The Energy Detective (TED) is an excellent home energy monitor that displays your electricity usage, and can help you save money. For this example, we’ve tested the TED product website, The Energy Detective.com, to see if it’s as good as the product it promotes.

What Does This Website Do?

1. It promotes a product (TED 1000 and 5000 series) that keeps track of your electricity use without having to go outside and read the meter. It shows that you can use that information to reduce your electric bill. Since the monitoring is in real time, you can look at what you are doing that is eating electricity.
2. The web site is a promotional and sales site advertising an energy monitor which allows you to see your electric usage in real time, in order to save money on electrical output.
3. It provides info about Energy Detective (TED), a real-time, accurate electricity monitor. It also provides energy facts and other ways to conserve energy.
4. The website advertised the TED product, which is The Energy Detective: a product that allows one to see their electricity usage in real time. The site gives a good overview on the first page, and has links to FAQs, and even a video to explain further some of the advantages to using TED.
5. It offers information about a device called TED. This is a device which can monitor your electrical usage with real time data, to help you in keeping your energy costs down.
6. Based on the web page, it appears that the site sells the electricity monitoring devices. This site also appears to give advice on how to save electricity. It has a lot of technical information about the devices as well.
7. The website gives information and a product name TED. This is an energy tracking and savings tool.
8. This web page gives you information about TED (The Energy Detective).
9. This website explains a device for sale called TED (The Energy Detective).
10. This website sells TED (The Energy Detective), an electronic device that can monitor the electricity usage. This website also describes ways to conserve electricity.

With a large photo displaying two models of TED, and information upfront, the reviewers had no trouble quickly figuring out the purpose of the website. What did they like about it?

Best Current Feature

1. I like the color scheme and the fact that overall it isn’t visually “busy.” It’s kind of soothing to look at and it helps to focus on the text and photos. I’m kind of tired of web sites that try to grab my attention with a visual circus going on.
2. The pages load very quickly. Layout is very good.
3. Displaying the instrument in the front page quickly captured the whole concept.
4. The pictures of TED are shown in front of an attractive background.
5. I always look for FAQs on sites as that’s usually the best place to start in looking for answers to any question one may have. A good FAQ page (like the one on this site) will cover any and all questions that a first-time site visitor may have about the product, as that instills confidence in both the product and the customer service provided by the company selling that product.
6. I really like the video as more folks tend to be willing to watch a short video over reading details about a product. (I like to read details as well, but most others are more visual in nature.) I think the video points out a lot of very positive features of the product, and it also lends credibility to the product as it seems at least to have been done by an NBC news show. A lot of folks are worried about being duped by purchasing products online, and this helps in reassuring them that this product isn’t some kind of scam.
7. I like the pictures of the 2 monitors with the actual readings on them. This shows how easy it will be to see how much electricity you’re, with virtually no effort aside from looking at the device.
8. The site seems relatively straight forward; it sells electricity monitoring devices and explains effectively how it works. The energy facts were probably the most useful and accessible part of the site.
9. The best feature is the section of links on the left side of the web page.
10. The demo of TED in action on the banner is very informative and eye catching. Easy navigation through the website, and a lot of information on how to conserve electricity.

It seems to have hit all the high notes of a product site: clean and simple layout, attractive product images, complete product information, a good FAQ section, and videos demonstrating its use. What are the low notes?

One Thing To Improve

1. The Ted 5000 dashboard was interesting, but it wasn’t much fun. When something appears to be interactive it’s nice to be able to play around with it. I didn’t feel like it did any more than just a photo would do. The interactive element wasn’t worth having in my opinion.
2. I recommend that red print on the landing page be increased as it is difficult to read. Also, the blank white background at the top of the landing page creates the impression the site is not completed. The blue print on the left hand side of the columns should be changed to a darker color.
3. I would remove the broken line which runs through the top photograph, as it detracts from the visual image.
4. Your use of the same photograph on several of the pages becomes boring. I became tired of looking at the coffee pot.
5. I’d like to see better photos on the home page. Perhaps a bit more color on that page. On the positive side, I think the basic description of what the product is and does on the homepage is a perfect length.
6. It might be good to state that this is actually something you have to hook up and it has to be connected via your breaker box, not just something you set on your end table and turn on, which is what it looks like in the pictures.
7. I don’t really need that much technical information on the devices. It should be available, perhaps in a PDF document under specifications but it doesn’t really help me understand how the device will help me.
8. Maybe add some testimonials on how it saved a real human being money. It would also be cool if you could find a test subject where we could actually see real live data.
9. I would like to see some customer testimonials that mention how much they saved using TED. I did not see any real hard numbers on the site.
10. Add some color. The current colors are dull and drab. Brighten it up a bit.

Most of the suggestions are cosmetic and ones I agree with. The white space at the top does seem unfinished, as if a header was missing or failing to load, and was momentarily distracting. It could be minimized down to only the amount of space needed to display current news or updates. The vertical dashed line doesn’t have a purpose above the main image, and the red text above each model blended too well into the background that I hadn’t even noticed it until it was pointed out. These are all very small changes that could clean up the layout of the landing page.

