Strength and weaknesses of yvettes website

This report will evaluate the strength and weaknesses of Yvette’s website. It will also describe and identify ways to improve Yvette website. In addition, it will also provide suggestions in improving the business as well.

1.1 Purpose

This report aims to describe and identify ways to improve the strength and weaknesses of Yvette(http://yvettesbridalformal.com/). It also provides recommendations of how to improve the website. In addition, it also provides suggestions in improving the business as well.

1.2 Background

This report is being requested by Yvette to improve websites since S-Deisgn Company is experienced in this field for 12 years. Our company has done research of what type of design is popular among the key target users and how to present it in an appropriate way.

The targeted audience of Yvette is young teens and adults aged between 15 to 40.

Yvette is a shop that specializes in selling and renting bridal gowns and formal clothes for both genders. It sells and rents formal wears for all occasions and specializes mainly in gowns and wedding dresses. Over the years, Yvette has expanded their business by branching out into other departments like selling oil portraits and providing slimming services.

Yvette is situated at Panama City, Florida and was first established in 1980.

1.3 Methodology

This information is obtained from the students in Singapore polytechnic. The questions on the survey are based on the C.R.A.P analysis of the Yvette website, the recommendations that will be suggested later on in section ___ of the report will be partly based on the survey results. There were 30 respondents in total.

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1.4 Scope

This report also identifies the key target users of the website. Secondly, the website will be design to the key target users’ preference. Thirdly, the report will analyse the strengths and weaknesses, and identify the competitors in the market. Lastly, the report will also suggest recommendations in improving the website.

2. Strength of Yvette Website

Our company has analysis the Yvette website thoroughly and had identified the strengths and weaknesses of Yvette. Firstly, in this section it discusses and explains on the 3 strengths found.

2.1 No broken links

The first strength that S-Design Limited has found is that Yvette does not have any broken links. Links should be tested to ensure that they are all in working conditions and visitors will not receive error messages in clicking them.

If new visitors to your site are getting error messages like DNS server which is domain name server error which means that the links are no longer functional, they’re not going to be impressed and thus won’t likely return to your site. There are a number of different errors that can occur. Some examples of errors messages will be links are not longer functioning or images cannot be displayed. Broken links will frustrate users and give an unprofessional impression. Broken links will also result in users to think that Yvette does not update its website regularly, therefore users will think twice of trusting the Yvette website.

However, our company has tested the website thoroughly and concluded that Yvette does not have any broken links or error messages.

2.2 Contact details

The second strength that S-Design Limited had found is that contact details are provided in the website.

Yvette has provided website visitors with contact information such as e-mail addresses, map route to the shop, telephone number and opening hours.

This will give Yvette an open feeling and it will also add a personal touch. In addition, it also increases the user confidence and trust in using the site. Website visitors could also ask their enquires about Yvette without the need to call them.

Providing a map route to the shop and stating the opening hours of the shop also conveniences the visitors of the shop or the website. It also benefits the visitors to locate the shop easily and inform them about the operating hours.

2.3 URL

The last strength identified is its URL (Uniform Resource Identifier). The URL of Yvette is short and simple. It is also straight to the point as it states the company’s profession which is specialisation in bridal wear.

Some URL is complex and difficult to remember and pronounce therefore having a short and simple URL benefits the customers as it makes it easier to remember and recommend. In addition, the website URL also states the company profession which makes visitors to be aware of the company profession in a glance. This could also improve and convenience users to search the net easily for bridal wear.

3. Weaknesses of Yvette website

In this section, it will point out the weaknesses that our company had found. The weaknesses found will be analysis based on the 4 basic principles of design, C.R.A.P analysis and the 2 criteria of evaluating a website which is first impression and navigation.

3.1 Contrast

Contrast plays an important part in constructing a website. Contrast is the difference in visual properties that makes an object distinguishable from other objects and the background.

S-Design Limited has analysis the website and hence concluded that the contrast that Yvette currently possessed is poor.

Yvette’s website is too colourful and the combinations between the colours are difficult for the eyes. There is also insufficient contrast that makes any of the elements on the page stand out. Yvette makes uses of different color fonts and same text style throughout the website. This thus makes important and unimportant information appear in the same way. This shows no originality and no uniqueness. Yvette should therefore have better contrast between the elements to attract the attentions of visitors.

