WEEK 4B: WEBSITES FREQUENTLY USED

The blogs I commented on:
Croft_Davina
Getz_Jordyn
Phillips_Michael

The websites I use the most are Amazon and Netflix:

www.amazon.com
Amazon is a website that has achieved every goal any website wants achieve.
Its design and marketing are amazing. It is simple, professional, user friendly, easy to navigate, easy to find what you are looking for and most of all “really easy to buy from” (now with just one click!).
They have an infinite amount of content that will keep any consumer interested and navigating for hours. You can basically find anything you are looking for.
The reviews help consumers make their choices and avoid getting bad products.
The fast and most of the time FREE Shipping makes the purchase very convenient. The marketing is awesome, it keeps track of everything you have viewed in the past and makes suggestions of what might interest you based on your searches.
Due to all of that combined, most likely Amazon will achieve their ultimate goal: a SALE! Users will end up buying something and coming back for more!
Amazon is a website I go to all the time. I find anything I want, I love having the reviews to check how good the products are, I trust their service and with the convenience of having a fast FREE shipping I end up buying from Amazon all the time.
I can’t really find anything I would improve on Amazon website.

www.netflix.com
Netflix was the first website to make every Movie and TV Shows Lover’s dream come true.
With just one click, in few seconds you can be watching your favorite movie or show.  
Besides streaming on your TV, now you can also download most of the movies/shows to your device and watch them any time (which is great specially on a flight).
Their website is beautifully designed with great professional pictures.
It is very simple to navigate and very easy to find what you are looking for.
They have a great marketing system of promoting New Releases, most watched movies and shows. It is great how they make suggestions based on what you have watched before and keep records of what you have already watched or where you left off on a movie/show.
Netflix is a website I’ve been using for a long time. Everything I could think about on how they could improve their website in the past, they have already done and it works great.
I can’t really find anything I would improve on Netflix website.

WEEK 4A: AESTHETIC, DESIGN AND BRANDING

The two websites I chose to identify the problems for visitors are:
Penny Juice and Spot Metering.

WWW.PENNYJUICE.COM

1) It is a very poorly designed website. I would be surprised if they get any sales from it. The Home Page doesn't explain at all what the Website is all about.
It should have more content explaining what they are trying to sell.
Improvement: They should put on their Home Page more information about the company and the product they are trying to sell. Offering more information would make consumers interested and willing to navigate further.

2) Very confusing. Too much going on at the same time.
The HTML version is already too much, when you click on the FLASH version you can barely stay on the page. Contrast may be a good thing to catch consumer's attention but they went way overboard with all the flashy colors, it hurts the eyes.
I also don't like the font they chose and how the text is so close together, there are no spaces between paragraphs.
When I look at their pages, I don't even feel like reading them.
Improvement: They should definitely reduce the amount of colors, use more elegant and subtle colors. Choose a better font and give more space between paragraphs to make it easier to read and less confusing.

3) There aren't many links, very hard to navigate.
Improvement: They should add links to the Home Page and all other pages so we can navigate better between them and find what we need.

WWW.SPOTMETERING.COM

1) It is also a very poorly designed website. It is not visually appealing at all.
It is very busy, with very poor choice of colors and fonts. The flash feature on top of the Home Page is totally unnecessary and disturbing. The links on top are also really unattractive.

The mixed bright colors fonts against the black background and the way they mix all kinds of different font types and sizes is really annoying. You don't feel like reading anything at all.
For photographers that normally have good eyes for pictures and colors they will probably get shocked and run away from that site in an instant.
Improvement: I would start designing that website from zero and choose everything different. I would start looking for a nicer Page Layout that is clear and professional. I would change the background, font colors and types and remove all those flash features.

2) The whole page is very confusing, not user friendly at all. In this website they used way too much content on the Home Page having to scroll down for a long time to find something. It's important to have content but also organize that  content in a way that doesn't get confusing for consumers so they don't get lost and frustrated.
Improvement: I would organize the content of this website in a more structured way so users can find the information they need in a easy and logical way.

3) The way this website was designed does not promote credibility. The branding is very weak and doesn't give users the trust they need to use that product. I don't think I would trust to buy a product from a site like that. When the website doesn't look appealing and professional you wonder if the business is serious and professional as well.
Improvement: After working on the aesthetics of the website I would concentrate on branding that product in a more professional and appealing way so consumers feel like they need to have that product.

The two websites I chose to identify what they have done right are:
Toyota and Apple

WWW.TOYOTA.COM
This company is a no brainer. They probably have the best team working on their website to make it have all the good qualities a website need to be successful.
Aesthetic and branding are awesome: great pictures, great colors. The contrast is just right to catch consumer's attention without being flashy. This website is very effective because it uses aesthetic and branding just right to appeal the target audience.
This website is definitely user friendly. Links are clear and the content is very organized.
Buying a car is a big decision and this website has all the qualities to show consumers that they are very professional and you can trust the company as well as their product.

WWW.APPLE.COM
Just like Toyota Apple also has a great team behind their website design to make it just right. Aesthetic is simple but very elegant, neutral colors and beautiful pictures to makes consumers want to have their product. This website also uses aesthetic and branding in the perfect way to attract its audience.
Website is user friendly, links are clear, content is well distributed within its links making it very easy to find what you are looking for.

Although Toyota keeps their Social Media very active through Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google+ and Instagram, I couldn't find where Apple keeps up with Social Media. I found a Newsroom where they post News about their products and other events but no Social Media. They probably don't feel the need to keep up with Social Media since their product is so well established around the world.

How does design, aesthetics and branding impact your reaction to the websites?

The visual impact is the first impression consumers get from your website, so it has to be visually appealing. It needs to have professional and good looking pictures that are relevant to the website as well as nice backgrounds, fonts and colors. Then it needs structure. A website needs to be easy to understand and navigate. If the content is not presented in a logic and organized way, consumers will get lost, frustrated and they will leave.
And of course it needs interesting and relevant content.
What makes consumers want to visit, stay and come back later to your website is the product and/or information you have to offer. On your website you need to offer something consumers want, need and/or are interested at.
All those features mentioned above are crucial to the success of your website. If you fail to offer that, most likely you will have a hard time keeping your online business.

WEEK 3B: FIVE BUSINESSES WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA

1) BUSINESS NAME: April Cornell
    URL: http://www.aprilcornell.com
    SOCIAL MEDIA USED:
    - Facebook: Last post on February 11th, 2017
    - Pinterest: Last post (Couldn't find the date) seems pretty recent since it has all the
      Spring Collection.
    - Instagram: Last post on February 9th, 2017
    ANALYSIS:
    April Cornell seems to be very active in all 3 Social Medias she uses. She has a lot of

    posts, pictures and a huge variety of products. She is equally active in Facebook and 

    Instagram posting something every day.

2) BUSINESS NAME: Williams Sonoma
    URL: http://www.williams-sonoma.com
    SOCIAL MEDIA USED:
    - Facebook: Last post on February 12th, 2017
    - Twitter: Last post on February 12th, 2017
    - Google+: Last post on February 12th, 2017
    - Instagram: Last post on February 12th, 2017
    - Youtube: Last post 2 weeks ago (today is: 2/12/17)
    - Pinterest: Last post (Couldn't find the date) seems pretty recent
    - Tumblr: Last post March 4th, 2016
    ANALYSIS:
    Williams Sonoma is definitely very active in Social Media since it has recent posts, 

    sometimes more than one a day on every single Social Media they use (except for

    Tumblr: last post is old). As a big company I am sure they have people or companies 

    hired to keep them all updated.

3) BUSINESS NAME: Wayfair
    URL: https://www.wayfair.com
    SOCIAL MEDIA USED:
    - Twitter: Last post on February 12th, 2017
    - Facebook: Last post on February 12th, 2017
    - Pinterest: Last post (Couldn't find the date) seems pretty recent
    - Google+: Last post on February 10th, 2017
    - Instagram: Last post on February 12th, 2017
    ANALYSIS:
    Mayfair is definitely very active in Social Media since it has recent posts, sometimes
    more than one a day on every single Social Media they use. Like Williams Sonoma it

    is also a big company that probably has people or companies hired to keep them all 

    updated.

4) BUSINESS NAME: Provence Soleil
    URL: http://www.provencesoleil.com
    SOCIAL MEDIA USED:
    - Facebook: Last post on January 29th, 2017
    ANALYSIS:
    Provence Soleil only only uses Facebook as its Social Media but it seems to be active 

    and has a decent amount of followers.

5) BUSINESS NAME: Sur la Table
    URL: http://www.surlatable.com
    SOCIAL MEDIA USED:
    - Blog: Last post on January 4th, 2017
    - Facebook: Last post on February 12, 2017
    - Youtube: Last post 3 weeks ago (today is: 2/12/17)
    - Twitter: Last post on February 10th, 2017
    ANALYSIS:
    Sur la Table has a blog but it doesn't seem to be as active as the other Social Medias 

    they use. It looks like Facebook is the main one since they have very many recent 

    posts and a big variety of products.

CONCLUSION:

After checking all those websites I've discovered that most of the Linens and Home Decor businesses don't use blog as their Social Media.
Facebook, Instagram and Twitter seem to be the most popular ones.
I've noticed that consumers really enjoy engaging in Social Media but you have to be very active and update posts all the time to keep your followers interested so they will keep coming back.