Another good suggestion is adding testimonials, which is a very common One Thing To Improve. People like to imagine how a product will fit into their lives by seeing how it has worked for others, rather than rely solely on descriptions and photos. It instills consumer confidence when you display what real people have to say about your product. Even better would be providing a Product Review site for all TED owners to submit their experiences.

All the changes would be simple and easy to make, and once updated, the site could be re-tested through 3rd Party Feedback to see how valuable the suggestions are.

Metblogs is a large network of city specific blogs that aim to be an alternative source for news with a local focus. Each blog is authored by multiple people, and they cover everything from local music and art to politics. Minneapolis is among the cities with Metblogs coverage, and we wanted to see how people responded to the site.

This is what Minneapolis Metblogs looked like at the time of the test:

What Does This Website Do?

1. This is a metroblog about Minneapolis. It includes various posts (mostly by one author) about things going on in the Minneapolis area.
2. It is a blog with information about Minneapolis.
3. It’s a city focused blog that cover local issues.
4. It is a current event site for Minneapolis, Minnesota.
5. It’s a blog about the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area. It covers the events and happenings of the two cities. For locals and visitors, it would provide useful information about the area, and let them know of events they may want to attend.
6. It’s a blog site with information related to the local area.
7. This site is a city blog for Minneapolis. This site is part of a bigger site called Metroblogs. Metroblogging covers all sorts of topics from local politics to city events.
8. This site has information about upcoming events.
9. City-based weblog. News and items from the metro area of Minneapolis.
10. It’s a blog in the series of Metroblogging sites in the US, but this sticks to Minneapolis. It deals with the local issues, public concerns and any other news coming out of the city. Also, politics, reviews of various restaurants, and events are covered.

Honestly, I would have been surprised if people found it difficult to figure it out. The name suggests the purpose, and the About link is close to the top, easy to find, and quick to read.

Best Current Feature

1. Seems like a good mix of interesting types of articles and videos, with a generally good overarching category of Minneapolis. Seems to be a good way to learn about the character of the city in an unconventional way.
2. The author links on the page.
3. At this point, the About link only because I didn’t know what metroblogging was up until now. I’m sure others who are also unaware would appreciate that.
4. I personally was interested in the video link of a local hip hop artist who was featured on MTV. The site has a wide variety of interesting topics.
5. It’s full of information. I know if I was living there, it would include information I would find useful. It includes the authors for those who want to follow a particular blogger.
6. The local focus.
7. The variety of the topics is endless.
8. Information about events is very extensive, which is helpful to out of town visitors looking for things to do in the city.
9. Nice retro design.
10. Best feature I liked is that various authors can collaborate together and bring out the news and issues and concerns from every nook and corner of the society in the city. I hope it grows to cover all the dimensions in society.

Most of the reviewers agree that the variety and amount of information to be found is a very good thing, and they’re right. That’s exactly the kind of impression this type of site should have on its visitors. What can be improved?

One Thing To Improve

1. While it’s clearly about the Minneapolis area, the organizing principle of the site is a little unclear. It’s hard to tell why certain stories are posted, or what classifies as relevant content. The site needs a little bit more explanation of how things are woven together.
2. All the links that are on the bottom of the page could be placed at the top.
3. I’m not a web page designer, but it looks plain to me. It doesn’t really grab my attention the way it should. There is a little blurb on your about page that explains what Metroblogging is. I think that blurb should be on the home page.
4. Site is looks to be very simple. I want to see some improvements in the layout and addition of trendy colors.
5. It’s a pretty standard blog format, so nothing stands out from that. The metblogs cityscape graphic is pretty cool-looking though. The one thing I would do is take advantage of all that white space on the right side that extends longer than half the page. I like Google ads, so I would put those there. Extra income too. I would also add a lot more pictures in the blog posts.
6. Being able to find the topics quickly would be helpful.
7. Due to the vastness of the topics, I would think that some sort of subject grouping or site map would make it easier to find what you are looking for.
8. I would definitely prefer some more color on the page and some of the posts don’t have sufficient writeup. I would love to read about various topics in detail, but didn’t find the posts very informative.
9. More collaboration. Front page items are mostly all from one poster.
10. I think news articles should be categorized, apart from the tags being available. So that, if I want to go across to the blogs on Politics, all the blogs should be enlisted on a single page.

Layout, structure and more detail are the suggestions sticking out to me. Additional colors, a more unique layout, and a much better categorization and archive system would be valuable changes to the site. Also, the categories and archives could stand to be a little more prominent. A small drop down list buried among the ads, blogroll and author list can easily be missed, and that is only a list of the categories. You will need to hunt even more to find a chronological list of archives.

There is a standard Metblogs layout and the individual cities can’t make any changes to that, but if the individual site contributors can make suggestions for the layout decisions, someone could pass along this feedback. If the feedback is applied to the layout, Metblogs could retest to find out how valuable the changes are.

What they can address locally, however, is the content related feedback; depth of coverage, photography and frequency of author contribution. A pretty layout will catch your attention, but the content is what keeps you coming back.

The next review example is of Texas Liquor License.com, the website for a service that assists Texas businesses with obtaining a liquor license. It has a clean, simple design with a small touch of flash, and some audio. We ran the site through our initial test to see what reviewers had to say. This is what the site looked like at the time of the review:

What Does This Website Do?

1. Describes liquor license application process and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code and assists people with the process.
2. They help people/businesses navigating through the TABC liquor license application process and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code. They are licensing professionals.
3. It is a website for obtaining a liquor license in Texas. It also has certification for food management and TABC.
4. Texas Liquor License is a professional licensing service. They handle all aspects of the TABC licensing process from beginning to end; processing applications for all types of liquor, beer and wine permits inside the State of Texas.
5. Helps businesses get liquor license in Texas. And helps businesses sell and transfer liquor license.
6. It looks like a company which will help you navigate through the steps to get your liquor license in Texas.
7. Services Texas food & beverage industry with licensing and training.
8. This website helps people in Texas obtain a Texas Liquor License.
9. They specializes in helping those who wish to start up their own business quickly by gathering and filling out the necessary forms required to get a liquor permit. The website will also offer clients the ability to create their own LLC or corporation.
10. Helping bars/clubs/anything that needs a liquor license obtain a license with ease.

We already know how important it is to make your websites purpose clear to all first time visitors, and Texas Liquor Licensing.com has achieved that.

What do the reviewers really like?

Best Current Feature

1. The company’s purpose is plainly explained and the website makes it simple to understand.
2. Everything seems to be all laid out well, straightforward, and everything you need seems to be on the site.
3. It has a full list of all the clients that this website caters to.
4. I like the “jingle” when you mouse over the links.
5. It states the company’s goal on the homepage, explaining that they are there to help you obtain a liquor license because the process is complex.
6. The site offers information about classes, and certifications which might be helpful.
7. The best current feature I took notice of was the music, it drew me into the page and made me want to know more about the site. The music selected was nice and short. It sound seemed to remind me of a futuristic clean feel.
8. Fairly clean design with lots of white space.
9. The best feature on this page is the graphic that plays and the music that follows. The way that the screen appears on every page with those graphics really makes the site shine.
10. The best feature is that it informs you a license can be obtained a week earlier than usual.

Texas Liquor License.com has employed a clean, simple design with a straightforward, up front description of what they provide, and the reviewers seem to like that. They also like the brief flash animation and the sounds played when you move your mouse over the links. I’m actually a little surprised the flash and audio received positive remarks, simply because they replay on every page. They are nicely executed, brief, and much like the rest of the design, clean and simple. However, a one time play upon first visitation would be sufficient. Or perhaps a slightly different visual and audio on each page.

What improvements can be made?

One Thing Better

1. Remove the ads as they are a distraction.
2. Maybe add a little color, and decrease the size of the border (too much white space right now makes it look a little boring.)
3. The only thing I would suggest is make the visuals more relevant to what the service represents.
4. Remove the music when you change pages.
5. Lose the music, and make the text bigger. It makes it much more likely someone will take the time to read it all the way through.
6. One thing that could make the site better is to incorporate bolder and bigger titles. You could also do this to the tabs. Try to make them stand out more where people can identify them.
7. The stock art frowny guy doesn’t fit this page.
8. Not sure what the differences between “solutions” and “services” are, and those could be consolidated.
9. Though the opening graphic music and layout come together very well, and are smooth to watch, I would like more variety. I think every page should have the same introduction, but with perhaps a different layout, color and picture.
10. Tell the consumer why we should use your service and tell us a bit more about the company.

One reviewer agrees that there could be move variety with the graphic and audio selection, while others agree to remove the audio altogether. They are an interesting touch and when I first visited the page I liked them, but after a few clicks I realized they would replay on each page and navigating further into the site was becoming less appealing.

Other reviewers offer suggestions to minimize the white space and increase text size. Increasing the text size is a good suggestion, as it is rather small, and doing that will decrease the white space as a secondary effect. However, I wouldn’t suggest eliminating the white space completely; it’s a component of the clean, simple design that appeals to so many people.

Small adjustments to the flash and audio could really streamline this already attractive website. Then the changes could be tested with 3rd Party Feedback to see how effective they were.

Bring Me The News was very recently launched to provide Minnesotans with relevant local news stories from a variety of sources, as well as original reporting. We wanted to see how people responded to the site, so we ran it through our initial test. This is what the site looked like at the time of the test:

What Does This Website Do?

1. This website provides news and current events. It is a great way to keep in touch with what is happening around you. You get relevant information just by visiting this site.
2. This website brings current news in Minnesota. It ranges from political to environmental.
3. BringMeTheNews.com lists the latest headlines for Minnesota. It offers articles in many different categories.
4. This website is about news. It is a more stylish take on a regular news website.
5. This web site is based out of Minnesota and provides the top news stories going on in Minnesota. Current up to date weather conditions are also shown on the site.
6. This web site brings the news from all over Minnesota.
7. The site provides a distillation of local and regional news, with limited coverage of national stories that specifically impact Minnesota. It does so in a quiet and unusually composed fashion for an online news site (excluding the bat story).
8. Providing breaking news, and filtering news from other sources for Minnesotans and sharing that news on social networking sites.
9. This site lists down the best stories that will have an effect on Minnesotans. From all possible sources they filter out only those news articles which will have an impact on the readers.
10. Provides news in such a way that every one can easily understand.

