Journal of Website Promotion Volume 1 Number 2 2005 CONTENTS FROM THE EDITOR Richard Alan Nelson Corporate America and Web Access for the Blind: Are Public Relations Practitioners Overlooking a Viable New Public? Jenice Daigle Heck Advances in technology have given the blind public a new voice in corporate America. Today, blind individuals are able to utilize the internet independently using screen access software. However, like ramps for wheelchairs in physical spaces, website accommodations are needed in cyberspace for successful use. A review of the current literature indicates trends in public relations are shifting toward a corporate ethic of social responsibility, but online concerns for the disabled are not clearly demonstrated among the leading corporations in the United States. The purpose of this research is to determine if blind consumers are being accommodated on corporate websites in a manner that is conducive to public relations efforts to establish and maintain positive relationships with this new public. A content analysis of the websites maintained by the top 100 Fortune 500 corporations in the United States was performed to identify the current web design practices being used to relate to blind publics through the internet. The results indicate the needs of the blind consumer are not being met in mainstream business practices on the World Wide Web, despite government initiatives to support web accessibility for the disabled. KEYWORDS. Accessibility, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), assistive technology, blind public, computer users, Fortune 500 companies, internet accessibility, public relations, Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998 (section 508), social responsibility, web accommodations, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 (WCAG 1.0), website design Managing Successful Online Brands: The Journey from Dot.com to Web Brand Franchise Shiva Nandan This article first offers reasons for the decline of some of the internet companies in the last few years, followed by a summary of the concept of web-equity. A new concept called Web Brand Franchise (WBF) is developed. WBF signifies a dominant position of the brand on the internet and is not limited to one particular product—it serves as an overarching symbol for the entirety of a firm’s offering. WBF is one of the most valuable resources that a firm can have in the “virtual” electronic
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environment. Brand managers can create strong WBF by developing and enhancing its key components. KEYWORDS. Brand credibility, brand image, brand loyalty, online brands, persuasion, sustained competitive advantage, Web Brand Franchise (WBF), web equity The Effect of Online Media Credibility on Trust Relationships Samsup Jo The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the online information credibility on trust relationships. A 2 (newspaper news and online press release) × 2 (negative news and positive news) experiment was designed with 184 participants to implement the test. The results showed that media source type and news content exerted significant effects on media credibility and trust relationships with organizations. The subjects perceived as more credible newspaper news stories than those posted in online press releases. Specifically, the news audience is more likely to believe traditional journalistic sources when faced with negative reports about organizations. Moreover, a significant correlation between media credibility and trust relationships suggests that media source credibility has an influence on the trust relationships. Public relations practitioners may be advised to invest more time in placing objective and credible information in key traditional media first in order to initiate, nurture, and maintain trust relationships with a strategic public. Designers and promoters of websites would also do well to reinforce the credibility of their medium, perhaps by incorporating material from other trusted sources. KEYWORDS. Credibility, Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), internet, news media, online, persuasion, publics, public relations, relationships, source, students, trust, World Wide Web An Exploratory Study of the Factors that Influence the Usage or Non-Usage of Websites Ramendra Thakur John H. Summey The study tests the predictors of online activity. Two hundred subjects were asked to respond to the questions related to the factors that affect the usage or non-usage of the web. Based on the model for hypotheses formulation, LISREL 8.3 was used for testing of four hypotheses. The results show that “usage or non-usage of the web” is predicted by the two latent variables “accessibility of personal information” and “knowledge of security tools.” The construct “accessibility of personal information” is predicted by “personal security concern.” KEYWORDS. Consumer behavior, marketing strategies, online security, privacy, trust, web seals, websites.
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Achieving Seamless Website Transformation: Promotional Implications of Static Versus Dynamic Websites Paul Christ This article examines the benefits and costs to search engine promotion efforts for websites moving from a static HTML-based environment to a dynamic site built on scripting language and database connectivity. Presented are results of an exploratory study in which a static website is transformed to a dynamic website and reports the effect this transformation has on search engine referral activity. The study also explores the impact of transformation procedures that are both properly and improperly carried out and makes recommendations for website operators looking to experience a seamless website transformation. KEYWORDS. Dynamic websites, internet marketing, search engine promotion, search engine rankings Selected Leaders and Resources in E-metrics: An Introduction Richard Alan Nelson Highlighted are a selection of some of the individuals, firms, and resources important to the field of e-metrics. Each is making a valuable contribution through professional expertise, research, and service.
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