The Minnesota Twins struck out when it comes to website content presentation. It seems that Forrester’s Web Site Methodology was not part of the game plan (Roberts, 263). The Twins website has so much going on that it even the most loyal fans would find it difficult to sort through the site information. The following are a few of the presentation strikes against them:
1. The website page space is cluttered. There is some white space that displaces many of the ads or content information. Forrester suggests that poorly designed layout grids create unused or unusable expanses of white pixels (Roberts, 263).
2. The Twins website data fields are not presented in a logical order. The purchase ticket information is located at the top, towards the middle, and used a small hard to see button. There are links to merchandise that is spread out all over the site (top, middle, bottom, everywhere). Forrester suggests that poorly designed layout grids result in displaced content, ads, and navigation (Roberts, 263).
3. The site uses many types of icons and symbols that a number of users might not identify. For example, the Twins site has what might look like tickets and MLB icons. Most users might know that MLB stands for Major League Baseball. However, if a user doesn’t follow baseball the site doesn’t provide an explanation. Forrester recommends that Internet website have icons that users will understand (Roberts, 263)
Recommendation: The Minnesota Twins website should consider developing a layout that is easy to navigate. It should have less clutter, icons that all visitors can identify, and locate the purchase tickets in an area that easy to find.
For Fun:
YouTube - MN Twins Commercials
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Bravo! I agree with you and Mike on this: the Twins might be good on the field, but they are in last place when it comes to their online presence. Wait until you complete this week's Learning Module. We have a couple of new tools to help analyze websites.
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