Week 3b: Sites I Use Often

Hey y'all welcome back to my blog. Today I am going to talk about a couple websites that I use frequently and feel are designed well and easy to navigate.

  MorpheBrushes
https://www.morphebrushes.com/

   This site is effective because it is well designed and easy to navigate. The site is clean and organized, not to cluttered. I feel like this site is a great example of what a site design should be. The clean lines and the color scheme is very professional.
   This site keeps me coming back because I love the products and the owner Linda is amazing and really cares about her customers. I feel that this site's navigate is very easy to do. I know that when browsing the site, I can see exactly what I am looking for just by clicking the site buttons.
   The only thing I feel that could be improved is the all their affiliates that are not shown. They have so many beauty bloggers and youtubers that have raved about them but only show a couple.


 DevonneByDemi
http://devonnebydemi.com/

  I love DevonneByDemi's website. It's so easy to navigate and it right to the point. It shows you what  the products are and how much it is. They have their social media right there where you can see it. This is a skincare system developed by Demi Lovato. They show result pictures by actual DevonneByDemi users.
   I keep going back because the products work and I love the site layout. Clean, simple, and easy to navigate through. The site is catchy and very pretty, almost delicate. I love the site to see the result pictures to see how my results differ or are similar to other users.
  I cannot find anything that I would improve on this site. I think they did a great job with the site design.



I commented on the lovely blogs of:
Sandra Lee Vaniglia
Sherri Moore
Jennette Leigh

Week #3: Design, Aesthetics, and Branding Blog #1

     Today I am going to give you my opinion  of problems with certain websites as well as what some websites are doing correctly.

                 SpotMetering
        http://spotmetering.com
      With this particular website, I noticed that it was very dark and unorganized which for me is a turn off when looking at websites about camera exposure. Another thing was that if you don't know what spot metering is you have to scroll so far down on the homepage before you get a definition. When looking at the website, I had no clue what it was about except cameras and pictures not too much upfront information. And the final thing I found was the contact information (I.e. Social media, email, or mailing address) was harder to find.
   
   To fix these problems I would use possibly a light gray or white as the background shade so it looks brighter and more professional. Also for the unorganization of the site, put the definition of spot metering right at the top of the homepage so it's easy to see and people can now tell what the site is about. And finally for the cluttering of the site, maybe use only a few pictures of different exposure and use section tabs with 1 picture to show what all the exposures are when using a camera.

         RoverP6Cars
      http://www.roverp6cars.com/
       The 3 major problems I found with this particular car parts website were I was confused about what the site was for exactly since all I saw were some picture of classic cars and color wording about cars and parts. To me the homepage was disorganized and cluttered, with too many distractions. The side tabs were too distracting with the car picture behind each section word. It made me not want to even click on the sections. And finally the the contact information was hard to find. They had their Facebook link in the middle of the homepage the contact information on the very bottom left side. With all the pictures, words and colors going on, it was hard for me to concentrate on just 3 problems. 
    
       The way I would fix all 3 of these problems is to find out what's the important need to know information for visitors to the site and that is what should be on the homepage as well as their contact information in an easy accessible place. I would also get rid of a lot of the pictures cause they take away from what the site is about which is selling car parts. I would have some pictures,but not mostly pictures. I would also make the text all one color and take away the car side pictures for the different sections.

          ExMouth-View
       http://www.exmouth-view.co.uk/

        For me this site didn't have enough upfront information about what the site was about. After reading a little I found it was about a hotel. There wasn't enough about the hotel and where it was located for me. There was not about section, which was disappointing. Also there was no address listed for contact information. Contact infor was minimal and very obvious to the eyes. It was not where I expected it to be. Finally, it didn't seem like this particular site had any social media to contact them at just 1-800 numbers. In this day and age I feel like you should have social media for customer service purposes if you are a business.

         My way to fix these issues would be to make a Twitter or Facebook page if they don't have one. If they happen to have one put it on the site's homepage.  I would also put more information about the hotel, like the history and why people should stay there. And finally I would make it easier to find if you are not from that part of the world. The location is a little confusing, so possibly put in a map of where the city is and what landmarks are close by.

