Design and Implementation of An e Commerce Website Report
Design and Implementation of An e Commerce Website Report
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
Introduction
This chapter talks about the background to the study, statement of the problem, general
research objective, research questions, definition of key terms and organization of the study.
Organizations and businesses relied on physical buying as the primary means of commerce for
centuries. However, with the advent of the internet and advancements in technology, the way
businesses operate and interact with customers has undergone a significant transformation.
Electronic commerce, commonly referred to as e-commerce, has emerged as a vital channel for
businesses to reach customers, promote products, and facilitate transactions. Today,
ecommerce has become an integral part of the global economy, offering unparalleled
opportunities for businesses to expand their market reach, increase revenue, and enhance
customer satisfaction.
The growth of e-commerce has been driven by the increasing number of internet users,
advancements in digital payment systems, and the rising popularity of mobile devices. As a
result, businesses of all sizes, from small startups to large corporations, are recognizing the
importance of having an online presence. An individual e-commerce website provides
businesses with a dedicated platform to showcase their products, share their brand story, and
engage with customers. Moreover, an e-commerce website enables businesses to operate
around the clock, reaching customers across geographical boundaries and time zones. By
leveraging the power of e-commerce, businesses can gain a competitive edge, improve
operational efficiency, and drive growth.
In the 1990s, students from Standford University used the internet to buy and sell items,
marking the first online transaction. In the 1970s and 1080s, companies utilized Electronic Data
Interchange (EDI) to exchange business documents electronically, laying the groundwork for
modern e-commerce. This study aims to investigate the design and implementation of an
individual e-commerce website, exploring the key factors that contribute to its success and the
challenges that businesses may encounter in the process.
Over the years BILLY BUSINESS has been operating without an e-commerce website. As an over
15-year-old created business, the management of the business has not implemented
one yet. The implementation of an individual e-commerce website has a significant role to play
in this business at the level of limited market reach, customer convenience, competitive
positioning, product exposure, data collection, omni-channel experience, and growth potential.
To address this problem, creating an e-commerce website will enable the business to overcome
these limitations, tap into the online market, and achieve sustainable growth in the digital era
and will also remedy to the waste of time, resources and give detail information about the
products to the customers.
Research Objectives
To design and implement the use of an e commerce website: case of BILLY BUSINESS.
Research Questions
How can an e commerce website facilitate the purchases of electronics: case of BILLY BUSINESS?
How will the customers be able to have access to the systems functionalities?
How will the customers be able to view available products?
How will the customer be able to place orders?
How will the admin be able to view orders placed?
How will the admin be able to add products or edit existing products?
This is significant because it addresses the traditional method of sales and explores how online
marketing can be carried out. This study provides valuable insights into several key areas:
The study's findings will provide valuable insights for ecommerce businesses like BILLY
BUSINESS on how to improve their website design and functionality to enhance customer
experience and increase sales.
The study will contribute to the body of knowledge on ecommerce website design and
management, particularly for small businesses and entrepreneurs.
The study will inform future research in the field of ecommerce by highlighting the importance
of website design and management strategies in online business success.
Scope of the Study
This study focuses on exploring the role of website design and functionality in enhancing
customer experience and driving sales within the context of ecommerce businesses. The scope
of the study is delineated as follows:
Geographical Scope: The research will be limited to ecommerce businesses operating within
the region where Billy Business is based. This geographical constraint means that the findings
may be particularly applicable to businesses targeting a similar demographic or operating under
comparable market conditions, but may not be directly transferable to ecommerce platforms in
different regions or countries.
Content Scope: The study will focus specifically on the design and functionality of ecommerce
websites. It will examine factors such as user interface (UI) design, user experience (UX),
navigation, product presentation, payment systems, and mobile responsiveness. The study will
not delve into other aspects of ecommerce such as supply chain management, inventory
control, or customer service practices outside of the online platform experience.
E-commerce: Refers to the buying and selling of goods and services over the internet. It
includes all online transactions, from digital products to physical goods, and encompasses
various forms of online business models such as B2C (business to consumer), B2B (business to
business), and C2C (consumer to consumer).
User Experience (UX): The overall experience a user has when interacting with a
website. It includes how easy, intuitive, and pleasant it is to use the site, including factors like
page load time, site navigation, and accessibility.
User Interface (UI): Refers to the layout and interactive elements of a website, such as
buttons, menus, and forms. UI design is a subfield of UX design and focuses specifically on the
elements that a user directly interacts with.
Mobile Responsiveness: The ability of a website to adapt its layout and design for
optimal viewing on mobile devices, ensuring users have a seamless shopping experience on
smartphones and tablets.
-Chapter 1: Introduction
-Chapter 2: Literature review
-Chapter 3: Methodology
-Chapter 4: Presentation of results
-Chapter 5: Summary of findings Conclusion and Recommendations
References
Appendices
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
This literature review aims to explore existing research, theories, and practices relevant to an e
commerce website, providing conceptual and theoretical foundation.
