user experience report the 2012 presidential candidates home pages

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User Experience Report:The 2012 PresidentialCandidates Home PagesReviewing the design and usability of the two presidential candidates

home pages with feedback from a user panel


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Usabilla is a web-based usability testing tool that allows marketers, analysts, designers and usability

experts to collect visual feedback on their website in a quick and fun way. Participants answer questions

by placing points and notes on top of a webpage, mockup, or sketch. The results of a survey are

analyzed and presented in a visual way with charts and heat maps. Usabilla's customers use these

visual insights to improve their user experience and optimize their website.

Usabilla is currently in use by more than 15,000 web professionals, and globally recognized brands

including Warner, EA, Discovery, LinkedIn, Disney, US Government, Sony, and Levi's.

Usabilla is a privately held company based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Learn more: usabilla.com
http://usabilla.com/http://usabilla.com/


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Table of contents...................................................................................................Introduction 4

......................................................................................................Highlights 5...............................................................................................The test setup 6

................The democratic candidate, incumbent President Barack Obama 7...........................................................First impressions on Obamas home page 7

.....................................................................What do people consider relevant? 8.................................................................What do people consider irrelevant?

10...............................................What makes people trust Obama as president? 11

.....................................................................................................Social media 13....................................................The Republican candidate Mitt Romney 15.......................................................First impressions on Romneys home page 15

...................................................................What do people consider relevant? 16.................................................................What do people consider irrelevant? 18

.......................What makes people trust Romney as a possible US President? 20.....................................................................................................Social media 20

..................................................................................................Takeaways 22

Usabilla Publication - May 2012

2012 Usabilla B.V. - Some rights reserved - All trademarks are the property of their respective owners 3


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IntroductionThe impending 2012 US presidential election looms closer every week, and offers an excellentopportunity to take a good look at the home pages of the two primary candidates: Democrat

incumbent President Barack Obamaand Republican challenger Mitt Romney.

We created a visual Usabilla survey to benchmark the home pages of the two presidential

candidates against each other. This is not a scientific paper and we did not track behavior.

Instead, we collected authentic opinions of American citizens using an online user experience

test.

The test included seven questions per home page and was taken by 50 participants between

the ages of 20 - 54 years, of which 27 were men and 23 were women. The participants had anaverage political interest of 2.7 on a scale ranging from 1 = very interested to 5 = not interested

at all. At the time of testing, 27 of the participants stated that they were inclined to vote for

Romney, 15 for Obama, and 8 were undecided.




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HighlightsA candidates stance is most important

The most important information people seek on each of the candidates websites is their

political stance. Information about who they are and what they think about the different topics

is essential for people to decide who will receive their vote. Neither President Obama or

Romney offer a lot of information on their home pages. Site visitors need to actively enter each

of the candidates sites in order to learn more about where the candidate stands on the issues.

Focus on the future, not on the past

Both candidates focus a lot on the past, rather than revealing their visions for the future. This

works better for President Obama than it does for Romney as he has recent achievements

from his first term to present. However, Romney focuses too much on running President

Obama down, instead of presenting his own ideas. Both candidates avoid presenting any

concrete plans of action to show where and how they are going to lead the country.

Social media

Social media plays a special role in this presidential election campaign just like it did in the last

presidential election. Social media is a tool for the presidential candidates to reach people, not

the other way around. People use social media to get information without actively seeking it.

Therefore, social media does not need to take up a lot of space on the candidates websites.

Relevant content has to be above the fold

Once again, it became clear that people dont like scrolling. Any relevant information about

issues, donation, or other call-to-action buttons must be placed above the fold, so they are

visible for the site visitor directly after loading the page. The footer does not draw any attention

for either of the candidates and should therefore not contain relevant information.

Trust

Different aspects influence whether or not a candidate is perceived as trustworthy. PresidentObama does a good job building trust by showing that he cares about his people and by

presenting his previous achievements. Romney on the other hand does not offer a lot of

content to gain trust. The focus of his site on President Obama rather conveys a sense of

insecurity, which is even reinforced by the lack of own ideas.




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The test setupThe test included the home pages of the two main presidential candidates - incumbentPresident Barack Obama and Republican challenger, Mitt Romney. We asked seven questions

on every home page. Questions were either open and required participants to click multiple

times and add notes, or they only allowed participants to click once. Participants were

recruited through the online service, Crowdflower and all are citizens of the United States of

America.

We made screenshots of the home pages of Obama and Romney, and showed our participants

the following tasks:

! Click on the elements that draw your attention the most.

! Which elements on this website do you consider important for the election campaign?

Please click on them and add a note to let us know why.

