Who let these morons build a website?
Sep. 28th, 2006 06:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
electriclandBecause my email buddies had to put up with it, I give you: a case study on staggeringly inept use of the Web in a PR campaign!
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
crankygrrl told asked me to look up the boundaries of the Toronto wifi network, which apparently went live while I was away. So I Google "toronto wifi network", without the quotes: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=toronto+wifi+network
Note those results. The first hit is a six-month-old news story. The second is unrelated to what I'm looking for. The third... hm, maybe that's it, but I can't really tell. Fourth, first thing I click on (the URL won't work if I post it, you'll have to get there from the Google results), is a Globe story that actually gives helpful detail in a sidebar:
So, OK, cool, this confirms that the third link was actually from the service provider. Very cool, that will doubtless confirm this information and tell me all I need to know, maybe with a map. I hit the back button and click the third link. Here it is: http://www.thtelecom.ca/zone-qa.html
Uh... hm. So they're announcing plans for a network. That's not what the Globe story said. In fact, this all seems kind of old. I click the "map" link: http://www.thtelecom.ca/THTI_WiFi%20Zone.pdf
How pretty! How useless to me! I mean, obviously that orange bit at the bottom is what actually went live this month, but it doesn't say that anywhere. So, OK, Back button again. Poke around a while longer. Notice there is no press release on the site dated later than March 2006. That's odd. Give up in despair; back to Google. Ooh! Wait! Down at the bottom, it says the network is called OneZone! And on that story (http://www.marketnews.ca/news_detail.asp?nid=2122) there's a link... to a completely different URL: http://www.onezone.ca/
...ah, now that's more like it. Up-to-date information! OK, all the interesting stuff is hidden in second-level nav in the Media Centre, but still, it's what I needed in the first place. Oh! And it has a link to the original site that was so useless to me...
...you know, I thought that guy in the red armchair looked sort of familiar. That picture was on the big ad that I ignored. Oh well, I'll click it now...
...wait! It doesn't take me to the new site! WTF? [On investigating further, I see the success or failure of the guy in the big red armchair depends on what page you start from. That's even WORSE.]
USE. LESS. I fling up my hands in despair. Hopefully the network works better than this.
And now, because I like to add value, here's my free advice to them (well, it would be free if I was planning on sending it to them, but I'm not 'cause I'm lazy), based on what I know about usability and what I've learned over the last two years about search engine optimization (which in turn is largely thanks to this former colleague, who rocks):
1. Obviously, clean up those "guy in the red armchair" links. Those should all point straight to www.onezone.ca.
2. One Zone is a catchy title and all, but it isn't really telling search engines what they need to know. You need to start sprinkling your pages with a lot more key search terms. I gave you one: "Toronto wifi network". Any halfway decent keyword analysis tool will help you find the terms that get searched a lot, and the ones that don't have a lot of competition. Find them. Use them.
3. By the same token, image links? Not so helpful to search engines. They like words. Give them a text link or two to work on, both within the onezone site and from thtelecom to onezone. (Not, I should be clear, of the "click here" variety. No, we are looking for hyperlinked text that says things like "Toronto's new FREE WiFi network". That will make a search engine happy. This in turn will get your site noticed by search engines, and thus by users.)
4. onezone.ca is getting NO hits in the top 10 for "toronto wifi network". This is a problem. However, thtelecom is doing OK, so I would suggest updating thtelecom with the onezone content, at least for now. A lot of people are probably coming to thtelecom and getting confused right now, so it's to your net benefit to keep it up to date until onezone moves up in the search engine rankings. I mean, at least add an up-to-date press release to the Media Centre.
5. Your home page sucks. It reads like advertising. Or a bad press release. The one from six months ago. I mean, the least you could do is put something like "NEW! The first phase of Toronto's wifi network is open for business. As of September 7, 2006, users can access free wireless internet from anywhere in the downtown core..." With a map of your coverage area, and a link to the "how to use" page. You do WANT people using this, right? I'm here at your site. I'm already interested. Now give me something I can use.
6. Also, that "6 Months Free" sticker in the lower right-hand corner? That sounds like a sleazy come-on. OK, given your pricing strategy, that's kind of what it is, but still, you might want to rethink that.
7. I know, you're a utility company. You aren't used to this kind of thing. Poor babies. But you should learn, because really, this is unprofessional and sloppy and I can name at least five people reading this blog right now (hey, so I don't have a huge readership -- I'm still right about all this) who could do a better job for less money than you probably paid.
