How to Create Content for the Holidays (Plus 5 Awesome Examples)

The holiday season is a busy time for consumers, so as a content marketer, it’s even more important to optimize your strategies to engage potential customers. Holiday content is crucial for any company that cares about their image and bottom line, and it provides various benefits: Readers are more likely to read holiday-related content before and during holidays. It’s more likely to be shared across social media. It helps to build brand awareness and drive sales. With so much choice and convenience offered by online retailers, some consumers research companies and products online and then purchase in-store locally. Others don’t even leave their home to shop online. One of the best ways to reach all these potential customers is through online content. So it’s up to you as a content marketer to give consumers what they want during the holidays. Consider these stats: 92 percent of holiday shoppers went online in 2016 to research and purchase gifts. 67 percent of consumers said they would be likely to share a digital holiday coupon on Facebook. 73 percent of Twitter shoppers follow businesses to find special deals. Create Your Own Holiday Content Here are some content ideas and inspirational examples to keep in mind as you start putting together your holiday content. Showcase Your Employees During the holiday season, showing the team behind your company is a great way to connect with your audience. If you have any holiday-related work events, why not share photos on social media? Majestic Wines, the UK-based wine retailer, created a â€Å"What We Want for Christmas† blog series. Each employee described a country in which they wanted to spend Christmas and suggested a wine from that region. Can you do something similar that relates to your products? Use Instagram Hold a Social Media Contest Give your contest a holiday-related theme. Ask your followers to share what they like about your product at this time of year for a chance to win a free prize. Or ask people to compete for a prize by sharing photos of themselves alongside your product using a holiday hashtag. Samsung held a holiday sweepstakes for their 2016 holiday campaigsn. Twitter users were asked to tag a friend with special hashtags, explaining why that person deserved the gift of virtual reality. The user and their friend could then win a free Galaxy S7 Edge and a Gear VR. Create a Holiday Gift Guide Add a page to your website that showcases your best products as perfect gifts for the holiday season. Then share the page with your social media followers and email subscribers. Adobe created a holiday gift guide called â€Å"15 Creative Gifts for Photographers† featuring a list of gifts for any photo lover. With large images and snappy reviews, the guide was not only useful and timely, it all related to their primary product, Adobe Photoshop. Post a Quiz Safewise, the home security advice and comparison site, always features high-quality holiday content on their blog and Twitter. Their holiday home safety quizzes are not only educational, they’re fun. What’s more, this type of content can be reused every year. Send Holiday Emails The holidays are the perfect time to reach out to your email subscribers. Use your email list to promote exclusive holiday offers such as discount codes. You can also just send out simple holiday greetings to your subscribers to help keep your business top of mind. Create a Roundup of Your Most Popular Content By highlighting your most popular blog posts from the previous year, you’ll remind readers of your expertise in your industry and also drive more traffic to older posts. Look to the Future End-of-year content is also an ideal time to look toward the future. Give your audience an exclusive insight into your company’s plans for the coming year and beyond. Why not create an ungated piece of content that features expert insights and top tips for the future? This will not only inspire your audience with new ideas, it will also strengthen the credibility of your brand with something of value. At the end of 2016, Business Insider created â€Å"11 Tech Trends That Will Define 2017,† a thought-provoking blog post to inspire their target audience. What Will Your Holiday Content Look Like? These examples show you that with a little creativity, you can generate brand interest during the holidays for little to no investment using your website, blog, or social media account. However, don’t leave it to the last minute. Whichever holiday season you’re targeting, start planning early to avoid a last-minute rush to create content. Hopefully, this will help you stay ahead of the competition and give your content better search engine rankings for key terms throughout the rest of the year. Is your content all set for the holidays?

Local scientists and their history.

Local scientists and their history. In 1939 it was realized that atoms could be split. By splitting a uranium atom in half, both halves of the atom would have a positive charge and would repel each other with powerful force.The German government took little notice of the finding at first. But others felt the implications were immediately clear. Niels Bohr brought news of Meitner's discovery to the United States in 1939. Several scientists, realizing that fission could be used to build a devastating weapon, wrote to President Roosevelt to inform him. He immediately set up a committee to research the matter.By the end of 1941, British studies had outlined the materials requirements for an atomic bomb and uranium research was going on at about 12 American universities. During 1942, the Manhattan District of the Corps of Engineers was formed to construct three secret "cities" for major portions of atomic bomb development. At Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Hanford, Washington, and Los Alamos, New Mexico.Alpha Track Calutron at the Y -12 Plant at Oak Ridg...The cost of these Manhattan Project installations was $2 billion.The first atomic bomb is detonated1945Photo: Atomic bomb test explosion in Alamagordo, New Mexico, July 16, 1945. AP/Wide World PhotosIn 1932, James Chadwick discovered the neutron , a small atomic particle with mass but no charge. This turned out to be an extremely useful tool for bombarding atomic nuclei. Two years later, Enrico Fermi bombarded uranium with neutrons, hoping that it would cause the uranium to emit a beta particle and become a new, artificial element above uranium in the periodic table. It seemed he had done this and in the process showed that slow-moving neutrons were more effective than high-energy neutrons for the task. Fermi won the Nobel Prize for his work in 1938. He was a committed antifascist and when he and his wife...

Micro Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Micro - Term Paper Example Yet, in the economic cycle consumer is inevitable to business’s working and survival. As any produced good or service basically relies on consumer’s demand, who consumes it eventually. Thus, consumer’s demand, choice, preferences and decision making are significant aspects of micro economic system as they shed light on how any consumer chooses to exert his influence on any economic activity. Similarly, consumer is faced with the option of choosing from among the diverse products to meet his needs in most efficient way and likewise, utilizing his asset/cash in a prudent manner. Now how a consumer chooses and spends his earning to invest in the capital of the company is a comprehensive and diligent process, which mainly focuses on how two parties (business owner and consumer) involved take business and spending decisions. The main factors which impact the purchase inclination and decision of a consumer are price of the good or services, quality, reliability, durability and feasibility. However, there are many other factors as well, which influence the preferences of the consumer as well like fashion, marketing, government policies, and social or religious preferences. Yet, the core idea to learn about marketing strategy relies in the understanding of consumer decision making (when and how he decides to pay for goods or services). The term which describes how a consumer makes his decision t earn maximum advantage from the purchase any god or services is known as utility. This utility enables the consumer to spend more than usual on the goods/services, which benefit him in more than usual manner. However, not all the consumers can benefit any product/services in a similar way. Thus, diverse level of utility are associated with different types of consumers and this diverse nature of utility creates distinctiveness in the demand of goods/services too. However, this consumer inclination or decision making is received in the form of raw

Steamboal Bill, Jr Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Steamboal Bill, Jr - Essay Example An analysis of the film will address themes, sound tracts, and effectiveness to the audience. The plot of the movie begins with the arrival of a new steamer in the river junction. The owner of the new steamer is J.J. King (Wickstrà ¶m). He is shown being happy with other captains of the ship waiting for its arrival. On the other hand, Steam Boat Bill is shown with his mate Tom Lewis in the old steamer (Wickstrà ¶m). Bill is shown annoyed because of the new steamer, as he perceives it as a business rivalry. King is depicted as a wealthy business with some few banks and hotels under his name (Wickstrà ¶m). King notes of the old steamer as a floating ‘thing’ (Wickstrà ¶m). Bill also receives a telegram of his impending son visit. They go with his mate to get the son at the railway station. They both expect a well-built man. However, the contrary happens, as the son appears small and dressed in a funny way. This makes his father begin a journey of his transformation in a new life. At the same time, King Daughter (Marion Byron) arrives from school (Wickstrà ¶m). Both Bill and King get annoyed as they realize that both Willie and Byron were lovers. They engage in a journey of ensuring that the relationship does not exist. On the other hand, Stonewall Jackson is condemned from public safety committee from carrying out transactions (Wickstrà ¶m). This annoys Bill who confronts J.J. King. The confrontation lands Bill to jail. The son tries to rescue him without any success. In the end, Willie is shown saving father, Marion Byron, and King from ravaging weather (Wickstrà ¶m). He ends up being a hero in the film despite his initial weaknesses. The theme of the film appears as that of transformation. This has been well articulated and developed by the main characters in the play. For example, Willie is shown as a weak character in the railway station. The father and his mate Tom Lewis are ashamed of Willie as he

((((3)))) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

((((3)))) - Essay Example Abigail aggressiveness proof that she has been involved with fighting with other children and she is also frequently punishment by her parents. Curbing Abigail situation has proven to ambiguous as whenever teacher tried to help her she would perceive that teacher is also finding ways of punishing her. This has made us to seek psychotherapist assistances For the teacher to achieve his intend goal he/she has to structure a cooperative task that will consider previous experiences of the children. Therefore, proof to ambiguous as the teacher will not be in better position to come up with cooperative task that will cover every child previous experiences Teachers can use Center Ticket to build Assessment decision that reflect age suitable in both content and the method of information collection and in achieving this teachers can share this information with families by seeking to know each child’s 1st and 2nd language, and also their prior experience at home. After visiting Colorin Colorado, I came to realize parents and teachers’ observation should be valued as source of effective assessment information. The new information I leant is that Parents and teachers involvements at assessing our learners help us to understanding the social and cognitive of children’s development, and this is vibrant at assisting the teacher develop a fair instruction method to all children including seeking to know each child’s 1st and 2nd

