SEDAT BALCI
BUSINESS-RELATED CONTENT PLANNING OF SPORTS
CLUBS' OFFICIAL WEBSITES
Final Master Thesis
Study programme: Sport Business Management State code 6211LX001
Supervisor: dr. Justinas Kisieliauskas Vice Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Management
Defended: Assoc. prof., dr. Rita Bendaravičienė Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Management
Kaunas, 2021
TABLE OF CONTENT
SUMMARY ...... 2 INTRODUCTION ...... 3 I. CONTENT, DESIGN AND INTERACTIVE FEATURES ON WEBSITES ...... 6 1.1 Business- Related Content Features on Websites ...... 6 1.2 Design Features of Websites ...... 11 1.2.1 General principles ...... 11 1.2.2 Basic Principles in Web Design ...... 12 1.3 Interaction Features of Websites ...... 18 II. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ...... 21 2.1 Study Area ...... 21 2.2 Research Methods ...... 22 2.3 Research Instrument ...... 24 2.4 Research Execution ...... 25 2.5 Research Limitations ...... 26 III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ...... 27 3.1 Research Findings ...... 27 3.1.1 Content Sufficiency Features ...... 27 3.1.2 Ease of Access and Use Features...... 32 3.1.3 Interaction Features ...... 39 3.2 Discussions ...... 42 3.2.1 Content Sufficiency Features ...... 42 3.2.2 Ease of Access and Usability Features ...... 44 3.2.3 Interaction Features ...... 48 CONCLUSION ...... 50 REFERENCES ...... 55 ANNEXES ...... 61
Sedat BALCI. BUSINESS-RELATED CONTENT PLANNING OF SPORTS CLUBS’ OFFICIAL WEBSITES: Final Master Thesis in Sport Business Management/ dr. Justinas Kisieliauskas / Vytautas Magnus University, Faculty of Economics and Management, Graduate studies. – Kaunas, 2021. – 61 p.
SUMMARY
Research Problem: The best content marketing channel for the activities of basketball clubs in the Euroleague is their own websites. In this context, the official website of the clubs is a very important platform where club products are marketed, communication is established with the fans, the sponsor companies meet the consumers, in short, the clubs open to the world in many ways. Consequently, particular emphasis should be placed on how effectively this platform can be used. Research Question: “How should the official websites of Euroleague clubs make business-related content planning?” Research Object: The object of the paper is to suggest the best practices for business-related content of Euroleague clubs’ official websites. Research Aim: The aim of the paper is to establish criteria for the business-related content evaluation of Euroleague club websites, and to examine whether the Euroleague club websites comply with these criteria. Methodology: In this study, document analysis, one of the qualitative data collection methods, was performed. The websites of basketball clubs playing in the Euroleague in the 2019-2020 season were analysed. Content analysis was used to provide evaluation on websites. In this study, a dimension was determined in order to evaluate the business-related content of the websites of basketball clubs playing in the Euroleague during the 2019-2020 season, and then the categories and codes that make up this dimension were created. The websites considered were evaluated in terms of their content features that make the content easier to understand. Results: Considering the whole study, it was determined that the best website belonged to Barcelona and the weakest websites belonged to Bayern Munich, Asvel and Zenit in the context of business- related content planning. Conclusions: Barcelona and Zalgiris Kaunas official websites were considered to be the best practice in terms of business-related content, information about "mission and vision of the club, social content and features that can be sponsored, and information about the sponsors" were included on its website.
Keywords: Sponsor, Business, Content Planning, Euroleague, Basketball
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INTRODUCTION
Relevance and topicality: According to Yeygel (2006), businesses that conduct commercial activities online on the internet perform their transactions through websites hosted on a web server. Websites are virtual environments where it exhibits its services and products, promoting and marketing it, and allowing the company to transmit information to its stakeholders. Websites are considered to be one of the most effective applications for establishing a communication network with the target audience of businesses, conveying the image of the enterprises, and maintaining the existence of the institution, with its interactive feature. According to Poddar (2009), there are many similarities between the website of an online business and the physical store, as both facilitate interaction with customers, offer suggestions, assistance by sales representatives, etc. is offered. The continuous increase in the number of websites due to the continuous emergence of new software in website design and the fact that businesses carry their business to the internet due to the convenience they provide, also intensifies the competition. In order to gain competitive advantage, websites should have a "user-friendly" interface in terms of technique, constantly innovate, price advantage, rich content, and should take into account factors such as offering products and services suitable for consumer demand. Corporate websites have become an increasingly important communication tool to fulfill important tasks such as controlling information flow, disseminating information and reducing costs to communicate with the public (Maynard, 2004). The basic point in websites is to determine the needs and expectations of users or visitors. It is not possible for a site that cannot meet the expectations of the users to meet the business objectives. While the website responds to the needs of the users, it should also respond to the operational objectives of the organization that prepared the website. All businesses operating on the internet need a website to promote their products or services, and the main way to attract consumers is websites (Turban, 2002). According to Akhter (2008), the main purpose of creating a website on the internet should not only be to be on the internet, but also to increase the value of the company's products and services by effectively taking place on the internet. The best content marketing channel for the activities of basketball clubs in the Euroleague is their own websites. In this context, the official website of the clubs is a very important platform where club products are marketed, communication is established with the fans, the sponsor companies meet the consumers, in short, the clubs open to the world in many ways. Consequently, particular emphasis should be placed on how effectively this platform can be used. Research problem addressed in this paper is “How should the official websites of Euroleague clubs make business-related content planning?” 3
The object of the paper is to suggest the best practices for business-related content of Euroleague club websites. The aim of the paper is to establish criteria for the business-related content evaluation of Euroleague club websites, and to examine whether the Euroleague club websites comply with these criteria. To reach the aim of the paper the following objectives were set: 1. To make literature analysis about business-related content planning, 2. To establish criteria for the business-related content evaluation of Euroleague club websites 3. To examine whether the Euroleague club websites comply with the criteria 4. To determine the strongest and weakest aspects of club websites 5. To suggest the best practice on business-related content 6. To make recommendations for Euroleague clubs in order to improve the business-related content quality and accessibility of their official websites. The paper is structured in 3 main parts. The first part is the literature review and will explain content features on websites such as accuracy, competence, timeliness, uniqueness, reliability, admissibility and consistency, and attractiveness. Further, under the title of “Design Features of Websites” basic principles in web design will be examined. Then, interaction features of websites will be analyzed within the framework of topics such as usefulness of information, feedback cycle, website revisit, ease of use of the website, and retention of visitors. The second part will be on research methodology. In this context, study area of the research, research methods, research instrument, research execution, and research limitations will be explained. The third part will show the research findings within the scope of content sufficiency features, ease of access and use features, and interaction features. Then, the findings will be discussed by taking into account the explanations in Literature Review. In other words, content evaluation of Euroleague websites will be made and the strengths and weaknesses of the websites in terms of content will be evaluated in detail. Research methods. In this study, document analysis, one of the qualitative data collection methods, was performed. As a document, the websites of basketball clubs playing in the Euroleague in the 2019-2020 season were analyzed. Content analysis was used to provide evaluation on websites. In this study, a dimension was determined in order to evaluate the business-related content of the websites of basketball clubs playing in the Euroleague during the 2019-2020 season, and then the categories and codes that make up this dimension were created. Each code helps in building the structure of the category. The subject of this study is to make a business-related content evaluation
4 of the websites of the basketball clubs playing in the Euroleague in the 2019-2020 season. The websites considered were evaluated in terms of their content features that make the content easier to understand. In order to evaluate the websites in terms of content, the features that make the content easier to understand are determined as dimensions, and the categories and codes that make up this dimension are tabulated in this section. Later, the said websites were examined in depth and their features that stand out among them were examined. Information sources. The study used verified internet sources to explore the various sources of secondary data like official websites, books, and, published journal articles, that had relevant information relating to the topic of study to provide accurate and reliable evidence regarding the subject matter.
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I. CONTENT, DESIGN AND INTERACTIVE FEATURES ON WEBSITES
Websites are defined as online environments that are developed in accordance with the identity and culture of a company and enable the sharing of designed information with the target audience (Peltekoğlu, 2012). Companies use their websites to announce their mission, vision, activities, practices, policies and projects. Websites provide the shortest and easiest way to reach the target audience and represent the visible face of the company (Wilcox & Cameron, 2006). Websites try to increase the perception of the target audience about companies’ services and products.
1.1 Business- Related Content Features on Websites
Holliman & Rowley (2014) use a variety of authors to create definitions on concept of content. “Content includes the static content forming web pages, as well as dynamic rich media content, such as videos, podcasts, user-generated content and interactive product selectors” (Smith & Chaffey, 2013). “Anything created and uploaded to a website: the words, images or other things that reside here” (Handley & Chapman, 2011). However, the above definition tends to be restrictive since it relies exclusively on the website of the organization. For example, content may also be presented in person. Whatever the definition, Holliman & Rowley (2014) are convinced that “content is a key component to telling a brand’s story, the story of your product or service and propels your brand into the hearts and minds of your prospect customers and others.” There are several definitions of content marketing that are made up of various authors. Mcpheat (2011) describes it as publishing material to viewers that will attract them to communicate and interact. Another definition explains content marketing as distributing interesting content via e.g. social media, more specifically business-related content to consumers and other stakeholders (Brennan & Croft, 2012). Gupta (2014) notes that the concept of content marketing applies to the production and distribution of content of interest and importance in order to retain and attract new consumers. In addition, Baltes (2015) argues in his research that shared and tailored content seeks to educate clients broadly and to address their specific questions and needs. Moreover, according to Pulizzi (2014), the shift in marketing is due to the fact that marketing is now intended to convey what can be sold to customers instead of pushing what they can purchase from businesses. Abel (2012) defines it as an art to be learned where businesses can strive to convey meaning to their content rather than to sell. 6
According to the Content Marketing Institute, 91 percent of business-to-business (B2B) marketers use content marketing. Businesses create online content to engage prospective consumers who are constantly reading and relating to online content as part of their buying process. Clutch (2018) surveyed more than 380 workers who read company material online. The survey showed that most B2B audiences also experience company content through search engines and social media. In addition, B2B readers read market content to keep up-to-date with industry trends. However, based on the subject and type of content, many consumers look at online content to research a business and determine whether to buy its goods or services. Overall, the conclusions of the study underscore the value of strong content marketing to businesses seeking to engage consumers engaged in business-related content. Through this awareness, businesses can help design their content planning to engage new clients in a timely manner. In particular, planning of business- related content is critical for successful marketing, buying and selling over the Internet. In order to mention business related content on a website, it is necessary to include content for the purposes of that website, to design this content in a way that attracts customers, and to provide interaction between business and customer through this content. Business managers use the company website to communicate with the target audience they want to reach. Website content is seen as an important tool in effective communication with the users (Esrock & Leichty, 2000). It is not only visual elements that affect the user on a website, but also the content that the user needs should be determined and presented. Corporate identity enables a company to be easily distinguished from other companies doing the same job. Corporate identity is the means by which organizations express themselves and create positive or negative perceptions on the opposite side. Although corporate identity has been perceived more as a visual identity in the past years, an approach that includes elements such as corporate philosophy, corporate communication, corporate behavior and corporate design within a corporate identity has emerged since the 1970s. The user is not expected to visit all pages on the website consisting of various pages. However, it is an expected behavior for the user to visit pages related to the field of interest. Therefore, websites have to prepare content suitable for the target audience (Theaker, 2006). Because the areas where the target audience, which includes different age groups and has different dynamics, are different from each other. These areas should be determined, useful and remarkable information should be prepared and placed on the website as content. Unnecessary information flow or content that does not fit the target audience causes visitors to leave the website.
Content is the harmony and diversity of the information on the website. It is of great importance that the business shapes the content of the website according to the information requested
7 or needed by the users (Palmer, 2002). Website content should be prepared in line with the business purpose. Stating and understanding the purpose of the business is an important element that guides the people who create the content. The links in the website content are tools that lead to other information. On the other hand, giving links constantly causes the user to move away from the site he is browsing. Clear and descriptive headings make it easier to understand the content and therefore to evaluate the website. If there is an advertisement on the website, the advertisement and information must be positioned separately from each other. Another important issue about advertising is the need for proportionate distribution of content and advertising on the website. Too many advertisements reduce the importance of the content and keep visitors away from the page (Hastings, 1998; Meyer, 2001; Richmond, 2001). Another principle, privacy, is that the user's personal information is protected (Zamparini, Calegari, & Lurati, 2010). Passing the user's own information to other organizations will negatively affect the trust towards the website. The principle of timeliness is that the information on the site is up-to-date and the user's requests, suggestions, questions and comments are immediately returned. Websites structurally allow two-way communication, and the possibility of asking questions and answering instantly enables the user to have a positive perception about organizations. The presence of only positive expressions and opinions in the comments made to the website is unrealistic by the users and undermines the trust in the website (Zamparini et al., 2010). The presence of incomplete, irregular or outdated information on the website causes a negative image of the organization. Another factor that enables the user to like the website is the usefulness of the content (Williamson, King, Lepak, and Sarma, 2010). The fact that the website can be personalized, the information the user wants, the user- specific messages and reminders are another factors that increases the appreciation of the site content (Zamparini et al., 2010). For example, receiving a thank-you message after subscribing to the websites of basketball clubs, including the content on the relevant page according to the information given in the form filled at the time of registration, receiving notifications about areas of interest, informing about developments and changes instantly can be examples of personalization of the website. The personalized website increases the loyalty and trust of the user against the business. Because the main purpose of the website is to provide a useful service to the website visitors, to sell products or to inform about the services of the company (Al & Bahşişoğlu, 2000).
Businesses that use internet interaction correctly, create content according to their target audience and deliver them to the target audience as soon as possible gain a significant advantage over other organizations they compete with (Lengnick-Hall & Moritz, 2003). The website benefits not
8 only those who visit the website, but also the business to which the website is linked. Visiting the website of the visitors increases the awareness of the relevant business. If the visitors are satisfied with the website, this also contributes positively to the image of the business. Some basic features come to the fore in the light of the evaluations made for the form, functionality and content of the websites. It is possible to collect the website evaluation criteria under two main headings as content criteria and design criteria. While the design facilitates the use and access of the website and increases its attractiveness, the content stands out in the evaluation of the website (Kurbanoğlu, 2002). The factors that affect the quality of the website vary depending on what is important as the main purpose in the design. Before shaping the website design, it is necessary to determine which issues are important in this website. Thus, design focuses on the important points and these factors determine the quality of the design (Cox & Dale, 2002). In website design, the content and layout of the site is shaped by the goals and policies that are desired to be achieved with the website (Rowley, 1998). Websites where the business expresses itself, communicates with the users through the communication channels it develops, introduces its identity to the outside world and creates a positive image in the minds of the users about the business are also important because they are easily accessible. For this reason, the content of the website should be arranged in a way that the user can easily access (Ryan, 2003). Content production on the website is structured as conceptualization and development of the content to be prepared, creation of the website and measuring how effective the website is (Mills & Law, 2005). After the determination of the main purposes that the website will serve and the preparation of the content in line with these purposes, the design phase comes into play, and the content deemed important is brought to the fore with the design. The criteria used in evaluating the printed materials are also used in the content evaluation of the websites. These evaluation criteria are accuracy, timeliness, competence, uniqueness, reliability, admissibility, consistency, and attractiveness (Gürcan, 2003b). The concept of accuracy is defined as complete and reliable information. The accuracy of the information must be verified by the editor or the person providing the content. The accuracy of text, graphics and other elements should be checked before the content is published (Gürcan, 2003b).
Verification of the source from which the information is obtained ensures the reliability of the website. Information can be checked by comparing it with information obtained from other sources as well as the history on it. If a single opinion is presented on unproven, controversial issues, suspicious generalizations are made, and the history of the information that is predicted to change rapidly is ignored, the information provided by the website is suspected. Any inaccuracies or
9 deficiencies in any information on the website mean that the visitor's trust for all information on the website is shaken, and the image of the business is negatively affected by this situation (Hastings, 1998). Especially for websites that carry out their business processes intensely over the internet, the loss of trust will prevent repeat visits to the website and the website will not be able to fulfill its purpose. The first expectation of the user about the website content is that the information is descriptive and accurate. While determining the content of the website, it is necessary to pay attention to the principles of credibility, timeliness, and privacy (Cober, Brown, and Levy, 2004; Dineen, Ash, and Noe, 2002). Credibility is that the information required by the users on the website is sufficient and accurate. Insufficient information prevents obtaining an idea about the business. The characteristics such as whether the person who prepare the content has a command of the subject, the reliability of the sources from which the information is obtained, and the identification of the source, the purpose of the website, which is the face of the enterprise, its importance, goals, policies and a contact number that can be consulted based on the information on the site constitute the competency criteria (Gürcan, 2003b). Fields that are in constant change such as technology, medicine, and science become out of date quickly and even their useful life is very short. Especially in such areas, it is necessary to look at when information was created. Features such as whether the information, announcements, news or graphics on the website are up-to-date, specifying the date and time in newly posted content, whether the links on the site work, whether the linked site or pages are opened, and whether these pages are up-to-date are included in the criteria of timeliness (Gürcan, 2003b). The value of a website is determined by features that are not found in other websites operating in the same field. Matters in one web site that are not in other websites are generally considered remarkable (Henderson, 2001). The uniqueness feature also indicates whether the website has the original features when it is derived from another format (Gürcan, 2003b). The reliability feature is related to the accuracy criterion. People make important decisions based on the information they have acquired. In this sense, the accuracy of the information brings trust to the website over time. Another indicator that provides reliability is the identity of the expert authors and publishers, that is, the institution / person who supports the site. If the site represents any organization or group, it must be clearly stated (Henderson, 2001). The objective presentation of information is one of the factors that ensure reliability. Taking sides is in the nature of some institutions, and even the purpose of the website may be based on taking sides. Admissibility or consistency refers to the fact that the information or discussion does not contain contradictions. Inconsistencies arise when facts are distorted. It is related to consistency, accuracy and reliability criteria. Linking with other sources, whether the content has appropriate links
10 to the subject, whether it works, whether the content is fed from different sources, whether it is compatible with the content, and linking for the purposes are important to evaluate (Smith, 1997). Along with these, the general appearance, accessibility, ease of use, interactivity, spelling style, comprehensibility of the style, spelling mistakes and technical features are also important (Gürcan, 2003a). Wilson (2011) emphasized that twelve elements are essential in web publishing. These are site and domain name, purpose, site organization and index page basic visual elements, basic page elements, text and ground color, form corners for users, page finishing elements, photo and graphic elements, page download speed, registration to search engines, continuity of the site and site advertisement. Organizational attractiveness can be defined as the user's positive attitude and behavior towards the website (Aiman-Smith, Bauer, and Cable, 2001). The image of the website and its reputation in terms of the user determine the rate of organizational attraction (Yıldız, 2013). The culture and values of the website, the social activities for its visitors or the announcement of the activities carried out by other organizations, the awareness of social responsibility, its sensitivity (environmental issues, work and non-work life, gender equality) significantly affect the perception of organizational attraction. Seminars, courses, all information and activities related to career management that will positively affect the visitors affect the image of the website positively (Zamparini et al., 2010).
1.2 Design Features of Websites
1.2.1 General principles
Without content, a well-designed website is nothing. Similarly, a website with wonderful content is nothing without the best presentation. These two variables work together to shape popular websites with high levels of user interaction, conversion rates and search engine rankings. So it's clear that both of them are necessary for creating an effective website. When it comes to website content vs. design and "which is the first?” argument, there's one more thing to be known: practically, it's difficult to plan every single piece of content before planning the website. There are a variety of scenarios that might happen during the process that is impossible to predict, ranging from the need for a new page to fill up a portion of navigation to a genius mid-design concept. The website design also drive the content, and as things come together it is found that there is a need for something never have been predicted (Kohler, 2014). The configuration of the website content, the placement of the links and the menu designs determine the circulation activity of the site. Although there are some techniques to evaluate websites 11 in terms of their design and usage characteristics, no standard has been established on the subject. Some researchers (December, 1994; Smith, 1997; Oliver, Wilkinson, and Bennett, 1997; Rowley, 1998; Cox & Dale, 2002) working on the evaluation factors of websites tried to establish evaluation criteria and designed some models. One of the most important dimensions that differentiates the Internet from traditional media is the level of realism. Unlike traditional media, the Internet has a vitality and interaction level. Traditional media has a lively but one-sided feature in terms of the level of interaction (Coyle & Thorson, 2001). Coyle and Thorson studied how and when websites would work most effectively in their 2001 study. Drawing attention to the principles of interaction and vitality in order to ensure effectiveness on websites, Steuer (1992) states that the principle of vitality should be examined with breadth and depth subtitles and that the more deeply it affects many different human senses, the more richness it gives to meaning. The website design that serves the purpose enables to create a positive perception about the business and to make the relevant business stand out compared to other competing organizations (Sims, 2004). The use of elements that create liveliness such as image, sound, animation, and color on the website provides a realistic experience and positively affects the visitors (Coyle & Thorson, 2001). Blattberg and Deighton (1991) define interaction as individuals and organizations that can communicate directly regardless of time and place. In this sense, websites are separated from traditional media by using the principles of vitality and interaction via the Internet and increase their level of influence. In this context, it is important that the website is easy to access. Websites provide a lot of information, but may cause information confusion. The visitor should not get lost while browsing the website, and should find the desired content easily. The information should be easily distributed on the website and should have a logical order. Visual elements are expected to support the text and increase its impact. Sound and other multimedia elements are expected to be given in accordance with the purpose of the source. Since websites are not like books, newspapers or magazines, they should have a short and concise narrative. Because reading long texts on the screen causes distraction of the visitor. Links and pages that do not work within the site damage the image of the institution due to the site. It is very important that the visitors can easily find the subject they want in the site (Henderson, 2001; Meyer, 2001; Hastings, 1998; Smith, 1997).
1.2.2 Basic Principles in Web Design
The UX (user experience design) concept centers on the operational characteristics, speed, and technological competence of a design, content and customer experience. The concept of UI (user
12 interface design) covers the appearance of a design, that is, the interface features. Aesthetic details and appearance are all about the UI. Both components are important for the product and function closely together. Despite their working relationship, though the tasks themselves are very different, relating to quite different facets of the product creation process and the design discipline. User experience design is a human-first approach to design products. Don Norman, a cognitive scientist and co- founder of the Nielsen Norman Group Design Consultancy, has been credited with coining the concept "user experience" in the late 1990s. Here's how he's explaining it: “User experience encompasses all aspects of the end-user’s interaction with the company, its services, and its products.” UX is more interested in how users interact on the site than in designing an interface. A person who imagines and designs this interaction is called a “User Experience Designer”. UI stands for user interface design. For example, everything on the screen of the phone is an interface design. The locations, colors and size of icons are applied as a result of the decisions made by the designer. The equivalent of interface design on websites is visual design consisting of all graphic elements such as images, buttons, lines, colors, page structure and spaces (Lamprecht, 2020). While only text and visuals are used in traditional methods, rich format and content materials such as color, animation, sound, and video are used on websites. Material diversity increases the interaction and provides a two-way communication. There are many items on a website such as logo, search box, menu bar, privacy information, contact information, external and internal links, images and text, page titles. All these elements on the website should be placed on the page regularly. In this way, visitors can experience the site more easily and accurately. The same format of the items on the website makes the site stable and prevents them from being distinguished. When a uniform design is made, issues that are considered important lose their importance (Wroblewski, 2002). When starting the website design, the same graphic language should be used in the whole website. For example, if the menu bar links are green, the links in the text are expected to be green. The differences and similarities of the visual elements on the website should be meaningful. The consistent language used on the website allows the visitor to know where he is and how to get there. Visitors can come to the website in a variety of ways. If the same graphic language is used on all pages of the site, the visitor can easily distinguish it from other websites. If the company logo and background are used on all pages of the site, a consistent graphic language will be formed (Yılmaz, 2006). Websites attract the attention of the visitor as they use design principles. The main design principles used in websites are as follows. The concept of balance is used in the visual arts found in nature and is divided into symmetrical and asymmetrical balance. Balance is the visual weight of the elements used in designing
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(Öztuna, 2007). Visual balance is achieved by proportionally positioning the design elements in a symmetrical or asymmetrical manner. Symmetrical balance by using similar elements used in design in equal proportions, and arrangement made with design elements that are not similar or used in equal proportions are called asymmetric balance. Stability prevails in symmetrical designs (Becer, 2005). Rhythm occurs as the repetition of visual elements (Hashimoto, 2003). According to Özsoy and Ayaydın (2016), rhythm is the design of different visuals in harmony between each other at certain intervals. Rhythm is formed by the regular repetition of visual elements that create a perception of movement (Reardon, 2004). Rhythm can be created in three ways. Creating rhythm through repetition is done by repeating the color, shape, shape, and pattern. Rhythm by going forward is created by repeating the color, drawing, pattern by shrinking or growing. In creating rhythms by replacing each other, the design template remains the same, but the rhythm is performed by placing different lines or shapes into it (Arıkan, 2008). The frontend design of the website should grab the user's attention. Tractinsky, Katz, and Ikar (2000) argue that the frontend of websites is important because it is the first thing the user encounters and is the page that will convince the user to stay on that site. The thought and attitude that the user develops as soon as he / she experiences the website will affect his / her later attitudes and behaviors. Therefore, the aesthetics of the website frontend design and the feeling it gives to the user (entertainment, desire to stay on the website, arouse interest, curiosity) are important. Researchers working on human-computer interaction (Barber, 1998; Highhouse & Hoffman, 2001) argue that the aesthetic features of websites and advertisements are seriously important for the user. Studies conducted in the field of both consumer and human-computer interaction show that aesthetics is an important principle (Coyle & Thorson, 2001; Page & Herr, 2002). Integrity is the complementing of the visual elements in design to form a whole. The visual element that will give the message in the design should stand out, but it should be in integrity and harmony with other visual elements. The principle of integrity includes texture and rhythm elements (Becer, 2005). The meaningful cohesiveness of the elements on the website can be expressed as integrity (Cober et al., 2004). The design prepared in integrity and harmony is seen as a successful design. The integrity, which is described as the compatibility of the visual elements that make up the design, can be made using different methods and techniques. Integrity can be achieved in the design by using borders and contour lines, using spaces and white spaces, using horizontal or vertical axes and creating focal points (Arıkan, 2008). Integrity refers to the visual unity of the components on the website. When the visual elements included in the designs are used alone, the reaction is low while the reaction of the whole design is high (Veryzer & Hutchinson, 1998).
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Another principle that will provide aesthetics is consistency. Consistency is defined as whether visual elements are consistent or relevant to the given content (Zusman & Landis, 2002). All visual elements used on the website, including the company logo, are expected to be in harmony with the content. The human eye seeks a relationship based on proportionality between visual elements, the search for proportion between visual elements comes from human nature (Uçar, 2004). Proportion is the relationship between dimensions. There is a proportional relationship between design surface dimensions, that is, aspect ratios and sizes of visual elements. The relationship between the visual element and other visual elements in the design is called proportionality. Proportion is sought both between the whole design and the visual element and between the visual elements. Thanks to the proportion in design, perception increases and focusing becomes easier (Ay, 2016). The emphasis is on creating depth on a visual element in the design and collecting attention on that visual element (Hashimoto, 2003). It is ensured that the target audience of the design can make sense of the design thanks to the emphasis. Emphasis includes not only the design, but also what thought and feeling it wants to convey in the background of the design. The emphasis is on the visual element, the subject, and the expectations and characteristics of the target audience. In order to make the emphasis, it is necessary to do research beforehand, to know what is important for the target audience and to combine the important point with an accurate visual. However, too much emphasis on elements in design may reduce the effect of design (Becer, 2005). Verbal visual hierarchy is the delivery of the message on which it is desired to be emphasized through the visual elements used in the design. The message you want to give can be emphasized by using the image in large or small size, by using typography, by using white spaces. Generally, while dimension and visual hierarchy are provided, it can also be provided by tone, distance-proximity, color and location (Becer, 2005). Visual continuity can be defined as the ability to easily transition from a visual element on the design surface to other elements. Visual balance and integrity can be mentioned in design when visual elements follow each other continuously (Dizdar, 2010). If we can easily grasp the transition between the visual elements on the design surface by seeing it, we can say that the visual continuity principle is applied (Ay, 2016). Another principle used in the design literature is contrast (Williams, 2004). Metz & Junion- Metz (1996) suggest that contrasting colors are sensationally exciting and are preferred over monochrome design. Chen & Wells (1999) stated in their research that the contrast colors used on the websites provide higher scores for the website. The principle of contrast applies not only to colors but also to other design elements. The frontend design of a website should provide aesthetics as well as vitality to keep the user on the site. This feature, which is also known as entertainment, refers to
15 visual elements that add vitality, fun and movement to the page such as images, videos, and sound (Cober et al, 2004). The fact that the membership step of the website is clear and easy increases the user's interest in the website (Williamson et al., 2010). The website should be both consistent and understandable for users (Breaugh & Starke, 2000). One of the points that human-computer interaction researchers are concerned about is the fear that flashy websites will put information in the background. The use of interactive tools (websites in this study), presentation of information in a good design or high usability affect the user positively. Usability is defined as the ease of use at the point of obtaining the desired information and reaching the purpose of being on the website (Nielsen, 2000). Some studies on usability emphasize that usability depends on both objective and subjective criteria (Palmer, 2002; Venkatesh, 2000). Usability is based on objective features (Nielsen, 2000; Palmer, 2002) and an initial impression of a website (Venkatesh, 2000). In other words, usability is the ability to easily switch between the pages of the website, to predict where the relevant information will be, in short, the user can easily find the direction. Visitors to a web site that provides usability gain a positive impression of the institution and its products (Braddy, Meade, and Kroustalis, 2008). Although usability is actually a subjective situation, Agarwal & Venkatesh (2002) stated that it would be possible to define some features that will help the perception of the user at a basic level. The usability principle, which plays a leading role in the creation of web design, is the design principle realized with a series of computer systems. According to this principle, the website is designed based on the user's requests and opinions (Nielsen, 2000). Some system features are features that build usability. These are navigation, sensitivity, metaphor, content and transition speed (Nielsen, 2000; Palmer, 2002). Navigation is the system that enables users to access the information they want immediately or logically how they can reach the information they want (Palmer, 2002). Information is first divided into groups for easy management and then this information is divided into groups and presented in a hierarchical order (Neiderst, 2001). Another feature that ensures usability is sensitivity. Responsiveness refers to the user's ability to provide feedback against the website and the website to react to the user's feedback (Palmer, 2002). Ease of use is related to the layout of the website and the template design it uses. The 3 click criteria developed by Collinsel were developed as one of the criteria that determine how easy it should be. Accordingly, the point you want on a site should be reached with a maximum of three clicks. Having a help link or a search box is a guide. However, if users frequently refer to the help link or search engine, it indicates that the website is not useful in terms of design and layout. Another element that facilitates the use of the user is the development of the interface for the benefit of the user.
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Elements such as the design of the menus used in the website, the readability of the fonts used increase the user-system interaction (Meyer, 2001; Hastings, 1998; Smith, 1997). Studies conducted in the field of human-computer interaction show that system features are significantly effective at usability level. Linking speed refers to the speed at which pages are opened while opening the page of the website or while navigating other pages (Cober et al., 2004). Agarwal and Venkatesh (2002) argued in their study that the content of the site is important in the usability levels of consumer-themed websites. In another study based on page opening time, Ramsay, Barbesi, and Preece (1998) found websites with shorter opening times more interesting by users. The development of trade, the increase in production, the global markets formed due to production and the increasing competition in order to survive in these global markets have made it important for companies, institutions and organizations that provide products and services as well as commercial products and services to express themselves from other companies (Okay, 2000). Corporate identity that distinguishes businesses from other competitors and increases positive communication with the target audience, conveys visually and behaviorally who a business is, what kind of works it does and how it carries out these works (Uzoğlu, 2001). Today, corporate identity has a strategic importance that enables the company to reveal its difference in the sector and to stand out from the competing institutions (Büyükbaykal, 2002). Corporate identity is a tool that affects consumers who use a product or service that businesses express themselves, and that creates an idea for the business in the consumer. Although the concept of corporate identity was considered as visual design in the 1970s, today it has reached a structure that includes elements such as corporate communication, corporate philosophy and corporate design. The most important of these elements is visual identity which includes logo, typeface, institution colors and other visual elements. The use of these elements in a business-specific way constitutes the corporate identity of that business (Okay, 2000). As businesses started to express their activities more in the internet environment, more importance has been given to corporate identity. Web pages have enabled the institutions to express themselves better and be recognized both inside and outside the institution. Websites provide easy communication with a large audience by delivering instant information to customers, media, other institutions, suppliers and their own employees. Businesses give more importance to websites in order to effectively communicate with their target audiences and have started to focus on the structure of websites and how they should be. Two-way communication, which enables to learn the user's reaction instantly, ensures that the communication between the business and the target audience is effective (Kent & Taylor, 1998). In this respect, the website should be designed to explain the corporate identity and culture and to meet user expectations. The fact that the institution expresses itself through the website and
17 provides an idea about the business in the user's mind encourages the development of web design. The experiences of the consumers/users about the business and the perception formed about the institution after the feedback made by the business constitute the corporate image (Bayçu, 2012).
1.3 Interaction Features of Websites
Interaction features include information or resources requested by the user of the website. Without using this means that a website may go no further than an information provider that does not display any care about the changing demands of users to the website. Consequently, interaction feature is effective on planning business-related content. Advances in information and communication technologies have transformed the one- sidedness in mass media into bilateral communication. Communication established with websites is different from communication established by traditional mass media. One-way communication in the previous communication tools gave way to two-way communication, where feedback is instant. One- way communication between the website and its users has left its place to a two-way symmetric model based on trust and relationship. Kent & Taylor (1998) developed the dialogic communication approach for websites using two-way communication. This approach tries to evaluate the interaction rate of the company website with more users. Computer technology is a tool that provides open communication and interaction between the website and the user. The aim of the approach is to enable communication between the websites and the user and then to continue the communication interactively. Some principles should be applied to improve the relationship between websites and users.
The interaction between the parties depends on the usefulness of the information. The information provided to the user must be reliable and useful. The information on the website should benefit the website, i.e. the company, as well as the user. Depending on the product offered by the websites, their target audience varies. The success of the website also depends on its ability to appeal to its target audience (Kent & Taylor, 1998). If the information provided by the website is suitable for the target audience, the target audience is shared with the website. The purpose of the website is not only to share information, but to enable the user receiving the information to be included in the communication and react. Information usefulness can be examined under three headings. Websites provide information to customers, employees and the media. When examining customer-oriented information, it is generally examined under the headings of customer relations, the working area of the website and the service/s and social responsibility projects. When examining employee-oriented information, topics 18 such as corporate philosophy, history of the organization, corporate management, and mission and vision statements of the institution, employee rights, information about career, and information about job application were evaluated. Media-focused information often examines topics such as contact information, press releases, RSS subscription, and downloadable media content. This criterion, also called the dialogic cycle, refers to instant returns to the website. It provides opportunities such as querying, helping to solve existing problems, and providing mutual information exchange to the user who uses the website (Kent & Taylor, 1998). Websites will achieve success as long as they receive feedback from their members and can develop action towards these returns. The website also publishes the information it reveals, in line with the requests from users. The feedback cycle only occurs when bidirectional communication exists. The users can give feedback to the website, get a chance to participate in surveys where they can express their opinions, and request regular information. The last and most important stage of the feedback cycle is the taking shape of the website in line with the feedback from the user. This indicates that the feedback of the user is valued (Kent, Taylor, and White, 2001). The success of the website depends on the user revisiting the site. The user must continuously benefit from the site in order to visit the site again. Updated and interesting content provides a repeat visit to the site. In addition, with the applications of online question and answer sessions, frequently asked questions, special forums, downloadable presentations, getting expert opinion, answering requested information via e-mail, the user is re-visited (Kent & Taylor 1998). Some features that provide a repeat visit to the site can be listed as follows; using invitation statements to re-enter the site, linking to relevant websites that will attract the user's attention, using warning buttons such as "add this page to favorites", sending automatic e-mails about topics that may interest the user (Kent et al., 2001). The ease of use of the website is the observance of the order and hierarchy in the design of the website. In this context, it is ensured that the user leaves the site with the information he / she wants or having a benefit. It means that the user can easily find the information he / she is looking for on the website (Kent & Taylor, 1998). Websites are in competition with similar websites. If the information and the benefits of the information contained in the websites are the same, the visitor will visit again depending mostly on the design elements. If the website cannot make a difference in terms of content, it should definitely differ in design. The ease of use of the site may be preferred (Kent et al., 2001). The fact that the website is in interaction with other websites is an indicator of high communication. However, the links provided by the website should prevent the user from going to that site and staying on that site. For this reason, the links provided should be the links of the websites with fundamental importance (Kent & Taylor, 1998). The features that allow the user to stay on the
19 page are: not using heavy advertising, providing fast opening by not using too many visuals on the site, updating frequently, etc. (Kent et al., 2001). In order to interact with each other, the user must spend time on the website. If the site where the users are located satisfies the users in terms of information, design and interaction, they can access the information and hardware they want without switching to another site. Thus, the duration of stay on the site will be extended. In order for the target audience to spend longer time on the website, appropriate content should be prepared by anticipating the issues that they may be interested in, apart from the subject they are interested in.
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II. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
2.1 Study Area
In 2000, the leading basketball clubs of Europe established a Barcelona-based company called Euroleague Basketball, because FIBA did not apply a fair economic sharing model and could not produce a sportively interesting product in the tournaments organized by FIBA. This structure was organized under the leadership of the basketball leagues of Spain, Italy and Greece, with the support of the European Basketball Leagues Association (ULEB). Therefore, international basketball competitions, which should be organized within FIBA Europe and included in the sports pyramid, passed under the control of an independent supranational basketball organization outside the pyramid. However, due to the fact that the participating clubs are teams within the federations within the pyramid, Euroleage Basketball could not turn into a fully independent commercial structure like the NBA seen in the American basketball model. As a result, a hybrid structure has emerged that does not break with the club infrastructures and strong club culture brought by federative structuring, but can make decisions without being dependent on any federation in terms of administrative and financial management. When FIBA Europe could not make any moves against the Euroleague, which has grown slowly in the past 20 years, the Turkish Airlines Euroleague and the 7DAYS EuroCup became the top two leagues in European basketball. Especially in November 2015, when Euroleague Basketball signed a contract worth 300 million for 10 + 10 years with the American sports marketing giant IMG, FIBA's voice in European basketball was also greatly damaged. In order to stop Euroleague Basketball's growth spurt a bit and regain control of European basketball, FIBA launched the FIBA Champions League tournament in the 2016/2017 season (Güney, 2018). FIBA Europe requested the federations of the relevant countries to force the club teams competing in the local leagues to withdraw from the Euroleague's organizations. In addition, the well- established clubs of Europe, especially the A license holder who gained the right to participate permanently in the Euroleague (the license type changed as a licensed club since 2017) remained bound by the agreement they made and did not bow to the pressures of FIBA. Although many teams playing in the EuroCup, the second-tier league of the Euroleague, were forced to withdraw from the league and move to FIBA leagues. FIBA Europe could not reach the number and quality of the team it wanted and could not create a league that could rival the Euroleague. As a matter of fact, most of these teams, who had a season in the FIBA Champions League, returned to the EuroCup organization as of the 2017/2018 season.
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Euroleague Basketball is a global pioneer in the sports and entertainment industry, committed to running a special and creative organizational model for the top European competitions for professional basketball clubs. Owned and managed by some of the world's most famous and historic clubs, Euroleague Basketball oversees and organizes the continent's two premier men's basketball tournaments, the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and the 7DAYS EuroCup, as well as the EB Adidas Next Generation Tournament, the sport's premier under-18 showcase. Via the OTT Euroleague TV network, the Euroleague Basketball tournaments bring the elite of European basketball to all five continents and to the entire sports world. A number of community and educational activities are also coordinated by the Euroleague Basketball. All Euroleague Basketball clubs that have already made a difference in the lives of more than 22,000 members are part of the ground-breaking corporate social responsibility One Team initiative. Its Sports Business MBA teaches future professionals in sports management (Euroleague Basketball, 2020). As such, study area presented in the research context is decided to be on Euroleague Basketball.
2.2 Research Methods
Qualitative research method based on interpretative approach is defined as a process when it provides a holistic example of facts and events in real life (Yıldırım & Şimşek, 2005). Qualitative research method which is developed to see how people experience the social world, uses data collection techniques such as observation, interview, personal experience, case study, and investigation, etc. (Sandelowski, 2004). Qualitative data collection methods, such as document analysis, allow some analyzes to be made. The main purpose here is not to obtain numerical analysis in quantitative research, but to obtain information and perception about the subject studied. In this study, document analysis, one of the qualitative data collection methods, was performed. As a document, the websites of basketball clubs playing in the Euroleague in the 2019-2020 season were analyzed. Content analysis was used to provide evaluation on websites. Content analysis is defined as the systematic observation and objective analysis of written, verbal and other materials (Bilgin, 2006; Tavşancıl & Aslan, 2001; Demir, 2009). According to another definition, content analysis can be described as summarizing and classifying all kinds of written and verbal data in order to enlighten the research problem, and categorizing variables and concepts determined depending on the data by measuring them (Arık, 1992). Content analysis is a frequently used research method in social sciences. With the method of content analysis, the content of printed and visual materials within the scope of the research is examined within a certain systematic (Neuman, 2000). 22
Content analysis is divided into two titles as qualitative and quantitative content analysis. Although qualitative research is seen as uncountable, observations and interviews can always be transformed into numerical data (Demir, 2009). However, in qualitative research, the aim is to examine variables in depth rather than measuring. In recent years, studies in which both methods are used together have become widespread. Using the two methods together can provide more benefits to understanding the problem (Maxfield & Barbie, 2005). According to Maxfield & Barbie (2005), two types of content can be mentioned. The content that appears is the content that is in the text and image, that is, accepting the image as content. In the given message content, it is the meaning content underlying the text or image whose content is investigated (Demir 2009). There are five stages in content analysis. These are coding, determining themes, editing codes, presentation and interpretation of findings (Yıldırım & Şimşek, 2003). Content analysis makes inferences to reach social facts beyond the apparent meaning of the materials at hand (Mayring, 2000). There is a need for an intermediate mechanism to transform the signs in the texts into meanings. This is possible with the coding process. The researcher should act within the framework of certain coding rules in the coding process that is created entirely by the researcher's interpretation (Demirci & Köseli, 2009). In this study, a business-related content evaluation of the websites of basketball clubs playing in the Euroleague in the 2019-2020 season was made. In the first stage of content analysis, categories are determined. By definition, categorization means grouping the elements that make up a whole by differentiating them according to certain codes. This analysis provides the classification of the meaning items. Some ways should be followed when determining the categories. Categories should be homogeneous; different items should not be in the same category. Categories should be holistic; it must cover the entire communication or message. Categories must be distinctive; an item must not be in different categories. Categories should be objective; different encoders must put the same items into the same categories. Categories should be relevant and meaningful; it should be adapted according to research objectives (Bilgin, 2006). Categorization requires coding of messages, i.e., processing of meanings. Analysis categories can be based on a wide variety of dimensions in the message that we are interested in. For example, the subject, the direction of the message, the values it carries, the goals or intentions, the features or lines used to describe the people, the source of the message, the person targeted by the message, or the masses, the place and times of the events, the dimensions of what the message is said and the type of the message. Dimensions related to the way the message is said, such as its form, the grammatical features of the message or the syntax of the communication, the methods of propaganda or rhetoric can be taken as a basis for categorization (Bilgin, 2006).
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In this study, a dimension was determined in order to evaluate the business-related content of the websites of basketball clubs playing in the Euroleague during the 2019-2020 season, and then the categories and codes that make up this dimension were created. Each code helps in building the structure of the category. The subject of this study is to make a business-related content evaluation of the websites of the basketball clubs playing in the Euroleague in the 2019-2020 season. The websites considered were evaluated in terms of their content features that make the content easier to understand. In order to evaluate the websites in terms of content, the features that make the content easier to understand are determined as dimensions, and the categories and codes that make up this dimension are tabulated in this section. Later, the said websites were examined in depth and their features that stand out among them were examined.
2.3 Research Instrument
In literature, different categories were expressed when evaluating websites in terms of content, but no study evaluating content in a holistic way was encountered. For this reason, the topics discussed under the title of content, design and interaction features in the previous section were redesigned in this section according to the features of this study. In this research, the literature was examined to analyze the websites of 18 basketball clubs playing in the Euroleague during the 2019-2020 season, and within this scope, and a total of 3 website content categories under this dimension were determined. There were 9 different codes under the title of “Content Sufficiency Features” which was the first of the website content category, 7 different codes under the title of “Ease of Access and Use Features” and 5 different codes under the title of “Interaction Features”. The value was given (✓) if they were applied, (-) if they were not applied, depending on whether the websites applied the codes that make up this category. The categories in Table 1 were derived by inspiring from the studies on the content of the research in the previous section. In Table 1, the features that affect the content were arranged in 3 categories, and which elements were looked at on the website to evaluate the codes that make up these categories were briefly written.
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Table 1
Website content evaluation criteria
Website Content Categories Website Content Review Codes
Match announcements and fixtures Results of previous games Having an up-to-date organizational chart Information about the club's venue News about the club Content Sufficiency Features Describing the mission and vision of the club (in native and English versions). Having social content and features that can be sponsored Having a page and area showing and describing sponsorships (in native and English versions). Describing the history of the club (in native and English versions). General design of the website Having an English version in addition to the native language A mobile and tablet compatible website Easily accessible and visible positioning of photo and video content Ease of Access and Use Features that will provide visibility to sponsors Search Engine Having Frequently Asked Questions Having contact information (e-mail address, mail address, telephone) Having a membership system User Feedback Interaction Features Links to buy e-tickets Links to e-shop for merchandising Links to club’s social media accounts Note: created by student
2.4 Research Execution
In this study, the websites under investigation were evaluated between 30.09.2020 - 07.10.2020.
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2.5 Research Limitations
The research was limited to the websites of 18 clubs playing in the Euroleague in the 2019- 2020 season. The analysis of these websites was not limited to the main pages. The criteria in Table 1 were evaluated in line with the information obtained from all pages of the relevant websites.
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III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
3.1 Research Findings
Research findings are examined due to various website content categories such as “Content Sufficiency Features”, “Ease of Access and Use Features”, and “Interaction Features”.
