The This web site strategy analysis evaluates 3 of 5 Web sites created by Great Big Software (GBS) Corporation. For each Web site, the following are examined:
For each Web Site this analysis returns a number of
The Web sites selected in this analysis are:
The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) Web site is a government Web site. This site promotes the GTA as a desirable location for business.
The GTA Web site is very straightforward and reasonably easy to navigate (especially as it includes a site navigation page. Web site contents provide a broad overview of the GTA framed to make it attractive for prospective business owners. Links to the various GTA municipalities appear on pages where site users would expect and where they would be needed to provide greater depth of information on a specific municipality.
The GTA Web site is one of the top URL's returned by HotBot and Yahoo Canada when seeking information on the "Greater Toronto Area." This site provides useful "Free Stuff" such as "The GTA Video" and a form with which prospective business owners can request additional information.
|
Link to Web Site Design Strengths Analysis for: |
While the Web site content provided a broad overview of the GTA, the information is generally lacking depth. Overall this site feels "pedestrian" in tone, presentation of information is understated and does not project any sense of personality. If this site were a person, it would be best described as a middle level, career bureaucrat.
The site URL is not intuitive although it appears to conform to some form of hierarchical naming convention, it would be difficult to claim that www.greater.toronto.on.ca is intuitively obvious. Better choices include www.GTA.on or www.GTA.ca. A truly intuitive URL for the Greater Toronto Area is difficult to establish, hence the best alternative may be to choose one that is easily remembered.
The GTA Web site main menu is sparse and essentially limits itself to listing links to other site pages. Regrettably, the naming of these links leaves the user guessing about the content of the linked pages.
The GTA Newsletter provides time sensitive information about the area but lacks a convenient means for a reader to subscribe to the newsletter. Furthermore, while specific links to individual municipalities are provided, I expected a link to the "Map of the GTA".
|
Link to Web Site Design Weaknesses Analysis for: |
|
Education: |
The GTA Web site provides significant breadth of content which addresses the initial needs of its target audience, people who are looking for a place to start a new business venuture. |
|
Repository: |
This site takes advantage of its content production capability and access to some photographs to create HTML content for the site. |
|
Link: |
The Greater Toronto Area Economic Development Partnership have adopted a directed link strategy which allows users to leave the site at appropriate opportunities. |
|
Interactive: |
The GTA Web site provides numerous opportunities for stakeholders to interact from simple email to a forms based request for additional information. |
|
Link to Web Strategy Strengths Analysis for: |
The Greater Toronto Area Economic Development Partnership have an opportunity to improve the effectiveness of the current Web site. Please consider the following strategy recommendations:
|
Outbound: |
The GTA Economic Development Partnership produce a newsletter. This should be available for distribution by email to subscribers. |
|
Personality: |
As mentioned, the GTA Web site is very subdued and delivers data quietly. There is an opportunity for the GTA to consider developing a brighter, more vibrant and confident personality for the site. |
|
Global: |
The Greater Toronto Area embraces multiculturalism to an unrivaled extent. This translates into markets and potential workforce that are culturally similar to that found in non-English speaking nations. Hence, the GTA should consider offering information in other languages including Chinese and Italian. |
|
Database: |
GTA has developed databases that could be of value to prospective business owners. Making these databases more accessible will make it easier for the target audience to get appropriate information which will help them decide on the GTA as a place to locate a business. |
|
Advanced Interactive: |
Coupled with the database work, an investment in advanced interactive technologies will allow prospective business owners to ask questions in plain language and receive a reply based on content already existing in the GTA database. |
|
Link to Web Strategy Recommendations for: |
||
|
Top of: Greater Toronto Area |
Top of: PC Flowers & Gifts |
Top of: Hudson's Bay Company |
The PC Flowers & Gifts Web Site gives customers the opportunity to browse, select, purchase, and have delivered, flowers or other gifts over the Internet.
PC Flowers & Gifts' URL is intuitive and the name of the Web site effectively describes the product and purpose of the site. This is coupled with PC Flowers & Gifts Web site being one of the top URL's returned by HotBot and Yahoo Canada when seeking information on the "PC Flowers".
The reminder service provided by the site is a convenience that is easy to set up and unobtrusive until the reminder is required.
PC Flowers & Gifts' Web Site layout is clean and navigation is simple by virtue of the clearly (and simply) named links and the presentation of gift suggestions on the main page.
|
Link to Web Site Design Strengths Analysis for: |
The site is entitled PC Flowers & Gifts but is almost entirely dedicated to flowers. Gifts are almost token in nature and the site offers only a disappointingly limited selection of gifts.
It is difficult to establish whether service outside of the United States is available, how much such service costs and whether the pricing shown is in US dollars or some other country.