The focus of the site seems to be pretty plain to most visitors. Since the top of the site states “Bring Me the News” with “Minnesota” directly beneath, the purpose is clear. What do they really like about it?

Best Current Feature

1. The diverse subjects on which news and information is given and the small pictures along with links.
2. I like the simple layout of the different articles. There aren’t any moving ads that distract you from the real content of the page.
3. I enjoyed the aesthetics of the page. Great color scheme and layout. Additionally, I enjoyed the easy navigation, as well as the inclusion of a RSS feed.
4. The style and simplicity of the site are nice.
5. The best current feature right now is Rick Kupchella’s video in which he explains what the web site is all about and the plans to have up to date news from this site on MySpace, Facebook and Twitter, which I think is a great idea.
6. Sharing information and news on Facebook and Twitter so that I can look over via my smartphone.
7. The best feature that I like about the site is that you have the ability to “share” a piece of information or news that you and your group of friends might like to read with the help of Facebook and Twitter.
8. Actual science news! The mass media’s fascination with extraordinary fecundity, and other curiousities, is depressing.
9. The simplicity and presentation of  the website.
10. Good fonts. Nice choice of fonts for the heading and content.

They like a wide variety of features, from the simple layout to the ability to share news using social networking sites, to the depth of the new subjects.

One unique feature of Bring Me The News allows readers to comment on a news article using their own Facebook or Twitter account, which potentially increases the number of readers and encourages others to comment as well. This feature will also encourage more constructive commentary, as opposed to the unmoderated, anonymous comment system employed by many other news sites.

What are the opportunities for improvement?

1 Thing To Improve

1. I would like the news links to be sorted by categories so that I can click on a specific category that interests me. Also, the page seems to be bit lengthy/long, you can make it compact by having links with pictures instead of giving elaborate information about the news item on the home page.
2. You could maybe add the time/date of the articles.
3. One thing I’d enjoy would be a travel news section, perhaps about local happenings and travel destinations. I am very much into travel and would love to see that.
4. Provide a date for each news story. It is hard to tell what news is old and what is new.
5. I would like to see this web site break down all of the top news categories. A category with a sports heading for example with all of the logos of the teams that you can click on to get the most up to date information that is going on with your favorite Minnesota sports team. Another idea for categorizing the sections would be to put the top five stories under each heading and a link to additional stories.
6. The colors of the site are too light; other colors should be used to provide balance.
7. It should be more colorful.
8. Right now, there is a bit too much void space.
9. The text color is little dull.
10. I find that the colors used on this site are very dull. You can use bright and lively colors to make this site more appealing.

With the exception of a few suggestions for organizing content, the main concern is the color theme. The majority of the reviewers feel the colors aren’t contrasting or exciting enough. This combined with little organization of the topics and lack of dates on the articles invokes an administrative dashboard feel to the site.

The pros: RSS, About and Search are clear, at the top and quick to locate, and their social networking approach is great.

The site is brand new and will surely undergo changes as it settles and makes itself home, and these suggestions are a good place to start. Then running the site through 3rd Party Feedback for additional feedback will point them in the right direction.

The Brainerd High School website is a fairly representative example of most high school websites, so we’ve chosen it for this week’s initial feedback test. This is what the site looked like at the time of the test:

What Does This Website Do?

1. The website provides information about Brainerd High School. The site lists everything a student or a parent would need to know what is in progress and who to contact for further information. It also links other schools in the district.
2. This website gives information for students attending Brainerd High School. Information for parents such as when open house will be held is also useful. Class scheduling is available for all to see.
3. It’s a website for Brainerd High School to communicate to students.
4. This website provides information about Brainerd High School that would be necessary or needed for parents, students, faculty and the community.
5. A website for a public high school, provides information to students, alumni and thier family as well as the community
6. This is the website for Brainerd High School. It gives school information about staff, departments, clubs, athletics, school schedule and calendar,etc.
7. It is a high school website. It has schedules and current events.
8. This seems to be the official website of Brainerd High School. This site gives detailed information about the school, news and announcement relating to school activities.
9. It’s a school website that provides information that students or prospective students may need.
10. Informs students and parents on the goings on at Brainerd High School, and help to keeps everyone up to date. It also seems to be extremely informative about the high school, and encouraging for anyone who is considering attending the school.

There was little doubt that the reviewers would know the purpose of the website.

What do they like about it?

