1.0 Introduction
In this report I will be writing about the different overall use for websites used every day, I will discuss the similarities, differences, user sides, server sides and many more. The websites I will use will be a range of categories to make sure we see how every website is impacted.
2.0 E-commerce websites
In this section, the two E-commerce websites I will compare are Amazon and Tesco’s. Both websites are used daily by a number of different people which means they have to have the correct servers for everybody. Both websites are also used to sell a large number of products at a time to make their customers happy.
2.1 Client and User needs
The client for Amazon would be the actual Business and what they would want is for their website to run smoothly on every web browser and for it to still be able to work under high demands of products. Again for Tesco’s the client is the actual Business and their needs would be to provide a retail buying site in which customers can order food and products online safely and secure. The user is the customers, the people who actually use their website, and so when they are on Amazon they want the website to include an easy navigation so they can find their way around the website as quick and as easy as possible. They also would want the website to include details about the product/products they are wishing to buy. The users for Tesco would also want the easy navigation but they would also want Tesco’s to provide where the nearest store is and a button where they can add their club card points.
2.2 Features included on the websites
The features on Amazon include interactive pull out bars that come out offering more options when the cursor is hovered over. This is a good feature as it offers more to the customer without them having to click anywhere, showing how Amazon are promoting more products and services on the home page. The webpage included multimedia elements such as pictures to display what the products look like, as well as to advertise further using online posters and services. The security features include protecting people’s data that they enter into the system as they do not want the personal details to be passed on or miss-used. Other security features used are used to protect the website from being hacked or viruses. Amazon may have installed a form of firewall service to prevent this from happening. The ease of accessibility of the website is high due to the easy navigation system and search bars on the home page, taking the user to where ever they need. This can be a positive function for the website as it means the website can be used by all IT capabilities, widening the audience. The features I found on Tesco’s are that the homepage of the website has been laid out in a professional and appealing manner, with the navigation buttons at the top and bottom of the page along with further services such as “contact us”. Next to each button heading they also show an image of a product that comes user that category to help guide the user around quicker, by just having to recognize the picture if they struggle with reading, showing an ease of accessibility. The homepage also advertises the main promotion of that time such as saving money on fuel, advertising only one form of product/ service when just entering the website. The interactive elements can be found within the webpages, by having navigation bars that rule down what the user is searching for three times over. This can be useful as the user can then narrow down their search just by hovering their mouser over a word, directing to the place they most want to be quicker and more directly.
2.3 How user and server side factors affect website performance
The user side factors I found for Amazon include how the website can be accessed through most browsers such as google chrome, yahoo and safari. The