Ecommerce in Tourism Industry

Ecommerce in Tourism Industry 2.1. Introduction to e-Commerce ‘Electronic commerce (e-Commerce) is such a service offering people the opportunity to do their shopping via modern information and communication technologies at home’ (Schultz, 2007). It enables everyone to conduct business via the Internet. The only precondition is a computer and a connection to the Internet. The term e-Commerce is becoming increasingly important in the dictionary of today’s tourism managers all around the world. This is reflected in the development of the overall online travel market turnover in Europe reaching a total of EUR 70 billion in the year 2008 (V-I-R, Verband Internet Reisevertrieb, 2009). The introduction of the internet represented both, major opportunities as well as threats, for the tourism industry. The internet erased physical borders and enables everyone to participate in a global marketplace. The only requisite is a computer and an internet access. This section explores the current dynamics within the broader area of e-Commerce and provides definitions for the incorporating aspects of business transactions via the Internet. The worldwide proliferation of the internet led to the birth of electronic transfer of transactional information. ‘E-Commerce flourished because of the openness, speed, anonymity, digitization, and global accessibility characteristics of the internet, which facilitated real-time business’ (Yu et al., 2002). One can of course argue, whether the anonymity of the Internet is still valid today. Maya Gadzheva (2008) for example, suggests that the ‘achievement of unobservability and anonymity in the Internet is going to be much more difficult in the future, due to the possibility of unlimited collection of data’. Through the aide of the internet tourism companies are able to market and sell their products to a far greater mass which represents substantial growth opportunities for them. According to Porter (2001), the ‘Internet technology provides better opportunities for companies to establish distinctive, strategic positioning than did previous generations of information technology’. However, those opportunities can also represent burdens for companies participating in transactions via the Internet. Those companies are now more than ever forced to keep their web sites up-to-date and to provide reliable information. Since the Internet is a very fast changing medium, it requires their participants, in this case the e-merchants, to keep up with this pace. In case the companies cannot fulfil these requirements, they will probably face a shift of customers to the competition. Especially the area of tourism, being labelled as largely information driven (Morgan et al., 2001) requires constantly updated and reliable information. Customers need to find every information they require on the web. They need to know where to search and they need to be convinced of the trustworthiness and reliability of this information. The ability to inform clients and to sell and market products in the virtual marketplace is a critical success factor for economic triumph of tourism companies nowadays and in the future. The website is thus a digital business card of tourism companies and one of their most effective sales persons at the same time. ‘Internet technology provides buyers with easier access to information about products and suppliers, thus bolstering buyer bargaining power’ (Porter, 2001). This will also decrease the costs of switching suppliers (or tourism companies). That is the downturn of the Internet. Competitors are only a few mouse clicks away (Porter, 2001) and the whole industry becomes more transparent. Just about every company participating in e-Commerce is obviously forced to list prices of their holiday components. This facilitates the comparability of tourism services. Customers do now have access to all kinds of information that facilitate as well as influence their holiday choice. Since tourism companies can no longer differentiate themselves from the competition by pricing means, the corporate website, and the online booking process of a holiday becomes progressively more important. This involves the appearance of the website, including usability and content related features, but also everything concerning the actual booking process and transaction handling. The tourism company (the seller) and the customer (the buyer) conducting business over the internet have usually never seen each other face-to-face, nor do they exchange currency or hard copies of documents hand-to-hand. When payments are to be made over a telecommunications network such as the internet, accuracy and security become critical (Yu et al., 2002). In other words this would mean that customers need to transfer extremely private information like credit card details to a complete stranger. Summarizing this section it can be said that Internet and e-Commerce present various advantages for tourism customers, since companies and offers are more transparent and easier to compare. Furthermore, improvements in IT technology will enhance the search for relevant information and facilitate the navigation in the World Wide Web. However, there are also threatening factors for tourism companies. Competition will become stronger, since competitors are only a few mouse clicks away, switching costs for customers are much longer and due to their access to nearly unlimited information the customers’ bargaining power will increase. Nonetheless, tourism companies who can keep up with the fast pace of the Internet and who are able to convince customers of the reliability, trustworthiness and timeliness of their displayed offers and information will benefit from the Internet. 2.2. Online Trust or eTrust What is (online) trust? A first step towards the answer of this question can be made by looking at various definitions of the term trust. Trust is defined as ‘the trait of believing in the honesty and reliability of others’ (Wordnet, Princeton University, 2006). According to this definition, buyers conducting transactions via the Internet will have to rely on a person or institution they may have never seen or even heard of. This would certainly be not sufficient as an assurance for most of us. Another definition defines trust as ‘to hope or wish’ (Wordnet, Princeton University, 2006). Summarizing this would mean that we need to rely on the goodwill of the other party and hope or wish that it will act as it was promised. Those definitions might be a good starting point in explaining the meaning of trust, but they certainly do not seem to be convenient for most of us. Bà ¶hle et al. (2000) argue that trust is a precondition for flourishing e-Commerce. Shankar et al. (2002) advance a different view, although they classify ‘(online) trust as being important in both business-to-business and business-to-consumer e-business’. Koufaris and Hampton-Sosa (2004) pursue a similar way of argumentation. They suggest that ‘lack of trust in online companies is a primary reason why many users do not shop online’. Another author, Peter Landrock (2002), founder and managing director of Cryptomathic UK Ltd., one of the world’s leading providers of security solutions to businesses, points out that ‘without such trust, neither businesses nor consumers will conduct transactions or sensitive communications across this medium (the Internet)’. This argument is being supported by a recently conducted study by Ernst Young and the Information Technology Association of America who concluded ‘that trust represents one of the most fundamental issues impacting the growth of e-Commerce’ (Talwatte, 2000). Strader and Shaw (Chadwick, 2001) point out that ‘consumers are more likely to buy from an online company they trust, when price differences are small’. Thos would in turn imply that whenever price differences are significant, customers are willing to accept a higher level of uncertainty and perceived risk in transactions with companies they do not know or trust. According to those argumentations one can say that trust is the major precondition for both, businesses as well as consumers to conduct transactions via the Internet. ‘Trust is a key challenge to the customer acceptance of e-Commerce: the lack of trust is an important reason for the hesitant growth in e-Commerce and for the reluctance of consumers to engage in online buying transactions’ (Schultz, 2007). A Forrester Survey from 2000 stated that ‘51% of companies would not do business with parties they do not trust over the web’ (Shankar et al., 2002). However, this would also mean that 49% of companies would do business with companies they do not trust. Trust needs to be strongly combined with uncertainty and ambiguity. The more information a buyer has about the seller, the better can he or she estimates whether the seller will act as it was promised. Thus, the better the information about a seller the better can he or she be trusted. Good examples for this assumption are online marketplaces like eBay or Amazon. Those two providers offer nearly everyone the possibility to participate in e-Business. Since they recognized the increased need from customers for information about sellers, they introduced up-to-date ratings. Every seller can be rated after transactions whether buyers have been satisfied with the transaction process or not. The higher and better the rating, the more trustworthy is the seller (in a simplified way). These ratings are good indications for (unexperienced) buyers, since they equip them with information about the seller’s past performance in transactions. Other ways in creating trustworthiness are so-called trust seals. ‘Those seals are issued by third parties to verify the commitment of an e-vendor’ (Cook and Luo, 2003; Hu et al., 2003; Kaplan and Nieschwitz, 2003; Koufaris and Hampton-Sosa, 2004; Loebbecke, 2003; Patton and Jà ¸sang, 2004; Urban et al., 2000; Yang et al., 2006; in Schultz, 2007). Trust seals are generally indicated via symbols on the web site of the seller. Those seals are a sign that the seller conducts business according to the standards of the third party, the trust seal provider, and/or that the seller conducts business as promised by the statements and policies on the web site (Schultz, 2007). ‘Further measures to increase trust are security features, the availability of alternative payment methods, privacy, security and return policies and feedback mechanisms and consumer communities’ (Schultz, 2007). ‘Security is the main concern of consumers before engaging in e-business with a seller’ (Schultz, 2007; Hinde 1998). ‘Sellers need to incorporate certain security features into the design of their web sites in order to ensure the safety of the whole transaction process’ (see Credit Card) (Schultz, 2007). Offering alternative methods of payment is another approach of the seller to signal the willingness to adapt to the customers’ needs. Being able to choose a method of payment equips the customer with the perceived power over a part of the transaction process. It is essential to display the ‘rules of the game’. Privacy, security and return policies need to present on every seller’s web site in order to inform the customer properly. This will not only increase trust but will also facilitate processes in case of complaints or other problems. The provision of customer feedback mechanism (ratings, reply forms, forums, etc.) is another way for customers to increase knowledge and gather information about a seller. The advantage is that customers can exchange with previous customers of the seller. This way they can obtain an objective evaluation of the seller. However, sellers can also manipulate those forums by uploading faked ratings or deleting negative ratings or feedbacks. Again, the customer needs to develop trust in these kinds of information. Furthermore, customers do also need to develop trust in the IT infrastructure they are using, since this will be the mean of communicating the transactional data between the seller and the buyer. In other words, consumers not trusting the technology they are using for an intended transaction via the Internet will not participate in any e-Business transaction unless they feel confident with the security. When considering security issues, a public key infrastructure (PKI) that can provide secure authentication on the Internet is an important step towards secure Internet transactions. It can help to build trust, reduce the potential for fraud, ensure privacy and provide merchants with non-repudiation (Bà ¶hle et al., 2000). It is essential for the merchant that the customer can trust him, his connection and Website and the payment system used. Otherwise there will not be any transactions between the two parties. Summarizing this section it can be said that information is the key to (nearly) everything. A higher level of information about the other transactional party will increase the level of trust, since uncertainty and ambiguity can be erased at least to a certain extent. Furthermore, it is essential to create awareness for technologies and tools needed for security improvements and the development of trust. These tools and technologies can involve ‘soft’ components like trust seals and customer feedback forums. The ‘harder’ components are embedded in the aspect of IT infrastructure. This includes improvements in the encryption and network and database security. 2.3. Electronic Payment Systems Monetary transactions via the Internet do always involve risks and uncertainty. In most of the cases, there is no personal interaction involved. That means that the customer has to put a considerable amount of trust in the seller’s promise to fulfil everything that has been agreed upon during the confirmation of the purchase (e.g. the delivery of the ordered products or services on time, in the right quality and that the agreed amount of money is charged) (Schultz, 2007; Chadwick, 2001). According to Lammer (2006) ‘Electronic Payment Systems or e-Payment Systems may be defined as all payments that are initiated, processed and received electronically’. The main concern with electronic payment systems is the level of security in each step of the transaction, because money and merchandise are transferred while there is no direct contact between the two sides involved in the transaction. If there is even the slightest possibility that the payment system may not be secure, trust and confidence in this system will begin to erode, destroying the infrastructure needed for electronic commerce (Yu et al., 2002). The customer is concerned right from the point he is connected to the website of the seller. The risk of losing private information like contact details, credit card or bank account information is a primary concern of the customer. Therefore, it is necessary that both, the seller as well as the customer take care for the security of their own network as well as with the data exchanged during the transaction. In Germany, there are currently up to ten different electronic payment methods used with varying frequency and success. The author will only refer to those payment systems which are applicable for intangible goods, such as holidays. The definitions below are based on the work of Stroborn et al. (2004), who were arguing that one way to ‘classify different payment instruments is by the point of time when the liquidity effect sets in from the payer’s point of view that means the exact point in time when the customer’s account is charged with the payment’. ‘Following this premise, one can distinguish between â€Å"prepaid†, â€Å"pay-now† and â€Å"pay-later† systems’ (Stroborn et.al, 2004). Other authors (Yu et al., 2002, Dannenberg Ulrich, 2004) categorized payment systems with regard to the following variables. ‘The first variable is the ‘size or the amount of the payment’ (e.g. micro-payments). The second variable depends on the ‘type of transaction’, e.g. credit card, paying via e-mail (PayPal)’, etc. It can be argued which of these two different approaches in classifying e-payment systems is the most appropriate. However, the author decides to use the classification of Stroborn et al. (2004) for the reason that this type of classification can be best applied to the underlying topic of this work, due to the following facts. The ability to differentiate e-Payment systems by the time, the liquidity effect sets in is important within the industry of tourism. Holiday components, especially cruises are oftentimes financed using prepayments of customers. Therefore, it is particularly important for cruise lines to know which of the offered payment systems allow them to use prepayments as financing means. On the other hand, customers do always want a certain level of security, especially when they purchase a holiday, which is certainly not an everyday expense with regard to the amount charged. Therefore, equipping customers with the perceived power of determining the point of time when the actual payment will be processed will result in a beneficial feeling on the side of the customer. This equipment of perceived power is another way of demonstrating willingness to adapt to customer needs. Customers seem to have all under control, since they receive the product before they have to pay for it. So the seller has already delivered the agreed upon product or service. 2.3.1 Pre-Paid-payment systems The different Pre-Paid-payment systems currently in use in Germany will not be further explained. Systems like GeldKarte, MicroMoney or WEB.Cent are being used to settle small-or micro-payments up to usually â‚ ¬ 100. In this respect an application within the tourism industry is of no relevance. According to the DRV (Deutscher Reiseverband, 2008), the majority of holidays booked via the Internet was between â‚ ¬ 500 -â‚ ¬ 1.500 (55, 1% of all holidays). 2.3.2 Pay-Now-payment systems ‘So called pay-now systems debit the account of the customer at the exact time the customer purchases something. Cash-on-Delivery (COD) and debit entry are well established examples today’ (Stroborn et al., 2004). Online Transfer: According to Monika E. Hartmann (Lammer, 2006) online transfer can be defined as follows: These services are embedded in the online shopping process, e.g. via an automatic popup window connecting to the service provider and already containing all necessary transaction details. The customer is invited to choose a payment option and provide his account details. The completed transaction data set will be routed to the relevant payment service provider for authorization. After successful payment authorization the bank (or the payment service provider) confirms the payment to the merchant so that the purchase transaction can be completed (Lammer, 2006). COD (Cash-on-Delivery) COD is usually used for the settlement of amounts for physical goods. Customers order their desired articles over the website of an online merchant. The goods are then delivered by a mail service. In addition to the price of the delivered goods, the customer pays also COD charges to the delivery service. The mail delivery service then mails a money order to the internet merchant. Due to the simultaneous exchange of physical goods and money, COD is said to protect consumer and merchant at the same time. Nevertheless, it is considered not to be cost-effective and awkward for the consumer, who needs to be present for the delivery. Additionally, this payment method cannot be used for goods delivered electronically (Stroborn et al., 2004). M-Payments (Mobile Payments) M-Payment is such a service, where the mobile phone of the customer in combination with a PIN number deals as authentication device. Whenever the customer wants to purchase goods or transfer money, he or she is called by a third party, e.g. Paybox (www.paybox.net), on his or her mobile phone. He needs to confirm the transaction with a PIN. The sum of the transaction is then debited from the customer’s bank account (Stroborn et al., 2004). According to a recent study conducted by the Verband Internet Reisevertrieb, v-i-r (2007), only two percent of all holiday purchases have been settled using mpayments. However, this payment method is expected to grow tremendously in the future. This is already indicated by the awareness level of m-payments. Although only two percent had used m-payments to settle their online purchases, more than 23% of all respondents are aware of the possibility of using mobile payments. Debit Entry ‘The process of a debit entry requires the receiver of the payment, the seller, to inform his banking institution to charge the account of the buyer with a certain amount. This amount is in turn booked on the account of the seller’ (www.wikipedia.org). PayPal With over 150 million registered accounts worldwide (PayPal, 2009), PayPal is one of the most successful internet-based payment schemes. Authentication is done via the personal e-mail address of the customer in addition to the entry of a password. The amount is then debited from the customer’s PayPal account. Customers using PayPal will benefit since they will no longer have to reveal their debit or credit card number. Furthermore, the whole transaction process is speeded up due to the fact that customers no longer need to enter their address details. PayPal also promotes its product as being more secure in comparison with other e-payment schemes. 2.3.3 Pay-Later-payment systems ‘In terms of pay-later-systems (e.g. credit cards), the customer actually receives the goods before being debited’ (Stroborn et al., 2004). However, this depends upon the point in time when the customers’ bank account is being debited. It is also possible, particularly within the area of tourism that the bank account is debited before the holiday is ‘consumed’. Within the tourism industry it is a common practice to book and purchase holidays long time in advance. Especially in terms of family holidays, customers like to book in advance, since they do only have a small time frame (namely the school holidays) where they can go on holiday. So, holidays in these periods are strongly demanded. Thus there is an incentive for customers to book as early in advance as possible. In this case, the classification of Stroborn et al. (2004) is not valid anymore. The holiday is purchased long before it is consumed and thus the bank account will also be debited before the consumption. Credit Card ‘Settling payments via the use of the credit card is the most commonly used payment method worldwide. Nearly 90 % of all items and goods purchased via the Internet are paid by credit card’ (Dannenberg Ulrich, 2004). Stroborn et al. differentiate between three basic ways of credit card payments via the Internet: An unsecured transaction ‘A transaction via Secure Socket Layer (SSL), which is a sort of digital envelope. SSL is the de facto standard for secure online transactions, preventing eavesdroppers from learning customers’ account details’ (Ashrafi Ng, 2009). The SSL technology establishes a secure communication channel between the participants of an online transaction. ‘a transaction employing Secure Electronic Transaction Protocol (SET), which is currently considered as the safest credit-card-based payment systems on the Internet’ (Stroborn et al., 2004). Recapitulating this section again highlights the importance of awareness. According to Monika Hartmann (Lammer, 2006) ‘many payment solutions did not succeed in reaching a critical mass of users’. This can be seen in within the example of Mpayments. Payment methods may be very useful, however if they do not manage to reach a critical mass of users, they will not succeed in the market. So customers need to be enlightened about the different payment methods available and the advantages and disadvantages involved. In addition the aspect of trust reappears in this section. Customers need to trust the security of their Internet connection in the first place before they are conducting any business transactions. 3.1 Factors favouring the growth of e-Commerce in tourism The introduction of the internet as well as the ability to pay for goods and services via electronic payment systems created potential advantages for customers as well as for tourism companies. ‘The marketing of an intangible product such as tourism largely depends upon visual presentation’ (Morgan et al., 2001). With the Internet, marketers finally found the perfect tool. The capability of combining the presentation of facts and figures, emotional pictures and the whole booking process is a huge asset for tourism companies. Buhalis (Morgan et al., 2001) stated that ‘organizations and destinations which need to compete will be forced to compute’. Thereby, he assigns companies participating in e-Commerce a significant competitive advantage. According to a recent study of the VIR (Verband Internet Reisevertrieb, 2007) customers value the easy and fast way of booking trips via the internet. Furthermore, they appreciate the possibility to customize their trips, to see if their desired holiday is still available and the extensive range of offerings. The possibility to pay per credit card and the savings in terms of time they need to invest are also big advantages for German customers booking their trips and holidays via the Internet. Cheyne et al. (2006) suggested that ‘the Internet is providing the means for suppliers and consumers to bypass the travel agent and interact directly’. Furthermore, many writers propose that ‘the Internet furnishes travel consumers with more information, quicker responses and often lower prices than they can achieve when making travel arrangements through a traditional travel agent’ (Cheyne et al., 2006). Tania Lang, a senior consultant at Cap Gemini Ernst Young, stated in her work in 2000 that ‘there are a variety of factors providing advantages and benefits for the users of the Internet’. Amongst those factors is the access for availability enquiries and bookings when consumers want to research and purchase travel. Customers are no longer restricted to the opening times of their local travel agency. According to Buhalis (Lang, 2000), ‘the ability to access information which is detailed and up to date assists the travel consumer by making the product more tangible in their mind’. Another important advantage of e-Commerce in tourism is the bypass of travel agent fees and the access to online discounts. Lang (2000) stated that there is a ‘cost advantage in purchasing travel online as a result of the market becoming more competitive. These cost advantages can also be explained by decreasing distribution costs’. Concluding this section it can be suggested that customers will benefit tremendously from e-Commerce in the tourism industry. They will be faced with lower prices, since no intermediaries are involved any more so that potential cost savings can be achieved. In addition to this, the authors cited above implied that the visual representation of holidays will improve due the recent and upcoming developments in technology. According to this, there should not be any disadvantages for customers and conducting bookings via the Internet are the best solution for the future. However customers will also have to sacrifice in certain aspects as well as they will have to experience that bookings holidays via the Internet might not be that advantageous as the following section will point out. 3.2 Factors for the hesitant growth of e-Commerce in tourism In 2009, Prashant Palvia argues that ‘the Internet is far from achieving its potential due to the reluctance of consumers to engage in its use’. Palvia (2009) stresses this assumption by a recent study, indicating that sales of online retailers were only 2, 2% of total goods sold in the U.S. in 2005. Moreover, analysts have predicted that even by 2011, e-Commerce sales would only account for only 7%. According to Tania Lang (2000), there are certain barriers or disadvantages of the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW) for consumers. Amongst those factors, the ‘lacks of a human interface and of confidence in the technology as well as security issues have a high relevance’. There are a lot of situations, where a customer has built a strong relationship to his travel agent. For some travellers, the actual booking process (whether via a travel agency or the Internet) is already part of the holiday itself. The booking process might even be some kind of ritual which is carried out in exactly the same manner every time the customer goes on holiday. Those loyalty or relational factors are hard to be erased or replaced by the Internet which is in fact a major threat to electronic commerce in the tourism industry. A number of authors maintain that ‘travel agents provide better services, especially when more complex products are to be purchased’ (Cheyne et al., 2006). ‘Those complex travel arrangements are more information intensive and therefore needs consultation of travel agents compared to less complex holiday components such as flights or rail tickets’. Other authors, including Inkpen, Lyle and Paulson (Cheyne et al., 2006) argue that ‘travel agents can offer a more personalized service and provide unbiased advices that add value for the customer’. Concerning the latter assumption one can argue that this is true for inexperienced or first-time users. Customers, who are familiar with the Internet and know where to find the information they are looking for, will not need the advice of the travel agent no more. First of all, the travel agent might provide them with information they already know or find by themselves. Secondly, travel agents are biased too, regarding the amount of commissions they receive for the sale of products. Another case where customers do not need the advice of the travel agent are repeated holidays, meaning customers who always travel to the same hotel. Those customers will not benefit from a travel agent’s consultancy. Summarizing this, one can say that ‘the service offered by travel agents is value adding for customers, who are inexperienced with the process of online booking and for customers who want to travel to a variety of different destinations’ (comparing Cheyne et al., 2006). The lack of confidence in the technology as well as the mistrust in security are the two other major disadvantages of the Internet that Tania Lang has determined. She points out that the ‘main barrier stopping consumers from booking travel via the Internet is the perceived lack of a secure payment method’ (Lang, 2000). ‘The main concern with electronic payment is the level of security in each step of the transaction, because money and merchandise are transferred while there is no direct contact between the two sides involved in the transaction’ (Yu et al., 2002). ‘If there is even the slightest possibility that the payment system may not be secure, trust and confidence in this system will begin to erode, destroying the infrastructure needed for electronic commerce’ (Yu et al., 2002). Putting this in other words, tourism companies may have the perfect product in terms of price quality ratio. However, the company will not be able to sell its products to a greater mass if their payment system is lacking security. This will not only erode trust in the payment system itself, but may also affect the customers’ acceptance of the company, thus affecting the company’s reputation, image and profits. In 1998, Haas surveyed that even though ‘many Internet users go online to find product information, most users prefer to log off and buy their goods through traditional sales channels’. Of course, this trend has increasingly changed over the last years; however, still today customers inform themselves over the Internet without performing t