Website Analysis: The Boston Consulting Group
+ Recommendations for an Improved User Experience
Analyzed Domain: www.bcg.com | Date of Analysis: May 2013
conducted by Matthias Buchholz & Team
[email protected] | www.conplore.com
Dear Reader,
This article features a systematic analysis of the corporate website of the consulting firm
The Boston Consulting Group
.This analysis concludes with the “story the page told us“ and recommendations for potential user experience improvements.
Motivation
It is our daily business to illuminate real-life business problems in the service of consulting clients and consultants. Corporate communication, the direct and indirect exchange between client and service provider, has always been of
central importance. The corporate website is an essential communication and presentation channel today. We have analyzed and compared a considerable number of consultancy websites. - Some perform well in a number
of important aspects, where others are lacking.
What have we analyzed?
Set of criteria
1. Domain Selection & Information Architecture 2. Accessibility & Languages
3. Content Strategy
4. Heads & Company Figures
5. Presentation of Expertise & References (client‘s view)
6. Presentation as an Employer (employee‘s view) & Social Engagement 7. Social Interaction
8. Social Media Fan Rank
9. Design & Sound – “I got soul, brother!“ 10. Eye Catcher – Unique features we love 11. Things we miss – Our question marks
Our summary: “What story does the website tell us?“ (brand perception) Our recommendations for the analyzed company (user experience improvements)
1. Domain Selection & Information Architecture Analyzed Domain (Main URL)
www.bcg.com
Subdomains promoted in major Google Search Results (via google.de):
Within BCG or beyond, our… BCG – The partner of choice to …
Our expertise covers the… Join BCG
BCG has more than 70 offices… Media Center
Number of Google Search results, when exactly typing in “www.bcg.com“ (in inverted commas) :
941.000 results
1. Domain Selection & Information Architecture
About Company Consulting Expertise Career & Recruiting
Legal Information
Media Center
Contact Press & News
Alumni Special Institutes
Heads & Leaders
Hot Topics
History & Values Branch Expertise
Functional Expertise Offices Special Country Pages Social Media Facts
Special Client Magazine / Infoportal Publications
2. Accessibility & Languages
registration required to see website: no, only specific info services
direct e-mail addresses of key persons easy to find: no, only mail forms found
free contents: yes, lots of free content (+ online magazines, media etc.)
priced contents: not found on main site
font size: easy to read (scalable)
site optimized for mobiles: yes
Main Site: English + country pages in corresponding languages
3. Content Strategy Foci About Pages Expertise Pages Media Publications Career Pages
3. Content Strategy Prevailing Formats:
Text: yes, extensive
Pictures: yes, considerable
Video: yes
Powerpoints: more java / flash animations
Sound / Podcast: podcasts available, sound in videos & podcasts
Downloads: a large number of articles, publications, studies (bcg.perspectives registration required)
Client Magazine: bcg.perspectives, a digital multimedia platform
Online Shop: not found on main site
Webinars: not found on main site
Forum: not found on main site
Chat: not found on main site
Livestream: not found on main site
Apps: yes, apple / bcg.perspectives
4. Heads & Company Figures
Detailed list of key personnel: yes
Pictures of key personnel: yes
Videos with key personnel: yes, a few
Contact details of key personnel: yes, but no e-mail address, only contact forms
Hard numbers & figures about the company: available
Figures about projects: not found
5. Presentation of Expertise & References (client‘s view) List of functional expertise: yes
List of branch expertise: yes
List of regional expertise / regions / local offices: yes
Search engine for expertise: yes
Contact persons for each consulting practice / respective experts easy to find: yes
Detailed list of provided consulting services: yes
Price list / standard honorariums: not found
Illustration of applied quality standards: not found
Illustration of expert certifications: not found
Reference list available: yes, in the form of impact stories (case studies) / upon request
6. Presentation as an Employer (employee‘s view) & Social Engagement
Career pages: yes
Job list: not found, only general roles
Information for existing employees: no special information found
7. Social Interaction Company Website offers / links to:
Corporate blog with comments: not found
Chats not found
Support chat on page: not found
Forums: not found
Facebook page: yes
Google+ page: yes
YouTube channel: yes
I-Tunes channel: not found
LinkedIn group / profile: yes
XING group / profile: Alumni Site
Competence Site page: German Site
Skype channel: not found
Feedback tools: not found
Twitter channels: yes
8. Social Media Fan Rank
Facebook Page: yes, several
Facebook App: not found
URL: facebook.com/TheBostonConsultingGroup: 64.939 likes
URL: facebook.com/bcg.perspectives: 18.143 likes
Twitter Channel: yes, several
@BCG Followers: 7.946 841 Tweets
@BCGPerspectives Followers: 7.212 1013 Tweets
9. Design & Sound – “I got soul, brother!“ Prevailing Colours:
Background: green, white, yellow / gold
Text: black, white
Logo visibility: high
Style: aligned upper left
Font size: medium, in parts small
Sound Logo on website: not found
Podcasts: yes
Video with sound: yes
Backgroud music: not found
Design Message / Impression:professional, global, conservative, value-driven, well-established, communicative, well-versed with new media, value for money, publisher, information-focused, integer, traditional, elitist, open, international, social, community-focussed, rich in knowledge.
10. Eye Catcher – Unique features we love Impact Stories – Case Studies (References)
Very clear information structure
Well-structured consulting practice overview
Clear responsibilities, distinct experts for each practice
Easy to navigate career pages
New Media focus and integration
Prominent multimedia portal: bcg.perspectives
Article marketing via bcg.perspectives, partly integrated into consulting practices
Attractive illustrations & content visualization (e.g. career growth path, history animation)
Social responsibilty focus, BCG Green & Working Mother
Global Office World Animation
Sound alignment / design conformity of country websites
Awards & Honors
Fact Sheet
11. Things we miss – Our question marks
A couple of direct e-mail addresses and contacts for general requests.
Impersonal contact forms may help reduce spam, but render sending messages rather uninvitingly.
Our summary (brand perception) “The story the website tells us.“
“The organized, transparent global strategist with social initiative“
“Dear Visitor,
This comprehensive multimedia information channel is capable of introducing as well as representing our company. As a leading management consultancy, we are value-driven and rely on expertise, a long tradition and our global reach.
We are ready to shape future together with our clients, employees and environment.
Our website reaches out to client companies and top applicants. It is a tool to gather market information, to improve our strategies and performance, to win new clients & employees. Still, it is more information hub than interactive communication platform.
You want to get in touch with us? Do it our way.
We have developed distinguished solutions for a myriad of problems – yours may well be among them already. Find examples here! We solve highly complex problems for clients from large companies and SME‘s.
Our employees are brilliant individuals. Women make a real difference and are very important for our business. Our staff can expect excellent training and flexible work solutions, but also clear performance orientation and evaluation.
You must be a team player to be successful with us.
We understand our responsibility as a large employer and social institution, and take it seriously. We balance social and profit orientation.“
Our recommendations
(user experience improvement potentials)
Despite the fact that we are quite impressed with the website‘s overall quality, we recommend to:
provide even more information on company key figures (e.g. total number of processed projects, etc.) open more communication channels, allow interaction, learn more about your visitors
answer the question: “What makes you better than your competitors?“
increase accessibility by reducing major barriers such as missing e-mail adresses further improve the functional interconnection of main site and bcg.perspectives
Thank you for your interest and attention!
For feedback and questions, please get in touch with us: [email protected]
Copyright: Conplore® by Matthias Buchholz 2013 All rights reserved.