Best Current Feature

1. I like the 2009/2010 school calandar link, my kids’ school does not have that on their website.
2. The “student connections.”
3. At a glance, students, faculty and parents can obtain the most pressing and current news–classes, schedules, open houses and contact information for the school.
4. The menu on the left hand side for navigation.
5. Listing of the events for the current day is a great feature. Adding the link to full calendar directly underneath is a good design choice. I also like the student/school pictures at the top.
6. Today’s events are prominantly displayed on the front page, as are contact numbers.
7. I love having all the links on the left side of the page. This is a very detailed menu which means I can get to the specific information I want quickly.
8. The best current feature of this web page is the “Student Connections”.
9. The links given on the left are really helpful. They help people find relevant information relating to the school.
10. The School Tour because it’s an actual layout of the entire school, and would be very helpful to new students. Additionally, the map is directional and color coded.

Some reviewers appreciate the design choices; the left side menu provides quick and easy access to the site’s pages. Others appreciate the content choices, providing students and parents with more than just announcements and staff contacts. The website editors have done a good job utilizing available tools to allow students to get acquainted with the school prior to attending, and all throughout their attendance.

What would they like to see improved?

1 Thing to Improve

1. The only thing I don’t like is the page is too narrow.
2. The print could be larger for easier reading.
3. Provide relevent content that is aligned to the classroom curriculum.
4. This web page could best be improved by using a different font size and type face. The size is too small and the letters in the menu titles down the left side seem to be crowded together. This might be due the background color behind those titles though. Also, a lot of white space as you scroll down the page.
5. Prioritize the information and rearrange the front page.
6. I would put a link specifically for PSAT and SAT information. I’d have a section for practice end-of-course testing.
7. Have as much information as possible regarding colleges and universities.
8. I would love to see some intro at the top and ‘School dates’ shifted a bit below to create space. Some more pictures of the school will be preferable and instead of listing the BHS class schedule at the bottom, you can have a clickable link which shows this schedule.
9. Maybe have a student featured article.
10. I think if you made the website a bit more interactive, and/or changed the font to something less boring and altered the color scheme it would grab your attention more efficiently.

Most of the suggestions are related to the layout; larger, easier to read font, less white space, a wider middle column, and a different color scheme. The height appears to be fixed, so if there isn’t enough content to fill the space above the footer, there will be some unnecessary scrolling and a large, blank space. This could also give the impression there could be some kind of content in that space that just isn’t loading, which is not an impression you want to give.

I agree with the reviewers that the font size should be increased, not just for easier reading, which is very important, but also for continuity. There are multiple font sizes and types all throughout the page, which is distracting and messy. Column titles should be consistent, and column content should be consistent. Additionally, any website not marketing products to young children should avoid Comic Sans.

These are very slight adjustments to the layout, but if they made the changes and re-ran the site for feedback, they could see how much of a difference they would make.

This week we’ve run YellowPages.com through the initial feedback test to see what users think of its usability. This is what the site looked like at the time of the test:

What Does This Website Do?

1. This is an internet “telephone book”. Maps and directions are also available.
2. I think the website is a directory of information that one may wish to search for for business listings or persons. A person looking at the website can find specific information like a person’s/businesses’ phone number and address. There are also business reviews.
3. It allows you to look for businesses in the different cities of the country. It makes it especially easy since you can search by the type of business or the name of it.
4. It is a website designed to do what a yellow phone book does.
5. Online yellowpages to help you find phone numbers and addresses for businesses and people.
6. It is a directory. It allows me to look up for people, addresses, phone numbers and businesses. It is basically a one stop site to search for anything.
7. It is the website for the yellowpages, an online phone book.
8. It is a yellow pages.com site to find businesses, find people, get directions
9. This appears to be a yellow pages search page. It’s already set to my home town with names of “popular businesses” on the right hand side.
10. Business & phone number look up.

Yellow Pages is a very well known and recognizable brand, and one can imagine the purpose of the website without ever visiting it, so this wasn’t a difficult question to answer. What do the reviewers like about the site?

Best Current Feature

1. The AT&T wi-fi hotspot feature appears to be very useful for those using that carrier.
2. I think the best feature at the moment would probably the be WiFi Hot Spot listings.
3. The list of popular businesses to the right.
4. The bright yellow that surrounds the search engine. It’s eye catching and instantly grabs a person’s attention.
5. The yellow color of the heading along with the center image.
6. The best feature for me is the Mobile and More feature. A lot of people like to text and this will be helpful for people who are on the go. Information will be just a text away.
7. The prominent search bar location–easy to use the web page’s primary feature.
8. The cool spots picture in the middle of the page is an extra benefit. I also like the popular businesses on the right side of page.
9. I like the link to area AT&T Wi-fi spots. Also, I like the reviews of area places.
10. I like the black with the yellow. Most website don’t seem to like to use black, yet I find it makes things stand out more. I like that it isn’t for just business or people, it’s for both. Maps & Directions are great as well. It’s one stop look-up.

The reviewers like the directory of WiFi hotspots, and the color scheme used on the site. Additionally, the primary feature of the site is popular; the directory of local businesses. This is good. You want your visitors to be drawn to your primary function and find it easy and inviting to use.

What features would the reviewers like added or improved upon?

1 Thing to Improve

1. More major city links on the home page would be useful.
2. I think it would be better if there were more reviews and that the listings could be arranged by highest ratings.
3. Have the design of the page have a little less white showing. With the dark colors of black and yellow, it only makes the white seem brighter then it is and it tends to hurt my eyes when that happens.
4. Fewer advertisements.
5. Remove the ads and Cool Spots, etc. from the middle of the page and replace with an easy way to browse to find categories of businesses.
6. A more interactive site. I would like the site to have a 3D feature on maps and directions. It would be very useful when visiting an unfamiliar area.
7. The “popular searches” could be made more prominent.
8. I would like to see popular businesses more central in the page.
9. The ‘Cool Spots’ could be targeted geographically, featuring spots in my state.
10. A couple of the businesses listed on the right aren’t really in my area, they are much further out. Also, there are only 3 reviews on there so far, and there are hundreds of restaurants and bars in my area to be reviewed.

Most of the reviewers offer great suggestions that would improve their search results for local businesses, make the popular local businesses more prominent, and provide geo targeted results in the Cool Spots feature. Most people visiting Yellow Pages are looking for local business results, so tightening up and improving those results should be their top focus. Working these suggestions into the site and then retesting would show their value.

Mediaite.com was recently launched to provide “news, information and smart opinions about print, online and broadcast media, offering original and immediate assessments of the latest news as it breaks,” according to the About Us page. The opinions and assessments on the news separates Mediaite from other online news sites and zines, but that difference isn’t immediately clear, so we ran the site through our initial feedback test to see if people visiting the site understood its purpose. This is what the site currently looks like:

What Does This Website Do?

1. It describes various politicians and prominent individuals in the news and what is going on in their life. It depicts the opinions of well-known individuals & other interesting info.
2. Summarizes timely news stories from all types of media.
3. This website shares current media stories from different fields including television, movies and newspapers. There are news articles to read. Reviews/comments can be posted by members.
4. This site is mostly about media, online news, blogging section to make comments, media jobs.
5. Mediaite.com looks like a news aggregating site with a bit of original content. The layout and content remind me of The Huffington Post.
6. It seems like it compiles news stories from various websites, but it also seems to have some sort of ranking component. I can’t really tell what the purpose behind the page is entirely, aside from a collection of links.
7. It’s real news with an Onion twist to it; funny and sensationalized a bit, blaring at you, funny stuff.
8. Gathers news stories from off the beaten track as well as mainstream sources and organizes them by the media – print, TV, online. At first glance, I am unsure as to whether some of these are true stories; the manner in which they are presented do lend to a “hoax” feeling.
9. It is an online newspaper. It collects news from many different media sources.
10. This is a media website offering news and opinions. There are a variety of sources available on the website – TV, online, and print. There are also sections labeled rankings, columns, and jobs.

The reviewers all appear to have different ideas on what the website is about, which means the one aspect that differentiates it from a typical news site isn’t clear enough for first impressions.

What do the reviewers really like about the site?

Best Current Feature

1. It contains quite a few concise articles. The articles do not require a lot of time to read & the information is compact. The photos are quite colorful as well.
2. I think the Power Grid is a very interesting and unique feature.
3. The Power Grid is pretty cool. I also like the fact that the site has a special section devoted to news articles about print media (e.g. replacing Page Six’s Paula Froelich, the NYT having to sell its share in a classical radio station).
4. Great font! Nice toolbar. It seems to be a little sensationalized, though. Is that intentional?
5. I’m partial to the TV section because I watch so much and I could relate to it.
6. I like the manner in which the source is categorized and color coded. That makes the page easy to navigate and quickly find the source you want.
7. I like that it has headings showing the newest story under each kind of media.
8. Powergrid Section or Columinists Section.
9. The best feature for me is the layout of the webpage. It is well organized, put together well, and has an eye-catching design. I like that it is broken down by the different categories, and has some eye-catching titles and images from each category (TV, online, etc.) The layout is easy to understand and easy to find relevant and/or interesting media.
10. The best feature is the categories that are from differant media sources. The graphics are good and attractive. The site has additional links on the bottom.

They like colorful design and organized layout, which are very strong features.

What would they like to see improved?

1-Thing to Improve

1. While the overall look is eye-catching, it tends to be a little too busy and somewhat confusing and distracting. A more streamlined design might be helpful.
2. I am not sure that I would choose this website over another. I get a lot of news from MSNBC and NPR online.
3. The search algorithm could use some improvement, the results I’m getting are pretty inaccurate.
4. The color scheme needs to be a bit more muted–all that color in the header (where the site logo and the TV, Lists, etc. buttons are) gives me a headache. I like the idea of a uniform slate, cobalt, black, and white color scheme. Don’t color-code your site’s different sections! You want to be similar to HuffPo, not a cheap imitation.
5. Clarify the purpose with a logo or a mission statement. It’s sort of confusing to figure out. Am I looking at popular news stories, interesting links, or a combination of both?
6. Some of the headlines just don’t lend themselves to real journalism. You have me wondering what the story is about or if the story is true.
7. I think that it is pretty good overall. I would possibly like it a bit “cleaner” looking so that it is easier to see each story, rather than it all being bunched together and hard to focus on each part.
8. I would like to see a clearer idea of this website’s image – what is this website all about? What is the personality? I like to have a logo, a slogan, or something similar near the title of the website. Though I can browse around and gather my own general impression of what this website is and what it does, I would like to know what it is supposed to be giving me. What is the point of the website? I don’t feel like I can really evaluate the effectiveness of a website when I don’t particularly know its’ purpose. If it is supposed to be a high-quality news site to compete with the top online newspapers, it doesn’t seem to do that very well. If it is supposed to be more entertaining and opinion pieces, it seems to be more successful.
9. The links could be categorized or reduced as they take up more than they should. You could also have a “more” link for each media source to get more subjects.
10. You could have a feature of the day article.

