Author: seangiffen

Take a look at St. Clair Colleges website. In relation to visuals, what would you propose to St. Clair College to
improve/enhance this new website to effectively market to potential incoming local domestic students.
Please provide three (3) recommendations and justify your answer with detailed reasoning.

The first recommendation I would make to St Clair College would be to include more visuals relating to the programs themselves. This was a huge weak point for me when actually selecting a program to attend for school. When you actually click on the “full time programs” section of the St Clair website you are met with a huge list of every program currently available to be taken at the college. So, you click on one of these programs because you are interested in it and you are immediately met with a bunch of text and a ton of information you need to read, with what is most likely a stock image of something relating to the program at the top of the page. For almost every single program that the college offers, and a rare case occurs when a YouTube video of some sort is able to be watched to find maybe some more information about the course you could be interested in. Instead, the college could cater each informational section for each program with specific pictures from the actual program with images highlighting what goes on in classes, and maybe even some pictures of some hands on activities that the program may contain. This was something that even I realized when applying for the college, was that there was a total lack of visuals within the programs section. When a domestic student applies for the program they may be interested in, other then their potential external research they have no real idea as to what their life could look like in the classroom eventually. If St Clair can utilize this and include more visuals with this section of their website, it can help prevent students potentially needing to either do more research themselves about a program. How this part of the website currently sits also makes it feel like potential new domestic students are just going in blind, and really could have no idea what they are getting themselves into.  

The next recommendation I would make to St Clair to enhance their website visuals would be including some visuals about success stories from the college along with some stories from students who are currently attending the college. Whether we’d like to admit it or not, the whole reason we go to a post-secondary institution like St Clair is to get a job that can provide us with a good life. After looking through the St Clair website, very little information and visuals can be found relating to graduates from any program that have given a testimonial for a certain program that could have the potential to provide some insights to domestic students. These visuals don’t necessarily have to be right when you open the page, because there is definitely some more important information that could be in the place of that. But, if the college were to create some type of separate web page for this type of content it could provide some great results. Also including visuals highlighting students currently attending the college could also enhance the idea of how amazing the college is to new domestic students. There is some decent information in copy and text regarding what students can expect when attending the college, but there really aren’t many visuals apart from once again some stock images. If the college can utilize visuals and maybe include some pictures about what activities and what clubs the college offers, it can sort of create some type of excitement for new domestic students. Instead of the college just talking about what they offer, instead of actually showing what they offer in the form of visuals it may even be able to help convert more students to actually attend the college.  

Finally, the last way St Clair College could enhance their website by using visuals would be to incorporate visuals on the faculty and staff. Nowhere on the website is there any visuals or anything that highlights the amazing staff that St Clair has recruited to teach their programs. If St Clair College were to add this section to their websites with visuals that accompany it, there could be many benefits attached to it. One of the biggest potential benefits would be the addition of a personal touch. If you really think about it, these professors that are teaching these students will be connected to said students for years to come while they attend the college and show up to classes. Simply creating a new webpage that only highlights these professors with visuals to accompany it could actually help the students pick a program. If they see a professor they maybe recognize, or one that looks cool maybe they could be more swayed to enroll in the program to be taught by that professor. Also, chances are most of these professors have some pretty good alcaides to be teaching at the college level. If the college were to highlight their staffs accomplishments with visuals such as professional photos of these professors that highlight what makes these professors or faculty what they are, it could also be very compelling to new domestic students. Doing this specifically could highlight the reputation of the college for hiring amazing staff. These visuals that could be created could reinforce the idea that domestic students are learning from the best of the best, and making sure to highlight that if these amazing professors are willing to be apart of St Clair College and actively teach here it would mean that its a respected enough school. The addition of this visual section just makes the website feel more personal, and it will highlight using visuals the backbone of the college itself.  

Explain in detail why the image(s) was beneficial for the post. (3 Marks) 

This specific image could be beneficial for a blog post on the Shift and Bids blog for a couple of reasons. The first reason would be that this image highlights the facilitation of a car sale, which is what Shift and Bid are all about, and it’s the entire purpose of our service. The focus on handing over the car keys between two people perfectly represents the buying and selling process. It captures the moment when a deal is finalized and complete, making it a strong visual for a blog post about successful car auctions. Secondly, the handshake and key exchange make it easy to understand the purpose of the image. A handshake is a well-known way to show trust and agreement, which are important in any car auction. In this case, it shows that both the buyer and seller are satisfied with the outcome. Since Shift and Bid connects buyers and sellers through auctions, this image helps show the final step of the process, when a winning bidder gets their car. The key also symbolizes new ownership and the excitement of winning an auction, which makes the image even more fitting. Lastly, the setting of a car dealership reinforces the theme of buying and selling cars. While Shift and Bid is an online auction platform and not necessarily an in-person auction or a dealership of some sort, the image still works well because it shows a professional car buying experience like Shift and Bid. It helps build trust by showing a professional transaction which is what customers should expect when using Shift and Bid. The clean and professional background makes it clear that using Shift and Bid is a professional process, and there are no shortcuts. 

Why did you choose the specific image(s)? (3 Marks) 

This specific image was chosen for a couple of reasons. Firstly, this image highlights the facilitation of a car sale, which is what Shift and Bid is all about. The focus on handing over the car keys between two people perfectly shows the process of buying and selling cars which is exactly what Shift and Bid offers to its customers. It clearly captures the moment of a successful deal, making it a great way to represent the car auction sale business.  Secondly, the handshake and exchange of the car keys make it easy to see what Shift and Bid also represent.  A handshake is a common way to show agreement and trust, which are important in any business deal epically in the car business In the car sales business, it means that both the buyer and seller are happy with the deal which is always the end goal of Shift and Bid. This moment is important because it shows that everything is final, and the car now belongs to the buyer. The key itself is also a symbol, representing the fact that a sales are constantly facilitated using our services without any issues. Lastly, the setting of a car dealership helps to make the theme of buying and selling cars even clearer. The background, with a car and a showroom like space, makes it obvious that Shift and Bid is a service that sells cars. Without this certain setting in the background of the image, it may seem alot less professional and could also not totally convey that Shift and Bid is a vehicle buying and selling service. This helps people quickly understand that the image is about car sales, not just a simple exchange between two people. Overall, this image does a great job of showing the key parts of a car sale, including trust, professionalism, and a successful deal, making it a strong choice that represents Shift and Bid! 

Sealed the deal; Another successful transaction using Shift and Bid!

As discussed in class, please provide three reasons why visuals are important to web content. Please ensure you go into detail for each item. (6 Marks) 

Where the world currently sits, visual information is all around us and it has become a huge part of our everyday lives, which is exactly why it is so important as advertisers to capitalize on this and use it to our advantage. In fact, there are more people in the world that are visual leaners then ones that aren’t, which gives even more reason to use it to our advantage.  

The first major reason that visuals are so important in web content specifically is because they stick in people’s long-term memories. If someone were to see a bunch of information on a website for example containing no visuals at all and just a bunch of text with maybe some bolding or italics, chances are if you ask them in a couple of days they may remember a little bit about the information they took in but not much more than that. But, with the power of visuals this can be negated. If a company, or a website can create a powerful enough visual that can help users remember the information a lot better, it can lead to more then half the information being retained instead of maybe just a couple of key points.  

The second reason visuals are so important for web content is because visuals transmit messages a lot faster then the alternative. There are a ton of different elements that can go into creating the right visual in web content. But, if all of these elements can be cohesive enough it can help transmit the message at hand more effectively then anything else. The human brain is the best supporting idea for this point. If a visual were to pop up on screen in some type of web content, the human brain will be able see that images as long as it was on the screen or able to be seen for as little as 13 milliseconds! The human brain can also register 36,000 visual messages per hour, and there are a ton more facts about the human brain alone as to why visuals could be an amazing idea to incorporate into your web content efforts. Its been well known for a long time that the human brain can just capture visuals a lot more faster then its counterpart in web content specifically, text or long paragraphs of copy. Including visuals in your web content is not done just to make it look better, or improve the looks of your website. Visuals are used in web content purely based off the fact that it is just more effective, and its been backed by a ton of research over the years with many supporting points. Sure, companies can use visuals to purely improve the aesthetic of their websites but if these specific visuals are really optimized to be the best they can be the benefits are almost unmatched.  

Finally, visuals are most important to web content because visuals can trigger emotions. Chances are, you have seen at least one visual in your life that has spoken to you specifically, or maybe even triggered some type of emotion after taking a look at it. This is a huge benefit to visuals, mainly because when someone feels more connected to something exactly like a visual it can help them also retain this information much better. Sure, someone can read through a bunch of text and maybe feel a little bit of emotion at the end relating to what they just read, but with the power of visuals this potential emotion being felt could be amplified. Once again, the way the human brain works plays a huge role in how beneficial visuals can actually be. Visual memory which triggers emotion is part of the brain, which means everyone has it. If a company were to create a campaign for web content without visuals, it would almost be like segmenting everyone with a brain out because its something everyone has. Including certain metaphors in your visuals are also another amazing way to trigger emotions for a user. Abstract advertising and Abstract concepts are a great example of how visual advertising can trigger a certain set of emotions for users, and its also a great reason as to why you should be incorporating visuals in your web content efforts. 

The new and improved Shift and Bid business introductions post makes it easy for our customers to find the information they are looking for along with many other improvements. The title, “Shift and Bid: The Ultimate Auction Platform for Car Enthusiasts,” clearly tells the reader what the website is about. Almost right away, someone can see that this is a place for car auctions, specifically for people looking for modified and high-performance vehicles. This helps people quickly decide if the platform is relevant to them. The post also organizes the information well, using headings like “Why Choose Shift and Bid?” and “Seamless Car Auction Experience.” These new headings break down the important points so readers can quickly scan and find what interests them and maybe act upon it. Also, the post makes it clear that Shift and Bid is not just a local platform but one with a presence all over Canada and the United States and worldwide for that matter. This helps people who want to buy or sell cars from different places. If a buyer is looking for a rare car that they can’t find nearby or anywhere at all, they now know that Shift and Bid could help them find it worldwide. The call-to-action at the end, “Sign up today and start discovering, bidding, and driving your next dream car,” is also helpful. It very clearly tells the reader what they can do next if they want to use Shift and Bid to facilitate their next car purchase. There is nothing confusing about the new introduction at all, and it very much so helps communicate what the new customers may be looking for.  

Plain English writing means that people should understand the messagey, and my new Shift and Bid introduction does a great job of this. The sentences are clear and don’t use complicated words. For example, “Our easy to use platform ensures a smooth and worry free process” is simple and direct. The reader instantly knows that the platform is easy to navigate and won’t cause any stress for them at all. The post also avoids unnecessary details that could confuse the reader. The introduction sticks to the main points which is how the platform works and what makes it special and every paragraph has a clear purpose, so the readers don’t feel overwhelmed with too much information at once. Also, the post uses everyday language that most people can understand. If the post used very technical car terms or complex auction language, it might be harder for everyday people to understand what the platform does and what exactly Shift and Bid provides at the core. Instead, keeping things simple with simple language is a great way to avoid confusion and help the readers of this introduction post fully understand it. Another great feature of my new introduction is its use of short paragraphs and bullet points. A lot of text can be difficult to read, and may even push some people away if they see too much text that they don’t feel like reading it. The bullet points under “Why Choose Shift and Bid?” make it even easier to understand the key benefits without having to read a lot of extra words. Bullet points also help a ton with scanning. If someone opens this email from their inbox and quickly scans through it they will most likely come across the bullet points right away which contain key information. 

The final goal of Plain English writing is to help people accomplish what they set out to do, or fulfil their purpose. In this case, the goal is for buyers and sellers to confidently use the Shift and Bid platform. The post does a great job of making sure readers know exactly what steps to take next. For sellers using our service, the post explains that they can “showcase their cars to a worldwide audience.” This tells these sellers that listing their car is simple and will give them access to more potential buyers than if they only sold locally like using Facebook marketplace. If the sellers goal is to sell a car quickly and to the right audience, the post reassures them that Shift and Bid is the right place. For buyers, the post makes it clear that they can “explore a selection of amazing vehicles with confidence.” This helps them feel more comfortable about using the platform to find and bid on cars they are looking for. The sentence “Don’t miss out, your perfect car is just a bid away!” encourages these buyers to take action right away, making these people more likely to sign up and start bidding. The post also helps build trust, which is important for both buyers and sellers. It highlights “Transparent Bidding,” meaning that there are no hidden tricks or anything that they shouldn’t expect when using our service. Users using the platform can trust that they will have a fair chance when bidding on cars, because at the end of the day no one wants to feel scammed or misled when buying or selling something expensive like a car and this would really only hurt the reputation of Shift and Bid also. Finally, the mention of social platforms like Reddit, Facebook, and Twitter helps create a sense of community which also could help fulfil a purpose. If a user wants to connect with other car enthusiasts or learn more about Shift and Bid before using it through our social media presence, they know where to go. This makes it easier for them to feel like they are part of something bigger, which is another reason they might choose this platform over others. 

