Bis Project Final 2-22

8/14/2019 Bis Project Final 2-22

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1. Industry overview, based on library research (include sources):

INSC 20263

Information Systems in eEnterprise

Palladium Mountain Resort

Project Proposalsubmitted to

Dr. Beata Jones

By:

Brett AndersonRiley Kiltz

Walter Sanders IIIChristal Strong



According to IBISWorld, the primary activities associated with the ski and snowboard resort industriesinclude skiing facilities and ski lift operations. The major products or services are lift tickets, food anddrink sales, ski and snowboard instruction, season pass sales, merchandise sales, equipment rental, andlodging. According to Hoovers, about 60 percent of revenue comes from usage and admission fees. Theski industry is very dependent on factors outside of company control. Ski tourism is, of course,

seasonally based, with most business occurring between the months of November and April.

Hoovers.com also offers a very detailed description of the ski facilities industry. According to Hoovers,demand in the industry is powered by good snow conditions and personal income. It is a highlycompetitive industry, and profitability depends on effective marketing and efficient operations. Largecompanies have the advantage, as the 50 largest firms generate about 80 percent of the revenue in the US, but small companies can be successful by catering to local populations and providing customizedservices. Approximately 40 percent of ski areas only open during the winter months, according toHoovers.

Facility costs in the industry can be expensive, with snowmaking machinery costing over $1 million US.Therefore, many small companies can’t afford these operations. Hoovers explains that ski resorts relyheavily on technology, especially for marketing, sales, and operations. Websites offer information aboutthe resort and ticket purchasing. On site, technology is used for scanning lift tickets, tracking resortactivity, and operating activities such as lifts.

There are over three dozen ski areas in British Columbia, according to the Econoguide ‘99-‘00 Ski andSnowboard America, which rated Whistler Resort as the #1 Ski Resort in the West. Econoguide reportsthat Whistler is about a 2-½ hour drive from Vancouver, with 14 lifts and 3,657 skiable acres. Alberta isalso home to a large amount of ski areas, as Calgary serves as the gateway to half a dozen world-class skiareas, according to Econoguide.

2. Perform a detailed Porter's Five Forces analysis for your industry. Be sure to discuss entrybarriers and switching costs.

Power HIGH LOW Justify

Buyer Power X

As a result of many mountain resorts, the buying power is high.Loyalty programs offered by other British Columbian resortsmake penetration into this market difficult. With the largequantity of mountain resorts in Western Canada, tourism hasoverwhelmed the region. Our newly developed ski area will cater to the needs of local and more advanced skiers andsnowboarders. By drawing from this demographic of winter sports enthusiasts, our resort will provide a unique skiingexperience for these experts.

INSC 20263 -- Project Proposal – Page 2



Supplier Power X

Our industry requires a large amount of goods along withmultiple suppliers. We expect to purchase used and overstocked bulk equipment from multiple suppliers, such as nearby ski areasand manufacturing plants. By purchasing our supplies from the

local area, our shipping expenses will naturally be lower.

Threat of Substitute Products or Services

X Since our mountain caters to the expert skier and rider, the threatof substitutes in the British Columbia area for the customers islimited. Although there are a large amount of substitutes for family-oriented vacations, the expert or local skier is unlikely tolook elsewhere. To sustain customer retention, each year that acustomer returns to our resort, he or she will receive a free one-day lift ticket (If they are able to present their ski pass from the

previous year).

Threat of New Entrants

XBecause the prime locations for skiable terrain are difficult tofind, new ski resorts are uncommon. Establishing a resortrequires a large amount of capital and marketing to make anentrance into the industry. Many customers have loyalties to preexisting competitors, so investors are unlikely to find a newresort financially viable. We recognize that this will be our mostdifficult obstacle to overcome. Therefore, in order to enter the

mountain resort industry successfully, our company willimplement effective marketing strategies.

Rivalry Among Existing Competitors

XThe mountain resort industry is a highly competitive market. Thelarge amount of suppliers of similar skiing services in BritishColumbia makes competitive pricing and marketing strategiesessential. By using local supplies and manufactured products onour mountain, the pricing of our lift tickets will be significantlylower than the more commercialized resorts in the area.Advanced skiers irritated with these overcrowded mountains willtransfer loyalty to our resort.




