Online Marketing: Website Analysis - Essay Example

Online Marketing: Website analysis One of the important marketing tools, which have a huge potential to entice the s is Websites. In this Internet enabled world with multimedia playing an omnipresent role, the common people are carrying out many of their day-to-day activities and manual tasks from the confines of their homes through websites only. “The Internets success is just one example of the power of multimedia”(McGloughlin, 2001). From the commercial sense, business all over the world has been optimally tapping the potential of the internet, starting with the development of their official website. IKEA is one such business, which has significant online presence. Founded in the year 1943 this company has grown into a world famous consumer and household goods designer and seller company. It sells its products through their retail outlets in more than 35 countries, including United Kingdom. Apart from this physical presence in UK, it has an online presence in the form UK specific website. http://www.ikea.com/gb/en is the United Kingdom segment of the Sweden based website which offers a wide range of home furnishing products for its customers. Its product range covers all the parts or sections of a house from bedroom to bathroom. United Kingdom’s IKEA website maintains separate pages for each section. The links to each section is placed horizontally on the top, which includes the living room, section, bedroom section, kitchen section as well as bathroom section. Clicking each section, will take one to a separate page (opens in the same window), which features IKEA’s specific category products. Apart from these common sections, keeping in line with Christmas season, a link called Christmas is also added. In addition, there is separate section for Child based products and textile products. Target Users: In the case of IKEA, the target users are UK based mainstream consumers, who want to purchase products from their homes. IKEA in its homepage or main webpage has separate links to each country, so when users from UK visits IKEA’s homepage, they will normally click the link to the “IKEA United Kingdom”. So, this arrangement will give sufficient idea that the target users of IKEA will be mainly UK based people or consumers, who wanted to buy or even research about various household items. Navigation: In IKEA, the navigation is very smooth, with all the links about the various products provided on the left side. Therefore, this makes the navigation ‘intuitive’ to guide the user of its function in determining to which page it would take them to. Apart from that, links are provided through photos of the products, which scrolls horizontally, and when clicked moves to a larger screen. In that flash images only, the most interesting and appreciable work of the website comes into action. That is, when the photo moves to a larger screen, it gives link points (with ‘plus’ sign), clicking which, provides details about each product, that could be found or placed in different rooms. Apart from the details, it also provides images of how those products can be aptly placed. So, the navigation works seamlessly by providing more details. Speed: Speed here talks about the time; it takes for a webpage to load. In the case of IKEA, even with the good amount of Flash animations or graphics, the page loads quite quickly in a standard broadband connection. However, when compared to other pages, the pages with flash images take long time. When it is tested in dial-up connections, the pages particularly one with flash takes quite longer time. Audio: Audio which is now making presence in many websites is also found in the IKEA website. Even though, it is not found ‘attached’ to the pages or when the page loads, audio is integrated in the form of IKEA’s unique Interactive concept, “Need Help? Ask Anna”. This interactive customer advisor answers all type of product related questions in a female voice. So, the visitors after turning on the sound of this interactive feature (by ‘ticking’ a small box in the new window, which opens when the link to that feature is clicked) can start the question and will receive relevant answers in sound. Graphics: The graphics are the main component of a website which will make the first impression among the viewers. That is, visitors of IKEA website will be surely enticed by the smooth flow of Flash graphics combined well with HTML and XML tags. The graphics apart from being beautiful and smooth flowing adds a lot of functionality to the website. Functionality in the sense, the ‘plus’ sign links or information is incorporated in the flash images only, and they provide good inputs. Even though, the Flash graphics loads quickly in a standard broadband connection, its performance in a dialup connection needs to be tested. In the case of IKEA, images have a glossy finish, with Flash graphics accentuating that glossiness. Content: In the aspect of Content the website scores good points because it provides a good amount of relevant information. In the case of IKEA, all the product information including price, key features, designer, assembled size, care instructions, product description & measurements, etc are given. This will surely help the prospective customers in making the correct choices. Apart from providing relevant information from commercial perspective, IKEA’s website also includes details about its corporate social responsibility (CSR) campaigns like Join the Soft Toy movement. IKEA, after being accused of practicing child labour in its outsourcing operations specifically in the Asian countries has started CSR activities to take care of children, their education and well being in those countries. IKEA has already donated $48 million to UNICEF to help provide better living conditions for children including education, living in some of the Indias economically poor areas. In addition, IKEA committed to invest further $120 million in India in UNICEF programmes over the next five years, with the figure going up to $180 million by 2015 (Marianne Barner cited in West, 2009). “The donation makes the global furniture company the biggest corporate partner of the U.N. childrens foundation UNICEF (www.unicef.org), with total commitments of more than $180 million, the U.N. agency said in a statement.” (in.reuters.com, 2009). So, by featuring these CSR based activities also in the website, IKEA is balancing both commercial and social purposes. On the whole, IKEA’s website appears and functions in a superior manner, with no need for any major suggestions. References in.reuters.com. (2009). Ikea gives UNICEF $48 mln to fight India child labor. Retrieved on 4 December 2010 from http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-38166220090223 McGloughlin, S. (2001). Multimedia Concepts and Practice – Part One. Prentice-Hall. West, N. (2009). Ikea soft toy sales help fight child poverty in poorest countries. Retrieved on 4 December 2010 from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/6503000/Ike a-soft-toy-sales-help-fight-child-poverty-in-poorest-countries.html Read More