Fig. 1 Poor color combination – Yvette Home page

In fig.1, it is the screen capture of the home page of Yvette, the website homepage shows different bright color font combinations in a single page which makes it glaring and confusing for the readers as they do not know what to focus on. If there isn’t enough contrast between the elements, they will just meld together for these visitors.

3.2 Repetition

Repetition involves repeating visual elements throughout each page and the whole site. Websites that use the same small background image that repeats itself both horizontally and vertically is very unprofessional. In addition, repeating images that are combined to form a wallpaper has low visual appeal to the visitors of the website. Repeating background images can also be very annoying.

Repeated text and images will make the website look unappealing and unprofessional. They are necessary elements in a website. Background images are one of those visual elements that when designed properly, can create an amazing atmosphere and convey the style the designer has chosen.

Yvette has mostly repeated text and images throughout the website. This is will make the website unappealing and has low visual impact to the visitors. It is also important to create a good first impression to the visitors. The images shown below are screen captures of repeating texts and images found in Yvette.

Fig. 2 Repeating background images

Fig. 3 Repeated text of “Pink Links”

Therefore, repetition should only be used to create and repeat selected elements in every page. Like for example, home page link or contact us link.

3.3 Alignment

In alignment, elements in the website should not look that it was being placed randomly. Every element should be connected to one another via an invisible line.

Relating to Yvette, the elements in Yvette are being placed randomly throughout the whole website. There is poor alignment in the website. Below is a screen capture of Yvette website showcasing bad alignment.

Links everywhere

Fig. 4 Bad navigations

In the above screen capture of the website, the links are not aligned well and the elements looked like they are randomly placed around the website.

3.4 Proximity

Proximity means that items relating to one another should be grouped together. Therefore, grouping is highly recommended in showcasing good proximity as it groups information and reduces clutters.

The principle of proximity is to move things apart of further away to achieve an organised look.

In relating to Yvette, the website has poor proximity. The links are not organised and grouped in according to alphabetic order or grouped accordingly to clothes category. The elements in Yvette should be grouped together and viewed as a group rather than the elements are spread out from one another.

In Yvette, there are many links that are related to one another, however the layout of the links are far apart from one another which makes locating and exploring of the website difficult and confusing for the users.

3.5 First Impression

3.5.1 Loading Time

People are usually very impatient and slow loading pages will not make them want to return to your website.

Pages that load quickly will encourage visitors to navigate through your site knowing that they won’t have to wait very long for each page to load.

As Yvette’s website is being loaded with images and text of all sorts, the loading time of the website is relatively long. Yvette is full of unnecessary animations and repeating images, therefore this led to an increase in the loading time of each page. Yvette also have low-quality animated GIFs and hit counters that are not only lengths the loading time of each page, it also gives a negative first impression.

Interactive speed is a significant factor in all models of user satisfaction. Making sure that Yvette loads quickly will minimize the variability of delay.

3.5.2 Unique Selling Point

Yvette currently does not have a unique selling point. Visitors should immediately realise that Yvette is potential use to them. The unique selling point of the website should be stated on the home page. Yvette lacks in this area as it should showcase its products and areas of services in the first page for easy viewing. However, the information regarding its unique selling point is not located in the home page but located in one of the many links found in the home page.

3.6 Navigation

3.6.1 Ease of use

Yvette website should be well-constructed navigation can help visitors to have a very positive experience on the site. The website should give an impression of clarity and should be easy to use. It should be easily readable, clear and easy to understand. It is important that the site is not too cluttered with text and images.

It is essential that the homepage is clear and simple. The homepage should be above the fold, users entering the site will appreciate seeing everything in front them without having to make the effort of scrolling up and down. By incorporating home page links and others like contact page or products page is a good use of repetition of layout.

However, S-Design has concluded that there are too many links available in the homepage. The links are neither categorised nor organised. As the links in the Yvette are not categories, it is very difficult to find what you want to know or explore around the website. Links that may mean the same thing may not link to the same web page. This is further confused the users of the website.

Yvette visitors would have trouble finding what they are looking for immediately. It will encourage them to return to their search and find a competitor with easier navigation. Therefore it is good to keep navigation in a prominent location with simple and straightforward to use tabs and links.

