1. What are the online promotional tools and interfaces which are used in the chosen website to drive traffic to its site, and to engage visitors to make a repeat visit?

2. Do you think these tools are effective? Why and why not?

A square of graphic at the right side of the page beside the category summaries of Jobs, Cars, Property, Shops depicting a contest: Post Ad and Win! This encourages advertisers to post more ads as there is a lucky draw prize-giving. Also mentioned in the link is “Upgrade to a Silver or Gold package and triple your odds of winning!”

Packages earn more revenue for st701 (as compared to free basic advertisements which are more attractive, generating more traffic and again serving to retain customers).

Registration is also compulsory for all advertisers which serves to build up a longer term relationship as compared to non registered browers.

Basic ads are also free with a 14 days duration; 3 images; 1 video link which is quite good considering that it's free. This is good for small enterprises or just people looking to sell second hand goods, or advertisers trying out the system. The Silver and Gold packages respectively cost $5 and $8 SGD which is also affordable and they come with additional features such as Bold Title; Background Highlight; Top Picks and a longer duration and more images which would expect more visitors due to higher penetration rate.

Registration makes an account for the user and saves one's postings and manage your ad inventory. This means that the user does not have to keep filling in the basic information and posting a repeat advertisement becomes hassle-free. Even posting a new ad is also easy as the user has already registered.

Registered users can also post their queries or 'looking for' advertisements on the Just Ask discussion board. There they can wait for other people to answer. This also helps to keep repeat visitors who are looking for a particular product.

With these tools, the site expects more posters and advertisers. This would lead to more users and in a self fulfilling cycle, lead to even more advertisers.

Hence I feel that these measures are effective and this is evidenced by both the discussion board and the ad postings. There is at least 1 new post every day for each section

3. What are additional promotional tools which you think can be incorporated to encourage repeat visits from the key audience segments?

ST701 may consider the option of adding an RSS feed option that can track new ads as soon as they are added. Users may be given an option such as view only submitted ads in Jobs, for example, and this will improve usability of ST701. With the constantly submitted ads, the user also has a higher chance of spotting something of interest and clicking on it for more information on the website.

ST701 should also give an option for users to opt into their mailing list without registration. Casual browsers often are too lazy or reluctant to register when they can view the ads and contact the advertiser through email. By having an opt in mailing list option for non-registered users, ST701 will gain a wide network of interested people without running the risk of being labeled as spam. This will also increase the audience

1. What do you think are some of the web technologies used in the chosen website? Cite examples of each technology employed.

1. Web Animation Technologies

Javascript was used in each category of Jobs,Cars, Property, Shops to show a scrolling line of pictures of the product in the Top Picks section (eg. Pictures of the cars being sold were shown in Cars). Research has shown that graphical images and animation attract more visitors.

2. Online Communication Tools

2.1 Direct Marketing (DM)

Online Promotions

A square of graphic at the right side of the page beside the category summaries of Jobs, Cars, Property, Shops depicting a contest: Post Ad and Win! This encourages advertisers to post more ads as there is a lucky draw prize-giving. Also mentioned in the link is “Upgrade to a Silver or Gold package and triple your odds of winning!”

Packages earn more revenue for st701 (as compared to free basic advertisements which are more attractive, generating more traffic and again serving to retain customers).

Registration is also compulsory for all advertisers which serves to build up a longer term relationship as compared to non registered browers.

2.3 News-Groups/ Discussion Forums/ Bulletin Boards

These are easily accessible through the front page in the Just Ask section. The front page also shows a summary of the most recently discussed topics which may prompt more visitors and hence more traffic as topics relate to the advertisements.

2. Do you think the existing use of web technologies is effective?

Yes, I feel that the use of the web technologies on the site as mentioned above is effective. Javascript is used effectively to showcase the products and improve click through rate. Also it is used on the front page and other pages to let visitors view their promotional video which does not take a long time (about 10 seconds) to load.

Animation was not used other than Javascript and I feel it was a good choice as too much animation leads to a very messy page and cluttered which is not professional and worse, a chore to navigate. As it is I feel it was used effectively to enhance and not disrupt the user experience.

Promotions are also another good way to win over customers. “Just post an ad (or more) in ST701 Shops for FREE and stand to win fantastic prizes!” – According to the contest advertisement, posting an ad is free. This is part of st701’s bid to attract more advertisers.

What other technologies can be used to enhance communication effectiveness?

I feel that the discussion board “Just Ask” can be improved. Currently the only sections available for discussion are the four categories of Jobs, Cars, Property, Shops. Also when one accesses the main page of the Just Ask forum, users do not see all the categories and instead the most recent topics. Although this is good on the main page of ST701 as it serves to attract visitors to the Just Ask section, once within the discussion board the various portions of the forum should be listed out so users can click on the relevant section. As it is now, less savvy users may not figure out where to view the posts or topics of interest and end up frustrated as this is not the standard format for modern discussion boards.

1. What are the core values of the organization?

According to st701.com's parent company, Singapore Press Holdings, the corporate philosophy is:

Mission: To Inform, educate and entertain

Coporate values:
Partnership, Teamwork, Innovation, Meritocracy, Customer Orientation, Profit Orientation, Corporate Citizenry

(from http://www.sph.com.sg/aboutus/corp_philosophy.html)

This holds true for st701 as well.

2. Examine the online branding elements (eg logos, colour schemes, url, buttons,
screensavers etc) in the chosen website. What do you think is the overall image which the site is trying to project? Do they reflect the core values of the organization effectively?

According to the website, "ST701 carries the initials of The Straits Times, Singapore Press Holdings' flagship newspaper and Singapore’s national English broadsheet. The numbers “701” convey what the user will experience: 7 days a week search at the 01 place that matters"

Having the initials of The Straits Times would convey a reliability that users associate with the print version of the Classified Advertisements. The logo of st701 are also in accordance with the name: "7 days a week search at the 01 place that matters"

CATS, the acronym associated with the Classified Ads, is cleverly used in cat graphics and even in the logo of ST701, there is an eye in place of 0 and a pointed red oval depicting a cat's face. A cat head is also used for the print CATS logo and this again would link the two together. There is heavy emphasis on the cat graphic, much like a mascot, displayed in various positions on the front page of ST701, for the various sections Jobs, Cars, Property, Shops.

The color scheme is minimalistic, borders and menus in unobtrusive grey so as to not detract attention from the main contents. Color is selectively used for the 4 sectios as color code, and this conveys an impression of professionalism. Information is also clearly available and one does not have to look through the site to find it. This is a online classified ads website, so it fulfills the mission of 'inform', 'educates' people on the choices available, and also consists of services (under the shops) posted that may 'entertain' users.

Partnership: There is a 'contact us' page where users in need of help may contat the staff.
Teamwork: The 'Just Ask' forum promotes helping between consumers and staff.
Innovation: From the print version, SPH has harnessed the growing force of the internet, moving with the times.

Hence I feel that they do reflect the core values sufficiently.

3. What do you think are some of the existing strategies which the chosen website uses to publicise and generate awareness of the website among its key audience segments?

ST701 is based on the print version(CATS) included with The Straits Times . Naturally the online version of The Straits Times would also display st701 on its webpage and it does, although below the fold. Also, asiaone, another subsidary of SPH displays st701 on the main page.
With a reputable big name CATS to back st701 up, it is very likely to be a success. Most advertisers in Singapore already advertise on CATS, and it is only a small step for them to take to publish their ads on st701 as well.
There have also been advertisements broadcast on local TV which I feel is aimed towards users and less toward advertisers.

4. What additional branding strategies would you recommend to this site to:
(a) Strengthen its online brand identity
(b) Promote greater awareness of the website to its various audience segments?
As it targets the local market, there should be emphasis on local advertising. Popular websites such as hardwarezone.com, where (mostly male) Singaporeans gather to discuss various topics, should be approached for advertising space. Flowerpod.com.sg is also a popular portal with mostly female Singaporeans. By advertising on these sites, it would be more effective as these people who frequent are already familiar with using the internet. It would be a more targeted approach which would yield better results with more 'hits' or people that are likely to use as compared to TV ads, which target a diverse population, including some IT-illiterates who are extremely unlikely to use st701.

Audience segments would consist of Job, Car, Property, Shop seekers. st701 could do a tieup with popular jobfinding websites such as jobseeker.com.sg, or property agents who are looking to sell property.  By finding advertisers, the number of users would also increase and this would again lead to more advertisers.

By:Tan Yi Cheen

Field Trip Reflection

Singapore has, of late, become increasingly focused on the tourism sector. One aspect which draws tourists here is the nightlife, and we hope to build up on this in our campaign to promote the vibrant nightlife in Singapore.

To obtain a better and more complete understanding of the night scene, we visited 3 clubs, each of which had their own characteristic flair and were patronized by different crowds.

1. Zouk was extremely crowded, being one of the most recognizable and popular clubs in Singapore. In addition, as it was Mambo (Retro) night at Zouk, the queues were much longer than normal and it was almost impossible to get in. The crowd were mostly locals, aged 18-25.

2. Next stop was Ministry of Sound, known as MoS. Strategically situated at the busy nightspot Clarke Quay, it is much bigger in terms of space and the crowd is no less than Zouk’s. It has a unique ‘themed-room’ feature where enthusiasts can dance to their favorite songs from various genres, and is also handy for meeting fellow fans of the same genre.

3. We went on to The Arena, a newly opened club also in Clarke Quay. Its main draw would be international live bands and reportedly the best lighting effects of all clubs. Although it is a relatively new club, it was also packed, with mostly Caucasians.

Having visited all the clubs, I feel that there is a healthy variety in Singapore. Each club has its own unique pulling points, and tourists are spoilt for choice between these. They are also situated close to each other so one can club-hop until they find one that suits them. However, at these clubs, the queues were fairly long, especially when there were events ongoing. This is likely to worsen in the near future with the influx of more tourists and I feel they should hire more bouncers to speed up the process thereby reducing the waiting time.

By Lee Jia Jun

On the 14th of November , my group and I embarked on our field trip to different clubbing destinations with three specific clubs in mind , namely Zouk, Ministry of Sound and The Arena. The main objective of the field trip is to actually gain a more in depth understanding of the flourishing nightlife industry of Singapore , secondarily we would like to familiarize ourselves with the culture of each of the three mega clubs that we are visiting .
The first stop , undisputedly Singapore’s hottest nightspot , Zouk at Jiak Kim Street . Wednesday being Zouk’s Mambo (Retro) night . The crowd was already overwhelming , but people still keep piling on at the back making the goal of reaching the main entrance insurmountable . Zouk has built up probably the strongest clubbing culture among its clients within the ten over years that the club has been in the country . Entry is $25 for guys inclusive of 2 drinks and free of charge for ladies .Even with the rise of competitors such as Ministry of Sound , and The Arena , Zouk continues to hold out strong and will always be a club to look out for in Singapore .
Our second stop , the Ministry of Sound at Clarke Quay . Clarke Quay has always been a tourist hotspot as this region sparkles in the night , packed with countless of nightclubs , the most outstanding club would be the Ministry of Sound , sprawling over 30000 sq feet , this mega club has been Zouk’s main competitor since it got launched by foreign company Lifebrands in Singapore . When we got there , the queue was already quite long , although a far cry in terms of numbers when compared to Zouk , entrance is $20 for guys inclusive of 2 drinks . I personally feel the interior décor of this club is more avant-garde and artistic compared to Zouk . The club itself is bigger thus its not too claustrophobic when its gets packed at night . Segmented into different rooms , each room has a unique theme playing different genres of music where party goers can access depending on their current mood .
Our third and final stop , The Arena , also based in Clarke Quay , this club just launched in May this year , and much publicity has been done to propel it into the spotlight . Well known for being Singapore’s no1 live international music venue , this club brings in live acts from abroad week in week out to perform at its venue . The most soothing and comfortable ambience compared to the previous two clubs , I would say this club would do best as a chill out place with its niche R&B performances and cheap bottle deals , The Arena is definitely a good place to hang out whenever one is feeling stressed and tired after a long day . Entry is free for ladies and first drink charge applies for guys .

Analyse the navigational effectiveness of the site:
(a) Examine the site’s communication hierarchy – do the page and site gradients of
complexity facilitate or impede with navigation?
Is the 3-click rule adhered to or violated most of the time?
(b) The layout of various key elements – do they facilitate or impede with navigation?
(c) Are the navigation bars and menus intuitive? Is the search engine useful?

The site has the correct vertical gradient of site complexity.

On the front page itself, the banner of ST701 and CATS, along with the slogan are displayed prominently. The links for Jobs, Cars, Properties, Shops, (lists of ads) are also displayed a few times above the search box,and at the left(descriptive text) and right(graphics) of the page.

However I do not agree with placing the ST701 TV advertisment above the fold as they are not really relevant to the user looking for a particular item. Also above the fold are the Jobs and Cars sections which impels users to scroll down to look at the other sections. The Just Ask? portion is also above the fold and is useful for people unsure of what they are looking for exactly or people that want to give advice to newbies.

Most of the graphics are also placed above the fold which attracts the user. Below the fold are mostly a continuation of the ads sections and also links to the st701 blog, and a recent publicity event Colleen exposed! which are both not as important.

Most of the links are plain HTML links which reduce loading time, improves readability and maximised functionality(as they are due to change anytime) are placed on the front page, with the most recent ads displayed for higher relevancy (Eg. displaying an old ad that has already expired would be redundant and instead waste the time of the user).

If the desired job/property/shop is not displayed on the first page, the user can either search the site using the "ST701 Snappy Search" on the top right hand corner of the page. This search enables the user to search in a specific category, eg. if one is looking for a Nissan car, he can select the category 'Car' and avoid hits from Nissan brand Commercial vehicles such as vans.

Also, apart from the ads which are a major portion of the site, other important sections of st701 are also easily available. The most commercially viable are displayed at the top bar below the banner - Home, Just Ask(forums), Advertise with Us (the main source of income), About Us (information for would-be advertisers and users alike), and Contact Us which is most important for any queries one may have.

At the bottom bar of the page, many of these links are displayed again. There are also standard ones such as Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy which are tyically found on commercial websites.

These are the Hybrid Navigation Systems, standard format of most websites (which means users are more likely to be familiar with the link displays and hence navigate around the site more easily)

The above methods would enable many users to reach their goal in only 1 click most of the time.

If the user would like to browse, he can click on the section of interest, for example Property. On the next page he can see various links to the newest ads posted and also find out the recent transacted prices for HDB and Condo. If the user is only interested in a certain type of property, eg. Landed, he can then click on Find Property and then Landed on the left side of the screen(this menu is always on the left side throughout the site for the other sections Cars, etc.). If the user is looking to sell or rent out his property, he can click on Sell or Rent Property to post an ad. Guides and Articles will take the user to where he can learn more about Property and laws and regulations regarding property.

Up to this point it is possible for the user to find the desired within 3 clicks. However, as the ads are displayed in pages,instead of in one long page containing all ads which is unpresentable and also consists of a much too long loading time, for the user to browse through the pages to find what he wants would take more than 3 clicks but I believe that at this point the 3-click rule is invalid as the user has already found the location where he can browse freely for his goal.


(d) Is the content presented in such a way that it conforms with the three principles of
effective web pages?

Three Principles of Effective Web Pages:

1. Provide clear structure

Essential information is displayed on the main page and interested users can delve deeper in to find out more. As most of the links to the main sections on the page are clearly displayed on the main page, users have an easier time navigating the site.

2.Be concise
3. Be objective instead of persuasive
As this is an ad site, most of the ads have restricted word limits and this helps to keep things concise and also objective which leads to greater ease in finding the specific item/property/shop which the user wants. Links are displayed in short strings of text instead of buried in paragraphs for higher navigability.

Is there effective use of micro-content?
Yes, section titles are usually bolded and colored and have a larger font size. Linked text are descriptive and explanatory eg. Experience online retail shopping like never before. Users who click on "online retail shopping" will get a listing of online shops.

ALT tags are all of 'Click to enlarge' which, although useful, do not describe the image.
Navigation bar links are displayed in menus across the site in a consistent manner; at the top and bottom of the page and at the left of the page within sections.


2. Is there navigational consistency across the site?
Yes, as mentioned in the above answers, the link menus are found at the at the top and bottom of the page and at the left of the page within sections. The search box is also always found at the top right of the page.

There is also a consistent grid format followed within the item description:

Step 3: Whether the chosen Website Is Effective In Communicating The Site’s Key
Purpose Using Visual Language

1. Comment on the usePublish Post of visual language in the chosen website:
(a) Use of colours
(b) Use of fonts
(c) Use of other graphics (eg images)
(d) Overall effectiveness of graphics

The main text colors are black on a white background, which has easy readability and also looks more professional than colored text. Colored text is used to label the 4 sections of Jobs, Cars, Property and Shops in Blue, Red, Green, Yellow respectively. These colors are contrasting and are good when used to color code the various sections.

When you hover over a link, the font changes to blue, underlined. This helps to differentiate between text and links. Also, this link hover formatting is a web standard so it is easily recognisable as a link and therefore user friendly.

The font used is one of the following: Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif.
This is included in the code and means that Geneva will always be used. If the user does not have the font Geneva, the next font will be used, which is Arial.
These fonts are all common fonts and very readable. Also, providing for a variety of fonts in the event that any of these fonts are not available on the user's computer will ensure that the site displays consistently for all computers.

Of note is the graphic at the right side showing 4 cats in various positions depicting Jobs, Cars, Property and Shops. The cat is signature of the CATS section in the parent The Straits Times, and hence by using the same cat image on this site there is a common identity and coporate image of CATS and st701.com. The website shows the cats in various positions depicting Jobs, Cars, Property and Shops, and if you hover your mouse over each section you can read a brief note about each and the subsections of each category. The same colors in Blue, Red, Green, Yellow are used for Jobs, Cars, Property and Shops which gives consistency throughout the site and minimises user confusion(hence maximising userbility)

On the right side, along the various listings, there are graphics related to recent activities organised by st701.com. These include the well-known 'Colleen Exposed' publicity campaign where a model lives in a glass house in Raffles Place Park depending only on st701 to bring herself food, entertainment and everything else.

st701 is also encouraging user registrations by giving away 2 Sonly VAIO laptops. This has 2 purposes: 1- To increase the number of users looking for something related to Cars, Jobs, Property or Shops, which will increase the number of advertisers and 2, to increase the number of advertisers so that there are more ads for users to choose from and hence increase viewership and promote a busy online community which will attract more users in a self-fulfilling cycle.

There are minimal graphics on the front page and this reduces clutter and also increases the space for information on the 4 sections, which will improve user navigability on the site. The overall site layout is sleek and minimalistic, which conforms to the Classified Ads sections on The Straits Times, from which st701.com is derived. Important or interesting articles or events are displayed in tasteful graphics which will serve to attract readers while not detracting from the main minimalistic design of the site.

2. Do you think that there is consistency across the site?

Yes. Throughout the entire site the main text is in black on a white background. The sections are also color coded in Blue, Red, Green, Yellow for Jobs, Cars, Property and Shops respectively.
The top bar of the website displays the banner st701 prominently, along with the links: Main | Jobs | Cars | Property | Shops
which lets users hop quickly from one section to the other. The search function is also displayed at the top and lets users search whichever section they want. (It is also preprogrammed to search by default the section the user is in. Eg. if the user is browsing condominiums, the category displayed on ST701 Snappy Search will be Condo/Apartment.)
Not only does this top bar let users navigate easily throughout the site, it also gives a feeling of consistency as it is always displayed as you browse the site.

For advertisements, the pictures are always displayed to the left of the details of the product/property/service. The format of advertisements is always the same, with the same order of product details (eg. Description, Price, Price negotiable?, Billing Terms) for easy comparison between different advertisements.

Steps 1 And 2: Understanding The Key Purpose Of the chosen Website, And
Whether It Meets The Needs Of Its Target Audience Segments

What do you think are the needs of the various audience segments of the said site?

The audience would consist mainly of people that have used the physical copy of the Classified Advertisements in The Straits Times, and thus those people that are interested in hiring/looking for employment, buying/selling/renting cars, property, consumers that are interested in finding a particular product or type of product in shops.

These needs are addressed on the main page itself: http://www.st701.com/index.html

Jobs
Cars
Property
Shops

For these 4 categories, a sampling of the available classified ads is available. This would help the user locate the service/product of interest and get to his/her objective more quickly.

There are also sidebars that introduce what is available, eg.
Get the Right Job
Expand your search! Take your pick from more than 8,000 job listings.

Round-the-clock Virtual Showroom
Check out our extensive spread of new and preowned cars.

The Real Deal in Real Estate
Lifestyle habitats online. Come on in to view our wide range of condominium ads.

Retail Therapy at a Click
Experience online retail shopping like never before.

There is also a 'Just Ask' section that helps users interested in the various sections decide what they really want and some of the common questions posted are also shown on the front page to help the user :
JOBS
how to get a job fast?

CARS
Buy honda stream or toyota wish ?

PROPERTY
Which housing agent is more relaible?I am looking for HDB flat....

SHOPS
which portable media player is value for money?

Post Questions - users can post their own questions if after browsing through the 'Just Ask' section they are unable to find a satisfactory answer.



Do you think the communication objectives meet the needs of the various target
audience segments? Why or why not?

Yes, the communication objectives meet the needs well. There is a full listing available for browsing users that are not quite sure what they want, and a search function for users that have already decided what they want, within what price range, etc.

For example, if a user wants to find a property to rent, he can view a sample of the ads available on the front page itself. The properties are sorted by Industrial / Commercial, Condos / Apartment, Landed property, HDB / HUDC, which enables the user to pick the section that he is interested in and view the available properties for rent.

If the user is not interested in those posted on the front page, he can click on the 'Property' link to see the entire list of property for sale/rent. He can then either browse if he is not sure if he wants to buy/rent a property, or further click on 'Find Property' on the left hand sidebar, and choose the type of property he is interested in (eg. condominium). The 'Top Picks' menu will also scroll as the user mouses over a property type to show the relevant 'Top Picks' or popular properties for the category.

After the user has clicked on condominium for example, he can browse through the pages of advertisements. Relevant information of each property is shown, such as
Date Posted District/Estate Asking Status
This summary is useful as it saves time for the user by telling him, for example, the asking rent. The user can then compare it to his budget and decide whether he wants to click on it for even more information.

Once the user clicks on the property he is interested in, he can view a full list of details about the property:
http://property.st701.com/properties/view/2914?from=%2Fproperties%2Fresults%2Fbe5d7eab44913482cbea022ce46c6e88%3Ffrom%3D%252Fproperties%252Fsearch%252Fbasic%252Fcondo

Alternatively, if the user is very sure about what he wants and his budget, he can use the property search
http://property.st701.com/properties/search/basic/condo
and input his requirements.



Competitor Analysis: In order to get a better understanding of how the chosen website fares compared with other sites, study the following:
· The site’s direct & indirect competitors

http://www.sgadsonline.com/
This is a direct competitor. Upon opening the website, you can see a full listing of all the classified advertisements which include Jobs, Vehicles, Properties, For sale, that can be found on ST701.com, and even more other types of advertisements(eg. Personal Classifieds:Looking for Girlfriend (50)).
This website also does not have registration for users, and there is free posting of classified advertisements, which may attract more advertisers and users looking for certain products or services.

However, the website is more cluttered than st701 as all listings are displayed. This may be appreciated by certain consumers but many may find it clastrophobic and combined with the tiny text, harder to locate the desired product/service. With regards to the web page design, it looks very amateurish without any graphics and there are also Google Adsense advertisements which make the website appear unprofessional. Also, no registration and free advertisements may affect the quality of the advertisements and products/services offered, as there is no regulatory guidelines in place.

http://forums.ohgenki.com/
This is an example of indirect competition.
Forum users frequent forums due to interests, so they are very likely to view the ads posted, which means high and relevant traffic for related ads. This is also a fairly active forum, with Threads: 189,605, Posts: 1,901,720. For example, the OhGenki forums are made up mostly of people of most walks of life who use the internet frequently. Such people are the target of online advertisements as they are most likely to search advertisements online as compared to looking through the newspapers or other physical media.

The forums have a section, Classified, where there are sections :

Notices
Press Releases. Company Notices. New Shop Openings. Offline Events.

Market Place
Trade. Sell. Buy.

Jobs Recruit
Singapore Jobs: Work. Internship. Find jobs in Singapore.

New advertisements are posted frequently and interested people can reply directly in this forum system, which makes advertisers able to respond faster and improve efficiency.

However, advertisements are quickly replaced by new ones posted up and have to be 'bumped' up to the front page, which means that advertisers have to be vigilant in keeping their advertisements up on the front page for maximum viewership. Also, forum-goers are not necessarily the best audience as they are very diverse and not all will be interested in a certain product/service as compared to dedicated classified advertisement websites such as st701.com.


Best practices on the web
http://adwords.google.com
http://www.webaward.org/winner.asp?eid=1213
According to web marketing association, the winner for the Best Advertising Website 2003 was Google Adwords.

Google has a trademark simplistic 'no-frills' approach to website design, as evidenced by their renowned Google search (google.com) and also Google Adwords. Information is easily available on the front page, with a simple introduction of how it works. Adwords has a novel concept, as in advertisers do not have to pay when the ad is displayed, but only when someone clicks on the ad. This service is boosted by Google's search engine, which will display the ads alongside search result. Not only does this boost the relevance of interested users, it will also increase greatly the traffic to the ad as Google is the world's leading search engine.

As compared to st701.com, we feel that Google Adwords is much better in terms of execution and design, not to mention the powerful backing from the Google search engine. Advertisers get their goal easily, with simple instructions and globally(optional) supported advertisements, as compared to st701.com which only caters to locals. Users of the Google search will also be more likely to click on relevant advertisements as they search for the desired service/product.