Key website factors in e-business strategy

The design of a qualitywebsite, as part of e-business strategy, has become a key element for success in the online market. This article analyzes the main factors that must be taken into account when designing a commercial website, concentrating on the Aceros de Hispania company and its business model. We have studied the features which determine website quality: accessibility, speed, navigability, content, and we have calculated the Web Assessment Index (WAI) proposed by Miranda and Bañegil [Miranda, F. J., & Bañegil, T.M. (2004).Quantitativeevaluationof commercialwebsites:Anempirical studyof Spanishfirms. International Journal of Information Management, 24(4), 313–328]. The results obtained provide several lessonswhich shouldbeborne inmindwhendesigning a commercial e-strategy. Firstly, it canbeobserved that Internet popularity and search engine positioning facilitate entry to practically inaccessiblemarkets. Secondly, the navigability makes users feel comfortable and secure when browsing it, which increases the probability of a transaction being completed. Finally, the information provided on the website must be accurate, informative, updated and relevant to customers’ requirements. Like Aceros de Hispania, any company, thanks to the Internet, will be able to overcome the barriers whichwould impede its successful worldwide development in the offline market. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.