People search the web with Ecosia, which facilitates the donation of 80% of its ad revenue to a rainforest protection program.
Target Audience: Everyday web users,
Website URL: https://www.ecosia.org
Feedback sought:
- Visit www.ecosia.org. Is it clear (or easy to find out) what the site is about?
- How do you feel about the design? What about the concept?
- Try a search (images, video, maps or news): are you happy with the results? Why or why not?
- Is any other part of the search / site experience lacking?
- Any other suggestions, complaints or comments?
About Ecosia:
Ecosia is a social business dedicated to environmental sustainability via the donation of revenue to WWF’s rainforest protection programs. Its best-known service, the search engine mask at Ecosia.org, is powered by Bing and Yahoo. It lets an essential and routine task – searching the web – double as an ecological contribution: not only are Ecosia search emissions offset, but every click on a sponsored ad within Ecosia translates into either cents for the environment – or cents for generating more cents for the environment. Cents may not sound like much, but they certainly add up: Ecosia was able to generate just under 125,000 Euros (164,000 USD) for rainforest protection in just the first year.
Here is a short video on how Ecosia works:
Visit http://www.ecosia.org. Is it clear (or easy to find out) what the site is about?
It is easy to find out what the site’s intentions are, but it is not clear when the user reaches the homepage.
The homepage is the ultimate in boring.  Very little taking up the real estate so-to-speak. Don’t make the users have to dig for the purpose of the site. Perhaps a catchy phrase telling your users that with every search, every click on a sponsored link provides money towards the planet. Why not place your explanation on the homepage:
“Ecosia is a social business dedicated to environmental sustainability via the donation of revenue to WWF’s rainforest protection programs. Its best-known service, the search engine mask at Ecosia.org, is powered by Bing and Yahoo. It lets an essential and routine task – searching the web – double as an ecological contribution: not only are Ecosia search emissions offset, but every click on a sponsored ad within Ecosia translates into either cents for the environment – or cents for generating more cents for the environment. Cents may not sound like much, but they certainly add up: Ecosia was able to generate just under 125,000 Euros (164,000 USD) for rainforest protection in just the first year.”
“Here is a short video on how Ecosia works:”
A few photos would be nice as well.
How do you feel about the design? What about the concept?
As mentioned above, the home page design is poor and needs to explain the purpose of the search site without the user having to click further/deeper to determine the purpose.   Make sure that the user understands that the search is using Bing and Yahoo search results. Erosia is not anywhere near as popular and could likely be seen as an inferior and untrusted search engine.Â
To sum up the homepage, I would like to see an easy and catchy explanation of the site’s purpose as well as what the user is doing to help the environment by using this search site. I also think you could move the information of how much $ is going where to the homepage. I like the subpages since they provide more information on the project.
The concept is fantastic. I am looking forward to trying to use your logo on my email signatures (when they are available).
Try a search (images, video, maps or news): are you happy with the results? Why or why not?
The search seems to pull relevant search criteria.
Is any other part of the search / site experience lacking?
See above comments.
Any other suggestions, complaints or comments?
When you click “More” at the search field, Google is presented as a choice. Will Ecosia get money if the user switches to Google or any of the other choices?
Visit http://www.ecosia.org. Is it clear (or easy to find out) what the site is about?
Yes it is easy to find out what your site is about. However that wonderful tagline that you have at the top of the page needs to be displayed in an easier to read fashion.
How do you feel about the design? What about the concept?
I love the green color it really make you think of the rainforest. I think the rainforest highlight in the background needs to more pronounced and really the concept you have. Save the rain one search at a time. There needs to be a little more info on the page. Not to much to take away from the importance of searching but just enough that people aren’t wondering what you site is about.
Try a search (images, video, maps or news): are you happy with the results? Why or why not?
I did a web and picture search of cakes and the results were better than I expected. It was fast and I had a plethera of choices.
Is any other part of the search / site experience lacking?
None.
Any other suggestions, complaints or comments?
Visit http://www.ecosia.org. Is it clear (or easy to find out) what the site is about?
When I first looked at the home page, it was clear to figure out what the intent of the site was, however, the bullets did not give enough information to perk more interest.
How do you feel about the design? What about the concept?
I think the design needs to be improved. Instead of having a completely green background, adding a shaded green picture of the rain forest would be eye catching. Also, adding soft sounds of birds and other rain forest sounds would be a added touch. The clarity of the concept is there but I don’t think that there is enough information on the home page.
Try a search (images, video, maps or news): are you happy with the results? Why or why not?
I actually tried to search for more detailed information and in a couple clicks I was able to find it. I was not able to find a search box that would be user friendly to search for what is mentioned in the question.
Is any other part of the search / site experience lacking?
This website is lacking user friendly features. The links blend in and is hard to figure out where you want to go.
Any other suggestions, complaints or comments?
My suggestion would be change the background of the site to something as I mentioned earlier because the home page looks plain. More detail needs to be added to the bullets on the right side. A search box should be added and possibly a pull down menu to help the user find what they are looking for on the site.