Form View: Diagnostic Website Evaluation

Company/Organization: Lucky2Creations, LLC
Website Address: http://accucull.com/

Evaluation Prepared By: Matt Stanley, Founder & President of Oasis Interactive

Metric 1 of 3: Usability

  1. Is the overall visual experience soothing and comfortable instead of overwhelming due to excessive content and/or features? No

    The header image above the navigation bar contains five different images and the Accu-Cull logo. The home page contains a content area with lots of scrolling and two different sidebars, each of which are packed full. The end result of all this visual stimulation is information overload. Visitors are likely to feel overwhelmed and unsure of what they should be clicking on. The site design should be simplified and streamlined so viewers are easily able to find what they are looking for with no distractions. I really like the videos included on the site but there are too many on the home page. Additionally, the comments at the bottom of the home page should be removed because they are distracting and add little value.


  2. Does the website balance text and images effectively by using both to break up the content and make it easy to read and comprehend? No

    Too much content is being packed into each page. Having a larger page count with better organized navigation would be preferable to cramming so much into a few pages.


  3. Is the text easy to read (scan through easily and understand quickly)? No

    You said that the website's main purpose is to educate people about your products and direct them to places they can be purchased. There isn't very much content on accucull.com, but the content that is there doesn't lend itself to quick reading. Studies have shown that you have 3 to 5 seconds to capture a visitors attention. I think you may be having a lower than desired conversion rate because how the content is presented makes the site cumbersome to use.

  4. Is the navigation functional, logical (intuitive) and consistent from one page of the site to the next? Yes

  5. Can you get to any page on the site in three clicks or less? Yes

  6. Can you find the content you’re looking for easily without having to explore the entire website? Yes

  7. Is all of the important content visible “above the fold?” Yes

  8. Is contact information, such as a phone number, mailing address, and “send us e-mail” form prominently displayed or easy to find? No

    The address and phone number are prominent in the sidebar on the home page, but on all subpages that information is buried in the footer where it's easy to miss.


  9. Can you use the website without having to install any plugins or ActiveX controls? Yes

  10. Are all of the site’s hyperlinks clear and obvious? Yes

  11. Is the website devoid of an initial Flash or splash page? Yes

  12. Are multimedia elements (such as music, animation and/or video, if any) implemented in an unobtrusive manner that allows visitors control over how/if they are displayed? Yes

  13. Do all external website links and/or PDF documents (if any) open in a new window instead of the active one? No

    Whenever you are going to link to an external website that will direct visitors AWAY from yours you should do so in a new window. The existing site uses the same window, sending traffic away from accucull.com. Those links should open in a new window instead so that your site will remain on-screen when they close the browser window of those external links.


  14. Does the site work properly and look good in Google Chrome? Yes

  15. Does the site work properly and look good in Mozilla Firefox? Yes

  16. Does the site work properly and look good in Internet Explorer/Edge? Yes

  17. Does the site render properly on mobile devices such as laptops, smartphones and tablets? Yes

  18. Does the website load quickly? Yes

Usability Summary

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Summary Comments:

The existing website has some good content but its layout is distracting and ineffective. The site should be completely redesigned based on specifically-identified goals and good quality content should be added so search engines have more to work with.


Supporting Documentation:


Metric 2 of 3: Professionalism

  1. Is the website modern instead of looking outdated? No

    As previously explained, the layout is overly busy and cluttered. A more simple design would make the site more effective.


  2. Does the combination of colors in use on the site look attractive? Yes

  3. Does the website prominently display a professionally designed company logo and is it linked to the website home page? No

    The site does contain a logo, but it's not what I would call a "brand." We specialize in breathing new life into a logo by helping clients develop an effective brand with which to market their business and products. It would be nice to see such a brand in the header of the accucull.com website and we can help with that.


  4. Do the colors in use on the site complement the logo and reinforce the corporate brand (if it contains one)? Yes

  5. Does the site contain only professional-looking pictures and graphics instead of clipart or amateur animation (if it's not a text-only site)? No

    The site doesn't have any clipart or cheesy animated GIFs, but many of the photos are of very low quality. More crisp and professional photos would go a long way to making the site more attractive and professional.


  6. Is the photography and artwork on the website crisp and clean instead of blurry or pixelated (if it's not a text-only site)? No

    See previous comment.


  7. Do all of the website pages contain polished, finished content instead of blank pages or those that are “under construction?” Yes

  8. Does the website contain professional, well-written text that is free of typos and grammatical errors?

  9. Does the site contain only working links and/or functionality? Yes

  10. Do all site features seem to serve a business purpose? No

    The photos in the left hand sidebar look like clickable buttons but they are only images. They are obviously there to show what the product looks like but it would make more sense to have a "photo gallery" page instead. The comments feature of the site was probably enabled to help facilitate interaction with your customers but that functionality is better-suited to a blog than regular site pages. Finally, the "Recent Posts" and "Archives" widgets highlight the blog-like feature of your site. There are very few posts on the site, however, and these widgets serve to pull people away from what I think is your more desired visitor behavior: purchasing your products through a dealer.


  11. Is the website devoid of antiquated and problematic technology such as frames? Yes

Professionalism Summary

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Summary Comments:

Most of the challenges the existing site has are aesthetic and therefore easily remedied. High-quality, professional photographs of your products by a commercial photographer who specializes in that discipline would be extremely valuable. Installing, configuring and making the most of a beautiful new theme would make the site look much more appealing. Some simple adjustments and tweaks would have a huge impact on the quality of your website.


