20907671 ~ 20914667 ~ 210033981

� Introduction.........................................................................................................................Page 2

� Secondary Research..........................................................................................................Page 3

� Primary Research..............................................................................................................Page 8

� Next.........................................................................................................................................Page 9

� Website Goals – The 5 Ss.................................................................................................Page 10

� Key Design Objectives........................................................................................................Page 16

� Online Value Proposition (OVP)...................................................................................Page 20

� Dynamic Design and Personalisation...........................................................................Page 21� Dynamic Design and Personalisation...........................................................................Page 21

� Online PR................................................................................................................................Page 27

� ASOS..........................................................................................................................................Page 31

� Arcadia Group........................................................................................................................Page 44

� Topshop.....................................................................................................................................Page 45

� Dorothy Perkins......................................................................................................................Page 53

� Comparison of Websites.......................................................................................................Page 63

� Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)..................................................................................Page 64

� Pay Per Click (PPC)...........................................................................................................Page 67

� Google AdWords....................................................................................................................Page 70 2

The purpose of this report is to, analyse, critique, compare and

contrast various websites of organisations within the female

fashion industry sector.

This has been done by, looking at various components that

contribute to a successful website design. Some of these

components include, content, easy navigation, colour, blogs, and

social media.

Along with these components, the similarities and differences

between each of the websites have been looked into. This has been

done in the form of, saying how each of the websites could improve

the design of their websites.

3

From looking at research done by Mintel, there was ability to see which online retailers are the most popular and those with the greatest market share. It was said that the ‘major players online are traditional retailers’ (Mintel, 2010), this is due to the fact that they have the advantage of being already known and trusted brands.

In 2009, online retail sales were around £17.8 billion, with 6.6% being retail sales, this is along with the fact that since 2005, the market has grown by 150%. (Mintel, 2010)

According to Mintel, the ages of those most likely to be shopping online is 25 to 44 year olds, this matches the research found from TGI . Mintelexpresses the reason for why this age group are the greatest users of online shopping, this is due to the amount of commitments and responsibilities they have in their lives.

As the introduction and increased use of online shopping has arisen, it has seen an increase in the amount of traditional retailers going online. There is only 9% of fashion actually sold online (Mintel, 2010).

Mintel also showed which online stores are the most popular and have the greatest growth and sales. The one with the highest is, ASOS in which they had 3,507 in January 2010, which is a growth of 69.3%

TGI – Online shopping purchasing

- Found that mostly women purchase

clothes online

- The ages of those most likely to be

buying online is between 35 and 44 years,

with 65+ year olds being the least likely

-Socio-economic groups A and B

- Most likely to be living in the regions of

East Anglia and South East

-Newspapers – Financial Times, The

Guardian and The Independent

-Magazines – Heat, Now and OK!

which they had 3,507 in January 2010, which is a growth of 69.3% from the previous year. The second is Next, with 3,433 visitors which is a growth of 22.2% growth, and the third highest is the Arcadia Group (Dorothy Perkins, Topshop, Burton etc), which had 2,802 visitors, which is a 25.7% growth. This can be seen in the table below.

4

This article taken from New Media Age, shows and explains how when individuals are looking for a product online, they are more likely to browse online first before purchasing the item in store.

� Women are the keenest online fashion browsers – 59% compared to 39% of men.

� The proportion of shoppers who browse online and then purchase in store (24%) is equal to the number who browse in store and then buy online.

� Consumers are frequently switching between online and offline shopping. This highlights � Consumers are frequently switching between online and offline shopping. This highlights the need for retailers to provide a range of shopping experiences to suit different customer segments. Clear demographic trends can be observed in browsing and purchasing habits, with younger shoppers more likely to research online and buy in store.

� Women under 25 are especially likely to hit the high street after finding an item on a store’s website, with 41% reporting this behaviour. In contrast, slightly older women tend to operate in reverse: 33% of 25-39-year-olds and 35% of 40-54-year-olds buy online after initially locating an item in store.