Conceptual Review
An e-commerce website is designed to streamline the process of managing product listings,
customer orders, payments, customer data, and sales records. The following key variables are
crucial for the effective functioning of such a system, ensuring that it meets the needs of both
customers and business teams:
Product Listings and Catalog Management
The product catalog plays a central role in e-commerce systems by allowing businesses to
organize and manage product information, such as descriptions, images, prices, and stock
levels. This feature helps maintain up-to-date and accurate product information, ensuring
customers can easily find and purchase the products they are looking for (Laudon & Traver,
2021).
Order Management System (OMS)
Order management is a critical component in e-commerce as it tracks the status of customer
orders from initial purchase to delivery. The OMS ensures accurate order fulfillment, real-time
updates, and effective communication with customers about shipping and delivery timelines.
This feature enhances customer satisfaction by ensuring a smooth and timely order processing
experience (Chaffey, 2015).
Payment Gateway Integration
A secure and integrated payment system is essential for processing transactions. It ensures that
customers can pay for their purchases seamlessly through various payment methods such as
credit cards, debit cards, and digital wallets. The system must ensure security and privacy of
customer data, reducing cart abandonment rates and improving trust in the website (Koller &
Meixner, 2019).
Customer Account Management
An efficient customer account management system enables users to manage their profiles, track
order history, and save preferences for future purchases. This functionality helps enhance the
customer experience by offering personalized services and easy access to order details, thus
improving retention rates and user loyalty (Schneider, 2016).
Customer Support and Communication
Customer service features, including chatbots, live support, and email communication, ensure
that customers can easily reach out for help with inquiries, returns, or issues. This capability is
crucial in maintaining positive relationships with customers by offering timely and responsive
assistance (B2B Marketing, 2017).
Security and Data Protection
Security is a top priority for any e-commerce platform. The system must implement strong
encryption protocols (e.g., SSL certificates) and secure authentication methods to protect
sensitive customer data such as personal and payment information. Ensuring a secure platform
reduces the risk of data breaches and builds customer trust, which is vital for the success of an
e-commerce website (Rainer & Cegielski, 2020).
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO is an essential strategy for driving organic traffic to e-commerce websites. Optimizing the
site’s content, metadata, and product pages ensures that the website ranks well on search
engines, increasing visibility and attracting potential customers. Effective SEO techniques
contribute to higher sales by improving a website’s search engine ranking and relevance (Baye,
2021).
Analytics and Reporting
The integration of analytics tools helps e-commerce businesses track key metrics such as sales
performance, user behavior, and conversion rates. Analytics enable businesses to identify areas
of improvement, optimize their marketing strategies, and measure the success of their online
presence, ultimately driving higher sales and profitability (Benedict, 2020).
Mobile Responsiveness
As more customers shop via mobile devices, e-commerce websites must be optimized for
mobile responsiveness. A mobile-friendly website adjusts its layout and design to provide an
optimal shopping experience across various devices, increasing accessibility and ensuring
customers can easily browse and make purchases on smartphones and tablets (Chaffey, 2015).
Product Recommendations and Personalization
Personalization through product recommendations based on user behavior and preferences is a
crucial feature for increasing customer engagement. By providing customers with tailored
product suggestions, e-commerce websites can boost sales and improve user satisfaction,
creating a more personalized shopping experience (Laudon & Traver, 2021).
Theoretical Review
This theory focuses on creating interfaces that are intuitive, easy to navigate, and minimize user
effort, good website usability increases user satisfaction.
This theory helps to explain how new e-commerce technologies and features, such as mobile
responsiveness and payment gateway integration, gain traction among customers. As
businesses adopt these innovations, their ability to meet evolving consumer expectations
enhances, thus improving competitiveness in the online market.
Empirical Review
The empirical review explores research studies that investigate various aspects of e-commerce
website management and their impact on customer satisfaction, sales performance, and overall
business success. Multiple studies highlight the crucial role of website design and functionality
in determining the success of e-commerce platforms.
Introduction
This chapter presents an internship experience at BILLY BUSINESS, and talks about the
background of the organization including its evolution, structure, composition and the system
analysis and design process.
BILLY BUSINESS is a retail company that specializes in the sales of electronic gadgets, with
history dating back to 2010. The company was founded by Billy Koffi Awoh, with the goal of
providing customers with a wide range of electronic gadgets at affordable prices. Until recently,
BILLY BUSINESS relied on traditional sales methods, including in-store sales and word-of-mouth
marketing. The company’s product line includes smartphones, laptops, smartwatches, fridges,
washing machines and other electronic accessories. Despite the absence of an e-commerce
website, the company has managed to establish a loyal customer base and maintain a steady
stream of sales.
Organizational Chart
GENERAL MANAGER
SECRETARY
General Manager: The general manager is in charge of leading and coordinating all other
departments so as to achieve their goals and objectives.
Secretary: The secretary ensures that all records and reports are submitted to the general
manager.
Sales: The sales agent or department manages the inventory and also coordinates all sales in
the organization.
Cashier: The cashier is in charge of issuing of receipts and collection of payments from
customers.
Security: The security department is in charge of safeguarding the business premises and
ensuring that all activities run smoothly.
Weekly activities
The methodology used was the waterfall model, which involves a linear and sequential
approach to software development.
The SDLC used for this project consists of the following phases:
Planning: In this phase, the problem was identified, and the project’s objectives were
defined. The scope of the project was also determined, and a rough estimate of the timeline
and resources required was made.
Analysis: During this phase, the requirements of the system were gathered and
analyzed. The analysis involved identifying the functional and non-functional requirements of
the system, including the hardware and software requirements.
Design: In this phase, the system’s architecture and components were designed. The
design involved creating a detailed blueprint of the system, including the user interface,
database design, and system security.
Implementation: During this phase, the system was developed and implemented. The
implementation involved writing the code, testing the system, and deploying it on a server.
Testing and Maintenance: In this final phase, the system was tested for errors and
bugs, and the issues detected were resolved. The system was also maintained to ensure that it
continued to function as intended.
The system design methodology used for this project was the Object-Oriented Method (OOM).
OOM involves designing the system as a collection of objects that interact with each other. The
methodology involves identifying the objects, attributes, and methods of the system and
designing the system’s architecture and components.
System Modeling
To model the system the Unified Modeling Language was used. UML is a standard language for
modeling software systems, and it provides a set of diagrams and notations for modeling the
system’s architecture and components.
-Use Case Diagrams: will be used to model the system’s functional requirements and identify
the actors and their interactions with the system.
-Class Diagrams: will be used to model the system’s classes and objects, and define their
relationships and attributes.
-Sequence Diagrams: will be used to model the system’s interactions and behavior, and show
the sequence of events and messages exchanged between objects.
-Deployment Diagrams: will be used to model the system’s deployment and infrastructure, and
show the physical components and their relationships.
-Wide adoption: UML is widely adopted in the software industry, making it easy to find
resources and expertise.
-Flexibility: UML provides a range that can be used to model different aspects of the system.
-Standardization: UML is a standardized language, ensuring that models are consistent and easy
to understand.
-Scalability: UML can be used to model small to large scale systems, making it suitable for a
wide range of projects.
a) Hardware Requirements
The hardware used in the development of the e-commerce website for BILLY BUSINESS, was a
laptop with the following characteristics:
o Device name Daniel-Rockzy
o Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-6200U CPU @ 2.30GHz 2.40 GHz
o Installed RAM 12.0 GB (11.9 GB usable)
o Device ID F60AEC25-D889-4898-9FCD-84D502411354
o Product ID 00331-10000-00001-AA018
o System type 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor
o Pen and touch No pen or touch input is available for this display
o Edition Windows 10 Pro
o Version 22H2
o Installed on 1/16/2024
o OS build 19045.5487
o Experience Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.19061.1000.0
b) Software Requirement
For the successful development of the e-commerce website, the following software were used:
XAMPP: It is a free and open source cross platform web server package that allows
developers to create and test web applications on their local machines. The name “XAMPP” is
an acronym that stands for:
-X: Cross platform(it can run on multiple operating systems, including windows, macOS, and
Linux)
-A: Apache(the web server software that powers the package).
-M: MySQL (the relational database management system that comes bundled with the package)
-P: PHP (the server-side scripting language that is used to create dynamic web content).
-P: Perl(a programming language that is also supported by the package, although it is not as
widely used as PHP)
c) Functional Requirement
1. Admin
Login
Have access to the system and all system information.
Add, edit, delete and view products.
See orders and orders placed.
View messages from customers.
See users information and can delete a user.
Add admins, edit and delete
Logout
2. Customer
Create an account or Login.
Search for products.
Add products to cart or wishlist.
Edit the cart.
Places the order.
View orders placed.
Logout.
d) Non-Functional Requirements
Usability: The system is simple to use and understand. With a basic and user friendly
interface.
Maintainability: The system is easy to maintain and update, enabling you to add new
features or fix problems without disturbing the system.
Accessibility: The system is accessible to all users (customers and admins) regardless of
the physical location or device. They can access the website with their phones, laptops or
tablets.
Performance: The system is able to keep a large number of products uploaded and still
work accurately.
Scalability: Refers to the system’s capacity to accept an increasing number of customers
and their orders without deteriorating performance.
Reliability: The system should be reliable and capable of working without defects or
malfunctions even when exposed to heavy usage or unexpected circumstances.
