Research of Websites 2 - Elle

Elle Website Research

The masthead is placed conventionally at the top in the centre of the website. The font is large which allows it to stand out and be a very prominent feature, meaning you are constantly reminded of the name of the magazine. The font is a serif font which creates a classy, sophisticated representation for the magazine. The banner in which the masthead is placed has changing images in the background, therefore the colour of the font used changes from black and white depending on what works best with that certain image. I think this is very effective because it means that it is always interesting to see what the image will be when you go on the website.

Similar to Vogue, the logo is conventionally placed in the top left corner. It remains there when you scroll down on the website so there is a constant reminder of the name of the magazine. If you press on the logo it takes you back to the homepage, so therefore it is very useful for the audience as it makes it easier to navigate the website and get back to the homepage quickly.

The navigation bar is a conventional feature of a website and it is very diverse in the links displayed. You have the option to explore articles related to fashion and beauty which would attract younger audiences (16-25), but also cultural links. When selecting the culture link, you are taken to a page with many articles relating to culture. There is a large image of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle which appears instantly. This section of the website does relate to the audiences concerns because their are several articles about important topics that people are anxious about - such as articles surrounding Donald Trump. This helps create a wider audience as it will attract older people, aged 25-30.

The horoscopes link also addresses the audiences concerns because many people enjoy reading their horoscopes, so they would find this link very useful. This is similar to the life and love link as this works as an advice section where you have the ability to write to the website a concern you have, and you will be given advice by E. Jean. Clearly this directly addresses the audiences concerns as their issues are being explicitly dealt with by a professional who is giving them advice. It is especially effective because people who aren't confident enough to open up may see a story they relate to, and will therefore be able to get the advice they need without having to open up about the issue they have.



As part of the navigation bar, on the far left their is a menu option, that if you select, brings up a long list of links. This brings up the same links from the navigation bar as well as some extras. You have the option to search which is very useful because if you know exactly what you're looking for on the website, you can quickly search for it and it will be on your screen straight away. There is an option to look at videos which creates a wider audience as it attracts the younger generation (16-21) who prefer to watch videos as a way of taking in information.
There is also an option to take you to a page about the newsletter, where you are able to sign up to it. This encourages people to sign up to the newsletter, especially with the lexical choices used, "For the latest in fashion, beauty and culture, sign up and receive ELLE's bi-weekly newsletter". This sounds very appealing as people will want to stay up to date with these things, so consequently, will want to subscribe.
The follow option gives a list of social media sites which you are able to follow them on which is good for the younger audience (16-25).
The link 'win' uses a buzz word which encourages people to click on the link. The link takes you to a page full of competitions you can enter.

There are articles on the website about things other than fashion. For example, there is this article about Prince William, Prince Harry and Donald Trump. This most likely expands the audience that the website attracts as an older audience would enjoy to read this article (25-35). The articles also have bylines so you are able to see the writer before pressing on the link. This is effective because if you see an article written by someone you follow and enjoy reading their work, then you'll likely press on it and read this article. It represents Elle's audience as being sophisticated because they read hard news as well as the normal  fashion articles with tips for clothing etc. At the top of the link it says 'Power and Politics' which is useful because people can read these headings and decide whether they want to view the article or not, without even having to read the headline. In contrast, there are the typical articles about fashion trends. For example, there is this one about a bag that is represented as being very good, meaning the article encourages people to buy the bag. There is a 'shop now' option making it easy to purchase. The heading for this one is 'Shopping' so if you're interested in viewing the latest trends to shop, you would simply scan these articles, reading the headings looking for ones that say 'shopping'.