Creating an Effective Website: Is Yours Worthy? by Natalia Kolyesnikova, Ph.D.

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1 2011 Creating an Effective Website: Is Yours Worthy? by Natalia Kolyesnikova, Ph.D. THANK YOU SPONSORS

Background In today s fast paced technology-driven world, consumers expect to find virtually any information online Today s consumers have very high

2 Background In today s fast paced technology-driven world, consumers expect to find virtually any information online Today s consumers have very high expectations for websites quality Forrester Research (2009) has identified that the new threshold for acceptable webpage response time is now two seconds

Shopper Expectations for Site Performance 1999 8 seconds 2006 4

3 Shopper Expectations for Site Performance seconds seconds seconds 2012? Website Response Time in Seconds

4 Background Poor site performance is a major cause of customer dissatisfaction In addition to speedy functionality, the site design and content also impact consumer perceptions of the company and its products A well performing and informative website can be a powerful marketing tool It is crucial for the winery s exposure to potential customers, brand loyalty with existing customers, and for generating revenue

5 Introduction Currently, there are close to 200 wineries in Texas Most have websites In reality, however, a nationwide expert evaluation shows that few US winery website are designed for optimal return The undertook an initiative to conduct a research project to evaluate Texas wineries websites across a number of criteria

6 Project Purpose: Purpose to develop objective website evaluation criteria to measure the effectiveness of Texas wineries websites from multiple perspectives

7 Research Design Sample: 56 Texas winery websites Evaluators: 21 students in Wine Marketing class Each evaluator had a coder number (anonymous evaluation) Evaluators randomly drew websites from a cowboy hat For cross validation purposes, each web site was evaluated three times (by three different evaluators who worked independently) Evaluation was performed in computer lab (controlled research setting) Data entries were compared across the three evaluations. All inconsistencies were checked on the websites and manually corrected by the researcher

8 Sample Selection A blast was sent from the Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute to a mailing list of Texas wineries The introduced the project and requested a return if the winery wishes to be included in the sample Dear Texas wineries owner: The is conducting a research project to evaluate Texas wineries websites across a number of criteria (e.g., availability of contact information, ease of navigation, mailing list sign-up, list of wines, etc.) Due to our research design and availability of resources, we can evaluate a sample of 56 Texas wineries. We are currently developing a list of these 56 wineries. If you want your winery to be included in this project, simply reply to this and we ll include your webpage in the evaluation. We intend to present the results of this project at the next year TWGGA conference. For obvious reasons, only cumulative results for the entire sample (not individual wineries) will be presented. However, if a winery wants to see their own evaluation, we will provide confidential individual results to the owner. Sincerely

9 Sample 22 wineries responded and requested to be included in the sample (individual confidential reports of their websites evaluations were provided to these wineries upon completion of the project) Additional 7 wineries were selected from members of the Texas Wine Agri-Tourism and Marketing Committee The remaining wineries were selected randomly from a list of Texas wineries The sampling frame was divided into strata based on size and geographical location of the winery to ensure that all size and different location wineries from across Texas were comparatively represented

10 Research Design Model Pool One 56 cards with wineries names and websites Pool Two 56 cards with wineries names and websites Pool Three 56 cards with wineries names and websites 7 evaluators random drawing of 8 cards by each evaluator 7 evaluators random drawing of 8 cards by each evaluator 7 evaluators random drawing of 8 cards by each evaluator

12 Evaluation Criteria (Instrument) Evaluation Criteria (instrument) has been initially suggested by students and by the instructor Refined / finalized by experts and instructor Factors included objective criteria for evaluation and required a yes or no response Websites were evaluated on the basis of presence or absence of a specific feature yes = present, coded as 1 no = not present, coded as 0

13 Evaluation Criteria (Instrument) Six major sections: I. USER FRIENDLINESS (yes/no) II. WINERY INFORMATION (yes/no) III. PRODUCT INFORMATION (yes/no) IV. MARKETING ASPECTS (yes/no) V. CUSTOMER RELATIONS (yes/no) VI. SITE ATTRACTIVENESS (subjective judgment across three evaluators)

14 I. USER FRIENDLINESS Ease of Navigation YES NO Home button available from all pages? Site map or index available? Search engine for website content available? Ease of Contact YES NO Contact Us button available? Direct contact available? Mailing address available? Physical address available? Telephone number available? Fax number available? Contact person s name identified? Maps and/or driving directions available?

