can find and then electronically ‘talk’ to others with similar interests. VCs primarily act as coffee shops, where people come and meet each other rather than focusing on content or commerce (Gupta & Kim, 2004). Still there are commercial ones where people can conduct transaction, auction, and commerce. The concept of a virtual community was born in 1993 when the Internet was first established in the United States (Rheingold, 1993). Today, virtual communities are more than just a means of connecting individuals and organisations. Today VCs acts as a business model employed by the digital economy for generating income, primarily through advertising (Reinhard & Wolkinger, 2002). Although virtual communities are still widely popular today, accounting for 84% of the Internet usage in 2002 (Horrigan, 2002), no one has yet agreed on a common definition for the term (Schoberth & Schrott, 2001). Schubert and Ginsberg (2000) defines a virtual community as a shared semantic space where individuals and organisations come together regularly to share common interests and values electronically. The definition varies depending upon the purpose served by the Web site. Based on a comprehensive research, Gupta and Kim (2004) developed a definition based on essential elements of a virtual community and define VC as a groups of like-minded strangers who interact predominantly in cyberspace to form relationships, share knowledge, have fun, or engage in economic transactions (Gupta & Kim, 2004). VCs play a bigger role in many aspects of a member’s life, from forming and maintaining friendships and romantic relationships, to learning, forming opinions, purchasing, and consuming products and services (Hagel & Armstrong, 1997). VCs are also ideal tools for e-commerce, marketing, knowledge building, and e-learning activities. Particularly, VCs add value by providing repeated points of contact which increase the stickiness of the Web site (Laudon & Traver, 2003). People love to interact on Internet and by facilitating their interaction users can be retained on site. The longer they are on site the greater are the chances of making the sale. How do these VCs exactly increase the stickiness of the Web site and how do they add business value to the Web site? To answer these questions we will visit hardwarezone.com (Appendix 1), a Singapore based virtual community which has been phenomenally successful since its inception. But before that we will briefly review the concept of stickiness.

Web Site Performance Analysis Success Assessment of Information Driven Web Site on User Traces

2011 ◽  
pp. 282-296
Author(s):  
Carsten Stolz ◽  
Michael Barth
Keyword(s):  
Web Sites ◽  
Web Site ◽  
User Intention ◽  
Site Structure ◽  
Transaction Analysis ◽  
Available Information ◽  
Direct Feedback ◽  
Source Of Information ◽  
The Web

With growing importance of the internet, Web sites have to be continuously improved. Web metrics help to identify improvement potentials. Particularly success metrics for e-commerce sites based on transaction analysis are commonly available and well understood. In contrast to transaction based sites, the success of Web sites geared toward information delivery is harder to quantify since there is no direct feedback of the user. We propose a generic success measure for information driven Web sites. The idea of the measure is based on the observation of user behaviour in context of the Web site semantics. In particular we observe users on their way through the Web site and assign positive and negative scores to their actions. The value of the score depends on the transitions between page types and their contribution to the Web site’s objectives. To derive a generic view on the metric construction, we introduce a formal meta environment deriving success measures upon the relations and dependencies of usage, content and structure of a Web site. In a case study we got aware that in single cases unsatisfied users had been evaluated positively. This divergence could be explained by not having considered the user’s intentions. We propose in this approach to integrate search queries carried within referrer information as freely available information about the user’s intentions. We integrate this new source of information into our meta model of Web site structure, content and author intention. Hence we apply well understood techniques such as PLSA. Based on the latent semantic we construct a new indicator evaluating the Web site with respect to the user intention. In a case study we can show that this indicator evaluates the quality and usability of a Web site more accurately by taking the user’s goals under consideration. We can also show, that the initially mentioned diverging user sessions, can now be assessed according to the user’s perception.

THE INTERNET AND ITS RELEVANCE TO COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL PSYCHOTHERAPISTS

1999 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Riley ◽  
David Veale
Keyword(s):  
Web Site ◽  
Internet Technology ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Discussion Forums ◽  
Chat Rooms ◽  
Web Page ◽  
Literature Searching ◽  
Cognitive Behavioural ◽  
On Line ◽  
The Web

The potential uses of the Internet to behavioural and cognitive psychotherapists and researchers are manifold. This article summarizes what the Internet is, how to connect to it, searching the Web, on-line publishing, discussion forums, chat-rooms, literature searching, transfer of documents and creating a web-site. It considers the potential of Internet technology in therapy and enhancing patient/therapist contact. A web page containing links to many of the sites referred to in this article as well as additional links and resources is accessible through the BABCP website (www.babcp.org.uk).

scholarly journals A longitudinal study of independent scholar-published open access journals

PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e1990 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo-Christer Björk ◽  
Cenyu Shen ◽  
Mikael Laakso
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Open Access ◽  
Business Model ◽  
Quantitative Study ◽  
Qualitative Case Study ◽  
Median Number ◽  
Open Access Journals ◽  
Article Processing Charges ◽  
The Web

Open Access (OA) is nowadays increasingly being used as a business model for the publishing of scholarly peer reviewed journals, both by specialized OA publishing companies and major, predominantly subscription-based publishers. However, in the early days of the web OA journals were mainly founded by independent academics, who were dissatisfied with the predominant print and subscription paradigm and wanted to test the opportunities offered by the new medium. There is still an on-going debate about how OA journals should be operated, and the volunteer model used by many such ‘indie’ journals has been proposed as a viable alternative to the model adopted by big professional publishers where publishing activities are funded by authors paying expensive article processing charges (APCs). Our longitudinal quantitative study of 250 ‘indie’ OA journals founded prior to 2002, showed that 51% of these journals were still in operation in 2014 and that the median number of articles published per year had risen from 11 to 18 among the survivors. Of these surviving journals, only 8% had started collecting APCs. A more detailed qualitative case study of five such journals provided insights into how such journals have tried to ensure the continuity and longevity of operations.

Web design for user experience: Virgin America web site case study

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 107-113
Author(s):  
Pelin Ozturk Gocmen
Keyword(s):  
User Experience ◽  
Web Site ◽  
Web Design ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
The Other ◽  
User Centered Design ◽  
Web Usability ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
The Web

Web usability is the ease of use of a website. Some goals of usability are the presentation of information and choices in a clear and concise way, a lack of ambiguity and the placement of important items in appropriate areas. On the other hand, user experience is something more than usability. It includes each and every experience that the users have while using the service. And of course, usability rules affect the user experience. In this study, understanding the principles of user-centered design and how it improves user experience is the main purpose. For this aim, https://www.virginamerica.com, which is the web site that gained the two thousand sixteen Best User Experince award from The Webby Awards, has been studied as a case study.    Keywords: web design, user experience, Virgin America.    

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