        Apple
      http://apple.com

     Apple is an amazing example of how a website should be set up if you are a business. The layout is easy to navigate as well as the being clean and organized. The site is also simple but productive for visitors and customers. There is enough detail and information about what the site is for and each product on the site. I love the ability to chat with someone if you have any questions right there as you are on the site. The ability to customize what you are buying on the site is a major plus in my humble opinion.

     Ford
http://www.ford.com

     Ford, like Apple, is a great example of what and organized, easy to navigate, and informative website looks like. I like how informed the site is with explaining each product, deals ,and pricing. The customization of the products is a great touch as well because it gives the customers the ability to design their vehicle exactly how they want it. The easy to navigate and obvious noticeably social media and contact information is always a something I look for in a website. Ford's website does a great job of that.


      The way a website is designed,aestheticated, and branded definitely affects my reaction to it. If the website is organized and easy to navigate, I'm more likely to stay and look around for awhile and possibly purchase something. Where as if the site is jumbled. cluttered, and disorganized I probably will leave the site without thinking twice. The way the site looks is important to me as much as the way it is branded. If a site is branded well it makes me want to stay and browse longer. I don't like things to be super distracting when visiting a website, the. I can't focus on what the website is all about.
     

          

    

I commented on the amazing blogs of
    Sophia Ludyjan
    Antonia Russo
   Sandra Lee Vaniglia

Week 2b Blog

   1. Makeup Geek
    This is an online makeup company located in the Sacramento area. The owner's name is Marlena, she is very interactive with her company's social media and she also has a blog on her website which is listed below.
     https://www.makeupgeek.com/shop
Makeup Geek's Social Media- @makeupgeek or @makeupgeektv
  Facebook.      Snapchat
 YouTube.          Pinterest
Instagram.       Twitter
  Marlena is very precise when using her social media for her company because she updates multiple times a day and shouts out some of her customers and other makeup artists that use her products. As well as all affiliates get their own link directly to the site to have their followers or subscribers use, so their link gets used a lot. Last updated- September 19,2016

2. Morphe Brushes
   Also an online beauty store that recently just opened up a storefront in the LA area. The owner is Linda. @morphebrushes is their social media.
   https://www.morphebrushes.com/
Morphe Brushes Social Media includes
  Facebook      Twitter
  Instagram.     Snapchat
Morphe Brushes' social media like Makeup Geek is updated throughout the day. They also showcase customers, beauty influencers, as well as makeup artists who use their products. A lot of people use their links, especially when if their favorite beauty influencer has a 10% discount code. Last updated-September 19,2016

3. Sephora
  Sephora is a beauty store online, inside some JCPenney, and stand alone stores in larger shopping centers.
      http://www.sephora.com/
Sephora's Social Media includes
   Twitter.   Facebook.   Pinterest
  Snapchat.  Yelp
  Link' d    Instagram
Every social media outlet is updated if not daily, a few times a week. Last updated- September  19,2016
Links are used not as often as the website, unless it's Facebook.

4. Redneck Nation
This is an online clothing store as well as a YouTube channel, Bobby is the owner.
      http://rednecknationstrong.com/
      http://rednecknationstrong.com/collections/keep-america-american
Redneck Nation's Social Media
    Facebook.     Twitter
    YouTube.        Instagram
    Pinterest.        Vine
    Tumblr.  
Last updated September 19,2016
The links are used multiple times a day for a variety of things and reasons.

5.Mudjug
  An online store that sells portable spittoons.
        http://www.mudjug.com/
  Mudjug Social Media     @mudjug
     Facebook.      YouTube @mudjug1
     Twitter.      Instagram
Last updated September 19,2016 
The links are used multiple times a day for a variety of items, including comments and praises.

       Some things I discovered while doing this exploration is that online businesses are way more active on social media than actual stores do. I discovered that most small businesses or independent businesses are inclined to use social media because they are smaller and don't have such a large following like bigger companies or corporations do. The small businesses I researched have a decent following but not like Apple or Google would have. They are advertising with their social media.

    I believe 4 of the 5 companies use their social well. Sephora is the only one that I feel doesn't use it well. They use their customer service area on their website more than their social media. Social Media for Sephora is more about showing new products rather than interacting with customers. All the other companies use their social media to answer questions or concerns.

I feel like the most used social media outlet is Twitter because it's fast and easy. Millennials and Gen Z want quick response times when it comes to answering questions and concerns. The other forms of social media, I feel is used as an advertising platform which is a great way to advertise. Yelp is a good way to let them know how well they are doing.  All in all this was very informative and I like how each company uses social media to address customers as well as advertised?
     


