Our Client: AdvantageCS.Com

Who they are:Local software company

Business goal:Providing leading premium in-house fulfillment software for medium to large publishers

Online strategy:Provide information for potentialcustomers

Business Context

Local Software company - software suite for publishers Medium to large size clientsHigh price product; at least 6 months to finalize a purchase Our project focus: public websiteMinimum resources devoted to website

Credibility Evaluation

SPIDER CHART

0

25

50

75

100Branding

Functionality

Usability

Content

Branding: Evaluation

Weakest pointNot visually engaging - Bad for a software companyIt is a market leader, but you can’t see it from the website“I don’t know their reputation, but their company is

the ‘proven leader’ blah, blah, blah” (From User Testing)

Did poorly on surface credibility in our heuristics

Branding: Recommendation

*** Use website for branding ***Highlight company achievements and market leadershipAdd graphics & flash Show staff bios & photosInvest on a really good homepage

Meet our staff

About Us

Clients

Services

Products

Secure Login

High-Quality Photos or

Flash

Brief description of the company

Emphasizing on success stories

Brief description of products and

Services

(Use upbeat wording)

Contact Us

Advantage Computing Systems Inc.

3850 Ranchero DriveAnn Arbor, Michigan 4810 USA

Tel: 734.327.3651Fax:734.327.3620

Contact Us

Some of Our Clients

Thumbnail images of clients

Glo

bal

Nav

igat

ion

Branding: Recommendation-Design Homepage Blueprint

Content: Evaluation

Too much technical jargonDry, unenthusiastic text Arbitrary decision on what is public and what is internal

“I really think it is something here, but I can’t find it. Well, forget about it.” (From User Testing)

Content: Evidence

Content: Evidence

Content: Recommendation

Work on providing engaging narrativeAdd emphasis with text size, color, placement…Move staff bio from internal to public website: adds credibilityLeverage web page real estate to add contentShorten long pages with expandable links

Functionality: Analysis

Not crucial to public (branding) websiteMinimum design of functions enough for business goal

Usability

OrganizationLabelingNavigation

Organization: EvaluationAbout

AdvantageMission

StatementAffiliationsEnvironmentCompany HistoryStaffStrategic

Direction

System Overview

Pricing/Sizing Information

Software Demonstrations

ModuleDescriptionsPackages

Implementation Web DevelopmentConsultationMaintenance

/SupportUpgradesMigrationData Conversion

Target Market BooksControlled/TradeReligiousProfessional

& AcademicNewsletterConsumer

Latest Release

Newsletter Archive

Advantage Update

NewsletterNews Briefs

Headquarters Map & Directions

Human Resources

Sales & Marketing

Secure Access

Network Configuration

Youth Publications

Company

Clients

Newsroom

Contact Us

Client Area

Software

Services

Gateway to the site

Webpage

Category name

Group of related pages

Relationship

Latest Release Contact Us

Organization: Evidence

Organization: Recommendation

Remove ‘Client Area’ put ‘Sign In’ in home pageRemove ‘Environment’ from ‘Company’Add ‘Staff bio’ to ‘Company’Combine ‘Packages’ & ‘Modules’ into one page

About Us ClientsServicesProducts

Latest Release

System Overview

Packages

Web Module Demo

Graphics

Products

Graphics Packages

Text-highlights

(sometimes replace with

graphics)

Advantage Computing Systems Inc. Tel: 734.327.3651Fax:734.327.3620 Contact Us

Company Logo

Circulation and Product Order Package

Circulation Package

Product Order PackageAccounts ReceivableCampaign Management Credit Card Authorization and Billing Customer Service Database Recovery Duplicate Consolidation Inventory Management Product Order Promotion/List Management Royalty Management Sales Analysis Standing OrderUser-defined Reports/Forms

Optional Modules

Accounts Receivable For subscription products and inventoried products, Accounts Receivable tracks all invoice activity, all payments and their applications to invoices, refunds, and disputed invoices. Its ability includes handling consumer type accounts as well as large, multi-volume accounts such as bookstores. Payments – whether by check, credit card, direct debit, gift certificate, etc. -- can be entered in many ways including uploads from a lock-box. Also has complete multiple currency capabilities.

Clicking on a module displays its description on the text box on right hand side

Toggle to expand or shrink

Recommendation: Redesign-Package and Module Page

Labeling: Evaluation

Most labels not self-explanatoryBad labeling impeded users’ understanding of site organizationJargon labelsSome labels deliver less than they promise. Affects credibility seriously

Labeling: Evidence

Labeling: Recommendation

Pay attention to the credibility of labeling system

Make labels personal!

Meet our staffOur HistoryAffiliationsStrategic Direction

Mission Statement

Latest Release DemoPackagesSystem Overview

Implementation Web DevelopmentConsultationMaintenance

/SupportUpgradesMigrationData Conversion

Summary BooksControlled/TradeReligiousProfessional

& AcademicNewsletterConsumer

Headquarters Map & Directions

Human Resources

Sales & Marketing

Network Configuration

Youth Publications

About Us

Our Clients

Contact Us

Products

ServicesHomepage

Gateway to the site

Webpage

Category name

Group of related pages

Relationship

Labeling: Recommendation-Redesign of Labeling System

Navigation: Evaluation

Good except for some broken linksLogo link doesn’t work consistently from all pages

Navigation: Evidence

Navigation: Evidence

“How can I go back to the homepage? (Click on the advantage logo): it’s not working”(Type URL in the address bar to go back to the

homepage)-(From user interview)

Link it!

Link it right!

Navigation: Recommendation

Navigation: Recommendation

Put PDF documents as downloads instead of webpageMake affiliation logos linkableRepair broken linksMake sure company logo is linkable from all pages

About Us ClientsServicesProducts

Strategic Direction

Company History

Staff Bios

Affiliations

Mission Statement

Company News

Graphics

About Us

Graphics

News Briefs

Body

Figures (optional)

Text-highlights

(sometimes replace with

graphics)

Advantage Computing Systems Inc. 3850 Ranchero Drive

Ann Arbor, Michigan 4810 USATel: 734.327.3651Fax:734.327.3620 Contact Us

Company Logo

Newsletter Archive

(downloadable PDF documents)

Navigation: Recommendation: Redesign of Newsletter Page

Meet our staffOur HistoryAffiliationsStrategic Direction

Mission Statement

Latest Release DemoPackagesSystem Overview

Implementation Web DevelopmentConsultationMaintenance

/SupportUpgradesMigrationData Conversion

Summary BooksControlled/TradeReligiousProfessional

& AcademicNewsletterConsumer

Headquarters Map & Directions

Human Resources

Sales & Marketing

Network Configuration

Youth Publications

About Us

Our Clients

Contact Us

Products

ServicesHomepage

Gateway to the site

Webpage

Category name

Group of related pages

Relationship

Navigation: Recommendation-Redesign of Information Architecture

Navigation: Recommendation

Put PDF documents as downloads instead of webpageMake affiliation logos linkableRepair broken linksMake sure company logo is linkable from all pages