Website critique

1

.Print website-

Upon my first arrival to the website it is very noticeable that the homepage is very evenly distributed and sectioned giving the viewer the ease of navigation. Its layout mainly consists of three columns. The center column divides the newest stories by its content topic. Those topics are also accessible at the top of the page just underneath the banner. The very first thing I notices about the layout is a link for subscription on the banner at the head of the page. This is important as magazine websites must implement technical strategies to keep circulation of their print editions fairly substantial. A standout visual element is the use of a slideshow to display the biggest stories for Inside the US News & World Report. Usnews.com also offers some of the key Web 2.0 features such as RSS feeds, podcasts, mobile versions, reporter blogs, email and subscriptions. The site offers plenty of video and also the ability to subscribe to a US News video RSS feed. The ability subscribe to feeds such as podcasts and RSS, along with the ability to sign up for email alerts make the site very delivery customizable.
One of most important criteria for evaluating the Website is the available means of consumer participation and customization. Usnews.com seemingly has a void that is left missing the feature of user commenting. Users cannot comment on articles or even blogs. However, the site does attempt to fill that void with the use of user friendly blogs such as “The Paper Trail”, which is a blog dedicated to stories surrounding college campuses. The Paper Trail blog links to stories from campus publications written by student journalists. Overall, Usnews.com does not seem to have many commonalities with its print version. “Breaking News” and “The News Desk” sections make the site appear to be its own species. Consumers are able to subscribe to the print edition and even subscribe to the web-based digital edition for the same price. The implementing of a digital edition shows that usnews.com serves mainly as a relative alternative to the print edition.

2

.Broadcast Website-

CNN is one of my favorite sites to visit because of the amount of content available on the site. The home page is very clean and has minimal amount of advertisements on it. It is sectioned off into three columns, which is very typical. There is a poll on the home page which serves as a good way to get extra hits. CNN does a very good job at making this site as similar to its broadcast network as possible. They do this through the endless amount of video content on the site. There are options that allow you to watch live videos and there is a whole section of the site devoted solely to video. The site is customizable because it allows you to select the regular CNN site or the CNN international edition as your homepage. There is also a section on the site called CNN tv that gives plenty of attention to its broadcast programs. It lists the schedule and lineup for it television programming and serves as a perfect supplement for broadcast and it directs viewers to stay at home with CNN. The site offers delivery through the use of podcasts, RSS and email alerts.

3

Blog-

Deadspin.com is a blog devoted to sports. It has a very unattractive physical appearance because it is very bland. It pretty much has a one column set up that most blogs are known for . Nothing about this site really makes me want to stay on it. There are no cool photogaraphs or anything appealing on the homepage. All it really has to offer is what blogs are known for, its content. This site is highly user interactable. Users are able to comment on all articles and voice there opinions. There is not much more to say about the site because there is not much more on it!!