Free Custom «Johnson Controls» Essay Paper

Johnson Controls is considered to be one of the most lucrative companies of the world. It has received numerous accolades from its customers, suppliers, surrounding communities, and the entire world. Some of the awards it has won include 2011 award for the best corporate citizen and gold class recognition for sustainability awarded by the Sustainability Asset Management (SAM). The company also ranks 76 on the U.S. fortune 500 ranks. The continued approval of the company by stakeholders, from customers to suppliers, has been due to the company’s deep understanding of its shareholders. That understanding is perfectly displayed on the company’s website which is tailored to provide all the information useful to both customers and suppliers.

Audience Awareness

The company has a deep sense of awareness of its customers. Its website actually takes cognizance of this awareness by incorporating four important variables that are website appearance, content, functionality, and overall website usability. The website has all sorts of information a customer or supplier may need. This information ranges from company products and solutions which are usually of direct concern to both the customer and the supplier to the general information about the company. General company information essentially provides to both the customers and the suppliers vital facts about leadership, lines of businesses, community focus, and the company’s history among others (Johnson, 2012).

The company’s website further provides useful and confidential information about the company’s financial status, that is, balance sheet, profit, and loss account, all of which assists investors in making investment decisions into the company. All this vital information is provided in a manner that takes into consideration the diversity of audiences. Global links are also established in the website which informs audience about the company’s global operation (Johnson, 2012). 

Effectiveness

The company’s goals are centered on four values. These are integrity, customer satisfaction, innovation, employee engagement, and sustainability. To achieve them, the company has developed a system that enhances team work and customer focus. More so, the company takes cognizance of the fact that the general community surrounding its operations is taken care off. It achieves this virtue by running programs that provide both social and economic values to the community. In addition, it invests heavily in good corporate governance which is the link between the company and the community. The company’s website serves as the overall mode of communication through which all effective information affecting the company is passed. Indeed, the website has been remarkable in enhancing all forms of dialogue into or out of the company (Oleksy, 2001).

Layout/Design

As already mentioned, there are four features that determine the effectiveness of the company website. These are content, appearance, functionality, and usability. The website has got a lot of substance materials that are informative and easy to use. The user of this site actually takes the full advantage of using little time to get a lot of content information. Website appearance is really superb with graphics that are appealing, well polished, and displayed in a professional manner. This is essential as more users than was expected have been reported to be glued to the site (Oleksy, 2001). 

One important component of this website which differentiates it from those of other companies is its usability. The site is one of the simplest sites to use, navigate, and understand. 

Its usability is characterized by components such as ability to load documents in less than twenty seconds, minimal scroll in the homepage, simplicity of information that remains glued to the content, and integrated screen resolution (Oleksy, 2001).

In general, the website developers have taken into account all the factors that make website effective. In detail, for instance, the appearance of the website from a distance gives an indication of proper use of color, meaningful graphics, black text on a white background that takes greater care of customer’s visibility, and general simplicity. Search Engine Optimized (SEO) features have also been carefully put into practice. For instance, the links have been perfectly leveraged and the majority of the web content is in HTML format which is user friendly and easily available all over the world (Oleksy, 2001).  

Truly, Johnson Controls’ website is one of the easiest to use by any average person with simple basics of internet knowledge. The only complication with the site is its continuous demand for Adobe Flash Player whenever one wants to view available careers. To any average person who might not have the basics of installing the program, he/she will be severely discouraged. The company should, therefore, look for possible ways of displaying careers, which in many occasions is the center of concern for a lot of site users (Johnson, 2012).   

Global Outreach

Johnson Control is a real global leader. With over one hundred and twenty five years in service, it has spread its wings to one hundred and twenty five countries making it a global company. The company through the site has provided links to reach or join the company’s global team in a very friendly manner. Currently, employee turnover stands at one hundred and fifty four thousand globally. All these employees are interlinked through the website, making it possible for employees in one geographical zone to share information with those from other zones (Johnson, 2012). 

Further Development

Generally, the site is superbly developed, but I would recommend some modifications. Being a global player even in the developing nations, strict restrictions on software programs like flash player should be removed. There are many computers in the developing world that are not compatible with flash player, putting such restrictions denies people with such computers opportunity to access company information. This can hurt company returns in the long run.