Download Evaluating Web Sites

Chapter 9
Online Sport Communication and
the New Sport Media
Lecture 10
{Date}
Learning Objectives
• Become acquainted with the Model for Online Sport
Communication (MOSC)
• Understand the Internet’s impact on new and
emerging media and sport communication
channels
• Be aware of the factors influencing online sport
communication
• Understand the components of effective online
sport communication
• Become aware of new and emerging media in sport
communication
Profile of a Sport Communicator:
Sean Parker
• Director of new media
– Responsible for the franchise’s online vision
– “Our content and design are key elements”
• Web site includes
– Pregame stories
– Postgame notebooks
– “Our message board is really a core piece of the site”
– Downloadable video and audio files
• Web site provides
– Measurable ROI data
– Marketing and branding of franchise
SSCM: New Sport Media
Introduction
• New media have altered and are changing: Affect how
sport organizations communicate
• Sports fans are sophisticated in charting their teams:
– Logging on to various sites
– Downloading clips and podcasts
– Partaking in online chats
• Technology…
– Provides the foundation for growth of sport media
– Continues to have affect sport communication
• E-mail, live video streaming, and real-time sport scores
• Podcasting, Web logs (blogs), and game logs (glogs)
Surveying the New Sport Media:
Interactivity and the Internet
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Interconnectivity
Interactivity
Accessibility
Multiple usages
New sport media is catchall term for digital sport
communication and sport technology
• The Internet allows consumers to be interactive:
Interactivity is a key factor in making it a unique medium
when compared with traditional media
Examining Internet Usage in Sport
• Internet
– A “new normal” for Americans
– Become part of everyday life
– Affordable and available
• Sport entities should capitalize on this increased use when
communicating messages
• When sport entities use their Web site to communicate…
– They craft and shape their message
– They disseminate messages to stakeholders
– They’re the gatekeepers
– They set the agenda
– They influence perceptions of their key publics
Who Uses the Internet?
• A mainstream medium used by the masses
• Almost two thirds of Americans access Internet: 52M
Americans reported accessing the Internet to check sports
scores and info
• Males are more likely than females to access sport info online
• Ages 18 to 29 are more likely to search for sport info
• Internet increased participation in online sport fantasy
leagues: 11M people in the U.S. participate in a sport fantasy
league
• Internet has allowed consumers to feed their craving for sport
info
What Makes a Good Sports Web Site?
• Sites communicate with internal and external publics
• Teams using the Internet have a competitive advantage
• Sport entities rely on the Web
– Provides info on the organization to site visitors
– Generates awareness of their organization
– Projects a favorable organizational image
– Interactive channel of communication
• Sport organization’s Web site
– Integral to communication and marketing strategies
– Reflects the mission and values of the sport organization
– Provides a high-quality atmosphere and experience for publics
– Should meet the overall business objectives of the organization
– Can serve as a supplementary service for sport consumers
– Provides essential information for fans
– Provides interactivity
Model for Online Sport Communication
Factors considered most pertinent to online sport
communication
– Individual level of involvement with team
– Motive for Internet use
– Content of site
– Design of site
– Performance of site
– Usability of site
– Commerce of site
Model for Online Sport Communication
Involvement With Sport Entity and
User Motivations
Fans’ motives vary for acquiring online sport info
– Affects motivations
– Determines why one visits and uses site
– Linked to uses and gratifications theory
• People visit a specific site with specific goal in mind
• The goal varies based on their involvement with team
(continued)
Involvement (continued)
• The majority of individuals log on to
– Check or send e-mail
– Gain information
– Be entertained
– Engage in e-commerce
• To communicate their message online, sport entities
must understand the motives of their key publics
when designing, developing, and maintaining online
sport communication
Methods and Approaches
Used in Searching
• Two methods for obtaining sports information
on the Internet
– Browsing
– Searching
• Two approaches people use to acquire info
when they search
– Heuristic searches
– Analytical searches
Expectations and Needs
of Online Users
• Motivations for use of a specific medium
– Content gratifications
– Process gratifications
• General needs of consumers for visiting sites
– Interpersonal utility
– As a pastime
– Information seeking
– For convenience
– For entertainment
• Consumer expectations of sport Web sites
– Have both visual and emotional appeal
– Receive enjoyable experience when they visit
Content
• Primary component of any sport entity’s Web site
• Major factor in a person’s decision to return to a Web site
• Should reflect organization’s objectives and consumers’
demands
• Sport Web sites should provide enough content to satisfy
– Highly involved sport consumer
– Less involved sport consumer
• The site’s interactivity allows consumers to form social
networks
– The social aspect influences sport consumption
– Chat rooms, message boards, blogs
(continued)
Content (continued)
• Sport-related Web sites
– Should have a practical benefit for visitors
– Should provide the content necessary to meet the needs
of its visitors
• Include some components
– “What’s New” section
– Search engine
– Site map
– Feedback mechanism
– Phone numbers
– Privacy policy
• Graphic design on site assists in providing content
Design
• Consider the motivations and needs of consumers when
designing and modifying
• Main page of a sport Web site is similar to a paper’s front
page
– Use headlines to draw attention to items
– The front page is crucial in the site’s ability to retain
visitors
• Design site
– In a manner to easily communicate content
– That includes consideration of these factors:
