e-National Bank: How to Establish Effective Communication Part 3 ppsx

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3 RECOMMENDATIONS ON IMPROVING THE NBU WEB SITE

Now we propose recommendations to the NBU web-site as the one that gained less points
comparing with other two sites. These recommendations are based on comparative analysis
(see point 2.2). Each recommendation reflects “strong” point of the ECB or the FRS site. Other
improving measures are the products of our thought.

3.1 RECOMMENDATIONS ON USABILITY
As far as usability is concerned we want to recommend the NBU site some changes in the
following directions:
- Search system. It would be better if web masters place search input area right on the first
page. It could be done as an element of navigation system. Also it could be more useful for
users if site has opportunity to search information by sections as it is proposed on
www.federalreserve.gov web-site. See figure 3.1 as an example of search system on the
first page below the sites navigation. You can see that by default search will be held on the
whole site. But in this menu one can select any section that is presented at the site’s
navigation.


Figure 3.1. Design of possible search-by-section system under navigation. Desinged by the
team.

- Vertical scrolling. To avoid vertical scrolling web masters can change structure of text
layout. The text could be presented in several columns (akin to
www.ecb.int).

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3.2 RECOMMENDATIONS ON VERBAL AND VISUAL RENDERING
To improve user understanding of informational content of the NBU site web masters can
design special “Glossary section” with definitions of special terms that are used in given
information. The terms in this glossary can be grouped by the alphabet or can be given in a list
of all terms. Also if an economic term that user may not understand appears in a text it could be
linked with correspondent definition in “Glossary section”, so user can click on it and read what
this term means.

3.3 RECOMMENDATIONS ON INFORMATIONAL CONTENT
To improve informational content NBU web-site could publish research done by its staff or
other specialists in economic field. Also it could be better if information that “Bulletin of the
National Bank of Ukraine” includes be published partially as it comes so that users do not have
to wait moth to get it.
It would be more convenient for the users if statistical data will be up-dated at least once a
week otherwise this information can turn to be out-dated to take any financial decision.

3.4 RECOMMENDATIONS ON MULTICULTURALITY
We had said that a lot of Ukrainian citizens speak Russian language (all members of our
group belong to this group of citizens). Therefore users that speak Russian language will find it
useful to see site in their native language.
English language version should be up-dated as frequently as Ukrainian version otherwise
foreign user may be unable to get information they want.
In order to improve intercultural interactivity the NBU site may have FAQs with questions that
foreign users have already asked and answers on them. These question can be grouped be
subject in alphabetic order.
To help foreign users in sending their feedback the site can contain special form where all
sections of NBU are listed so that users can specify their questions or proposals. This approach
will also improve processing of feedbacks (see />).

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Other recommendations
To emphasize that site www.bank.gov.ua is Ukrainian one it should have some national
symbols, colors or something that users can associate with Ukraine. On
www.ecb.int this
association is done through the stars on the symbol of bank and images of banknotes.
www.federalreserve.gov is in green colors (color of American banknotes).
Researching different Central Bank’s sites we found that most of them have special sections
for students. On this section sites present information about education, place some researched
that students may find interesting. Both the ECB and the FRS sites have such section.

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CONCLUSION
What was the definition of the problem?
How can the webmasters of central bank site improve the efficiency of its communicative
features?
To evaluate sites of central banks we have developed special criteria than reflect their both
communicative and technical parts. To evaluate these sites we have analyzed their specificity
(they have no appealing, expressive and relational aspects, only referential one). These criteria
are the following:
- usability
- verbal and visual rendering
- information content
- multiculturality
According to these criterion we have evaluated sites of National Bank of Ukraine (the NBU),
European Central Bank (the ECB) and Federal Reserve System of the USA (the FRS).
The most usable site is USFRS.
First place due to verbal and visual rendering shared ECB and NBU.
The best informational content has ECB.
The USFRS site is the only one that has some originas of multiculturality.

Finally we developed recommendations to the central bank site of our country. These
recommendations may improve search system of the site, its vertical scrolling, user’s
understanding of informational layout, up-date of information and support of foreign users. We
also gave some recommendation to emphasize that the NBU site is Ukrainian one.




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5. Welling Luke, Thomson Laura. PHP and MySQL Web Development. Second Edition.
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Appendix A
First Page of the NBU Site
Note: this screenshot was made on 1280x1024 screen resolution.


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Appendix B
First Page of the ECB Site
Note: this screenshot was made on 1280x1024 screen resolution.


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Appendix C
First Page of the FRS Site