Methodology: Developing A Classified Ads Website For the Myanmar Community in Singapore

This research was conducted using a variety of methods. There were however three primary methods that were used. First, there was the use of a literature review. Literature that contained information relevant to this course was reviewed. In this case, only information that had been created within a period of 15 years was viewed as reliable and up-to-date. Other forms of information were seen as outdated and were therefore not used.

The second method used was the use of questionnaires. The questionnaire had various questions that revolved around the use of the internet and the impact of classifieds. The survey questions also covered other areas that would serve to show the impact of both the internet and classified ads on the lives of individuals. The questionnaire was extensive and its results could be used for purposes beyond the scope of this research project.

Thirdly, a classified ads website was created. This website would serve to improve the capability of the scope as well as the audience. The website helped this project in two major ways. First, the research was used to provide more insight on development of classifieds. It helped to tell which websites were more capable than others and which were not. Second, the website served in the distribution of questionnaires to a targeted audience. Everyone accessing the website was requested to complete the research survey questionnaires. The individuals who accessed the website were more targeted and provided more informed information than other people who completed the questionnaires.

Survey Questions

The questions are answerable in ten minutes. Where applicable, questions are to be answered on a range of 1 to five. In each case:

1 = strongly disagree

2 = Disagree

3 = Average

4 = agree

5 = strongly disagree

Personal Information

Name (Optional): __________________________________________________________

Sex.  Male                   Female

Marital status: Single              Married          Separated        Divorced         Widowed

Age: 20 – 30   30 – 40         40 – 50   50 – 60                        70 – 80

Level of education: Elementary                      High school     College            graduate college

Type of work: Unemployed                Part time                      Full time

Internet acquaintance

1. You use the internet at least once daily

1                      2                      3                      4                      5

• You have access to a payment method that allows you to shop online

1                      2                      3                      4                      5

• You have used your debit cards to shop online

1                      2                     3                      4                      5

• You have a game plan of action in case of problems on the internet

1                      2                      3                      4                      5

• You have use the internet to look for information about a good or a service

1                      2                      3                      4                      5

Classified Advertisements

1. Have you ever purchased something advertised on the internet?

Yes                  No

• Have you ever created an online classified advertisement?

Yes                  No

• How much have you spent on classifieds if ever? (Explain)

• What challenges do you meet when searching for goods online?

• Which of the following do you consider most important in an online advertisement? (circle as appropriate)
• Content
• Clarity
• Completeness
• Performance
• Cost

RESEARCH PROBLEMS

During research, there various challenges that were met. Some of these were expected while others were not. In this regard, the results obtained were carefully analyzed and even some completely exempted from the research list. The research’s main problems included choosing of the topic and methodology, obtaining good research materials, staying motivated and on schedule, finding study participants and dealing with the data.

Topic and methodology

Classified advertisements have not been widely studied. For this reason, it came up as a difficult task to choose a suitable project. The choice of a suitable project was required to be comprehensive and to add to previous research (Schwiesow, 2014). For this reason, wide reading was involved. Even then, the choice of the topic at the end was rather tough. Being unexplored, there arose various issues that needed to be studied (Danaher, & Mullarkey 2003). The wide choice of topics available for research made it difficult to decide. Eventually, I chose a project on classified advertisements in the Myanmar community of Singapore. The choice of this topic was based on the development of this community and the fact that there still does not exist a classified advertisement site targeted at them.

The methodology was initially difficult to decide on. Eventually, a decision of handling the project in the best way by attempting to solve the problem of the research was settled on. The answers were then used to drive the rest of the research.

Getting participants

Participants were difficult to obtain. The best participants would be those who were aware of the concept of classified adverts (North & Worth 1996). It was also important to keep the focus on the target community. It was rather hard to obtain suitable participants from the community. Second, some of those participants who qualified to provide valuable information were unwilling to contribute to the study. This way, the study was rather difficult to pursue.

Good research materials

As mentioned earlier, classified advertising has not been extensively studied. For this reason, studying about it is difficult in the short-run. It was resolved that the study materials to classified advertisements themselves to increase the number of sources (Johnson, & Johnson, 1995). The number of academic sources available for this study was also aged and hence not reliable. The study widened its scope to fifteen years as the concept is still new to the Myanmar community.

Staying motivated and staying on schedule

The other problem was staying on schedule throughout the study. While the project itself was fun to complete, the formalities like report writing were not as easy. Staying motivated in this part of the research was rather difficult for the research to take on. Motivation was also a problem. The research with its difficulties was hard to come by. It called for a lot of consultation. However, by planning my time and work, things improved relatively.

Opposition by the community

Some members of the community have a bad image of classified adverts. Since classified advertisements are not limited to individuals who have registered companies, they are often misused (Dyson, 2011; Zeff & Aronson, 1999). Being misused implies being used by people who want to participate in illegal activities like fraud, soliciting females for the purpose of prostitution and human trafficking. This way, individuals were reluctant and sometimes completely opposed of the whole idea of creating a classified ads website. This problem was resolved in two ways for those who listened. The website clearly stated that the owners of the website would facilitate the prosecution of those participated in illegal activities. For those who opposed the idea of creating a classified advertisement website, this clause improved their opinion of classifieds.

ANALYZING THE DATA

The data obtained was qualitative. Most of it was obtained from individuals in the Myanmar community. This section discusses the significance of each section of the questionnaire to the study. There were a total of 9 questions that were divided into internet acquaintance and classified advertisement. The section has divided into the two sections for clarity.

Internet acquaintance

QUESTION 1

Question 1 was determined to determine the growth of the internet in the community. With a good foundation in internet, a community can be assisted to learn their way through classified advertisements (Hansen & Barry, 1981). Classifieds are also rather easy to use for those who are internet literate. With the amount of advertisements available on the internet, it is easy to explain what classified advertisements are. This question relied on a five point format to give a n idea on how much a participant agreed with the statement. Those with three points and above are regarded as above average. An average of above 3 points showed that the community was internet literate.

QUESTION 2

Many people nowadays opt to use their debit and credit cards online to make purchases. Availability of a secure payment method makes the capabilities of classifieds unlimited. These payment methods are also tied to a delivery address for those people who purchase goods that require to be delivered (‘Classifieds Ads’ 2013). A good number of individuals found it difficult to answer this question. This part was intended to be answered in regard to the ease with which people make purchases make purchases online using their cards. Those who found it completely easy and safe put five points while those who felt unsafe selected one point. An average of above three points implied that the community was set to adopt classified advertisements.

QUESTION 3

People either find difficulties or do not really get to purchasing online. Those who purchase online have some information and knowledge about online advertising (Gammelgaard, 2010). They are also more likely search for a good online with ease.

QUESTION 4

It is important for shoppers to understand the actions they should take in case a transaction goes bad (Lorimor, 1977). Those who know what to do are also more likely to shop online.

QUESTION 5

Good shoppers know how to look for production information and reviews before making purchases. They are also likely to know the mechanisms for checking the reliability of a seller using the information provided.

Classified Advertisements

QUESTION 1

The information on provided on this question would serve to show the adoption of online classifieds by individuals. With limited information, online classifieds are rarely trusted (Betancourt, 2014). The classifieds therefore offer a variety of payment methods including a payment on delivery method.

QUESTION 2

The availability of individuals with a background in placing classifieds implies the existence of a market for the website platform presented (English & Stephens, 2004). A big percentage of individuals with this knowledge imply better reception and a bigger customer segment for the customers of the company.  Even then, a small percentage is sufficient reason to move ahead with the project.

QUESTION 3

A list of challenges met by online shoppers would serve as a basis for resolving those challenges. A list would be compiled to help with the project.

QUESTION 4

Different clients consider an advert to be more appropriate if it meets certain standards. This question seeks to identify the most important attributes to a client so that such attributes can be prioritized and improved on the website.

CONCLUSION

The research project involved the creation of a classified advertisement website for the Myanmar community in Singapore. The research was conducted using survey questions. The research faced various problems including opposition by the community, difficulty in choosing a topic and a methodology, and staying focused and motivated.

References

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Gammelgaard, K 2010, ‘Czech Classified Advertising under Stalinism: Transformation of a Genre’, Slavonica, 16, 2, pp. 79-95, Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 11 October 2014.

‘Classifieds Ads’ 2013, Journal Of Veterinary Emergency And Critical Care, 5, p. 579, Academic OneFile, EBSCOhost, viewed 11 October 2014.

North, A, & Worth, W 1996, ‘Trends in Advertised Entry-Level Technology, Interpersonal, and Basic Communication Job Skills, 1992-1994’, Journal Of Employment Counseling, 33, 3, pp. 98-105, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 11 October 2014.

Lorimor, ES 1977, ‘Classified Advertising: A Neglected Medium’, Journal Of Advertising, 6, 1, pp. 17-25, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 11 October 2014.

English, M, & Stephens, B 2004, ‘Formal Names Versus Nicknames in the Context of Personal Ads’, Journal Of Social Psychology, 144, 5, pp. 535-537, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 11 October 2014.

Hansen, R, & Barry, T 1981, ‘An Experiment in Real-Estate Advertising’, Journal Of Advertising Research, 21, 3, p. 53, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 11 October 2014.

Johnson, L, & Johnson, V 1995, ‘Help wanted–accountant: What the classifieds say about employers’ expectations’, Journal Of Education For Business, 70, 3, p. 130, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 11 October 2014.

Schwiesow, D. 2014. 7 Research Challenges (And how to overcome them) | Articles | Walden University. Waldenu.edu. Retrieved 11 October 2014, from http://www.waldenu.edu/about/newsroom/publications/articles/2010/01-research-challenges

Zeff, R. L., & Aronson, B. 1999. Advertising on the Internet. John Wiley & Sons, Inc..

Danaher, P. J., & Mullarkey, G. W. 2003. Factors affecting online advertising recall: A study of students. Journal of Advertising Research, 43(03), 252-267.