Update Your Website - McDonalds (Part 2)
In Part 1 I commented on the poor design evident in the McDonalds Global homepage. Now as I stated a corporate website is a difficult thing to manage, especially with franchisees etc. However, this is not a good enough excuse. It is hard but it must be managed. Corporations should be rewarded because what they do is difficult, not for shirking the hard work.
On the right hand side of the global homepage, there is a drop down list of the local websites that McDonalds operates in. As is my policy not to put the underdog down, I decided to look at the McDonalds UK website.
The first thing you notice about this website is that it is all flash. I can tolerate Flash in moderation, but the entire website, of a corporation. Furthermore the website uses a set proportioned iFrame. What this means is that if your browser is in 1024*768 mode it will add an internal Flash scrollbar to the website. Why?
The Navigation is poorly labelled, further hitting the usability of the website. Why use “Toasted Deli Sandwiches” as the most prominent link and why use “Eat Smart” rather than “Nutrition”. In fact nutritional information is suspiciously hidden away beneath a few layers of navigation. When you do find it you get a PDF file that opens in a new window. Once one delves into the document which is plaster-coated in PR spiel, the findings are as bad as you expect.
Images on the site are once again, of poor quality. They tend to be cropped badly or blurred up. What annoys me about this website is how it contrasts with the slick professional delivery of ads, leaflets, even their truck livery.
An example from the Nutrional Document:
McChicken Premiere Patty
Chicken Breast (55%), Coating (Wheat Flour, Rice Flour, Breadcrumb (including flour treatment agent E300 Ascorbic Acid), Flavourings, Dried Egg Albumen, Maize Starch, Raising Agents (E450 Disodium Diphosphate, E500 Sodium Bicarbonate), Sugar, Salt, Pepper, Yeast Extract,Flavour Enhancer (E508 Potassium Chloride), Whey Protein Concentrate, Mustard Powder, Capsicum Extract, Salt Enhancer, Herb Extract, Thickener (E461 Methyl Cellulose), Colour (E160c Paprika Extract, Turmeric Extract), Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Water, Marinade (Salt, Maltodextrin, Flavour).
Given that I picked the product above at random you can see why McDonalds are not forthcoming with nutritional information. While I am partial to the odd hamburger myself, I find it disturbing that McDonalds appear to have a policy of stating to the press and public that nutritional information is published, only to avoid actually letting people find it.
In summary: The McDonalds website - I’m not loving it.
Posted 25.10.07