• Several bug fixes. Some weren’t really noticeable; others resulted in internal server errors.
• A few SEO related changes were made including changes to title tags, and new META tags.
• Cleaned up several listings, especially related to search.
• Other little things that probably bothered us more than you.

If you haven’t already, please join our community and start sharing your passion for brew. If you have any ideas how we can make the site better, use the Contact link at the bottom of any page.

Initially I gave the plugin a cutesy name: SlaptiGooglePR. This was somewhat informative and tied into the title of my high tech site, Slaptijack. I felt the name was clever, but still indicated what the plugin did. After nearly two years of service, I decided that it might be helpful to rename the plugin to something more descriptive. I noticed that the plugin did not rank very high in the WordPress Plugin Directory’s search results for common terms like “pagerank” or “google pagerank.” In the end, I decided to simply call the plugin the Google PageRank Tool.

Honestly, the tool hasn’t been a huge hit over the last two years. There have been over 2,000 downloads, but nothing to write home about. What I have noticed, though, is that the act of changing the name tripled the average daily downloads!

So, what’s in a name? Maybe more than you thought.

When it comes to designing websites for e-commerce clients, the client’s products and potential audience must direct the design. These aspects of the business will help the designer decide which elements to emphasize and which to avoid. Additionally, each site should have at least one feature that really adds value for the intended audience. All of these aspects come together to create a unique design tailored to the individual e-business.

Howard’s Chess Sets sells custom-design, hand-carved chess sets. This website is focused on selling chess sets to customers. The website needs to sell the sets while emphasizing their uniqueness. Obviously, a site of this kind will include a shopping cart so that users can purchase pre-made chess sets. Additionally, customers may want the ability to special order a custom set. For example Howard’s Chess Sets may offer different kinds of wood, different models for the pieces, or even themed sets. To enable these special orders, the website should include a special order form that allows the user to describe what they want. Additionally, the form should collect the customer’s contact information since further discussions will certainly be necessary. Regardless, the main focus of the site must remain on selling chess sets.

Sell a product online is not the intention of Whalen Clean and Tidy. This company provides cleaning services to local office buildings. Whalen’s potential customers do not expect to purchase services online. Instead, they expect to find contact information and some way to estimate the cost of the service. Therefore, Whalen should focus on selling the quality and affordability of their service via the website. The main attraction for potential customers should be a cost estimator that lets them determine an estimated price based on various factors including office size, numbers, etc. The estimator will make it clear that this is only an estimate, and the true cost of the service can not be determined without an in-office consultation.

Finally, Dea’s Downline is a cosmetics business that employs 30 salespeople. All of the salespeople work from their home, and Dea receives a percentage of their sales. Dea website needs can best be described as an employee portal. To the unauthorized visitor, the site merely talks about the cosmetics available and may provide contact information. The true power of the site is only realized by salespeople when the log in. They are presented with a personalized site that gives them necessary sales information, as well as statistics regarding their own sales. Finally, the portal gives Dea the ability to communicate with her salespeople securely. This sort of employee portal is not uncommon. In 2007, the non-profit organization One Economy used a collaboration software called Clearspace to improve the interaction of its worldwide employee base (Kho, 2007).

Kho, N. (2007, October). A Case of Connecting Busy Bees. EContent, 30(8), 52-54. Retrieved November 10, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database.

Rayport, J. F., & Jaworski, B. J. (2004). Introduction to e-commerce (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

I finally found the source of my frustration and I’m back to enjoying long battery life. The Katalyst has the ability to make VoIP-based calls using a Wi-Fi network. Although this is a really cool feature, with no usable network the Wi-Fi feature drains the battery life at an alarming rate. So I disabled Wi-Fi: Menu ⇒ Settings ⇒ Wi-Fi ⇒ Turn Wi-Fi Off. Voilà!

When discussing software architecture, software engineers often use a pattern called Model-View-Controller, or MVC. The MVC concept was originally developed by Trygve Reenskaug in an attempt to bridge the gap between the user’s mental conception of the process and the computer’s digital rendering. Reenskaug (n.d) claims that “the ideal MVC solution supports the user illusion of seeing and manipulating the domain information directly” (para. 4). Rayport and Jaworski (2004) reiterate this concept as a three tier architecture comprised of three layers: Data, Presentation, and Business Logic. These three layers correlate directly to the MVC architecture proposed by Reenskaug.

The data layer is responsible for storing the information necessary to run the application. In the case of Company X, this is the web site. The data layer, or model, is not merely responsible for the storage of information, but also helps define it and give it structure. In fact, some web frameworks, such as Ruby on Rails, expect the data layer to be directly responsible for the data definition. Other frameworks, such as Django or ASP.NET expect the software engineer to model the data structure first, and then implement the data layer to the specifications of the model.

The most import aspect of the data layer is the method in which the data is stored. The database of information can take many forms, but the standard software for today’s web sites is the relational database. Company X can choose from a plethora of available relational database servers, but two popular software packages are Microsoft SQL Server and MySQL. Microsoft SQL Server requires Microsoft Windows to be the operating system on the server. Additionally, Microsoft SQL Server has several licensing options and pricing plans. The standard edition of Microsoft SQL Server 2005 is $5,999 per processor (Microsoft, 2008).

MySQL is an alternative relational database server. Although it was originally designed to run in the UNIX operating environment (including Linux), MySQL has been ported to many other platforms. The MySQL Community Server is freely available to anyone who wishes to use it. This availability has led to its wide adoption in many of the largest websites. In a recent panel, Facebook.com admitted to utilizing 1800 MySQL servers to power their social network (MySQL, 2008).

The presentation layer, or view, describes how the data is rendered to the user. Two major display mediums for an online presence are HTML and Flash. Flash has the advantage of being more cinematic and can also render video. Since it requires a plugin to operate, it is certain to appear the same in every users’ web browser. HTML, on the other hand, is much faster than Flash, but lacks much of the visual element. Although it depends on the web browser for proper rendering, its freedom from a required plugin means it will always be available to any user. Fortunately, neither of these presentation layers is dependent on any particular operating system. As long as server has a web server that can deliver content to the end-user, both will work just fine.

The final piece of the MVC model is the controller, or business logic layer. The layer acts as a middle ground between the data and the end-user. The business log layer ensures that the user is presented with the right information, and that any user interaction with the data is full validated (Rayport & Jaworski, 2004). Two popular presentation layers are ASP.NET for Microsoft Windows and Django. Both pieces of software can really be thought of as web frameworks designed to help developers quickly implement the business logic necessary to run a web site. ASP.NET is freely available but tied to the Microsoft Windows operating system. Django is also free, but has the advantage of being available on many platforms including Microsoft Windows and Linux.

Security discussions with Company X has shown them to be very sensitive to cost. Any solution dependent on Microsoft Windows is going to come with a relatively high price tag. As a reminder, Microsoft SQL Server 2005 is almost $6,000 per processor. Therefore, the obvious solution for Company X is to develop a solution that utilizes free software. In this case, the best solution is a Linux-based server using MySQL for the database and Django, or other free framework, for the business logic layer. Since compatibility and performance are important to end users, Flash should be avoided in favor of HTML.

Microsoft Corporation. (2008). Microsoft SQL Server 2005: Pricing. Retrieved November 3, 2008.

MySQL – Up or Out? (2008). Video posted to http://www.pythian.com/blogs/947/panel-video-scaling-mysql-up-or-out

Rayport, J. F., & Jaworski, B. J. (2004). Introduction to e-commerce (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Reenskaug, T. (n.d.) MVC. Retrieved November 3, 2008.

