Currently, there is no website for Hillstreet, Belfast. Therefore, it could be difficult to know what to include in the proposal. Therefore, I decided to look at some similar websites to find out the type of content that would be included.

Titanic Quarter Belfast

This website is split into 5 main sections. Live, work, visit, stay and a general about section. The first thing I notice on the home page are the beautiful images they use. It makes the place look elegant, enjoyable and that there is something for everyone. This is something I want to get across in my proposal. I would like the client to know that the visual aesthetic of the website is important and that I would include quality images and content.

They have a page that shows the wide variety of places to eat, including both high-end and more affordable places. This is something I want to include in my proposal as Hillstreet has many places to eat and users’ attention should be brought to this.

Overall, the website is very easy to use and navigate. Even though the website is quite complex with many pages, I don’t think users would get lost. The website is responsive, uses easy to read typography, clickable elements are obvious etc.

Their contact section was something that really stood out to me as they thought about everything the user may need. They have their basic contact information including a phone number, email, address, and social media. They have a map showing where it is and have included different ways people can travel there. These include, by foot, bus, glider, car, train, or bike. Users can then find further information on these e.g., directions and timetables. This is important because if users know that it is easy to get to, they are more likely to visit.

I really like the colour pallet of this website being yellow, black, and white. I think it fits well with the brand/tone of voice and it keeps everything consistent. The yellow is warm and welcoming and the black and white add simplicity. The yellow is used to make important elements stand out and is used for headings and links throughout the site. A consistent colour pallet is something I want to put across in my proposal as I think it can make or break a website. It is also very important in terms of branding.

 

Cathedral Quarter Belfast

This website is split into six sections: What’s on, For Business, About, Explore, News and Contact. Like TQ, this website is easy to navigate. I think this is one of the most important things for these types of websites specifically because they have so much content.

They have a section on upcoming events with dates, destinations etc. You can then click on these for a more in-depth description. Again, like Titanic Quarter, they have a section informing users how to get there easily. In addition to this, they have a full list of carparks throughout Belfast along with their opening hours. This is something I would consider putting in my proposal as it shows you care about the users and making things easy for them.

One thing that stood out was the little pop-up cards that appear on the right-hand side, which stay on the screen when you scroll down the page. It includes the most important information from that page. For example, for events, it has the name, destination, price, date, and time. This way, users can see the important information at a glance.

They also have a news section which I think could be beneficial to include in my proposal. It has things such as jobs available, events, things they value, programmes, opportunities etc. However, one thing I would change about this is the amount of content shown on one page. It seems like a never-ending scroll, and it can be difficult for users to find what they’re looking for. Instead, they could add a search bar for people looking for specific things. They could also split the content into different years, making it easier for users to find what they’re looking for.

I quite like the branding of the Cathedral Quarter. The logo is simple, and people will know what it means. The colour pallet also remains consistent throughout the site with a purple colour used as an accent to make things stand out.

 

I found doing this competitor analysis very beneficial. It has opened my eyes to different content I could include in my proposal and what is important when it comes to these types of sites.