KWDB.com is the media intensive website promoting the Twin Cities radio station 101.3. There’s a lot to look at and process when you land on this site, so we ran it through our initial feedback test to see if the bells and whistles compliment the on air part of the station, or if it’s too much.

This is what the site looked like at the time of the test:

What Does This Website Do?

1. It is a radio station in St. Louis Park, MN. It plays live internet radio as well.
2. This is the website of the Minnesota radio station 101.3 KDWB. It offers contests, celebrity news, music videos, top 20 list, a movie guide, traffic and weather.
3. This website is an online Hit Music station 101.3KDWB.This seems to be an official website of the music station.
4. This website provide news, updates and music on latest in Industry. You can listen to songs, see what is “On-Air”, events, check store etc. You can also participate in contests running on website.
5. This is a radio station website and the main person is someone named Dave.
6. It is your typical website for a radio station with podcasting, profile of DJs etc. It looks very much like the radio station I listen to.
7. It’s a music related website. It’s like a music archive we can search and get the music we want. We can create an account and share and hear the music. It has information other than music such as news, celebrity interview etc.
8. Basically it’s a music website covering entertainment like videos, live performances, music contests, etc. It also provides news related to music industries and other fields like politics, health, weather and other currentaffairs.
9. It’s a website for a radio station – 101.3 KDWB.
10. This web page enhances FM radio station KDWB 101.3. From internet to on air programming, contests, ring-tones, top twenty song, news, and more.

Identifying the site’s purpose is not a problem. The logo is prominent and many radio station websites have a similar layout so they are easily recognizable.

What do people really like about it?

Best Current Feature

1. I really like the top 20 chart on the right hand side.
2. The listen live feature that you can use to listen to the radio station through your computer.
3. A fantastic treat on this site is the “1000s on demand” of music videos. I did a search for my favorite entertainer (Rod Stewart) and enjoyed a mini concerts and videos that loaded quickly and streamed perfectly!
4. Design of the website is attractive and presentation of the content is appealing to me.
5. Feature I like most is the top 20 on demand section.
6. The top 20 songs on demand is the best feature. This helps new comers identify the best songs without listening to others.
7. The menu in the top quarter of the page is very handy. I also like the pop down menus with that menu because it allows the user to quickly get to where he wants to go.
8. The best current features on this webpage are podcasting, containing celebrity interviews and KDWB VIP which offers attractive benefits to the users.
9. The top 20 on demand listings are great; it’s like a gentle reminder of what to listen to.
10. The best current feature I thought was the design layout. The google search box, local weather and traffic report, national news and many other features could make this place a home page for some people.

Overall, the reviewers like the widgets, specifically the one that provides a list of the top 20 popular songs.

What do they think could be improved?

1-Thing to Improve

1. I would like to see a music player on the page. Also maybe a shout box so visitors can chat with each other.
2. I looked but didn’t see a general overview of the types of music they play most of the time.
3. I’d love to have my own little section on the homepage that I could enter a list of my favorite artists. Then I could click on an entertainer and get breaking news, new releases, an updated biography, and his concert schedule.
4. The links present at the bottom are the same links which exist in the drop down list at the top. I would place only few important links at the bottom like contact us, privacy policy etc.
5. If you can provide a customizable music list for user where they can add or delete their music and maintain top 20 songs of their choice and can share to others what they are currently listening, then that would be a great feature.
6. I think that once you have gone through the pictures on the left, just below the banner, you might want to stop them. It made me want to leave because it kept repeating itself.
7. The website could have used less photos because the homepage takes a long time to load.
8. The page, especially at the bottom, seems to be crowded with information and pictures. I would organize it better; news and weather together for example.
9. Too much info on the HOME page makes it congested.
10. Not really sure if the dominant color black is just popular for the target audience, because I could possibly equate it with goth, heavy metal music, of which you don’t play.

While the information provided by the widgets is a bonus to the reviewers, the many, rotating images is a problem. It’s both overwhelming and slowing down the load time. This will also be a problem for mobile users, which is a growing demographic that web designers will need to keep in mind.

Pulling back on some of the images and organizing the amount of information provided throughout the site will streamline the design and speed up the load time. Running the site through another feedback test after making a few of the suggested changes will show their value.