   
  

Week 2:Communications

     In this blog I will be discussing the pros and cons of communicating with a business as a consumer, including a personal experience I have had. Also whether or not I believe social media is easier when communicating with a company.

     A personal experience I have had difficulty communicating with a business was when I had called Family Mobile to see if I could switch my fiancé's phone number from his prior carrier to Family Mobile. The person I was communicating with wasn't understanding what I was wanting to do. They had to ask merepeatedly which carrier it was and once I told them the prior carrier, they had said they weren't sure. I had been hung up on and put on hold multiple times as well as given many mixed answers for almost 2 and a half hours. The people I talked to had very heavy foreign accents, so sometimes it was difficult to understand them. Eventually we got it resolved, that type of difficult communication has to do with language barriers and heavy accents that I sometimes cannot understand.

    In my opinion, yes I believe social media makes it so much easier to get noticed and get a problem solved. Why? Because with using social media, a lot of companies and businesses have people who focus just on their social media. So with social media all you have to do is tweet them, leave a comment or message on Facebook, or leave a review on Yelp. By doing these things you get noticed, because you are directly interacting with their customer service representative for their social media. It makes it quick and easy for a company to see them and respond right away, which we as consumers want.

   I have had a few positive experiences communicating with a business through social media. One was with a company called MakeUp Geek. It's an makeup brand whose lovely owner is Marlena. She is very involved in her company's social media. I have tweeted them about a question I had for when something was going to restock. They responded within about 30 minutes to an hour. They replied to my tweet as well as sent me a direct message to answer my concern.

    If I had my own business on Social Media, the way I would respond to positive and negative comments would be to take them with a grain assault. If it was positive commentary, I would retweet or like the comment and respond to the person who made the comment, thanking them and saying how much I appreciate their business. As far as negative comments go, I would politely send them a private message or email if I have it, asking them what I can do to make their experience a positive one. Questions about what was the problem, how was your experience, etc..

  Some of the issues that made my Family Mobile experience negative was the language barrier and the accent challenges I had. As well as being hung up on and put on hold for over two hours.  I also think it was the way they answered the call, very rude and disrespectfully, which makes me not a happy customer. I also never got a straight answer from them, so we decided that it was best to just get a whole new number rather than keep trying for 48 hours to see if it would work.

  What made my Makeup Geek experience positive is that the owner of the company is the one who retweets and replies back to comments or messages herself. Which for me is a great way to be with your customers. Another reason is that the response time was quick and accurate to what I would have expected it to be. The owner of the company is also very good at thanking her customers and appreciating them for helping grow her company.

      If I had to choose just one social media platform that I feel is geared toward personal use, I would have say Facebook. Why? Because of the simple fact that it is not something that I think of when I think of business and social media for business. It's more for connecting with friends, family, coworkers, etc.. I feel as though businesses have a Facebook, it's not the first thing you think of when you say social media for business.

    The social media platform I feel works best for business is Twitter and or Yelp. With Yelp it lets you see what your customers have to say and have a link right there for your website or even to order right from Yelp if you choose to. With Twitter, you can interact with your customers right away and you can link your website, coupon codes, any deals the business may have. It's a quick and easy way to get the word out there about your business as well. I feel as though Twitter and Yelp have benefits for business.

   

Hello CSIT 155,
     My name is Kylee Grice and Welcome to my blog!
     I choose the ethereal template. I thought this template was very unique and fun. I wanted a template for my blog that had some personality but still classy and business appropriate. I feel as thought this ethereal design is perfect, everything from the colors to the outline of the template.
     Another reason I chose this template is because I think if I were to create a blog for myself not class related this is one that I would go toward. The layout is easy to figure out and I have read a lot blogs that can be complicated with the template and layout. I wanted to make it easy to read and get around. If I had a blog and wanted it to get views, I would want a template that is easy to figure out and read, along with the details and pictures of whatever the blog is about.
     The final reason I chose the ethereal template is it caught my attention right away, which I think is a great thing when it comes to a blog. If it's not eye-catching who would want to read it. Certainly not me. I like blogs that have personality and class which is why I chose the ethereal template. Classy yet colorful and easy to read with a tad bit of personality and pops of color.