Eye-tracking applications and benefit in terms of usability

Eye-tracking applications and benefit in terms of usability

Eye-tracking technology, according to a major manufacturer Tobii, has great contribution to the insight of human’s behaviour. 80% of application is for university academic research, such as child or infant behaviour, and the rest is for marketing research.

Some of the benefits of eye-tracking are not being completely accepted due to the lack of proper methodology to interpreter the data. To find sensible and ground accepted research methodology is considered as the most challenging task since a wrong methodology might lead to a totally meaningless result. Therefore, in order to raise more support and awareness, as well as having more academic inputs, Tobii have rigorously participated in all sorts of commercial and academic events, exhibitions, and also sponsors and simulates people to write about eye-tracking and put it online. The more people know this relatively new technology the more interested people there will be.

Substitutes: There are some researches companies claiming that eye-tracking is too expensive and can be replaced by other research methods like one by one interview and put the data into some software, however, as said earlier, a wrong research methodology might lead to a totally wrong interpretation; and every research can replaced the other in some way though no one can completely replace anther.

[Business environment: Tobii, scholars, reseller, buyers, companies (end users), the public, etc]

3. Research of the Australian Market

1. Industry Demographic analysis

Table 37 (Appendix) lists all businesses by Australian Business Number (ABN) by entity. A total of 6.1 million Australian ABN-registered companies are discovered through the ABN lookup website (www.abr.business.gov.au viewed 07/07/09).

We realise that though the population of Australia is relatively small, when compared with number of local businesses (1 a), approximately one business exists for every three people living in Australia. The business size is hence comparable. Also, a single largest majority of the businesses is based in New South Wales (capital, Sydney) as shown in Appendix A. 1. b).

Table 38 (Appendix) illustrates income from Internet for different sectors of Australian business indicating that professional, scientific and technical services reported 5% proportion of internet income. Businesses in the information media and telecom industries reported a high 68% proportion of orders placed via the web (appendix-A, 6). Professional services (Realeyes’ sector) received 30% proportion of orders via web (ABS, 2007).

Internet access (Appendix-A, 2) and e-commerce (5) were prevalent and strongly active (especially in the same sectors as Realeyes), with 98% proportion of professional and media services accessing internet (ABS, 2007).

Web presence (3) was also considered since Realeyes had a website. One-third of Australian businesses had websites, and more importantly, 65% of information media and telecom businesses had web-presence (ABS, 2007). Website-usability is one of the current segments that Realeyes caters to in the UK.

Hence, these are encouraging figures for Realeyes to visit the web as an opportunity for setting its presence and also looking at the web as a segment for its service-offering. However, evaluations shall be discussed in Segmentation (section 9.1).

Further interpretation of the data from Australian Bureau of Statistics (2007) is listed below:

• 
  Overseas companies (with 5-19 staff size) accounted for 15% of total professional, technical or scientific services. This is relative to the local geographic market (with same staff size) constituting 74% of total, for the services provided.
  

• 
  The overseas market vendors constituted 25.4% of total where Innovation–active businesses offered their services. This is relative to 61.2% coming from local area.
  

• 
  Market share: Less than 10% of innovation-active businesses those provide professional, scientific and technical services makes up for 77.2% of the total market, indicative of the ‘Long tail’ consequence.
  

• 
  SME’s constitute majority (53.4%) of the source of business income for businesses providing professional, scientific and technical services.
  

• 
  58.9% impact was observed by businesses that relied on a small number of customers, buyers and clients, while providing professional and technical services.
  

• 
  81.8% innovation-active businesses had three or more competitors in the field of professional services provision.
  

• 
  With employment size around 5-19 (same as Realeyes), 63% businesses in the field of professional services provision found themselves similar to the business nature and about the same as the size of business.
  

2. Business Culture

Realeyes may need to build awareness on cultural aspects of doing business with Australia, when they have decided to launch services to cater to Australian clients. This is so that they adapt themselves to ‘fit’ with the business culture.

However culturally close UK might be to Australia, some subtleties distinguish Australian culture from that of the UK. However, Australia is a multi-cultural nation and hence it is hard to make ‘one’ cultural distinction about it. Nevertheless, the underlying western traits of Australian business and society can be assessed for cultural dimensions.

Hofstede dimensions

As suggested in the Literature Review, Australian culture could be visited using Hofstede dimensions in order to understand how culture impacts relationship development in inter-firm networks.

Findings from a study presented by Batonda and Perry (2003) suggest a few pointers we could apply to Realeyes’ situation.

• 
  Australia has a culture with low power distance. This would indicate that Australians maintain egalitarianism, that is, treat each other as equal, and also desire equality in politics and society. Low power distance also indicates that Australians have lesser hindrance to develop business relationships with new entrants such as Realeyes.
  

• 
  While interacting with Australian businessmen, it should be born in mind that they are highly individualistic in nature, and value emotional liberty very much.
  

• 
  Australians are found to have a short-term orientation or Confucian dynamism (Batonda and Perry, 2003). This might affect the formation of business relationships with Realeyes.
  

• 
  Low-to-medium masculinity is discovered amongst Australians
  

While the debate of one global culture for business persists, we necessitate that a detailed study of Australian culture, importance to Ethics and business values would be helpful for Realeyes.

We found Australians to be less hierarchical in business, although quite a few people we interviewed owned SME’s, which was pretty thin in hierarchy in any case.

‘Lighter’ talk was encouraged, and most entrepreneurs we chatted with, started with light general talk before we would develop a serious note. Mostly direct style of communication was encouraged, with people engaging in open discussions on a topic like marketing research methods or eye-tracking.

Punctuality at meetings was definitely seen as a good quality by the Australians, while it was respected that any changes in agenda be informed about.

3. Competition in Australian market

The sources used are:

1. 
   Primary research – In-depth Interview with competitor in Australia
   
2. 
   Secondary research – Information mining from Competitors’ websites
   

Table 22 - Competitor Table I: Shows parameters affecting competition, such as Reputation and Global presence.