3. Description of the competitive environment that is relevant to the use of the Web by the industry.

Competitive Force … and their Web Usage within the Industry

Customers

Customers will use the Web to search the different opportunitiesavailable when trying to plan a ski vacation. While comparing thedifferent websites that they visit, they are able to make a decision ontheir destination. Customers will also be looking for discounted prices,which could benefit our company. The high season and low season for visitation will also decipher when many customers will be visiting our website to plan their trip.

Suppliers

While a lot of our success depends on the amount of snow in our area(which changes form year to year), we will also have to have many

suppliers for the beginning of our resort. The Web is not particularlyrelevant to the use of our website because with the formation of a newski resort we will be contacting the suppliers rather than they supplierscontacting us.

New Entrants

While new entrants have an advantage because they are able to analyzetheir competitors before actually entering the force, they are also at adisadvantage when trying to figure out exactly what it is that thecustomers are looking for. For the Web industry, new entrants will usethe web to market and advertise to potential new customers.

Competitors

Our competitors will utilize the web to compare different ski resorts inorder to improve their websites in the future. If a competitor were to visitour website and see that we have a deal for “Ski five days, get a sixthday free,” then that competitor might feel compelled to do the same. Our company will have to use the Internet in the same way to learn our competitors.

Substitute Products

The web will facilitate substitute products when a potential customer searches the web for “vacations” while not specifying what type of vacation. Our customers will relate to other skiing areas along with

beach resorts all over the world.




4. Using what you have learned about good/bad web design in class and using class notes, pleaseidentify: four web sites in your industry that you believe are ‘good’ and four that you consider

‘poorly designed.’ (Each individual researches two companies.)

Company Name

Whistler Blackcomb Alta

Web Site’s URL http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/index.htm http://www.alta.com/

Site’sTarget

Audience

Individual skiers and snowboarders or familieslooking for a family ski/snowboard vacation.This is a well-known ski area (especially withthe 2010 Olympics in Vancouver), which will bring customers from all over the world.

Alta’s target audience for their website would be aimed mainlytowards skiers in the UnitedStates. This mountain does notallow snowboarders.

Site’s Purpose

The site’s purpose is not only to inform butalso to provide vacation planning with rentalsonline.

The site’s purpose is to inform thecustomer along with the ability to purchase tickets online, but no skirentals are available online.

Good? (Yes/No) Yes No

Design elements fromthe lecture notes/lecture

that contributed to aPositive/Negative

impression- provide at least 3 foreach site & explain;

Attach website

screenshots withdiscussed featureshighlighted with

diigo.com orawesomehighlighter.com

The homepage has a top navigation with dropdown menus that give the customers easyaccess to find what he or she is looking for.The top navigation also includes a weather and

snow base update. Along with the topnavigation, there is also a search bar where youcan find what you are looking for immediately.

The text-based bottom navigation gives further information about the company and also hasthe links for social media networks, such asFacebook, Twitter, and a mobile deviceapplication.

There is a vacation planner available to thecustomer that compares different price dates.

The entire website has a consistent layout with

an easy return to the home screen by clickingon the main logo in the upper left hand corner

A good color scheme does not turn thecustomer away and makes it easier to read theimportant facts. The homepage also includesonline deals that will grab the customer’s eye

The home pages image and pictures were inconsistent in sizeand of poor quality. We felt thatthis would fail to grab the

customer’s attention and keepthem on the website.

There is no bottom text-basednavigation, which often includesthe last updated date, the socialmedia networks and copyrights.

There is no easy way to plan your trip from the homepage. Whilethere is a link to guide you towhere you could plan your trip,from this website you are not ableto rent your skis online.

“Fresh Alta News” does notcontain information that would berelevant for ski customers. This bordered text-box is not appealingfor someone that is visiting thewebsite. While it starts off with




with advertisements that change daily. notes of different news, each bullet will stop in the middle of asentence.




Company Name

Red Mountain Resort Sugar Mountain Resort

Web Site’s URL

http://www.redresort.com/ www.skisugar.com

Site’sTarget

Audience

This resort targets a younger audience of all skill levels. They target families andcollege students especially.

The resort targets a young audience aswell as an older audience (70+).

Site’s Purpose

To inform customers about the servicesand products they offer. The site’s purpose is also to try to convince theviewers that this is a great spot to take avacation.

To promote their business and all theservices and events they offer




impression- provide at least 3 for

each site & explain

Attach websitescreenshots with

discussed features

This homepage as well as thecorresponding pages are all at 1 to 1.5screens long. This allows viewers theability to scan the page easily and findthe information they desire quickly.

Red Mountain keeps the empty space toa minimum, allowing the company tomaximize the amount of informationthey advertise on their site.

The picture slideshow and other images

were adequate to keep the viewer'sattention. The pictures are all relevantand they allow the viewers to seedifferent sides to the mountain.

There is a lot of empty space that could be filled with advertisement of future or current events.

There is not a good balance betweenwords and pictures. The design lacksany creative appeal.

The page’s length is not compensatedwith information and creates moreunfilled space.

Color scheme is not very youth friendly.


A great top navigation along with a good home icon that willalways bring you back to the homepage helps make this skiresort website good. The search engine at the top makesfinding information easier. The background pictures are aslideshow of pictures that catch the eye.

This homepage is too cluttered and the picture size andquality is inconsistent.

There is too much unused white space at the bottom of thehome page, which does also not have bottom text-based

navigation or a last updated date

The drop down quality from the top navigation makes it easyfor the customer to find what he or she is looking for.Weather and snow updates are also located at the top of thehomepage.

This bordered box of “Fresh Alta News” does not containinformation that is relevant for what many customers areseeking. The information for each bullet also cuts off in themiddle of sentences.

There are several online advertisements that attractcustomers with price and a beautiful picture.

https://mobile.tcu.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=f4be48acfc96475dba0730656080170e&URL=http://www.redresort.com/



highlighted withdiigo.com or

awesomehighlighter.com




Company Name

Sun Peaks Resort Kicking Horse Resort

Web Site’s URLhttp://www.sunpeaksresort.com/ http://www.kickinghorseresort.com/

Site’sTarget

Audience

Potential ski customers in BritishColumbia, specifically looking to learnmore about the ski area and resort.

Potential ski customers in BritishColumbia, specifically looking to learnmore about the ski area and resort.

Site’s Purpose

To provide all the vital informationabout Sun Peaks Resort and to convince potential customers to visit the resort.

To provide customers with informationabout Kicking Horse and to convince potential customers to visit.




impression- provide at least 3 for

each site & explain


discussed featureshighlighted with

diigo.com orawesomehighlighter.co

m

There is a top navigation bar with asearch bar, which makes navigationthroughout the site very easy andnoticeable. A header at the top withsocial networking links and currentmountain statistics is used, as well as afooter with bottom text basednavigation. There is also a box to book a vacation online. Other elements thatthe site features are a large image

banner, the first aspect the eye catches,and effective use of color and fontvariation.

This website is lacking a large amountof important elements. A top navigation bar is not immediately accessible, thereis no header and footer with importantlinks, and many text items are difficultto read. There is also no currentmountain information and no online booking option from the homepage.The meanings of many of the links onthe page are also very unclear.


The navigation tool bar is conveniently located at both the top and the bottom of the website(highlighted). The information is easy to find andthe dropdown menus makes information easier tolocate.

There is a lack of balance between words and pictures. The top of the page is very busy.

Unused space is kept to a minimum and the pictures and color scheme make the websitemore attractive.

There is a lot of unused space in the bottomhalf of the home page with few supportingtext or pictures.



Company Name Mammoth Mountain Monarch Mountain

Web Site’s URL http://www.mammothmountain.com/ http://www.skimonarch.com/

Site’sTarget

This site is geared towards local skiersand college-aged winter sportenthusiasts.

Monarch targets large families andoften less experienced skiers.


Full screen shot of homepage, highlighting the lack of anavigation bar

This is the most prominent box on the homepage with avery unclear meaning. The text doesn’t provide the visitor with any helpful information.

mples of color usage and varying fonts

Book your vacation online box in bottom rightcorner of homepage

creen view with large image banner highlighted.

Bottom right corner of the homepage highlighting text thatis difficult to read. It is small and turned on its side.



Audience

Site’s Purpose

To promote their mountain resort to ayounger-aged group of potential

customers

To appeal to large families through theuse of bright colors and large pictures



that contributed to a

Positive/Negativeimpression

- provide at least 3 foreach site & explain


discussed featureshighlighted with

diigo.com orawesomehighlighter.co

m

The navigation is located convenientlyat the top of the webpage. Its designallows users to easily see the mostvisited parts of the page quickly.Whether their users want to plan avacation or search for reality, thisnavigation bar provides for their needs.

Mammoth Mountain’s website color scheme is easy on users’ eyes. The fadefrom dark blue to white implies themountain’s snowy atmosphere, and theimportant icons are contrasted with alight brown.

The webpage is separated into twosections. The first main section showsthe navigation and main picture display.With a half page scroll, another sectionreveals local events and a trip planner for visiting parties.

The amount of icons moving uponentering the website is overwhelming.This movement distracts users from thehighest priority links. By reducing thenumber of moving parts, the websitewould improve greatly

Monarch Mountain’s navigation is sub- par. Not only is it located at the bottomof the website, but it is difficult tomove a cursor over to the multiplelinks. The horizontal expansion of linkscan frustrate users if it is not runcorrectly.

Although the inference of snowexplains Monarch Mountain’sreasoning for the white color scheme, itis uncreative and too bright. It isdifficult to tell when the page ends anduseless white space begins.


The main navigation bar is located at the top of the page. The live weather update box informs users of the slope condition. Finally, the bottom sectioninforms users of upcoming events.

The bottom location of the navigation bar isunnatural to web users. In order to cater to thecustomers’ needs, Monarch should relocatethis function.



5. Industry ‘key competitors’ (Select four of the well designed websites from the previous section and have each individual research their company

in more depth. Include your perceptions/opinions in this section.)

Competitor’s name and URL of theweb site

How (what features?)are they using on the

web?

What are theirmost effective

or unique waysof using the

web?

What are theirmost ineffectiveways of using

the web?

Whistler Blackcomb

http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/index.htm

The top navigationmakes it easy for thecustomers to find whatthey are looking for. If you can not easily findit right on the

homepage, then thereis a search box at thetop right that onlymakes using thewebsite easier. Thesocial networkinglinks are located in the bottom text-basednavigation and includeFacebook and Twitter,along with a mobileapplication for phones.The simple color

scheme is consistentthroughout thewebsite, which reallyallows customers tosee what they are

They use their home screen asa slideshow of different pictures of thearea. You are

able to view pictures andvideos to get a better idea of what theatmosphere isactually like inWhistler. The pictures alsoallow customersto see other opportunities inthe different

seasons

While the topnavigation isdesigned greatfor this website,there is alsoanother top

navigation,which crowdsthe top of the page. Theinformationwould be better fitted as part of the bottom text- based navigation


This window shows the drop down feature toother links from the navigation bar.

In the lower part of his page, an extensiveamount of white space is unused



looking for.

Red Mountain Resort

http://www.redresort.com/

Red Mountain Resortuses simple navigationtools, images,consistent color scheme, socialnetworking links,calendar of events, andweather andtemperature forecast.

The color scheme and the pictures help toattract people toresearch further into the site. Thetop navigation bar is wellorganized andinformative, asseen through theutilization of thedrop downmenu. Theheader contains

convenientapplication suchas the weather panel and thesocialnetworkinglinks. There isalso a video onthe site thatallows theviewers towitness a realresortexperience.

Though thenavigation toolis great, the fontsize needs to be bigger. Thehome pagecontains a lot of advertisementsand informationthat should beleft off of thehome page tomake room for highlightingsome of their

bigger eventsand programs.

Sun Peaks Resort

http://www.sunpeaksresort.com/

Sun Peaks’ websitehome page includes a box to book your vacation online,current weather andsnow conditions,social networkinglinks, and links tocurrent news andevents. Also included

are a top navigation bar, a search bar,header and footer, alarge image banner,and effective use of color.

The mosteffectivefeatures of thiswebsite are the boxes for currentmountainconditions, booking avacation online,

and the main photo images.The site is veryeffectivelyorganized with boxes and

Sun Peaks couldmakeaccessibility toupcoming eventseasier, possiblyincluding aquick link to anevent calendar.Also, thewebsite should

be used to promote dealsand values tocustomers, asonly one small box shows a




menus, and thecolor and textmakes it veryaesthetically

appealing.

special deal.

Mammoth Mountain

http://www.mammothmountain.com/

The navigation bar isthe initial feature seen by the user uponentering the site. Itdirects the user tomultiple helpful linksin the website.Another importantfeature is an eye- pleasing color scheme.This part of website

development appealsto the senses and perceptions of the potential customer.Finally, networkinglinks like Twitter,Facebook, and RSSkeep the customer linked to the resort.Updates andinformationcommunication can bestreamlined throughthe use of these sites.

The resortwebsite not onlyfacilitatesinformationabout the skiingarea, but alsoabout the rest of the town.MammothMountainidentifies that

potentialcustomers willspend a largeamount of their time in theclosest town.Therefore, their website informsusers of upcomingevents and other attractionswithinMammoth.

The icons at thetop of the page(above thenavigation bar)have the potential toconfuse a newcustomer.Mammoth couldimprove their site management

by moving theselinks elsewhere.Once the extralinks areremoved, thenavigation bar will be the soleicon at the top of the screen.

6. Industry Key Competitors - Web Site Ratings(Be sure to come up with three more criteria on your own.)

Company Name

WebsiteContent

Ease of Navigatio

n

Site Appearanc

e

Qualityof

Images

Professionalism

Social Networking

Overal l

Whistler

Blackcom b

8 7 8 9 8 6 46

RedMountain

8 7 6 7 7 7 39




Resort

Sun PeaksResort

10 9 9 10 9 8 55

Mammoth 8 7 9 8 9 8 49

Legend: 1-10, 1 being the lowest score, 10 being the highest possible. Overall out of 60.

Company#1: Whistler Blackcomb

Rating Explanation of Rating

Website Content 8 —While there is very little text content on the home page, the top navigationeasily leads the customers to the information that they are looking for. Thiswebsite is simple, but it also displays all of the information necessary to plan avacation to Whistler.

Ease of Navigation 7 —There is a top navigation that had drop-down boxes that separate activitiesand information. While there is no side navigation, there is a search box at thetop of the homepage which will search the entire website. Along with these twomain features, the bottom text-based navigation leads to the social media linkswhich can give further information of the ski resort and even provide the abilityto see the opinions of other people. The homepage also provides the opportunityto buy lift tickets as well as rent equipment for a vacation.

Site Appearance 8 —The color scheme is not too overpowering for this website with the grays andreds. The color scheme is also consistent through the entire website which doesnot lead the customer to think that he or she has left the resort website. The pictures found on each page are clear and not too overbearing. They give thecustomer a visual of what they could see through the ability to access differentlinks to pictures and cameras (including live cameras)

Quality Of Images 9 —The image quality on the homepage is very high, along with the consistencyof quality on other pages of the website. They are easy for the viewer to see andshow the customer a real life image of what it would be like to ski at Whistler Blackcomb

Professionalism 8 —We felt like the professionalism for Whistler really stood out above other website that we viewed. Everything was consistent throughout every page whichdid not lead to any confusion when going from page to page.

Social Networking 6 —The social media networking is very well distributed for this website. Thereare links to Facebook, Twitter, and mobile applications to download. These aregood applications to have on a website to draw different generations through theWeb. The fact that they are at the bottom is not too overbearing on the rest of thewebsite.




Company #2: Red Mountain Resort


Website Content 8 — Red Mountain Resort's website is very easy to read and its design is very up

to date. The site contains answers to all the questions a customer wants to knowwithin the navigation toolbar as well as on the homepage. The site contains acalendar of events, weather and temperature forecast, videos, and images, andads highlighting current specials.

Ease of Navigation 7 —The navigation bar presented at the top and bottom of the screen are easilyidentifiable; however, they are a little small. Any information you are looking for can be located on the navigation bar. The pages that the bar directs you to arekept on an average of one page, which makes the information even moreaccessible.

Site Appearance 7 —It looks recently renovated and the color scheme is very effective for targeting a youthful audience. Although the home page contains pictures and a

video, the images add to the site appeal.

Quality Of Images 7 —The picture slideshow located at the top of the page helps to advertiseupcoming events. The video also helps to showcase a authentic view of theresort.

Professionalism 7 —The site maintains its professionalism throughout every page. It solidifies itsauthenticity through the copyright information and photo credits. There are noflashy or distracting images, and the website has consistent color scheme andlayout throughout every page.

Social Networking 7 –The site contains four different mediums of social networking: Facebook,Twitter, YouTube, and RSS feed. They are located at the top of the site and they

are big enough for people to identify them, but possibly distracting to the rest of the content.

