INSC
20263



Information
Systems
in
eEnterprise


Palladium Mountain Resort

Project
Proposal

submitted to

Dr. Beata Jones

By:
Brett Anderson
Riley Kiltz
Walter Sanders III
Christal Strong
1. Industry overview, based on library research (include sources):

According to IBISWorld, the primary activities associated with the ski and snowboard resort industries
include skiing facilities and ski lift operations. The major products or services are lift tickets, food and
drink sales, ski and snowboard instruction, season pass sales, merchandise sales, equipment rental, and
lodging. According to Hoovers, about 60 percent of revenue comes from usage and admission fees. The
ski industry is very dependent on factors outside of company control. Ski tourism is, of course, seasonally
based, with most business occurring between the months of November and April.

Hoovers.com also offers a very detailed description of the ski facilities industry. According to Hoovers,
demand in the industry is powered by good snow conditions and personal income. It is a highly
competitive industry, and profitability depends on effective marketing and efficient operations. Large
companies have the advantage, as the 50 largest firms generate about 80 percent of the revenue in the US,
but small companies can be successful by catering to local populations and providing customized
services. Approximately 40 percent of ski areas only open during the winter months, according to
Hoovers.

Facility costs in the industry can be expensive, with snowmaking machinery costing over $1 million US.
Therefore, many small companies can’t afford these operations. Hoovers explains that ski resorts rely
heavily on technology, especially for marketing, sales, and operations. Websites offer information about
the resort and ticket purchasing. On site, technology is used for scanning lift tickets, tracking resort
activity, and operating activities such as lifts.

There are over three dozen ski areas in British Columbia, according to the Econoguide ‘99-‘00 Ski and
Snowboard America, which rated Whistler Resort as the #1 Ski Resort in the West. Econoguide reports
that Whistler is about a 2-½ hour drive from Vancouver, with 14 lifts and 3,657 skiable acres. Alberta is
also home to a large amount of ski areas, as Calgary serves as the gateway to half a dozen world-class ski
areas, according to Econoguide.

2. Perform a detailed Porter's Five Forces analysis for your industry. Be sure to discuss entry
barriers and switching costs.

Power HIGH LOW Justify

X
Buyer Power As a result of many mountain resorts, the buying power is high.
Loyalty programs offered by other British Columbian resorts
make penetration into this market difficult. With the large
quantity of mountain resorts in Western Canada, tourism has
overwhelmed the region. Our newly developed ski area will cater
to the needs of local and more advanced skiers and
snowboarders. By drawing from this demographic of winter
sports enthusiasts, our resort will provide a unique skiing
experience for these experts.

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 X
Supplier Power Our industry requires a large amount of goods along with
multiple suppliers. We expect to purchase used and overstocked
bulk equipment from multiple suppliers, such as nearby ski areas
and manufacturing plants. By purchasing our supplies from the
local area, our shipping expenses will naturally be lower.

Threat of Substitute X Since our mountain caters to the expert skier and rider, the threat
Products or Services of substitutes in the British Columbia area for the customers is
limited. Although there are a large amount of substitutes for
family-oriented vacations, the expert or local skier is unlikely to
look elsewhere. To sustain customer retention, each year that a
customer returns to our resort, he or she will receive a free one-
day lift ticket (If they are able to present their ski pass from the
previous year).

X
Threat of New Because the prime locations for skiable terrain are difficult to
Entrants find, new ski resorts are uncommon. Establishing a resort
requires a large amount of capital and marketing to make an
entrance into the industry. Many customers have loyalties to
preexisting competitors, so investors are unlikely to find a new
resort financially viable. We recognize that this will be our most
difficult obstacle to overcome. Therefore, in order to enter the
mountain resort industry successfully, our company will
implement effective marketing strategies.

X
Rivalry Among The mountain resort industry is a highly competitive market. The
Existing large amount of suppliers of similar skiing services in British
Competitors Columbia makes competitive pricing and marketing strategies
essential. By using local supplies and manufactured products on
our mountain, the pricing of our lift tickets will be significantly
lower than the more commercialized resorts in the area.
Advanced skiers irritated with these overcrowded mountains will
transfer loyalty to our resort.

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3. Description of the competitive environment that is relevant to the use of the Web by the industry.

Competitive Force … and their Web Usage within the Industry

Customers will use the Web to search the different opportunities
available when trying to plan a ski vacation. While comparing the
Customers different websites that they visit, they are able to make a decision on
their destination. Customers will also be looking for discounted prices,
which could benefit our company. The high season and low season for
visitation will also decipher when many customers will be visiting our
website to plan their trip.

While a lot of our success depends on the amount of snow in our area
(which changes form year to year), we will also have to have many
Suppliers suppliers for the beginning of our resort. The Web is not particularly
relevant to the use of our website because with the formation of a new
ski resort we will be contacting the suppliers rather than they suppliers
contacting us.

While new entrants have an advantage because they are able to analyze
their competitors before actually entering the force, they are also at a
New Entrants disadvantage when trying to figure out exactly what it is that the
customers are looking for. For the Web industry, new entrants will use
the web to market and advertise to potential new customers.

Our competitors will utilize the web to compare different ski resorts in
order to improve their websites in the future. If a competitor were to visit
Competitors our website and see that we have a deal for “Ski five days, get a sixth
day free,” then that competitor might feel compelled to do the same. Our
company will have to use the Internet in the same way to learn our
competitors.

The web will facilitate substitute products when a potential customer

searches the web for “vacations” while not specifying what type of
Substitute Products vacation. Our customers will relate to other skiing areas along with
beach resorts all over the world.

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4. Using what you have learned about good/bad web design in class and using class notes, please
identify: four web sites in your industry that you believe are ‘good’ and four that you consider
‘poorly designed.’ (Each individual researches two companies.)
Company Name Whistler Blackcomb
Web Site’s URL http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/index.htm
Individual skiers and snowboarders or families
Site’s looking for a family ski/snowboard vacation.
Target This is a well-known ski area (especially with
Audience the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver), which will
bring customers from all over the world.
The site’s purpose is not only to inform but
also to provide vacation planning with rentals
Site’s Purpose online.
Good? (Yes/No) Yes
The homepage has a top navigation with drop
down menus that give the customers easy
access to find what he or she is looking for.
The top navigation also includes a weather and
snow base update. Along with the top
navigation, there is also a search bar where you
can find what you are looking for immediately.
Design elements from The text-based bottom navigation gives further
the lecture notes/lecture information about the company and also has
that contributed to a the links for social media networks, such as
Positive/Negative Facebook, Twitter, and a mobile device
impression application.
- provide at least 3 for
each site & explain; There is a vacation planner available to the
customer that compares different price dates.
Attach website The entire website has a consistent layout with
screenshots with an easy return to the home screen by clicking
discussed features on the main logo in the upper left hand corner
highlighted with
diigo.com or A good color scheme does not turn the
awesomehighlighter.com customer away and makes it easier to read the
important facts. The homepage also includes
online deals that will grab the customer’s eye
with advertisements that change daily.
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Alta
http://www.alta.com/
Alta’s target audience for their
website would be aimed mainly
towards skiers in the United
States. This mountain does not
allow snowboarders.
The site’s purpose is to inform the
customer along with the ability to
purchase tickets online, but no ski
rentals are available online.
No
The home pages image and
pictures were inconsistent in size
and of poor quality. We felt that
this would fail to grab the
customer’s attention and keep
them on the website.
There is no bottom text-based
navigation, which often includes
the last updated date, the social
media networks and copyrights.
There is no easy way to plan your
trip from the homepage. While
there is a link to guide you to
where you could plan your trip,
from this website you are not able
to rent your skis online.
“Fresh Alta News” does not
contain information that would be
relevant for ski customers. This
bordered text-box is not appealing
for someone that is visiting the
website. While it starts off with
notes of different news, each
bullet will stop in the middle of a
sentence.
A great top navigation along with a good home icon that This homepage is too cluttered and the picture size and
will always bring you back to the homepage helps make quality is inconsistent.
this ski resort website good. The search engine at the top
makes finding information easier. The background
pictures are a slideshow of pictures that catch the eye.

There is too much unused white space at the bottom of

the home page, which does also not have bottom text-
based navigation or a last updated date
There are several online advertisements that attract
customers with price and a beautiful picture.

