Looking at websites that tend to perform the best, they all have a good understanding of their target audience. What stuck out to me the most in class was when we discussed different audiences viewing the page is how every person in the room had a general idea of stereotypes. When we talked about a 14 year old boy and what he would be looking for on the internet, everyone seemed to have an idea. Companies go through extreme measures to make sure that their website looks appealing to their targeted viewers. What I have added below are examples of two opposite ends of the spectrum:
The first is AARP’s website. The website has two things going on, it’s telling you information about medicare and then trying to get you to sign up for medicare. The font is very spaced out and easy to read. This website is designed for the elderly. The second is a gaming website. It was designed for middle schoolers to play when they get free time in computer class. As you can see there is a lot going on with all kinds of different colors and ad’s around the screen. These ad’s were put here in case someone were to accidentally click on one. The page is fast moving and entertaining which is super effective to the younger generation.
Almost every site that we go on now is being tracked in some way which helps companies adhere to our needs. Some might say it’s a little creepy but I think it just makes the websites I visit more attractive and easier to navigate.
You have a very good point about the correlation between target audience and website design. I have not thought about this before. The fact of the matter is that websites SHOULD be tailored to their target audience. I also enjoyed that you gave two different examples of websites with different target audiences and how their websites heavily reflect that. Great job!
Very interesting and great points. It’s crazy to think that everyone has different perspectives on things. Making sure you properly target your marketing efforts to your target market makes a huge difference.
Great post! Good job on relaying the content and I miss coolmathgames.com 🙁