| The Tours and Transport Award for October goes to... |
| Adventure South |
 |
|
It's amazing how many sites fail to effectively communicate information regarding the product they represent. This is as true of non-tourism websites, as it is of those which are tourism oriented.
The Adventure South site is certainly an exception. Well written copy and clear, concise information leave no doubt as to what to expect from the company. "We explore the hidden secrets of the unique South Island in small groups, by mountain bike or on foot" reads the introduction on the site's main page. Simple navigation also eases the gleaning of information and, whilst the site is not multilingual, one would expect the clear copy and straightforward navigation would simplify matters for those whose first language isn't English. Another aspect of the site which impressed judges was the organisation of information. All of the salient points were covered in the "shallow" layers of the site with the more detailed information, such as the trip notes for each tour, expanded deeper within. Large blocks of copy were marked up in serif fonts such as Times which, as those from traditional publishing backgrounds would be quick to point out, is far easier to read than sans serif fonts such as Helvetica or Arial. Images throughout the site were exceptional, not just because of their reproduction quality but also, their relevance to the subject matter and, in the case of photographs, their excellent composition. They work well with the copy to create desire for the product. Dislikes? Well there's one biggie. A booking form which requests credit card details but does not provide secure encryption of information. There isn't even a fax number so that you can print and fax the form as an alternative to submitting this sensitive information insecurely (via email). Hopefully, this will be remedied soon since in future, sites not providing an alternative to an insecure form for provision of credit card details won't be eligible for a WETA. Other than that, the site pretty well met, or exceeded, our criteria. The judges suggested the visitor experienced could be enhanced still further by means of adding a few newer web technologies - video, sound, panoramic pictures etc might add a bit of spice. More importantly though, the fundamentals are all good and the product is well presented. A great site. |