The drop down quality from the top navigation makes it

easy for the customer to find what he or she is looking
for. Weather and snow updates are also located at the
top of the homepage.
This bordered box of “Fresh Alta News” does not
contain information that is relevant for what many
customers are seeking. The information for each bullet
also cuts off in the middle of sentences.

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 Company Name Red Mountain Resort Sugar Mountain Resort

Web Site’s URL http://www.redresort.com/ www.skisugar.com

This resort targets a younger audience of The resort targets a young audience as
Site’s all skill levels. They target families and well as an older audience (70+).
Target college students especially.
Audience

To inform customers about the services To promote their business and all the
and products they offer. The site’s services and events they offer
Site’s Purpose purpose is also to try to convince the
viewers that this is a great spot to take a
vacation.

Good? (Yes/No) Yes No

This homepage as well as the There is a lot of empty space that could
corresponding pages are all at 1 to 1.5 be filled with advertisement of future or
screens long. This allows viewers the current events.
ability to scan the page easily and find
the information they desire quickly. There is not a good balance between
Design elements from
words and pictures. The design lacks
the lecture notes/lecture any creative appeal.
Red Mountain keeps the empty space to
that contributed to a
a minimum, allowing the company to
Positive/Negative maximize the amount of information The page’s length is not compensated
impression they advertise on their site. with information and creates more
- provide at least 3 for unfilled space.
each site & explain The picture slideshow and other images
Color scheme is not very youth friendly.
were adequate to keep the viewer's
attention. The pictures are all relevant
Attach website and they allow the viewers to see
screenshots with different sides to the mountain.
discussed features
highlighted with
diigo.com or
awesomehighlighter.com

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The navigation tool bar is conveniently
located at both the top and the bottom of the
website (highlighted). The information is
easy to find and the dropdown menus makes
information easier to locate.
There is a lack of balance between words
and pictures. The top of the page is very
busy.

Unused space is kept to a minimum and There is a lot of unused space in the
the pictures and color scheme make the bottom half of the home page with few
website more attractive. supporting text or pictures.

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 Sun Peaks Resort Kicking Horse Resort
Company Name

http://www.sunpeaksresort.com/ http://www.kickinghorseresort.com/
Web Site’s URL

Potential ski customers in British Potential ski customers in British

Site’s Columbia, specifically looking to learn Columbia, specifically looking to learn
Target more about the ski area and resort. more about the ski area and resort.
Audience

To provide all the vital information To provide customers with information

about Sun Peaks Resort and to convince about Kicking Horse and to convince
Site’s Purpose potential customers to visit the resort. potential customers to visit.

Good? (Yes/No) Yes No

There is a top navigation bar with a This website is lacking a large amount
search bar, which makes navigation of important elements. A top navigation
throughout the site very easy and bar is not immediately accessible, there
Design elements from noticeable. A header at the top with is no header and footer with important
social networking links and current links, and many text items are difficult
the lecture notes/lecture
mountain statistics is used, as well as a to read. There is also no current
that contributed to a footer with bottom text based mountain information and no online
Positive/Negative navigation. There is also a box to book booking option from the homepage.
impression a vacation online. Other elements that The meanings of many of the links on
- provide at least 3 for the site features are a large image the page are also very unclear.
each site & explain banner, the first aspect the eye catches,
and effective use of color and font
variation.
Attach website
screenshots with
discussed features
highlighted with
diigo.com or
awesomehighlighter.com

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 Examples of color usage and varying fonts

Full screen shot of homepage, highlighting the lack of a

navigation bar

This is the most prominent box on the homepage with

Full screen view with large image banner highlighted. a very unclear meaning. The text doesn’t provide the
visitor with any helpful information.

Bottom right corner of the homepage highlighting text Book your vacation online box in bottom right
that is difficult to read. It is small and turned on its side. corner of homepage

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 Company Name Mammoth Mountain
Web Site’s URL http://www.mammothmountain.com/
Site’s This site is geared towards local skiers
Target and college-aged winter sport
Audience enthusiasts.
To promote their mountain resort to a
Site’s Purpose younger-aged group of potential
customers
Good? (Yes/No) Yes
The navigation is located conveniently
at the top of the webpage. Its design
allows users to easily see the most
visited parts of the page quickly.
Design elements from
Whether their users want to plan a
the lecture notes/lecture vacation or search for reality, this
that contributed to a navigation bar provides for their needs.
Positive/Negative
impression Mammoth Mountain’s website color
- provide at least 3 for scheme is easy on users’ eyes. The fade
each site & explain from dark blue to white implies the
mountain’s snowy atmosphere, and the
important icons are contrasted with a
Attach website light brown.
screenshots with
The webpage is separated into two
discussed features sections. The first main section shows
highlighted with the navigation and main picture display.
diigo.com or With a half page scroll, another section
awesomehighlighter.com reveals local events and a trip planner
for visiting parties.
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Monarch Mountain
http://www.skimonarch.com/
Monarch targets large families and
often less experienced skiers.
To appeal to large families through the
use of bright colors and large pictures
No
The amount of icons moving upon
entering the website is overwhelming.
This movement distracts users from the
highest priority links. By reducing the
number of moving parts, the website
would improve greatly
Monarch Mountain’s navigation is sub-
par. Not only is it located at the bottom
of the website, but it is difficult to
move a cursor over to the multiple
links. The horizontal expansion of links
can frustrate users if it is not run
correctly.
Although the inference of snow
explains Monarch Mountain’s
reasoning for the white color scheme, it
is uncreative and too bright. It is
difficult to tell when the page ends and
useless white space begins.
 The bottom location of the navigation bar
The main navigation bar is located at the top of
is unnatural to web users. In order to cater
the page. The live weather update box informs
to the customers’ needs, Monarch should
users of the slope condition. Finally, the bottom
relocate this function.
section informs users of upcoming events.

In the lower part of his page, an extensive

amount of white space is unused

This window shows the drop down feature

to other links from the navigation bar.

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5. Industry ‘key competitors’ (Select four of the well designed websites from the previous section and
have each individual research their company in more depth. Include your perceptions/opinions in
this section.)

Competitor’s name and URL of the How (what features?) What are their What are their
web site are they using on the most effective most ineffective
web? or unique ways ways of using
of using the the web?
web?
Whistler Blackcomb The top navigation They use their While the top
makes it easy for the home screen as navigation is
http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/inde customers to find what a slideshow of designed great
x.htm they are looking for. If different for this website,
you can not easily find pictures of the there is also
it right on the area. You are another top
homepage, then there able to view navigation,
is a search box at the pictures and which crowds
top right that only videos to get a the top of the
makes using the better idea of page. The
website easier. The what the information
social networking atmosphere is would be better
links are located in the actually like in fitted as part of
bottom text-based Whistler. The the bottom text-
navigation and include pictures also based navigation
Facebook and Twitter, allow customers
along with a mobile to see other
application for phones. opportunities in
The simple color the different
scheme is consistent seasons
throughout the
website, which really
allows customers to
see what they are
looking for.
Red Mountain Resort Red Mountain Resort The color Though the
uses simple navigation scheme and the navigation tool
http://www.redresort.com/ tools, images, pictures help to is great, the font
consistent color attract people to size needs to be
scheme, social research further bigger. The
networking links, into the site. The home page
calendar of events, and top navigation contains a lot of
weather and bar is well advertisements
temperature forecast. organized and and information
informative, as that should be
seen through the left off of the
utilization of the home page to

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 drop down make room for
menu. The highlighting
header contains some of their
convenient bigger events
application such and programs.
as the weather
panel and the
social
networking
links. There is
also a video on
the site that
allows the
viewers to
witness a real
resort
experience.
Sun Peaks Resort Sun Peaks’ website The most Sun Peaks could
home page includes a effective make
http://www.sunpeaksresort.com/ box to book your features of this accessibility to
vacation online, website are the upcoming events
current weather and boxes for easier, possibly
snow conditions, current including a
social networking mountain quick link to an
links, and links to conditions, event calendar.
current news and booking a Also, the
events. Also included vacation online, website should
are a top navigation and the main be used to
bar, a search bar, photo images. promote deals
header and footer, a The site is very and values to
large image banner, effectively customers, as
and effective use of organized with only one small
color. boxes and box shows a
menus, and the special deal.
color and text
makes it very
aesthetically
appealing.
Mammoth Mountain The navigation bar is The resort The icons at the
the initial feature seen website not only top of the page
http://www.mammothmountain.com/ by the user upon facilitates (above the
entering the site. It information navigation bar)
directs the user to about the skiing have the
multiple helpful links area, but also potential to
in the website. about the rest of confuse a new
Another important the town. customer.
feature is an eye- Mammoth Mammoth could
pleasing color scheme. Mountain improve their
This part of website identifies that site management
development appeals potential by moving these
to the senses and customers will links elsewhere.

