2011
Creating an Effective Website:
Is Yours Worthy?
by Natalia Kolyesnikova, Ph.D.
Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute
THANK YOU SPONSORS
Texas Tech University
Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute
Background
In today’s fast paced technology-driven world,
consumers expect to find virtually any
information online
Today’s consumers have very high expectations
for websites quality
Forrester Research (2009) has identified that
the new threshold for acceptable webpage
response time is now two seconds
Texas Tech University
Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute
Shopper Expectations for Site Performance
1999
8 seconds
2006
4 seconds
2009
2 seconds
2012
?
0
2
4
6
Website Response Time in Seconds
8
10
Texas Tech University
Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute
Background
Poor site performance is a major cause of
customer dissatisfaction
In addition to speedy functionality, the site
design and content also impact consumer
perceptions of the company and its products
A well performing and informative website can
be a powerful marketing tool
It is crucial for the winery’s exposure to
potential customers, brand loyalty with existing
customers, and for generating revenue
Texas Tech University
Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute
Introduction
Currently, there are close to 200 wineries in Texas
Most have websites
In reality, however, a nationwide expert evaluation
shows that few US winery website are designed for
optimal return
The Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute
undertook an initiative to conduct a research
project to evaluate Texas wineries’ websites across
a number of criteria
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Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute
Purpose
Project Purpose:
to develop objective website
evaluation criteria
to measure the effectiveness of Texas
wineries websites from multiple
perspectives
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Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute
Research Design
Sample: 56 Texas winery websites
Evaluators: 21 students in “Wine Marketing” class
Each evaluator had a coder number (anonymous evaluation)
Evaluators randomly drew websites from a cowboy hat
For cross validation purposes, each web site was evaluated
three times (by three different evaluators who worked
independently)
Evaluation was performed in computer lab (controlled research
setting)
Data entries were compared across the three evaluations. All
inconsistencies were checked on the websites and manually
corrected by the researcher
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Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute
Sample Selection
A blast email was sent from the Texas Wine Marketing
Research Institute to a mailing list of Texas wineries
The email introduced the project and requested a return email
if the winery wishes to be included in the sample
“Dear Texas wineries owner:
The Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute is conducting a research project to evaluate
Texas wineries websites across a number of criteria (e.g., availability of contact
information, ease of navigation, mailing list sign-up, list of wines, etc.)
Due to our research design and availability of resources, we can evaluate a sample of 56
Texas wineries. We are currently developing a list of these 56 wineries. If you want your
winery to be included in this project, simply reply to this email and we’ll include your
webpage in the evaluation.
We intend to present the results of this project at the next year TWGGA conference.
For obvious reasons, only cumulative results for the entire sample (not individual wineries)
will be presented. However, if a winery wants to see their own evaluation, we will provide
confidential individual results to the owner.
Sincerely”
Texas Tech University
Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute
Sample
22 wineries responded and requested to be included in the
sample (individual confidential reports of their websites evaluations were
provided to these wineries upon completion of the project)
Additional 7 wineries were selected from members of the
Texas Wine Agri-Tourism and Marketing Committee
The remaining wineries were selected randomly from a list
of Texas wineries
The sampling frame was divided into strata based on size
and geographical location of the winery to ensure that all size
and different location wineries from across Texas were
comparatively represented
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Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute
Research Design Model
Pool One
Pool Two
7 evaluators
7 evaluators
7 evaluators
random drawing
of
8 cards by
each evaluator
random drawing
of
8 cards by
each evaluator
random drawing
of
8 cards by
each evaluator
56 cards
with wineries
names and
websites
56 cards
with wineries
names and
websites
Pool Three
56 cards
with wineries
names and
websites
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Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute
Texas Tech University
Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute
Evaluation Criteria (Instrument)
Evaluation Criteria (instrument) has been initially
suggested by students and by the instructor
Refined / finalized by experts and instructor
Factors included objective criteria for evaluation and
required a yes or no response
Websites were evaluated on the basis of presence or
absence of a specific feature
“yes” = present, coded as 1
“no” = “not present”, coded as 0
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Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute
Evaluation Criteria (Instrument)
Six major sections:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
USER FRIENDLINESS (yes/no)
WINERY INFORMATION (yes/no)
PRODUCT INFORMATION (yes/no)
MARKETING ASPECTS (yes/no)
CUSTOMER RELATIONS (yes/no)
SITE ATTRACTIVENESS
(subjective judgment across three
evaluators)
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Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute
I. USER FRIENDLINESS
Ease of Navigation
“Home” button available from all pages?
Site map or index available?
Search engine for website content available?
Ease of Contact
“Contact Us” button available?
Direct e-mail contact available?
Mailing address available?
Physical address available?
Telephone number available?
Fax number available?
Contact person’s name identified?
Maps and/or driving directions available?
YES
YES
NO
NO
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Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute
II. WINERY INFORMATION
About Us
History/stories about winery available?
Owner name identified?
Profile of the winemaker(s) provided?
Photos of winery and/or vineyard available?
Winery staff contact information available?
Virtual tour or video of the winery or vineyard available?
Employment opportunities?
YES
NO
Operational Information
Hours of operation available?
Availability of tour of winery (or vineyard)?
Wine tasting fee (or free tasting) information available?
Calendar of events (e.g. festivals, tastings, special
dinners, educational seminars) available?
YES
Facilities
YES
NO
NO
Information on wine production facilities available?
Picnic facilities?
Facilities/services for children?
Facilities for physically challenged customers?
Gift shop?
Banquet/conference facilities?
Private events?
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III. PRODUCT INFORMATION
Product Information
Wine list available?
Description of wines available?
Price of wine available?
Discount information (e.g., by case) available?
Pictures of bottles / labels available?
Awards /Medals information available?
Information on winery’s merchandize (e.g., souvenirs, gift
baskets) available?
Information on where to find the winery’s wine in local
restaurants and/or retail stores
Information on customized label available?
YES
E-commerce
NO
YES
NO
Online shopping cart available?
Method of payment identified?
Terms and Conditions?
Shipping Cost available?
Wine Shipment Rules and Regulations
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Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute
IV. MARKETING ASPECTS
Strategic Marketing
YES NO
Mission statement
Vision statement
YES NO
Branding/Positioning/Image
Logo and winery name on the first page?
Logo and winery name reflected on every page?
Public Relations
Newspaper articles?
Press releases?
Press kits?
Testimonials (words given by customers of the winery)?
Media updates / Latest news?
“Featured wine” information?
Partnership
YES
Regional information available?
If YES, please specify which specific information is provided?
Local attractions?
Local festivals / events?
Local tourism-related activities
Local restaurants
Local lodging
Local shopping
Links to local CVBs, chamber of commerce?
Links to other wineries?
Links to wine-related web sites?
Links to wine and/or grape industry associations?
Links to Texas wine organizations? (e.g., Texas Wine Marketing
Program, Go Texan)
Information for distributors available?
YES
NO
NO
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Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute
V. CUSTOMER RELATIONS
Interactive Functions
YES NO
Online sign-up for wine club available?
Wine club information available?
If YES, please specify which wine club information is provided?
Cost of membership?
Benefits / discounts?
Frequency of shipments?
E-mail newsletters sign-up (mailing list) available?
Privacy policy available?
Frequently Asked Questions available?
Discussion groups available?
Number of website hits available?
Links to follow winery on social networking sites?
Customer Feedback (e.g., comment and suggestion box?)
If YES, please check specific links below:
Facebook?
Twitter?
Blog?
MySpace?
Educational Opportunities
Information on grape growing?
Information on wine making?
Recipes on food pairing with the winery’s wine?
Tips /info on wine tasting?
Tips/info on wine storage?
Health-related information?
Winemaker notes?
YES
NO
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Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute
VI. SITE ATTRACTIVENESS (subjective judgment)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
How easy is the domain name to remember? (i.e., reasonably reflects the winery’s name)
How easy is the website to navigate?
How current and timely is the information?
How readable is the font?
How uncluttered/ clean are the pages?
Is the contrast between the background and the text sufficient?
What is the quality of the pictures and/or other images?
Is the use of the web page space effective?
Is the scrolling (vertical & horizontal) appropriate?
How well organized is this website?
Overall, how user-friendly is this website?
Is the color visually appealing?
Is the design visually appealing?
Overall, how aesthetically appealing is the website?
Does the website make customers want to visit the winery?
In your opinion, what target market(s) can this website reach?
If you were to give a letter grade to the overall quality of this website,
what would that grade be?
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Grading
Each student started with full 100 for this project
Each error resulted in one (1) point deduction from a
student’s grade
Each missing answer also resulted in one (1) point
deduction from a student’s grade for this project
Error detection: the instructor and the Teaching
Assistant checked data entries across three evaluators
and all inconsistencies were manually checked
Evaluators were also asked to write their comments for
EACH section. These comments were anonymous and
provided important customer perspectives for wineries
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Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute
Initial Data Coding
“1” = YES
“0” = NO
Winery
1
1
1
2
2
2
3
3
3
4
4
4
5
5
5
6
6
6
7
7
7
8
8
8
9
9
9
Evaluator ID
3
19
7
3
6
9
14
15
2
7
3
5
1
10
12
13
1
6
21
18
17
1
7
19
21
16
13
UFnav1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Red cells represent inconsistencies in data entries
Researcher then manually checked and corrected all inconsistencies
UFnav2
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
UFnav3
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
UFcontact1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
UFcontact2
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
UFcontact3
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
UFcontact4 UFcontact5 UFcontact6 UFcontact7 UFcontact8
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
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Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute
Final Data Coding
Winery
1
1
1
2
2
2
3
3
3
4
4
4
5
5
5
6
6
6
7
7
7
8
8
8
8
9
9
9
10
10
10
10
Evaluator ID
14
2
18
14
1
6
19
16
3
20
13
19
3
15
9
9
12
22
2
4
17
15
21
17
7
6
10
13
10
4
8
7
UFnav1
1
1
1
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
UFnav2
1
1
1
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
UFnav3
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
UFcontact1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
UFcontact2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
UFcontact3
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
UFcontact4 UFcontact5 UFcontact6 UFcontact7 UFcontact8
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
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Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute
RESULTS: User Friendliness
Website Features
Percent “yes”
Percent “no”
“Home” button available on all pages
78.6
21.4
Site map available
92.9
7.1
“Search” option
10.7
89.3
“Contact Us” button
80.4
19.6
Direct e-mail contact
82.1
17.9
Mailing address
92.9
7.1
Physical address
98.2
1.8
Telephone number
100
0
Fax number
33.9
66.1
Contact person’s name identified
30.4
69.6
Map and/or driving directions
100
0
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Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute
RESULTS: Winery Information
About Us
Percent “yes”
Percent “no”
History/stories about winery
80.4
19.6
Owner name identified
71.4
28.6
Profile of the winemaker(s) provided
37.5
62.5
Photos of winery and/or vineyard
82.1
17.9
Winery staff contact info listed
12.5
87.5
Virtual tour/video of winery or vineyard
7.1
92.9
Employment opportunities
3.6
96.4
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RESULTS: Winery Information
Operational Information
Percent “yes”
Percent
“no”
Hours of operation identified
96.4
3.6
Availability of tours
57.1
42.9
Wine tasting fee (or free tasting) information
50.0
50.0
Calendar of events (e.g. festivals, tastings, etc.)
