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GreenGuardian.com Website GreenGuardian.com Website EvaluationEvaluation
Submitted by:
MarketLine Research, Inc.
June 8, 2004
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Background & Objective
Background In 2003, the SWMCB launched a major public information initiative with
the Green Guardian logo and GreenGuardian.com as the centerpieces. The website is designed to communicate SWMCB’s environmental
messages to a targeted audience of educated women in the 25 to 54
age bracket.
Objective The reported research was designed to both quantitatively and
qualitatively evaluate usability of the GreenGuardian.com web site
with the intended target audience.
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Research Design & Process
Step 3
Step 2
Step 1
Step 4
107 respondents are qualified and surveyed for search engine use on the Internet. 42 agree to visit and evaluate site.
42 respondents are emailed instructions for performing 5 disposal related searches on GreenGuardian.com
6 new participants are recruited and attend usability lab testing sessions at Leeds Research facility.
42 respondents are contacted after they visit site and complete tasks. They participate in an 11 min survey.
Telephone Survey
n = 42
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Methodology – survey research
107 participants completed a short telephone survey
39% (42) agreed to visit the Green Guardian web site to complete five search related tasks and participate in a follow-up telephone survey to evaluated their experience
– 7 participants from each of the six SWMCB counties visited the site and performed the five assigned tasks
– the average site visit was 11 minutes– Visits ranged in length from 4 to 45 minutes
Each person completing the follow-up telephone survey was mailed $15 for their participation
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Respondent Profile
Age 25 to 34 yrs. 21% 35 to 44 yrs. 38% 45 to 54 yrs. 41%
Education Some technical school 12% Technical school graduate 2% Some college 29% College graduate 40% Post graduate 17%
All work full or part-time
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Profile of Computing Behavior
Comfort Using Search EngineVery comfortable 74%Somewhat comfortable 24%Not very comfortable 2%
Frequency of Search Engine UseDaily 69%Weekly 26%Monthly 2%
Most Used Search EngineGoogle 59%Yahoo 22%MSN 7%Other 12%
98% use computer to look for environmental information
67% search for solutions to household problems
78% use computer to buy or order products
48% have used computer to find information on environmental activities such as recycling or composting
5% (2 persons) had previously visited GreenGuardian.com
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
First Impressions of Green Guardian Site
Comments on Appearance
Pleasant looking Friendly calming effect Clear/colorful Not cluttered Attractive to eye Not real flashy/glitzy Professional Straight forward Green good to eye Cute/catchy Not many pictures Drab background color Monotone
Comments on Content Not overwhelming Seemed simple Informative Place for environmental information All about recycling Associated with lawn care Confusing Looked intimidating with all the words Guy with shield nice
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
First Impressions of Green Guardian Site - continued
Comments on Organization
Relevant categories Easy access to information Clear layout Indexed site Easy to use Neat Easy to read
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
First Impressions of Mascot Logo
Comments on Appearance Great/cute/light/fun Pleasing to eye/calming Not powerful but friendly More like javelin than sword Eyes and mouth move Not good, not bad Underdone/doesn’t stand out Not eye catching / not memorable Unimpressive Lacks color Doesn’t grab you/nothing stuck out Kinda goofy/kind of dorky Didn’t pay attention to it Don’t remember details
Comments on Message Illustrates what site is about Realized it was for recycling Related to environmental concerns Makes sense – he guards everything Fits website name Could tell I was in right place Doesn’t demand that you recycle Clever Funny/humorous Don’t think it is a site to help me out
with recycling
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Importance of Various Site Attributes
Attribute % Rating ‘5’ or ‘4’ % Rating ‘3’ % Rating ‘1’ or ‘2’
Easy navigation 98% - 2%
Can get to information quickly 93% 7% -
Informative 91% 9% -
Fast loading 91% - 7%
Home page well organized 91% 9% -
Easy to understand links 86% 9% 5%
Helps me solve problems 83% 14% 2%
Provides direction or information on what to do
83% 17% -
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Importance of Site Attributes - continued
Attribute % Rating ‘5’ or ‘4’ % Rating ‘3’ % Rating ‘1’ or ‘2’
Consistent features 74% 19% 2%
Provides answers to FAQ’s 64% 36% -
Good balance text & graphics 60% 33% 7%
Provides technical information 57% 29% 14%
Uses photo/illustration for communicating ideas
52% 29% 19%
Overall site is graphically appealing
52% 29% 19%
Offers hot links to other information sites
43% 38% 19%
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Rating of Green Guardian Site Attributes