There's more, but I have to move on. You're welcome.
crankygrrl Note those results. The first hit is a six-month-old news story. The second is unrelated to what I'm looking for. The third... hm, maybe that's it, but I can't really tell. Fourth, first thing I click on (the URL won't work if I post it, you'll have to get there from the Google results), is a Globe story that actually gives helpful detail in a sidebar:
The wireless core
Toronto's new downtown wireless network went live yesterday. Here's how it works:
1- Get into the zone. If you want to use it at home, and you live within the wireless zone boundaries, it's recommended that you buy a WiFi
modem.
2- You will need a cellphone to register for and receive a username and password.
3- Using a wireless-enabled computer or PDA, open the software that controls your network connections and search for available wireless networks. When "SSID One Zone High Speed Internet" appears,
4- Open a web browser window and select the new user page. Enter in your mobile phone number. A username and password will be sent instantly to your cellphone via text message.
5- Enter the username and password into the web browser. Your login can be used by up to four people simultaneously, and is valid for free service until March.
SOURCE: TORONTO HYDRO TELECOM
So, OK, cool, this confirms that the third link was actually from the service provider. Very cool, that will doubtless confirm this information and tell me all I need to know, maybe with a map. I hit the back button and click the third link. Here it is: http://www.thtelecom.ca/zone-qa.html
Uh... hm. So they're announcing plans for a network. That's not what the Globe story said. In fact, this all seems kind of old. I click the "map" link: http://www.thtelecom.ca/THTI_WiFi%20Zone.pdf
How pretty! How useless to me! I mean, obviously that orange bit at the bottom is what actually went live this month, but it doesn't say that anywhere. So, OK, Back button again. Poke around a while longer. Notice there is no press release on the site dated later than March 2006. That's odd. Give up in despair; back to Google. Ooh! Wait! Down at the bottom, it says the network is called OneZone! And on that story (http://www.marketnews.ca/news_detail.asp?nid=2122) there's a link... to a completely different URL: http://www.onezone.ca/
...ah, now that's more like it. Up-to-date information! OK, all the interesting stuff is hidden in second-level nav in the Media Centre, but still, it's what I needed in the first place. Oh! And it has a link to the original site that was so useless to me...
...you know, I thought that guy in the red armchair looked sort of familiar. That picture was on the big ad that I ignored. Oh well, I'll click it now...
...wait! It doesn't take me to the new site! WTF? [On investigating further, I see the success or failure of the guy in the big red armchair depends on what page you start from. That's even WORSE.]
USE. LESS. I fling up my hands in despair. Hopefully the network works better than this.
And now, because I like to add value, here's my free advice to them (well, it would be free if I was planning on sending it to them, but I'm not 'cause I'm lazy), based on what I know about usability and what I've learned over the last two years about search engine optimization (which in turn is largely thanks to this former colleague, who rocks):
1. Obviously, clean up those "guy in the red armchair" links. Those should all point straight to www.onezone.ca.
2. One Zone is a catchy title and all, but it isn't really telling search engines what they need to know. You need to start sprinkling your pages with a lot more key search terms. I gave you one: "Toronto wifi network". Any halfway decent keyword analysis tool will help you find the terms that get searched a lot, and the ones that don't have a lot of competition. Find them. Use them.
3. By the same token, image links? Not so helpful to search engines. They like words. Give them a text link or two to work on, both within the onezone site and from thtelecom to onezone. (Not, I should be clear, of the "click here" variety. No, we are looking for hyperlinked text that says things like "Toronto's new FREE WiFi network". That will make a search engine happy. This in turn will get your site noticed by search engines, and thus by users.)
4. onezone.ca is getting NO hits in the top 10 for "toronto wifi network". This is a problem. However, thtelecom is doing OK, so I would suggest updating thtelecom with the onezone content, at least for now. A lot of people are probably coming to thtelecom and getting confused right now, so it's to your net benefit to keep it up to date until onezone moves up in the search engine rankings. I mean, at least add an up-to-date press release to the Media Centre.
5. Your home page sucks. It reads like advertising. Or a bad press release. The one from six months ago. I mean, the least you could do is put something like "NEW! The first phase of Toronto's wifi network is open for business. As of September 7, 2006, users can access free wireless internet from anywhere in the downtown core..." With a map of your coverage area, and a link to the "how to use" page. You do WANT people using this, right? I'm here at your site. I'm already interested. Now give me something I can use.
6. Also, that "6 Months Free" sticker in the lower right-hand corner? That sounds like a sleazy come-on. OK, given your pricing strategy, that's kind of what it is, but still, you might want to rethink that.
7. I know, you're a utility company. You aren't used to this kind of thing. Poor babies. But you should learn, because really, this is unprofessional and sloppy and I can name at least five people reading this blog right now (hey, so I don't have a huge readership -- I'm still right about all this) who could do a better job for less money than you probably paid.
There's more, but I have to move on. You're welcome.
