Identify what to evaluate

The first step in evaluation is to identify what needs to be evaluated. The aspects of e-business listed below and accompanying questions provide a starting point in this process.  

What to do

Examine each of the aspects of e-business listed and determine if it applies to your e-business and whether it should be subject to evaluation. Also consider if other aspects need to be added.

Strategic issues: How else can we use the Internet to improve profitability?

Management: Do we have an up-to-date and appropriate website strategy, policy and procedures? Are we using email responsibly?

Content and features of the website: Is the quality and scope of content and its maintenance as good as it could be?

Revenue: What else can be done to generate revenue via the Internet? 

Efficiencies and cost savings: How else can the Internet be used to cut business costs?

Marketing and promotion: Are we doing enough to promote our Internet services?  How could we do it better? Are we using it effectively enough to manage customer relationships? Are we using email correctly - ie according to ethical uses of email and avoiding spamming?

Supplier/distributor management: How can our use of the Internet improve the way we manage our suppliers/distributors?

Distribution: How else can we use the Internet to help distribute our services and products?

E-commerce: What (else) should we be selling online?

Budget:  Is the e-business operating to budget?

Competitors: What are our competitors doing online and what can we learn from it?

Resources: Is sufficient time and money allocated to maintaining our e-business?

Risk assessment: Do we have a risk management strategy? Is it effective? Is the website, and our computer systems that support it, secure enough against hackers?

Legal and contractual: Does any content on our website or the way we use/sell things online, or our use of email, break any laws? Do we have an appropriate contract with our web developers and ISP?

Website usability: Is our website easy to use? Does it make it easy for people to do business with us?

Technical issues: Is the website speed and reliability appropriate, and our connection to the Internet fast enough?  

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