This document presents the Website Communication Model (WCM) for understanding websites. It describes websites as consisting of four pillars: content and services, technical instruments, managers, and users. The document explains each pillar in detail. It also notes that understanding the context is important. According to the WCM, a website can be defined as "a set of contents and services, created by a group of people and made available to users through technical instruments, situated within a relevant market."

1. Website Communication Model
March 2013
Alessandro Inversini
ainversini@bournemouth.ac.uk
www.bournemouth.ac.uk 1

2. WHAT IS A WEBSITE?
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3. “a cluster of pages” which is composed of “a unique node on the web”
(O’Neill, 1998)
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4. “hobby for Information System people”
(Van der Geest, 2001)
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5. Let’s take a «services oriented» vision
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6. Website Communication Model
(Cantoni and Tardini, 2006)
Things
People
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7. Content and Services
• The quality of websites is closely connected to
the question of quality content.
• Authorithy: who is the sender, the publisher?
• Accuracy: info should be clear and correct
• Currency: is the content updated?
• Coverage: what is the communication goal?
• Objectivity: clear objective & information
• Offering services without ensuring regular and
professional management can frustrate visitor
expectations and weaken the communication
strategy.
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8. Technical Instruments
• To make contents & services accessible.
• HW, SW, GUI, navigation
• Cross platform compatibility
• Compatible with mobiles (small screen)
• Interface (auditory)
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9. Managers
• Interact with the visitors
• Real people behind the website
• Alignment with the other publication outlets
• Different outlet require different comm.
• User Centered Design
• Pervasive Usability Evaluation
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10. Users
• Real communication only happens when someone is
interested in and affected by a message.
• Attract users
- RSS really simple syndication
- Backlinking
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
- Search engines marketing (SEM)
- Social Media Marketing (SMM)
- Mailing lists
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11. The context
• During the design of a website the analysis of the four
pillars is not sufficient. In fact, it is necessary to study:
- the context,
- the market positioning,
- the (pruduct/service) competitors
- the information competitors
• Context is dynamic and changes rapidly
• There are no borders or barriers to internet users:
competition is global
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12. THEN…WHAT IS A WEBSITE?
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13. FOLLOWING WCM a WEBSITE IS:
“a set of contents and services (pillar1), created by a group of
people (pillar 3) and made available to a given group of end users
(pillar 4) thanks to a collection of technical instruments (pillar 2),
and it is situated within a given relevant market (5 element)”.
(Cantoni and Tardini, 2006)
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14. Example: Website Communication Model
March 5
Alessandro Inversini
ainversini@bournemouth.ac.uk
www.bournemouth.ac.uk 14

15. Fitness First
“Fitness First started small, as a single health and fitness club in
Bournemouth in 1993. We're now one of the largest gym, health
and fitness club group in the world with over 1 million members in
more than 400 Fitness First clubs. There's over 80 clubs in the UK
alone but we still have that one club mentality - every single Fitness
First member counts”
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16. Case Study (I)
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17. Discussion
• Content and Functionalities
• Interface and technology
• People managing the website
• Users
• Context
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