Week 3, Part A: Aesthetics, Design and Branding

The first website I chose to research was pennyjuice.com. The colours are bright and at first glance it looks like a good website. However, after some further research, there are at least three potential problems for visitors that I could identify. The first being that the Penny Juice banner at the top of the page does not move when you scroll down the page. The lower text simply scrolls behind. This makes it hard to really see the whole page as half of it is hidden by the banner. 

The second potential problem is the concept of the website. I don't feel it is clear from the website and name what the product is they are trying to sell. I believe it is a children's juice, specialized for childcare providers, but it is not totally clear at first glance. The name also has a coin picture in the title, which doesn't necessarily have a direct connection either. So I believe the concept of the website could put customers off if they cant quite work out what they are buying. 

The third potential problem is that the website as a whole does not look professional. It looks like someone has given it a good go, but ultimately it looks like it has been created on a kind of PowerPoint document. The pictures and fonts are different on each page and there is no real consistency from one page to the next. The word art looks old fashioned and the order form is super complicated and manual. I feel if this website concentrated on what they are trying to sell more than having the bright colours, they would sell a lot more products. 

The second website I chose to research is gatesnfences.com. Now the first potential problem for customers on this website is the amount of information on the opening page, it almost made me close the browser there was that much information. The information is not clear and there is not even a obvious business logo on the page. I clicked on a few other pages, and it was the same for these, the amount of information is off putting and does not make it easy to understand. 

The second potential problem I found for a customer, when you eventually figure out which button you need to click down the left hand side, some of the information on that page is moving. I selected 'Custom Driveway Gates' and then as I scroll down, the images are scrolling across the page, along with a visa and Mastercard widget. As a customer, I would like to be able to view the images on the screen to be able to view the product I might want to purchase. 

The third potential problem on this website, is that when you have eventually managed to decide on the product you would like by working your way through the information, it is not clear how to add the products to the cart, and again, if you mange to do this, the payment form is very outdated and not easy to figure out. The colours, style and font on this website are not consistent and do not make the website easy to understand. 

On the other hand, the third website I looked at was apple.com. Clearly apple is one of the most well known companies in the world and they are probably the most forward thinking when it comes to technology. So it is not surprising to me that their website is one of the best out there. It is extremely professional and neat. It looks extremely smart and you are able to navigate the website with ease. The apple logo is on every page you click on, and the theme is consistent on each page also. The bar at the top of each page remains the same regardless of the page you are on and the pictures on each page in relation to each product are easy to understand. The general professionalism and design of this website makes me feel that the product I would be purchasing is from a well established and extremely successful company. 

The fourth website I chose to review is target.com. Partly because I am always on the site and partly because they are one of the largest most successful companies in America. Target has an extremely easy website to navigate along with a consistent theme across each page. The bar along the top stays the same on each page, along with their logo, meaning it is always easy to find where you are or need to go. They offer a range of products, and with the side drop down bar, it is easy to find a product you are looking for. The website is professional and attractive. It is laid out clearly and as with Apple, as a customer, it makes me feel like the products I am purchasing are from a well established and professional company. 

From looking at these four websites, it is exceptionally clear to me that the design and professionalism of a companies website is extremely important in the success of a company. I believe it is important to have a theme and stick to it. The colours and layout of the website can make a huge impact on the customers decision to purchase their products, ultimately, meaning it can impact the overall success of the company.

I commented on Yoshinori's and Sarah Marcotte's Business research posts.