Supporting Documentation:


Metric 3 of 3: Marketing Effectiveness & Integration

  1. Does the website content (text, photos, artwork, and multimedia elements) engage you on a personal level and create a sense of warmth, safety and comfort? Does it sell using emotion (personal benefits) instead of just facts (features)? No

    As I've said before, the content on this site is very educational and the videos are especially effective at showing how the products work. I think that producing videos and getting testimonials of real customers using your products would be even more persuasive. I would love to see you partner with a world-class fisherman that has competed in and won tournaments officially endorse your product. I would also love to see you interview every day customers who use your products regularly and are raving fans go on the record in front of a camera and share their enthusiasm for what you have to offer. This kind of content would resonate emotionally and help you sell more product.


  2. Does the website content make a compelling case for doing business with them by explaining what sets them apart from their competitors? Is the unique selling position (USP) clear and compelling? Yes

  3. Does the site contain fresh content (material that has been added in the last 12 months or less)? No

    An effective website has content that is changing all the time. If you're going to have a blog then new posts should be written monthly, if not more often, so visitors can see that your site is not stagnant. The most recent blog post on your site is from December of last year.


  4. Does the text motivate you to buy through a clear and persuasive call-to-action (CTA)? No

    It's not just enough to present information about how cool your product is. You need to use language that engages the viewer's emotions and makes them feel something that compels them to buy what you have to sell.


  5. Does the website have unique and search engine-friendly URLs? No

    The URLs (individual web page addresses) on accucull.com are those which are generated by WordPress automatically without any customization. They are not search engine-optimized and therefore extremely difficult for Google to rank. The URL of the Dealers page, for example, is http://accucull.com/?page_id=12 instead of http://accucull.com/find-an-accucull-dealer/. Notice how the second URL contains English words that could include keyword phases for the purpose of search engine optimization? That type of URL is much more attractive and useful to search engines like Google.


  6. Does the website have a sitemap? No

    I could not find a sitemap, which is probably crippling the effectiveness of accucull.com when it comes to having search engines rank your site. Think of a sitemap like a road atlas that tells Google where every important destination is on your website. A sitemap links to every single page of content, making it as easy as possible for the search engine spiders to crawl (locate) and index (rank) every part of your site.


  7. Does the website have keyword-rich title tags? No

    Title tags are the text links which are clickable in a search engine listing. They are the single most important on-page element when it comes to optimizing your website for search engines. The current site has title tags that are extremely concise and devoid of keyword phrases.


  8. Does the website have valuable, keyword-optimized content? No

    When optimizing your website for the search engines it's important to strike a balance between making it attractive to Google and having it be useful for human readers. It's easy to go too far in one direction or the other. It appears as though little or no on-page optimization has been done on accucull.com. I think the site would benefit greatly from a search engine optimization (SEO) overhaul.


  9. Can the website be found in search engines by using their business name? Yes

  10. Does the site use an e-newsletter or alternate opt-in tool (i.e. e-book, white paper, research report, etc.) to engage each visitor as a prospective client? No

    E-newsletters are a powerful and effective way to market your business and up-sell to existing clients. Adding an e-newsletter system to your website and using it regularly should help boost sales and retain your customer base. It would also be a great way to announce new products when they are released.


  11. Does the website contain a form to request a quote or ask for more information? No

    There is a “mailto” link on the site for visitors to contact employees directly via e-mail. These kinds of links can be and are used by malicious Internet software to harvest e-mail addresses for sending spam, however. A better approach would be to have a web form through which site visitors could submit e-mail inquiries. This would shield e-mail addresses from spambots but allow people to contact you electronically through the website.


  12. Does the site contain video content to capture visitor attention and interest? Yes

  13. Does the site capitalize on social media to promote the business and its brand? No

    There is a link to "like and share" Accu-Cull on Facebook but that widget didn't render properly so half of the box was cut off when I clicked on it. I would like to see a more professional and effective social media marketing strategy implemented for your business.


  14. Are there links to their social media pages and a "like/share this content" feature?

  15. Does their website have "Review Us" links to social media networks like Google+, Yelp, and Facebook?

  16. Does the website make use of analytics? No

    Web analytics tools provide very valuable information that helps companies measure and improve the overall effectiveness of their online marketing efforts. Specific data they provide include the following: Traffic volume via reports that can be customized in very granular fashion (i.e. daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc.); specific visitor behavior and trends (i.e. most visited pages, least visited pages, path taken through site, average amount of time spent on site, etc.); keyword phrases used to find the site on the major search engines; and conversion rates (i.e. how many people that visited the site requested more information through your online form or opted into your e-newlsetter). Incorporating web analytics technology into your website would provide actionable intelligence to help you get a better ROI and continually improve marketing effectiveness.


  17. Was the website built using a Content Management System (CMS)? Yes

Marketing Effectiveness & Integration Summary

Total Points: | Points Earned: | Equivalent Score: | Marketing Grade:

Summary Comments:

I think the website would yield a significantly higher ROI by making some simple messaging and technical adjustments. Emotionally-charged content (text, videos) that are designed to stimulate excitement and anticipation in the minds of your visitors would help increase sales. Developing a comprehensive SEO and social media marketing strategy would help boost website visibility and sales. Installing and regularly using an e-newsletter would help you keep in touch with your customers. Removing text and hyperlinks referencing your email address would help protect you from spambots. Installing, configuring and regularly using Google Analytics would help you measure an increase to the volume and quality of your website traffic.


Supporting Documentation:


OVERALL Website Summary

Usability Grade: | Professionalism Grade: | Marketing Grade:

Total Points: | Points Earned: | Equivalent Score: | Overall Website Grade:

Summary Comments:
Supporting Documentation: