Memo
Director of Information System
cc:
Website Manager
Re:
Evaluation of the company's website
PART1: Review of the Company Website
1. Website audience. The website is first of all created for attracting new customers and maintaining positive image of the company. As for the types of audiences, it can be viewed by any type of audience: executive, expert, technician and general. The interests of all the groups should be taken into account in different sections of the website, but overall it should be easy-to-use and to understand.
2. Needs of the audience. The needs differ according to the type of the audience. Executive needs key information to be shown up front so as it didn’t require much time to be spent on finding the required data. Besides, graphics help speedy delivery of data, as well as the use of short paragraphs and lists in text. Expert audience like technical language, reading background and theory. Technician audience requires easy reading – with lists, steps, definitions, etc. General audience also likes easy reading in simple style, with the use of analogies and graphics.
3. How website meets audience needs. Overall, information on the website is presented in an easy-to-read manner. There are lists of data, different graphics and other visual aids that help perceive the information in the right way. For technicians there are specific articles and blocks of data with technical characteristics. Overall, it is possible to say that needs of all the audiences are satisfied to a certain extent.
4. What works well in the website? Visual representation is attractive and helps to understand the necessary information. The tools for cars equipment and other instruments at the website are easy-to-use and convenient. The way information is presented is also pleasant and simple.
5. What needs improvement in the website? The way information is organized requires certain improvement. Currently, there are too much visual pieces, which can make the user lose in all of the pictures. On the whole, pictures should be better organized and the system of organization better developed.
PART2: Review of Competitor Sites and Research on Website Construction
Website of one of the Ford competitors – Chevrolet – is also properly organized. It has nice slide show at the home page. It can also be used as an idea for the Ford website. Language is simple and it is easy to find all the necessary information both for technicians and for general audience. Among its advantages there is successful choice of pictures for each section.
Another competitor, Chrysler, has bigger picture at the home page with integrated functional elements, which is convenient and nice-looking. The picture is interesting, because it shows coziness and convenience of cars, at the same time not displaying the speed, which is interesting. The language is formal and easy-to-understand, which is exactly what is needed by all the types of audience.
The Ford website as it is today is already a good example of website that suits needs of the major audience categories. Still, it is possible to improve it by presenting information in a more logical manner, reducing the number of pictures in some sections of the website and replacing several main pictures with the other ones.
References:
Freeman, J. (2008). 500 Simple Website Hints, Tips, and Techniques: The Easy, All-In-One Guide to Those Inside Secrets for Building Better Websites. New Jersey: RotoVision SA.
Li, Z. (2008). Web Reliability Analysis and Improvement. New York: ProQuest.
Rubin, J. and Chisnell, D. (2011). Handbook of Usability Testing: Howto Plan, Design, and Conduct Effective Tests. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