5

Greenlight conducted research which determined the

most visible fashion websites in natural and paid search,

which represents their visibility to the 9.7 million

searches in May.

The results show:

• Debenhams was the most visible website in natural

search, achieving 52% visibility. This was through search, achieving 52% visibility. This was through

ranking high on Google for high volume driving terms.

•ASOS followed with 41% visibility. However, since Greenlight’s previous report it has lost 28% visibility.

•Very was the most visible advertiser in paid search,

across all keywords. It achieved 53% visibility, a 14%

increase from February. It was also the most visible

advertiser for women’s fashion, attaining 76% visibility.

•Lastly, John Lewis increased its share in paid search by 32% since February, which saw it go up the league table

from position 13 to three.

6

As there is a growing use of social media within today’s society, this has meant that

retailers have had set up their own form of groups on such social media sites. This can

be seen with the table above, which shows the retailers that use social media to their

greatest advantage.

It can be seen that, ASOS is the most followed fashion brand in social media, with a combined

following of nearly 300,000 on Facebook and Twitter. Interestingly, on Twitter it also had an

additional 2,506 followers on its ASOS_Dashboard account (which displays live updates on

postal orders) and 3,132 following its customer service account: ASOS_HeretoHelp.

7

Survey

� There were 13 respondents altogether – 12 of which were female

� Most of which aged between 16-20 years, with 21-25 years being the next highest age range.

� Most popularly read newspapers by respondents are, The Sun and The Times.

� 12 of the respondents have shopped online before.

� The items that they usually purchase online are clothes, shoes and music

� The websites that these individuals mostly use are, Amazon and eBay

� When these individuals use the websites, the aspects that they like when shopping online are, easy navigation, pictures and a clear layout.

Therefore with the information taken from both

the secondary and primary research, it has the secondary and primary research, it has

given us a good insight into both individuals

buying habits online, along with the most

popular websites that are used for buying

clothes online.

So, from this information we have decided to

look at 4 different websites, all of which have

the greatest market share and visitors within a

year. These websites are, ASOS, Next and

Dorothy Perkins and Topshop from the Arcadia

Group.8

Next Directory

Next started off as a directory in which you could only order the clothes through the catalogue. But, internet sales now account for around 60% of their turnover, which is equivalent to £500m a year. They have seen a 2.1% increase in sales in January 2009, the increase is due to the strong performance of its internet operation. They are gradually improving the display of their pages, with the use of better photography. Also, they have now got search and filter functions for when looking for certain types of clothing.

http://www.nextplc.co.uk/nextplc/aboutnext/businessoverview/ 9

When any company is designing and building a website, they will each

have their own goals and objectives they want to achieve from the

website. Some examples of the kinds of goals a company may have for

what their website will provide are;

� Help them buy something they need

� Help them find information

� Help them to save money and time

� Help them to talk to the organisation

� Help them to enjoy a better web experience

(Chaffey and Smith, 2009)

E-marketing objectives can be summarised using the 5 Ss – Sell, Serve,

Speak, Save and Sizzle. Each of these can be applied to any website, as to

show the kinds of aspects they try to achieve through their website.

Each of these will be looked into detail by looking at and using Next’s

website as an example;

10

This generally refers to a growth in sales, through the use of the website. This can be achieved

through ‘wider distribution to customers you can’t readily service offline or perhaps through a

wider product range than in-store or lower prices compared to other channels’ (Chaffey and

Smith, 2009).

In other words, it is there to provide ways to buy products and services online and generate

leads, therefore this is just the website alone. This would however only be effective if, the

website covers all aspects that will interest the customer, e.g. Easy navigation, accessibility

and aesthetics.

11

This refers to adding value to the website, in terms of having up-to-date

information and easy access to the website. Therefore, this is achieved through

‘giving customers extra benefits online or inform product development through

online dialogue and feedback’ (Chaffey and Smith, 2009).

Next use the objective of Serve, by constantly letting customers know which items are

new to their collection. This can be found on the homepage, so to make it easy for

customers to find it and look through it.

12

� This is in terms of ‘getting closer to the customers’ (Chaffey and Smith, 2009), so in other words it is the use of personalisation to each individual customer, this might be through the use of e-mails accustomed to that customer, or recommendations of products to buy.

� The site can be used to ‘converse with and get closer to customers by providing tailored content and by providing tailored content and designing interactive facilities’ (Chaffey and Smith, 2009).

� Along with this, there is the use of social media as a way of enhancing brand relationship. As with Next’s website they have a Facebook page, Twitter page and a YouTube channel. Therefore, there are many platforms for them to be able to contact their customers with news and activities of the company.

13

� This refers to saving costs for

both the company and the

customer, this can be achieved

through ‘online e-mail

communications, sales and

service transactions to reduce

staff, print and postage costs’

(Chaffey and Smith, 2009).

� The kinds of ways that Next

have come up with for saving

costs, is through the use of online costs, is through the use of online

applications and interactive

services, which then save time

and money for the customer.

� Next have got applications for

both iPhones and iPads, so that

the customer can buy on the

move, especially if they see

something in store that they

might not have in their size, they

can then buy it there and then. 14

� This refers to the need to extend the brand online, in terms of ‘providing a new proposition and new experience online while at the same time being familiar’ (Chaffey and Smith, 2009).

� The way in which companies can do this best is through having a good site design, which sets their website apart from their competitors. This could be in terms of the content, interactivities and overall style, tone or feel of the website.

� When referencing to Next’s website, it can be seen that they use a different layout and more ‘classy’ feel about their website, which isn’t necessarily seen in other high street retailers websites.

15

Other than the goals and ways that Other than the goals and ways that companies try and make their websites different to their competitors and to ensure that customers continue to come back, there is the belief that there are 4 main factors that encourage a customer to return to a website, these are;

� Content

� Ease of use

� Quick to download

Content

This is believed to be one of the most important

aspects as, ‘quality content helps site visitors

make the right decision and also attracts visitors

through search engine optimisation, so increasing

brand awareness.’ (Chaffey and Smith, 2009).

Ease of Use

This refers to the easy navigation that needs to

exist on any good website. Therefore, the ‘form or � Quick to download

� Frequently updatedexist on any good website. Therefore, the ‘form or

structure of the site is neither over-complicated

nor too big.’ (Chaffey and Smith, 2009). So, when

using a website the customer shouldn’t ever get

lost, all the pages should be clearly signposted.

Quick to Download

This just means that the page itself loads quickly, as

customers aren’t going to wait if it is uploading slowly.

Frequently Updated

Any good site will make sure that it stays fresh, so the

website will make sure that they ‘put up information which

is useful, relevant and timely for the audience’ (Chaffey

and Smith, 2009). This means that they also need to make

sure they get rid of any old, out-of-date information.

16

When a customer

clicks on an item

they like, it doesn’t

just show that item.

It shows the other

items that they can

buy to make the

whole outfit.

It also shows similar items that

they might be interested in.

17

Each section of the website is

clearly shown on the top bar on

the homepage.

Once you click on the ‘Women’

section, it then breaks it down

into the additional sections.

Making it easy to find what you’re

looking for.

Then once you click on a item to look

at, it is very easy to see where to click

to add an item to the shopping bag.

18

Next updates their

website by showing

customers the latest

trends of the

season. Along with

this, they show the

items they can

purchase from the

website to be on

trend.

Next’s website makes

it clear which items

are new to the

website, just by

simply sectioning it

out.

19

Below is Next’s OVP, as seen in the ‘About Us’

section of their website;

Exciting, beautifully designed, excellent quality

clothing and homeware; presented in collections

that reflect the aspirations and means of our

customers.

