How to Write the EDB110 E-Commerce Report: Online Research, Audience and Delay

To write the EDB 110 e-commerce report, answer the four tasks in order: define online research and compare two survey types, contrast panel and log file measurement, explain two causes of Internet delay with two ways to manage perception of it, then apply all three tools to one chosen business. Define every term, give a reason for each point, and keep the same business in view throughout.

Unsure whether your plan covers every task? Our assignment review service can check your outline against the rubric before you write the full report.

What the EDB 110 brief asks

The individual assignment (20%, CLO 2) asks for a report on how online research and communication tools support online business activities. It is split into four tasks. Markers expect headed sections, not one continuous essay.

If you want to see these tasks worked through, our EDB 110 sample extract is for reference only and must not be submitted as your own work. You can also look through recently solved Malaysian assessment questions to see how similar briefs are broken down.

Step-by-step approach

1. Choose your business first. Pick a real online business you know, or invent a clearly labelled hypothetical one. A small online shop works well because you can reason about its surveys, traffic and page speed without needing private data.
2. Define online research in one tight paragraph. Say what it is, who does it and why an online business needs it. Cite a source such as Evans and Mathur (2005).
3. Pick two survey types that genuinely differ. A web-page survey and an e-mail survey differ in who responds and how much control the researcher has. State this difference in a small table.
4. Argue one quality issue properly. Sampling or coverage bias is the safest choice. Explain the problem, show its effect on your business, then give a remedy.
5. Compare panel and log file measurement on set dimensions. Use data source, coverage, demographics, weakness and best use.
6. Describe two audience analysis techniques. Link each to a marketing decision, such as where to spend an advertising budget or which checkout step to fix.
7. Separate causes of delay from perception tools. Congestion and server load are causes. Progress indicators and progressive loading change how the wait feels.
8. Apply, then conclude. Return to your chosen business for each tool and finish with a short summary of what the tools together achieve.

For help structuring a full management or business report, see our management assignment helper page.

Panel versus log file: a quick comparison

This is the part students find hardest, because both methods count audiences. The difference lies in where the data come from.

Delay: causes versus perception

Back your points with credible sources. Nielsen (1993) sets out the 0.1, 1 and 10 second response limits, and Google’s web.dev guidance gives measurable page-speed targets such as a Largest Contentful Paint of 2.5 seconds or less.

Short on time? Our homework helper page explains how we support students with guidance on tight deadlines.

A suggested report structure and word budget

A balanced layout stops one task swallowing the whole word count. The split below assumes a report of about 1,500 words and should be adjusted to your lecturer’s limit.

Write the application section last, even though it appears last in the report. By then you know which examples are strongest, and you can make sure each one echoes a concept already explained. A marker reading Task 4 should be able to point back to the exact earlier paragraph each idea came from.

Use short paragraphs, one idea each, and begin each with the point before giving the evidence. Where a diagram would help, such as a simple funnel showing where baskets are lost, include it and refer to it in the text rather than leaving it unexplained.

Mark-maximising checklist

• Every task has its own heading using the brief’s wording.
• Each term is defined before it is discussed.
• Exactly two of everything the brief says two of, no more and no fewer.
• At least one comparison table for panel vs log file.
• One business used from start to finish, labelled hypothetical if invented.
• Any figures you invent are marked as illustrative.
• In-text citations match a reference list in APA 7th style.
• Cover page, contents and consistent formatting included, as the brief requires a report format.

Common mistakes

• Describing surveys without discussing quality. The brief asks for an issue to be discussed, so state the problem and its consequence.
• Treating panel and log file as the same. Say clearly who is being measured in each.
• Confusing latency, bandwidth and congestion. Define the term you use.
• Listing delay fixes as perception techniques. Caching speeds a page up, whereas a progress bar changes how waiting feels.
• Using invented statistics as fact. Label them illustrative or cite a real source.

Common student questions and pain points

Students often ask whether they may invent a business, how many references are enough, and how to tell the difference between a source of delay and a technique for managing it. Others struggle to keep Task 4 specific rather than generic. The answers are in the FAQs below, and the main rule is to tie each tool to a decision the business would make.

You can read feedback from other students on our reviews page before deciding what support suits you.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a hypothetical business for Task 4?

Yes, the brief allows a real or hypothetical business. Label a hypothetical one clearly and mark any numbers as illustrative.

Which two survey types should I choose?

Choose two that differ in a way you can explain, such as a web-page survey and an e-mail survey. Compare who responds and how much control the researcher has.

What is a good survey-quality issue to discuss?

Sampling or coverage bias is a strong choice, as discussed in Couper (2000) and Wright (2005). Explain the cause, the effect on results and a remedy.

How do panel and log file measurement differ?

A panel observes a recruited sample of users across many sites. Log files record every request to your own server. One offers breadth and demographics, the other detail on a single site.

How many references does the report need?

The brief does not state a number, so check your lecturer’s guidance. Five to eight credible sources, formatted in APA 7th, is a sensible target for a college-level report.

Is a progress bar a way to reduce delay?

No. It does not make the system faster, but it manages how the delay is perceived. Myers (1985) found that users preferred systems that showed percent-done indicators.

About the expert

Questions like this are covered by Aina R., who holds a PhD in Marketing and Business Strategy from the University of Malaya, with listed specialisms in market research and consumer psychology.

If your draft needs a second pair of eyes, send it for a review through our IT assignment helper service, which offers guidance and model answers for technology-related coursework.

References

Couper, M. P. (2000). Web surveys: A review of issues and approaches. Public Opinion Quarterly, 64(4), 464–494. https://doi.org/10.1086/318641

Evans, J. R., & Mathur, A. (2005). The value of online surveys. Internet Research, 15(2), 195–219. https://doi.org/10.1108/10662240510590360

Google. (n.d.). Web Vitals. web.dev. https://web.dev/articles/vitals

Myers, B. A. (1985). The importance of percent-done progress indicators for computer-human interfaces. In Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI ’85) (pp. 11–17). ACM.

Nielsen, J. (1993). Response times: The 3 important limits. Nielsen Norman Group. https://www.nngroup.com/articles/response-times-3-important-limits/

Wright, K. B. (2005). Researching Internet-based populations: Advantages and disadvantages of online survey research, online questionnaire authoring software packages, and web survey services. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 10(3). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2005.tb00259.x