What do you look for in a carrier's website?

Swice · Apr 19, 2009

Hello all! I am reaching out to this community because I know that I can get some solid answers for a project I am working on. Please feel free to offer advice, opinions and feelings on this subject.

What type of information do you look for, or what type of information is useful when it comes to your carrier's website?

What are they currently providing that has been useful, what could they add to make it a more valuable resource, and what is available now that could be removed?

I am writing a research paper for school, and appreciate any help that I can get.

Thank you in advance.

Swice

cheri1122 · Apr 19, 2009

Just the fact that the questions haven't [to my knowledge] ever been asked of the O/Os by the carriers speaks volumes, IMO, but here's my reply:
What I'd like to see is the simple truth - no exaggerations, loopholes, or distortions.
What they could leave out is the flashy gimmicks, the sophomoric two-bit ad agency slogans, and the phony 'respect' of an invented name for contractors - all of which I find insulting, personally.
Accurate information is what we seek from any advertisement, whether it's a carrier or a product.

Turtle · Apr 19, 2009

It's an odd query. I'd like to know the school, the specific assignment, and why the trucking industry. Sounds more like a data mine to find out what is and is not on the various carrier's Web sites. Might be on the level, but like I said, it's an odd query for an academic research paper.

inkasnana · Apr 19, 2009

Anything that flashes, blinks, sparkles, glitters, rotates, wobbles, rolls, wiggles, strobes, or otherwise moves and is obnoxious, is bad for a commercial website. Moving graphics are distracting, annoying, a waste of memory and in some people they can cause epileptic seizures. When I click on a link and the site it leads to has obnoxious moving graphics, I leave the site.

I also HATE "forced" pop-up windows. My browser blocks most of them but some sneak by now and then. If you want me to look at the information on the pop-up window then provide a link to that information and if I want to look at it, I will click the link. The choice should be mine, not forced on me.

Swice · Apr 19, 2009

Turtle said:
It's an odd query. I'd like to know the school, the specific assignment, and why the trucking industry. Sounds more like a data mine to find out what is and is not on the various carrier's Web sites. Might be on the level, but like I said, it's an odd query for an academic research paper.

The assignment is drafting a report that helps a business adapt to an online marketplace. I am using this industry because it is what I know. I know that these types of sites are in demand by customers, drivers, and fleet owners alike so that is why I came here.

Not trying to mine data for any reason except for help on this project. The moderator, wingnut, probably knows who I am and I would be happy to answer any questions via PM.

Turtle · Apr 19, 2009

Fair enough. The thing is, what I as a driver wants from a carrier Web site is far different than what a customer wants, especially with regard to how the company might use that to adapt to an online marketplace. A potential driver would want what Cheri has suggested already, namely plain talk without the reader having to decipher what it all really means. A customer would want some clear concise instructions on how to obtain or order services, and what those services would entail. As a driver, I want a quick, easy login to get to some accurate information with which to make an informed decision about my business. As a driver I want far more information than most carriers are willing to provide to their drivers.

pelicn · Apr 19, 2009

When visiting a business website, I also do not want blinking, flashing etc. As a driver, looking at a carrier website, I want information that will help me with my business decisions. As a customer, I would want the information to be clear and in a logical order. I would also want basic pricing available without having to call for more information.

CharlesD · Apr 19, 2009

I wish my carrier could afford to hire a developer with a little more creativity. The guy they got to do the site was very cheap...and it shows.

Wingnut · Apr 20, 2009

I just want everyone to know that SWICE is truely legit and honestly is doing an analytical paper for school. He could really use all the input he can get from everyone to help write his paper.

greg334 · Apr 21, 2009

I divide it up in three different issues, the contractor, the potential contractor and the customer.

Of course the customer's part of the site should be informitive about the services and etc..

The potential contractors part should be as Cheri and other mentioned.

The contractor's part is completely different from the other parts. There should be information about the runs the contractor did, access to the money data and so on. The one thing I feel would be the right thing to do and I have yet seen anyone do it is as a contractor download their finances, like text delimited form to put into a spread sheet. I have seen this done where they can actually pick the info they need and create the report on the fly. but maybe I missed something where someone has that (I think a lot of the companies are IT poor).

If it is in the computer, it should be accessible.