Ecommerce in Tourism Industry Ecommerce in Tourism Industry 2.1. Introduction to e-Commerce ‘Electronic commerce (e-Commerce) is such a service offering people the opportunity to do their shopping via modern information and communication technologies at home’ (Schultz, 2007). It enables everyone to conduct business via the Internet. The only precondition is a computer and a connection to the Internet. The term e-Commerce is becoming increasingly important in the dictionary of today’s tourism managers all around the world. This is reflected in the development of the overall online travel market turnover in Europe reaching a total of EUR 70 billion in the year 2008 (V-I-R, Verband Internet Reisevertrieb, 2009). The introduction of the internet represented both, major opportunities as well as threats, for the tourism industry. The internet erased physical borders and enables everyone to participate in a global marketplace. The only requisite is a computer and an internet access. This section explores the current dynamics within the broader area of e-Commerce and provides definitions for the incorporating aspects of business transactions via the Internet. The worldwide proliferation of the internet led to the birth of electronic transfer of transactional information. ‘E-Commerce flourished because of the openness, speed, anonymity, digitization, and global accessibility characteristics of the internet, which facilitated real-time business’ (Yu et al., 2002). One can of course argue, whether the anonymity of the Internet is still valid today. Maya Gadzheva (2008) for example, suggests that the ‘achievement of unobservability and anonymity in the Internet is going to be much more difficult in the future, due to the possibility of unlimited collection of data’. Through the aide of the internet tourism companies are able to market and sell their products to a far greater mass which represents substantial growth opportunities for them. According to Porter (2001), the ‘Internet technology provides better opportunities for companies to establish distinctive, strategic positioning than did previous generations of information technology’. However, those opportunities can also represent burdens for companies participating in transactions via the Internet. Those companies are now more than ever forced to keep their web sites up-to-date and to provide reliable information. Since the Internet is a very fast changing medium, it requires their participants, in this case the e-merchants, to keep up with this pace. In case the companies cannot fulfil these requirements, they will probably face a shift of customers to the competition. Especially the area of tourism, being labelled as largely information driven (Morgan et al., 2001) requires constantly updated and reliable information. Customers need to find every information they require on the web. They need to know where to search and they need to be convinced of the trustworthiness and reliability of this information. The ability to inform clients and to sell and market products in the virtual marketplace is a critical success factor for economic triumph of tourism companies nowadays and in the future. The website is thus a digital business card of tourism companies and one of their most effective sales persons at the same time. ‘Internet technology provides buyers with easier access to information about products and suppliers, thus bolstering buyer bargaining power’ (Porter, 2001). This will also decrease the costs of switching suppliers (or tourism companies). That is the downturn of the Internet. Competitors are only a few mouse clicks away (Porter, 2001) and the whole industry becomes more transparent. Just about every company participating in e-Commerce is obviously forced to list prices of their holiday components. This facilitates the comparability of tourism services. Customers do now have access to all kinds of information that facilitate as well as influence their holiday choice. Since tourism companies can no longer differentiate themselves from the competition by pricing means, the corporate website, and the online booking process of a holiday becomes progressively more important. This involves the appearance of the website, including usability and content related features, but also everything concerning the actual booking process and transaction handling. The tourism company (the seller) and the customer (the buyer) conducting business over the internet have usually never seen each other face-to-face, nor do they exchange currency or hard copies of documents hand-to-hand. When payments are to be made over a telecommunications network such as the internet, accuracy and security become critical (Yu et al., 2002). In other words this would mean that customers need to transfer extremely private information like credit card details to a complete stranger. Summarizing this section it can be said that Internet and e-Commerce present various advantages for tourism customers, since companies and offers are more transparent and easier to compare. Furthermore, improvements in IT technology will enhance the search for relevant information and facilitate the navigation in the World Wide Web. However, there are also threatening factors for tourism companies. Competition will become stronger, since competitors are only a few mouse clicks away, switching costs for customers are much longer and due to their access to nearly unlimited information the customers’ bargaining power will increase. Nonetheless, tourism companies who can keep up with the fast pace of the Internet and who are able to convince customers of the reliability, trustworthiness and timeliness of their displayed offers and information will benefit from the Internet. 2.2. Online Trust or eTrust What is (online) trust? A first step towards the answer of this question can be made by looking at various definitions of the term trust. Trust is defined as ‘the trait of believing in the honesty and reliability of others’ (Wordnet, Princeton University, 2006). According to this definition, buyers conducting transactions via the Internet will have to rely on a person or institution they may have never seen or even heard of. This would certainly be not sufficient as an assurance for most of us. Another definition defines trust as ‘to hope or wish’ (Wordnet, Princeton University, 2006). Summarizing this would mean that we need to rely on the goodwill of the other party and hope or wish that it will act as it was promised. Those definitions might be a good starting point in explaining the meaning of trust, but they certainly do not seem to be convenient for most of us. Bà ¶hle et al. (2000) argue that trust is a precondition for flourishing e-Commerce. Shankar et al. (2002) advance a different view, although they classify ‘(online) trust as being important in both business-to-business and business-to-consumer e-business’. Koufaris and Hampton-Sosa (2004) pursue a similar way of argumentation. They suggest that ‘lack of trust in online companies is a primary reason why many users do not shop online’. Another author, Peter Landrock (2002), founder and managing director of Cryptomathic UK Ltd., one of the world’s leading providers of security solutions to businesses, points out that ‘without such trust, neither businesses nor consumers will conduct transactions or sensitive communications across this medium (the Internet)’. This argument is being supported by a recently conducted study by Ernst Young and the Information Technology Association of America who concluded ‘that trust represents one of the most fundamental issues impacting the growth of e-Commerce’ (Talwatte, 2000). Strader and Shaw (Chadwick, 2001) point out that ‘consumers are more likely to buy from an online company they trust, when price differences are small’. Thos would in turn imply that whenever price differences are significant, customers are willing to accept a higher level of uncertainty and perceived risk in transactions with companies they do not know or trust. According to those argumentations one can say that trust is the major precondition for both, businesses as well as consumers to conduct transactions via the Internet. ‘Trust is a key challenge to the customer acceptance of e-Commerce: the lack of trust is an important reason for the hesitant growth in e-Commerce and for the reluctance of consumers to engage in online buying transactions’ (Schultz, 2007). A Forrester Survey from 2000 stated that ‘51% of companies would not do business with parties they do not trust over the web’ (Shankar et al., 2002). However, this would also mean that 49% of companies would do business with companies they do not trust. Trust needs to be strongly combined with uncertainty and ambiguity. The more information a buyer has about the seller, the better can he or she estimates whether the seller will act as it was promised. Thus, the better the information about a seller the better can he or she be trusted. Good examples for this assumption are online marketplaces like eBay or Amazon. Those two providers offer nearly everyone the possibility to participate in e-Business. Since they recognized the increased need from customers for information about sellers, they introduced up-to-date ratings. Every seller can be rated after transactions whether buyers have been satisfied with the transaction process or not. The higher and better the rating, the more trustworthy is the seller (in a simplified way). These ratings are good indications for (unexperienced) buyers, since they equip them with information about the seller’s past performance in transactions. Other ways in creating trustworthiness are so-called trust seals. ‘Those seals are issued by third parties to verify the commitment of an e-vendor’ (Cook and Luo, 2003; Hu et al., 2003; Kaplan and Nieschwitz, 2003; Koufaris and Hampton-Sosa, 2004; Loebbecke, 2003; Patton and Jà ¸sang, 2004; Urban et al., 2000; Yang et al., 2006; in Schultz, 2007). Trust seals are generally indicated via symbols on the web site of the seller. Those seals are a sign that the seller conducts business according to the standards of the third party, the trust seal provider, and/or that the seller conducts business as promised by the statements and policies on the web site (Schultz, 2007). ‘Further measures to increase trust are security features, the availability of alternative payment methods, privacy, security and return policies and feedback mechanisms and consumer communities’ (Schultz, 2007). ‘Security is the main concern of consumers before engaging in e-business with a seller’ (Schultz, 2007; Hinde 1998). ‘Sellers need to incorporate certain security features into the design of their web sites in order to ensure the safety of the whole transaction process’ (see Credit Card) (Schultz, 2007). Offering alternative methods of payment is another approach of the seller to signal the willingness to adapt to the customers’ needs. Being able to choose a method of payment equips the customer with the perceived power over a part of the transaction process. It is essential to display the ‘rules of the game’. Privacy, security and return policies need to present on every seller’s web site in order to inform the customer properly. This will not only increase trust but will also facilitate processes in case of complaints or other problems. The provision of customer feedback mechanism (ratings, reply forms, forums, etc.) is another way for customers to increase knowledge and gather information about a seller. The advantage is that customers can exchange with previous customers of the seller. This way they can obtain an objective evaluation of the seller. However, sellers can also manipulate those forums by uploading faked ratings or deleting negative ratings or feedbacks. Again, the customer needs to develop trust in these kinds of information. Furthermore, customers do also need to develop trust in the IT infrastructure they are using, since this will be the mean of communicating the transactional data between the seller and the buyer. In other words, consumers not trusting the technology they are using for an intended transaction via the Internet will not participate in any e-Business transaction unless they feel confident with the security. When considering security issues, a public key infrastructure (PKI) that can provide secure authentication on the Internet is an important step towards secure Internet transactions. It can help to build trust, reduce the potential for fraud, ensure privacy and provide merchants with non-repudiation (Bà ¶hle et al., 2000). It is essential for the merchant that the customer can trust him, his connection and Website and the payment system used. Otherwise there will not be any transactions between the two parties. Summarizing this section it can be said that information is the key to (nearly) everything. A higher level of information about the other transactional party will increase the level of trust, since uncertainty and ambiguity can be erased at least to a certain extent. Furthermore, it is essential to create awareness for technologies and tools needed for security improvements and the development of trust. These tools and technologies can involve ‘soft’ components like trust seals and customer feedback forums. The ‘harder’ components are embedded in the aspect of IT infrastructure. This includes improvements in the encryption and network and database security. 2.3. Electronic Payment Systems Monetary transactions via the Internet do always involve risks and uncertainty. In most of the cases, there is no personal interaction involved. That means that the customer has to put a considerable amount of trust in the seller’s promise to fulfil everything that has been agreed upon during the confirmation of the purchase (e.g. the delivery of the ordered products or services on time, in the right quality and that the agreed amount of money is charged) (Schultz, 2007; Chadwick, 2001). According to Lammer (2006) ‘Electronic Payment Systems or e-Payment Systems may be defined as all payments that are initiated, processed and received electronically’. The main concern with electronic payment systems is the level of security in each step of the transaction, because money and merchandise are transferred while there is no direct contact between the two sides involved in the transaction. If there is even the slightest possibility that the payment system may not be secure, trust and confidence in this system will begin to erode, destroying the infrastructure needed for electronic commerce (Yu et al., 2002). The customer is concerned right from the point he is connected to the website of the seller. The risk of losing private information like contact details, credit card or bank account information is a primary concern of the customer. Therefore, it is necessary that both, the seller as well as the customer take care for the security of their own network as well as with the data exchanged during the transaction. In Germany, there are currently up to ten different electronic payment methods used with varying frequency and success. The author will only refer to those payment systems which are applicable for intangible goods, such as holidays. The definitions below are based on the work of Stroborn et al. (2004), who were arguing that one way to ‘classify different payment instruments is by the point of time when the liquidity effect sets in from the payer’s point of view that means the exact point in time when the customer’s account is charged with the payment’. ‘Following this premise, one can distinguish between â€Å"prepaid†, â€Å"pay-now† and â€Å"pay-later† systems’ (Stroborn et.al, 2004). Other authors (Yu et al., 2002, Dannenberg Ulrich, 2004) categorized payment systems with regard to the following variables. ‘The first variable is the ‘size or the amount of the payment’ (e.g. micro-payments). The second variable depends on the ‘type of transaction’, e.g. credit card, paying via e-mail (PayPal)’, etc. It can be argued which of these two different approaches in classifying e-payment systems is the most appropriate. However, the author decides to use the classification of Stroborn et al. (2004) for the reason that this type of classification can be best applied to the underlying topic of this work, due to the following facts. The ability to differentiate e-Payment systems by the time, the liquidity effect sets in is important within the industry of tourism. Holiday components, especially cruises are oftentimes financed using prepayments of customers. Therefore, it is particularly important for cruise lines to know which of the offered payment systems allow them to use prepayments as financing means. On the other hand, customers do always want a certain level of security, especially when they purchase a holiday, which is certainly not an everyday expense with regard to the amount charged. Therefore, equipping customers with the perceived power of determining the point of time when the actual payment will be processed will result in a beneficial feeling on the side of the customer. This equipment of perceived power is another way of demonstrating willingness to adapt to customer needs. Customers seem to have all under control, since they receive the product before they have to pay for it. So the seller has already delivered the agreed upon product or service. 