! Which elements do you think are not relevant for the election campaign? Please click on

them and add a note to let us know why.

! Which elements make you trust this candidate as president? Please add a note to let us

know why.

! You would like to find out where this candidate stands during this 2012 presidentialelection campaign. Where would you click?

! Where would you click to support this candidate's campaign?

! Where would you click to follow this candidate on social media? Please add a note and

let us know how important social media is for you.




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The democratic candidate,

incumbent President BarackObamaBarack Obama set a high standard for online campaigning in the 2008 presidential election.

Expectations for this 2012 election are high. Lets have a look if he lives up to them.

First impressions on Obamas home page

President Obamas home page has a very clean and professional look to it. The colors are

cool, but not distant, rather they have a calming effect and indicate trust. So does the overall




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clear structureof the site. While the content of the entire pageis dominated by previous

achievements and records, the area above the fold shows a balanced mix of previous records,

future plans, and both donation and participation call-to actions. The page is very longand

almost no attention has been given to content that is only accessed through scrolling. Not tomention the footer, which contains a lot of links, but did not get any clicks at all. The logoat

the very top is not obtrusive, yet it drew the attention of more than a third of all participants and

informed them about who is behind the site.

The elements that drew the most attention on President Obamas home page are the prominent

slogan Dont Double myRate, closely followed by the picture of the two smiling people next

to it. Also eye catching were the logo, the Donate button in the main menu, the Trust Team

button and the call-to-action buttons Voter Registration, Quick Donation, and Become an

Obama Organizing Fellow.

What do people consider relevant?

Information on candidates political stance

Information on the candidates political stance was considered the most important factor in the

upcoming presidential election. President Obama focuses a lot on previous achievements,

rather than giving information of what his plans are for the future. However, he also offers a link

on Issues in his main menu and an additional button called Trust Team - Get The Facts.

Both of these are above the fold and therefore easy to find. Still, if you want to find out aboutPresident Obamas stance, you need to click at least once before you get any information.

We asked each of the test participants where they would click to find out where they would find

President Obamas stance during the presidential election. Almost half of them clicked on

Issues in the main menu. The rest clicked either on other links in the menu, or on the Truth

Team button. It took participants an average of 11 seconds to decide where to click.

What people said:

Everyone should know the politician's record before making a decision.

"The topics are what it's all about"

"The issues they are representing is probably the most important thing for me"




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"As a voter it is important for me to know where the candidates stand on theissues"

"Issues are the basis of the election"

Support options

Donation options were also marked as important. It is clear that people realize that a political

campaign can only survive with the support of sufficient funding. President Obama offers a red

Donate call-to-action button in the main menu, but also an additional Quick Donate button

for a small donation of $5. People appreciate this second option for a quick donation as it

shows that one can also support President Obama with a small amount.

We also asked people where they would click to support President Obamas campaign. About

one third of the people clicked on the red Donate button in the main menu. Another third

chose for the Quick Donate button. Another popular choice was the Become an Obama

Organizing Fellow link, while only five participants chose for the special Take Action area.

Again, it was very obvious that people chose for an option above the fold, so within their site

without any scrolling. It took participants an average of 4.5 seconds to decide where to click.

What people said:

"Fundraising is vital for any company. It's not a secret that President Obama is afundraising powerhouse."

"You cannot run a campaign without money"

"He who has the most money wins."

The Quick Donate button makes it super easy to donate to the campaign"

"The low $5 make it seem like you can donate a little bit, but still feel good that youdid donate."




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Slogan & visual element

People also considered the prominent slogan and the picture with the two happy people as

important. The slogan offers insights into President Obamas stance on one important issue -

student loans. Even though it is only one single issue, it gives people the idea that Obama

cares about them. The picture of the faces looks very authentic and not photoshopped, which

also gives a very tangible and likable impression.

What people said:

"Very important topic!"

"I agree! Student loans are a BIG part of many peoples lives."

"Nice point!"

I think these pictures of the average American are very important for an electioncampaign.

"Happy people, who support you is always important."

"Happy people convince me."

What do people consider irrelevant?

Shop

Most participants agreed that they did not consider the Shop link in the main menu relevant

for Obamas campaign. The shop was considered an extra way to raise more money, but not a

useful contribution to the site. The shop was considered to take credibility from the site and

take up space that could have been used for more useful information.




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What people said:

Just a gimmick to make more money - the candidate doesn't need to sell stuff."

"A store doesn't have anything to do with the campaign."

A store doesn't seem like it has anything to do with the campaign.

What makes people trust Obama as president?

Previous achievements

People really appreciate information about President Obamas previous achievements.

