screen shot of timesonline
As Jakob Nielsen (2007) states, a website’s usability is crucial in ensuring traffic to the business. Strategies of usability are sometimes carried out successfully, however, more commonly it is found that websites fail the usability test for one reason or another. Website analysis is important to undertake for the future of web communication.
Jakob Nielsen
Timesonline.co.uk’s mass communication role is primarily as a journalistic source that readers use for their news intake. Timesonlines’ latest ABCe figure stands at 16,369,620 unique monthly users, globally.
The analysis will provide a critique of Timesonline as a website by evaluating the effectiveness of various website characteristics.
Searchability refers to the capability of being looked for (Nielsen 2001). It is important due to the concept of basic information foraging, which explains that people want to expend minimal efforts to gain their benefits. When ‘times online’ is entered into the search engine, it is the first to appear, which in turn indicates an affective searchability. Possible audiences’ would be The Times newspaper readers, therefore when this is also entered in, the search engine links the user straight to Timesonline.
Usability is a term used to denote the ease with which users can employ a particular tool (Flanders 2009). Timesonline is very technically stable in this field with its construction of links through either images or text anchoring these images. All the links are quick to upload and videos also respond quickly.
Navigation can be explained as the plan of the website with tabs and text that let the user know the intended direction for various links. Flanders (2009) suggests that the navigational system of a website must meet the visitors’ needs. Timesonline sets this clear agenda with the visitor with its top navigation tabs. These include the general content of the site such as; news, comment, business, money and sport. The links are all positioned as top navigational options, which could in turn offer the user with too many options all in one area. Timesonline could benefit from less tabs by breaking down categories.
The design of a website is usually what initially draws in the viewer, therefore its important to create a good balance between eye catching material without producing a busy and confusing website. Timesonline mixes a clever balance between images and text. There is enough creativity in colour and design without appearing unprofessional or too tabloid-like.
Content consists of text, images, or other information shared in posts, which is separate from the structural design of a web site, which provides a framework into which the content is inserted (Nielsen 2001). Timesonline offers a content-rich and sticky site. This ensures the readers loyalty to the site. The stories are well sign-posted with a top navigation system, as well as a constantly changing headline strip located above ‘most read’, ‘most commented’ and ‘most curious’ stories.
RSS feed
In terms of Video and Audio posts, Timesonline offers a range of multi-media technology creating a more interactive appeal to the user. Interactivity and user generated content are one of the most over-looked aspects of usability, however, it is important in attracting and creating a loyalty with visitors. Timesonline directs its users to a ‘comment’ section, whereby they can take part in blogs, comments and forums. Timesonline uses an aggregator software allowing users a web feed to retrieve syndicated web content. This RSS feed is important in keeping the user updated with blogs and news sources.
The strengths of Timesonline lie in its navigational system, whereby the direction and agenda of the site are easily provided. However, a weakness in Timesonline could be that journalistic sites are becoming too conventional in their design.
Laura Davies 