Website Analysis

I have looked at other websites in order for me to create my own. The first site I looked at was 'The Sun'. I thought this would be a good choice as it is the leading UK newspaper. The second web that I looked at was 'Metro.' Both newspapers have different style's and are attracted to different audiences. I also included a local newspaper website 'The Post: Barking and Dagenham.'
I want to see the difference between both and how it defrenchiates itself. I think by looking at these websites I will be able to learn more and have more of an idea of how to make mine look.

Websites are important as the web is a now a key feature of day to day life. Where as before people had to get their information from books and newspapers people can easily log on to the internet and get the information they need quickly and efficiantly. The web has grown into a new media phenominon. Not only can people get the news but they can make it. Something that happened around the world can easily be accesed here. Blogs, news sites and community sites are all easy to access and available to the masses. The web has continued to grow due to the rising availability. People can now access the internet on their mobiles and gadgets; something which could not have been done before. By doing this it has been opened up to a new generation.

The Sun:
'The Sun' uses its red signature banner at the top of the page with its logo at the left hand side. In the banner their is an advertisement. This is all placed at the top of the page. The banner is easy to read and is eye cattching due to the bright red coloured background. The banner also has links to other'Sun' apps; including 'Sun Talk' e.t.c. The rest of the page is white and features the top news stories of the day. As you scroll down more stories appear, the page is divided into its top stories, with the most important being at top and least important at the bottom. Below the banner their is the top 10 biggest and most popular stories of the day. All of which are entertainment stories revoloving around celebrities like Cheryl Cole, Alesha Dixon, Kerry Katona and JLS.

On the right hand side of the page there are two advertisement videos and below them their are many different entertainment stories. Again many of these are about celebrities. Some of the stories include about The Sugababes, the end of Britney Spears world tour, I'm a Celebrity exclusives and X Factor news. Many of the news boxes feature EXCLUSIVE headings at the top of them. This shows the reader that the newspaper is getting the best stories before anyone else and makes them look better. At the top of the page you are able to subscribe to the newspaper if you are a regular user. Users are also able to search for a particular topic. Users are encouraged to get involved with the paper urging 'Get Involved'. This makes the site more user friendly.

The webpage is kept interactive with the use of flashing adverts and the use of roll over images. On the left hand side of the page their are links to other pages including sport, news, showbiz and television. This enables the user to go directly to the category of what they want to use. As you go down the page their are many links to stories and at the bottom of the page their are links to other newspaper websites including newspapers from around the world, they are; 'Fox News', 'Sky News', 'Times Online' and 'New York Post.' The page is easy to navigate and its consistant clear layout makes it easy to use and look at articles.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/
Metro:
'The Metro' has an advert at the very top of the page. This is even above the title of the newspaper. Next to this is a 'My Metro' gadget which is similar to that of 'My Sun', enabling the user to specifically do stuff and go to pages which they personally like. The background is blue and fades into white as it goes down the page. This is different to that of 'The Sun' which didn't feature as much colour. Next to the title is another advert this time a countdown timer to the 'Metro's' very own casino subscription. Below this; similar to that of 'The Sun' their is a search, where you can search for a specific story.

Unlike 'The Sun', 'Metro' does not have anything either side of it. Instead all of its news and adverts are in the middle of the page. The links to other parts of the page are below the search engine and the title. The links are to pages like News, Sport, Showbiz, Money and Fashion among others. All the stories are featued on a white background, making it clear to read. There is a main story which is bigger than the rest of the stories on the page. All of the hedlines have pictures included; similar to that of 'The Sun.' Underneath the story which is a serious story about a captive British crew, their is a bar which move when you press your mouse down on either end. The bar features other top stories. Next to this their is a moving tv like advert and the weather is featured above this. Underneath the moving bar their is a horizontal bar across the page which flashes the latest headlines and underntah this their are all the entertainment stories.

It is clear to see that the page has been split; with the most serious stories at the top of the page and the entertainment stories following unlike that of 'The Sun' which has entertainment stories running throughout. Again these entertainment story's are featured to that of Katie Price, Cheryl Cole and Katy Perry. They have a small speech image below which enables the reader to leave the own comment making the site user friendly. Next to the entertainment stories their is a small number of editors choices and a large picture. Below their is the news of the day in pictures and to the side their are ads for the metro including that of e-metro. Below this their are lots of other different news stories mostly about that of 'Im A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here.' The stories are sometimes featued differently; for example one is a video and two others are higlighted with the use of colour around it. At the end of the page their is another advert again for the same company.

At the bottom their are three headings with different stories. It say 'Today', 'To Do' and 'To Gain'. Unlike 'The Sun' instead of having links at the end of the page to other newspapers, there are links to articles included on 'The Metro' itself.

http://www.metro.co.uk/home/
The Post: Barking & Dagenham:
The Post has a different layout to that of the other two which I have looked at. It has much less stories on the front page and the adverts are a larger feature. The website is revolved around a community and as is its focus. Unlike 'The Sun' and 'The Metro' it doesn't focus on celebrity news and features. At the top of the page their is the newspaper name with an advert next to it. Here there is a blue background. The page has a similar colour scheme to that of the sun in the fact that the banner has a colour and the rest of the page is in grey; this compared to 'The Sun's' white.

Below a large advert their are links which focus on jobs, homes and other local things. To the left hand side their are links which feature a wider range of issues. The page features some news stories but their are lots of adverts on the page. There is a drop down box on the page which enables users to go to other newspapers of a similar kind for example 'Dockalnds 24.' There are 3 main news stories on the page; one main news another cineam and the last sport. Placed around and in between these stories are lots of small different ads. Also their is a small box where you can become a member and a 'Picture Post' where you can look at the week in pictures; similar to that of 'The Metro.' There is also a poll on the page making it more user friendly and interactive with the audience. There is also a competion box and thre is a 'quirky corner.'

As the web is a more community webpage than a larger format it features things like local jobs, homes and motors. Things that only affect people in the area. At the bottom of the page there is another advert. There are no links on the page like the two other websites previous. Although it is easy to use and navigate it is bland and not very interesting to use. It is aimed for all ages and features some stories which teens might like, but the style and layout make it boring and unattractive.

http://www.bdpost.co.uk/content/barkinganddagenham/post/default/default.aspx

My Views:
I like the way that 'The Sun' uses lots of rollover images and EXCLUSIVE bold headings. It makes it stand out and eye catching for the audience and is something I would want to incorperate. It looks professional like 'The Metro' which does have more of a sophisticated layout but lacks the use of technology and excitement that 'The Sun' has. Wheras 'The Sun' is more of an entertainment paper 'The Post' looks at stories which directly affect people and is something else I want to use. I have also noticed the heavy use of adverts in the local paper compared to the tabloid paper.