Course Syllabus
Note: This course code has changed from MKT 250 to MKT 353. You may occasionally see references to the old course code or title.
Course Description
In this course, you will go through the necessary steps to select, build, and launch an actual web-based business. You will use current industry practices and products to design, host, and market your web business. You will be taught how to choose the appropriate legal structure and the basic rules and regulations you need to comply with. You will use pay-per-click, search engine optimization, and social networking to drive traffic to the business. You will optimize your ad campaigns and websites to increase your success with each improvement. The web business and the pay-per-click campaign will be evaluated at the end of the semester to determine how much you learned from your experience about how to increase the success of the web business.
Required Materials
- A textbook is not required for this class. Due to the quick-changing nature of web business technology, this course uses material found online.
- You are encouraged to bookmark the sites you find most useful so you can easily return to these resources after the course concludes.
- Most of the material you need will be provided in the course. You will locate some of the material on your own, just as you will do as a professional in the workplace.
- Hosting for the semester (Website and domain name) will cost about $40.
- IMPORTANT: A meaningful activity in this course is when you explore hosting options and choose one to purchase and use. If you are not able to make online purchases or must purchase your course materials through the BYU-I University Store, go ahead and purchase the hosting through the University Store. Otherwise, wait to purchase a domain name or web hosting service until you learn about it later in the semester.
- The Adwords Campaign will cost about $50.
- You will purchase this online and pay for it later in the semester as directed in assignment instructions.
Course Objectives
If you successfully complete the course, you will:
- Be able to systematically choose between numerous online business ideas.
- Create an online business including building the website, choosing a host and domain name.
- Have an understanding of administrative and tax issues that the students will have to address in starting an online business.
- Development and run a search engine pay per click campaign.
- Have an understanding of the main components of search engine optimization.
- Install and use web analytics to help track the success of marketing efforts for the online business.
Basic Expectations
Your study and participation is critical to your success. In this course, you will complete five projects that incrementally lead to the final product of your web-business. To help you be successful in building and running your own web-based business, you will also study websites and articles to spark ideas and teach you how to implement the best solution for your business. Based on your study, you will write some essays and have many discussions with your classmates. Remember, your study and participation is critical to your success.
To be successful in the course, you need to be engaged nearly every day. Due dates occur throughout the week — not only at the end of the week.
Time Commitment
It is expected that for every credit hour, you can expect to spend 3 hours of work per week. This course is a 3-credit course. Therefore you should plan on spending at least 9 hours per week. You may need to spend more or less time, depending upon your personal circumstances and learning preferences.
Course Structure
Weekly Topics
- Week 01 — Course Introduction
- Week 02 — Choosing a Business
- Week 03 — Sourcing the Product
- Week 04 — Site Builder & Hosting
- Week 05 — Site Design
- Week 06 — Legal Structure
- Week 07 — AdWords & Keywords
- Week 08 — Ads
- Week 09 — Relevance & Quality Score
- Week 10 — ROI & Optimizing Ad Performance
- Week 11 — Landing Page Optimization & Basic SEO
- Week 12 — Social Media for SEO & Social Networking
- Week 13 — Ranking, Link Building & Google Analytics
- Week 14 — Final Presentation
Due Date Patterns
This table displays the due date pattern of most weeks of the course. See the Calendar for specific deadlines.
| Early in the Week |
|
|---|---|
| Midweek |
|
| End of Week |
|
Project Due Dates
- Project 1: Choose a Product
- Start in Week 02
- Finish and due in Week 04
- Project 2: Create Your Website
- Start in Week 04
- Due in Week 06
- Project 3: Start a Google AdWords Campaign
- Start in Week 09
- Due in Week 10
- Project 4: Google AdWords Optimization
- Start in Week 10
- Due in Week 12
- Project 5: Optimize Your Website
- Start and due in Week 13
- Project 6: Final Presentation
- Start and due in Week 14
Course Policies
Grading Scale
Your grade will be based on the points you earn throughout the semester. At the end of the semester, there will be no rounding--if you earn an 89.999999%, you will receive a B+.
| A | 93% – 100% |
| A- | 90% – 92% |
| B+ | 87% – 89% |
| B | 83% – 86% |
| B- | 80% – 82% |
| C+ | 77% – 79% |
| C | 73% – 76% |
| C- | 70% – 72% |
| D+ | 67% – 69% |
| D | 63% – 66% |
| D- | 60% – 62% |
| F | 59% and below |
Point Distribution
Your grade is based on the number of points earned divided by the total number of points possible. Use the Grades link to see specific information. Below are some general point values used in the course.
- Projects 1-4 and 6 are worth 100 points each. Project 5 is worth 50 points.
- Prepare assignments are worth 20 points each.
- Discussion boards are worth 15 points each.
- Weekly Reflections are worth 10 points each.
The table below shows each type of assignment in the course and estimates of the impact of each on your semester grade.
| Projects | 35% |
| Prepare Assignments | 30% |
| Discussion Boards | 23% |
| Weekly Reflections | 8% |
| Other | 4% |
| TOTAL | 100% |
Late Work
No work accepted more than one week late.
- Assignments that are late will be marked down 0.12% per hour past the deadline.
- If an assignment is late due to a medical emergency or family tragedy, contact your instructor.
- Due to the interactive nature of discussion activities, late discussion board posts will not be accepted for credit.
Participation
This course requires a lot of participation with your instructor and other students. To be successful, you will need to share ideas and consider other perspectives. Your classmates and instructor will provide valuable ideas as you strive to improve your web business. Therefore, your discussion posts must be 'significant' to be considered for credit. A significant post:
- Contains comments and information that contribute value to the conversation and moves the learning forward.
- Is comprised of at least 75 words (about 4 substantial sentences, no 'fluff').
Posts should also adhere to the Rules of Engagement for discussions. The Rules of Engagement and the discussion grading rubric are found on the individual discussion boards within the course.
University Policies
Students with Disabilities
Brigham Young University-Idaho is committed to providing a working and learning atmosphere that accommodates qualified persons with disabilities. If you have a disability and require accommodations, please contact the Disability Services Office at (208) 496-9210 or visit their website and follow the Steps for Receiving Accommodations. Reasonable academic accommodations are reviewed for all students who have qualified documented disabilities. Services are coordinated with students and instructors by the Disability Services Office.
This course may require synchronous meetings. If you are currently registered with the Disability Services Office and need an interpreter or transcriber for these meetings, please contact the deaf and hard of hearing coordinator at (208) 496-9219.
Other University Policies
Student Honor and Other Policies
Please read through the document called University Policies. It gives important information about the following topics:
- Student Honor
- Academic Honesty
- Student Conduct
- Sexual Harassment
- Student with Disabilities
- Complaints and Grievances
- Copyright Notice
Go to the Student Resources module to review further resources and information.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|