Internet has today become the default source of information. This has brought a drastic change in the marketing and services policy of businesses. Besides websites make it very convenient to place all the information the company wants to provide at one place and easily accessible to all parts of the globe. Today the genuineness of the businesses is decided by the quality of its website and the contents. Good companies are taking websites as a serious affair and realizing its potentials in sales and promotion. The advent of Web 2.
0 has opened a whole new era of interactive web and companies are enhancing the features on the website for better services. With advancements in computer graphics the appearances of the websites are enhanced each day.The objective of this report is to study how the companies structure their website for information and promotion of their products and services. The case study of the leading beverage manufacturer Coco-Cola provides a good case study.
The second part of this report discuss about promoting my own business with the help of website.Introduction :The company has taken developed a well planned website which ensures to satisfy all the question of its consumers to the best. It has used pleasant graphics and is updated with the current web-development trends. The website is strategically divided its into following five major segments.
1. Company Information : Provides overview of the company2. Products: This section gives detailed information of all the company products3. Health : This section addresses health issues associated with the consumption of beverages4. Quality and Safety: This section discusses the5. Social Initiatives : This section is intended to generate goodwill amongst the society for the company.
Let us analyze the effectiveness of these sections from the point of view of promotion.Company InformationIt is of utmost necessity to provide people with the basic information about the company such as Year of establishment, Location,Vision, Mission, Nature of Business, Area of Operation, Board of Management etc. This information authenticates the genuineness of the company and the website provides all this information in a transparent manner. One gets the compete overview of the company, its operations, policies and work culture.
In addition to this the website also a noticeable section called heritage. It mentions the history behind the start of the company , stories associated with coco-cola, chronology of events and recipes, fun and quiz , collectibles etc. This section ensures a bonding between the company and the visitors and hence acquire great significance. The section is well thought of and is a very special feature of the website found only in a few others.
Products/ServicesThis off course is the most vital segment and the main objective of any website. A good website ensures that not a single product information is missed by the visitor. It is a simple task if the quantity of products are limited but for a company like coco-cola which has a presence in over 200 countries with total brands exceeding 450 the task to provide this information becomes herculean. Adding to this is the fact that these brands are country specific. However the website scores points in this segment as well and ensures that not a single brand is missed out from its visitors.To provide the information about its products the company has used to approaches.
To simplify things it has classified all its beverages into as Energy Drinks, Juices, Soft drinks, Sports drinks, Tea/Coffee, Water and Others (milk products, soups etc.). Using these categories the user can search for the brand available in his country simply by running the search provided in the “Brands” section. There is another innovative method designed to give brand information. It is in the form of flash animation called “the Virtual Vendor”.
Here the product information can be obtained in an interactive manner very effectively by making use of computer graphics.As the target customer of the company is not any specific group but encompasses the whole population both the methods are effective. While some people still prefer the link and search approach (including slow Internet speed)it is beyond doubt that the animation will catch the fancy of children and youth alike.HealthThis segment is must for all food and drinks websites. This not only removes doubt from the visitors minds but also shows that the company is concerned for its customers. A lot of research is being done on the consumption of beverages and its effects on health, obesity etc.
The website has published nutritional facts of all its brands. It has also cleared various myths by means of health related articles and provides information about the health initiatives undertaken by the company. It has published its marketing policy for children in this segment too. This segment is successful in silencing all the critics of beverage consumption and hence strategically very important.To summaries this segment is the central idea of the company's promotion of its beverages.
Quality and SafetyEvery businesses has to ensure its customers time and again of safe and quality deliverables. This section also checks on the competition in the market and such assurances hold the customers to the company. The website is very transparent about its quality policies and has published them on the web. It has also provided information about the manufacturing and packaging process. The aim of the segment is to ensure visitor that the company is committed to quality and which in turn will earn the trust and respect of its visitors.
Social InitiativesAlthough many corporate companies perform corporate social responsibilities one has to be careful to present them in a proper manner. If done so it generates a goodwill for the company amongst society. The website addresses these issues modestly yet in an effective manner. It gives details of all the social areas in which the company is contributing like Environment Protection, Disaster Management, HIV-Aids Awareness, Water Management etc.
This section earns a pat-in-back for the company and establishes a positive wave.
