BENCHMARK REPORT - AUT · BENCHMARK REPORT | THE ENGAGED WEB IN NEW ZEALAND 2012 7 2011 2012 The chart above shows the overall performance of each sector, comparing 2011 to 2012

THIS REPORT PROVIDES A SNAPSHOT OF THE ENGAGEMENT LEVELS OF NEW ZEALAND’S MOST

POPULAR (HIGHLY TRAFFICKED) WEBSITES.

BENCHMARK REPORT

3BENCHMARK REPORT | THE ENGAGED WEB IN NEW ZEALAND | 2012

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

METHODOLOGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . 6

ONLINE COMMUNITIES AND SOCIAL MEDIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Results overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Who’s doing it well? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

The rapidly changing world of social media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

MULTIMEDIA CONTENT . . . . . . . . . 12

Results overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12


PERSONALISATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14



STICKY CONTENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16



BLOGGING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18



MOBILITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20



Mobility, mobility, mobility . . . . . . . . 21

THE BASICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22



DESIGN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24



CONCLUSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

ABOUT US . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

About Intergen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

About Experian Hitwise . . . . . . . . . . 27

About EPiServer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Intergen is proud to present The Engaged Web in New Zealand Report, a benchmark survey of New Zealand’s most highly trafficked websites .

© Copyright 2012 Intergen Limited .

4 BENCHMARK REPORT | THE ENGAGED WEB IN NEW ZEALAND | 2012

Introduction

Just how engaging are new Zealand websites?

New Zealanders are some of the most enthusiastic web users in the world, and the results of this year’s Engaged Web Report strongly attest to this . In measuring New Zealand’s most trafficked sites two years in a row, within the space of a year we’ve seen significant change and greatly increased engagement levels amongst nearly all of New Zealand’s 50 most trafficked sites across ten industries .

The web has come to touch every part of our lives . Our appetite for all things web is voracious, and research shows us that we’re only getting hungrier, more demanding and less accepting of sub-par online experiences .

The 2011 New Zealand World Internet Project (AUT University) cited the following statistics:

» Use of the Internet in New Zealand has continued to rise reaching 86 per cent in 2011, up from 79 per cent in 2007 and 83 per cent in 2009 .

» 69% of respondents rated the Internet as an important source of information ahead of television, newspapers, radio and other people .

» 58% of New Zealanders feel the Internet is important or very important in their everyday lives .

» Almost half (48%) say they use the Internet to sell things .1

In addition, a study published in September 2011 found that New Zealanders spent longer on Facebook (per session) than any other country (excluding Singapore) .2 And smartphone penetration in New Zealand is the ninth highest in the world, between Norway and Denmark .3

Increasingly, New Zealanders are using the web everywhere we go . So the challenge for many organisations is to create an engaging and consistent experience across multiple platforms .

But how well are we doing? Everyone knows that there is more and more digital content than ever before; there are more devices than ever to consume media and create content; and the speed with which we are able to share digital information continues to increase .

The digital haze that now sits over our non-digital lives is becoming increasingly pervasive; and the lines between working and socialising – and what used to be regarded as private information and private lives – seem to be blurring all the time .

But are we actually more engaged? Are those brands, organisations and businesses that are the most popular in New Zealand, getting better at connecting with their users, their customers, their followers, their fans and their connections? The short answer is yes . They are doing a significantly better job than last year . But there’s still plenty of room for improvement . And with the speed at which the web moves, there’s no time to rest: engagement of your users requires constant focus .

We’ve taken a very subjective concept – engagement – and endeavoured to provide a benchmarked snapshot of how our most popular websites rate .

Is it possible to measure engagement? Why seek to quantify what is a very subjective term? Everybody understands the importance of making something really engaging, but when you try and break this into singular components, things can become tricky . Nevertheless, this report seeks to do just this .

This report outlines the results of a recent study that attempts to measure online engagement in New Zealand across 10 different industry sectors .

Engagement requires continuous effort, and in the conclusion to the report we have made some suggestions about how best to engage . Again, every organisation will be quite different, but we consider there are simple steps that you can take right now to help assist in how you use the web to engage with your customers .


In order to obtain an insight into how some of New Zealand’s leading brands and larger organisations are making their websites and overall online experience more engaging, we sourced a list of the top five most highly trafficked sites in ten industry sectors, as calculated by leading online measurement services company, Experian Hitwise . In places where sector results were dominated by overseas websites, we selected five New Zealand websites from the top 20 sites in that industry in order to keep our commentary local .

The rankings data is based on market share of visits, which is the percentage of online traffic to the website during the period surveyed, as tracked by leading online competitive intelligence service, Experian Hitwise . Each day, Hitwise provides insights on how 460,000 New Zealand Internet users interact with more than 1 million websites, across 165+ industries .

The research undertaken is a snapshot of the most popular (most trafficked) websites in New Zealand, taken from data provided by Experian Hitwise . A sample of only five websites for each sector was taken and, for this reason, results should not be generalised or considered to be exhaustive in relation to ‘New Zealand websites’ or specific sectors on the whole . The data is based purely on how many visitors visit each site, and not any other subjective basis .

The ten sectors examined were: Automotive, Business & Finance, Education, Entertainment, Food & Beverage, Government, Health & Medical, Lifestyle, News & Media, and Shopping & Classifieds .

For two of the ten industry categories – Health & Medical, and Lifestyle – the five websites were selected from a wider range of data, as the top five most visited sites in these categories were all international brands .

Each website was analysed between April 8 and April 20, 2012 . Each organisation was scored against a matrix of Engaged Web categories in order to create an overall assessment of their engagement levels, to provide an overall score out of 100 . The percentages in this document do not include a decimal place and have been rounded down . Please note that organisations analysed in this report may have changed their websites since the assessment .

