April 10, 2005
Corporate Website Analysis
For this assignment, I picked thee website in the United Nations: the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, the United Nations Development Programme, and the United Nations Children’s Fund. I will analyze how their site identifies and services its publics as well as how they encourage repeat visits by paying specific attention to the page layout, site structure, barriers to information and projection to corporate images.
Organization: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
How this site identifies its publics
The UNECE website does not clearly identify their publics, although from the content of the page, the reader would have to be interested in Europe, Europe’s Economics, or the Commission if they were going to stay on the website for very long.
How this site services those publics
UNECE does a very good job of getting information to the public. The homepage is broken down into three columns: Programs on the left, Special Events on the right and in the center (the largest column) Latest News. The Special Events column has a link for the event’s press release. The Latest News column lists in order of date short snippets of information that actually link to a press release.
When the reader clicks on the tab Information Resources located in the middle of the navigation bar, they are taken to a page that lists UNECE’s informational resources including: press releases, publications, the UNECE Weekly, Legal Instruments, The UNECE in your daily life, Photo gallery, and Youth Corner. There is also a large text box encouraging the reader to learn about UNECE’s latest developments, and giving the reader a breakdown of the resources.
How this site encourages repeat visits
The navigation and clear layout of information and links is surprisingly easy to use. I have found most UN websites to be difficult to navigate. This site is clean, scannable, and has a simplistic look that encourage repeat visits.
Additionally, they update their website consistently. For the latest information on the UNECE’s meetings, decisions, and publications, their website is the perfect source for the information.
How this site serves specifically the Press/News Media
UNECE’s site clearly offers information on their meetings, decisions, and publications in press releases that are accessible from the sites homepage and the Information Resources page. Additionally, readers have access to their weekly newsletter. They update their information regularly.
Overall
The page layout and site structure assist the reader in finding current information. There are no obvious barriers to access information. The UNECE’s corporate image stays at the top of the page throughout the site’s many pages without hindering navigation. Aside from not clearly defining its publics, the UNECE’s site is a wealth of accessible information.
Organization: United Nations Development Programme
How this site identifies its publics
Like UNECE, UNDP does not clearly define its publics. They target everyone who is interested in the UN’s development work in democratic governances, poverty reduction, crisis prevention and recovery, energy and environment, and HIV/AIDS.
How this site services those publics
The UNDP homepage is divided into three columns. On the left is a text box with recent publications and special reports listed. In the middle the reader finds the latest UNDP information, without a subject title. On the left is information about the UNDP’s 2004 Arab Human Development Report and how to purchase the report.
The navigation bar, located above the banner containing the UNDP name and logo, the reader can easily find the Newsroom link. The Newsroom page setup is more congested than the UNECE’s site, but information is still labeled clearly and easily navigated.
How this site encourages repeat visits
The UNDP site encourages visits by updating their page with relevant information. Unlike the UNECE site, UNDP offers anyone who desires the ability to subscribe (and unsubscribe) to news bulletins with an online form. Additionally, the contact details of the UNDP individuals responsible for information dissemination are available on the left side of the Newsroom page and listed in order of their region.
How this site serves specifically the Press/News Media
In the center of the Newsroom page is dated information that links directly to the press release. Speeches and Statements are provided for the reader, listed by the year and theme. There is also a like to Biographies that takes the reader to the About UNDP page where they can learn more about UNDP Administrators.
Overall
The UNDP website, although filled with more images, colors, and lists that could be distracting than the UNECE website is still easy to navigate and offers all of their readers information about UNDP, the UN, and issues surrounding their main themes. The one thing that the UNDP site does not do is give the reader an idea of when the site will be updated next.
Organization: United Nations Children’s Fund
How this site identifies its publics
Like UNECE and UNDP, UNICEF does not clearly define its publics. They assume that if you are on their site you are interested in their priorities: girl’s education, immunizations, child protection, HIV/AIDS and early childhood.
How this site services those publics
This site uses images and color better then both UNECE and UNDP. Located on the left side of the homepage is a column dedicated to headlines From the Press Center. The Press Center has a link from the navigation bar at the top of the page.
Again, the use of color makes all the difference when comparing UNICEF’s Press Center page to that of UNECE’s or UNDP’s. With a blue background, the latest news is located in the center of the page in a whit box. The title of the box, Latest News is a burnt red to help grab the readers attention. The reader is also able to sort though all of the press releases by date, subject and region.
On the right side of the Press Center page the reader can easily find additional information listed under Tools, Hot Topics, and Our Positions. One the left, the user can access video clips relevant to UNICEF.
How this site encourages repeat visits
UNICEF, like UNDP, allows all visitors to register for e-Alerts, which they promise is a low volume mail distribution. They say that this list is intended for journalists but it is open to anyone. Additionally, the contact details of the UNICEF’s communication department are available on the site, making access to them easy.
How this site serves specifically the Press/News Media
The Press Center is an excellent site for the press and news media. Under Tools, they provide likns to audio features, publications, pictures and more. Additionally, UNICEF provides information on what they consider to be their Hot Topics, making it easy for the press to gain access to these stories. However, most beneficial is the Our Positions category that clearly outlines UNIFEC’s take on specific issues.
Overall
I believe that UNIFEC has the most effective website for communicating to the press and the public at large. Their categories are invaluable when navigating through the information. Their use of color and images effectively adds depth and interest to their stories without distracting the reader from the information.
Posted by arosenst at 03:07 PM | Comments (0)