Evaluation of web sites – what is this?

Evaluation is such a problematic word because it implies testing according to criteria but covers wider ‘softer’ issues as well. Everyone who looks at a web site tablet, mobile app, or any electronically delivered information, is subconsciously judging what they meet. Our problem as developers is to be on top of general evaluation criteria as well as be aware of more specialised market-driven information. Some aspects of evaluation such as accessibility are linked to legal requirements, so we have to conform to those anyway. We’ll not be looking at accessibility specifically here as we tend to treat evaluation for that separately.

Perhaps we should start with a definition of evaluation. It is about judging or assessing the value of something in a structured way. Under a general evaluation appraisal, we can find guides for assessing web sites that emphasise looking out for: authority, accuracy, reliability, being up-to-date, relevance to you, feel (University of Reading). The University of Berkeley, Evaluating web pages, offers similar advice covering techniques and questions to pose about web pages for evaluating them. So, we may have education graduates worldwide who have been trained to evaluate our pages. It might be useful for your clients to understand these general criteria as some of the criteria relate more to actions of theirs for keeping the information current.

But the great majority of people do not employ a common set of criteria when assessing information. They employ subconscious criteria according to their age, need, behaviour trends, and more. This is where market research extends the measures for evaluation. It offers insights of how to tailor the information and experience better for a particular group.

Then we get more precise guidelines of how to engineer information electronically for particular needs. Take for example Kantar Media’s September 2013’s publication on, Over 50s in the digital age, where they define the over 50s behaviour trends with electronic information giving valuable pointers of how to reach this group and how to engage them better. If you remain sceptical can you argue with Webcredible’s success results (if they are true, of course!).

• 36% increase in made-to-order in online revenues for Laura Ashley
• 50% reduction in mobile homepage drop-offs for Macmillan Cancer Research
• 44% conversion improvement and 168% uplift in leads for Propertywide
• 80% increase in hotel ‘look-to-book’ conversions for Thomson

Perhaps stats like that may influence your clients to agree to some market research, or it might help you define some criteria of successful evaluation for your own sites.

The present e-marketing perspective and its implications

Tablet-driven – that’s the trend for the next few years. It seems that the smart-phones that have dominated the market are due to give way to tablets. The pros for tablets are bigger screens, they offer more variety of use to consumers (watch videos more comfortably, access to web pages designed for them, buy online more easily etc.), better access to corporate data for employees on the move – among others.

The tablet market is hotting up as more companies are offering tablets and their price comes down. There’s a short, sweet summary of research, report highlights and trends in the Rippleeffect, Breakfast Waffle, blog (7.1.13)

And, this analysis is confirmed for the digital entertainment market by Jerome Rota, (10.1.13) in the Netimperative blog.

There’s a far more detailed report on Customer Loyalty and marketing strategy at The Loyalty Guide.com. Although the tablet frenzy is not explicitly noted, there are fascinating insights into changes in consumer behaviour, the value of brand in online ventures, and a ‘What the experts say’, section that consolidates sector information on: Supermarket and Grocery Loyalty, General Retail Loyalty, Financial Services Loyalty, Airlines FFPs and Airport Loyalty, Hotel and Resort Loyalty, General Travel and Tourism Loyalty, Food, Drink and Entertainments Loyalty, Mobile, Fixed Line and ISP Loyalty, Automotive and Fuel Loyalty, Media and Publishing Loyalty, and Loyalty in Other Sectors (mainly public service oriented).

Then we get an in-depth treatment of how e-marketing trends are likely to go in 2013 from Ashley Friedlien, e-consultancy (8.1.13). His 17 pointers offer a wide-ranging romp through aspects of the markets that he finds significant; digital mainstream - the ‘new norm’, digital talent – war, putting effort into cross-channel customer experiences, focus on the long-term rather than just short term, watch digital internationalisation in such uncertain financial times, customer choice for channels settling down, transparently knowing what customers want, content, content, content, mobile maturity including m-commerce, better understanding of the social media market, design and user experience influenced by screen size, native advertising versus other models, digital analysis improving across channels and types of user experience, emerging digital TV spin-offs, bettering email and SEO marketing through intelligence, among others.

So exciting times on the marketing front for 2013. It doesn’t take much to understand the impact across the board for everyone involved in digital. Commissioned products have to achieve business ends and these are dictated by customer needs while marketeers give us the insights between them - for those that are willing to listen.

Identify your competitors and evaluate your marketing strategy

The ideas of competitors and markets used to squarely belong with marketing strategies for off-line companies. The online world has shifted the focus because it allows fast, automatic, analysis of your competitors. Many tools are offered under Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) allowing inside information on what your competitors are using as keywords to hook people in to their site, what search engines they are listed on, what links enhance their optimisation, what ranking they command in the engines and many more pieces of intelligence. Are you checking your competitors regularly? Worse, are they checking on you?

There's a free tool that analyses some basics that you can use for your own site or for a competitor at Search Engine Optimisation.co.uk

Search Quest gives a breakdown of what analytics they offer for small, medium and large companies. Of course, the charges go up accordingly, but it helps to see the range of analysis that is offered for a price. What price is competitor intelligence worth to you?

It's as well to remember a few caveats about trying to emulate your close competitors. They have perhaps forged ahead in their branding for several reasons. Is it worth you always trying to catch them up or should you use the intelligence to out think them? Just reproducing the same strategies but later than competitors will not give you an advantage.

So are you a blue ocean company or a red ocean company? The article from Mind Tools about blue ocean strategies is worth reading to help focus your strategy on winning by establishing difference, not by copying your competitors. Food for thought. Happy strategising.