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 perceptions of the spend a large Once the extra
potential customer. amount of their links are
Finally, networking time in the removed, the
links like Twitter, closest town. navigation bar
Facebook, and RSS Therefore, their will be the sole
keep the customer website informs icon at the top of
linked to the resort. users of the screen.
Updates and upcoming
information events and other
communication can be attractions
streamlined through within
the use of these sites. Mammoth.

6. Industry Key Competitors - Web Site Ratings

(Be sure to come up with three more criteria on your own.)

Company Website Ease of Site Quality Professionalism Social Overall

Name Content Navigation Appearance of Networking
Images
Whistler 8 7 8 9 8 6 46
Blackcomb
Red 8 7 6 7 7 7 39
Mountain
Resort
Sun Peaks 10 9 9 10 9 8 55
Resort
Mammoth 8 7 9 8 9 8 49

Legend: 1-10, 1 being the lowest score, 10 being the highest possible. Overall out of 60.

Company#1: Whistler Blackcomb

Rating Explanation of Rating

Website Content 8—While there is very little text content on the home page, the top navigation
easily leads the customers to the information that they are looking for. This
website is simple, but it also displays all of the information necessary to plan a
vacation to Whistler.
Ease of Navigation 7—There is a top navigation that had drop-down boxes that separate activities
and information. While there is no side navigation, there is a search box at the
top of the homepage which will search the entire website. Along with these two
main features, the bottom text-based navigation leads to the social media links
which can give further information of the ski resort and even provide the ability
to see the opinions of other people. The homepage also provides the opportunity

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 to buy lift tickets as well as rent equipment for a vacation.
Site Appearance 8—The color scheme is not too overpowering for this website with the grays and
reds. The color scheme is also consistent through the entire website which does
not lead the customer to think that he or she has left the resort website. The
pictures found on each page are clear and not too overbearing. They give the
customer a visual of what they could see through the ability to access different
links to pictures and cameras (including live cameras)
Quality Of Images 9—The image quality on the homepage is very high, along with the consistency
of quality on other pages of the website. They are easy for the viewer to see and
show the customer a real life image of what it would be like to ski at Whistler
Blackcomb
Professionalism 8—We felt like the professionalism for Whistler really stood out above other
website that we viewed. Everything was consistent throughout every page which
did not lead to any confusion when going from page to page.
Social Networking 6—The social media networking is very well distributed for this website. There
are links to Facebook, Twitter, and mobile applications to download. These are
good applications to have on a website to draw different generations through the
Web. The fact that they are at the bottom is not too overbearing on the rest of the
website.

Company #2: Red Mountain Resort

Rating Explanation of Rating

Website Content 8— Red Mountain Resort's website is very easy to read and its design is very up
to date. The site contains answers to all the questions a customer wants to know
within the navigation toolbar as well as on the homepage. The site contains a
calendar of events, weather and temperature forecast, videos, and images, and
ads highlighting current specials.
Ease of Navigation 7—The navigation bar presented at the top and bottom of the screen are easily
identifiable; however, they are a little small. Any information you are looking for
can be located on the navigation bar. The pages that the bar directs you to are
kept on an average of one page, which makes the information even more
accessible.
Site Appearance 7—It looks recently renovated and the color scheme is very effective for
targeting a youthful audience. Although the home page contains pictures and a
video, the images add to the site appeal.
Quality Of Images 7—The picture slideshow located at the top of the page helps to advertise
upcoming events. The video also helps to showcase a authentic view of the
resort.
Professionalism 7—The site maintains its professionalism throughout every page. It solidifies its
authenticity through the copyright information and photo credits. There are no
flashy or distracting images, and the website has consistent color scheme and
layout throughout every page.
Social Networking 7 –The site contains four different mediums of social networking: Facebook,
Twitter, YouTube, and RSS feed. They are located at the top of the site and they
are big enough for people to identify them, but possibly distracting to the rest of
the content.