The order form could be more explicit in describing the order. As currently designed, an order presents the ordered merchandise in a box using a graphic style that is similar to a banner ad. Furthermore, a significant number of orders are to be delivered to a third party at a location different from the purchaser. That there is no explicit means for the buyer to receive confirmation of delivery or track the courier's progress is a shortcoming of the Web site.
|
Link to Web Site Design Weaknesses Analysis for: |
|
Launch |
PC Flowers & Gifts are the leader in Internet sales and marketing of flowers. |
|
Strategic Alliance: |
PC Flowers & Gifts has increased its reach by providing "private label" services to various other Web sites. |
|
Commerce: |
PC Flowers & Gifts employs a secure web site to enabling a purchaser use a credit card over the Internet. |
|
Community and Outbound: |
PC Flowers & Gifts provides a "free" reminder service in which a user registers important occasions and their email address. PC Flowers & Gifts will send an email reminder to the user a few days in advance of this occasion. |
|
Link to Web Strategy Strength Analysis for: |
|
Advanced Interactive |
PC Flowers & Gifts has the opportunity to maintain its leadership in Internet flower sales by providing better customer service through the introduction of package tracking. Through the establishment of Web pages that interact with the FTD network or Federal Express, customers will be able to monitor the status of their order. Also, PC Flowers & Gifts should consider establishing a means of automatically sending an email to the purchaser a confirmation of delivery. |
|
Global |
Today, only FTD provided services are available outside the United States and only in English. PC Flowers & Gifts has the opportunity to open the Canadian market and extend itself to non-English speaking markets. |
|
Strategic Alliance: |
PC Flowers & Gifts selection of gifts is very limited currently. Through the establishment of additional strategic alliances with a premium chocolate maker or cigar distributor can increase the utility of the company for existing and new customers. |
|
Outbound: |
PC Flowers & Gifts has the opportunity to create additional demand for its services by providing a newsletter addressing seasonal flower or gift giving occasions such as Valentine's Day, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Wedding Season and Christmas. By helping potential customers understand normal giving conventions and suggestions pertaining to these occasions, PC Flowers & Gifts has a better opportunity to gain additional business. |
|
Link to Web Strategy Recommendations for: |
||
|
Top of: Greater Toronto Area |
Top of: PC Flowers & Gifts |
Top of: Hudson's Bay Company |
The Hudson's Bay Company has established an online shopping site on IBM's World Avenue.
The Hudson's Bay Web site is one of the top URL's returned by HotBot and Yahoo Canada under "Hudson's Bay Company" (strangely, the Yahoo Canada search will fail if restricted to Canadian sites only). Also, the shopping site is a prominent link on the main page of the Hudson' Bay Company corporate site.
|
Link to Web Site Design Strengths Analysis for: |
The site URL is not intuitive however it is linked from the corporate site which does have an intuitive URL, http://www.hbc.com.
This Web site has numerous shortcomings including:
|
Link to Web Site Design Weaknesses Analysis for: |
|
Commerce: |
The Hudson's Bay site uses a secure server which protects customers and gives them greater convenience in making a purchase and greater confidence to make a purchase over the Internet using a credit card. |
|
Strategic Alliance: |
The Hudson's Bay Company has joined other companies in an electronic mall, World Avenue. This should give the Bay's shopping Web site greater visibility with shoppers and make it easier for the Bay to capture "walk by" trade. |
|
Link to Web Site Strategy Strength for: |
|
Repository: |
Hudson's Bay Company needs to complete the construction of this site in addition to reviewing its current practice of heavy reliance on graphics. |
|
Personality: |
The current Web site appears to be little more than a hierarchy of pages bearing the corporate logo and containing basic information. There is a distinct lack of personality or uniqueness that results in a utilitarian, rather than fun, shopping experience. It is not clear why anyone would choose to "Shop at the Bay". |
|
Community: |
Hudson's Bay Company's shopping Web site does not appear to offer anything to the community. Its sole purpose is to transact the sale of merchandise and services. The Bay has the opportunity to revise this by offering some community service such as a Wedding or Baby registry service. This provides both the shoppers and recipients of wedding and baby presents with a convenient service while positioning the Hudson's Bay Company to make a sale. |
|
Interactive: |
Other than placing an order, it is difficult for users to determine how to provide feedback to the Bay. Hudson's Bay Company should consider including an "email" button on every page to ensure that users understand that the company welcomes customer comments. Also, the Bay should establish an infobot to ensure that customer messages are acknowledges as quickly as possible. Also, one of the services provided by the Hudson's Bay Company is a store credit card. |
|
Global: |
Unlike the physical store chain, Hudson's Bay Company is limited to English only. Hence, the Bay has an opportunity to extend its cyber shopping experience to French Canadians or perhaps to present heritage products to over seas markets such as Japan. The former will require the development of French language Web pages and the latter Japanese. |
|
Link to Web Strategy Recommendations for: |
||
|
Top of: Hudson's Bay Company |
Top of: PC Flowers & Gifts |
Top of: Greater Toronto Area |