We added a new category, Mobility, and we merged some of the previous year’s categories because they are now so similar it’s hard to meaningfully distinguish between them . For example, we removed Online Communities, Social Media and Dialogue and replaced them with Social Media/Online Communities .

Because of notable changes in the web since last year’s study in early 2011, the 2012 criteria against which websites are analysed has been altered in certain places to better reflect current web directions and trends . Specifically, we have recognised the increased adoption of social networks and mobile technologies and we have incorporated these into our survey and subsequent reporting .

Please note that the website examples used throughout this document are not necessarily taken from the list of top 50 most trafficked websites . In order for us to show relevant examples in each area, we have selected best of breed New Zealand websites, irrespective of whether or not these feature in the list of New Zealand’s most trafficked sites .

Methodology

THE ENGAGED WEB CATEGORIES WE MEASURED THE WEBSITES AGAINST INCLUDED:

1. Social media aNd oNliNe commuNitieS 4

» Does the organisation use social media to share and distribute their content?

» Does the organisation actively initiate, participate and respond to discussions within their community?

» Do they have a unique voice?

» How often does the company upload information and news to share with their community?

2. multimedia 5

» Does the organisation use a range of rich and interactive media to communicate effectively?

» Is the website copy engaging and easy to read?

3. PerSoNaliSatioN 6

» Is there any evidence of personalisation on the website (allowing users to personalise their experience)?

4. Sticky coNteNt 7

» Does the website’s content compel the user to engage for longer than anticipated, and does the user want to return?

5. BloggiNg 8

» Does the company have an official blog and is it updated regularly?

» Is the blog’s content of a consistent and high quality?

6. moBility 9

» Are mobile-optimised versions of the site and/or native mobile applications available on devices running:

•Android (Google)

•iOS (Apple)

•Windows Phone (Microsoft)

» Are users made aware of the mobile version on the organisation’s website?

» Where mobile/tablet applications are available, what is the quality of the user experience?

7. the BaSicS » Is the website easy to use, with clean

and consistent navigation?

8. deSigN 10

» What is the overall quality of the website’s visual design?


Executive Summary

In 2011, we conducted our first Engaged Web study based on previous studies carried out by EPiServer in the United Kingdom and Australia . This year we have done the same, benchmarking the concept of engagement across New Zealand’s 50 most trafficked sites in 10 industries .

what did this year’s results show us?

When it comes to the web, we’re more engaged than ever . New Zealand websites are continuing to embrace the web as a channel, with many industries (in fact, nine out of ten) significantly increasing their levels of engagement .

It’s not just about the Mothership . We’re coming to expect brands to engage with us wherever we are, on multiple devices, in numerous ways . It’s no longer enough to think only about your ‘Mothership’ website . Internet-via-mobile is New Zealand’s greatest web growth area . As a result, the web landscape has become increasingly fractured – the web isn’t just about websites – and website owners will need to stay mindful of their users’ changing needs (and devices) in order to stay engaged .

It’s mobile . New Zealanders are embracing mobile technologies and utilising smartphone and tablet devices in increasingly larger numbers . By virtue of their personal, one-on-one nature, these devices invite engagement, and many of the organisations assessed are investing heavily in this area .

In the past 12 months, websites in New Zealand have invested significantly in making their sites more engaging, while also embracing the opportunities created by the adoption of social media and mobile devices.

2011 2012

#1 Entertainment #1 News & Media

#2 News & Media #2 Shopping & Classifieds

#3 Shopping & Classifieds; Health & Medicine; Automotive #3 Entertainment

The 2012 engagement levels are summarised above, across the ten vertical sectors we analysed .


The chart above shows the overall performance of each sector, comparing 2011 to 2012 .2011 2012

AU

TOM

OTI

VE

BA

NK

ING

& F

INA

NC

E

EDU

CA

TIO

N

ENTE

RTA

INM

ENT

FOO

D &

BEV

ERA

GES

HEA

LTH

& M

EDIC

INE

LIFE

STYL

E

NEW

S &

MED

IA

SHO

PPIN

G &

CLA

SSIF

IED

S

GO

VER

NM

ENT

51% 45% 48% 67% 48% 27% 51% 42% 53% 51%61% 71% 57% 72% 53% 47% 45% 57% 82% 78%

While some sites and services are simply rendering their websites in a suitable mobile format, others are investing in the development of targeted mobile applications, designed for a particular audience or a specific function or capability (for example paying a bill or checking a bank balance) . As mobile devices become more prevalent, investment in these solutions are likely to significantly increase in the near future, and for many years to come .

Social is the norm . In many areas of our online activity we’ve come to expect social interaction . 90% of the websites assessed in this year’s report have embraced social media, showing us that social media is now the rule, not the exception . Social networks such as Facebook have captured the hearts and minds of New Zealanders, and New Zealand organisations are following suit . And where, in the recent past, organisations might have looked to build their own stand-alone community solution, now they’re embracing existing social network platforms for their own ends instead .

It was interesting to note, on the other hand, that blogging for business appears to

be waning: within a 12-month period a 24% decline in blogging activity was noted across our most trafficked sites .

The best are doing better; the less engaged are (for the most part) doing more .

Nearly all sectors that we surveyed demonstrated an increased level of engagement . Some sectors – such as News & Media, Shopping & Classifieds and Banking & Finance – demonstrated a greater level of engagement despite already demonstrating a reasonable level of engagement last year . While Government is the sector with the lowest overall level of engagement, it actually had the greatest growth in engagement: our figures show it grew 75% in terms of how we measure engagement, potentially highlighting a greater desire to interact with its constituency and/or utilise online channels to reduce operational costs . The Health & Medicine sector, surprisingly, we believe, was the only sector that showed a reduced level of engagement . We found this surprising given the many opportunities there are to liaise with an interested community, although there could also be regulatory considerations that come into play here .

it’s getter harder to be excellent

With the bar continually raising, with web trends evolving at pace, and with so much online noise, it’s increasingly hard to stand out from the crowd . And with so many devices to consider these days, too, organisations are often forced to stretch themselves thinly, hedging their bets across the myriad channels in which their target audiences participate . The trick for organisations with limited resources will be to do fewer things, and to do them well .

Our digital footprints are growing and digital content is becoming increasingly ubiquitous . We consume all sorts of content, on various devices, wrapped in and around our lives . We expect to see an increasing number of quality applications that do a few things really well . But the fundamental tenets of engagement will still apply: make it professional, relevant, timely, accessible, usable and interesting .

It’s not getting any easier – but those that rise to the challenge and remain restless will survive, and those that think they are ‘done’ are in trouble .


Like any other form of communication, it’s about delivering the right message, to the right people, at the right time . The key word is engagement and social media provides real-time feedback on whether your company is getting it right . Of course, part of tailoring your communication to your customers is making sure that you’re adopting the right tone of voice and interacting in a way that resonates with your audience . As a channel, social media will be more appropriate for some organisations than others, and you will need to consider which social media vehicles – if any – suit the purposes of your organisation, rather than adopt a blanket approach to social media .

results overview

Last year 73% of the 50 organisations studied featured a community on their website, and this year that figure has risen to 90% . Facebook and Twitter remain the most common platforms for creating a community, although a small number of organisations choose to maintain their own online forum or message boards .

The sectors that stood out as excellent when it came to the use of online communities and social media were Shopping & Classifieds, News & Media, Banking and Finance, and Education .

Online Communities and Social Media

Half of the websites assessed scored over 75% for social media and online communities with nine sites scoring 100% . These sites use a wide range of social media channels and actively grow their communities by sharing relevant information on a regular basis, engaging their followers with interesting content and actively initiating and participating in discussions .

Of the websites that had an online community, nearly all (98%) regularly uploaded content, up from 83% last year, and 80% asked questions or ran surveys (72% in 2011) . Organisations are beginning to understand that social media channels require a different type of communication to traditional channels, such as the company website or newsletter . They are moving away from providing an ongoing stream of news about products and services – a company-centric focus – to offering more engaging updates with an entertainment factor . Whether these are competitions, interesting news articles, funny or inspiring photos or a simple ‘how was your long weekend?’ people are joining the conversation and sharing content with friends .

Businesses are recognising that they need to embrace social media . It’s not about jumping on the latest social media bandwagon; it’s about considering each medium strategically and finding a way to make it work for their company or risk getting left behind . Twitter usage jumped from 55% last year to 70% this year, and Facebook presence grew from 61% to 76% . Of the sites assessed, 34% included links to another social media channel such as YouTube, LinkedIn or Flickr .

Increasingly, organisations are recognising the benefits of allowing people to share content via social media (2012: 62%; 2011: 42%), although there is still some hesitation around allowing people to rate and tag content (2012: 24%; 2011: 12%) .

With more than a million New Zealanders on Facebook, and in excess of 400,000 using LinkedIn, social media has become a core part of how businesses communicate with their customers. The conversation has moved on from whether the organisation wants to use social media to which channels are most effective and how the business can use them in new and different ways to stand out from the crowd.

45%45% OF NEW ZEALAND INTERNET

USERS VISIT SOCIAL NETWORKING

SITES WEEKLY, 28% DAILY .

9/10OF NEW ZEALAND’S MOST TRAFFICKED

SITES FEATURED A COMMUNITY .


Air New Zealand does a fantastic job of engaging with their customers, no matter where they are .


It’s easy to gauge whether the communities you’ve created are working for you . If they are growing, and you are receiving comments or interaction from followers, you’re likely doing the right thing . But don’t expect everyone to talk to you . Even if people join your community or follow you on Facebook or Twitter, they are less likely to interact with you than with their friends . Just because they don’t comment on or like your posts, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t seeing your messages or don’t feel part of the community .

who’s doing it well?

Air New Zealand is one of the best practitioners of community building through the use of social media .

They have always sought to provide an integrated experience for their customers – online or offline – and their digital execution ensures a consistent experience .

Users can interact with Air New Zealand via any number of social channels and this only serves to spread and grow the airline’s digital footprint .

the rapidly changing world oF socIaL medIa

Five years ago many people were still figuring out whether they wanted to accept an invitation to this thing called Facebook, and marketing professionals started considering the potential for communicating through this new channel . Initially there was debate over whether it was just a fad or something that would change the way we do business, but time has shown that social media has very much become a part of our lives .

The term ‘social media strategy’ may sound like corporate jargon, but whatever you call it, your organisation does need to think about social media from a strategic perspective . For example, it was interesting to note that some organisations advertise that their Twitter feed is only supported during office hours . Others, particularly news and media outlets, choose to maintain their objectivity by not participating in the conversations that their news posts generate online . It’s not about whether these approaches are right or wrong, it’s about what’s right for your organisation .

1/3NEW ZEALAND SOCIAL

NETWORK SITE MEMBERSHIP

IS UP BY A THIRD SINCE 2009

TO 64% OF INTERNET USERS

(ALMOST ALL ON FACEBOOK) .


socIaL medIa RoI aNd measuRINg seNTImeNT

An area that continues to grow is social media analytics . Measuring the impact of communications and mapping the return on investment (ROI) is now fundamental for many companies, and increasingly we are seeing tools that quantify and track social media engagement . Facebook provides insights into followers and their interactions, Klout .com promises to discover your influence and compare it with others, and a number of more sophisticated products are making their way into organisations, and are becoming key success metrics at the executive level .