Attribute % Rating ‘5’ or ‘4’ % Rating ‘3’ % Rating ‘1’ or ‘2’
Home page well organized 100% - -
Easy navigation 98% 2% -
Provides direction or information on what to do
98% 2% -
Informative 98% 2% -
Helps me solve problems 98% 2% -
Fast loading 93% 5% -
Easy to understand links 93% 5% 2%
Offers hot links to other information sites
93% 7% -
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Attribute % Rating ‘5’ or ‘4’ % Rating ‘3’ % Rating ‘1’ or ‘2’
Consistent features 91% 7% -
Can get information quickly 91% 9% -
Provides answers to FAQ’s 91% 2% 2%
Provides technical information 88% 7% -
Good balance text & graphics 83% 17% -
Overall site is graphically appealing
83% 12% 5%
Uses photo/illustration for communicating ideas
62% 38% -
Rating of Green Guardian Site Attributes - continued
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Able to Find Disposal Information on GreenGuardian.com
Disposal item % respondentsOld computer monitor 98%
Partially filled aerosol can of 98%
oven cleaner
Partially filled can latex paint 95%
Used fluorescent light bulbs 93%
All participants found location of their county hazardous waste drop off site.
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Ease of Completing Searches on GreenGuardian.com
Rating
Very easy 74%
Somewhat easy 24%
Neither easy nor difficult 2%
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Reasons Given for Easy Searches
Format
One place, up front Format easy to follow Categories made sense Differentiation between house
items and yard items Major categories on left hand
side and subcategories on the right
Search engine
Content
Concise clear headings of where to go
Topics were relevant Used terminology I would use Straightforward simplistic text County listing and links helpful
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Rating Amount of Information
Rating
Not enough 0%
Just right 95%
Too much 5%
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Rating Clarity of Information
Rating
Very clear 76%
Clear 22%
Somewhat clear 2%
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Overall Site Rating
Very good (5) 71%
(4) 29%
(3)
(2)
Very poor (1)
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Reasons for Positive Ratings of Site
Navigation Easy to find information Easy to click onto other sites Got what I needed Got information very quickly Answers quicker than telephone
Content Informative Gave a lot of
information Completeness of
information Well organized Categories you
needed Appreciate maps
Appearance Clean Easy to read Easy on eyes Typeface right size Subtle, but good
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Website Value Statements
Information Related Source of information on disposal of anything A metro-area resource for information on “reduce” and “reuse” Excellent resource for conserving and recycling Excellent resource for household hazardous waste Great site to find out about environmental issues Can check to dispose of hazardous things Useful site especially when it comes to spring cleaning and outdoor
stuff
User Benefits Will save you time and money Has everything in one place – don’t need four or five other websites Don’t have to wait for a telephone person – most stuff self explanatory
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Suggestions for Site Enhancement
Design Add more categories to home
page Better navigation back to home
page More graphics on home page Make ‘TV computer monitor’
icon a clickable link Better name that fits what I am
looking for Make search engine more
noticeable
Content More child-friendly More interesting for
13 yr. old List prices for disposal
of things Put in local community
recycling listings
Communications Get the word out
it’s available Tell where you will
promote site Announce site in
garbage or electric bills
Email sign up
Usability Lab Testing
n = 6
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Methodology – usability lab testing
6 usability sessions were conducted at Leeds Research facility in Plymouth
Each session consisted of discussions and specific tasks performed on the GreenGuardian.com web site
Each session lasted about 30 minutes Sessions were videotaped for inclusion of participant comments in this
report Each person was paid $75 for their participation
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Participant Profile
Moderately-to-very web-savvy, college-educated women
Working full or part-time
Between the ages of 25-54
Who had not been to this site before the session
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Session Format
Participants logged onto the site and with the facilitation of the
moderator did the following:
Took quick look at home page and gave 1st impressions as to look and site purpose
Discussed expectations for each of the content categories on home page
Performed three search scenarios to locate information Examined the ‘Know What to Throw’ section in detail Revisited the home page and discussed organization Provided reactions to the Green Guardian mascot
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Green Guardian Name / Purpose
The name Green Guardian has a logical association with the environment as well as grass/lawncare.