This is a proposition that should be different

to offline offerings, it will usually show ‘the

benefits of e-commerce that ideally should

not be available in computer offerings or

offline offerings.’ ( )

The OVP must somehow ‘reinforce core

brand values and clearly summarise what

a customer can get from online that they

cannot get elsewhere’ (Chaffey and Smith, cannot get elsewhere’ (Chaffey and Smith,

2009).

The OVP is sometimes seen as a sum of

the features, benefits, and prices of the

website/company. However, a companies

OVP should ‘encompass the complete

experience of selecting, buying and using

the product/service.’ (Chaffey and Smith,

2009).

20

In order for companies to have a

positive reputation associated with

their name, personalisation has become

an important aspect to a company. As

‘internet-based personalisation delivers

customised content and services for the

individual through web pages, e-mail

or push-technology.’ (Chaffey and

Smith, 2009).

There are many ways in which a company can

ensure personalisation through their website.

Some examples of the ways that companies do

this is;

• Presence of customer or company name

• Date or time

• Customer preferences

• Recommendations

• News and events• Location• Referrer string

21

When looking at and using Next’s website, there is no distinctive

personalisation in terms of, the customers name, customer preferences or

referrer string. Therefore, when a customer is revisiting the website, there

is no recommendations of items they might be interested in purchasing.

The only aspect of personalisation that is present with Next is, that they

send customers e-mails when their orders are ready. On these e-mails there

is also a section at the bottom which gives the customer the option to go

straight to the website and shop.

22

Aesthetics = Graphics + Colour + Style + Layout and Typography

There are 2 aspects to the aesthetics

of a website, these are form and

function. Form refers to, the visual

design of the website. Function

refers to, the interaction, navigation

and structure of the website.

Graphics

The visual design of a website is important in establishing

trust and set the tone for future experience. Therefore

when designing a website, designers need to create a

‘balanced visual design which is visually appealing, but

also works for accessibility, usability, persuasion and

branding.’ (Chaffey and Smith, 2009).

When looking at Next’s website, there are hardly any graphics

used. As there are no Flash elements to the webpage. All it

involves graphics wise, is the various use of photographs and drop

boxes at the top of the page.

Photographs

Drop Box

23

The colours used on a website are very

important, as they create a feeling about the

site and brand.

Colour schemes need to be;

• Right for a personality which fits the target audience

• Right for a colour scheme that fits the

brand

• Right for usability and accessibility(Chaffey and Smith, 2009)

All of Next’s pages follow the same colour scheme. The

colour scheme that Next uses, has a very sophisticated,

classic feel about it. It shows that by using very simple

colours, you can still get the right image wanted for the

brand.

24

‘The power of typography in adding to

the visual appeal and persuasive

power of a website is often

underestimated’ (Chaffey and Smith,

2009). Therefore, when designing a

website, it is important to think

carefully about what type of

typography to use, as by using the

wrong kind will give the brand a bad

image.

Next use the exact same typography throughout all pages on their website. They use a very

simple San-serif style of text, by using this style it means that it is easy for customers to

read all the text. Also, by using the same style throughout, the customer is likely to then

have a certain association with the style of writing and the brand.

25

The way in which a page is designed and laid

out, is implemented through the use of Content

Management Systems. The design of a website

is likely to follow the same layout, but have

slightly different layouts for each section to the

website. The aspects to a website that are likely

to be consistent are;

• Company name and logo

• Menu for navigation

• Footer for reference• Page title for content

Next’s homepage shows very clearly

what its main marketing message is,

with the use of having the one main

big image at the top of the page.

A good template design will achieve;

• An aesthetic, visually pleasing layout• Clear emphasis of different content types

•Visual hierarchy showing relative importance of

different content

•Prioritisation of marketing messages

•Clear navigation options to a range of content, services and visitor engagement devices.

