Competitive audit- GM photography.xlsx

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1	Competitive audit	Goals: Compare competitor’s websites to understand the best way to layout website and what information to include Compare the shopping and checkout experience of photography merchandise on photographer’s websites
2		General information								UX (rated: needs work, okay, good, or outstanding)
3		General information								First impressions		Interaction				Visual design		Storytelling		Shopping experience
4		Competitor type (direct or indirect)	Location(s)	Product offering	Price ($ - $$$$)	Website (URL)	Business size (small, medium, large)	Target audience	Unique value proposition	Desktop website experience	Mobile website experience	Features	Accessibility	User flow	Navigation	Brand identity	Work samples presentation	Explaining photographs or thought process	Brand building via credentials, bio, and expertise	Efficiency of purchasing merchandise
5	Mark Lilly Photography	Indirect	Online, Bay Area based out of Oakland	large-format wall murals and fine art photography.	Unsure (Prices not listed on website)	https://www.marklillyphotography.com	Medium	Corporate, retail, and commercial clients for murals. Cliental attending art exhibits, higher price point	A scientist turned photographer, Mark uses his 20+ years in the meteorological field to predict the optimal weather conditions and extraordinary light that will produce powerful photographs.	Header menu items don’t always resize	OKAY Menu organized using hamburger menu but still includes all the menu options from desktop version Images work in portrait and landscape mode to view photographs more clearly depending on orientation Overall design is simple but slightly dated in appearance Not all features are optimized for mobile, such as the logo auto re-sizing making the logo appear too small	GOOD Excellent use of photo carousel on homepage. Illustrates samples of photographer’s work All relevant sections have been categorized and sub-categorized to organize information Social media links included conveniently at the top of the page Website does not include shopping section or ability to purchase items	Not all typography choices are accessible	NEEDS WORK The menu options at top of page give customers adequate options to start user journey on website No clear indication of direction customer should take on website. User flow lacks directional cues Process pain point— Customer may like photographer’s work but they are not given the opportunity to purchase items on the website Financial pain point— No indication of pricing, may turn away potential customers who are unsure of whether this photographer’s work is in their price point	OKAY Many navigation options given in top menu to give customers adequate choice of what they would like to view Can navigate the site fairly easily from top menu No cart or checkout button Organization of navigation is confusing as there are many categories and subcategories. Naming of these categories could be clearer	OKAY Branding matches aesthetic of website Great use of photographic work as images on website Typography used throughout needs work as it is inconsistent (mix of different font types, sizes, weight, etc.) Logo on header is cut off on some pages	GOOD Pictures on the homepage make good use of showing off work samples Other photography examples all categories under subcategories in menu Small description of photo and where it was taken captured under photos Formatting of these pictures could be better implemented to elevate quality of the work	NEEDS WORK No section dedicated to talking more about the photo, giving a thoughtful description, or any background information	OKAY Dedicated “Bio” section that shows gives a quick synopsis of the photographer and his work “Bio” section could be longer, or share some of his accomplishments No credentials or work experience listed to highlight at what level he is in his career With more information about his background, customers could feel more connected to him and his brand	NEEDS WORK Not able to purchase photography merchandise on his website Must reach out via email or social media to inquire about project and pricing.
6	Richard Wong Photography	Direct	Online, Bay Area	Fine art landscaping and nature photography	$$$$	https://www.rwongphoto.com	Small	Those who enjoy photography and have a higher disposable income, willing to buy high-quality photographs at a fairly high price point	Fine art photography for homes, hospitals, and offices. Also sells prints.	GOOD Well organized layout of website Dynamic visuals that illustrate high level photographer is at in his career Sub-categories are organized using picture buttons as well as text Serif and Sans serif fonts are both being used. Not consistent and disrupts cohesion of page	words are scattered	GOOD Search page with keyword search function Cart and Checkout directly on website Extensive gallery and work samples Great use of storytelling for background on the photograph Design of elements such as typography and buttons is lacking	Search function	GOOD Menu items are labelled well, allowing customers to find right what they need from any page Each gallery item incudes description, pricing information, as well as the ability to add items to your cart Users can start on different points in the website and still efficiently get to the endpoint of the user flow Design of product pages and cart needs improvement	GOOD Good use of menu and keeping categories simple and easy to find Search feature allows customers to find photographs through a keyword search Mobile navigation should be condensed into a hamburger menu	OKAY Consistent branding across platforms and with design choices Better branding could make photographs stand out more	GOOD Work samples presented throughout website Deeply thought out images along with small paragraph description about the work. Gives insight into artist’s thought process A more elevated web design would better showcase this photographer’s images in the best way	OUTSTANDING Each photograph has small section describing more about the piece Blog and details about the photographer’s adventure to getting the great photographs displayed in his gallery	“Bio” section	Built-in cart and checkout