– In a top of mind guess after hearing just the name “lawn and garden” is often listed first.
– It becomes obvious that the site ties into healthy environmental habits after a glance or two at the home page. Recycling is often the first term that people mention once they look around the home page and describe its content.
But, a clear statement of purpose does not jump out at users. – The story of the Green Guardian is not likely to be read in full by many. Even
when forced to view it, most only perused the text.– More could be done to emphasize the mission of the site when a person first
gets on the site.– This statement should talk about the “quick how to” as much as the “good
reasons why” as it relates to proper disposal.
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Participant Reactions – 1st impressions
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Getting to the Site
People will likely search using words like “recycling”, “environment”, or “disposal” if trying to find information on the Internet about how to properly dispose of items:
– It would be important that words like these lead people to this site if people come in through Google and the like.
– Increased external awareness that a site like this exists would also be crucial if the purpose of the site is to increase the number of people/households who exhibit good behavior.
Some people might think about checking with their county for disposal rules and options, but it is not top-of-mind for all. Some do not expect there to be differences in policies or processes from county to county. People simply want to know how to dispose of items or to get a list of possible places they can go in the metro area that will accept their items.
Home Page
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Mascot
The Green Guardian mascot is perceived as cute and inviting to some whereas, goofy and juvenile to others.
– The recycle sign on his shield ties him to the site.– To some his story is informative without being preachy. But, most ignore it.– People noticed movement in the eyes and the revolving ball. But, few noticed
the text descriptors change. Movement is fine, if not good. It signals to some that the site is working and has not locked up.
– A few people want to tweak things, of course: remove the armor because of its connection with violence. face him the other way so that the text descriptors can face left versus
right, where they will be more noticeable.
While another mascot or logo may speak more profoundly to some, it is difficult to find one that pleases all. This mascot seems to be noticeable and unique to most. It should help people remember the name of the site, if nothing else.
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Participant Reactions – mascot
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Color/Aesthetics
The green color on the GreenGuardian.com site is seen as a logical choice
and some find it calming. But, there may be too much green, making the appearance kind of drab.
While it need not be bright, some color would help to:– accentuate and emphasize key issues and areas– make the site look more exciting
Some feel visual images might be nice on the home page, too. These
photos and images could be used to highlight hot topics.
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Participant Reactions – aesthetics
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Categorization
The main categories that branch off the home page are fairly straight forward. But the following were confusing to some:
At Work: – People seem to assume that this is a site for households. – Some would never think to go to a site for work-related disposal.– Companies tend to have established policies for the disposal of
commonly discarded items (food, chemicals, bottles). – The introductory page for the work section highlights a pie chart that
shows where “our” garbage goes. The lead in sentence references businesses, but at a glance the content does not jive with the title.
Not all know that “FAQ” stands for “frequently asked questions” even though it is used quite often in other places (and other websites).
News & Events could/should contain global news about environmental issues or tragedies not just Green Guardian sponsored/affiliate events.
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Other Ways to Categorize
Some had suggestions on how to streamline the existing categories to something like this: Know what & how to throw (best ways to dispose of or donate
items) Know what & how to buy (things to consider when buying products) Find out how to get involved (events in the community, activities for
kids, etc.) Find out more about us and our mission (FAQ, important links,
etc.) A user-based classification method was introduced to some ( home, work,
kids, etc.) but did not seem to improve on the current approach, if at all.
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Participant Reactions – alternative categories
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Home Page Recap
Use some color and images to highlight things
Possibly to streamline these categories
Make the overall purpose jump out more clearly
These could be more prominent
Inside “Know What to Throw”
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Content
The content on the site is useful, eye-opening in some cases, and comprehensive. Several learned something they did not already know during the session. They said things like:
– “Yuk. I didn’t realize monitors have lead in them”– “I didn’t realize you had to know how to compost” – “I didn’t realize there were these non-profits who take/want items others
dispose of”
Although people were OK with the mix of education and action, and expected both, they were not expecting the information/education part to be so prominent.
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Some Education is Critical
Even those who considered themselves quite aware of the reasons why proper disposal is important were enlightened in some way.
Those less aware can use it to defend a request (of kids) or to see why a change in behavior would be good.
Those less aware might be turned off if the message interferes with their ability to act, but may need a few tidbits of information to gradually change their behavior in a positive direction.
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Participant Reactions – education
Even those who considered themselves quite aware of the reasons why proper disposal is important were enlightened in some way.
Those less aware can use it to defend a request (of kids) or to see why a change in behavior would be good.
Those less aware might be turned off if the message interferes with their ability to act, but may need a few tidbits of information to gradually change their behavior in a positive direction.
– “You are much more likely to get me to do something if there is a good reason for it. And, not only that I’ll do it willingly and with enthusiasm.”
– “I don’t want to know about legislation about it? No. I just want to know how to get rid of it.”
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Layout
The site is easily navigable, but not very efficient when trying to get to
an answer.
– There is too much text
– Getting to the answer is the first priority (“How do I x?”)
– Education is nice and can happen in manageable doses
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Participant Reactions – layout
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Amount of Text
Research has shown that people do not read web pages, they scan them1 typically from top to bottom, left to right:
– They read web pages more like a billboard than a book.– They might see something like this when searching for something specific:
1J. Nielson, “How Users Read on the Web”. Alertbox 1997
How to get rid of TVs
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Participant Reactions – text
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
One Woman’s Redesign Ideas
What to throw
What to buy
FAQ Get involved
Who we are
What kind of item do you want to get rid of? o Household items o XX
Did you know? Blah, blah, blah
Search
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Organization
Things are not always where they are expected.– Information on TV disposal is easy to find. – Information on fluorescent lights it not.
The actual trail to is: Know what to throw > toxins & poisons The most intuitive path is: Know what to throw > household items
In the case of household items for one, many people want/expect to find a laundry list of bulleted items to click on. This list can be long if alphabetized since it is easy to search through. People can also review and make mental notes of other items that need special disposal in the future.
People want to make obvious progression with each click and ideally get to things in just a few clicks. Almost no one experienced this when looking for fluorescent light disposal.
Search is often a last resort and can save the experience if they get there successfully, so it is important that it work well. {Some felt the results that show up under search were not in the format they expected (bullets or phrases to take them to a specific “action” verses a topic “area”}
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Participant Reactions – organization
“I was expecting light bulbs/lights to jump out at this point. “The first one I saw was batteries so I assumed light bulbs would have been under this…If it is not here, I’d expect it under a miscellaneous category.”
“Why are batteries listed here but lights are not? It is misleading. I would just assume if it is not here it is not a problem issue. That is I can throw it in the trash.”
“If I don’t see an item listed under household items then I assume it is not a big issue. The ones that are listed must be the most important. If not, then all items should be listed – even if the list is long – that’d be ok.”
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Signaling Progression:
When within the “know what to throw” section the page layout looks very similar as a person clicks into the sub-categories.
– At a glance the layout is similar enough that some people do not realized they have moved on from the initial page.
– While consistency is good in many ways, a change in color or some change in the layout might make it easier to notice.
See example on the next slide
Note: Several people had confusion determining the difference between categories, such as “household hazardous waste” and “toxins & poisons”.
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Progression Example
At a glance these two pages look very similar (not like one has moved deeper into a new set of information)
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Audience
With the exception of possibly the mascot, most feel the site is geared for adults.
This site would be appropriate for kids but not enticing to kids.
– The kids’ section on the site was a reasonable start, if a child wanted something to do and ended up there.
– But, if a goal of the organization is to cultivate a future audience there may need to be a more visible attraction for kids on the home page.
– “Kids are more picture oriented or short phrase oriented versus big paragraphs.”
June 8, 2004 MarketLine Research
Overall Enhancement Considerations
Communicate more clearly the focus of the site on the home page. Make home page statement of purpose more eye catching. Review position of search engine on home page. Examine the length of scroll down menus with possibility to shorten. Review the hierarchy of item placement for any possible confusion
e.g. fluorescent bulbs. Examine the need for navigational aides for returning to the home page
from county pages. If site is to be used by kids, consider shortening text and adding element
of visual excitement to a section devoted to them. Have more material for teachers.