(Chaffey and Smith, 2009)

It’s clear for the customer to be able to see the various sub-

sections that are available on the website. With both the bar

at the top of the homepage and sections underneath the main

image on the homepage.

26

Online PR, involves maximising mentions of the company, brands or products or

websites on third party websites, that are likely to be visited by the target

audience.

There needs to be the assurance that there is some kind of control over the

reputation of the company or brand, through monitoring and controlling what is

placed about the company online.

Ranchhod et el. (2002), identified 4 key differences between online PR and

traditional PR, these are;traditional PR, these are;

1. The audience is connected to the organisation

2. The members of the audience are connected to each other

3. The audience has access to other information

4. Audiences pool information

(Chaffey and Smith, 2009)

27

There are many activities that businesses

use as their online PR, these include;

� Social Media

� Web 2.0 tools – blogs, forums and

discussions

� Viral promotions

� Link building

� Third party sites

Some of these are used by many websites

today, as it is becoming more and more

essential for businesses to have some kind

of connection to many various types of

media.

Next allows its customers to follow them on

both, Facebook and Twitter. With the use of

having access to social media, it means that

they can keep all their customers informed of

any new additions to their range, also any

competitions or news.

28

Web blogs are best known as ‘an easy

method of publishing personal web

pages which are online journals or

diaries’ (Chaffey and Smith, 2009).

Next has 3 different styles of blogs, all of

which involve customers or employees of

Next, therefore giving a first-hand insight.

29

Next’s YouTube channel enables

customers to be able to view all

their previous and existing TV

adverts. Along with being able to

watch videos which give tutorials of

how to do make-up.30

� Established in June 2000 and admitted to AIM in October 2001, ASOS. is the UK's largest independent online fashion and beauty retailer and offers over 36,000 branded and own label product lines across womenswear, menswear, footwear, accessories, jewellery and beauty with approximately 1,300 new product lines being introduced each week.

� They are aimed primarily at fashion forward 16–34 year olds.

� ASOS attracts over 8 million unique visitors a month and as of 30 April 2010 had 3.7 million registered users and 1.6 million active customers, who are defined as having shopped in the last six months.

31

These are links

taking users

All products

are placed in

categories.

Provides users

with a

welcoming

message.

This allows users to

sign up to the ASOS

site or login into their

account.

These links

provide users

access to

products within

the following

categories.

taking users

straight to the

social media

sites.

These are links

which take you

straight to more

of the ASOS site.

Here users will

gain access to

links on

fashion news

from the online

magazine, the

site and even

newsletters. 32

Allows users to

place items

which they plan

to purchase in a

shopping bag.shopping bag.

Allows users to

sign up to receive

email updates on

style news from

ASOS.

33

Users are able

to shop within

Users are able type in a

search query

to shop within

categories

which then

allows users to

shop from a

range of

products and

collection.

34

Users are also able to

view content in a larger

form, and view more

information like size and

the description of the

product.

When users select an item, ASOS

provide suggestions on how about

purchasing these items. They may

be either to go with the item they

are viewing or what other consumers

have also brought. They also provide

more items relating to what they’re

searching for.

Users are able to

share content with

friends or

bookmark the item

using various

platforms as well as

email a friend.

35

This provides

users with

sign posts, sign posts,

letting the

users know

where they

are within the

website.

36

This allows

consumers to

specify on what

they’re looking

for.

37

These are

various ways

ASOS

interacts interacts

with it

customers.

38

This enables users to

interact with ASOS on

a more social level,

allowing users to view

various content and

communicate with the

retailer.

At the end of this

month (January),

ASOS will be

launching an

online Facebook

shop, which will

enable users to

purchase items

from the entire

product range from

within the social

network.

39

This is an online magazine

containing a few products from

ASOS allowing users to shop for

products.

The online magazine allows users

to navigate to next page and

previous pages, and allowing

users to shop for these products.