2.3.1 Pre-Paid-payment systems The different Pre-Paid-payment systems currently in use in Germany will not be further explained. Systems like GeldKarte, MicroMoney or WEB.Cent are being used to settle small-or micro-payments up to usually â‚ ¬ 100. In this respect an application within the tourism industry is of no relevance. According to the DRV (Deutscher Reiseverband, 2008), the majority of holidays booked via the Internet was between â‚ ¬ 500 -â‚ ¬ 1.500 (55, 1% of all holidays). 2.3.2 Pay-Now-payment systems ‘So called pay-now systems debit the account of the customer at the exact time the customer purchases something. Cash-on-Delivery (COD) and debit entry are well established examples today’ (Stroborn et al., 2004). Online Transfer: According to Monika E. Hartmann (Lammer, 2006) online transfer can be defined as follows: These services are embedded in the online shopping process, e.g. via an automatic popup window connecting to the service provider and already containing all necessary transaction details. The customer is invited to choose a payment option and provide his account details. The completed transaction data set will be routed to the relevant payment service provider for authorization. After successful payment authorization the bank (or the payment service provider) confirms the payment to the merchant so that the purchase transaction can be completed (Lammer, 2006). COD (Cash-on-Delivery) COD is usually used for the settlement of amounts for physical goods. Customers order their desired articles over the website of an online merchant. The goods are then delivered by a mail service. In addition to the price of the delivered goods, the customer pays also COD charges to the delivery service. The mail delivery service then mails a money order to the internet merchant. Due to the simultaneous exchange of physical goods and money, COD is said to protect consumer and merchant at the same time. Nevertheless, it is considered not to be cost-effective and awkward for the consumer, who needs to be present for the delivery. Additionally, this payment method cannot be used for goods delivered electronically (Stroborn et al., 2004). M-Payments (Mobile Payments) M-Payment is such a service, where the mobile phone of the customer in combination with a PIN number deals as authentication device. Whenever the customer wants to purchase goods or transfer money, he or she is called by a third party, e.g. Paybox (www.paybox.net), on his or her mobile phone. He needs to confirm the transaction with a PIN. The sum of the transaction is then debited from the customer’s bank account (Stroborn et al., 2004). According to a recent study conducted by the Verband Internet Reisevertrieb, v-i-r (2007), only two percent of all holiday purchases have been settled using mpayments. However, this payment method is expected to grow tremendously in the future. This is already indicated by the awareness level of m-payments. Although only two percent had used m-payments to settle their online purchases, more than 23% of all respondents are aware of the possibility of using mobile payments. Debit Entry ‘The process of a debit entry requires the receiver of the payment, the seller, to inform his banking institution to charge the account of the buyer with a certain amount. This amount is in turn booked on the account of the seller’ (www.wikipedia.org). PayPal With over 150 million registered accounts worldwide (PayPal, 2009), PayPal is one of the most successful internet-based payment schemes. Authentication is done via the personal e-mail address of the customer in addition to the entry of a password. The amount is then debited from the customer’s PayPal account. Customers using PayPal will benefit since they will no longer have to reveal their debit or credit card number. Furthermore, the whole transaction process is speeded up due to the fact that customers no longer need to enter their address details. PayPal also promotes its product as being more secure in comparison with other e-payment schemes. 2.3.3 Pay-Later-payment systems ‘In terms of pay-later-systems (e.g. credit cards), the customer actually receives the goods before being debited’ (Stroborn et al., 2004). However, this depends upon the point in time when the customers’ bank account is being debited. It is also possible, particularly within the area of tourism that the bank account is debited before the holiday is ‘consumed’. Within the tourism industry it is a common practice to book and purchase holidays long time in advance. Especially in terms of family holidays, customers like to book in advance, since they do only have a small time frame (namely the school holidays) where they can go on holiday. So, holidays in these periods are strongly demanded. Thus there is an incentive for customers to book as early in advance as possible. In this case, the classification of Stroborn et al. (2004) is not valid anymore. The holiday is purchased long before it is consumed and thus the bank account will also be debited before the consumption. Credit Card ‘Settling payments via the use of the credit card is the most commonly used payment method worldwide. Nearly 90 % of all items and goods purchased via the Internet are paid by credit card’ (Dannenberg Ulrich, 2004). Stroborn et al. differentiate between three basic ways of credit card payments via the Internet: An unsecured transaction ‘A transaction via Secure Socket Layer (SSL), which is a sort of digital envelope. SSL is the de facto standard for secure online transactions, preventing eavesdroppers from learning customers’ account details’ (Ashrafi Ng, 2009). The SSL technology establishes a secure communication channel between the participants of an online transaction. ‘a transaction employing Secure Electronic Transaction Protocol (SET), which is currently considered as the safest credit-card-based payment systems on the Internet’ (Stroborn et al., 2004). Recapitulating this section again highlights the importance of awareness. According to Monika Hartmann (Lammer, 2006) ‘many payment solutions did not succeed in reaching a critical mass of users’. This can be seen in within the example of Mpayments. Payment methods may be very useful, however if they do not manage to reach a critical mass of users, they will not succeed in the market. So customers need to be enlightened about the different payment methods available and the advantages and disadvantages involved. In addition the aspect of trust reappears in this section. Customers need to trust the security of their Internet connection in the first place before they are conducting any business transactions. 3.1 Factors favouring the growth of e-Commerce in tourism The introduction of the internet as well as the ability to pay for goods and services via electronic payment systems created potential advantages for customers as well as for tourism companies. ‘The marketing of an intangible product such as tourism largely depends upon visual presentation’ (Morgan et al., 2001). With the Internet, marketers finally found the perfect tool. The capability of combining the presentation of facts and figures, emotional pictures and the whole booking process is a huge asset for tourism companies. Buhalis (Morgan et al., 2001) stated that ‘organizations and destinations which need to compete will be forced to compute’. Thereby, he assigns companies participating in e-Commerce a significant competitive advantage. According to a recent study of the VIR (Verband Internet Reisevertrieb, 2007) customers value the easy and fast way of booking trips via the internet. Furthermore, they appreciate the possibility to customize their trips, to see if their desired holiday is still available and the extensive range of offerings. The possibility to pay per credit card and the savings in terms of time they need to invest are also big advantages for German customers booking their trips and holidays via the Internet. Cheyne et al. (2006) suggested that ‘the Internet is providing the means for suppliers and consumers to bypass the travel agent and interact directly’. Furthermore, many writers propose that ‘the Internet furnishes travel consumers with more information, quicker responses and often lower prices than they can achieve when making travel arrangements through a traditional travel agent’ (Cheyne et al., 2006). Tania Lang, a senior consultant at Cap Gemini Ernst Young, stated in her work in 2000 that ‘there are a variety of factors providing advantages and benefits for the users of the Internet’. Amongst those factors is the access for availability enquiries and bookings when consumers want to research and purchase travel. Customers are no longer restricted to the opening times of their local travel agency. According to Buhalis (Lang, 2000), ‘the ability to access information which is detailed and up to date assists the travel consumer by making the product more tangible in their mind’. Another important advantage of e-Commerce in tourism is the bypass of travel agent fees and the access to online discounts. Lang (2000) stated that there is a ‘cost advantage in purchasing travel online as a result of the market becoming more competitive. These cost advantages can also be explained by decreasing distribution costs’. Concluding this section it can be suggested that customers will benefit tremendously from e-Commerce in the tourism industry. They will be faced with lower prices, since no intermediaries are involved any more so that potential cost savings can be achieved. In addition to this, the authors cited above implied that the visual representation of holidays will improve due the recent and upcoming developments in technology. According to this, there should not be any disadvantages for customers and conducting bookings via the Internet are the best solution for the future. However customers will also have to sacrifice in certain aspects as well as they will have to experience that bookings holidays via the Internet might not be that advantageous as the following section will point out. 3.2 Factors for the hesitant growth of e-Commerce in tourism In 2009, Prashant Palvia argues that ‘the Internet is far from achieving its potential due to the reluctance of consumers to engage in its use’. Palvia (2009) stresses this assumption by a recent study, indicating that sales of online retailers were only 2, 2% of total goods sold in the U.S. in 2005. Moreover, analysts have predicted that even by 2011, e-Commerce sales would only account for only 7%. According to Tania Lang (2000), there are certain barriers or disadvantages of the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW) for consumers. Amongst those factors, the ‘lacks of a human interface and of confidence in the technology as well as security issues have a high relevance’. There are a lot of situations, where a customer has built a strong relationship to his travel agent. For some travellers, the actual booking process (whether via a travel agency or the Internet) is already part of the holiday itself. The booking process might even be some kind of ritual which is carried out in exactly the same manner every time the customer goes on holiday. Those loyalty or relational factors are hard to be erased or replaced by the Internet which is in fact a major threat to electronic commerce in the tourism industry. A number of authors maintain that ‘travel agents provide better services, especially when more complex products are to be purchased’ (Cheyne et al., 2006). ‘Those complex travel arrangements are more information intensive and therefore needs consultation of travel agents compared to less complex holiday components such as flights or rail tickets’. Other authors, including Inkpen, Lyle and Paulson (Cheyne et al., 2006) argue that ‘travel agents can offer a more personalized service and provide unbiased advices that add value for the customer’. Concerning the latter assumption one can argue that this is true for inexperienced or first-time users. Customers, who are familiar with the Internet and know where to find the information they are looking for, will not need the advice of the travel agent no more. First of all, the travel agent might provide them with information they already know or find by themselves. Secondly, travel agents are biased too, regarding the amount of commissions they receive for the sale of products. Another case where customers do not need the advice of the travel agent are repeated holidays, meaning customers who always travel to the same hotel. Those customers will not benefit from a travel agent’s consultancy. Summarizing this, one can say that ‘the service offered by travel agents is value adding for customers, who are inexperienced with the process of online booking and for customers who want to travel to a variety of different destinations’ (comparing Cheyne et al., 2006). The lack of confidence in the technology as well as the mistrust in security are the two other major disadvantages of the Internet that Tania Lang has determined. She points out that the ‘main barrier stopping consumers from booking travel via the Internet is the perceived lack of a secure payment method’ (Lang, 2000). ‘The main concern with electronic payment is the level of security in each step of the transaction, because money and merchandise are transferred while there is no direct contact between the two sides involved in the transaction’ (Yu et al., 2002). ‘If there is even the slightest possibility that the payment system may not be secure, trust and confidence in this system will begin to erode, destroying the infrastructure needed for electronic commerce’ (Yu et al., 2002). Putting this in other words, tourism companies may have the perfect product in terms of price quality ratio. However, the company will not be able to sell its products to a greater mass if their payment system is lacking security. This will not only erode trust in the payment system itself, but may also affect the customers’ acceptance of the company, thus affecting the company’s reputation, image and profits. In 1998, Haas surveyed that even though ‘many Internet users go online to find product information, most users prefer to log off and buy their goods through traditional sales channels’. Of course, this trend has increasingly changed over the last years; however, still today customers inform themselves over the Internet without performing t

Resurrection of Lazarus in Dostoevskys Crime and Punishment :: Dostoevsky Crime and Punishment

Resurrection of Lazarus in Crime and Punishment In Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, Raskalnikov undergoes a period of extreme psychological upheaval. By comparing this death and rebirth of Raskalnikov's psyche to the story of the resurrection of Lazarus, Dostoevsky emphasizes not only the gravity of his crimes, but also the importance of acceptance of guilt. From the moment when Raskalnikov murders the old woman, his personality begins to change drastically. Dostoevsky challenges the reader to understand the madness which ensues by first demonstrating that the ideas and convictions to which Raskalnikov clung died along with the women. While the reader struggles with this realization, Dostoevsky incorporates the Biblical legend of Lazarus as a symbolic mirror for Raskalnikov's mind. By connecting the two, the reader encounters the foreshadowing of a rebirth of morals and beliefs, though what form this may assume remains cryptic. As references to Lazarus continue to occur, the feeling of parallelism increases in intensity. Just as Raskalnikov slowly struggled through madness, Lazarus lay dying of a terrible disease. When Lazarus eventually dies, Raskalnikov mimes this by teetering on the edge of insanity, the death of the mind. Eventually Sonya begins to pull Raskalnikov back to reality by relieving a portion of his guilt. As his Christ fi gure, she accomplishes this by providing the moral and spiritual sturdiness which Raskalnikov lost after his debasement during the murders. Sonya affects him not by active manipulation, but via her basic character, just as Christ personified his beliefs through the manner in which he lived his life. No matter what Raskalnikov says or does to her, she accepts it and looks to God to forgive him, just as Jesus does in the Bible. This eventually convinces Raskalnikov that what he did was in fact a crime and that he must repent for it and"seek atonement". Through this realization, Raskalnikov decides he must redeem himself not only in the eyes of the law, but in the eye of God as well. By foreswearing his old philosophy and accepting his guilt, Raskalnikov again mirrors Lazarus's acceptance of Jesus as his savior. While Lazarus accepts his new life through his rebirth, Raskalnikov acknowledges his guilt and therefore allows his mind to begin life anew.

Printmaking: An Artistic Medium Blending the Old and the New

Printmaking is one of the most exciting arenas of worldwide artistic advances, as breakthroughs in technology and ancient traditions are combined to create a harmonious artistic medium that blends the old and new. Printmakers are known not just for their unique artistic focus, but also for the way that they push the boundaries of the medium, using new techniques and tools to create increasingly powerful images. Born at the beginning of the 20th century, Prentiss Taylor was one such artist who was able to create works spanning the full breadth of printmaking’s evolution.His emotionally charged and technically powerful works are inspirational to viewers and artists even today. Prentiss Taylor was one of many artists to come out of the Harlem Renaissance, a period of cultural awakening in the United States that saw African American visual art to gain in prominence. Taylor became famous as an illustrator, creating lithographs that were used to illustrate the works of Langston Hugh es, the most famous African American author of his generation.Taylor considered himself a surrealist, creating compositions that blended the natural with the synthetic in order to create improbably dreamscapes. His most popular compositions were of the American South, using his regional knowledge as well as his penchant for expressiveness to create eerily familiar lithographs that still seemed alien and otherworldly. Following in a tradition of self-exploration by photographers and printmakers, Taylor used the latter half of his career to create a series of autobiographical lithographs which kept the surreal narrative style of his earlier works.He also began to turn his lens onto aspects of the American culture that he believed needed his attention, especially as his frustration with the slow progress of African American civil rights began to draw his attention to more political lithographs. The following two works are typical of Taylor’s catalogue, although the breadth of hi s work is so large that it is nearly impossible to completely sum up his artistic works with only a few analyses. â€Å"Towards Santa Fe† is one of the most interesting of Taylor’s many explorations of the Southern landscape. Henning, 1942) The lithograph is roughly bifurcated into light and dark zones across the horizon of the print, with the foreground of the picture being more realistic and natural, and the background of the print dark, surreal, and stormy. The print was made in the latter half of Taylor’s career, and it shows his willingness to experiment with lithotint. The sky is formed with the realistic clouds but also dark lateral and diagonal tinted shading that add darkness to the image while also producing a sensation of movement deep within the print.The print appears to have been hand tinted after having been set and the editioning of the prints was controlled by a publisher rather than directly by the artist. In a completely different style, †Å"Morelia Aqueduct† is one of the most surreal of all the lithographs that Taylor created. (Lee, 1980) According to notation included with the print, the editioning was limited to only 35 prints, of which all were hand signed in pencil by the artist. The lithograph was created on wove paper, and it used a much darker ink than the previous lithograph discussed.The subject was a famous aqueduct from Mexico, although the inclusion of living figures in the foreground throws the sense of scale out of balance, making it appear as though the aqueduct is much larger than realistic. The printmaking technique of Prentiss Taylor evolved a great deal throughout his career, as his printmaking spanned nearly half of a century. The impressions that Taylor made were created by using the transferring of ink through a matrix made out of aluminum, typical of lithographers of the time.After Taylor would draw an image, he would use gum Arabic to create a chemical reaction on an image that he drew on limestone. Next, Taylor used turpentine to remove the excess of the drawing material, and he printed with an ink (drying ink) made primary of linseed oil and varnish with a small amount of pigment. Prentiss Taylor rarely used multicolor lithographs, but he experimented a great deal with the use of chromolithography by using different stones for each color, effectively using multiple presses in order to create his compositions in layers.This would explain why the color lithographs that Taylor attempted typically had flat appearances and very broad areas of color rather than fine detail. Prentiss Taylor represents an entire generation of lithographers in the United States both through his variation of subjects and through his technological experimentation throughout his career. Taylor used some chromolithography but he mostly stayed with black and white imagery, using hand tinting in some cases to make the prints more surreal.Hand tinting also provided a method that Taylor could us e to add fine shading to illustrations which did not otherwise lend themselves well to lithography. While Taylor started as a relatively reserved artist who focused on landscapes and subtle images, he turned into a much more aggressive critic as he aged. â€Å"His more recent work in black and white has been generated by the same compulsion to strike out at a cruel and obdurate society that has brought attention and recognition to his paintings in the last couple years. † (Ward, 1939)

Exbibit A, Take Two essays

Exbibit A, Take Two essays "The most pacifistic people in the world said they came out of this movie and wanted to kill somebody" One can only assume Oliver Stone has come to regret the comment he made to the New York Times in 1996, concerning his controversial film Natural Born Killers. Currently, it has been implicated in over a dozen murders. There were the young French lovers, Parisian suburbanites who led police on a car chase, resulting in five deaths. Of course, there were murders stateside as well. A teenaged Texan accused of decapitating a 13-year old girl. A Georgia youth who allegedly murdered an 82-year Floridian with a shotgun and shouted, Im a natural born killer to the television cameras. Then there was the homicidal Utah teen who went so far as to mimic Natural Born Killers antihero Mickey Knoxs sartorical style, complete with tinted granny-style sunglasses and shaven skull. None of these, however, has received the same press as the tale of Sarah Edmondson and Benjamin Darras, a couple who spent the evening of March 5, 1995 dropping acid and watching the film repeatedly. Nineteen and eighteen years old, respectively, the two went for a lengthy drive the next morning in Edmondsons Nissan Maxima, making two stops with intent to murder. On the first occasion, they succeeded; Darras shot Bill Savage, a Mississippi businessman, twice in the head and left with Savages wallet. The next day, it was Edmondsons turn. After entering a Poncharoula, Louisiana convenience store, Edmondson fired a poorly aimed shot into clerk Patsy Byers, paralyzing her. Having forgotten to rob the store, Edmondson returned to steal from the cash register. Stepping over the bleeding Byers, Edmondson remarked, poor old thing, youre not dead yet. In fact, Byers did not die for several more years, and before she succumbed to cancer, she and her family filed lawsuits against Warner Bros., the studio that ...

Disscuction Example

Disscuction Example Disscuction – Article Example Collaborative Programs in Schools Approaches for improving collaborative programs in schools Collaborative programs inschools usually involves those programs which give and offers an extra multidisciplinary experience for pupils and students that are admitted or enrolled in two or more different and independent institutions (Doorley and Witthoft, 2012). These institutions are certified for this collaborative by relevant authorities for example health programs and law programs. The programs are important since different children in schools come with different and complex medical, social and education challenges and no one can meet these challenges hence a need for collaboration between teachers, parents and other professionals in different institutions (Gimpel and Collett, 2010).ApproachesCollaboration with other profession: Due to increase in language diversity and student with special needs, it’s posing a challenge for affected parties to work together to meet the needs of th ese students (Harrison, 2001).Collaboration with the community: This helps community building efforts both in and out of the school. The surrounding community usually influences the students how they feel about themselves and their attitude towards education. Issues like socio economic status, family background and health usually affect the children’s motivation and interest learning.Collaboration with the state law: State laws enhance and in some instances need collaborative efforts in meeting the needs of the children (Doorley and Witthoft, 2012). For example in No Child left behind act of 2002 it need that each school should come up with processes for ensuring good ways to enact and collaborate with parentsGoalsEthics: It plays fundamental role in education concerning decision making since the actions and words uttered by the educator influences greatly the being of the student character. Since the children are going to meet different dynamic environment, the collaborative programs exposes him/her early to these different types of environment (Doorley and Witthoft, 2012).Legal concerns: Since now day’s courts are more frequently involved in matters that take place in school it has forced teachers and students to be aware of legal issues ranging from students and their rights to teaching contracts (Gimpel and Collett, 2010). Through the collaborative programs, it has enabled institutions to share their legal structure hence enhancing awareness among the stakeholders.Promotes a learning communityCollaboration programs in schools especially in this case, with the community will enhance values like sharing ideas through team and group work, valuing the importance of communalism (Harrison, 2001). Parents and students are also part of school decision making through collaboration program and creation of new policies.References Doorley, S., & Witthoft, S. (2012). Make space: How to set the stage for creative collaboration. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & S ons.Gimpel, P. G., & Collett, B. R. (2010). Collaborative home/school interventions: Evidence-based solutions for emotional, behavioral, and academic problems. New York: Guilford Press.Harrison, B. (2001). Collaborative programs in indigenous communities: From fieldwork to practice. Walnut Creek [u.a.: AltaMira Press.

Why do you think Fr. Lawton says the journey to be oneself seems the Essay - 3

Why do you think Fr. Lawton says the journey to be oneself seems the riskiest of all journeys What risks lie ahead in your college career as you embark on th - Essay Example Choosing friends with a degree of discrimination, such as those who share the same priorities as I is essentially accomplished by the same methodology as in high school. Nervous anticipation is probably the best description for the feeling, meeting new people from far-off places, hoping my background either matches or complements theirs. Leaving the protective and structured home-life is the greatest adjustment, at least for me; therefore, the most frightening because the pitfalls related to the unknown are the largest and easiest to fall into. Everyone knows at least an overview of a similar story which was related to me by my parents on many occasions. Many want to get as far away from their parents and home town as possible and others want the security home provides while being allowed to make their own choices, in other words, to have their cake and eat it to. Finally the day comes when they leave the nest to embark on the great adventure that is life. Nearly to a person, once they have flown, they lament about the carefree days of childhood when there were no bills to pay, were not forced to discipline themselves and if a problem arose, they could just call mom or dad and they would magically fix it. Instead of having to grudgingly get up every morning to an annoying alarm bell and eat cold pizza for breakfast, as children, mother came in, opened up the drapes then returned as often as need to gently awaken you as the smell of a hot, nutritious breakfast tempted you to life. Freedom is a two-edged sword, a fact of lif e that is generally shockingly discovered only after leaving home. Living away from home is great but it has its downsides as well. That first month away from home is truly a liberating feeling. You can to whatever you want on a whim and have to answer to no one. You can eat ice cream for breakfast at the crack of noon when you wake, come home when the party is over for a change and watch whatever disgusting

Zeal Optics case analyze Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Zeal Optics analyze - Case Study Example To realize this, the company has to overcome some particular limitations that may come in the way of realizing this dream. Some of these challenges include how to raise the growth capital, improve marketing in the social media and how to expand its distribution among optical stores and sports retailers. For this reason, they invited some Fortune Small Business experts to help them plan the way forward. The first challenge that the Jacksons have to deal with is that of distribution. How best to expand their distribution network to more optical stores and sports retailers around the country. The company has immensely benefited from the network that it already has with sports and fitness companies. These partnerships have helped achieve the high performance despite the current domination by the top three brands that own about 70% of the market; Oakley, Mar and Smith and Costal del. With the expansion of the distribution centers, it is possible to reach a larger audience across the country (Gilson and Altman). It will also improve the discoverability of the items being sold by retailers. Zeal has also established links with some professional athletes that have served as Zeal spokespeople. Independent sales reps handle other outdoor-gear accounts that Zeal has made use of in the past. However as Scott Jaeger (a senior analyst at Leisure Trends Group) observed, the company has the poten tial to open up to 2,500 retail doors across the country. He also emphasized the fact that is of paramount importance to maintain a close relationship with the sales reps as they to ensure that they are carrying out their duties as required. Scott also proposes that the Jacksons consider focusing on the products that had the best sale values. The view comes from the fact that Zeal Optics had achieved a 86% sales growth in goggles, a product that that, in general, was down by 14%. The