1. Columbiana is a small, independent island in the Caribbean that has many historical buildings, forts, and other sites, along with rain forests and striking mountains. A few first- class hotels and several dozen less- expensive accommodations can be found along its beautiful white sand beaches. The major airlines have regular flights to Columbiana, as do several small airlines. Columbiana’s government wants to increase tourism and develop new markets for the country’s tropical agricultural products. How can a Web presence help? What Internet business model would be appropriate? What functions should the Web site perform?
2. Explore the Web sites of the following companies: Blue Nile, J. Crew, Lowe’s, and Priceline. Determine which of these Web sites would benefit most from adding a company- sponsored blog to the Web site. List the business benefits of the blog. Specify the intended audience for the blog. Decide who in the company should author the blog, and select some topics for the blog.