ASOS provide users to shop for ASOS

products on their mobile phone

anytime and anywhere, allowing

them to search, browse and buy, save

items and track an order and even

manage their account. 40

Users are able to interact with ASOS through

their own channel, containing various content

from products which ASOS offer. Also, there is

extra content like video relating to them about

their new clothing etc.41

This allows users

to interact with

ASOS and share

their opinions,

users are able to

tweet their opinion

or upload a

YouTube video

about asos.

42

� Arcadia Group is the UK’s largest privately owned clothing retailer with more than 2,500 outlets. Along with this, they own 7 of the high street’s best known fashion brands, some of these brands are, Dorothy Perkins, Topshop and Burton.

� From looking at research from various sources, it was clear to see that the top brands who are part of Arcadia Group are, Dorothy Perkins and Topshop, therefore these 2 brands have been looked into with more detail.

� It was reported in 2010, that the retail group Arcadia profits has increased by 6.4%. Their pre-tax profit was £213.16m. (www.marketingweek.co.uk)

Topshop

� Topshop as a brand has become a fashion phenomenon, as it has become known for its cutting edge fashion at affordable prices.

� In 1974, Topshop was launched as a stand alone business, in which they now target 13 to 25 year-olds.olds.

Dorothy Perkins

� Dorothy Perkins offers ‘affordable, feminine fashion and a shopping experience customers clearly love’ (About Us, )

� A typical Dorothy Perkins customer is, between the age of 25 and 40, they love fashion and take a close interest in the new trends.

� Dorothy Perkins pride themselves on doing just that, producing good quality fashionable goods at reasonable prices.

43

44

This allows

users which

are members

of the site to

This allows users to view an

account.

This allows users to view an

manage details of their

account.

Able to

view items

which they

may

purchase.

Allows users to receive e-mail

updates regarding Topshop. Links to social media sites.

Allows

users to

search for

items

through

product

name and

code.

of the site to

sign in and

have a

account

which is

more

personalised.

45

Users are

able to

navigate for

products in

the following

categories.

Keeping

websites

simple allows

users to

navigate and

find products

at ease,

enabling a

satisfied

consumer. 46

An additional feature on

the website, allows users

access to a media player

to listen to music, which

sets a mood while

browsing the site.

47

Users are able to

interact with Topshop

through their own

channel on YouTube,

containing various

content from products

which Topshop offer and

extra content like videos

relating to them as a

business, about their

latest clothing etc.latest clothing etc.

48

Users are able to

view products

larger allowing

them to look at it

in detail, view

more information

on the product.

Users are

able to

specify their

search for

products

49

This enables users to interact with

Topshop using social interaction. Users

become fans using platforms from

Facebook and Twitter, allowing users

to view various content and

communicate with the retailer.

Topshop also uses this as a way of

updating users on various content and

answering any queries.50

This is a form

of customised

services for

consumers to

access the site

through an

application,

which makes which makes

the Topshop

site available

for users, those

users on the go

allowing them

to shop for

products.

51

Dorothy Perkins take

on an information

intensive approach to

their design layout. It

continuously provides

the consumer with

information and links

to the various pages

that it has to offer.

Very little graphics

The use of the

typography on the

website is very

simplistic and easy

to read. The same

font and style is

used throughout.

The colour scheme is

the same throughout

the website, and is

done accordingly to

the latest fashion

season trend colour

schemes.

Very little graphics

are used throughout

the website pages.

Singular images are

used as a centre

feature amongst the

pages, along with

small graphic images

to enhance the special

offer promotions.

Links to various pages

on the website, which

provides the consumer

with information.

Sales promotion

information

53

The same layout and

structure is used through

the website. The web page

undergoes the shallow

approach, which allows

users to be able to access

the different pages in

three clicks or less. This

results in the navigation

being easy as the

Sub-Categories to

for users.

Sub-Categories to

make searches easier

for users.

Interactive display feature

which allows users to view

Links to the different

pages of the website.

being easy as the

different parts of the

webpages are sub –

categorised.

which allows users to view

the key products from

each section. If clicked, it

directs users straight to

the shopping section.

54

The web page

provides sub-

categories that

the users can

choose to

make viewing

products

easier.Colours are only

Users are always

aware of how much

they are spending

with the ‘shopping

basket’ feature.

Consumers are

continuously made

aware of promotions

and special offers

which are available.

Colours are only

used on the

description part

of the page.

The online shopping page of the

website follows the same layout

and structure as the whole

website. In terms of visuals and

colour schemes, it is kept very

simplistic with only the

description part of the page.

Also, it is very informative in

regards of the promotions and

special offers on display. The

fact that users are able to sub-

categorise their searches makes

the page much easier to

navigate though.

Users are able to use

an interactive price

range tool to make it

easier for the

searches.

55

Looks and

Trends

Dorothy Perkins

has its own online

radio, which users

can listen to while

Style Advisor Blogs

can listen to while

they shop.

56

Dorothy Perkins

offers a style advisor

service, whereby

consumers can book

online to speak in

store with stylists to

gain fashion advise

on what and how to

wear garments. This

is another method in

which, Dorothy

Perkins has

Consumers can

find out

information about

the Dorothy

Perkins fashion

advisors. This

enables the users

to feel more

personally

involved with the

staff.

Perkins has

incorporated online

and offline methods

in engaging and

interacting with their

consumers.

As part of the style

advisor feature, each

stylist provides a key

item in which a link is

provided for the user to

progress to the

shopping section and

purchase.

57

Links to the

Facebook page

from blog.Links to the

Twitter page

from the blog.

The online

blog

provides

links to links to

events and

interviews

in which

Dorothy

Perkins

have been

involved

with.

The online blog provides

consumers with

information on all that

Dorothy Perkins has

been incorporated in, as

well as updates of

fashion trends and

styles. The blog is

regularly updated, and

users are able to access

the archives.

58

Dorothy Perkins have

provided pages within

the website, where the

consumers can access

the current fashion

trends. It also allows

the users to see how to the users to see how to

put garments together,

with links to purchase

the products.

The use of these

pages encourages

sales through

persuasion.

59

Dorothy Perkins has

invested in using social

networking sites, as a

means of engaging and

interacting with their

consumers in an

informal approach.

Facebook allows an

online community to

be formed

By using these sites such as

Facebook and Twitter;

Dorothy Perkins are able to

encourage dialect with their

publics on a regular basis,

gaining almost instinct

feedback and promote new

products and events more

cost effectively.

be formed

surrounding the

brand.

Consumers who

may have not

come across the

Dorothy Perkins

website via

search engine

queries may be

directed to the

site through the

social network

sites.

Facebook enables

users to gain

access to photo

shoots, and other

behind the scenes

footage of Dorothy

Perkin, resulting

in people feeling

more a part of the

brand.

60

Twitter allows Dorothy

Perkins to engage, and

interact with their

customers on a much

more informal scale.

The public can be

informed on a daily

basis of the different

aspects of the brand

such as events, new

products, trends and

Twitter enables

consumers to follow

Dorothy Perkins, create

their own blogs and

opinions about products

and services in which

others can see and

elaborate on. In the

same way as which

Facebook has its

discussion feature, the

use of Twitter makes it

possible to create and

build on a community

within the Dorothy products, trends and

promotions.within the Dorothy

Perkins brand on a

bigger scale.

Users are able to

upload information

about certain brands,

and products which

links are provided to

direct consumers

back to the official

Dorothy Perkins

website, where the

products can then be

purchased.

61

Altogether from analysing these websites, it is now clear to see which aspects and content all 4 of

them share. All of the websites allow customers access to their pages on social network sites. This

supports research done, which shows the increased use of social network sites for various businesses.