For question number 2, my newly written f pattern and plain English business introduction included many significant improvements over my previous introduction from last assignment. The first biggest noticeable difference is the lack of heading in the original introduction completed for the last assignment. For the last assignment, included in the feedback section was a little bit of constructive feedback as to some elements that were missing from my F pattern. For the other assignment, instead of including a headline the information was just immediately presented to you without really any introduction as to what the content was about. This was the first major change and the first major difference between my F pattern content. For the new, revised version of my business introduction a headline was placed at the start of my content right before the content actually begins. The headline reads “Shift and Bid: The Ultimate Auction Platform for Car Enthusiasts”. This can give readers a little bit of an idea as to what shift and bid actually is, and offers a lot more clarity as opposed to just diving right into the content. 

 Another major change is the size and word count of the first paragraph containing all the valuable information about Shift and Bid which is what users would see first when they begin reading right after their attention is caught, and also the content within that paragraph, and this is where the plain writing tools started to come into play. In my initial business introduction, the first paragraph was massive and contained almost too much information while also having a little bit too much jargon. This is where the new implementation of plain writing comes into effect. In my rendition of this business introduction, nearly all of the exact same points from the original submission were hit but instead shortened and a lot less wordy and overall just a lot more enjoyable to read while also not feeling like there is any type of information overload. This can even seem a lot less visually daunting when users first come across this piece of copy. Instead of being drawn in by a headline, or anything else relating to this copy and immediately being greeted with a ton of words right out of the gate, now users are met with a much more concise version of the exact same information. The actual content of the copy was improved upon as well. The first submission included some information that really didn’t need to be included and probably could have been relocated to a different section, and this was fixed and either totally removed or moved to a totally new section.  

Another aspect of this new and improved introduction was the use of headlines. On my old introduction, a couple headlines were used but they weren’t very strong and contained information attached to them that also was pretty vague. With this in mind while creating my new submission, I decided to use these headlines to my advantage to create different sections that each contain bits of valuable information. These headlines in bold text both break up the small bits of information attached respectively to each headline, and can provide a couple of benefits to readers. Firstly, it can help people scanning through the article get the information they are looking for. Instead of burying important keywords within body copy and making readers search for it, providing it in bold headlines then just expanding on this information is a perfect example of writing for the reader which is exactly what plain writing is all about. Some of the headlines were kept the same, because they didn’t really need to be changed to anything different. But, the headlines that weren’t changed received a little bit more valuable information actually attached to them to just provide better information.  

Finally, the last major difference from the original introduction was the use of bold and italics throughout the copy and headlines. In my original introduction submission, only the headlines were bold. But, in this new submission I have made sure to bold and even italicize important keywords outside of the headlines in the body copy. This was mainly done to emphasize information that is important and relevant, and it can also split up the text and differentiate it from the non-bold text. Sometimes, readers can get tired of reading just one big block of the same font. If some key points throughout that block of information are bold it can allow the readers to catch a break and help them not get overwhelmed when reading my information. Keywords were bolded throughout the text because sometimes, bold text can sort of guide the readers attention as they bounce from each important topic. If each important keyword can be highlighted in bold text, if somebody is scanning through the article each bold term can hopefully catch their eyes like a ping-pong ball as they go from important term to important term in my body copy.  

In conclusion, there are many different elements that were implemented into the new submission of my business introduction and the F pattern along with the plain writing techniques were utilized to foster these elements and bring them to life within the new submission.  

The most challenging part of both applying the F pattern and utilizing the plain English principals when rewriting my content for this assignment was actually trying to scale back the information I was trying to convey. While writing using a plain English style does not mean dumbing it down and avoiding technical words, I faced a challenge of really trying to provide the most relevant information while keeping it on topic while also not trying to do exactly what was just mentioned, dumbing it down and not being accurate with my information. Plain English writing is all about being precise with information while also keeping it not too overcomplicated. Naturally, when rewriting my content I got some ideas and at one point I was really just flowing and writing down ideas while making sure all the boxes were being ticked, until I realized I may actually be writing too much in relation to the F pattern, and if I was being honest to myself I realized that anyone who wasn’t very, very interested in what I was saying probably would have just clicked off by now which is the exactly opposite of what both of these tools were made to accomplish. Finding the balance between keeping the content filled with relevant information while also keeping it concise was definitely one of the most challenging aspects, but there were a couple of ways I overcame it. Firstly, as weird as it may sound I mainly overcame this challenge that I was faced with by putting myself in the shoes of the reader. I thought about when my ideas are flowing and I was really just going with the flow and writing what came to my mind for anything but the f pattern and plain English writing, it would have been a good thing. But, with the requirements of these writing techniques in mind that’s not what should be done. Being concise is one of the biggest advantages of plain English writing, and with this in mind If I was the one reading an article that was just stuffed with maybe valuable information but on the other hand the article was just way too long, chances are that anyone including me would have just clicked off and realized they don’t even need to be reading this much copy to get the information they are trying to receive. Another challenging aspect that I faced was sort of figuring out where to put certain information that was worthy of including in my copy. Unlike the last question where it was all about overcoming and including the right information in the right context, the next challenge was figuring out where this information goes. At the top, middle, or bottom? This is a crucial part of the F pattern rule because if you include information that is irrelevant at the top, then people will click off because it doesn’t make sense or resonate. But, if you do the opposite and include relevant information at the top then it can be a surefire way to success. I overcame this by using what I have learned in class so far regarding the F pattern and where to include certain information to provide the best possible reading experience for people reading my content.

One specific technique I used to improve the readability of my revised version of the business introduction for shift and bid was using bold text a lot more throughout the actual content and highlighting keywords. In the old version of my business overview that didn’t contain really any plain writing techniques, bold text was really only used at the start of a new sentence to convey what the sentence was about. In my revised version, I have decided to use bold text to my advantage to highlight keywords that people who are quickly scanning may get caught up on, and hopefully this can guide them to what the bold word actually relates to. For example, a couple of phrases that I have decided to bold within the first bit of information on my revised version include dedicated online auction platform, modified and high-performance, and carefully selected. “Dedicated online auction platform” was bolded because that’s exactly what Shift and Bid is and with this bolded it provides the potential user with a little bit of clarity as to what exactly our service really is. “modified and high-performance” was also selected to be bolded because think of it like this: if someone is on the internet looking for an auction service to buy exactly that, modified and high performance cars then if they are quickly scanning this article and they realize that exactly what they are looking for is specifically bolded, chances are they will investigate more and use our services. If someone is looking for a car auction website, but not necessarily one that specializes in modified and high-performance cars it could also help them out into finding a service that may be better suited for them. Finally, bold text was utilized for “carefully selected” to let users who only scan articles know that not any car is allowed to be listed on shift and bid, and every car that passes through the service is carefully vetted. Bolding this keyword is effective because it can let users know that shift and bid doesn’t really mess around when it comes to the cars that represent our services. Using bold words to my advantage was not only used in the first paragraph and they were used in many different instances throughout the text. Bold text was used at the start of new information to let readers know that a new bit of information is being talked about, instead of just having one big run on sentence. Bolding this part of the text can also help break up the copy. If a user is quickly scanning the article looking for a certain part of information and the information, they are looking for is bolded and big text, it helps them accomplish exactly what they were looking for without hassle. At the end of the day, bold text is effective because it differs from “regular” text and is eye catching when utilized to supply the right information.

Shift and Bid: The Ultimate Auction Platform for Car Enthusiasts 

At Shift and Bid we fuel the passion of car enthusiasts by providing a dedicated online auction platform designed for buying and selling modified and high-performance cars. Whether you’re searching for a rare collector’s piece or any type of performance vehicle, our bidding service helps you find what you need with ease. All of our cars are carefully selected to ensure quality, so both buyers and sellers can have the most confidence when using our services.  

Why Choose Shift and Bid? 

• Curated Listings – Every car is carefully selected to meet the high expectations of our community and buyers. 

• Transparent Bidding – Real-time auctions with clear details for a straightforward and fair bidding experience for everyone. 

• Global Reach – Connect with fellow car enthusiasts across the world and expand your buying and selling opportunities to not just local. 

Seamless Car Auction Experience 

Our easy to use platform ensures a smooth and worry free process, whether you’re listing a vehicle or placing a bid. Sellers can showcase their cars to a worldwide audience instead of just local, while buyers can explore a selection of amazing vehicles with confidence in the back of their minds. 

Join the Community 

Become part of Shift and Bids thriving network of car enthusiasts. Engage with fellow enthusiasts through social platforms like Reddit, Facebook, and Twitter. 

Ready to find your dream car? 

Sign up today and start discovering, bidding, and driving your next dream car with Shift and Bid. Don’t miss out your perfect car is just a bid away!