80.4
19.6
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RESULTS: Winery Information
Percent
“yes”
Percent
“no”
Information on wine production facilities
44.6
55.4
Picnic facilities
26.8
73.2
Facilities/Services for children
5.4
94.6
Gift shop
33.9
66.1
Banquet/Conference facilities
44.6
55.4
Private event accommodations
66.1
33.9
Other facilities
16.1
83.9
Facilities
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RESULTS: Product Information
Percent
“yes”
Product Information
Percent
“no”
Wine list available
98.2
1.8
Description of wines
96.4
3.6
Price of wine
69.6
30.4
Discount information (e.g., by case)
41.1
58.9
Awards/Medals information
53.6
46.4
Info of local restaurant and/or retail stores that carry winery’s wine
32.1
67.9
Online shopping cart available
46.4
53.6
Method of payment identified
32.1
67.9
Terms and Conditions
30.4
69.6
Shipping cost available
26.8
73.2
Wine Shipment Rules and Regulations
35.7
64.3
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RESULTS: Marketing Aspects
Marketing
Percent
“yes”
Percent
“no”
Logo and winery name on the first page
100
0
Logo and winery name reflected on every page
96.4
3.6
Newspaper articles about winery
21.4
78.6
Press releases
14.3
85.7
3.6
96.4
26.8
73.2
Public relations:
Press kits
“Featured wine” information
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Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute
RESULTS: Marketing Aspects
Marketing
Percent
“yes”
Percent
“no”
Partnerships:
Regional information available
67.9
32.1
Local attractions
23.2
76.8
Local events / festivals
28.6
71.4
Local restaurants
33.9
66.1
Local lodging
33.9
66.1
3.6
96.4
Links for local CVB, Chamber of Commerce
23.2
76.8
Links to wine and grape growing associations
42.9
57.1
Links to Texas wine organizations / programs
50.0
50.0
Local shopping
Links to wine-related websites
55.4
44.6
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RESULTS: Customer Relations
Interactive Functions
Percent
“yes”
Percent “no”
Online sign-up for wine club available
42.9
57.1
Wine club information
55.4
44.6
Cost of membership
37.5
62.5
Benefits/discounts
53.6
46.4
Frequency of shipments
50.0
50.0
8.9
91.1
19.6
80.4
Tips /info on wine tasting?
7.1
92.9
Tips/info on wine storage?
5.4
94.6
0
100
8.9
91.1
Frequently asked questions
Educational Opportunities:
Recipes on food pairing with winery’s wine?
Health-related information?
Winemaker notes?
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Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute
RESULTS: Customer Relations
Interactive Functions
Links to follow winery on social networking sites
Percent
“yes”
Percent
“no”
33.9
66.1
Facebook
28.6
71.4
Twitter
21.4
78.6
Blog
10.7
89.3
3.6
96.4
MySpace
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Discussion
Overall the websites cover most of the issues and
appear effective in communicating various messages
to consumers
However, several features need improvement
User-Friendliness:
Providing a contact person’s name would add a personal
touch to the website and facilitate communication
between the winery and the consumer
“Home” button should be available on all pages
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Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute
Discussion
Winery Information:
Winemaker profile adds to the story
Availability of tours helps to plan visit
Wine tasting fee (or free tasting) information
More detailed description of facilities
Product Information:
Discounts information is not always available
Info of local restaurant and/or retail stores that carry
winery’s wine
Online shopping (general overview should be available
without logging in)
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Discussion
Marketing Aspects:
Regional information should be more available
Media coverage
Customer Relationships:
Wine clubs info is not always available on the web
Research shows that the vast majority of wine consumers
appreciate opportunities to learn more about wine. Thus,
educational opportunities are important
Social media link is a must nowadays
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Limitations
Comparison of responses revealed a reliable level of
consistency across the three evaluations
Nevertheless, the human factor needs to be taken
into consideration while interpreting the results of the
evaluations. Occasional inaccuracy may occur due to
misinterpretation of information
Some facilities/services (e.g., amenities) may not be
available at the winery. The “no” response does not
necessarily indicate missing information on the
website. These facilities or services may not be
available at the winery
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Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute
Conclusions
Quality of a winery’s website reflects on the scope
of its marketing activities and influences its position
in the competitive wine business environment
The website has to communicate the winery’s
position to the consumer.
The more effective the website, the more effective
the message, and hence, the better the winery’s
position
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Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute
Conclusions
For the industry, the results of this study may serve
as a checklist for designing more effective websites
for their businesses
The presentation will be posted on the Texas Wine
Marketing Research Institute Website:
www.depts.ttu.edu/hs/texaswine
For questions about the project or the instrument:
n.kolyesnikova@ttu.edu OR texaswine@ttu.edu
806.742-3077
Texas Tech University
Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute