a single index, which can be used to compare similar websites easily and efficiently. However, this method
involves advanced statistical analysis of a large volume of questionnaires. Expertise in the field of
statistical analysis is crucial, in order for this method to have the desired results. Another disadvantage is
that the WebQual index is very useful, when it comes to comparing an e-commerce company with similar
companies of the same sector. The index is not as efficient when it comes to evaluating an e-business
against some criteria and not against other e-Businesses.
Based on the above research and by weighting the advantages and disadvantages of each method, it
was decided that a combination of the Heuristic evaluation method (Nielsen and Molich, 1990;
Nielsen,1992) and the Hygiene-Motivator model (Zhang and von Dran,2000) would be the best method to
follow in order to construct the evaluation criteria for the various IT employment websites, that currently
exist in the market. Heuristic evaluation is a cheap, easy and very popular method and can be easily applied
to find problems in similar websites. The Hygiene-Motivator model can provide valuable insight into what
the stakeholders regard as essential features for an IT employment website. This will eliminate the risk of
overlooking vital features in the design of the e-Business website. Finally, two of the four proposed value
drivers by Amit and Zott(2001), novelty and lock-in, will be used as additional criteria, because innovation
and user loyalty are regarded as important success factors for an e-Business. After constructing the list of
evaluation criteria, then a range of around 15-20 IT employment websites will be tested against this list. In
order to achieve more reliable results, the evaluation process will be repeated by a small number of
stakeholders, something that would help to highlight important issues and problems, that the stakeholders
identify in the websites. It would also provide valuable feedback for the formulation of the project’s eBusiness
proposal.
3.5.2. Market Research
The importance of market research in order to achieve the main objectives of this project has already
been mentioned. After evaluating similar websites and finding gaps in the market, it is essential to test the
viability of the project’s main idea against the market. As defined by ICC/Esomar(2007) “market research is
the systematic gathering and interpretation of information about individuals or organizations using the
statistical and analytical methods and techniques of the applied social sciences to gain insight or support
decision making”.
There is a variety of methods for conducting market research. Each one of them is suitable for
specific applications. The choice of the right method for a specific project is crucial. A presentation of the
available market research methods along with a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of each
one is presented below.