COMPANY: Newport Vineyards WHERE TO FIND IT: www. NewportVineyards.com CRITIQUE: Aquidneck Island’s Newport Vineyards have a simple, yet endearing Web site that serves as a quality on-line brochure. There is nothing revolutionary about the site, and it is not a site people would go to every single day, but it serves most of its functions in a way that could maintain a user’s interest for the duration of their stay. When the need is there, so is the site.
NAVIGATION: Viewed on Internet Explorer version 5, the only problem with navigation is that there are a few pieces of information on certain pages that look as though they are links.
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Were this a brochure, this problem would not arise, because these pieces of information are simply bulleted points. However, because of habit, somebody who uses the Internet every day may assume that on the homepage, he or she can look into the fact that tour buses are welcome, or that there is an art gallery on the premises, and that the Newport Vineyards are available for corporate receptions. One can only assume that this is something that will be changed in the near future.
The pieces of information on the Personal Wine Labels area are similar. A user may be deceived to think that the bar of text on the left side will have hyperlinks, but this is not the case.
There is one “Coming Soon” page for the Winery Events, and when a user clicks on the Case Club area in the Award Winning Wines area, there is no information.
Aside from the lack of information behind text that a user may want to know more about, the navigation bar on the side is helpful for getting around the site.
CONTENT: This is the type of business that doesn’t really NEED a Web site, but can really benefit from it. John Nunes, owner of Newport Vineyards said he is amazed at the amount of inquiries and increased business that he receives directly as a result of his Web site. It just seems that in our increasingly tech-based society, each company must have some presence on the Web.
As mentioned previously, there are a few links with no information behind them, but because of the simplistic nature of the Web site, the information that is available seems adequate.
The order form page is a good idea for anybody not able to visit the actual Newport Vineyards, although it is not e-commerce capable. After filling out the form, they contact you and you give them your credit card number over the telephone.
The Personalized Wine Labels page is the best one for content. It shows the user examples of the wine labels, and why they would be good gifts for several occasions.
DESIGN: The colors of this site are consistent with what one would imagine for a vineyard, with purple grapes, green leaves and a classy stucco-like background.
The design of the splash page is deceptive in the sense that a user might think the site is more high tech than it actually is. This works in the site’s favor though.
Because after that, the photos of the people enjoying the Group Tours and Receptions make the organization seem more personable.
USEABILITY: Everything seems to work quite well on this site. The order form seems to work fine, and it is legally fool-proofed by making certain that when a wine order package is delivered, someone at least 21 years of age must sign for the package.
The e-mail hyperlink works well also.
What the Portsmouth-based Web company Just for the Record has created is in essence, a multi-media brochure to try to get the Web user to visit the Vineyard. And it seems like something that could work.
WHO CREATED IT: Just for the Record, Inc.