Company #3: Sun Peaks Resort


Website Content 10 —The website includes everything a visitor could hope to know about SunPeaks. The home page includes a report of the current weather conditions, a“Book Your Vacation” box, and links to important news and events occurring onthe mountain. The top navigation bar features well organized categories with

links to all information on the site and a search bar. The footer includes allimportant information such as phone number, copyright and ownershipinformation, and links to administrative information.

Ease of Navigation 9 —Navigation is very simple throughout the entire site. The main navigation bar features links to all the important information on the site, and it is easy to




determine what each subtitle links to. Within each section, a side bar appearswith links to each subsection. The search option is also very helpful. The onlyaddition that could make navigation even easier would be the inclusion of a sidenavigation bar on the home page with links to the most popular links.

Site Appearance 9 —This website is very aesthetically appeasing. A large picture that stretches thewidth of the screen is the first aspect the eye notices. There is limited white spaceon the site, and it is organized neatly with boxes for each aspect. The header includes the resort logo, current weather conditions, and other links, while thefooter is also neatly organized. The home page requires the visitor to only scrolldown slightly to see more information. One suggestion to add to the siteappearance would be to revamp the company logo. Currently, the logo is verysmall and located only in the top left corner of the screen. A larger and higher quality graphic would certainly add to the appearance. The use of color is alsohighly effective; with certain links including color, but not overwhelming.

Quality of Images 10 —The primary graphic on the page takes up a large percentage of the home

page. This graphic features pictures of the resort, and the photos changeapproximately every 5 seconds. It also has a link to a photo gallery. The home page includes other small images in links to other pages within the site. Eachdifferent section and subsection features a large graphic at the top of the page,and other photos on the page.

Professional 9 —This site includes all the important information to present the resort as a professional organization. It includes important content such as an online booking option, information about copyrights and ownership, and contactinformation. The overall appearance of the site is very professional, with highquality images, use of color and fonts. The only aspect that could make the siteappear more professional would be a larger, higher quality logo. The logographic is very small, slightly out of focus, and not extremely prominent on the

page.

Social Networking 8 —Sun Peaks includes links on its website to social networking sites Facebook and Twitter. These images are seen in the header at the top of each page on thesite. The simple inclusion of these links is important, and the location of them inthe header is highly effective. However, each graphic is fairly small and nothighly visible. Larger and more visible images would cause visitors to be morelikely to visit these social networking sites, when currently, they simply blend in.

Company #4: Mammoth Mountain Resort


Website Content 8 —This site ranks as one of our most impressive resort page. The key to scoringwell begins with website content. Website content makes it user friendly andcaters to the needs of their target audience. Most needs imaginable for thoseseeking a ski vacation or information on Mammoth Mountain are managed




effectively.

Ease of Navigation 7 —The navigation bar was located conveniently at the top of the webpage. Thedrop down function from the bar helped users move through the websiteconveniently. All of the links were well described, and if a user needed to makehis or her way back to the original page, it was well facilitated by the main logoin the top-left corner.

Site Appearance 9 —The overall site appearance was excellent. The color scheme wasaesthetically pleasing, and the pictures chosen for each page on their websiteidentified well with the subject topic. Also, the limited number moving objectswithin the site kept the user from being distracted or overwhelmed. The overallfeel focuses on their college-aged audience.

Quality of Images 8 —Although the main display features a large picture, the slide show function islimited. Providing more images to circulate through on the front display wouldhave given this website a higher score. In order to score well, Mammoth would

need to feature multiple parts of their mountain.

Professionalism 9 —A scale to critique website networking is often difficult to determine. Thenetworking link must be easily visible from the main page, but the number of links cannot be superfluous. A modest number of links allows users to connect tothe resort without being overwhelming.

Social Networking 8 —Overall, the professionalism of the website is adequate for their audience.Mammoth’s target audience is college-aged; therefore, they design their websiteaccordingly. A corporate, more professional feel could turn away potentialcustomers because of their perceptions of the mountain resort. BecauseMammoth effectively manages their online site in a professional manner, their score is high.

7. The industry’s strengths and weaknesses in regard to the effective use of the web?(at least 3 each)

Strengths Weaknesses

1. The opportunity to purchase your lift tickets

online.2. Current weather information and snow reportsfor the mountain.

3. The availability to view upcoming events for thesurrounding area and resort news.

1. Websites weaknesses start with animation and

falling snow which is not professional are acustomer visiting a website to plan a vacation

2. There should not be an inconsistency throughoutthe website as a whole. Websites show their weakness when they do not have consistent page




4. A good color scheme that goes along with whatour website is aimed towards, along with picturesthat are not too overpowering, but at the same timethe pictures show the customer what they would

see if they came to ski at our resort.

layouts and color schemes from page to page of theentire website.

3. Websites can be difficult to navigate throughoutthe site, especially without a top navigation that

contains drop menu options. Menu bar optionsshould be as specific as possible in order to help thecustomer navigate their needs.

8. Proposed website enhancements for the industry(at least 3 each):

i. What type of information would you recommend they add to their websites?

To give customers a better sense of belonging, we suggest that each site add a virtualtour of the slope path. This will allow customers to see the beauty of the resort as wellas judge the difficulty of the slopes before they attempt to ski on them. We also feelthat the websites should add boxes for advertising current deals and promoting current

and future events. This will keep customers informed and serve as a promotion andadvertisement for the companies, thus increasing attendance and support. It would also be helpful if the website offered links to local traveling agencies, airports and cabservices. This would increase customer/client relations as well as make the experiencefor the customers more enjoyable.

ii.What modifications would you recommend to their web design?

We suggest that companies make sure all fonts are aesthetically pleasing for all visitorswho enter the site. They need to ensure that all web pages, sections, and subsectionsare consistent throughout the entire site. Also, it is essential that the site does not needto take significant time to scroll through. This will assist customers in findinginformation quickly.

1. Name of the company that you propose to create and its geographic location:

Our team would like to create Palladium Mountain Resort , located in Southeastern British Columbia(near Revelstoke, BC), which is in the Mountain Resort segment of the ski industry.

2. Detailed description of the proposed new business, including mission/goals, services and productsit will offer, size, etc.

Palladium Ski Resort is a ski resort focused on the actual mountain experience. Our services and

products consist of the ski area itself. Primarily, our product is a lift ticket, which includes the skilifts and runs for our customers to enjoy. Accompanying this basic need, Palladium will includedining services, ski patrol services, and other on-mountain activities. The actual product that is soldwill be a lift ticket; however, Palladium will supply all the necessary services to provide the customer with the best ski experience on the mountain.




Our mission is to provide a high-intensity winter mountain destination, primarily geared towardsexperienced skiers and riders hoping to escape the large corporate resort environment, bymaintaining a real connection to the local area. Our goal is to become the most popular ski area for advanced to expert skiers and riders not only in the British Columbia/Alberta area, but the greater North American continent.

3. Determine which of Porter's Three Generic Strategies you will use as you build your company for the 21st century. Explain your answer.

Palladium Mountain will use a differentiation strategy in order to achieve the highest profits.Because big-name ski areas like Whistler, Vail, and Jackson Hole overwhelm the mountain resortindustry, Palladium must offer unique services to separate our company from historically popular resorts. Alternate services such as snow cat transportation to extreme terrain and inexpensive heli-skiaccess will attract expert skiers to Palladium. Our resort will not only be a product differentiator, butit will offer lower prices. By providing an economic friendly resort, Palladium will appeal tofrequently active skiers. Through both product and price differentiation, our new British Columbianresort will find its market niche.

4. Discuss the many eBusiness strategies that your company could use to increase revenue and decrease cost.

A. Company web site’s target audience – who will use the website (internally and externally), for what purpose and where are they located geographically?

Our website’s target audience will be aimed towards the more advanced skiers along with a localcrowd. The terrain will be more difficult that many places, which makes our Resort not a great place for beginner skiers. Families will enjoy skiing here as long as there is experience byeveryone. People will be using our website to: 1) Decide that our Resort is where they would liketo ski or snowboard, and 2) Purchase tickets and reserve skis and snowboards for their vacation.Internally, we will use the website to update different promotions and price changes for our customers to see. The weather and snow tracker will have to be update daily. As the managers of the website, we will also have to use the website internally as a means to track who has paid for their vacation and how many people will be estimated for a time. The geographical location of our target audience will range from local skiers in the Canada area to customers from all over Canada and the United States. Our resort is located fairly close to two big cities in Canada, whichgives customers the opportunity to decide to where they would like to fly.

B. Company’s website purpose:

The main purpose of our website is to show that the quality location of our resort provides greatski service by allowing customers to buy their lift tickets and rent their skis or snowboards at thesame time that they book their trip.

C. Company’s primary usage of the web

a. Is the primary use going to be informational or transactional or both? Justify.




The primary use of our website will be both informational and transactional. While our website will demonstrate the advantages of skiing at our resort, customers will also beable to plan their vacation and rent their equipment on our website.

b. What pages will be found on the website? Please list major sections of the site.

The major pages of our site will be “Plan Your Vacation”, “Events/Activities,” “TheMountain,” “Rentals/Lessons,” and “Photos/Videos.” Many subsections will be includedunder each in the drop-down navigation bar.

c. Is the website primarily for B2B (business to business) or B2C (business to consumer) or both? Justify.

The website is primarily for Business to Consumer (B2C). We are the business and our consumers will be individuals or families who are planning a vacation to our resort.

D. How can an eBusiness strategy help your company attract customers and increase sales?

Through forming business relationships with multiple intermediaries, Palladium can increase its

total sales. Intermediaries bring together buyers and sellers, or in our case, skiers and resorts.Travel-facilitating websites and search engines can provide increased visibility to potentialcustomers for Palladium as well.

E. How could eBusiness strategy help customer service?

Potential customers of Palladium have specific wants and needs. Information such as weather updates, snow condition reports, and ski run openings can be facilitated through eBusiness.Customer service is key to a differentiation strategy. Furthermore, because our alternate servicesincrease the amount of interaction with patrons, our service is critical to customer retention. Byusing our website and other technology effectively, Palladium can provide quality service though

the internet.

F. How could you use an eBusiness strategy to partner with suppliers?

In order to fully integrate our company and our suppliers, we will use e-procurement. Thisstrategy uses the Internet to facilitate the purchase and sale of supplies over the internet. Becausethe materials needed to run our resort do not need interpersonal interaction with suppliers, the useof technology is essential. E-procurement will facilitate an efficient way to link us to thesuppliers necessary to run Palladium Mountain Resort.

G. How could a portal help your employees?

A ski resort portal could be helpful to our employees. This would allow our employees toresearch information around the industry to determine pricing, and possibly consider ideas for new services. Also, a portal could be a very good opportunity for purchasing equipment fromsuppliers, as well as selling used equipment to other companies in the industry.




H. How could a kiosk help your business?

A kiosk could definitely be helpful for our business. Placing a computer system in the main

mountain lodge with access to the Internet could be very beneficial to customers. Customerscould research current mountain statistics, trail maps, ticket purchasing information, and other helpful information. This would allow customers to feel more connected to the ski area, to bemore comfortable on the mountain, and discover services they may not have been familiar withthat Palladium can provide. Kiosks can also be located away from the ski area for customers to purchase lift tickets in advance. These potential locations could include grocery stores, ski shops,and hotels.

I. What types of metrics would you want to track on your eBusiness Web site? Be sure to justify your answers.

We would want to track interactivity measurers for our website. We would want to know the

number of visitors we receive, how long a visitor spends on the site, how many pages they view,and how often they return to the site. These are important for advertisers, but also for our own benefit. We could compare how decisions we make influence our site visitors, such as marketing promotions, changes to the website, advertising, and more. Tracking clickstream data would alsoallow us to analyze the effectiveness of our site design by knowing how visitors navigate throughthe site. Cookies, click-through, and banner ads are all possible metrics that could help usmeasure our site effectiveness.




Appendix: Storyboard for your new company’s website homepage




Works Cited

"Industry Overview: Ski Facilities." Hoovers: A D&G Company. First Research, Web. 22 Feb 2010.

<http://www.hoovers.com/ski-facilities/--ID__261--/free-ind-fr-profile-basic.xhtml>.

Sandler, Corey. Ski and Snowboard America. Lincolnwood, IL: NTC Contemporary, 2000. 176-271.

Print.

"US Ski & Snowboard Industry Market Research Report." IBIS World . Web. 22 Feb 2010.

<http://www.ibisworld.com/industry/default.aspx?indid=1653>.





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Bis Project Final 2-22