Knowing what all he has already achieved as president is a huge trust factor. One of the

interesting things here is that in order to find out if Obama can be trusted, participants were

willing to scroll down the page and mark several elements below the fold.

Most people pointed out the Obamas record in brief section as trust building as well as the

video titled The Road Weve Traveled that promises information about Obamas past. The

chart on Job Records is also marked a lot of times, indicating that it proves Obama's

success as President of the United States.




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What people said:

"I like to see what he has accomplished so far - it helps me to see him as a leader"

"Obama accomplished a great deal of positive changes during his first term."

"Knowing the things he's done in his first term make him more trustworthy in mymind."

"Performance records and facts lend credibility"

"This graph makes me trust him since it does show him creating jobs"

Facts

The Truth Team section also increases Obamas perceived credibility. People appreciate

honest information and objective facts that help them to make up their own mind about

something.

What people said:

"Facts are very important"

"I believe the President is transparent, which is very important for me to trust him."




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This helps me to determine that what he says is the truth and I can trust him to beour leader."

"This looks interesting. I get tired of all the political rhetoric so if this is a valid placeto get facts that I would be interested in."

Specific content

President Obama offers a lot of content on his home page, such as articles and reports on

different topics. Most of this content either involves or concerns the average American. This

way, Obama shows how close he is to the people and how concerned he is with their well-

being. This human and tangible side of Obama makes him appear very trustworthy.

What people said:

"He is taking care of humans."

"Helping people afford necessary health care."

"I love this law. We need to help fellow Americans, so many of whom can't helpthemselves and who cannot afford expensive health care. President Obama caresfor the downtrodden."

Social mediaWhen we asked people about what drew their attention and what they considered relevant for

the election campaign, they hardly gave any credits to the social media buttons on the site. In

total, only 12 out of the 306 clicks given for attention were placed on social media content.Only four participants considered social media an important part of the home page and only

one person chose the like button as a mean for supporting the campaign.

We expected social media to play a much more important role for people, especially whenlooking at the 26M Facebook Likes that President Obama already has. Looking at the

comments that people left explains this contradiction.




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It seems like people see social media more as a channel for the candidate to reach them than

the other way around. So if they are on the website, they are not interested in social media,

rather they expect other, more detailed sources of information. Only when they are not on the

website, they would follow President Obama for several reasons. First of all to get information

without actively seeking it, and secondly, to share their political support with friends and family.

Last but not least, to feel closer to the candidate.

What people said:

"Social media is very important to me as a person it gives a sense of closeness tothe candidate."

Social media is important because this way more people can see what he isdoing."

"Everyone is on Facebook. Good way to get the word out.""Liking on Facebook shows your support of the candidates to your friends andfamily."

"Social media stretches to so many people."

"Social media is an easy way to get information without having to search it out."




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The Republican candidate Mitt

RomneyAfter taking a close look at President Obamas home page, lets have a look at how Romney

uses the Internet as medium for his campaign.

First impressions on Romneys home page

Romney tries to keep his layout simple. The colors are similar to those Obama uses and

basically reflect the American flag. However, Romney uses brighter colors with higher contrasts

and a lot of white space. The page looks clean and structured. Romney decided to place

only the illustration part of his logo on the far left of the sites header. Unfortunately, the small




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size and position of the logo meant that not one person during the whole test noticed it. The

whole logo can be found in the footerof the site, but even though the site is not nearly as

long as President Obamas, the footer doesnt get any attention. The most attention was

devoted to the elements above the fold.

Most prominent was the slogan and the big image in the center of the page. People were

drawn to the clear slogan and even though the image was not considered very clear, it made

people curious. The Meet Mitt link also drew peoples attention and so did the different call-

to-action buttons, Get Team Romney Text Alerts, Get The Official Romney Window Decal,

and Join The Campaign. The Donate button only got the attention of three participants.

What do people consider relevant?

Information on candidates political stance

The most important information for our test participants was where they could find information

on the candidates political stance. Knowing what a candidate is planning on doing once he is

elected and also seeing a realistic plan of action is of utmost importance. It is important for

people that the candidate commits to a plan of action in order to convey confidence in his own

candidacy.

We also asked where people would click to learn more about where Romney stands on political

issues. About one fourth of all participants clicked on the link Issues in the main navigation. A

couple of participants clicked on other links in the main menu, and two clicked on the link

Issues in the footer area of the site. Participants only needed an average of 4.6 seconds to

decide where to click.

What people said: #"It is important to find out where he stands."

"Finding out where he stands on key issues will help voters to decide whether ornot to elect him."

We learn of Mitt's campaign points and what is important to his campaign.