3.1.1 Content Sufficiency Features
Table 2
Findings of the research (Content sufficiency features)
Website Content Review Zenit
Codes Asvel
Maccabi
Valencia
Barcelona
Alba Berlin
Fenerbahçe
Olympiacos
TD Systems TD
Real Real Madrid
Anadolu Efes
Panathinaikos
CSKA MoscowCSKA
Bayern Munich
Olimpia Milano
ZalgirisKaunas
KhimkiMoscow Crvena Belgrade Match announcements and ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ - - fixtures
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Results of previous games - -
Having an up-to-date ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ------organizational chart Information about the club's - ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ------venue ✓ News about the club ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Describing the mission and ✓ vision of the club (in native ------
and English versions). Having social content and ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ------features that can be sponsored Having a page and area showing and describing ✓ ✓ ------sponsorships (in native and English versions). Describing the history of the ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ club (in native and English - - -
versions). Note: created by student
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Match announcements and fixtures. All clubs have a "Match announcements and fixtures" section on their websites. Since Crvena Belgrade's website is only in Serbian and Asvel's website is only in French, it is unclear whether there is information about match announcements and fixtures on these websites. Results of previous games. Information about "Results of previous games" is provided on the websites of all clubs. Since Crvena Belgrade's website is only in Serbian and Asvel's website is only in French, it is not clear whether there is information about the results of previous games on these websites. Having an up-to-date organizational chart. Having an up-to-date organizational chart is useful in directing communication with the right person and introducing the team. Up-to-date organizational chart is featured on the websites of Asvel, Alba Berlin, CSKA Moscow, Barcelona, Khimki Moscow, Olympiacos, Maccabi, Valencia and Zalgiris Kaunas. The names, surnames, duties and contact information of the persons within the scope of the organizational chart are included in these websites. On the other hand, Anadolu Efes and Panathinaikos websites also contain the names and duties of individuals within the scope of the current organizational chart, but their contact information is not included. However, Fenerbahçe, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Zenit, TD Systems and Olimpia Milano websites do not have any organizational charts for the basketball team. Since the website of Crvena Belgrade is organized only in Serbian language, it is not understood whether it has an up-to- date organizational chart. Having information about the club's venue in English. The Turkish version of the Fenerbahçe website contains detailed information about Fenerbahçe Ülker Sports and Event Hall, while the English version does not contain any information. The English version of the Alba Berlin website does not contain any information about the Alba Arena, only a picture of the seating arrangement of the Alba Area. While the Turkish version of Anadolu Efes website contains detailed information about Sinan Erdem Dome, the English version does not contain any information. There is no information about CSKA Arena in the English version of the CSKA Moscow website. Barcelona's website includes detailed information about Palau Blaugrana in both Spanish and English versions. The German version of Bayern Munich's website contains detailed information about the Audi Dome, while the English version does not contain any information. The English version of Khimki Moscow's website does not contain any information about Mytishchi Arena. Olympiacos' website contains detailed information about Peace and Friendship Stadium in English. The English version of Panathinaikos' website contains detailed information about The Olympic Athletic Sports
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Center. Real Madrid's website contains detailed information about the WiZink Center in both Spanish and English versions. Valencia's website contains detailed information about Pavelló Font de Sant Lluís, in both Spanish and English versions. Zalgiris Kaunas' website contains detailed information about Zalgirio Arena in both Lithuanian and English versions. There is detailed information about Yubileyny Sports Complex on the English version of Zenit's website. There is no information about Fernando Buesa Arena in the English version of TD Systems' website. There is no information about Mediolanum Forum on the English version of Olimpia Milano website. There is no information about Menora Mivtachim Arena in the English version of the Maccabi’s website. Since Crvena Belgrade's website is only in Serbian and Asvel's website is only in French, it is not clear whether there is information about the club venue on these websites. News about the club. All clubs have a “news about the club” section on their websites. Since the website of Crvena Belgrade is only in Serbian and Asvel's website is only in French, it is not clear whether there is “news about club” section on these websites. Describing the mission and vision of the club (in native and English versions). Among the 18 clubs, TD Systems is the only club that has the “vision, mission and values” section on its website. On the other hand, “mission and vision of the club” section is not included in the English and Turkish versions of Fenerbahçe and Anadolu Efes websites. “Mission and vision of the club” is not included in the English and German versions of Alba Berlin's website. “Mission and vision of the club” is not included in the English and Russian versions of the Zenit and CSKA Moscow websites. “Mission and vision of the club” is not included in the English and Spanish versions of the Valencia, Barcelona and Real Madrid websites. “Mission and vision of the club” is not included in the English and German versions of the Bayern Munich website. “Mission and vision of the club” is not included in the English and Russian versions of the Khimki Moscow website. “Mission and vision of the club” is not included in the English and Greek versions of the websites of Olympiacos and Panathinaikos. “Mission and vision of the club” is not included in the English and Lithuanian versions of the Zalgiris Kaunas website. “Mission and vision of the club” is not included in the English and Italian versions of the Olimpia Milano website. “Mission and vision of the club” is not included in the English and Hebrew versions of the Maccabi website. Since Crvena Belgrade's website is only in Serbian and Asvel's website is only in French, it is not clear whether these websites have mission and vision of the club. Having social content and features that can be sponsored. Olimpia Milano, TD Systems, Zenit, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, CSKA Moscow, Alba Berlin, Fenerbahçe, and Maccabi’s websites do not have any social content and features that can be sponsored. Anadolu Efes, on the other hand, participates in many social projects. For example, in the first home game played in the Euroleague every season, Anadolu Efes is carrying out the "Pink Ball
29 on the Field" project in cooperation with Anadolu Medical Center within the scope of "Breast Cancer Awareness Month". Another club that participates in social projects is Olympiacos. For the first time in Greek Sports, an athletic company that represents the greatest sporting organization, Olympiacos, has put to use a complete Company Program of Social Awareness. The program, founded in the 2007-08 season and has been developing ever since, involves the projects of battling down violence in sporting facilities, society, sports, education, culture, environmental and health issues. Furthermore Olympiacos has collaborated with the Special Kindergarten and Elementary School for the Deaf and the Hearing Impaired during the 2012-13 season, with the Workshop for the Special Professional Training and Skills Acquisition of St. Demetrius during the 2013-15 season and the Workshop for the Special Professional Training and Skills Acquisition of Piraeus in the 2015-17 seasons. In its website, it is stated that Panathinaikos has chosen to work with the Corinth Juvenile Detention Center. Through basketball, juvenile inmates (15-18 years old) gain knowledge of the sport and learn values such as teamwork, cooperation, solidarity and respect. For the 2019-2020 season and in the context of this initiative, the Club is working together with the Hadjikonsta Foundation to provide a way out through sports to disadvantaged children. In Valencia’s website, it is stated that Valencia joins One Team, Euroleague Basketball's corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme. However, there is no information in English about Valencia's social content activities. One Team, the social responsibility program of Euroleague Basketball, is beneficial not only for the young people who take part. It also provides life-changing opportunities to the people who support the organization of the activities, many of whom are volunteers with their local clubs. Two great examples come from Zalgiris Kaunas, starting with Antanas Usas, who started volunteering five years ago. Back then, he was still a student, but he managed to find time to volunteer with One Team and continued to do so even after finishing his studies. Antanas is now a lecturer at the Lithuanian Sports University, and working with One Team helps him in his professional activities. Another supporter of Zalgiris’s One Team program is Gediminas Navickas, who became a volunteer at the start of this season after finishing a long career as a professional player. The experiences he brings from his playing days are valuable for the activities, and he is also now working in the Zalgiris youth system. Khimki Moscow has been developing its One Team activities for four years, working with groups of children who had been deemed by local youth authorities as prone to antisocial behavior. And for the new season Khimki is now working with two separate groups of children simultaneously, with one group located in Khimki and the other in the nearby town of Mytishchi, where the club’s EuroLeague home games are being staged. First of all, the club is continuing its long-standing
30 partnership with the town administration of Khimki, who have helped initiate a collaboration with Vera, a local center for children suffering from mental disabilities. Since the website of Crvena Belgrade is only in Serbian and Asvel's website is only in French, it is not understood whether these websites have social content. Having a page and area describing and showing sponsorships (in native and English versions). Detailed information about all the sponsors is given on a separate page in both English and Russian versions of the CSKA Moscow website. Detailed information about all sponsors is provided on a separate page in both the English and Spanish versions of the Real Madrid website. All sponsors are displayed on a separate page in both English and Spanish versions of the TD Systems, Barcelona and Valencia website, but no information about the sponsors. All sponsors are shown on a separate page in both the English and Italian versions of the Olimpia Milano website, but no information about the sponsors is included. All sponsors are displayed on a separate page in both the English and Hebrew versions of the Maccabi website, but no information about the sponsors. In both the English and German versions of the Bayern Munich website, all sponsors are displayed on the homepage, but no information about the sponsors. In both the English and Turkish versions of Anadolu Efes website, all sponsors are shown on the main page, but no information about the sponsors is included. In both English and Turkish versions of the Fenerbahçe website, all sponsors are shown on a separate page, but no information about the sponsors is included. In both the English and Russian versions of the Zenit and Khimki Moscow websites, all sponsors are shown on the homepage, but no information about the sponsors is included. On the websites of Asvel and Crvena Belgrade, all sponsors are displayed on the homepage, but no information about the sponsors is included. In both the English and Greek versions of the Olimpiacos website, all sponsors are displayed on a separate page, but no information about the sponsors is included. In both the English and Greek versions of Panathinaikos, all sponsors are shown on the homepage, but no information about the sponsors is included. In the English version of the Zalgiris Kaunas website, all sponsors are displayed on a separate page under the “Business” title, but only Lithuanian information is included about the sponsors. In the German version of the Alba Berlin website only, all sponsors are shown on a separate page. Describing the history of the club (in native and English versions). The English and Turkish versions of the Fenerbahçe and Anadolu Efes websites contain information about the history of the clubs. The CSKA Moscow and Khimki Moscow websites contain history in English and Russian versions. History is available in English and Spanish versions of the TD Systems, Valencia, Barcelona and Real Madrid websites. History is available in English and Greek versions of the Olympiacos and Panathinaikos websites. History is available on the English and Italian versions of
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the Olimpia Milano website. History is available on the English and Hebrew versions of the Maccabi website. On the other hand, there is no history information in the English and German versions of Alba Berlin's website. The English and German versions of the Bayern Munich website do not contain history of the club. The English and Lithuanian versions of the Zalgiris Kaunas website do not contain history of the club. There is no history information in the English and Russian versions of the Zenit website. Since the website of Crvena Belgrade is only in Serbian and Asvel's website is only in French, it is not clear whether there is any history information on these websites.