Security: The system should be protected against unauthorized access and customer
credential theft.
System Design
a) Activity Diagrams
Admin
The admin can perform the following actions after the login process:
-
E commerce website
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION OF RESULTS
Introduction
This chapter will present findings from the internship, system implementation which will include
database, deployment, login and the homepage.
During my internship at BILLY BUSINESS, I had the opportunity to observe, participate, and
conduct interviews to gain a deeper understanding of the company’s e-commerce operations.
The following findings are relevant to the topic of developing an e-commerce website for BILLY
BUSINESS:
Limited Online Presence: BILLY BUSINESS currently has a limited online presence, with
no dedicated e-commerce website. This makes it difficult for customers to find and
purchase products online.
Manual Order Processing: Orders are currently processed manually, which can lead
to errors, delays and inefficiencies.
Inefficient Inventory Management: Inventory management is currently done
manually, which can lead to stockouts, overstocking, and wasted resources.
Customer Complaints about Lack of Online Shopping Option: Many customers have
complained about the lack of an online shopping option, which can lead to lost sales
and revenue.
NO Online Marketing Strategy: BILLY BUSINESS does not have an online marketing
strategy, which can limit its ability to reach new customers and increase sales.
These findings highlights the need for BILLY BUSINESS to develop an e-commerce
website that can provide a convenient, efficient, and secure online shopping
experience for customers.
System Implementation
The following is a user-manual for the e-commerce website for BILLY BUSINESS.
a) Database
The database used for this system is MySQL. Below is a screenshot of the
database schema
The database schema consists of the following tables:
With these steps, the system was successfully deployed on my local machine using XAMPP.
f) User Registration
To register as a user, follow these steps:
i. Go to the websites homepage.
ii. Click the account icon top right corner
iii. Click on the “Register” button.
iv. Enter your username, email and password.
v. Click on the “Register Now” button as seen in the screenshot below;
g) Product Browse
To browse products, follow these steps:
1. Go to the websites homepage
2. Click on the “Shop Now” button
3. Browse through the list of products as seen in the screenshot below;
h) Product Details
To view product details, follow these steps:
1. Go to the shop now page
2. Click on a product
3. Click on the “small eye” icon
4. View the product details page as seen in the screenshot below;
i) Shopping Cart
j) Checkout
1. Go to the shopping cart page
2. Click on the “Proceed To Checkout.” Button.
3. Enter your delivery information( which includes your name, number, email, method of
payment suitable for you on delivery etc).
4. Click on the “Place Order “ button. As seen in the screenshot below;
i) Send Message
To send a message or complain the following steps should be implemented
1. go to the homepage
2. click on the “contact us” section
3. fill in your information and the message or complaint to be sent.
4. Click on send message as seen in the screenshot below;
This
user-
manual
provides a comprehensive guide to the e-commerce website for BILLY BUSINESS. With these
instructions, users should be able to navigate and use the website with ease.
CHAPTER FIVE
Introduction
The rapid growth of e-commerce has made it essential for businesses to have an online presence. This
project aims to design and develop an e-commerce website for BILLY BUSINESS to establish its online
presence and increase sales.
Summary of Findings
BILLY BUSINESS currently has no e-commerce website, resulting in a lack of online presence
and limited ability to reach customers.
The absence of an e-commerce website has resulted in lost sales and revenue for the business.
Customers have expressed a desire for an online shopping platform, citing convenience and
accessibility as key benefits.
These findings align with the research objectives, which aimed to identify the need for an e-
commerce website for BILLY BUSINESS.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the research has shown that BILLY BUSINESS is in need of an e-commerce
website to establish an online presence, reach customers, and increase sales. The development
of an e-commerce website will provide a platform for customers to browse and purchase
products online, improving the overall shopping experience.
One limitation of this study is the lack of existing data on BILLY BUSINESS’s online presence, as the
business has no existing website.
Recommendations
Based on the findings of this research, the following recommendations are proposed:
Recommendation 1:The e-commerce website should be designed and developed to provide a user-
friendly and efficient online shopping experience for customers. The website should include features
such as payment gateway, and order tracking.
Step 1: Implement a content management system (CMS) to manage and update website content.
Step 2: The CMS should be designed to allow administrators to easily update product information,
promotions, and other website content without requiring technical expertise.
Step 3: Implementing a CMS will help BILLY BUSINESS to easily manage and update website content,
reducing the need for technical expertise and improving the overall efficiency of the website.
Step 2: Customer support should be provided through multiple channels, including email, phone, and
live chat. This will enable customers to easily contact the business with questions or concerns.
Step 3: Providing customer support through multiple channels will help BILLY BUSINESS to improve
customer satisfaction and build trust with customers. This will lead to increased customer loyalty and
repeat business.