Two issues stick out; the main page has a little too much content, and the lack of a clear purpose. A website’s first impression is a topic that has been covered here before. If your viewers don’t know what to expect from your website, they won’t spend too long trying to figure it out. If they worked some of these changes into their main page and retested for feedback, the value of the suggestions would be as clear as the site’s purpose.

Bing was recently launched by Microsoft to provide an alternative to Google. It offers a similar simplicity, with a few different features. We ran the site through the initial feedback test to see how simple it really is to use. This is how the site looked at the time of the test:

What Does This Website Do?

1. This website seems to be an online search provider. In addition to search capabilities this site offers links to shopping, news, maps, and more features the typical searcher might be in need of. It also provides related search options to each search done.
2. “Bing” appears to be a search engine. It also provides direct links to MSN’s home page and to Windows Live.
3. This is MSNs’ latest internet search browser. They were called Live Search before, but it truly wasn’t live except for the Q&A Live Search Beta.
4. This web page produces results that (hopefully) relate to the search terms presented.
5. This website is a search engine. It allows you to do normal searches or categorical searches for specific types of content, like images, video, and maps.
6. The website is a search engine.
7. I already know that Bing is the new Microsoft Search Engine, but based on the page, it needs the search bar a bit larger.
8. This appears to be a search engine. The search fields seem similar to Google.
9. It is not really clear, but it looks like it is a search portal. Primarily for photos.
10. Bing is a search engine with quick links to videos, shopping, news, travel, etc.

Since there’s not a lot happening on the page, it doesn’t take long to figure out the purpose. That’s a plus.

What do the reviewers like best?

Best Current Feature

1. The best current feature of this web page is the inclusion of the related search field with every search. Depending on what I am looking for, I might not know exactly what to search for, so related searches quickly help narrow my search. It is also useful to provide further reading on topics I am familiar with.
2. I think it’s very clever to show what the “top searches” are on the home page, because for some reason, people are strangely curious about what other people do online. I also like the new name (“Live search” sounded dumb).
3. The best thing for this web page is the nice new picture background everyday. Clean and uncluttered template, just like Google, their competitor.
4. The best thing about this webpage is the simple design, which makes it easy to use.
5. The best feature is the interactive image in the background.
6. I like the additional text after you search. If you move your mouse to the right you can get more info without having to go to the website. Nice feature.
7. To me the best feature is the image search where one can get to see the images bigger or smaller using the options on the left side of the screen.
8. The best feature appears to be the query completion. When I start typing in something, it offers many possibilities. I find this helpful in completing my search, as it can help me narrow down what I’m looking for.
9. It is aesthetically pleasing. I also like the “most popular”.
10. I love the background picture and the very clear bar to enter your search words. The site is extremely attractive. I also am impressed with the selections that turn up as the result of a search and the fact that additional information is available by moving the cursor to the right.

If Microsoft’s goal was a simple, clean design and advanced search features, they seem to have succeeded.

What do the reviewers think needs to be improved?

1-Thing to Improve

1. The main page has a strange picture and search displayed. I assume it changes regularly, but seeing a picture of Dutch cheese is an odd way to entice me to consider this to be a credible search. Something simpler would look more professional. Perhaps the image search could be related to the main page display and with more searches specific images would show to interested users. They would be stimulating and one might be more inclined to continue their searching as the site evolves to suit their preferences.
2. Although Bing obviously came from Microsoft, it also seems to be trying to hard to “one-up” Google’s search engine. Even the bare-bones search field with the link that says “Sign in” in the upper right-hand corner of the page is taken straight from Google. Bing produces different (and sometimes better) search results–it should try harder to look like a different product.
3. It lacks the more simple layout of another search engine, Google. The image is a bit distracting, and would be better served by a more simplistic, unobtrusive header. I don’t see why I should use it over Google, when that seems to work just fine.
4. It would be nice it you could set your search category directly on this page instead of having to click another link. For example, if I wanted to search for images, I could type in my search parameters and then select “images” from a popup list (or something) directly on this page.
5. The “explore” toolbar could be placed in a better location, such as the top of the screen.
6. Less is more on the home page. The search page results are very nice but the home page needs to be stripped down.
7. The background graphic takes up a lot of space and is distracting. A cleaner interface would make it easier to use.
8. It would have to give me the objective on what the purpose is. I don’t really understand why it came up with cheese and photos of big hunks of cheese, or the Netherlands. This did not make sense to me. I did like that when I searched for Michael Jackson it came up with some nice photos. Then it just looked like Google search with everything looking pretty much the same as Google.
9. The images are distracting, which is why many people use Google. Simple.
10. It might be a little clearer what the links on the side of the opening screen do. Of course I tried them out to see what they do, but I’m not sure they are really helpful. Generally, though, I love the site.

The layout is simple, but reviewers all seem to agree that the rotating daily background image is too distracting and unrelated to anything. The suggestion that the image could change depending on the user’s search criteria is an interesting one, and I can see the value in that. Perhaps the image could be related to the day’s top searches or other relevant current event.

Could a simpler graphic, or no graphic at all, improve the appeal of bing.com? There’s one way to find out; make the changes and re-run the site through our feedback test.

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.

Tumblr.com, launched in 2007, aims to provide a really simple and quick way to blog, and connect with other bloggers. We ran the site through our initial test to see if it reaches that goal. This is what the site looked like at the time of the test:

What Does This Website Do?

1. This website seems to host people’s blogs on various subjects. Click on any “bubble” on the homepage to view a blog.
   
2. It provides a simple way to blog.
   
3. On Tumblr, anyone can post anything, pictures, opinions, reviews, etc. The posting can be customized any way one wants.
   
4. This website allows users to create an account and blog with ease. It seems to have templates or a simple way to customize.
   
5. It allows you to host a blog and enables you to talk to friends and meet new people. It lets you share art, photography, music and humor.
   
6. Provides a place for individuals to post blogs.
   
7. This website appears to be a user-based blog page. I associated it with Twitter, Facebook, MySpace etc.
   
8. It is a blogging platform. A easier way to blog.
   
9. The site is a blog for just about anything or any topic for anybody.
   
10. This website is like Blogspot where you can sign up for a webpage and post your blog.

Everyone knows right away it’s a blogging platform, but that’s not surprising considering the size of the font that greets you on the page. It’s eye catching, short and simple.

What did they really like about Tumblr.com?

Best Current Feature

1. I like reading blogs and the homepage provides easy access to a wide variety. The simple, uncluttered layout/design of the page is unassuming and is a nice change from the busy designs of other pages.
   
2. The simplicity of the interface is the best feature.
   
3. The postings placed right upfront on this web page makes this site look friendly and inviting. I feel welcome to become a member and make postings of my own right away.
   
4. The site looks interesting and inviting. The directory allows users to quickly locate blogs of interest. Help page seems to be pretty thorough.
   
5. The well constructed directory and search engine. The fact that you can talk to friends and meet new people.
   
6. It appears to be user-friendly and accessible. It also appears to actually have users.
   
7. The directory tab on the web page is excellent. To be very specific, the categorization according to country is very useful.
   
8. The popular blogs from the Tumblr network shown on the main page is the best current feature.
   
9. The variety of submissions helps make the site match various interests. Some of the submissions were funny.
   
10. iChat. That feature is not available on Blogspot.

The things they like are the two tasks Tumblr needs to execute well; the simplicity in the design, and the categorized directory of blogs from interesting people. That’s good news.

What are the some of the suggestions people have for improving the site?

1-Thing to Improve

1. It could have a breakdown of blogs by category–fashion, poetry, art, cars, etc. This would make it easier to find a blog that one would be interested in.
   
2. Have more information about how it works on the home page, instead of so many blog entries that most users probably won’t care about.
   
3. There doesn’t seem to be a simple way of navigating back to the homepage from a blog. (I wound up hitting the back button.) As a first time visitor, I really had to dig around to find “about” info. Would be cool to have that link at the top. I don’t sign up for things until I know a bit about them.
   
4. The one thing that could possibly make the site more interesting is if the background were to contain some images or colors or something along those lines. The dark blue makes the site look a bit bland or ordinary.
   
5. I don’t like the way the blogs are listed working down the page. There is no rhyme or reason to the list. I’m sure these are not the only blogs available. But no themes, categories, or other manner of organization.
   
6. The website needs a little more explicit information on how it is actually supposed to be used. What sets it apart from any other website that provides a user-based forum and if this is not it’s purpose, what is?
   
7. The design and the layout of the web page is quite simple/ordinary. A better layout and a better design would make this web page look more pleasant.
   
8. Give a better description of the process and what Tumblr is on the main page so that users will be drawn in.
   
9. It would be nice because of the various topics submitted or being talked about to have a grouping by subject. Doing this would allow a person to pick the blogs that interest them.
   
10. I don’t like the home page. I don’t like how there’s random blogs that doesn’t make any sense.

So, it looks like the design might be too simple and plain for some people, while others aren’t immediately sure how to sign up or what to do if they did sign up. A couple people pointed out a lack of categorization of the blogs, but this has been done on the Directory page, so I don’t consider that indicative of the website design or layout.

There are some good suggestions in there that could improve Tumblr’s first impression and usability, and the solutions would be very easy. Implementing some of these changes and then running a new test through 3rd Party Feedback could provide input on the success of those changes.