Improving the Visibility and the Accessibility of Web Services. A User-Centric Approach.
Creators: name: Drivas, Ioannis
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: 80704 Information Retrieval and Web Search
subject: FOS: Media and communications
subject: FOS: Media and communications
subject: Information Systems
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences
subject: 80609 Information Systems Management

description: The World Wide Web provides a well standing environment in any kind of organizations forexposing online products and services. However, no one ensures that web products or services whichprovided by organizations or enterprises, would receive the proper visibility and accessibility by theinternet users. The process of Search Engine Optimization examines usability in design, architectureand content that an internet-based system has, for improving its visibility and accessibility in the web.Successful SEO process in an internet-based system, which is set under the paternity of anorganization, ensures higher recognition, visibility and accessibility for the web services that thesystem provides to internet users.The aim of this study characterized with a trinity of axes. In the first axe, an internet-based systemand the web services that provides is examined in order to understand its initial situation regarding itsvisibility and accessibility in the web. In the second axe, the study follows a user-centric approach onhow and in what way the examined system could be improved based on its users’ needs and desires.After the encapsulation of needs and desires that the users expressed as regards the usability of thesystem in design, architecture and content, the third axe takes place. In the third axe, the extractedneeds and desires of users are implemented in the under-examined system, in order to understand if itsvisibility and accessibility has improved in the World Wide Web.For the completion of this trinity of axes, the Soft Systems Methodology approach is adopted.SSM is an action-oriented process of inquiry which deals with a problematic situation fromthe Finding Out about the situation through the Taking Action to improve it. Following aninterpretative research approach, ten semi-structured interviews take place in order to captureall the participants’ perceptions and different worldviews regarding of what are the changesthat they need and desire from the examined system. Moreover, in this study, the conductionof three Workshops, constitute a cornerstone for implementing systemically desirable andculturally feasible changes where all participants can live with, in order to improve system’svisibility and accessibility in the internet world.The results indicate that the adoption of participants’ needs and desires, improved thelevels of usability, visibility and accessibility of the under examined internet-based system.Overall, this study firstly contributes to expand the knowledge as regards the process ofimproving the visibility and accessibility of internet-based systems and their web services inthe internet world, based on a user-centric approach. Secondly, this study works as a practicaltoolbox for any kind of organization which intends to improve the visibility and accessibilityof its current or potential web services in the World Wide Web.