This is primarily due to the increased popularity of both technology and social media such as,

Facebook and Twitter.

Each of the websites that have been analysed, all share the same positive aspects to the design of their

websites. They all have easy navigation, in that each of them have the same style of drop down bar at

the top of their main screen. Also, each of the websites have a very similar layout, in that they all have

one big, main image on the main screen to which shows the newest and most recent addition to the

website/brand.

Another aspect that each website shares is, they all make it easy for their customers to find the exact Another aspect that each website shares is, they all make it easy for their customers to find the exact

kind of product that they are searching for. This is through the use of sub-categories, which enables

each of the customers to break down their search into colour, style, size etc.

Away from the aspects of each websites design that is likely to draw in and maintain customers, there

are also those aspects that some of them could improve on or introduce.

Topshop and Dorothy Perkins both have a radio, which their customers can listen to whilst shopping

or browsing. Whereas ASOS and Next don’t have these additions to their websites, therefore they may

want to consider the introduction of such concepts, especially to maintain customer retention.

Along with this, ASOS is the only website to offer its customers the opportunity to view its latest

magazine. This takes you through page-by-page, and the customer can even purchase a product they

see in the magazine. Dorothy Perkins and Topshop would be the only other websites that would be

able to introduce something like this, due to the fact that Next is originally a catalogue. Therefore,

their customers already have the opportunity to view their products in an additional format.62

SEO involves ‘achieving the highest

position or ranking practical in the

natural or organic listings on the

search engine results pages after a

specific combination of keywords has

been typed in’.

(Chaffey and Smith, 2009).

‘The position or ranking is dependent

on an algorithm used by each search

engine to match relevant site page

content with the key phrase entered’.

(Chaffey and Smith, 2009).

63

ASOS – the 2ndASOS – the 2nd

result to appear

64

ASOS – 3rd

results to

appear

By slightly changing the keywords that are entered into the search, there are more specific and

relevant findings. Along with this, it shows which of those websites are highest up in the ratings

of their service.

Dorothy Perkins

– 6th result to

appear

There are no sponsored links at the top of this search, compared to that of the other

search.

65

This refers to the ‘sponsored links’ that

appear to the right of a results page,

these appear when a keyword or phrase

is entered into a search engine.

When searching for ‘online fashion’ there are

quite a few sponsored links that appear, not all

necessarily have any relevance to the search.

Sponsored Links

66

By changing one word in the

search bar, there are completely

different sponsored links that

come up with the search.

PPC is ‘similar to conventional advertising’

(Chaffey and Smith, 2009). They are usually a

‘relevant text ad with a link to a company page’

(Chaffey and Smith, 2009). These sponsored

links don’t necessarily mean that people click

on them, however typically around a quarter or

a third of searches have someone click on them.

67

Benefits

� Those that have the sponsored link, are only having to pay when searchers click on the sponsored link, then being directed to the advertisers web page or landing page.

� The individuals that are searching for a particular item, are using terms to find something of interest therefore quality of the lead is high, this then means that there is likely to be less wastage compared to offline advertising mediums.

Drawbacks

� It may turn out to not be as cost-effective as intended, especially if it is a smaller � It may turn out to not be as cost-effective as intended, especially if it is a smaller company that is advertising, as they’re not necessarily guaranteed that people will click on their links.

� The running of and maintenance of the sponsored link can be very time consuming, as it usually requires daily and sometimes hourly checks on the bidding, so that it can stay competitive

� There is also the fact that, not everyone always clicks on the sponsored links, therefore there are many missed opportunities.

68

This shows that when searching for

‘online female fashion’, there isn’t

that higher number of searches

using that combination of words in

a month.

PPC’s can get highly profitable for companies such

as Google, also a ‘well designed paid search

campaign can drive a significant amount of business

for the search companies’ (Chaffey and Smith, 2009)

The combination

of words with the

highest amount of

searches is ‘online

fashion’

69