Annotated Bibliography for Capstone Project (Major Project 3)
Summary
In preparation for our Capstone Project, we have been tasked to describe what the project will be about and identify and describe a minimum of four quality sources to review and use in the development of the project. The sources need to be scholarly and relevant to the subject matter and we need to include them providing and MLA-formatted Works Cited entry, two brief paragraphs for each one, and a summary of the work and explanation of the utility of these sources in the project. After some consideration based on the work we have done this semester, I have decided to explore the possibility of creating my own professional website and begin writing for the web. This is a project that I had in mind for a while but never got around to execute. I have found a jump start here to make it happen and stop procrastinating.
Critical Preface
My professional activity is Real Estate. I run my own brokerage and have close to eighty real estate agents working with me. A personal/professional website will facilitate the engagement with our team (or other professionals, as it is a public website), and clients/prospects (Audience) to keep communication and information flow readily accessible and user friendly. The purpose of this website is to engage my audience through posts, articles, videos, and images with relevant information about our activity. Information that can assist our team and promote our business. Present articles with my industry analysis and outlook, develop some novel ideas about deals and complex transactions, write blogs about the activities I/we are engaged as a company (Community Engagement or Corporate Social Responsibility), promote our business and business culture, develop educational videos about new rules and how to’s in the business, and generate interest in our company to other like-minded professionals in the business that want to join our team.
In our Discussion 3 Assignment, I submitted the first blog I intend to use and update frequently. This blog is important to me as it was my first attempt at writing for the web. The idea/concept of my project is to develop those instruments and provide good and relevant insight about our activity to my audience.
Communication, engagement, and education or training are some of the most important pillars of a real estate office. We are permanently trying to engage the team to update them with industry news and educate/train them with the new tools and strategies in the industry. Share with them the new technology available to increase productivity and share best practices they can apply.
The use of a personal website or blog that I can distribute, or they can access directly at any time provides the perfect platform for engagement. There are many times that we cannot meet or arrange the perfect schedule for everyone. We all have many activities and sometimes is difficult to attend meeting at a certain date or time. People can leave their comments suggestions and reviews. It is a great way to hear their thoughts and engage in interesting discussions and debates.
Additionally, this website can promote our business and attract the attention of other professionals in the industry that find it useful and want to be part of our philosophy and culture. Recruiting new agents is the second most important activity in our industry. Studies in the industry have shown that most agents join a firm where they feel a good match with the vision, the mission and culture of the company. Where they can find the support, education, and business development tools they need.
Developing a website that can be promoted improving communication, containing relevant information for my audience, generating engagement, and used for the development of my business via sharing tools for increasing productivity and recruiting, fits perfectly with the strategy we had planned. I will start the project by developing a mock site, using the university tools and resources, to then transfer it over to a permanent host related to and controlled by my business.
Annotated Bibliography
The bibliography and information sources were selected taking into consideration the goals to achieve with our writing and new media. I try to be open minded and gain experience and insight from the experience of other industries in the development and design of customer facing website. I have found good information on the retail side and relevant data to engage customers and generate action. We are looking for similar results and I believe the experience of other can be adapted and transferred in our situation. Initially we will present them in categories. First, we have the customer engagement category and how to attract and retain our audience on our webpage. Second, we will review the technical challenges when building and designing a website. Third, we will look at how to write and what content to use/include in our device. Fourth and final, how to track our success or failure.
- Customer Engagement
Demangeot, Catherine, and Amanda J. Broderick. “Engaging Customers during a Website Visit: A Model of Website Customer Engagement.” International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, vol. 44, no. 8, 2016, pp. 814-839. ProQuest, https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/engaging-customers-during-website-visit-model/docview/1826443134/se-2, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IJRDM-08-2015-0124.
Summary of the Text: The document identifies and describes the importance of engagement when developing and using a retail website and what are the four dimensions of engagement to evaluate and develop tools for effectiveness. The document explores the behavior of the customer in what they call “the moment of truth” where retailers try to capture the client in a short period of time. The purpose of the bibliography is to provide a method of analysis to evaluate the framework on retail or consumer websites that require the engagement and action of its visitors. This will assist the owners in the evaluation of their current tools and redesign of the sites for improved results.