WEEK 3B: COMMENTS

I commented on the following blogs:

- Getz-Jordyn
- Phillips-Michael
- Williams-Terence

WEEK 3A: COMMUNICATION - BUSINESS & CONSUMER

Who hasn’t experienced difficulty communicating with a business?

When you call Customer Service, it can be the highlight of your day if you can get things resolved fast and without a conflict but most likely it will be your worst nightmare.
A lot of companies (specially the big ones), if you are calling to ask about their product/service, most likely you won’t wait for long and you will get a nice person that will take the time to answer all your questions.
On the other hand, if you are calling because there is something wrong with their product/service, or your bill…that is another story.
Not only you will wait forever to get someone on the line (you better put your phone on speaker and do other things while you wait) but most likely they will keep transferring you to different departments.
Eventually, if you are lucky, you will get a helpful person that will try to help solve your problem, otherwise you will be in an endless battle.
This situation still goes on but with Social Media it is getting better.

Social Media gave businesses the opportunity to promote, advertise and communicate with consumers but most of all, it gave consumers a way to review products/services before making their choice, compare and look for better ones and most importantly, it gave consumers a voice and power to protect their consumer’s rights.

Many years ago (before Social Media), I had the worst experience with my Cellular Phone company. Every month (even though I barely used my phone, let alone the Internet on it) I kept getting charged for extra data.
No matter how many times I called Customer Service trying to explain that I didn’t use all that data, they kept saying that there was nothing they could do: “Whatever is registered in our system is what counts!”.
So I ended up having to pay for something that I never used, I had no way to fight back or let others know what was happening and to make things worse, I couldn’t even cancel my service because I was stuck in a “contract”.

Nowadays, if I have problems like this, all I have to say is: “If you can’t help me with this issue, I will have to leave a review explaining the experience I had with your company and your service”.
As expected, after saying that, they will normally change their attitude and try to work with you because they know that not only they might lose your business but from your bad review they might lose many more.

Even though I haven’t had an experience communicating with a business through social media yet, I think Social Media makes it easier to get problems solved in many ways.

On the other hand, as Social Media gave voice and power to consumers to fight for their rights, it also made companies (especially the small ones) vulnerable to negative situations they can’t control.

As a business owner, I try to respond to every issue “positive or negative” in the most respectful and professional way possible, even when the customer is wrong.
Human interaction is not always easy and you can’t control how people are going to react.
No matter how much you try doing your best, it takes just one person that is having a bad day or just have a bad attitude to create a conflict and most likely to leave you a negative review and damage your business reputation.

In my opinion, Social Media is a really good thing for both consumers and businesses if used honestly, respectfully and in a constructive way. 

The same way Social Media can help businesses grow really fast, it can also damage them in the same speed.

WEEK 2B: MY COMMENTS

Hello again,

I had a blast reading all your Blogs and I added a comment on the following:

- Croft_Davina
- Phillips_Michael
- William_Terrace

I'm looking forward to seeing what you all are going to post next!

WEEK 2A: OVERVIEW OF SOCIAL MEDIA USE

I am not very familiar with Social Media Platforms but it seems to me that most of them (except for LinkedIn that is mostly directed towards businesses) can be used to a certain extent for both personal and business. 

In my opinion, Social Media Platforms are becoming more and more popular for both personal and business use. Nowadays (with the Internet World) life moves so fast, everyone is always so busy trying to catch up. No one seems to have much time to socialize or keep in touch anymore. 
Social Media gives this new generation of busy people the opportunity to stay connected and socialize (even if it is only virtually connected) with the little time they have.

For business use (specially small businesses) Social Media Platforms offer a great opportunity for them to advertise with a small cost and keep a direct and personal relationship with the customers. 
Before marketing was a luxury only to businesses that could afford to advertise on newspapers, magazines, radio or TV. Small businesses had no chance competing with big corporations. Thanks to Social Media this has changed and now any business has the opportunity to become known and successful.

Instagram seems to be best for personal use since it is based on a quick interaction of sharing pictures. Of course, you could always post pictures to promote your business but it doesn't offer much interaction.

Facebook seems to be the most popular for both personal and business use. It lets you share pictures, videos and interact with your customers and friends through messages or discussion groups. 

For personal use Facebook is great because you can reconnect with friends you lost in the past, keep in touch with family and friends and also find new groups of friends that have the same interests as you.
For business use it is also great because it provides you with tools to share with customers what your business is all about, promote new products and advertise events. Facebook has this huge community of "possible customers" already connected.

LinkedIn seems to be directed to companies and professionals only, providing them with tools to interact and connect like: companies posting jobs, professionals looking for jobs, companies looking for other companies services, etc.

It seems to me that Social Media Platforms will keep growing and becoming more and more popular in the future. If we want to stay "connected" we will need to find out which ones are out there, understand how they work, what they are for and join them depending on our needs and goals.