Introduction to online ordering system

For further understanding of the study, the researchers made use of different reading materials related to the online system. These materials such as books, magazines, newspapers, thesis and other web articles are essential in broadening the knowledge of the researchers. These will also guide the researchers to achieve their target objectives by getting ideas on other related studies and make improvements as possible. The information gathered by the researchers focuses on the development of e-commerce or online marketing and its advantages to the economy, consumers and businesses.

Security measurement information in terms of payment and customer’s privacy to be considered in developing an online system are also obtained. The researchers also sum up the different techniques on how to gain web visitors and eventually convince them to purchase the products based on some surveys gathered by the past studies. Some of the programming background skills needed to create a website is also being discussed to further understand why the researchers chose PHP5 as front end and MySQL as backend of the proposed system.

Review of Related Literature
This review consists of books, articles, documents that focus on the same subject matter or other concepts of the study.

Foreign
The web has become an opportunity for the marketers to add value to products and services. The phenomenal growth and rising of the popularity of the internet and the World Wide Web have become a key to attract more consumers and businesses to engage the benefits of Electronic Commerce (E-commerce). This E-commerce is sited as any form of business transaction in which the parties interact electronically rather than by physical exchanges or direct physical contact (Aldin, Brehmer & Johansson, 2004). This has transformed the traditional commerce and enhanced sales and exchanges of merchandise and information. It is not just considered as single entity of technology but a combination of technologies where applications, processes, business strategies are necessary to do business electronically.

The availability of goods and services with the click of a mouse is changing the global setting. Consideration of the websites design and operations are dependent upon the nature of business activities and target consumers. According to Burleson (2005), a website must be simple and focused site to succeed. One that is easy to build, maintenance-free, low cost, trustworthy, and a powerful traffic-builder and customer-converter. Having the right tool and the right product alone doesn’t ensure the success of the website. To be effective, the Website must be designed with the target audience as foremost consideration. Website designers must balance design considerations and capabilities with client objectives and the consumer’s level of understanding in the modern technology (Geissler, 2001). 28

It is critical for companies to know how do they attract customers to their website, engage them to turn into paying customers and also retain them in returning to your website. Online communications techniques used to achieve goals of brand awareness, familiarity and favorability and to influence purchase intent by encouraging users of digital media to visit a web site to engage with the brand or product and ultimately to purchase online or offline through traditional media channels such as by phone or in-store (Chaffey, 2009).

Local
In the Philippines, e-commerce is mostly being implemented by major retailers and multinational corporations for bank-to-bank exchange. A number of Business-to-consumer transactions have emerged through the years such as auctions, online shopping, and online banking (Lacson, Pasadilla, 2006). This just shows that Filipino businesses welcome this new opportunity in selling goods since 16% of the population is using Internet. This new marketing strategy will not only benefit those big companies but also the small businesses who cannot afford to advertise their products. Just by creating a website in a very affordable cost would make the business grow in terms of sales and enhance the company image as well.

Philippine firms have yet to fully tap the potentials of e-commerce that will help them to compete in domestic and global markets. In the process of preparing themselves to conduct e-commerce, these firms will be changing the way they do business. These changes are expected to have an impact on the welfare of Philippine workers. Most efforts to measure the economic effects of e-commerce—including those on workers’ welfare—have focused on the U.S. and Europe, who are considered to be the leaders in e-commerce. (Roberto, 2002)

In general, it discuss the changes in the nature of work from the front to back office is likely within the sectors performing services Employment demand for these industry, they may be focused away from agents and blue collared workers, toward higher management and executive staff. As Filipinos entered the 21st century, local e-commerce transaction reached Php 1 billiion. It shows that there’s at least one billion transaction sales growth annually. If this trend continues, figures can reach up to Php 20 billion as more businesses conduct online transactions. If significant economic growth takes place in the next 10 years, these estimates may even double or triple (Toral, 2004).

One indisputable benefit of e-commerce is its ability to reduce transaction costs. For consumers or buyers, this is most likely to take the form of lower search costs and better information on products and prices. There could be drastic savings in production and delivery costs of electronic or digital goods as well. (Lee, 2006) Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become and will continue to be an integral part of the day-to-day life of every Filipino across all levels of our society. The occurrence of communication technology around the world necessitates that government get on a cohesive and coordinated strategy on how to prepare its citizens to survive, live and thrive in a digital world.(The Philippine Digital Strategy Transformation 2.0: Digital Empowered Nation 2011) The main objective of the paper is to have a competitive society where everyone has a reliable, affordable and secure information access in the Philippines.

Review of Related Studies
This section consists of information gathered from thesis and dissertations which are also relevant to the research.

Foreign
E-commerce has become a standard method of providing distributed information to many different platforms. It is being implemented by a growing number of companies to be more completive in corporate world. All companies need to make a step forward towards a new technology. To be able to compete with the global market, e-commerce was a good answer (Lanvin and Maggarqul, 2006).

The company’s websites seem to have significant influence on sales and corporate image, and are expected to contribute to overall customer satisfaction (Hossain, 2007). The easiest way to be reliable to the customer is to maintain an easy and simple image in the company’s website, which created positive web experience to the customer. This can be done by having transparent interface, rich content, easily accessible information and having a design that facilitates multiple audiences. This is simply emphasizing the importance of knowing the target visitors as they have different tastes in terms of color and design as a whole.

Also, a good design is not enough to make your customers stay in the website; it must be informative as well especially on the product details. As what Efendioglu and Igna stated that companies may have great content, dynamic and attractive design on their website, but the customer may not be aware of that website because of wrong or inadequate online marketing. (Retrieved on Aug. 14 2012 from Website security also refers to the protection of confidential information of the consumers. This is one way of gaining the customers trust because customers want to believe that the information they provide will be protected and used only in appropriate ways (Mansoorian, 2006). Some of the important details to be protected are Address and Contact Number which has to keep in private. Passwords must also be encrypted to protect the consumer’s account from hackers.

Apart from the content of website and design of the pages, security must also take into consideration most importantly on the payment transactions. Authentication and payment systems must provide a high level of security due to the sensitive functions they perform. In order to achieve a strong authentication method, it is necessary to identify and understand what needs to be protected, possible attacks, how to protect vulnerable points and a ways to detect attacks. These methods can also be made more resilient to attacks by incorporating multiple authentication factors and communication channels. Most importantly, the limitations of the authentication method used must be clearly understood.

 This why most E-commerce prefers payment gateways such as Paypal, PayZa, Google Checkout etc. to ensure a fast and secure transaction between the client and the company. Several criteria must also be considered to create a successful e-commerce. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a specialized research-driven process of analyzing and editing your web site in order to increase the rankings of your site pages for specific search terms in search engines. By targeting strategic key phrases that appeal to your target audiences, SEO allows you to be found by global or regional markets of individuals who are seeking precisely whatever it is that you offer. Whether it is a product, a service, a mission or a message that you want to promote, search engine optimization provides benefits for just about any type of organization that wants to reach people. (Jaffray, 2004).

Local
Businesses who engaged into Electronic Commerce (e-Commerce) have been observed to gain a competitive edge in the field of Marketing in terms of accessibility, convenience and availability. Since the internet is accessible by people globally, the customers are no longer limited within the vicinity of the store. Anyone can visit the store anywhere, anytime without hassle. Just by navigating the store, the customer can choose the products and purchase it without going to the store directly .E-commerce proves to enhance the way usual business transactions occur and helps lessen the time and effort consumed by the company and customers as well (Deanna and Fritz,2006). With these, a good relationship with their consumers will be established and their objective of increasing their sales will be achieved (Kim and Katherine, 2004).

Through internet, E-commerce offers a simplified approach in business deals and gives a new option for selling and buying the company’s products and at the same time not only selling and buying of products but also advertising the site. (Roso and Navarro 2006). Since the products are available in the web, the more chances of gaining exposure to target customers and can eventually encourage them to purchase an item. It’s the most affordable way of advertising compared to some paid commercials that even small businesses can easily implement. Since most of the companies employ websites as one of their marketing strategies, competitors are also spreading. The company must take into considerations the key factors in order to have a successful online marketing system starting from the target audience, web design, interface, security in terms of payment and customer information, content and even the smallest details of a website.

Review of Related Readings
These are some articles from magazines, newspapers and journals related to the study. Foreign Internet users will be unlikely to use the Internet on a routine basis for commerce unless they have confidence that their communications and data are safe from unauthorized access or modification. Confidence in the system itself depends on the availability of effective means both for protecting information systems attached to telecommunications networks and for authenticating and ensuring confidentiality of electronic information to protect data from unauthorized use.

