ERIC Number: EJ965523
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Apr
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0273-4753
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
From the Field and into the Classroom: Information Architecture Assessment and Website Usability Tests
Clayton, Michael J.; Hettche, Matt
Journal of Marketing Education, v34 n1 p30-43 Apr 2012
Although it is difficult these days to find a company that does not have a website, you do not have to look very far for to find a website with significant design and architecture flaws. Getting a visitor to your website is one thing, making the experience effortless and allowing them to find exactly what they need is another story. That being said, understanding how the consumer comprehends and navigates webpage content is an important part of the interactive marketing process that demands extra attention. Although this field is well established among marketing research practitioners, information architecture assessment and website usability tests are user-centric methods of website analysis that receive little attention from marketing academics. This article discusses the importance of user-centric methods of website analysis for the field of direct and interactive marketing and outlines strategies for implementing qualitative research techniques in an educational context. Classroom exercises and take-home assignments for an undergraduate curriculum are provided and discussed. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)
Descriptors: Web Sites, Usability, Information Management, Evaluation, Marketing, Qualitative Research, Class Activities, Assignments, Undergraduate Students
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A

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