I am in the process of helping out to build an e-platform. Can you help with ideas on where to find a good book or interesting information on e-platforms (such as trip advisor, or the food recipes website, etc.)? I would like to have more inputs on what works, what doesn’t, how information should be provided, importance of picture or not, if people should be able to give an advice, etc… Basically, what are the best practices and key principles to build a successful platforms.

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Jay’s Answer: The best practices are those that connect with your target audience. So, it all must start from their needs, perspective, and your competition advantage. From there, there’s a lot of learning from your visitors on what they like and don’t (using analytics to help give you data). Ultimately, it’s about the curated conversations you’re able to conduct with interest visitors. As a clue, ignore the technology initially and focus on the experience you’d like to have with someone visiting your storefront. What image do you project? How are they greeted? What do you ask? How do you encourage them to return. Once you understand the human needs, then translate to a technology platform that supports that quality of interaction.