3.6.2 Return to home page from any page

Yvette currently does not have a fixed home page link to every single, therefore adding a home page convenience one’s search and exploration. Currently, the website is very hard to navigate through as there is no home page provided. Furthermore, without the existence of a home page, it is easy to get lost within the website.

4. Comparative Analysis

In this section of the report, it will be comparing Yvette’s website with its competitor’s website ( www.bestbridalprices.com ). By comparing Yvette website with it’s competitor, it will show where Yvette currently stands and point out which aspects Yvette currently lacks in.

Bestbridalprices.com is chosen as the competitor of Yvette has it shares the same goal, target customer, price range and they are both located in United States.

4.1 Background of bestbridalprices.com

Bestbridalprices has been in business for over 31 years and still counting. The shop is family owned and it has been located in the Midwest for many years. The shop’s sales have greatly expanded over the years and is currently one of the largest suppliers of wedding attire, dresses and tuxedos in the Midwest.

Its goal is to “make your wedding experience the best possible experience it can be. We strive to carry what manufacturers you want at the lowest prices you deserve.”

4.2 Bestbridalprices vs Yvette

Below shows screen captures of both company’s website homepage. The first picture is bestbridalprices ‘s homepage while the second picture shows Yvette’s homepage.

Fig. 5 Bestbridalprices.com homepage

Fig. 6 Yvette Homepage

In comparing the 2 websites homepage, you can easily observe that the first picture which belongs to Bestbridalprices.com is well aligned, possessed good proximity, good color contrast and appropriate background.

Firstly, Bestbridalprices.com makes uses of tables and grid to organize and categorized their products. They also make use to repetition for classifications of their items. Bestbridalprices.com also input a search engine bar which is located in the top right hand corner which makes the visitors’ stay more pleasant. The use of font color and style is good too. Different font style, size and color are being used for headers to differentiate it from the rest, therefore allowing the visitors to focus their attention to the areas of interest. In addition to that, they also have a link to home page from every other page in the website.

However, Yvette currently does not possess any of all of the elements mentioned in the above paragraph. Therefore, it is a disadvantage for Yvette as visitors would prefer their competitor website. Yvette does not have a search engine and therefore makes finding for a particular item in the web difficult. The links are not properly aligned nor are they being categorized under the same resemblance. The background that Yvette used is also not professional in their profession of work. The background should be sophisticated as they are dealing with wedding and formal occasions. The font style, color and size used are not advisable in this line of profession. Most of the links found in the website are multi-colored and visitors would have trouble locating the appropriate link or where to focus their attention on.

Bestbridalprices.com also has links that describe their history of their company and a overview of their website. Yvette does not possess this element too. It is advisable to have this element as it creates user confidence, adds a personal touch and awareness of the company.

5. Recommendations

Earlier in this report, our company has identified and explained the weaknesses of Yvette and compared the website with one of their competitor to show the areas in which Yvette is lacking or lacks of. Now in this section, it will be recommending the ways to improve Yvette website to improve the sales of the company and to surpass and compete with its competitors.

5.1 Color contrast

One of the survey question that was being asked to the public was “How do you think of the website?”. The survey results shows that at least 50% of the respondent answered that the website makes bad uses of images and the website have bad contrast. So therefore, the first part of the recommendation will be about the contrast of the website.

Fig.7 Pie chart of “How do you think of the website”

Using one main color on a larger amount of the page will help the background of Yvette look professional. If there isn’t enough contrast between the colours used, they just meld together for these visitors.

Therefore it is advisable to exaggerate lightness differences between foreground and background colours, and avoid using colours of similar lightness adjacent to one another, even if they differ in saturation or hue. This applies to text as well.

Therefore, our suggest avoiding using colours of similar lightness adjacent to one another, even if they differ in saturation or hue. If you lighten the light colours and darken the dark colours in your design, you will increase its visual accessibility. Avoid using multi-colours. Below is a screen capture of another bridal website to support our point.

Fig. 8 Blush

As you can observe from the above image, the overall background color is white. And the colours chosen really portrait a professional image in a first glance. The contrast used accentuates the text and differentiate the important text from the normal ones.

5.2 Aligning and grouping of website elements

Below is the survey question being asked to the public “Are the sources of information and factual data clearly listed?”. Out of the 30 respondents, 26 answered as “Not clear”, 4 answered as “Clear” and none of the respondents answered it as “Very clear”. Therefore, S-Design Limited suggests aligning and grouping the website elements to display the information clearly to the users.

Fig.9 Bar chart “Are the sources of information and factual data clearly listed”

In alignment, elements in the website should not look that it was being placed randomly. Every element should be connected to one another via an invisible line. Therefore, our company would suggest that that the elements in the website to be grouped and placed in the same category. It is to improve the alignment and proximity of Yvette website. This is beneficial to the visitors as it would convenience their search and would also makes things easier to be found.

Below will be an illustration of the recommendation given.

Fig. 10 Aligning of website elements

As from the above image, the products in the website are grouped according to the dresses for different brands and people. Yvette could adopt this recommendation by also grouping their products in the same way or so. The use of table in this aspect also differentiates out the headers and the normal links.

Yvette is advised to have an overview links of their website for easy reference. Not relevant links should therefore be placed here to avoid clashing with the other necessary elements in the website. Providing an overview of the website also organise the website better and increase the ease of use of navigation.

One example of the use of an overview will be showed below.

Fig.11 Overview

5.3 Necessary links and search engine

As Yvette has many products to sell within their website it is advisable for Yvette to have a search engine. This could again increase the convenience of the visitors by searching for a particular item that they need and do not need to waste their browsing through the full products list.

A home page should also be present in all of the pages of Yvette. By adding necessary links, users would not be lost in the website and is able to easily go back to the main page or their wanted links like products link, or contact us page.

Use of appropriate visual graphics or animations

Using visual graphics or animations will increase the website appeal. It will also make the website appear more profession. Use of graphics and animations could also act as a form or advertisements as you could use it to display the company’s latest products or announce the upcoming events that the company will be organizing.

Yvette could also make use of this visual aspect by displaying their exotic gowns and attract potential buyers or dealers. By having this element could also increase users’curosity in attracting their attention to the advertisement and persuading them through visual aids to buy the products. Yvette is also advised to remove the current background music in the website as it is not appropriate in their line of business. If Yvette does wish to add in background music, our company would recommend using soothing music like classical pieces.

Below will be an example of how Yvette could make use of this recommendation to attract potential customers.

Fig. 12 Advertisements

By making use of graphics and animations, Yvette could highlight the main important parts of their advertising to attract the attention of visitors. Like bolding or differentiating the important words of a sentence like “lowest price guarantee”.

5.4 Branding / Logo

Yvette should have a special brand logo that makes it stand out from its competitors as it currently does not have one. Yvette brand logo should have a unique look that will grab the attention of your viewers. Yvette should also be advised to place the brand logo prominently near the top of your home page or landing page.

It is also advisable to keep the brand logo throughout the whole site to give everything a consistent look and feel. Therefore, S-Design suggests to keep the logo of Yvette simple and elegant to portrait the same image as the new website. Branding also create awareness of the company products and consumer recongition. A brand is noticeable from its colour or shape.

If an satisfised customers has fruqently purchased Yvette products, he/she will likely to become Brand Loyal. Cultivating brand loyalty among customers is the ultimate reward for successful marketers since these customers are far less likely to be enticed to switch to other brands compared to non-loyal customers. A well-developed brand will make product positioning efforts more effective. A strong brand could also lead to good financial growth over the years.

Below will be one of an example of a simple logo of Yvette that S-Design Limited recommends.

Fig.13 Yvette Logo

The design of the logo is simple. White and black will portrait and suit the elegant feature in the website.

6. Conclusion

A key element of having an effective website is to convey a professional image to the public showing that Yvette is serious in its goal of supporting the user conducting business with the organisation over the Internet.

In this report, S-Design Limited has identified the 3 strengths of Yvette and the weaknesses of Yvette. It also compares and evaluates the effectiveness of Yvette website with its competitors and lastly makes 5 recommendations in improving the website.

To conclude, Yvette should portrait a professional, clean and simple look. The navigations in the website should be easy and simple with adopting good proximity and alignment by making use of tables and grids. Yvette should create a branding statement and display what the business is all about, display quality graphics or animations and lastly use quality images to display the company’s products.

Again, S-Design Limited would like to thank Yvette for this to evaluate and make recommendations for your website. We hope you would adopt and take into consideration the recommendations that we suggested and we hope to hear from you again.