There’s no disputing that most organisations now have some sort of social media presence, but not all of them are engaging their followers, and this is where there is room for improvement .

HERE ARE SOME TIPS:

1. develoP a PolicyMake sure everyone is clear who maintains social media channels, how negative comments are dealt with, has guidelines for taking part in conversations, understands the desired tone and how social media integrates with your other communication channels .

2. tell PeoPleYou wouldn’t dream of leaving your company’s contact details off the website . Advertise your social media sites and make it easy to join . It’s amazing how many brands hide their social channels .

3. it’S a coNverSatioNCreate a dialogue . Ask questions and reply to comments . Be genuinely interested in each member of the community .

4. good cuStomer ServiceRecognise that social media is a very public customer service channel . Getting the right people to deal with complaints quickly and efficiently both online and offline will go a long way to protecting your brand .

5. oNe Size doeSN’t fit all Tailor content for the channel and the audience . Don’t always put the same post on your blog, Facebook page and Twitter feed – the same customer might follow all of them and they’ll quickly get bored .

6. chooSe your voice Is your tone corporate or personal? Are posts anonymous or do you identify the person or people customers are talking to? Have a clear, consistent point of view and stick to it .

7. do it wellIt’s better to focus on one or two social media channels and be exceptional, than to spread yourself too thinly .

As the web becomes increasingly distributed, organisations need to carefully consider the unique needs of each platform, while still accurately reflecting their brand .

96%64% OF NEW ZEALAND

INTERNET USERS BELONG TO

A SOCIAL NETWORK SITE; OF

THOSE, 96% SAY THEY USE

FACEBOOK THE MOST .


results overview

While almost all websites assessed included some rich media content, the use of multimedia really varied between sites . However, almost half of the organisations reviewed scored over 75% for multimedia content showing that they are really thinking about different ways to engage their web audience . Still, 18% of websites scored 10 out of 15 or less in this area, leaving room for improvement when it comes to providing their audience with a variety of rich and interactive experiences online .

The News & Media and Entertainment sectors scored particularly well at above 80% for multimedia . Given the amount of video and photographic content this type of organisation produces in their day-to-day business, this finding is not surprising . However, a number of organisations across all of the other sectors stood out as exceptional in their use of a wide range of interactive content .

It’s interesting to note that, overall, New Zealand’s 50 most trafficked websites used

Multimedia Content

less multimedia content than they did in 2011 . The fact remains that New Zealand’s broadband coverage is limited and falls well behind international broadband standards, and this is most likely a contributor to New Zealand organisations’ hesitation to rely too heavily on or experiment too greatly with multimedia content .

It is expected that the government’s Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) and Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI) will go some way to improving this situation – and with it the ability for multimedia content to be widely accessed – in the next few years .

Communicating a large amount of diverse information on the web remains a challenge for many organisations who still share large chunks of text for the reader to delve into and decipher . Organisations need to take a step back and look for new and interesting ways to convey their message to make it easy for users to come away from the site with the information they need .

A number of the sites assessed used multimedia well in certain areas of the site, but completely lacked any multimedia content in others . There is room to think about peppering video and multimedia content across other parts of the site to create more consistent engagement .

many people spend a large part of their working day in front of a screen and much of their leisure time online. multimedia content makes your site interesting and engaging, and presenting information via ways other than text can make it easier to digest and understand.

although producing multimedia content can be costly and require specialist resources, incorporating it into your website can add tremendous value to the user experience, giving users alternative ways of interacting with information, while giving organisations new opportunities to attract and inform their audience.

MetService uses a growing range of media types, content and channels to share information .

NEW ZEALAND’S MOST VISITED

SITES USED LESS MULTIMEDIA

CONTENT IN 2012 THAN THEY

DID IN 2011 .


THE NUMBER OF NEW

ZEALAND HOUSEHOLDS ABLE

TO ACCESS A BROADBAND

CONNECTION IS ExPECTED TO

REACH OVER 1 .3 MILLION BY

2015 (JUST OVER A qUARTER

OF NEW ZEALAND’S CURRENT

POPULATION) .

Like an increasing number of organisations, MetService continues to tweak and enhance its

online experience – adding new interactive features and functions that allow users to go

deeper into high-value content areas .


MetService engages its website visitors with a wide range of multimedia content . Interactive weather maps, scrollable day-by-day forecasts, three-hourly moving rain maps and satellite imagery help people to understand and interpret the weather forecast .

MetService TV offers a weekly roundup of the weekend’s weather forecast, delivered in a traditional news-style video delivered by the MetService weather reporter .

Each week visitors are encouraged to submit their weather photographs to vie for photo of the week, and these are displayed in a gallery of spectacular weather images from around New Zealand .

For those trying to make their way by road, an interactive map displays images from traffic cams across five of the country’s main cities .


It’s common for organisations to offer some form of log in and greet their visitors by name when they sign in . It’s less common for companies to deliver a customised experience to each user based on their interests, location and preferences . This can be for a number of reasons:

cost: Making a unique experience for every user can be very expensive to do . It can require a lot effort from a design and development perspective to make sure that the site can be personalised without it breaking .

roi: In addition, some ‘personalised experiences’ are hard to justify from a ROI point of view . This is especially true where the personalisation is based on a customer’s profile that is not accurately defined to begin with .

logic: Personalisation is a feature or aspiration of a website that is often talked about, and yet the execution can be poor . This can be because it’s hard to know how all the permutations and combinations will actually display themselves on screen .

results overview

The 2012 analysis showed that the same number of websites offered some form of personalisation on their site as in 2011, with 86% giving visitors the option to sign in or choose targeted content . Yet the results also showed that these websites are doing more with personalisation than they were 12 months ago .

While this is a positive finding, we noticed that often signing in is about enabling the visitor to transact or buy online, rather than about creating a personalised experience for them . Only a handful of sites offered true

Personalisation

What is personalisation? In short, personalisation is about tailoring your site to the person who is visiting. Why are they visiting today? What content are they most interested in? What’s relevant to them? and how do they want to view the information?

personalisation, allowing their customer to choose what information they most want to receive or even how they would like the site to be presented on screen .

The sectors that scored best when it comes to personalisation include Lifestyle, Shopping & Classifieds, and Entertainment, with visitors signing in to make purchases or interact with other members .

Trade Me’s standard of personalisation remains high – yet this is not at the expense of a clean, uncluttered interface .



Most good e-commerce sites provide a high-level of personalisation based on your login credentials and will personalise the online experience based on your unique preferences and history . Fishpond is one of New Zealand’s leading online retailers and provides a good example of a personalised shopping experience .

86%OF WEBSITES MEASURED

PERSONALISE THE USER

ExPERIENCE, GIVING VISITORS

THE OPTION TO SIGN IN OR

CHOOSE TARGETED CONTENT .


Think of it as a logical and relevant extension of the content that you already have on offer . Could your existing content be augmented and enhanced with the addition of news feeds/social media feeds, quizzes and polls, competitions, calculators, expert opinions, online seminars from guest speakers or subject matter experts, or other equally compelling content? If you’re not providing sticky content that draws users deeper into your site and makes them want to stay longer or return later, you’re going to lose them to a competitor .

Users expect more interaction online to keep them engaged, and sticky content is a pleasant distraction that demonstrates a depth of expertise, and an amount of credible content that goes above and beyond what is expected . A clear benefit to you is that customers spend longer on your site and discover things they may not have come to find, but are pleased they did . The impression you should create with your users is that your site/app is actually a trusted and ‘go-to’ destination of expertise – if you invest in your content, your users will come to expect and embrace change . They will know that your site will constantly evolve, adapt and grow; and your reputation will become increasingly trusted .

sticky content is a key component of the engagement puzzle, and it’s an area that’s very hard to define because it remains incredibly subjective. That said, for the purposes of this study, we’ve defined sticky content as: content that holds a visitor’s attention longer than anticipated, resulting in visitors spending longer time periods on a website and encouraging them to return to the site.

Sticky Content

85 artworks from Auckland Art Gallery’s collection are viewable on the Google Art Project website . The quality of presentation, level of detail and interaction

design makes the experience incredibly compelling and ‘sticky’ .

results overview

Around three quarters of websites had some form of sticky content . News & Media sites scored the highest, with each site analysed achieving 100% . Of the sites surveyed, 18 scored 100% for providing content that keeps their users engaged .

Often providing multimedia content such as videos makes a site more engaging and encourages people to stay . Sticky sites include an array of content like real-time news, social media feeds, quizzes and polls, competitions, tutorials and testmonials, discussions and debates, business resources and tools, and lifestyle content such as weather updates or guest contributors .



TV3 provides a range of sticky content on its site, such as news feeds, the latest weather and the evening’s schedule, which helps to create a more engaging experience for visitors .

TV3 essentially builds a microsite within its website around each of the featured shows and fans can spend time exploring more about their favourite programme .

Visitors get drawn in with OnDemand episodes, previous plot information, quizzes on current shows, cast profiles, photo galleries, message boards, upcoming episode summaries and links to additional content via social media . In creating this sticky content, TV3 goes above and beyond the expected with a well-executed, logical and creative extension of relevant content .

Major media brands build experiences around their core content – TV shows, for example – and extend user engagement as far as possible .


Conversely, in the personal sphere, blogging is enjoying exponential growth, as evidenced in the growing popularity of blog tools such as Tumblr . Many organisations have recognised that keeping a blog going requires the inspiration to regularly come up with new ideas and viewpoints and the time and skill to write engaging posts . Customers still enjoy reading a well-constructed blog entry, so don’t discount blogging as an important part of the communication mix and a way of attracting repeat visits to your website .

a few years ago business blogging was the latest ‘next big thing’ but the initial levels of enthusiasm seem to have waned recently. organisations are increasingly building their communities around other social media channels, and the blog appears to be losing favour.

Blogging

Successful New Zealand blog, ReadWriteWeb (RWW), founded by Richard MacManus, proves there’s no substitute for hard work .

X3TUMBLR .COM NEARLY TRIPLED

ITS UNIqUE US AUDIENCE OVER

THE LAST YEAR .


results overview

Blogging seems to be dropping in popularity with only 30% of sites featuring a blog compared to 54% last year . Many organisations are choosing to focus on building communities through other social channels like Facebook and Twitter .

Blogging still has a valid place as a strategic communication channel . A blog can be less formal and more conversational than some of the more traditional news channels, but at the same time offers a platform that is a step up from other social media due to depth and coverage with subject matter expertise . A blog post can present the company viewpoint in a well-written and longer form than a typical social media status update, which should provide a level of credibility and adds to your organisation’s brand . The thought-leadership, opinion-led style of a blog post also encourages a deeper level of discussion and commentary .

Where organisations are choosing to blog, they appear to be doing it well, with 93% of companies with a blog updating it regularly and 87% of them ensuring that their blog is clearly advertised on the website to encourage readers to visit . Almost all News & Media sections featured a blog and the Automotive, Education, Lifestyle, and Shopping & Classified sections also performed well .


Blogging is hard work . In 2011, one of New Zealand’s hardest working tech blogs was acquired by a major US organisation . Started in 2003, the ReadWriteWeb (RWW) blog was and still is a testament to the effort of its founder and contributors .

Likewise, Public Address – which is a community of blogs – is another great local example . Again, the team at Public Address have demonstrated there’s no substitute for quality and having a collective of great writers who continue to produce well-written, well-researched, frequent and topical content .