7	Buhay Photography	Indirect	Online, Bay Area based out of San Francisco	All-around photography and videography	$$	https://www.buhayphotography.com	Medium	Individuals looking for event photography, commercial/business. Good for average person as price points are in the low-mid range	Able to offer modern cinematic style photographs and videos. Specialized in event photography but has experience with shooting many different types of photos including, landscape, astrophotography, concerts, real estate, etc. Prints available.	Landing page conveys cinematic experience	OUTSTANDING Optimized for mobile experience. Items adjusted to suit phone display and items re-size accordingly Photos arranged to fit screen size Use of hamburger menu to hide subcategories and keep menu looking organized Some text on homepage isn’t aligned correctly. All other pages look fine	OUTSTANDING Modern and clean design of website in combination with typography and photos that are aligned with branding Compelling visuals throughout website act as portfolio of work Good use of menu organization Interaction from page to page feels fluid and goes with the expected user flow	GOOD Photos include description underneath that screen readers could easily pick up Color contrast meets accessibility guidelines Search function would help to find items buried under all the subcategories	OKAY Home page acts as starting point and includes all pertinent info and categories for finding page you need Call-to-action to purchase items is not given under items that are being sold in specific “store” section. Takes more clicks to get to appropriate page after finding product client wants to purchase	GOOD Can easily find menu items through navigation at top of page Long list of subcategories under “gallery”. Could use a different background color for the background of every second word to visually separate the long list of items “Gallery” page should utilize picture buttons to help customers more easily find what they are looking for	OUTSTANDING Eye-catching visuals establish photography brand’s style of photography across the website Excellent placement of text and icons Simple yet effective design of website that matches the logo appearance	Photographer artfully presents work samples	NEEDS WORK One line description of photo Only location and subject are described in caption below photo. Could be elaborated upon	NEEDS WORK Many testimonials provided on website that help validate work quality Portfolio of work is extensive and gives potential customers an idea of what they would get No background given about the photographer and their experience	Shop section located at top
8	Alexander Lull Photography	Direct	Online, Bay Area	Landscape photography and portraits	$	https://www.lullphotography.com	Small	Individuals who enjoy photography and are looking for wall art at affordable prices	Fine art photography, wall art available on different frames, panels, and canvas.	OKAY Storefront presents well and is easily understood at a glance Gallery photos designed in a creative way Overall store and gallery page website aesthetic is modern and all parts are cohesive together Home page is different from other pages in the typography, logo, styling, etc. Appears that two separate sites have been merged together User flow is messy as you can’t return to the original home page	OKAY Better mobile layout on homepage than desktop Menu items located in ideal location across bottom and are in most used thumb positions Same issue as desktop, two sites merged together and can’t return to original homepage	GOOD Shopping and cart option to checkout Favoriting items— ability to like photos and come back to the ones you’ve previously liked Product description page is thorough and well organized. Makes use of text and picture buttons to help customers easily find what they’re looking for Doesn’t include about me page, or anything that lists more about the photographer	GOOD Use of universal icons in top header for profile and cart Modern, easy to read font Color contrast of foreground and background items meets accessibility standards The implementation of text descriptions under photos could help screen readers	Users have the inability to return to the homepage	NEEDS WORK Concise menu options There are 2 different menu options provided because two websites have been merged together Home button on store website doesn’t bring you back to original homepage	Two separate websites together	GOOD Gallery section gives great examples of the photographer’s work High quality images displayed on website Captioned descriptions underneath photos or more information on the product page would give more information to customers	NEEDS WORK Blog allows customers to understand the photographer’s creative process No text descriptions underneath photos No information on the product page describing more about the photo’s background	NEEDS WORK + About page gives general synopsis of photographer No credentials, work history, achievements or alike are listed About page is only accessible from starting home page and can’t be returned to once off the original landing page Does not provide information about expertise or testimonials	Design of shopping section matches branding
9	Dave Gordon: Traveling Photography	Direct	Online, Bay Area based out of San Francisco	Photography from traveling: nature and landscape photography	$$	https://www.travelingphotographs.com	Small	Individuals looking for good quality home decor	Landscape photography that can be printed on canvas or paper. Can also be purchased on Etsy, giving customers ease of knowing it is a secure website for making purchases	GOOD Simple yet effective website and storefront Best of works included as samples on website Excellent visuals accompanied by text descriptions of how the photos were taken Not enough color contrast between text in forefront and background image	OUTSTANDING Great use of gallery to organize content on mobile while allowing to view individual images in fullscreen Use of hamburger menu to simplify menu Sticky menu used when scrolling down page	Links to social media	color contrast between text and background image on homepage	GOOD Excellent user flow as one can start an action from any page and easily access other pages without returning to the homepage Few steps to complete user actions Purchasing items takes you off platform, which takes longer and more steps to complete user action of purchasing	OUTSTANDING Menu items are clearly labelled and well named to suit the action users are looking for Sticky menu allows one to navigate easily from page to page without scrolling back to the top	OUTSTANDING Consistent branding across platforms and with design choices Branding colors kept to a minimum to not distract from colorful photography being showcased All typography is kept the same throughout the website through sizing and weight of titles and body	GOOD “Photography” section has work samples and is sub-categorized to make finding photos easier Grid view of work keeps items organized Descriptions underneath every photo give insight into the photograph and how it was taken Thumbnails of work should be larger Could include separate page for work samples to illustrate a “best of” works in a more traditional portfolio format	Hover text descriptions	OKAY About section gives a great overview of photographer and how they came to become a photographer No section providing credentials or past projects Website missing testimonials or information on expertise that would influence customers to choose to buy their work	Product page and checkout are taken off platform
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