Blog assignment 1

For this assignment I decided to choose state tourism websites in the United States. The five that I decided on were Arizona, California, Oregon, Virginia, and Massachusetts.

*Arizona

Strengths:
-Easy to navigate
-Clearly labeled sections
-Breaks down the state into different regions and what there is to do in each
-Gives information on state-wide events

Weaknesses:
-Overall visual appeal of website is dull
-Does not highlight certain areas over others

Opportunities:
-Could offer some state history on website to further draw people in
-Include pictures of major man-made attractions, not just Grand Canyon

Threats:
-Focuses too much on nature and not enough on other attractions, which could deter tourists seeking a more metro vacation.

*California

Strengths:
-Great visual appeal to the homepage
-Breaks down CA into the most popular regions
-Great pictures
-Information on history, diversity, and ecological awareness in CA
-Great interactive map of the different regions

Weaknesses:
-None, this website was very easy to navigate and did not lack anything i could think of

Opportunities:
-Could have a section telling why CA is a better destination than others by talking about the variety of things to do

Threats:
-There might be too much variety for someone to choose which city to visit

*Oregon

Strengths:
-Interactive map of Oregon with pictures and attractions in each region
-Nice section on seasonal values and events

Weaknesses:
-Overall dull visual appeal
-Homepage is not as interactive
-Only four tabs/very simplistic layout (could be good and bad)
-More ad's on homepage then information

Opportunities:
-Could maximize more on the forest and outdoor recreation
-Needs to highlight more special attractions

Threats:
-Homepage gives the feel of a rugged outdoor place, could deter tourists who are seeking otherwise

*Virginia

Strengths:
-Nice appeal of website
-Easy to navigate
-Good homepage and tabs
-Very good historic attractions section

Weaknesses:
-Weird tag line/theme "Virginia is for lovers"
-Homepage does not give the viewer a good feel of the state

Opportunities:
-Capitalize on historic tourists

Threats:
-"Virginia is for lovers" theme can deter younger, single tourists looking for fun

*Massachusetts

Strengths:
-Good transportation section
-Good labeling
-Lots of Language options

Weaknesses:
-Very weak homepage visual appeal
-Website does not set the tone for the feel of the state at all
-Colors used are very generic
-Overall unappealing

Opportunities:
-None

Threats:
-Unprofessional website can lead for tourists not to visit

Overall California had the best website hands down. The homepage was inviting and interesting, with numerous pictures and tabs. All the websites were similar, but California displayed all the information without any difficulty of navigation. It's website also had information on subjects that the others did not: diversity and ecology. I thought these were two very important and interesting categories of information. It also had the best visual appeal and really gave you a sense of what California is all about.



Sources used:
http://www.arizonaguide.com/
http://www.visitcalifornia.com/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&ContentID=21166
http://www.traveloregon.com/
http://www.virginia.org/
http://www.massvacation.com/

Other sites visited:
http://www.experiencewa.com/
http://www.travel-vermont.com/
http://www.visitflorida.com/