Another excellent New Zealand website, Public Address, presents a community of blogs and a aconsistently high standard of writing .

IS BLOGGING FOR BUSINESS

YESTERDAY’S NEWS?

ONLY 30% OF THE SITES

ANALYSED FEATURED A

BLOG (DOWN FROM 54%

LAST YEAR) .


Mobility

People want content and the ability to take action wherever they are on a variety of devices from smartphones to tablets. They want information, transactions, entertainment and personal connections, and they want it on the go. at the most basic level, this means that organisations need to ensure that their website can be comfortably viewed and navigated on multiple devices from the smallest of screens to the biggest. more forward-thinking companies are developing specialised applications to make interacting with them via mobile device a great customer experience.

In particular, News & Media organisations, Shopping and Entertainment brands, and, more recently, financial institutions, have been leading the charge . They are tailoring content for time-poor, on-the-go customers . And they are providing value-added features such as location-based services, for example highlighting where the nearest store is or making recommendations on things to do based on where the users are at the time .

DESIGNING FOR MOBILE

» quicker interaction

» Task-based behaviour

» Users even less tolerant of bad design

» Design for interrupted (on-the-go) browsing

» Make the interface simple (for touch-based interaction)

» Offer location-based services where relevant

results overview

Of the websites assessed, 62% made some attempt to provide a user-friendly experience on mobile devices . This ranged from sites that were optimised for viewing on a small screen, to sites where the most popular site content was selected for display on mobile, depending on what a mobile user is most likely to be looking for, through to organisations that have developed a range of specialised mobile applications available for download .

The sectors that rated more highly for engaging mobile experiences were: News & Media, Banking & Finance, followed by Shopping & Classifieds, Entertainment and Automotive .

Where companies have developed mobile applications, the vast majority have focused on iPhone and iPad users with fewer applications being developed for platforms such as Android or Windows Phone .

As the concept of ‘online everywhere’ becomes the reality for more people, there is an opportunity to consider how your website is presenting on mobile devices and to invest in custom-built mobile applications across all platforms that make it easier for your customers to engage with you . It’s important to consider that it’s not simply about (re)creating a cut-down version of your ‘website on mobile’ but creating a ‘unique experience on a device’ .

The explosion in mobile content consumption will continue to increase dramatically in the years ahead .

OF NZ INTERNET USERS ACCESS

THE INTERNET VIA THEIR SMARTPHONES

(UP FROM 18% IN 2009 AND 7% IN 2007) .

27%



Westpac offers its customers the chance to do their banking when they are out and about on its mobile-optimised website . Customers can check their account balances, transfer money between accounts and view account activity and upcoming payments .

The bank has also developed three applications that can be downloaded to mobile . Cash Tank (iPhone and Android) lets you check the balance of your account anytime at the touch of a button . Impulse Saver (iPhone) lets you save a pre-selected amount from your transaction account to your savings account . And with Real Estate for iPhone (developed in conjunction with realestate .co .nz) you can view properties for sale in your area, to see which are having open homes while you’re on the road, rank the features of the properties you view and add notes or photos to the listing .

mobILITy, mobILITy, mobILITy

While it’s obvious that the mobile experience is not new, the golden opportunity lies in extending your web presence to engage customers no matter where they are and what device they are accessing your brand from . Customers expect that they will be able to view your website from a smartphone or tablet, but many organisations aren’t even providing the basic hygiene factor which allows their website to be viewed across platforms within a mobile browser .

What’s more, we found that even where mobile-specific versions of a site existed, this was not always the default option displayed, and the mobile-friendly version of the site, where available, required manual intervention (to select to view the mobile version of the site) . However, this can also (depending on your smartphone device) be a preference in the browser settings of a mobile device .

But using mobility to your advantage is about so much more than just developing a mobile version of your website . Mobile applications open up a world of possibility for new ways to engage your customers by providing services that make their life easier when they are out and about . It’s about putting yourself in your customer’s shoes and identifying what their needs are on-the-go so you can develop a customised tool that fits in their pocket . Applications offer the opportunity to focus on ‘high-value, high-demand’ tasks and provide an experience that does a few things exceptionally well .

HERE ARE SOME KEY CONSIDERATIONS:

1. kNow which deviceS your cuStomerS uSePeople use a number of devices . Many companies only focus on apps for smartphones . Don’t alienate your customers by excluding them .

2. Be uSeful, Be creative There is a lot of choice when it comes to apps . If your app is not really useful, there’s not much incentive to download it .

3. Be Selective Your mobile site doesn’t need to have all the features and functionality of your company website . In fact, to be easy to use, it probably shouldn’t . Figure out what’s most important to on-the-go customers .

4. rememBer it’S moBile Integrate with the in-built smartphone or tablet features of each device . How can you use location-based services? How can you create an app that uses the device’s camera? Not for the sake of it, but to add value .

5. doN’t forget the BaSicSMobile sites should still be well branded and easy to navigate . Designing for mobile is more challenging . Find a way to make it work for each platform .

6. liSteN to feedBackMany of the mobile app marketplaces offer users the chance to review your app . Check in and see what your users are saying . Have you factored these considerations into the next release of your software?

The Banking & Finance sector was a big mover in this year’s report . Many institutions have relaunched their public sites and a range of mobile apps in the past 12-18 months .


The Basics

With so much focus and attention on the next big thing (mobile, social, location, apps, augmented reality etc), it’s easy to forget the basics. While the basics of making sure your site is easy to use with clear navigation are now hygiene factors, if you get them wrong your visitors will notice and this will be reflected in their level of engagement. you’ll soon find that your customers will be going elsewhere.

There is an opportunity for organisations to take a stronger lead on helping people to navigate their website . All too often, a plethora of navigation bars and menus are provided for the user to sift through . Smart companies are considering what information they most want their customers to access and presenting it in the most elegant, clear and concise way . Plus, they continue to review and improve the experience – they are not content to consider that their website is ‘finished’ .

It’s generally quite easy to add more and more content to your website – and adding new features and functions to an application can also be relatively straightforward . However, many organisations forget to ask basic questions like: What can we take out? What content can be retired? How can we simplify this process? Is this still relevant? These are questions you need to ask yourself on an ongoing basis . Challenge yourself to remove superfluous content and tasks, and if you’re not sure, run sessions with key users groups – they won’t tell what you want to hear, they’ll tell what you need to hear .

Large websites with lots of content, multiple audiences and product offerings (such as the AA) are doing well when they still provide a clear and simple user interface .


results overview

Most websites are getting the basics right . They are easy to use, with clear and consistent navigation .

Three in four websites assessed scored 80% or above on the basics and many scored 100% in this section .

Sectors that came out tops include Shopping & Classifieds and News & Media with several other sectors also scoring well .

Many websites in this study contain a significant amount of content relevant to a wide variety of visitors with different needs and interests . However, most organisations we analysed have carefully considered their site navigation and layout to make sure that regardless of where visitors arrive on their website they know where to go and can easily pinpoint the information they are after .


The AA delivers a lot of content to visitors under a range of different topics but still manages to make it easy for visitors to pinpoint what they’re after .

The site navigation is very clear with a global navigation bar and a scrolling navigation selector at the footer of each page with relevant imagery to help guide user interaction . Each navigation menu has a ‘Hot picks’ section, that highlights the most important content . Pointers, such as the ‘In this section’ menu, are provided as you explore the site to help with navigation . Navigation items that require and encourage you to take action are clear and consistently designed .

Each page offers a very short introductory paragraph at the top, and visitors can scroll down and click through to find the information they are after . Overall, the site is fresh, uncluttered and easy to use .

The website presents a lot of information and it is elegantly executed . What’s more, the overall user experience doesn’t degrade as you drill down through the site – from top to bottom and end to end, the standard is generally high .

White space is not something that needs to be ‘filled up’ with content . Give your content room to breathe, and your users time to think . The New Zealand Arts Festival website is a great example .


Design

as soon as people arrive at your site (remembering that many users will come in below the homepage due to varying search engine results), your site’s design makes an instant impression. an attractive, professional and well-designed site reinforces your organisation’s brand and adds credibility to the information you provide. High quality design is not an option – it should be mandatory.

even if you have limited resources at your disposal, remember that if your site’s design is cluttered, unprofessional and unintuitive, your visitors will leave and probably won’t return. even at the most basic level, you should ensure that your design provides a consistent experience, your layouts are clear and easy to follow, and that every small detail looks polished.


How do you make accounting software beautiful and a pleasure to use? xero is one of the stand-outs of the New Zealand web scene, a successful exporter and a consistently great example of how to do things well . They have focused on the quality of their design coupled with an engaging user experience from day one, and their business continues to thrive .

results overview

Less than half of the websites assessed (23) scored over 80% for design, with only four scoring 100% in this section .

While there is merit in keeping a web format that users intuitively understand with traditional navigation tabs and panels and information where they expect to find it, very few organisations innovate when it comes to web design . A strong design can help your website to stand out above its competitors and leave a lasting brand impression on your customers . The proviso here is to make sure that your design decisions are appropriate for your users and your sector . For example, if you are an online gaming portal and your user base expects rich media, animation, interaction and video – then your design should reflect this .

Once again, it’s vital that the social experience is connected to your overall brand . In some cases, brands are investing more heavily in social channels and mobile apps above and beyond the ‘Mothership’ website . This is because this is where their audience is . Even simple details like ensuring your Twitter background has been designed to reflect who you are can show how seriously you treat design .

xero’s commitment to world-class design from day one makes their website a pleasure to use .


The standard of digital design in New Zealand is high as evidenced by two recent Best Design Awards Winners, Icebreaker (above) and Powershop (below) .


Conclusion

The only sector that did not perform better in 2012 than in the previous report was Health & Medicine, although the drop was not dramatic . And it was not surprising to note that those sectors that provide a lot of rich media, video, high interaction, deep content, social engagement and solid mobile support, lead the way . The ‘most improved’ sector was Banking & Finance (moving up from 4th to 8th) . Again, this was not surprising, as many financial services providers really delivered in the past year – especially in the level of sophistication in how they are using mobile to engage with their customers .

how to engage? where do i start?

Based on some of the trends and themes that emerged in this report, here are simple things you can do to help make your online experience more engaging .

follow your PeerS Keep a close eye on what’s happening in your sector . New software, services, tools and devices are being released constantly . You don’t always have to reinvent the wheel, and if you’re actually a user of related products and services, you’ll start to get a feel for what works and what doesn’t – and you’ll start to understand where communities of interest want to head next .

atteNd coNfereNceS aNd SemiNarS It sounds obvious, but we all need to step back from our day-to-day projects and refresh ourselves by listening to others and hearing from people who have had similar experiences . Webstock is a great place to start if you’ve never been before and is generally regarded as a world-class event with an eclectic line-up of speakers and hands-on workshops .

Be uSer-ceNtered aNd BuSiNeSS-driveNYes, it’s important to provide a user-centred experience – but this has to be tempered with reality and the specific goals and objectives of your organisation or business . Your users may demand something that has no relevance to your brand, it may be costly to create, or it may simply offer no real ROI (now, or in the future) . So, listen to your users – engage with them regularly on a face-to-face level – but you still need to be clear about who you are and what your reason for being online is all about .

your BraNd iS oNly aS relevaNt aS your Next PoSt Stale content is poison . Inappropriate content, no matter how small or innocuous, can undo years of hard work in minutes . You need to make sure that people at the coal-face of your social channels actually understand your organisation and are empowered to respond and interact on your behalf . If you’re not prepared to properly resource, support and train the people who are your social experience, are you actually doing more harm than good?

SteP away from the NoiSe It’s easy to get lost in the sea of hysteria around digital proliferation . Many of us would do well to actually simplify our lives and our projects by doing fewer things, better . Look at the next 10 features or functions that you are adding to your site or app – what’s wrong with doing the first three first? Try and get into a cycle where you can release updates in an ongoing manner – big projects are hard to do well . Do less, and focus on the things that matter .

aPPS, aPPS, aNd aPPS Despite everything above, it’s hard get away from the fact that the number of applications (especially on mobile devices) will only continue to grow . The on-device mobile experience is so different to the ‘old ways’ of desktop/laptop browsing that you need to treat it as such .

it’S Not eaSy – get uSed to it The business of the web, applications, social media and the continued explosion of devices and form factors is making life hard for those in the business of creating the engaged web . Especially in New Zealand, where, typically, many organisations have limited resources yet their users will continue to expect an experience on a par with major online brands such as Facebook, Amazon, Google and so on . This is just reality . If you can’t do it all, you need to focus on what provides the greatest value for your business, and your users .

at stated in our methodology, measuring for engagement is a subjective challenge. That said, based on the criteria used, and the most trafficked sites across the same ten sectors as last year, we have seen an overall improvement in the way brands and organisations are engaging with their customers – and indeed, facilitating engagement between customers.

about intergen

Intergen provides information technology solutions across New Zealand and the world based exclusively on Microsoft’s tools and technologies . Our 330+ staff work with organisations to improve productivity, empower staff, and streamline and automate business processes, delivering comprehensive solutions for businesses of all sizes, in all sectors .

Our offerings include portals, content and collaboration solutions, web strategy and delivery, user experience design, Microsoft Dynamics financial and relationship management, custom software development, management consulting and hosting services .

about experian hitwise

Experian Hitwise is the leading online competitive intelligence service . Experian Hitwise gives marketers a competitive advantage by providing daily insights on how 25 million Internet users around the world interact with more than 1 million websites . This external view helps organisations grow and protect their businesses by identifying threats and opportunities as they develop . Experian Hitwise has more than 1,500 clients across numerous sectors, including financial services, media, travel and retail .

Experian Hitwise (FTS:ExPN), www .experianplc .com, operates in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada and Brazil . More information about Experian Hitwise is available at www .hitwise .co .nz .

For up-to-date analysis of online trends, please visit the Hitwise Research Blog at www .ilovedata .com and Hitwise Data Centre at www .hitwise .com/nz/resources/data-centre .

about episerver

This report is based on the 2010 Engaged Web studies devised and conducted by EPiServer in the United Kingdom and Australia .

EPiServer is a supplier of solutions that enable web engagement and drive business results for end customers . The EPiServer platform is delivered through an extensive network of over 500 partner companies in 30 companies .

thiS rePort waS Produced By iNtergeN, with the aSSiStaNce of exPeriaN hitwiSe aNd ePiServer

FOOTNOTES

1 . http://www .aut .ac .nz/research/research-institutes/icdc/projects/world-internet-project

2 . http://www .experianplc .com/news/company-news/2011/27-09-2011 .aspx

3 . http://ansonalex .com/infographics/smartphone-usage-statistics-2012-infographic/

4 . Social media and online communities allow organisations to establish and maintain online communities by interacting with, and/or allowing their audience(s) to interact with people with whom they want to establish an ongoing relationship . This can be achieved through the mainstream social networks, and using other discrete solutions such as forums, webinars, community blogs and chat rooms . Examples of social media range from blogs and forums to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube .

5 . Multimedia content includes audio, still images, animation, video and other interactive content that is used to inform and entertain visitors .

6 . Personalisation includes features and functionality that allow users to create an experience that is unique to them, e .g . changing the layout and functionality of the user interface .

7 . Sticky content is content that holds a visitor’s attention longer than anticipated resulting in visitors spending longer time periods on a website and encouraging them to return to the site .

8 . A blog releases information, news and opinion-based content to users . Blogs allow organisations to speak more directly to their customers in a less formal way and many allow visitors to comment or rate the content . Most often, a blog includes text, images, videos, links to websites and other media related to the topic .

9 . Mobile sites have been optimised for viewing on a range of mobile devices including smartphones and tablet devices . This may include ensuring that content is easy to read on a smaller or differently shaped screen, that all parts of the website function correctly on a mobile device or that content is simplified based on what content a user is likely to need to access via a mobile device . Mobile applications are custom-developed applications that can be downloaded, often for free, via the Apple iTunes App Store, Android Market/Google Play or Windows Phone Marketplace for example .

10 . The design of a website includes both the visual and functional construction of the website and assesses whether or not it is aesthetically pleasing and/or user friendly . Design also looks at the format and style of the site to determine whether it portrays a consistent brand message .

PricewaterhouseCoopers Outlook Entertainment and Media Report 2011–2015 http://www .pwc .co .nz/industries/entertainment- and-media/publications/new-zealand-entertainment-and-media-outlook/

Neilsen Social Media Report Q3 2011 http://blog .nielsen .com/nielsenwire/social/

AUT World Internet Project http://www .aut .ac .nz/research/research-institutes/icdc/projects/world-internet-project

AUCKLAND CHRISTCHURCH DUNEDIN PERTH SYDNEY WELLINGTON NZ 0800 INTERGEN

Documents

BENCHMARK REPORT - AUT · BENCHMARK REPORT | THE ENGAGED WEB IN NEW ZEALAND 2012 7 2011 2012 The chart above shows the overall performance of each sector, comparing 2011 to 2012