15 II. WINERY INFORMATION About Us YES NO History/stories about winery available? Owner name identified? Profile of the winemaker(s) provided? Photos of winery and/or vineyard available? Winery staff contact information available? Virtual tour or video of the winery or vineyard available? Employment opportunities? Operational Information YES NO Hours of operation available? Availability of tour of winery (or vineyard)? Wine tasting fee (or free tasting) information available? Calendar of events (e.g. festivals, tastings, special dinners, educational seminars) available? Facilities YES NO Information on wine production facilities available? Picnic facilities? Facilities/services for children? Facilities for physically challenged customers? Gift shop? Banquet/conference facilities? Private events?

16 III. PRODUCT INFORMATION Product Information YES NO Wine list available? Description of wines available? Price of wine available? Discount information (e.g., by case) available? Pictures of bottles / labels available? Awards /Medals information available? Information on winery s merchandize (e.g., souvenirs, gift baskets) available? Information on where to find the winery s wine in local restaurants and/or retail stores Information on customized label available? E-commerce YES NO Online shopping cart available? Method of payment identified? Terms and Conditions? Shipping Cost available? Wine Shipment Rules and Regulations

17 IV. MARKETING ASPECTS Strategic Marketing YES NO Mission statement Vision statement Branding/Positioning/Image YES NO Logo and winery name on the first page? Logo and winery name reflected on every page? Public Relations YES NO Newspaper articles? Press releases? Press kits? Testimonials (words given by customers of the winery)? Media updates / Latest news? Featured wine information? Partnership YES NO Regional information available? If YES, please specify which specific information is provided? Local attractions? Local festivals / events? Local tourism-related activities Local restaurants Local lodging Local shopping Links to local CVBs, chamber of commerce? Links to other wineries? Links to wine-related web sites? Links to wine and/or grape industry associations? Links to Texas wine organizations? (e.g., Texas Wine Marketing Program, Go Texan) Information for distributors available?

18 V. CUSTOMER RELATIONS Interactive Functions YES NO Online sign-up for wine club available? Wine club information available? If YES, please specify which wine club information is provided? Cost of membership? Benefits / discounts? Frequency of shipments? newsletters sign-up (mailing list) available? Privacy policy available? Frequently Asked Questions available? Discussion groups available? Number of website hits available? Links to follow winery on social networking sites? Customer Feedback (e.g., comment and suggestion box?) If YES, please check specific links below: Facebook? Twitter? Blog? MySpace? Educational Opportunities YES NO Information on grape growing? Information on wine making? Recipes on food pairing with the winery s wine? Tips /info on wine tasting? Tips/info on wine storage? Health-related information? Winemaker notes?

19 VI. SITE ATTRACTIVENESS (subjective judgment) 1. How easy is the domain name to remember? (i.e., reasonably reflects the winery s name) 2. How easy is the website to navigate? 3. How current and timely is the information? 4. How readable is the font? 5. How uncluttered/ clean are the pages? 6. Is the contrast between the background and the text sufficient? 7. What is the quality of the pictures and/or other images? 8. Is the use of the web page space effective? 9. Is the scrolling (vertical & horizontal) appropriate? 10. How well organized is this website? 11. Overall, how user-friendly is this website? 12. Is the color visually appealing? 13. Is the design visually appealing? 14. Overall, how aesthetically appealing is the website? 15. Does the website make customers want to visit the winery? 16. In your opinion, what target market(s) can this website reach? 17. If you were to give a letter grade to the overall quality of this website, what would that grade be?

20 Grading Each student started with full 100 for this project Each error resulted in one (1) point deduction from a student s grade Each missing answer also resulted in one (1) point deduction from a student s grade for this project Error detection: the instructor and the Teaching Assistant checked data entries across three evaluators and all inconsistencies were manually checked Evaluators were also asked to write their comments for EACH section. These comments were anonymous and provided important customer perspectives for wineries

21 Initial Data Coding 1 = YES Red cells represent inconsistencies in data entries 0 = NO Researcher then manually checked and corrected all inconsistencies Winery Evaluator ID UFnav1 UFnav2 UFnav3 UFcontact1 UFcontact2 UFcontact3 UFcontact4 UFcontact5 UFcontact6 UFcontact7 UFcontact Texas 1 Tech 0 University Texas 1 1Wine Marketing 1 1 Research 1 1 Institute 1 1

22 Final Data Coding Winery Evaluator ID UFnav1 UFnav2 UFnav3 UFcontact1 UFcontact2 UFcontact3 UFcontact4 UFcontact5 UFcontact6 UFcontact7 UFcontact Texas Tech 0 University Texas 1 Wine 1 Marketing 1 1Research 0 Institute 0 1

