'The Cube' Research Folder 1 | Page 43

THERE ARE SEARCH ENGINES AT THE TOP OF THE OPENING PAGE, WHICH ALLOW THE WEBSITES CONSUMERS TO FINALLY FIND WHAT THEY ‘RE SEARCHING FOR. I FEEL THAT THE TABS ARE EXTREMELY VAGUE, AND BECAUSE THERE AREN’T MANY OF THEM, IT FEELS LIKE IT WOULD TAKE THE CONSUMER MORE TIME TO REACH WHAT THEY HAVE CAME ON THE SITE FOR, THAN ACTAULLY NEEDED/INTENDED. THE DEAL OFFERS YOU TO EITHER BUY IT NOW FOR YOURSELF, OR TO ‘BUY IT FOR A FRIEND’ WHICH IS AN EXCELLENT WAY OF PROMOTING, AS IT MAKES THE CONSUMER STOP AND THINK TWICE, ONCE ABOUT WHETHER THEY WANT THE DEAL, OR WHETHER ONE OF THEIR FRIENDS WOULD.                                       THE STARTING PAGE FOR GROUPON IS PRETTY PLAIN, IT HAS A HUGE IMAGE/DISCOUNT DETAILS OF THE LATEST ‘GRAB IT NOW’ DEAL, IN WHICH THESE CHANGE AFTER EACH DEAL HAS ENDED. IT DESCRIBES IN MINOR DETAIL WHAT THE DEAL ACTAULLY INVOLVES, BUT IT JUST FEELS LIKE THIS IS A LITTLE RUSH AND GO, THE DEALS THAT FLASH UP ARE AT RANDOM, SO IF YOU’RE A FIRST TIMER ON GROUPON, THE DEAL YOU SEE FIRST MIGHT ACTUALLY PUT YOU OFF FROM LOOKING AROUND THE SITE.               A ‘SEARCH FOR GIFT’ AND A ‘HELP’ BUTTON ARE PLACED UPON THE FRONT PAGE, WHICH IS GREAT AT IS SHOWS THE CONSUMER THAT HELP IS THERE IF NEEDED, AND ALSO THAT THE ‘SEARCH’ BUTTON ENABLES THEM TO ELIMINATE THINGS THAT THEY AREN’T ACTUALLY SEARCHING FOR. THE COLUMN THAT IS PLACED DOWN ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE OPENING PAGE, SHOWCASES OTHER DEALS/DISCOUNTS THAT ARE DIFFERENT FROM THE MAIN ADVERTISEMENT. THESE ALSO CHANGE ONCE THEY HAVE RUN OUT, WHICH IS EXCELLENT AS IT SHOWS THE CONSUMER THAT THE WEBSITE IS CONSTANTLY UPDATED WITH NEW, UPCOMING DEALS/DISCOUNTS. IT FEELS ALMOST LIKE THE MAIN IMAGE ON THE OPENING PAGE DISTRACTS THE CONSUMER FROM THESE DISCOUNTS THAT ARE PLACED DOWN THE SIDE, WHICH IS QUITE UNFORTUNATE.