Usability: the text provides good insight as to what tools can we use in our device to attract attention of the visitors, identify some of the key components of customer engagement, how certain elements are can be used to positively influence the visitor and generate interaction. How to use a customer engagement model that will provide the engagement we seek and the response we expect form our visitors to the site.
Other sources:
Billy Bai, Rob Law, Ivan Wen, “The impact of website quality on customer satisfaction and purchase intentions: Evidence from Chinese online visitors”, International Journal of Hospitality Management, Volume 27, Issue 3, 2008, Pages 391-402, ISSN 0278-4319, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2007.10.008.
- Website Design
King, Andy J., et al. “The Influence of Visual Complexity on Initial User Impressions: Testing the Persuasive Model of Web Design.” Behaviour & Information Technology, vol. 39, no. 5, Taylor & Francis, 2020, pp. 497–510, https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2019.1602167.
Summary of Text: this text studies the basic things that make a website attractive. Tha means how we can design a website to get the best results. Through research and polling and technical data (maybe a little to statistical) the analysis shows how the website design and the complexity and tools utilized in that design has a major component on the initial impressions the user will have of your business and will ultimately determine if they will return to you and adopt your product. The complexity of the design, determined by the visual impression of the user is a determinant factor in the success or failure of your device. From visual informativeness, to engagement and intention.
Usability: To provide us with tips and cues in design to engage visitors and get a favorable first impression. Mostly intended to younger adults (which is the new target market), the study helps us understand what this segment of the population finds engaging and attractive in terms of design and information. The better we can present our information and resources in the web the more favorable response we are going to have.
Other Sources:
Bill O’Leary. “The Do’s and Dont’s of Web Design.” Electrical Apparatus, vol. 66, no. 12, Barks Publications, 2013, p. 35–.
- Content
Redish, Janice. Letting Go of the Words Writing Web Content That Works. 1st ed., Elsevier/Morgan Kaufmann, 2007.
Summary of Text: This book explores in detail what it is to write for the web. How content should be presented and be effective and user friendly. How to write for the internet when customers a barely skimming the pages is a key lesson. The author provides clear and practical advice to make your content standout.
Usability: writing for the web is the key element in this project. The design and architecture of the website can vary and can cause a good first impression, but the contents you make available to the users is I our case what’s going to make my website successful. How to write paragraphs and include necessary information in a friendly and usable manner is the challenge to win.
Other Sources: as content will be diverse and include recruiting, I thought it would be wise to get some additional tips in the specific discipline.
Baum, Matthias, and Rüdiger Kabst. “The Effectiveness of Recruitment Advertisements and Recruitment Websites: Indirect and Interactive Effects on Applicant Attraction.” Human Resource Management, vol. 53, no. 3, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2014, pp. 353–78, https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.21571.
- Tracking and Reporting
Tonkin, Sebastian., et al. Performance Marketing with Google Analytics Strategies and Techniques for Maximizing Online ROI. 1st edition, Wiley Pub., Inc., 2010.
Summary of Text: This book explores approached the discipline of performance marketing using tools such as Google Analytics (GA). Describes what performance marketing is and how should we approach it. The use of GA tools that assists us in understanding how our site performing and what we can do to correct any deviation to our goal. The author explains the cost associated with advertising on the web and how to effectively use our budget. This is an essential tool for anyone embarking in business through a web platform.
Usability: Learning and understanding the performance metric analysis is the key to understand and make the necessary correction on your web device. We want our webpage to perform and be visible to everyone searching for our content. We need to drive traffic to our site. The tools provided in this source will assist us in our endeavor.
This project falls in the category of “PRACTITIONERS”, as described in the Final Project Assignment page. It is my intention to implement the webpage and establish a process of continuous improvement and updates to. I want to make the device usable in my business and develop the content that will drive the results we expect.
Sebastian Manes
04/03/2022