• Placement of links
• Colors
• Graphics
• Interactive features
Importance of Structure
• Proper design
– Integral because it affects user interaction
– Instrumental in encouraging site visits and repeat visits
• Site should include distinct and concise paths to info most users
seek
– Sport organizations should understand what information visitors
desire
– Provide consumers with access rather than overload of info
• The design of an effective Web site involves structure
• Web site designers should include scannable text and highlighted
key words
• Web site design should consider online needs of key publics and
organizations objectives
Evaluating Web Sites
• Evaluate design as it relates to each part of MOSC
• Key in maintaining effective online sport communication
• A set of evaluation criteria must be established
– Business function
– Corporation credibility
– Content reliability
– Web site attractiveness
– Systematic structure
– Navigation
• Key design elements
– Use of links
– Consistency
– Communication and feedback
– Search mechanism
– Fill-in forms
Layout
• Successful Web sites
– Attractive home page
– Common design applied to all pages in the Web site
– Product descriptions with attractive pictures
– Easy-to-read pages
• Layout should be a focus when designing the site
• Layout process
– Understanding and listing the elements
– Categorizing and grouping the elements
• Key factors regarding layout relative to audience needs
– User resolution
– Browser window
– Content familiarity
Atmospherics and
Environmental Cues
• Sport Web site atmospherics
– Often affect consumers’ decisions to purchase
– Conscious design to create positive effects in Web users to increase
favorable responses from sport consumers
– Affect site effectiveness because these cues influence…
• Which pages are viewed
• Time spent on site or page
• Info gathered from site or page
• Classification
– High task relevant
– Low task relevant
• Appropriate atmospherics
– Generate greater pleasure
– Have repeat visits to the site
– Create positive perceptions
Performance
• Fifth component of the MOSC
• Performance in the past was evaluated by number of hits
• Two key aspects of a sport Web site’s performance
– Interactivity: Seattle Mariners’ site focuses on
interactivity from fans:
• Learn about the site’s various features
• Search video database, download and watch videos
• Access photo galleries, franchise commercials
• Secure game-day audio clips
• Access online voting opportunities
• Download ring tones for cell phones
– Amount of time to complete tasks (page speed)
Usability
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Key element of any Web site
Attribute that determines ease of user interfaces
How well a consumer can use the functionality
For a sport Web site to be usable…
– It must serve a distinct purpose
– It must be functional
– The consumer must be able to use its features with
ease
• Usable Web sites
– Have few navigational problems
– Are easy to use
Principles of Web Site Usability
1. Learnability
2. Efficiency
3. Memorability
4. Errors
5. Satisfaction
Importance of Navigation
• Important aspects of usability
• Proper navigation…
– Ensures that site visitors can peruse with ease
– Provides a road map for visitors to acquire the info they desire
• Site structure is most important aspect of navigation
– Site should have a set of navigation aids and hypertext links
– Navigational elements should be grouped
– Provide a feature that allows visitors to find way back to a page
– Minimize the number of navigation schemes
– Left navigation bar lists the content areas of a site
– Navigation bar across the top of site lists organizational aspects
– Multiple navigation areas should be avoided
Commerce
• Final component of the model
• Sport organizations use the Internet as an
effective marketing and commerce tool
– MLB generates $7M+ annually in online ticket sales
– 70% of NBA’s non–box office tickets purchased online
• Some professional athletes use their sites…
– To promote their image
– To increase brand equity
– To move products
Internet’s Role in Positioning
the Sport Product
• A sport entity’s Web site
– Used to create a virtual fan experience
– Provides a high-quality service experience for key audiences
• Many entities use Web sites to
– Enhance customer service efforts
– Foster positive and mutually beneficial relations with consumers
• Internet…
– Provides organizations with the ability to improve business and
organizational performance
– Facilitates better decision making among consumers
– Provides ideal opportunity to build relations with key customer
groups
(continued)
Internet’s Role (continued)
• Businesses must be responsive
– To the online needs of consumers
– To the preferences of consumers
• Sport Web sites
– Strengthen emotional attachment
– Generate awareness
– Facilitate greater satisfaction and loyalty
Internet’s Role in Acquiring
Consumer Data
– Privacy issues: Ensuring privacy of visitors will
establish sense of trust
– Issues related to building the organization’s
database
• Using database mining technologies to track
consumers’ needs and desires
• Site provides an efficient means of gauging feedback
• Site can be used to obtain customer data
Exploring New Sport Media and
Communication Channels
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Wireless technology
Blogs and glogs
Video on demand
Other sport communication channels
Discussion Questions
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How are the various factors that influence online sport communication
interrelated?
How does level of involvement with the sport product affect online needs and
desires?
How has the Internet evolved and affected communication with internal and
external publics?
How are new media and communication channels affecting sport
communication?
How do you use the Internet? How does that compare with how your family
uses it?
Which of the factors influencing online sport communication is most
important?
Which of the factors influencing online communication cultivates the highest
identification with a sport entity?
How is the immediacy of the Internet a disadvantage to the sport entity?
How do blogs affect interactivity with sport consumers?
How can a sport entity’s Web site serve as a virtual sport service for
consumers?