It also requires well educated users who understand how to protect their systems and their data. Unfortunately, as noted in the US Framework document, there is no single “magic” technology or technique that can ensure either security or reliability. Instead this requires the use of a range of technologies including encryption, authentication, password controls and firewalls as well as a trustworthy key and security management infrastructures. (Patterson, 2001).

The number of small- and medium-size retailers selling online has swelled in the last two years, from 21 percent to 32 percent, according to a survey by IDC, a consulting firm. Aided by less expensive and more sophisticated technology are competing with retailers as well as bigger sites like Amazon. These businesses lack the huge marketing budgets of their bigger peers, of course, but they are unearthing cheap advertising methods that, in some cases, help them compete with million-dollar promotions. (Retrieved on August 18, 2012 from http:// www.nytimes.com/ 2007/12 /03/technology/ 03ecom . html?ref= ecommerce). This just proves that even small businesses can compete with the other companies through web just by providing an interface that promotes simplicity, security and reliability.

Automated transaction means a transaction conducted or performed, in whole or in part, by electronic means or electronic records, in which the acts or records of one or both parties are not reviewed by an individual in the ordinary course in forming a contract, performing under an existing contract, or fulfilling an obligation required by the transaction (Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, Section 2, 1999). This Act informs the parties that they have both an obligation when it comes in transaction especially in terms of electronic transaction.

A contract may be formed by the interaction of an electronic agent and an individual, acting on the individual’s own behalf or for another person, including by an interaction in which the individual performs actions that the individual is free to refuse to perform and which the individual knows or has reason to know will cause the electronic agent to complete the transaction or performance (Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, Section 14, 1999). This article discuss about when getting into electronic transaction, parties can both agree to the terms and condition to make the process of transaction much reliable.

Local
Developing a technology for the companies/countries productivity should be the main concern of the developer. As stated, the state shall give priority to research and development, invention, innovation, and their utilization; and to science and technology education, training, and services. It shall support indigenous, appropriate, and self-reliant scientific and technological capabilities, and their application to the country’s productive systems and national life. (Article XIV Section 10, Science and Technology ,1986)

Innovation of technologies to all potential sources must benefit not only the company but also the country. According to Article XIV Section 12, Science and Technologys, (1986), “The State shall regulate the transfer and promote the adaptation of technology from all sources for the national benefit. It shall encourage the widest participation of private groups, local governments, and community-based organizations in the generation and utilization of skill and expertise”. Just like another law, Online Law should concerns on those businesses which are given to companies the right to choose the type and level of security methods that suit their needs.

To facilitate domestic and international dealings, transactions, arrangements agreements, contracts and exchanges and storage of information through the utilization of electronic, optical and similar medium, mode instrumentality and technology to recognize the authenticity and reliability of electronic data messages or electronic documents related to such activities and to promote the universal use of electronic transactions in the government and by the general public (REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8792 June 14, Electronic Commerce Act, 2000)

Online Marketing helps company reach their target customer thru the use of Internet. Internet marketing help the company to put up a better communication and improved relationships between customers and the company. As stated on the Manila Bulletin (2011), “The Internet provides endless opportunities for your businesses to market your company and your product at the comfort of your homes and offices. Internet marketing may be described and defined in many ways, depending on how you make use of the Internet to help your business grow”. Online Marketing can generate much revenue not only in the Company but also the other country. According to Emmie Manila Bulleting (2012), the company expects its overall business in the region to grow 100 percent year-on-year and up to “infinity” in the Philippines, which at this point, has only 10 percent of its travel market online, as opposed to neighbors like Singapore, with 35 percent CEO Dan Lynn Explained.

Synthesis
Based on the information gathered by the researchers, company who engages into online Marketing are more likely to be more competitive in the business field. The company will have a good image, thus attracting more customers. According to the related literature and studies collected, e-commerce also promotes convenience to both consumers and company. Yet, to have a successful online marketing, there are several criteria to be considered first before developing website. These are the target visitors, the web design, security, maintainability, reliability, handiness, quality and ease of use.

The researchers aim is not just build a website but a customer-converter online marketing by providing adequate details of the products, user-friendly interface, secured payment transaction, search-engine friendly and easy-to-maintain environment. The proposed system will not just build to advertise all over the web but to provide good services to the target visitors. These considerations will help the company in gaining a good image and eventually attracting more customers to buy their items.