6.

1 Introduction to site design

Site design = Function + Content + Form + Organization + Interaction

• Accessibility
• User-centred design and usability
• Information architecture and findability
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Web standards
• Persuasion to deliver commercial results
• Visual design
• Digital analytics
• Legal requirements
• Digital marketing planning and improvement process

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6.2 Integrated design
Web sites must integrate with all other communications tools, both online and offline
Online value distribution and inbound communications
Mixed-mode buying/multichannel behaviour

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6.2 Integrated design

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6.2 Integrated design
An integrated database can personalize the experience and make relevant offers
that match the needs of customer types

A planned user-centred design approach

1. Active involvement of users and a clear understanding of user and
task requirements
2. Appropriate allocation of function between users and technology
3. Iteration of design solutions through prototyping and user review
4. Multi-disciplinary design

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6.2 Integrated design

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6.3 Online value proposition
You need to find a proposition that explains what your organization or site is
offering that:
• Is different from your competitors
• Is not available in the real world
• Makes a difference to your
customers’ lives
The value proposition describes
the total customer experience
with the firm, rather than (being
limited to) that communicated at
the point of sale.
Molineux (2002)
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6.4 Customer orientation

Four stages of research that help achieve customer orientation

Rosenfeld and Morville (2002)
1. Identify different audiences 3. List the three most important information needs of each
audience
2. Rank importance of each to the business
4. Ask representatives of each audience type to develop
their own wish lists
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6.5 Dynamic design and personalization
Personalization helps to Sell, Serve, Speak and Sizzle

• Customer or company name

• Country
• Customer preferences
• Recommendation algorithms
Options for • News and events
personalization • Viral personalization
• Referrer string
• Location
• Multivariate, real-time, conversion-optimized personalization

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6.5 Dynamic design and personalization
Personalization helps to Sell, Serve, Speak and Sizzle

• Expanding navigation through synonyms

• Applying faceted navigation or search approaches
Online retail • Featuring the best-selling products prominently
merchandising • Use of bundling
• Use of customer ratings and reviews
• use of product visualization systems

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6.6 Aesthetics
Aesthetics = Graphics + Colour + Style + Layout and Typography

Personality is the unique, authentic, and talkable soul

of your brand that people can get passionate about.

Site personality Personality is not just about what you stand for, but
how you choose to communicate it. It is also the way
to reconnect your customers, partners, employees, and
influencers to the soul of your brand in the new social
media era.
Bagharva (2008)

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6.6 Aesthetics
Aesthetics = Graphics + Colour + Style + Layout and Typography

Schemes that need to be right for: Information-intensive sites

- A personality which fits the Graphics-intensive sites
target audience
- Brand fitting
- Usability and accessibility

Watch out for design constraints

• Modems and download time • Plug-ins and download time
• Screen resolution • Font sizes
• Number of colours • Platform
• Browsers

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6.7 Page design
Content Management Systems (CMS) used as page templates

• Home page
• Product or service pages
• Product category and sub-category pages for
sites with multiple products
Key page types • On-site search results page
• Landing pages for bought media
• Content marketing pages
• Social hub page
• Blog page
• Utility pages

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6.7 Page design
Content Management Systems (CMS) used as page templates

• Company name and logo for identity

Common layouts • Menu (and sub-menu) for navigation
• Footer for reference to copyright and privacy
across sites
information
• Page title for content

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6.7 Page design
Content Management Systems (CMS) used as page templates

• An aesthetic, visually pleasing layout

• Clear emphasis of different content types
• Visual hierarchy showing the relative
Good page importance of different content through size
template design • Prioritization of marketing messages and calls-
to-action for different audiences and products
for persuasion purposes
• Clear navigation options to a range of content,
services, and visitor engagement devices

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6.8 Content strategy and copywriting
The management of text, rich media, audio and video content aimed at
engaging customers and prospects to meet business goals published
through print and digital media including web and mobile platforms
which is repurposed to different forms of web presence such as
publisher sites, blogs, social media and comparison sites.

CONTENT STRATEGY
1. Content engagement value
2. Content media Elements of content management
3. Content syndication that need to be planned and
4. Content participation managed
5. Content access platforms

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6.8 Content strategy and copywriting
COPYWRITING Gerry McGovern’s top ten rules
Chunky 1. Be honest
2. Be simple, clear and precise
Relevant
3. State your offer clearly
Accurate 4. Tell them about your products’ limitations
Brief 5. Have a clear call to action
Scannable 6. Tell them quickly if they’re not customer you
can supply
7. Edit! Edit! Edit!
8. Give them details
9. Write for the web
10.Leave it at nine!
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6.9 Navigation and structure
Ease of use = Structure + Navigation + Page layout + Interaction

Flow control
Information architecture Rules
Card sorting Keep it simple
Web classification Be consistent
Three clicks rule Signposts

Types
Global navigation
Local navigation
Contextual navigation
breadcrumbs

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6.10 Navigation and structure

Using interactivity to move customers through the buying process

1. Learning
2. Deciding
3. Buying

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6.11 Mobile experience design
Increase in mobile use Mobile first design philosophy

Mobile marketing options Mobile design requirements checklist

Thurner (2012)
1. SMS User experience is fundamental
2. Quick response codes (QR codes)
Use handset detection software
3. Bluetooth
4. Mobile applications Ensure that all other media channels drive
5. Mobile site traffic to your site
6. Mobile site and app advertising Use personalization
7. Location-based advertising Evaluate payment options and optimize checkout
8. Social network-based advertising
Test! Test! Test!
Monitor!
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6.11 Mobile experience design

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6.11 Mobile experience design

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Chapter summary
• Site design should be determined by clear marketing objectives: usability, accessibility and persuasion.
• Web site design needs to be integrated with other marketing activities.
• Each site should have a clear online value proposition.
• Customer orientation involves grouping access to content and services that meet the need of an audience made up of
different stakeholders and customer segments, with different degrees of familiarity with the Internet and the
organization.
• Customized service can be delivered through personalization of web pages and email.
• Site aesthetics are an important consideration in design since the combination of graphics, colours, style, layout and
typography define a site’s personality and style which are important in branding.
• Page layout is important to providing a clear consistent message throughout the site.
• Ease of navigation is achieved by creating a sound information architecture, and then designing the navigation tools
and structures that enable a smooth flow for a site version.
• Providing interactive content can help support the customer throughout the buying process
• Develop a usable mobile experience, considering the relevance of apps.
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Chapter summary
• Digital marketing must support and be integrated with corporate or business plans and marketing plans. SOSTAC – Situation
Analysis, Objectives and Strategy, Tactics, Actions and Control.

• Situation analysis – where we are now. It reviews internal resources and digital marketing performance, and external factors
such as customer, competitor and intermediary activity.

• Objectives – where we want to go. There are several approaches including marketing and MarComms KPIs, the 5Ss, and the
Big 4. Objectives must be quantified and checked to ensure they are SMART.

• Strategy – how do we get there. The key components are TOPPP SITE.

• Tactics are driven by strategy. They describe the e-tools used and how they will be sequenced through time.

• Action equals implementation of plans. How can you ensure excellent execution of your plan? Clearly define processes,
systems and even checklists can help. Internal marketing needs to be in your plan and requires resources.

• Controls gives a feedback loop, starting with monitoring whether the objectives are achieved, assessing what the
problems are and then revising the strategies, tactics and actions as appropriate.
• Resources can be planned through the 3Ms of Men (and women), Money and Minutes.
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