MODULE TITLE: STRATEGIC WEB DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT
DUE DATE: 13TH NOVEMBER 2014
STUDENT NAME: THI NGUYEN
STUDENT ID: W1408188
1. a. Scope:
It is seen that the site sells products/ services related to cycling, motoring, car seats and travel equipments, which is stated clearly on its home page (Halfords, 2014). On the site they provide detailed regarding their products/ services and they also have information about their upcoming events for their customers/ viewers to see, for instance, their events this Christmas for cycling lovers. The website has updated information in relation to their products/ services such as the company’s besting selling products, new products, prices and their Halfords auto centre. These detailed information on this website indeed makes it easier for customers to find information regarding products/ services they are interested in, which might influence significantly their purchasing decisions and enhance sales for Halfords (Meier and Stormer, 2009).
b. Authority:
The company was founded in 1892 until now and they also have been register copyright for Halfords under Copyright © Halfords, which means that they are limited. The company have provide some websites that customers can access including Halfords ie, Halfords auto centre, halfords.com, and Halfords cycle2work, which to help customers to stay away from frauds and increase the reliability of their websites (Halfords, 2014).
c. Usefulness:
It is seen that the site is quite useful because it has sufficient amount of information regarding the company’s products/ services, which customers might be looking for. This indeed saves customers a reasonable amount of time looking for information of the products/ services they are interested in elsewhere. This of course might help Halfords to affect customer’ purchasing decision and generate sales (Meier and Stormer, 2009). In addition to this, the website also detailed information of how to contact them through a wide range of emails, telephone numbers and post. This means that they are committed to their customers and have used the website to connect and build relationships with customers, which in a long term can gain customer loyalty and generate more sales (Winer, 2001). Halfords’s website also has track my order function, which makes it easier for consumers to track their order’s whereabouts and estimate the day they will receive their goods. One slight disadvantage of Halfords’s website is its lack of live chat to help to connect with customers immediately and help them with products/ services information or purchasing guideline, which might generate more sales for the company and build better relationships with consumers.
d. Content:
It is clearly seen that the site contains statistic, cited sources and is clearly written and well organised. The website also regularly updates information related to the product and all the upcoming events and the last update their copyright is in 2014 (Halfords, 2014). Additionally, the site contains a wide range of information to help customers from customer services with various functions such as Find your store, Track my order, Contact us, to About us, and their other websites. The site also has information regarding the company’s charity partner to indicate their commitment to sustainability, environmentally friendly, and their responsibilities to the communities. Their domain “.com” published by commercial.
e. Reliability:
The website has a long history and their domain was registered as “.com” signifying its commercial motive. Halfords Limited own the copyright for this website. A simple search on whois.domaintools.com reveals that it has a corporate author which credentials were long recognised in outdoor products. Customers can easily find the product desired with description and specifications. The website does not cite the source of its information but customers can easily cross reference with information