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Company #3: Sun Peaks Resort

Rating Explanation of Rating

Website Content 10—The website includes everything a visitor could hope to know about Sun
Peaks. The home page includes a report of the current weather conditions, a
“Book Your Vacation” box, and links to important news and events occurring on
the mountain. The top navigation bar features well organized categories with
links to all information on the site and a search bar. The footer includes all
important information such as phone number, copyright and ownership
information, and links to administrative information.
Ease of Navigation 9—Navigation is very simple throughout the entire site. The main navigation bar
features links to all the important information on the site, and it is easy to
determine what each subtitle links to. Within each section, a side bar appears
with links to each subsection. The search option is also very helpful. The only
addition that could make navigation even easier would be the inclusion of a side
navigation bar on the home page with links to the most popular links.
Site Appearance 9—This website is very aesthetically appeasing. A large picture that stretches the
width of the screen is the first aspect the eye notices. There is limited white space
on the site, and it is organized neatly with boxes for each aspect. The header
includes the resort logo, current weather conditions, and other links, while the
footer is also neatly organized. The home page requires the visitor to only scroll
down slightly to see more information. One suggestion to add to the site
appearance would be to revamp the company logo. Currently, the logo is very
small and located only in the top left corner of the screen. A larger and higher
quality graphic would certainly add to the appearance. The use of color is also
highly effective; with certain links including color, but not overwhelming.
Quality of Images 10—The primary graphic on the page takes up a large percentage of the home
page. This graphic features pictures of the resort, and the photos change
approximately every 5 seconds. It also has a link to a photo gallery. The home
page includes other small images in links to other pages within the site. Each
different section and subsection features a large graphic at the top of the page,
and other photos on the page.
Professional 9—This site includes all the important information to present the resort as a
professional organization. It includes important content such as an online
booking option, information about copyrights and ownership, and contact
information. The overall appearance of the site is very professional, with high
quality images, use of color and fonts. The only aspect that could make the site
appear more professional would be a larger, higher quality logo. The logo
graphic is very small, slightly out of focus, and not extremely prominent on the
page.
Social Networking 8—Sun Peaks includes links on its website to social networking sites Facebook
and Twitter. These images are seen in the header at the top of each page on the
site. The simple inclusion of these links is important, and the location of them in
the header is highly effective. However, each graphic is fairly small and not
highly visible. Larger and more visible images would cause visitors to be more
likely to visit these social networking sites, when currently, they simply blend in.

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Company #4: Mammoth Mountain Resort

Rating Explanation of Rating

Website Content 8—This site ranks as one of our most impressive resort page. The key to scoring
well begins with website content. Website content makes it user friendly and
caters to the needs of their target audience. Most needs imaginable for those
seeking a ski vacation or information on Mammoth Mountain are managed
effectively.
Ease of Navigation 7—The navigation bar was located conveniently at the top of the webpage. The
drop down function from the bar helped users move through the website
conveniently. All of the links were well described, and if a user needed to make
his or her way back to the original page, it was well facilitated by the main logo
in the top-left corner.
Site Appearance 9—The overall site appearance was excellent. The color scheme was
aesthetically pleasing, and the pictures chosen for each page on their website
identified well with the subject topic. Also, the limited number moving objects
within the site kept the user from being distracted or overwhelmed. The overall
feel focuses on their college-aged audience.
Quality of Images 8—Although the main display features a large picture, the slide show function is
limited. Providing more images to circulate through on the front display would
have given this website a higher score. In order to score well, Mammoth would
need to feature multiple parts of their mountain.
Professionalism 9—A scale to critique website networking is often difficult to determine. The
networking link must be easily visible from the main page, but the number of
links cannot be superfluous. A modest number of links allows users to connect to
the resort without being overwhelming.
Social Networking 8—Overall, the professionalism of the website is adequate for their audience.
Mammoth’s target audience is college-aged; therefore, they design their website
accordingly. A corporate, more professional feel could turn away potential
customers because of their perceptions of the mountain resort. Because
Mammoth effectively manages their online site in a professional manner, their
score is high.

7. The industry’s strengths and weaknesses in regard to the effective use of the web?(at least 3 each)

Strengths Weaknesses
1. The opportunity to purchase your lift tickets 1. Websites weaknesses start with animation and
online. falling snow which is not professional are a

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2. Current weather information and snow reports
for the mountain.
3. The availability to view upcoming events for the
surrounding area and resort news.
4. A good color scheme that goes along with what
our website is aimed towards, along with pictures
that are not too overpowering, but at the same time
the pictures show the customer what they would
see if they came to ski at our resort.
customer visiting a website to plan a vacation
2. There should not be an inconsistency throughout
the website as a whole. Websites show their
weakness when they do not have consistent page
layouts and color schemes from page to page of the
entire website.
3. Websites can be difficult to navigate throughout
the site, especially without a top navigation that
contains drop menu options. Menu bar options
should be as specific as possible in order to help the
customer navigate their needs.

8. Proposed website enhancements for the industry(at least 3 each):

i. What type of information would you recommend they add to their websites?

To give customers a better sense of belonging, we suggest that each site add a virtual
tour of the slope path. This will allow customers to see the beauty of the resort as well
as judge the difficulty of the slopes before they attempt to ski on them. We also feel
that the websites should add boxes for advertising current deals and promoting current
and future events. This will keep customers informed and serve as a promotion and
advertisement for the companies, thus increasing attendance and support. It would also
be helpful if the website offered links to local traveling agencies, airports and cab
services. This would increase customer/client relations as well as make the experience
for the customers more enjoyable.

ii. What modifications would you recommend to their web design?

We suggest that companies make sure all fonts are aesthetically pleasing for all visitors
who enter the site. They need to ensure that all web pages, sections, and subsections are
consistent throughout the entire site. Also, it is essential that the site does not need to
take significant time to scroll through. This will assist customers in finding information
quickly.

9. Name of the company that you propose to create and its geographic location:

Our team would like to create Palladium Mountain Resort, located in Southeastern British Columbia
(near Revelstoke, BC), which is in the Mountain Resort segment of the ski industry.

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10. Detailed description of the proposed new business, including mission/goals, services and products
it will offer, size, etc.

Palladium Ski Resort is a ski resort focused on the actual mountain experience. Our services and
products consist of the ski area itself. Primarily, our product is a lift ticket, which includes the ski lifts
and runs for our customers to enjoy. Accompanying this basic need, Palladium will include dining
services, ski patrol services, and other on-mountain activities. The actual product that is sold will be a
lift ticket; however, Palladium will supply all the necessary services to provide the customer with the
best ski experience on the mountain.

Our mission is to provide a high-intensity winter mountain destination, primarily geared towards
experienced skiers and riders hoping to escape the large corporate resort environment, by maintaining
a real connection to the local area. Our goal is to become the most popular ski area for advanced to
expert skiers and riders not only in the British Columbia/Alberta area, but the greater North American
continent.

11. Determine which of Porter's Three Generic Strategies you will use as you build your company for
the 21st century. Explain your answer.

Palladium Mountain will use a differentiation strategy in order to achieve the highest profits. Because
big-name ski areas like Whistler, Vail, and Jackson Hole overwhelm the mountain resort industry,
Palladium must offer unique services to separate our company from historically popular resorts.
Alternate services such as snow cat transportation to extreme terrain and inexpensive heli-ski access
will attract expert skiers to Palladium. Our resort will not only be a product differentiator, but it will
offer lower prices. By providing an economic friendly resort, Palladium will appeal to frequently
active skiers. Through both product and price differentiation, our new British Columbian resort will
find its market niche.

12. Discuss the many eBusiness strategies that your company could use to increase revenue and
decrease cost.

A. Company web site’s target audience – who will use the website (internally and externally), for
what purpose and where are they located geographically?

Our website’s target audience will be aimed towards the more advanced skiers along with a local
crowd. The terrain will be more difficult that many places, which makes our Resort not a great
place for beginner skiers. Families will enjoy skiing here as long as there is experience by
everyone. People will be using our website to: 1) Decide that our Resort is where they would like
to ski or snowboard, and 2) Purchase tickets and reserve skis and snowboards for their vacation.
Internally, we will use the website to update different promotions and price changes for our
customers to see. The weather and snow tracker will have to be update daily. As the managers of
the website, we will also have to use the website internally as a means to track who has paid for
their vacation and how many people will be estimated for a time. The geographical location of
our target audience will range from local skiers in the Canada area to customers from all over

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 Canada and the United States. Our resort is located fairly close to two big cities in Canada, which
gives customers the opportunity to decide to where they would like to fly.

B. Company’s website purpose:

The main purpose of our website is to show that the quality location of our resort provides great
ski service by allowing customers to buy their lift tickets and rent their skis or snowboards at the
same time that they book their trip.

C. Company’s primary usage of the web

a. Is the primary use going to be informational or transactional or both? Justify.

The primary use of our website will be both informational and transactional. While our
website will demonstrate the advantages of skiing at our resort, customers will also be
able to plan their vacation and rent their equipment on our website.

b. What pages will be found on the website? Please list major sections of the site.

The major pages of our site will be “Plan Your Vacation”, “Events/Activities,” “The
Mountain,” “Rentals/Lessons,” and “Photos/Videos.” Many subsections will be included
under each in the drop-down navigation bar.

c. Is the website primarily for B2B (business to business) or B2C (business to consumer) or
both? Justify.

The website is primarily for Business to Consumer (B2C). We are the business and our
consumers will be individuals or families who are planning a vacation to our resort.

D. How can an eBusiness strategy help your company attract customers and increase sales?

Through forming business relationships with multiple intermediaries, Palladium can increase its
total sales. Intermediaries bring together buyers and sellers, or in our case, skiers and resorts.
Travel-facilitating websites and search engines can provide increased visibility to potential
customers for Palladium as well.

E. How could eBusiness strategy help customer service?

Potential customers of Palladium have specific wants and needs. Information such as weather
updates, snow condition reports, and ski run openings can be facilitated through eBusiness.
Customer service is key to a differentiation strategy. Furthermore, because our alternate services

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 increase the amount of interaction with patrons, our service is critical to customer retention. By
using our website and other technology effectively, Palladium can provide quality service though
the internet.

F. How could you use an eBusiness strategy to partner with suppliers?

In order to fully integrate our company and our suppliers, we will use e-procurement. This
strategy uses the Internet to facilitate the purchase and sale of supplies over the internet. Because
the materials needed to run our resort do not need interpersonal interaction with suppliers, the use
of technology is essential. E-procurement will facilitate an efficient way to link us to the suppliers
necessary to run Palladium Mountain Resort.

G. How could a portal help your employees?

A ski resort portal could be helpful to our employees. This would allow our employees to
research information around the industry to determine pricing, and possibly consider ideas for
new services. Also, a portal could be a very good opportunity for purchasing equipment from
suppliers, as well as selling used equipment to other companies in the industry.

H. How could a kiosk help your business?

A kiosk could definitely be helpful for our business. Placing a computer system in the main
mountain lodge with access to the Internet could be very beneficial to customers. Customers
could research current mountain statistics, trail maps, ticket purchasing information, and other
helpful information. This would allow customers to feel more connected to the ski area, to be
more comfortable on the mountain, and discover services they may not have been familiar with
that Palladium can provide. Kiosks can also be located away from the ski area for customers to
purchase lift tickets in advance. These potential locations could include grocery stores, ski shops,
and hotels.

I. What types of metrics would you want to track on your eBusiness Web site? Be sure to justify
your answers.

We would want to track interactivity measurers for our website. We would want to know the
number of visitors we receive, how long a visitor spends on the site, how many pages they view,
and how often they return to the site. These are important for advertisers, but also for our own
benefit. We could compare how decisions we make influence our site visitors, such as marketing
promotions, changes to the website, advertising, and more. Tracking clickstream data would also
allow us to analyze the effectiveness of our site design by knowing how visitors navigate through
the site. Cookies, click-through, and banner ads are all possible metrics that could help us
measure our site effectiveness.

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Appendix: Storyboard for your new company’s website homepage

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 Works Cited

"Industry Overview: Ski Facilities." Hoovers: A D&G Company. First Research, Web. 22 Feb 2010.

<http://www.hoovers.com/ski-facilities/--ID__261--/free-ind-fr-profile-basic.xhtml>.

Sandler, Corey. Ski and Snowboard America. Lincolnwood, IL: NTC Contemporary, 2000. 176-271.

Print.

"US Ski & Snowboard Industry Market Research Report." IBIS World. Web. 22 Feb 2010.

<http://www.ibisworld.com/industry/default.aspx?indid=1653>.

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