Website Reviews: What to Look For?

Introduction

Grab your reader’s attention by outlining an interesting aspect of the site. This can be about the function of the website, a bit about the history or what first attracted /repulsed you when you saw it and why.

Example:

“As soon as I saw the mouthwatering chocolate cake image on the Hillington’s website, I felt like dashing down to the supermarket with the internet recipe.”

Next, make a general statement regarding the overall position of the website in the online community.

Example:

“Sportz is a small retail website primarily targeted to people who play tennis or go white water rafting. Since this encompasses 20% of the Geocities online community, the website fits very well in the Geocities family.”

Branding

If you know what a logo is, then you have probably seen branding millions of times.

When I was doing web reviews, I found most websites are lacking in brand. Branding is a way of designing that means you can tell which company/organisation it is just by looking briefly at the item. It helps to think of “corporate branding” where you can recognise McDonalds just by seeing the certain golden “M”. Over time, customers come to recognise an organisation’s logo and colours. A website may have a logo, matching corporate colours and even a matching font. If a logo and the other website colours clash, they are not branded and will NOT help people to identify with the company. Successful websites have the logo and website matching in a skilful and attractive manner (such as an orange and navy blue logo having a white and navy blue background).

There is one example in sitecritic.net that shows a website that needs branding.

Navigation/Loading Time

To me, navigation is the most important factor when doing website reviews. Is the website easy or hard to navigate?

You can discover this when you first look at the website and see if it is easy to find the buttons that allow you to move from page to page.

Are the menus or lists easy to read and find?

Does the website flow from left to right (as the English language does) or if it doesn’t, is it still effective and readable?

Does the website load up quickly or not?

(Usually, slow loading websites annoy readers and can be the result of big images that have not been optimised properly for the internet. Slow loading can also be due to Flash or large bits of code that have not been simplified.)

Is the website simple looking or complicated?

(This can add to problems finding the right buttons to press and hence, problems navigating. Bad navigation can kill your business.)

Design

Does the website look like another website you have seen, or does it have its own personal flavour?

(Some websites can look similar because they use the same advertising or design. The really good websites have a unique appearance that does not use a lot of advertising. The excellent websites are the ones you remember with fondness. This is an important point to take note when reviewing a website).

What is the first thing you see when you look at the page?

(For example, a website might have a faint background and a bright logo. This means that the logo is meant to stand out and be remembered.)

What parts of the design help/hinder the message?

(For example, too much advertising can turn a reader off before they have even read the important bits)

Is the design suited to what the website is meant to be doing?

(For example, a website devoted to skiing would not look good in pink)

Coding & Programming

It helps if you are able to give a very brief description of the type of coding that may have been used to design the website (eg, HTML, Javascript, Flash, PHP, databases or shopping carts, etc) A mention of additional technical design may give more depth to the review (such as whether the frames displayed all the information correctly etc). However, if you don’t know much about coding, you can always skip this subject.

Conclusion

Imagine that you are a website reviewer, do you think the website is successful/unsuccessful and why?

Do you think the website is targeted to the right audience?

(eg, if it is meant to be for children, does it look like a children’s website?)

Would you recommend the someone else to review the website?

What would make you revisit the website?

What rating would you give the website?

A terrific conclusion always ends with a humorous comment.

Example:

“This website is so thrilling, so coated with stars and glitter, that if Elvis was alive I don’t doubt he would be scribbling his lyrics in the forums with his fans right now!”
OR

“This website is so bad that if it were printed I would use the back of it to write my shopping list on…”

Bernard Peh is a great passioner of web technologies and one of the co-founders of Free Website Reviews. He works with experienced web designers and developers in Melbourne, providing insights into creating effective websites for the general public. During his free time, he review websites, develops Web applications and work with designers to integrate form and function in the web.

Written by admin on August 31st, 2008 with comments disabled.
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Why people do not buy

When people do not buy from you, it is because they do not want what you are offering. They may need what you are offering and not know or acknowledge that need, but the bottom line is they do not want it.

Save lots of time, effort and money by targeting your postcard mailings to groups of people who have demonstrated they want your product or service or one’s similar to yours and then mail to them. Follow at least this one piece of advice and become more profitable immediately.

Target your marketing. Promote your business exclusively to people likely to have a strong desire for the benefits provided by your product or service.

Businesses and consumers do not usually avoid purchases because they do not have or cannot get the money necessary to purchase. They usually do not buy because they decide buying something else is more important to them.

You can get them to buy from you by making it clear to them that buying your product or service will get rid of something they do not want or will get them something they do want or will get them more of something they already have that they like having.

It is your job to get your people and businesses to see that your products and services give or get them what they really want. Consumers and businesses rarely avoid buying something because they do not have the money needed to make the purchase. They avoid buying what you offer because they place a higher priority on spending money for something else.

What is the most nagging problem you can solve for prospects in your targeted market? Make it real to them how they’ll feel when your product or service eliminates that problem. Use postcards to communicate how they can get their problem solved.

They do not want to buy and then find out that your product or service would not solve their problem. They do not want to be or even feel ripped off or still at a loss over the solution to their problem. You must take away their risk in doing business with you.

You must provide a way that they can “trust” you.

If you do not they would not buy and you will lose business.

When you do all these things, guess what? People will buy from you like crazy. You will see them pounding at your doors.

For comments and inquiries about the article visit http://www.fullcolorprintingcompany.com

Written by admin on August 31st, 2008 with comments disabled.
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The Recent Splendid World of LCD & Plasma TVs

LCD, which if abbreviated stands for Liquid Crystal Displays, is a specific form of telly display which has lately developed into being extremely fashionable. Liquid Crystal Display screens recently are a great deal of the time used as personal computer monitors. Similar kinds of well-liked televisions would consist of plasma.

For a considerable amount of time tubed TVs were by far less costly than any brand of LCD or Plasma. Buyers trusted and felt secure with them and they knew accurately where they stood with them & for certain the foremost explanation was because they were really cheap. Currently it is an absolutely different story as tubed TVs have been removed from the shops & instead been replaced by bargain tellies in the model of Plasma and LCD’s, what had at one time been really expensive are currently modestly inexpensive & excellent worth for the money paid. Compare, Review and purchase Cheap TVs right now at Digital-Direct.

It is at the moment possible to obtain hi-definition tellies at an amazingly inexpensive price. This is the most latest sort of machinery with regards to televisions. Hi-definition technology have allowed tens of thousands of kids to profit from its crystal clear image & sound. High Definition has taken over analogue broadcasting & changed it with an all digital system. To observe true HD you need a source of Hi-def TV signals, a tuner to obtain and interpret those signals and a high performance image screen that can replicate the outstanding detail & vibrant colours of HDTV pictures. You may also need to acquire a telly that is HD compatible, it is achievable at this time to buy an inexpensive digital flat screen whether it is an LCD or Plasma that will be capable to aid you to accomplish this.

With a digital telly you are very likely to receive a substantially enhanced picture and technical class. As a result you can now see anything within the comfort of your own house.

Written by admin on August 31st, 2008 with comments disabled.
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