Jenny Longenecker 4/4/14 ELang 410R Exercise D The Cows of Luxurious Leoneck Hotel elco!

e to the Leoneck Hotel in "urich# $wit%erlan&' $taying here will no &ou(t (e the highlight of your tra)els*+ust !ake your reser)ations at www,leoneck,ch, -nce you fin& the we(site# surely you will reali%e the high .uality of the hotel (y the ani!ate& features an& the ringing cow(ell, /nfortunately# this we(site0s ani!ation an& other features !ay not reflect the owner0s ai!*fin&ing !ore clients, 12n& what &o cows ha)e to &o with staying at a hotel34 5f Leoneck Hotel wishes to a66eal to !ore custo!ers# the owner shoul& start with re)ising the we(site an& its weaknesses in functionality# accessi(ility# !ulti!e&ia# an& hy6erlinks, Functionality and Accessibility The cows shoul& (egin this &iscussion of weaknesses, 2s soon as Leoneck Hotel0s we(site loa&s# the tra&itional arrow cursor &isa66ears an& turns into the hea& of a cow with a yellow (ell hanging off its neck, 7ou !ust use the hea& of the cow to click on links an& na)igate the we(site, hile this uncon)entional cursor !ay start out as a!using# users !ay .uickly

(eco!e confuse& an& annoye& when the tra&itional cursor &isa66ears an& they ha)e to !aneu)er a large# unfa!iliar cow hea& instea&, 8ot only &oes the cursor &etract fro! the functionality of the we(site# (ut the cursor also &i!inishes the 6rofessionalis! an& .uality of the we(site an& the hotel itself, 2lthough the na!e of the restaurant at Leoneck Hotel is Cra%y Cow# ha)ing a cow for a cursor si!6ly incon)eniences users as they click links for infor!ation, To increase the 6erfor!ance an& a66earance of the we(site# Leoneck Hotel shoul& use a tra&itional arrow cursor

1266en&ix 1# nu!(er 14, 2si&e fro! the cow# other 6ro(le!s regar&ing functionality an& accessi(ility exist throughout the we(site, 95ncrease& accessi(ility is goo& (usiness , , , , :ore choices hel6 an& e!6ower e)eryone# not +ust the &isa(le&; 12!are# <==4, :any we(site users with )arious i!6air!ents woul& struggle with so!e accessi(ility 6ro(le!s that this site 6resents such as soun&, E)ery ti!e the cursor is 6lace& on the we(site0s links# a cow(ell noise rings, The suggestions fro! 2!are et al reco!!en& allowing the user to &eci&e whether soun& 6lays on the we(site or not rather than ha)ing soun& 6lay auto!atically, -ne solution for this we(site to consi&er woul& (e to allow users to &eci&e if they want soun& at the sa!e ti!e that they choose which language they 6refer for (rowsing, The other o6tion woul& (e to eli!inate the soun& entirely an& a)oi& &istracting or annoying )isitors to the we(site instea& of trying to a!use the!, 2ccessi(ility also 6lays a factor in se)eral hy6erlinks that &irect the user to outsi&e we(sites, hile going to a new we(site !ay !ake sense &e6en&ing on the context# the language hen a user first )isits the hotel we(site# he or she can choose fro!

(arrier coul& (e an o(stacle,

a nu!(er of languages in which to )iew the we(site, The 6ro(le! arises when the user is re&irecte& to a new we(site that &oes not gi)e other language o6tions> these new we(sites are often written in languages co!!on to $wit%erlan& such as $wiss?@er!an or Arench, 2 user that is unfa!iliar with these languages woul& !iss out on infor!ation fro! those external we(sites, -ne solution woul& (e to warn users that they are (eing re&irecte& to a we(site in a language that !ay (e unfa!iliar an& ask if they want to 6rocee&, This solution lets users (e aware that they !ay not un&erstan& the language of the new we(site, 2nother solution woul& (e to 6ro)i&e the link to that source# (ut to su!!ari%e rele)ant infor!ation in the language that the user has alrea&y selecte& for the we(site, This solution 6re)ents users fro! !issing out on infor!ation

an& offers an alternati)e to na)igating a new we(site, Multimedia Aunctionality is not the only issue that Leoneck Hotel0s we(site nee&s to i!6ro)e, :ulti!e&ia can either !ake or (reak a we(site or 6resentation> howe)er# !ulti!e&ia is often unnecessary# unhel6ful# an& una66reciate& (y !any users 12!are# <=14, The we(site for this hotel uses a )ariety of ani!ate& gra6hics (etween the train that tra)els (y when the we(site loa&s an& the )irtual# illustrate& tour of the hotel, /sing these ani!ations as central features lea)es users with the i!6ression that the hotel is !ore a(out gi!!icks than ser)ice# an& they will (e less likely to !ake a reser)ation at Leoneck Hotel, hile a tour of the hotel woul& (e useful# the

user !ay not want to ex6erience a )irtual# ani!ate& tour, To sol)e this 6ro(le!# the tour shoul& not (e !an&atory> inclu&e the tour as an o6tion fro! a set of a)aila(le links at the to6 of the ho!e 6age 1266en&ix 1# nu!(er 44, Besi&es !aking the )irtual tour o6tional# the we(site nee&s to consi&er its use of illustrations on the tour, hile the illustrations &e6ict the actual acco!!o&ations closely# the

hotel woul& &o (etter to use actual 6hotos of the hotel as the focus so 6otential guests know exactly what the roo!s look like, The (lurry characteristic of the illustrations also &ecreases the accessi(ility of the we(site for )isually?i!6aire& users, -ne 6ositi)e characteristic of the )irtual tour is the <C0?&egree look at the roo!s# gar&en# an& lo((y, This a(ility to )iew the actual hotel is of 6ractical use to guests an& as a result# ren&ers any illustrations unnecessary, These illustrations# inclu&ing the hotel front 6icture& on the ho!e 6age# shoul& (e re!o)e& an& re6lace& with actual 6hotos 1266en&ix =# nu!(er 1> 266en&ix 1# nu!(er C4, 2nother 6ro(le! to (e a&&resse& is the see!ingly ha6ha%ar& 6lace!ent of se)eral ite!s on the we( 6ages, Each ite! on the we(site shoul& (e 6lace& in a location for a reason, -ne

exa!6le of this ran&o! 6lace!ent is the inclusion of a !an in a suit with a real# non?ani!ate& face, ho is this !an3 5s he a !anager3 -wner3 His 6resence isn0t ex6laine&# (ut he a66ears

along the )irtual tour# hol&ing out his han& as if to show a guest the hotel, These .uestions nee& answers that )ali&ate why this !an0s a66earance on the we(site is necessary, 5f these .uestions cannot (e answere&# then the (est i&ea is to re!o)e hi! co!6letely fro! the we(site, 5f the !an is the owner# a (etter use of his 6resence woul& (e to ha)e a link that &escri(es the history of the hotel an& its owner an& inclu&e a 6icture of hi! instea& of using hi! as an ani!ate& tour gui&e 1266en&ix 1# nu!(er <4, Weak Links Throughout the )irtual tour# 6aragra6hs an& links for !ore infor!ation 6o6 u6 on e)ery screen, The &ifficulty with this syste! is that to get to certain links# the user !ust follow the )irtual tour to fin& 6ertinent infor!ation, -nce in the !i&&le of the tour# users !ust click all the way (ack out to fin& the o6tions liste& on other 6ages, Ha)ing these links s6rea& out across the )irtual tour takes u6 !ore ti!e an& !ay result in the user struggling to fin& answers, These links nee& to (e rea&ily a)aila(le an& categori%e& for the user on the ho!e 6age for easy access, Besi&es the 6ro(le!atic location of these links# one 6art of the tour has fi)e links that &o not corres6on& with each other, The links start with 6rices an& reser)ations an& en& with a sur)ey for 6re)ious guests# a 6age of results fro! the sur)ey# an& a we(site for the hotel0s restaurant, These links coul& (e (etter organi%e& on the ho!e 6age as &ro6?&own !enus with hea&ings for each category such as Reser)ations# Drices# 2!enities# $ur)ey# Restaurant# an& Tourist 2ttractions# to na!e a few, 2 central location on the ho!e 6age for this infor!ation woul& certainly hel6 as well as the na!e of the hotel on a (anner at the to6 that 6er!anently links to the ho!e 6age fro! all other locations on the we(site, Ha)ing an unchanging (anner at the to6 will gi)e users a way

to always return to the ho!e 6age for !ore infor!ation 1266en&ix 1# nu!(er =4,

ith the

(anner an& a&&e& hea&ings# 6otential clients will easily fin& rele)ant infor!ation an& (e !ore likely to !ake a reser)ation, The we(site nee&s to cater towar&s the nee&s of the hotel0s 6otential guests an& the infor!ation these guests will (e seeking (y !aking these changes, Des6ite its weaknesses# Leoneck Hotel0s we(site has one )irtueE the contact infor!ation for the hotel can (e easily locate&, 2t the (otto! of the ho!e 6age# the user can )iew the 6hone nu!(er# a&&ress# an& fax nu!(er for the hotel without clicking on anything, This infor!ation can (e foun& on se)eral other 6ages throughout the )irtual tour as well# (ut not all, 2gain the user woul& ha)e to click through the )irtual tour to fin& the contact infor!ation, 5n creating a set of links or !enus on the ho!e 6age# a 9Contact /s; section woul& (e hel6ful 1266en&ix 1# nu!(er F4, 2nother solution woul& (e to ha)e e)ery 6age of the we(site re6eat the contact infor!ation at the (otto! so users can see it regar&less of where they are on the we(site 1266en&ix =# nu!(er =4, 5n a&&ition# a user?frien&ly we(site shoul& inclu&e a search (ar that woul& allow users to s6ecify the infor!ation they are looking for such as a 6hone nu!(er, 2 goo& search engine shoul& (e a(le to 6ull infor!ation fro! aroun& the we(site to 6ro)i&e users with such infor!ation an&# therefore# i!6ro)e the we(site0s effecti)eness, Conclusion -)erall# Leoneck Hotel nee&s to consi&er how efficient an& satisfactory its users fin& the we(site to (e, The ani!ation an& (right colors !ight (e fun# (ut they contri(ute to a lack of 6rofessional style an& an ease of use, :ore links an& !enus on the ho!e 6age is one of !any e&its that coul& hel6 users fin& infor!ation an& i!6ro)e the likelihoo& that the users will (eco!e hotel guests, Leoneck Hotel can increase the functionality an& accessi(ility of its we(site (y re6lacing its cow cursor with the tra&itional cursor as well as re!o)ing the auto!atic cow(ell

soun&, The we(site will look !uch !ore 6rofessional an& (e easier to use if a&+ust!ents are !a&e to the ani!ate& tour an& the 6lace!ent of hy6erlinks, ith careful thought an& 6lanning#

Leoneck Hotel can ha)e a well?&esigne& an& infor!ational we(site to attract guests fro! all o)er the worl&*an& !ay(e these guests will get to !eet so!e cows &uring their stay'

orks Cite& 2!are# 8icole# Bary 8owlin# an& Jean Hollis e(er, Technical Editing in the 21st Century,

/66er $a&&le Ri)er# 8ew JerseyE Dearson# =011,