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Support options

Romney only has one Donate button on his site, but in addition to that he also has a

prominent call-to-action button asking Ready To Join The Campaign?. People appreciate the

easy option to join the campaign and support Romney.

We asked people where they would click to support Romneys campaign. More than half of the

participants clicked on the Donate button in the main menu. Another 10 people clicked on

the Get Involved button in the main menu. The rest clicked on the call-to-action button

Ready To Join The Campaign. All participants clicked above the fold and it took them only an

average of three seconds to decide where to click.

What people said:

"Fundraising is always key to a campaign.

"Getting donations is vital to the success of any political campaign."

"This is a visible place to join the campaign."

"This is important to increase his volunteers and bolster his campaign."

"Encouraging people to join his campaign is important for his success."

Slogan and visual elements

The prominent slogan, "We have a moral responsibility not to spend more than we take in."

appealed to our participants. However, they were interested in more than this claim, which

anyone could make. People are missing information about how Romney is going to bring about

the change about that he envisions.




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What people said:

"This tells me about Mitt's campaign points and what is important to hiscampaign."

"I would like to see how he is going bring this about."

"Having a slogan is such an important thing because it makes me want to find outmore about the campaign."

"Graphic appeals to the youth of the country"

"Interesting, I'm drawn to this because I would like to know what it's about.""This draws my attention because it seems that he is focused on youth."

What do people consider irrelevant?

Shop

Just like on President Obamas site, people dont think that a shop is relevant for an election

campaign. Unfortunately, Romney does not only have a small link in the menu, but also a whole

section in the content area devoted to selling stuff. Since there is not much additional

information where Romney stands in this campaign, the whole shop promotion seems a waste

of space on the home page.




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What people said:

"No one comes here to shop for Romney's stuff, people want information."

"Ridiculous that there is a place to buy stuff on a political campaign site."

"This is the least relevant item of the site."

"Comes off as being like souvenir shop."

"Purchasing items has nothing to do with addressing issues."

"Let someone else sell the stuff. The candidate should be above selling on thehome page of his site."

Negative campaigning

A lot of participants commented that they were not happy with the way Romney was

campaigning. They pointed out that Romney had no own stand and instead he would run downPresident Obama. Also, participants thought that President Obama was way too present on the

site, as pretty much every point Romney makes is about him.

What people said:

"I don't like negative campaigning. Seems like he should be telling us about hisideas instead of having this so prominent."

"While negative information about the opponent could be considered relevant, Idon't think it should be one of the main focuses."

"There are too many Obamas on this page."

"Attack manhood too cruel. This makes the opponent look sympathetic"




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What makes people trust Romney as a possibleUS President?

Meet Mitt

The section about Mitt, where he presents himself as a family man, is pretty much the only part

of the site that people associate with trust. They see him as a kind father and loving husband,

which are considered important characteristics for a president.

What people said:

"Seems like a family man.""Knowing about his personal history makes it easier to relate to the candidate."

"A family man always seems more trustworthy."

"Being a family man is really important to me."

Social mediaJust like the feedback people gave on President Obamas site, social media does not play an

important role on Romneys site. People did not pay a lot of attention to any of the social media

buttons, even though Romney has a whole section called Connect With Mitt.




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TakeawaysWe conducted a Usabilla test to compare the home pages of the two 2012 presidentialcandidates, incumbent President Barack Obama and Republican challenger, Mitt Romney. We

collected valuable feedback from 50 test participants on what draws their attention the most,

what they consider important or irrelevant, where they would click to learn more about the

candidates political stance, and what role social media plays during this years presidential

election campaigns.

The most relevant takeaways are:

! The most important information on the candidate's home page is their political stance on

the issues during the election campaign. People want information on what to expect inthe future, not about what has happened in the past.

! Confidence is an important factor when it comes to the credibility of a candidate. While

President Obama presents himself as leader, who cares about his people and has

proven so in the past, Romney doesnt take a clear position, which leads to a perceived

lack of confidence.

! Any relevant content, such as information about where the candidate stands, or call-to

action buttons must be placed above the fold. People dont want to look for the

information they came to find.

! People appreciate relevant call-to action buttons. If they visit the site of a presidentialcandidate, chances are good that they either look for information, or want to support the

campaign. Offering easy to find call-to actions that promise no hurdles motivate people

to get involved.

! A shop on the home page of a presidential candidate is not appreciated. If a shop at all,

its presence should be limited to the minimum. Valuable content space should not be

wasted for shop promoting purposes.

! Social media is used as a tool to get information without actively seeking it, to share

political support with friends and family, and to feel connected with the candidate. There

is no need to waste valuable content space on social media, because once people arealready on the website, they look for different content.


user experience report the 2012 presidential candidates home pages

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