23 RESULTS: User Friendliness Website Features Percent yes Percent no Home button available on all pages Site map available Search option Contact Us button Direct contact Mailing address Physical address Telephone number Fax number Contact person s name identified Map and/or driving directions 100 0

24 RESULTS: Winery Information About Us Percent yes Percent no History/stories about winery Owner name identified Profile of the winemaker(s) provided Photos of winery and/or vineyard Winery staff contact info listed Virtual tour/video of winery or vineyard Employment opportunities

25 RESULTS: Winery Information Operational Information Percent yes Percent no Hours of operation identified Availability of tours Wine tasting fee (or free tasting) information Calendar of events (e.g. festivals, tastings, etc.)

26 RESULTS: Winery Information Facilities Percent yes Percent no Information on wine production facilities Picnic facilities Facilities/Services for children Gift shop Banquet/Conference facilities Private event accommodations Other facilities

27 RESULTS: Product Information Product Information Percent yes Percent no Wine list available Description of wines Price of wine Discount information (e.g., by case) Awards/Medals information Info of local restaurant and/or retail stores that carry winery s wine Online shopping cart available Method of payment identified Terms and Conditions Shipping cost available Wine Shipment Rules and Regulations

28 RESULTS: Marketing Aspects Marketing Percent yes Percent no Logo and winery name on the first page Logo and winery name reflected on every page Public relations: Newspaper articles about winery Press releases Press kits Featured wine information

RESULTS: Marketing Aspects Marketing Percent yes Percent no Partnerships: Regional information available 67.9 32.1 Local attractions 23.2 76.8 Local events / festivals 28.6 71.4 Local restaurants 33.

29 RESULTS: Marketing Aspects Marketing Percent yes Percent no Partnerships: Regional information available Local attractions Local events / festivals Local restaurants Local lodging Local shopping Links for local CVB, Chamber of Commerce Links to wine and grape growing associations Links to Texas wine organizations / programs Links to wine-related websites

30 RESULTS: Customer Relations Interactive Functions Percent yes Percent no Online sign-up for wine club available Wine club information Cost of membership Benefits/discounts Frequency of shipments Frequently asked questions Educational Opportunities: Recipes on food pairing with winery s wine? Tips /info on wine tasting? Tips/info on wine storage? Health-related information? Winemaker notes?

31 RESULTS: Customer Relations Interactive Functions Percent yes Percent no Links to follow winery on social networking sites Facebook Twitter Blog MySpace

32 Discussion Overall the websites cover most of the issues and appear effective in communicating various messages to consumers However, several features need improvement User-Friendliness: Providing a contact person s name would add a personal touch to the website and facilitate communication between the winery and the consumer Home button should be available on all pages

33 Winery Information: Discussion Winemaker profile adds to the story Availability of tours helps to plan visit Wine tasting fee (or free tasting) information More detailed description of facilities Product Information: Discounts information is not always available Info of local restaurant and/or retail stores that carry winery s wine Online shopping (general overview should be available without logging in)

34 Marketing Aspects: Discussion Regional information should be more available Media coverage Customer Relationships: Wine clubs info is not always available on the web Research shows that the vast majority of wine consumers appreciate opportunities to learn more about wine. Thus, educational opportunities are important Social media link is a must nowadays

35 Limitations Comparison of responses revealed a reliable level of consistency across the three evaluations Nevertheless, the human factor needs to be taken into consideration while interpreting the results of the evaluations. Occasional inaccuracy may occur due to misinterpretation of information Some facilities/services (e.g., amenities) may not be available at the winery. The no response does not necessarily indicate missing information on the website. These facilities or services may not be available at the winery

36 Conclusions Quality of a winery s website reflects on the scope of its marketing activities and influences its position in the competitive wine business environment The website has to communicate the winery s position to the consumer. The more effective the website, the more effective the message, and hence, the better the winery s position

37 Conclusions For the industry, the results of this study may serve as a checklist for designing more effective websites for their businesses The presentation will be posted on the Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute Website: For questions about the project or the instrument: n.kolyesnikova@ttu.edu OR texaswine@ttu.edu

Setting Up the TEXAS WINE CALENDAR by Natalia Kolyesnikova, Ph.D.

2011 Setting Up the TEXAS WINE CALENDAR by Natalia Kolyesnikova, Ph.D. THANK YOU SPONSORS Texas Wine Calendar Project The project was initiated by the Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute in response