Week Three: I've Got 99 Problems, But My Website Ain't One

Choose two of the following websites and identify at least three potential problems for visitors. What could be improved on this website and why? Choose two and identify what they have done right. How does design, aesthetics and branding impact your reaction to the websites?

This is a subject near and dear to my heart. I like bling. I love seeing the bedazzled, bejeweled, and be sequined (I'm not sure that's really a word, but just go with it) ladies at Bingo halls who unpack every Troll doll and rabbit's foot in existence and lay it out ever so carefully to harness the aura of win and sprinkle it like fairy dust over her carefully selected cards. They know what they've got going on. They know the message they are trying to convey. But to everyone else who enters, they are just crazy old ladies who you force yourself to pay attention to only when they are in the path of what you need.

Those are similar feelings I have regarding cluttered website. There is a time and a place for clutter - for websites, there is never a good time and never the right place.  For our assignment this week, we are going to take a look at two good and two that could use some (a lot) of improvement and analyze them in the C.R.A.P.H.T.E.D context, which stands for:

C - Concept and Contrast

R - Repetition

A - Alignment

P - Proximity

H - Hierarchy

T - Typography

E - Ease of Use

D - Depth of Content

Let's get the not so good out of the way first - I like to end things on a positive note:

TEC Torch TIG Welding Equipment

I'm just going to go ahead and get this out of the way. There is a TON going on!! My mind doesn't know what to do, where to read, or even what's going on. I feel like I need a time out to process......okay. Let's begin.

C - Way too much content and not enough contrast. Everything is the same size and the comments by the "actual welders" are bigger than the links to the actual products.

R - There is none. The only flow is that there is no flow. 

A - If this were a car, it would have tracked right off the freeway into a ditch. Everything is in whatever place it was dropped and that's about it.

P - It looks as though some type of orientation was attempted on the sidebar. Good start, but I still have no idea how I would begin to navigate this site.

H - There was another attempt to let the user know what's new and exciting; however, it's drowning. Quickly at that.

T - I had to bust out my readers for the Company History section of the site, the print was so small. And there (again with the attempt word) is an inkling of differentiating sections. 

E - Ease of use. Well, if you can't already tell my feelings, I don't know. But to be blunt, this website is not easy to use. I am not an TIG welding enthusiast or anything and I imagine if I was, the review of this site may change. But as Stacey Sanders, critical eye of the web, navigating this website might as well be my attempt at navigating the Space Shuttle.

D - This is more than just a flash in the website pan...this obliterated any interest I had and would skip over this site entirely just to avoid reading it. It makes me not want to check out any social media presence that may exist.

I am sure this company is very knowledgeable about their industry, based on this blurb from their albeit convoluted company history statement:

"The TEC design staff is headed by the most prolific TIG torch designer ever, founder and former owner of the Weldcraft® Products Company which he started in his garage. He is recognized worldwide for his innovative designs, quality construction techniques and attention to detail, and is carrying on the proud tradition of leadership in TIG welding torches.

TEC welding products are sold through welding supply distributors across the USA, Canada, Mexico, UK, Europe, Japan, Australia, and most industrial countries."

I bet the wild Bingo lady's lucky cards that even someone who was using this company based on the brand recognition or brand loyalty amassed would be turned off by this website.

GForce Race Cars

A brief respite from the confusion of the previous website....please note the term brief. Once I scrolled down, I began to get flashbacks. Again, I think I need a moment.......okay.

C - There is definitely a lot of contrast. The white font on the black background does make it easy to read. But again with so much content. This would be best served broken up on different pages - not greeting you with a loud HELLO! right when you first click.

R - Repetition is better on this site. The heading with the company information is present on all pages. Some of the links ask you to make selections from a sidebar versus using the standard format, but that is navigable.

A - Alignment is structured within a layout, but the text within each text box is all over the place - especially on that first page. Never get a second chance to make a first impression! 

P - Again, even with the convoluted layout, the proximity of information and photograph is manageable.  

H - At first glance, I thought this was a fan site or racing site. Not until I started clicking on the sidebar links did I figure out they sold parts too. The information being presented on the homepage would be great and appropriate for that of an "About Us" or "See Our Parts In Action" type of link (see D for further explanation)

T - The type used on this site is easy to read. I didn't even have to get my readers out for this one! It remains continuous throughout the site and has a repetitive flow.

E - Once I understood that the site actually sold parts, I found the parts section easy to navigate. I believe much of the clutter could be taken away simply by using drop down menus and other links/media to highlight the racing activities. 

D - Continued from H, social media would be a SPECTACULAR place to house and link this kind of information to! Have a featured fan link where fans can upload their parts in action. Hashtag famous is a real thing (just make sure your target market understands what hashtags are all about).

Now let's take a look at two sites who, for lack of a better term, got it goin' on:

Apple

For a company that posted $171 billion in revenue and $37 billion in profit in 2013, I would hope they have people who have been off the turnip truck for a while working behind the scenes on their website. And it appears they do. 

So what is it about the product that makes people wait in line and drop the GDP of some third world nations on a device that they, most likely, will use to take bathroom mirror selfies and crush candy? Design. Aesthetics. Brand recognition. According to a 2013 NY Times article, Apple has surpassed Coca-Cola the most valuable brand in the world. The world. 

The concept and contrast of the site is directly on point. I know where I'm going, what I want, what I now think I need and feel like I cannot exist without, and fulfills a purpose I didn't know I was lacking and in a very short amount of time. And there are features highlighted on Apple's site. You know what the new, big thing is. You can watch the keynote speech introducing the iPhone 6 and immediately share it to your Facebook page. Seamless integration - executed in reality with their products and virtually with their website.

Toyota

ROI? LOL

Like Apple, Toyota is a HUGE established global leader. They can afford to have a team on the payroll to make sure they get traffic to their website and that traffic stays until it detours to the local dealership and drives off the lot in the exact car the consumer was looking for. There is a revolving hierarchy highlighting the model lineup, waiting patiently to catch the eye of an interested party. There are links to social media with the various hashtags that lure in even the coolest of parents. I know what to expect when I click on a page and don't have to waste time fumbling around. This is a clear touchdown! 

So what does this mean?

It means that it pays to have your website represent your brand well, both in design and aesthetics. Well at least it does to me, the average consumer. Maybe I'm not the average consumer, but I am an average picky consumer. My feathers are ruffled if you don't have a mobile site. It takes less than two-tenths of a second for an online visitor to form a first opinion of your brand and only another 2.6 seconds for that viewer's eyes to concentrate in a way that reinforces that first impression. Don't hide behind confusing Troll dolls and bling! Make your presence known and don't lose a customer before you even had the opportunity to wow them!