Duration
30h Th
Number of credits
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
English language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
Course Objectives
This course introduces key concepts and technologies in E-Commerce, E-Business and, more general, Digital Business, to participants.
A relatively wide range of topics will be covered, ranging from those with a marketing orientation (e.g. consumer behavior) to those with a more IT/statistical orientation (e.g. recommender system, link analysis)
It comprises a practical component, requiring the development a simple, but comprehensive, e-commerce website from scratch. It will include the backend (server-side and database) and front-end (UI)
Please note that you will need good programming and database management skills (PhP and mySQL) to pass this course.
Course Structure and Topics
1. E-Commerce Business Models:
- Business model elements
- Importance of revenue models
- Types of revenue models (subscription, pay-per-view,...)
2. Consumer Behavior:
- Consumer behavior model and factors (social, cultural, psychological)
- Consumer buying process (from problem recognition and information search to post-purchase decision)
- Online (and offline) tools for supporting consumer behavior
- Clickstream behavior and analysis
- Net promotor score (NPS)
- Online trust
- Relevance of A/B Testing in E-commerce applications
- Chi-squared test for A/B Testing
- Examples in R and Excel
4. Advertising on the web (AdWords):
- Greedy, online algorithms
- Maximal matching problem
- Competitive ratios of algorithms
- Adwords implementation
5. Search Engine Optimization (SEO):
- Keyword effectiveness
- Basic SEO best practices
6. Recommender systems:
- Content-based filtering
- Collaborative filtering
- Worked out examples
7. Market Basket Analysis:
- Apriori algorithm
Practical:
- Introduction to client-server computing
- Client-side vs. server side programming
- PhP programming: Revision (basic constructs: loops, conditionals), database connections, session variables
- SQL statements (select, update, delete)
- AJAX/JQuery for responsive UI
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
- Relate the concepts covered in the lectures to real-world business activities
- Uncover new business opportunities via the application and implementation of E-Commerce and E-Business concepts and technologies
- Establish an E-Commerce/E-Business strategy to optimize an organization's activities
- Communicate efficiently about E-Commerce/E-Business projects to various stakeholders, internal and external to the organizations
- Perform independent research to keep up-to-date with recent development in the field and to adapt his/her managerial practice to the needs of a fast-evolving world.
- Critically appreciate the technical architecture of e-commerce applications/websites
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Students should be well-versed in
- Programming and databases. Students should have programming experience for the project, even if practical sessions will be organized and help sessions will be planned.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
This year, the students will have to create a small E-Commerce Website
- Backend: PhP, mySQL
- Frontend: HTML, AJAX/JQUERY
Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning)
- Lectures and readings
- Case studies
- Demonstrations and exercices on computer
- Real cases presented by firms (to be determined)
Recommended or required readings
- Dave Chaffey, "eBusiness and eCommerce Management", 4th or 5th edition, Pearson/Prentice Hall
- Other materials (lecture note, including HTML and PhP for the practical, will be available on Lol@)
Assessment methods and criteria
Project: E-Commerce website (HTML, PhP): 30% Final written exam:70% (The above is tentative and will be finalized during the course)
Work placement(s)
Organizational remarks
Contacts
A. Ittoo, ashwin.ittoo@uliege.ac.be
E. Heins, eddy.heins@uliege.be
Adaptation of teaching commitments following the COVID-19 pandemic for the May-June 2020 session
Teaching methods implemented : distance-learning
Assessment subjects
Assessment methods
Contacts
Adaptation of teaching commitments following the COVID-19 pandemic for the Aug-Sept 2020 session
Assessment subjects
- Similar to the first session: theory(Ittoo's part) and programming (Heins' part).
- Note that the evaluation of the 2nd session (resit) will NOT include the group project done in the 1st session (i.e. marks awarded for the project in the 1st session will not be accounted for).
Assessment methods
- Online, via the Lifesize video-conferencing system.
- The corresponding Lifesize URL will be communicated on lol@, at least 1 week before the exam date, together with other examination details.
- Participants should ensure that they have a properly functioning laptop/PC with a camera and a good and reliable Internet connection.
Contacts
A. Ittoo, ashwin.ittoo@uliege.ac.be
E. Heins, eddy.heins@uliege.be
Items online
Lecture Notes
All materials from the lecturer will be on lol@