The advent of wireless networks and web browsers on mobile devices has made the possibility of third party eavesdropping an ever increasing risk. When operating an online storefront, the vendor must provide protection against eavesdropping to ensure that private customer information such as credit card or social security numbers is transmitted without risk of compromise. The primary method for securing web communications is to encrypt the traffic via Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). SSL uses private key encryption to ensure that all traffic between user and server is unreadable in the event that it is intercepted (Garfinkel, 2001). SSL certificates are inexpensive and available from a known group of trusted vendors. As of October 28, 2008, SSL certificates for one year are available for as low as $249 (Thawte , 2008). This cost is a drop in the bucket compared to the potential lost revenue for any one trying to operate an online storefront without using SSL encryption.

When comes to server security, there are two paths to follow. The first path is to handle the entire Web operation internally. That means purchasing servers and hiring individuals to manage them. Depending on the complexity of the web site, this scenario may be the only feasible solution. Another option is fully hand over the operation of the web site to a company that specializes in hosting online storefronts. As an example, HostICan provides web hosting starting at $6.95 per month (HostICan, 2008). They manage the security of the servers while their customers focus on the content. This solution may not be appropriate in all situations depending on the security of the data involved. For a new online storefront, this is an easy way to break into the market without breaking the bank.

Acohido, B., & Swartz, J. (n.d.). Unprotected PCs can be hijacked in minutes. USA Today. Retrieved October 31, 2008, from MasterFILE Premier database.

Garfinkel, S. (2001). Web security, privacy & commerce (2nd. ed.). Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly.

HostICan. (2008). HostICan – Web Hosting. Retrieved October 28, 2008.

Thawte, Inc. (2008). Buy thawte SSL certificates. Retrieved October 28, 2008.

Rayport, J. F., & Jaworski, B. J. (2004). Introduction to e-commerce (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

The security concerns for an online business can be broken down into three main categories: web server, data transmission, and end-user system security. These three areas each correspond to an individual portion of the whole communication between the company’s web site and the customer’s web browser. Each area has significant security concerns. In order to ensure that company information and customer privacy is protected, all phases of the communication process must be as secure as possible.

The first order of business for a company beginning to secure its online communications is to focus on the security of the web server. Like the overall e-commerce security process, securing the web server focuses on three main areas. First, the company must ensure the server itself is secure. This means closing any security holes presented by the operating system and applying any patches available from the vendor. Next, the web server software must be secured. It is important to ensure that the software is running with the proper security permissions to prevent would-be attackers from exploiting it and gaining elevated system privileges. Finally, the interaction between all software components must be secured. This process requires an intimate knowledge of how the web site works to understand when non-web communications such as file or database access happen (Garfinkel, 2001). There is no use securing all portions of the server except the communication between web server and database server that contains critical user information. Together these security measures will help protect the server environment from outside intrusion.

Data transmission refers to the traffic crossing the Internet between a web server and a customer’s web browser. The main concern for security professionals is eavesdropping of these transmissions when they cross a portion of the Internet outside the control of interested parties. The proliferation of wireless networks and related technologies has made eavesdropping a pressing common concern than ever before. One method for securing these communications is to employ private line communications networks between suppliers and end-users. This methodology has its uses for business-to-business communications where the number of involved parties is relatively low, but is impractical in any business-to-consumer application. The only real method for securing data transmissions is to secure the communication with Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). SSL uses private key encryption to ensure that transmissions between the two parties are secure. SSL implementations are easy to deploy with relatively low cost SSL certificates available from many vendors (Garfinkel, 2001).

The final e-commerce security is the end-user’s system. Viruses, spyware, and adware are distributed daily by hackers in an attempt to gain access to sensitive information on end-users’ computer systems. This data is not only sensitive to the end-user, but may reveal critical information about the operation of the company’s web site. Unfortunately, maintaining the security of individual user system is well outside the scope of any e-commerce company. Originally, efforts to increase user security focused on educating people about online dangers. Due to the complexity of computer systems, these education efforts failed. The new focus is on providing end-users with software to automatically check and maintain the security of their systems (Garfinkel, 2001).

Company X must develop a strategy to address each of these three security concerns. The cheapest and easiest problem to solve is SSL communication for sensitive data transmissions between the server and end-user. Thawte, Inc. offers SSL web server certificates for as little as $249.00 per year (Thawte, 2008). This cost is inconsequential compared to the amount of security it provides. Unfortunately, the security of the web server will not come so cheaply. The web server will require an initial security audit, followed by regularly scheduled security reviews. These audits and reviews require the work of a security professional familiar with the software and server platform. Although the initial audit will have a higher price tag, the ongoing reviews should be substantially less expensive. Finally, Company X must address the security of end-user systems. Since Company X can not reasonably provide security software to all of its end-users, education is the only option. Company X should provide an informational page discussing security and privacy concerns relating to the use of their website, and offering advice for end-user security.

Garfinkel, S. (2001). Web security, privacy & commerce (2nd. ed.). Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly.

Thawte, Inc. (2008). Buy thawte SSL certificates. Retrieved October 28, 2008.

Rayport, J. F., & Jaworski, B. J. (2004). Introduction to e-commerce (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Studies have shown that a large number of Internet users are concerned about privacy and security. According to one study, 87 percent of Americans fear their credit card information will be stolen or misused. Additionally, 89 percent fear that their health records may be misused by health related web sites (Rayport & Jaworski, 2004). When making the decision to implement an e-commerce platform, a business must decide between choosing an insecure, open environment on one hand, and an overly secure environment on the other. The choice is not simple and each option has its advantages and disadvantages.

It is hard to imagine many businesses today considering an insecure e-commerce platform. When businesses first go down this road, they must be considering the immediate advantage it presents their customers: easy of use. Web sites with no security features do not include password protection, encryption, or firewalls. Although this might be easier for customers to use, it is truly only possible on a web site that allows completely anonymous access. An example of this would be the Academy Sports + Outdoors website which features an online catalog, but no customer interaction or purchase facilitation (Academy Sports + Outdoors, 2008). As soon as a user must begin entering any personal information, the lack of security becomes a major problem. With so many Americans concerned about privacy, it would be impossible to operate a legitimate e-commerce site without security. As Chris Van Sant (1999) points out, once “trust is compromised, the company quickly loses its reputation” (para. 5).

In many ways, the advantages and disadvantages of operating a secure e-commerce environment are the reverse of an insecure environment. Since a large percentage of Americans are concerned with privacy, addressing those concerns is paramount in today’s online environment. The secure site offers secure communication with its users via encryption, and protects their data via firewalls. The disadvantages with this environment relate to the complexity of the site. Although users want increased security and privacy, many feel that password strength requirements and frequent password changes is taking the issue too far (Shein, 2006). Additionally, the complexity of extremely secure infrastructures means increased personnel costs in the form of server and network engineers.

When moving forward on their new e-commerce project, Company X must maintain a certain level of security. Since it can be assumed that the company will select to offer their treats via an online storefront rather than a simple product catalog, the site must include the necessary security to protect their customers privacy. This means encrypted data transfers and firewall protected storage. In fact, many advanced database servers like Microsoft SQL Server provide data level encryption for added security (Hsueh, 2008). If the security is tempered with the customer’s ease of use in mind, the trust built by these measures will ensure Company X’s reputation in the future.

Academy Sports + Outdoors. (2008). Home page. Retrieved October 24, 2008.

Hsueh, S. (2008). Database encryption in SQL Server 2008 Enterprise Edition. Retrieved October 24, 2008.

Rayport, J. F., & Jaworski, B. J. (2004). Introduction to e-commerce (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Shein, E. (2006). The password is: “annoying”. CFO. Retrieved October 24, 2008.

Van Sant, C. (1999). E-commerce security: How much is enough? Retrieved October 24, 2008.

Amazon.com is the quintessential example of a business utilizing the Storefront e-commerce model. As the world’s largest online retailer, Amazon offers products in almost every category ranging from books to power tools. Amazon’s storefront focuses on providing the widest assortment of goods at the lowest price. While building this monolithic online presence, Amazon has developed an extensive application platform that forms the foundation of the online storefront. Amazon has recently opened up this application platform to allow developers to utilize its power in their own applications. The gamble has paid off with nearly one third of the 65,000 registrants developing tools to aid Amazon’s resellers. These tools, known as Amazon Web Services, help resellers increase their own sales and profits. This has given Amazon a competitive advantage over other online retailers in terms of attracting quality resellers (Schonfeld, 2005).

Another kind of e-commerce model is the Auction site. Auction sites are designed to bring buyers and sellers together. Sellers offer products via the auction web site and buyers bid on the products. The buyer that bids the highest amount wins the item. The auction site makes money by taking a portion of the seller’s revenue (Rayport & Jaworski, 2004). eBay is one site that has perfected the Auction site model. Like Amazon, eBay has opened its application platform in an effort to stimulate community development. As a result, over 15,000 developers have begun creating applications that help eBay users do business better. As of April 2005, over 41 percent of eBay’s 33 million weekly auctions were listed using software developed by outside contributors. This software typical helps sellers automate their listings and increase their profit margins (Schonfeld, 2005). Since eBay shares in the revenues of its sellers, increased profits for sellers results in increased profits for eBay.

The obvious e-commerce solution for a product-based company is the Storefront model. This model focuses on generating sales for the company’s physical product. The company has an existing marketing and pricing plan in place for its brick and mortar operation, so there is no need to change that model and offer the product in an auction format. Additionally, the Storefront model encourages potential customers to visiting the physical store if they have any unresolved questions or concerns. Any company offering a specific product set would benefit from the Storefront model. The Auction model tends to benefit resellers that have random or inconsistent inventory.

Dynamic Pricing describes customized pricing scenarios that are offered to consumers based on their shopping history. The online company keeps records of a customer’s previous transactions and is able to offer them special discounts. Some dynamic pricing schemes involve lowering the price of individual items as customers add promotional items to their shopping cart. Additionally, companies can dynamically raise or lower their prices as business conditions change. If the cost of producing an item suddenly increases, the price of the item can be raised to reflect the change (Free Encyclopedia of Ecommerce, n.d.).

This form of Dynamic Pricing works well with the Storefront model. The ability to change customer pricing on the fly allows customers to receive discounts immediately rather than waiting for a coupon or sale at the brick and mortar store. Additionally, dynamic pricing allows the storefront to create complex offerings to entice consumers. Amazon.com does this with their free “Super Saver” shipping for qualifying purchases over $25. Any storefront site can take advantage of dynamic pricing when creating special offers for their customers.

Another form of Dynamic Pricing is value-based pricing. Value-based dynamic pricing allows customers to pay what they think the product is worth. In this case, the e-commerce site attempts to match the buyer with a seller willing to provide the product or service at the offered price. This has the benefit of putting buyers together with sellers that they might have not otherwise considered. It also gives sellers the opportunity to offer their products to a previously untapped market (EFE, n.d.). Although fundamentally different, the concept shares many similarities with reverse auctions.

Free Encyclopedia of Ecommerce. (n.d.). Dynamic pricing. Retrieved October 14, 2008.

Rayport, J. F., & Jaworski, B. J. (2004). Introduction to e-commerce (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Schonfeld, E. (2005, April). The Great Giveaway: Amazon, eBay, and Google are Opening Up Their Billion-Dollar Data Troves. Here’s Why They’re Doing It – And How You Can Take Advantage. Business 2.0, 6(3), 80. Retrieved October 14, 2008, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 815155471).

You can read the announcement in the Google Docs Google Group (say that 10 times fast) and tour the interface changes, too.

Check it out and let me know what you think.