Field Trip Reflection

by Wong Pei Zhen

During our field trip, we visited 3 different clubs to gain a better understanding of their unique characteristics.

The first club we visited was Zouk, one of the most well known clubs in town. It was very crowded by 11pm when we reach there especially on Wednesday where it attracts a huge crowd at the main arena and Phuture playing retro and R&B music during ladies night. The crowd mainly consists of local trendy youngsters. Other than that, there’s also an outdoor wine bar located near the main entrance which serves inexpensive food and plays jazz music and also the Velvet Underground which plays progressive jazz and house music that attracts the more sophisticated crowd.

Next, we visited Ministry of Sound, the club that was named as the best nightspot experience at the recent Singapore Tourism Board Awards 2006. There were different rooms playing different genre of music appealing to the different crowds. Party goers could enjoy almost everything under this club. Club layout and décor were very impressive and toilets were 6 times bigger than Zouk with its dressing tables, lightings and plush seats.

Lastly, we visited club Arena which was just a few minutes walk from Ministry of Sound. Arena is new club which features international live music and appeals mostly to the expats crowds. There’s also daily bottle promotions such as one-for-one deals on certain liquor. I feel that this club is more of relaxing chill out area as compared to the other 2 clubs.

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: