Activity 1: Evaluating a UK retailer

1. What is the URL of the site you looked at?

Answer: http://www.soletrader.co.uk

2. Please capture and upload a copy of the homepage (scaled to 400 wide
at 72dpi)

Answer:

3. Discuss how well the site reflects the brand and culture of the
company?

Answer: The site sells all the known brands including Adidas, Diesel and
many more.

I feel that the website reflects fun loving kids and knowing that Hamleys is an up market
toy store is shown through the use of colours and some of the initial toys shown on the
homepage. The use of colours and scheme such as the top banner reflects something I
would assume to find in a child room, in terms of their wall paper. I feel that all elements
used tie in really well and reflects their target audience of both kids and their parents. It
combines nicely the adults and kids elements of it.
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The brand and culture is reflected very well. The design and prints are innovative. They
have a wide range of styles displayed thus retain their users’ ability to conform to the
existing trends in fashion and style (keep up with the times). Most of the shirts and
garments offered by Bench or displayed are white, navy blue, grey and purple which are
cool colours and easily go with anything. A feature found in the brand is youthfulness
and casual fashion. You’ll always look and feel young.

4. List at least 3 features of the site you like. Although you can mention
the design it would be more useful for you to look deeper and mention
specific functionality.

Answer: the most preferable 3 features are:

• Instant response times, very little delay when using the website to load and
display information very efficient for time
 Structure easy to follow
 Navigation simple straightforward

A. Design: The 3-column layout of the site

B. Function: sort by prize. This will help the client to start his budget
price
C. Live help (chatting with the staff online)

5. List at least 3 features of the site that could be improved. Try to make
very specific suggestions for changes

Answer:

 Store locator: should be search by Post code, this will make

customers to find the nearest store in their areas.
 Navigational paths should also be the upper side of the site

6. Discuss how easily a customer can use the site to make a complaint?

Answer: to make complaint in this site seems to be easy. There is always

live chat with one of their employees. Therefore the customers can tell
their problems.

7. How easily can you find your nearest store?

Answer: to find easily the nearest store is not simple unless you know
the area. The website uses searching by town. It should have been better
to search by Post Code and then get the nearest store.

8. What facilities does the site provide to help customers choose a

product? (List as many as you can) 

Answer:

 by selecting and searching the brand

 by searching the name of the product the customer wants to see
  by selecting a colour
 by searching and selecting a gender

9. Which of the following features were included in the site? (Check all
that you found)

Answer:

 Customer accounts
 Dollar or Euro pricing
 Zoom functionality to inspect products

10. How much do you think the company spent on designing and building
this site? Exclude the running and hosting costs. (Guess if necessary)

Answer: £2000 to £4000

This site has many different features with many pages and it is a business
site. Therefore, the cost of designing and building will be higher than the
normal website.

11. How long do you think the design and build project for this site took?
(Elapsed time not effort)

Answer: I think that it took to build this site approximately 4 weeks. The
site has many functionalities and features and that requires a good design
and programming.

12. How much money in £ would you expect this site to take in an
average month? (Guess if necessary) 

Answer: Monthly Average £20.000

13. What questions have been raised by this activity that you would like
me to try and answer?

Answer: