Essay: Wii-screenshots

WEB PAGE

A web page is a World Wide Web and can be accessed through a monitor or mobile device.

As the internet gains more importance in the day-to-day lives of people all over the world, marketing of consumer products via the internet is becoming necessary. An interface which appeals to the target customer and motivates him to discover more about the product and additionally even purchase the product (through the same website) is required.

However, the internet has not removed the need for face-to-face and voice-to-voice contact between people. It has not reduced the importance of customer service before and after sales. It has been found that the most successful model are ones where both retail outlets and websites coexist. Such companies are called Clicks-and-bricks companies.

For a product like Wii-Fit Plus, which is a product extension of the Wii-Fit, and an established Nintendo brand targeted at a technologically-savvy consumer a pleasing web interface becomes even more important. As the Wii-Fit Plus comes with an already established brand and product, the extent of the challenge of a new product is not as enormous as there is already the knowledge and awarenessas created by marketing campaigns for the Wii Fit. The challenge that remains is to draw in the new customer and additionally to motivate a pre-existing consumer to upgrade.

Experience in virtual context is tied not only to Web site design and achieved interactivity but also to data privacy, security systems in payment, quality of the offer and delivery of products and services, pre and postsale support service, and relationships with the clients.

The most important factors for a web page are: Aesthetic Appeal, Security and Information.

Aesthetic Appeal: This includes Visuals, functionality, colours

There exists a significant relationship between ratings of aesthetics and behavioural intention.

Market researchers have recognized for some time the importance that aesthetic factors can play on consumer behaviour, and this almost surely should impact on web design. Among the factors that have been emphasized in this context are more aesthetic visual displays, in which colour will certainly come to play an important role, graphics used and the functionality and organisation of site.

Appropriate colour combinations, are ideally those which have a high contrast between text and background with particular emphasis on the traditional black on white.

In addition, colours are used on web pages for purposes other than maximizing readability. These colours enhance the aesthetics of the page, which can potentially impact the user.

For commercial sites, where aesthetic and purchasing behaviour factors are a major concern,

chromatic (coloured) text/background combinations should be used. Chromatic colours are more

likely to lead the viewer to see a site as more visually pleasing and stimulating. Most importantly,

these colours are more likely to lead a viewer to the intention to purchase products advertised on the site. Combinations involving the colour blue, and including two chromatic colour (e.g., light blue on dark blue) appear to be preferable to a combination with less contrast and including a chromatic colour (e.g., cyan on black) for promoting positive affect and behavioural intention.

Displays on the web are unique in that a designer cannot be very certain about the browser, system, resolution, or other factors that may affect a given display, hence the colouring os a site is crucial in making an impression on the visitor. .

A well-designed interactive Web site could generate higher satisfaction by providing greater control to customers to personalize an information search. The characteristics in the design of the Web site (browsing structure, informative content, and graphic style) will have an impact on the service quality evaluations of the virtual channel and on consumer satisfaction.

The Wii-fit Plus site has a pleasing Green on white background interface, which promotes a visitor to explore the site. There are visuals and hyperlinks placed in a well-organised way,concise manner so as to give direction to the visitor without being obtrusive.

There are elements of :

1. Information: explaining what a Wii is for a first time visitor.
2. Interactivity: tips on fitness levels, usage of the Wii, excercise tips form a essential part of the page. Its presence on social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook is also documented with small links to both sites promoting interactivity
3. A Purchasing interface
4. Links to parent site (Nintendo), as well as frequent reference to Nintendo to reinforce that the Wii is a Nintendo product, which helps establish the brand power of the Wii

The Wii hence succeeds in its endeavour to provide realistic views of products, so that consumers can (almost) ‘see and touch’ the products, motivating him to further explore the site and giving high customer satisfaction.

Information

Many traditional brick-and-mortar companies, still do not sell their products online. Their websites function as information providing promotional interfaces for their products. Information is an essential factor in helping attract potential consumers. Results showed that among those consumers who visited the website first, 60% said the visit made the trip to the store better, and 17% said the website caused them to go to the store (23% said the website did not help). (The results have been taken from a study undertaken for Best Buy Co., Inc., the leading US electronics retailing firm, which is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota USA The importance of a prior visit to the website also is an important factor in the decision to buy from a store, for a large number of customers today. In addition, research suggests that people who visited the website before shopping at the store were more likely to make purchases at the store and were more likely to spend more money on purchases than people who did not visit the website first. These results indicate that websites can have a strong impact on a company physical retail locations.

The Wii site provides as shown in the screen shots below :

1. Basic information on what the Wii is and what it does for first time users
2. Tips on how to get started after purchasing the Wii
3. Excercise videos to get a more Hands-on experience and increase involvement of potential customers, in addition to helping customers get more out of their Wii’s.
4. Links to Add-ons for the Wii (Hardware, Software and other items)
5. There is a e-newsletter to help engage the consumer better.
6. Presence on social networking tool, Facebook and Twitter to again increase consumer engagement

There is a lack of security which is associated with conducting transacations online, as with increasing commercial e-commerce, credit card fraud along with companies selling personal information to unscrupulous vendors under the guise of ‘market research’ is becoming commonplace. This has resulted in a reaction against ‘virtual’ experiences, e.g., the need to see and touch products, comfort from shopping in person, and desire to speak to salespeople. Delivery time and post sales services are also important factors.

Wii is a Nintendo product. Nintendo is one of the biggest Japanese companies, and a world leader in Games. This lends credibility to the retail segment, as acts of such nature can do widespread harm to the company. Hence, security checks and controls are of the highest level.

As shown in the screenshot, there is a Nintendo ESRB Privacy certified tab to ensure the confidentiality and security of all information of Nintendo customers.