Web Site Analysis
Lucas Gatling
Merit School of Music - www.meritmusic.org
1. What are the value proposition and business model (Merchant model, Advertising model, etc.) for this sites?
Value Proposition: for parents and current students to
i. View course information, download latest course catalogs, and view important dates during the academic year.
ii. Allows for potential consumers to learn the history of the Merit School, gain information on the faculty, the different programs being offered in the school, and job opportunities and special events to attend.
iii. Provides users with information on how to support the Merit School, along enables users to donate electronically.
The business model being used by Merit is the Merchant Model. They do not have an online store.
i. View course information, download latest course catalogs, and view important dates during the academic year.
ii. Allows for potential consumers to learn the history of the Merit School, gain information on the faculty, the different programs being offered in the school, and job opportunities and special events to attend.
iii. Provides users with information on how to support the Merit School, along enables users to donate electronically.
The business model being used by Merit is the Merchant Model. They do not have an online store.
2.How does the website integrate to other channels for this company? ( NOTE: A channel can be a retail store, a catalog, direct mailing campaign, etc. )
The main channel that Merit integrates with is the actual school where classes are held. Information portals are available for the classes. Another channel that Merit has integrated into their website is a students and parents to subscribe to the school's newsletter. The news letter provides direct advertisement to the students and parents via e-mail about upcoming events and updated school schedules.
3.How do they cater different types of Consumers (Impulsive, Patient, Analytical) and shopping experiences (Utilitarian and Hedonic)? (Attract)
It caters more to the Patient and Analytical consumers. The impulsive audience doesn't really work on this site because there are no instant rewards for uses this site service plus it is more a school site and provides more information about the school and the services it provides rather than products that would be attractive to those people that fall into the Impulsive buyer category. For the analytical and patient buyer it provides various sources of information. It gives them contact information, detail course levels and courses offered. It gives consumers information on faculty, as well video visuals of the school. It caters also more to the Utilitarian audience because there isn't a lot of fancy flash and entertaining material on the site. It's more for the task oriented person looking for specific information to compare and contrast possibly with other music schools. People just browsing the web for entertainment would probably find this website boring.
4. How does this site interact with the customer? What type of tools do they use to improve the customer's shopping experience? (Interact)
This website does not contain an online store so they do not provide any tools for the consumer other than a simple secure donation form for parents and students and users to give donations electronically.
5. How does the site process order placement and payment? (Act)
Merit processes donations by providing a donation form that allows donators to either provide a one time donation using cards only, no Paypal option is available on this site.
6. How does the site handle delivery, shipping and return? (Act)
Merit does not sell products online and does not take any orders for school merchandise online therefore, delivery, shipping and return is not applicable.
7. How does the site handle Customer Service and technical support? (React)
Merit has a contact us section with a general contact phone number and e-mail address for consumers to contact them with additional information and problems.
8. How useful is site's navigation design? (Usability)
The navigation that Merit uses is very useful. The home page is linked so depending if you're a current parent or student of merit you have a link to click on, or if your prospective student or parent of a prospective student you also have a link to click on. The website uses top navigation design with drop down menus. Depending on the three choices that are clicked on originally also determines what type of links you get on the page.
9. Is the content well-organized, easy to navigate, visually appealing? (Usability)
The content is very organized. If click the About Us link then you get a menu that tells you their mission, history, general information and even faculty information. The same each choice they make available, specific links full of information formatted very cleanly.
10. What are some possible improvements or enhancements you would recommend for the site?
Some enhancements I would add to the website would be probably a photo gallery of some of the events that they hold at Merit. They do allow you to listen to some of their students' music on the website so I think adding some visual content such as the pictures to compliment the video and the audio sample would an improvement. I think also they should add an online registration component to the website. Just to keep up with other schools that has online registration online. I would also add an online store. I'm that Merit has school merchandise available on campus. Adding an online store could only help the sale of merchandise.