3.1.2 Ease of Access and Use Features
Table 3
Findings of the research (Ease of access and use features)
Website Content Review Zenit
Codes Asvel
Maccabi
Valencia
Barcelona
Alba Berlin
Fenerbahçe
Olympiacos
TD Systems TD
Real Real Madrid
Anadolu Efes
Panathinaikos
CSKA MoscowCSKA
Bayern Munich
Olimpia Milano
ZalgirisKaunas
KhimkiMoscow Crvena Belgrade
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ General design of the ------website Having an English version ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ in addition to the native - - -
language A mobile and tablet ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ - - - compatible website Easily accessible and visible positioning of photo and ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ video content that will - - provide visibility to sponsors Search Engine ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ - ✓ ✓ - ✓ - ✓ - ✓ ✓ - ✓ ✓ Having Frequently Asked ✓ ✓ ✓ ------Questions Having contact information ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ (e-mail address, mail - ✓ address, telephone) Note: created by student
General design of the website. There is no menu section on the Fenerbahçe website. The planning of the website is shown at the bottom of the homepage. Accordingly, the website is planned under the headings of News, Club, Branches, Fans, and Brands. This planning includes all sports activities along with basketball. When entering the Basketball section in Branches, only standings, athletes, staff, news and fixture information about the basketball branch can be accessed. Illustrated basketball news constitutes the weight of the basketball page. On the website of Fenerbahçe, it is seen
32 that basketball is in the shadow of football. For example, in the history of the club, only the history of the football branch is mentioned, there is no information about the basketball branch.
Picture 1. Fenerbahçe website main page
There is no menu section in Alba Berlin's website. After giving brief information about Alba Berlin on the homepage, the users are directed to these links by listing the titles of Standings EuroLeague, Standings German League, Roster, Schedule, Tickets, Roll of Honor, Supervisory Board / President, Front Office Staff, Contact. When these links are clicked, most of them are German content. Under these links, club achievements are listed under the title of Trophy Case, and under this is the Media Rules document.
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Picture 2. Alba Berlin website main page
There is a menu section on Anadolu Efes website. The content on the website is designed in a way that can be easily accessed with titles such as news, roster, matches and all content. In other words, it is possible to access all content on the website just by going to the menu section. In other words, the desired content can be accessed with two clicks. There is no menu section on Crvena Zvezda's website. However, sub-headings under the main headings have been created on the main page, so that the information requested on the site can be accessed with two clicks at most. There is no menu section on the CSKA Moscow website, but the main headings are listed on the left side of the main page, and when these titles are clicked, the entire content of the site can be accessed. The planning of the Barcelona website is displayed at the top of the homepage. Accordingly, at the top of the site, there is a menu that includes basketball and all other sports activities. Under this menu, all content related to the basketball branch can be accessed. In this way, all sports content can be successfully accessed with the general menu at the top, and only basketball content with the menu below. At the top of the Real Madrid website, there are main headings that include basketball as well as all other sports activities. Basketball-specific titles are listed at the bottom of the basketball page. Basketball content can be accessed easily by clicking these titles.
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Picture 3. Barcelona website main page
There is a menu section on the Bayern Munich website, and the main headings are listed under this section. While there are match news under the heading News, there are also match news under the FCBB and Season headings. In addition, while these contents should be in English, it also appears that the German version is mixed with English. There is no menu section on the Khimki Moscow website, but the main titles are listed at the top of the homepage, and when these titles are clicked, the subtitles appear as sub-menu, so that the entire content of the site can be accessed easily. Moreover, all site content can be easily accessed with the Navigation section located under the homepage of the site. There is no menu section on the Asvel website, but the main titles are listed at the top of the homepage, and when these titles are clicked, sub-titles appear as sub-menus, so that the entire content of the site can be accessed easily. There is no menu section on the Olympiacos website, but the main titles are listed at the top of the homepage, and when these titles are clicked, the subtitles appear as sub-menu, so that the entire content of the site can be accessed easily. There is a menu section on the Panathinaikos website. The main titles are listed in the menu, and when these titles are clicked, subtitles appear as a sub menu, so that the entire content of the site can be accessed easily. In other words, it is possible to access all the content on the site just by going to the menu section. There is no menu section on the Valencia website, but the main headings are listed on the left side of the homepage, and when these titles are clicked, the entire content of the site can be
35 accessed. There is a menu on the homepage of Zalgiris Kaunas website. All titles can be accessed when entering the menu section.
Picture 4. Zalgiris Kaunas website main page
In order to access the English version of Zenit Saint Petersburg's website, firstly it is necessary to click on RSS, then it can be entered on the homepage. There is no menu section on this page, but the main headings are listed at the top and bottom of the main page, and when these headings are clicked, the entire content of the site can be accessed. There is a menu section on TD Systems Baskonia and Maccabi Tel-Aviv websites. The main headings are listed in the menu, and when these titles are clicked, subtitles appear as a sub menu, so that the entire content of the site can be accessed easily. In other words, it is possible to access all content on the site just by going to the menu section. There is no menu section on the Olimpia Milano website, but the main headings are listed on the left side of the homepage, and when these titles are clicked, the entire content of the site can be accessed. Having a mobile and tablet compatible website. CSKA Moscow is the only club among the clubs within the scope of the research that stated that it is mobile and tablet compatible on the website's homepage. Whether the websites of other clubs are compatible with mobile and tablet computers was investigated on https://search.google.com/test/mobile-friendly?hl=tr. According to the results of this research, apart from CSKA Moscow, the websites of Fenerbahçe, Anadolu Efes, Alba Berlin, Olimpia Milano, Crvena Belgrade, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Khimki
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Moscow, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, TD Systems, Valencia, and Zalgiris Kaunas were found to be compatible. On the other hand, it was determined that Asvel's website was not mobile and tablet compatible. Accordingly, it was observed that the clickable items were very close to each other and the text was too small to be read. It has was determined that Zenit's and Maccabi's websites were also not compatible with mobile and tablet computers. Accordingly, it was determined that the content is wider than the screen and the clickable items are very close to each other. Having an English version in addition to the native language. Fenerbahçe and Anadolu Efes’s websites have English versions in addition to Turkish version. It is possible to access English versions of all fields in the Turkish version of the websites of these clubs. Alba Berlin's website can be accessed in English and Chinese languages other than German. However, all areas on Alba Berlin's website can be accessed only in German language. In the English versions of the site, brief information about the club is given, and links regarding other issues are directed to the German version. Olimpia Milano’s website has English version in addition to Italian version. It is possible to access English versions of all areas in the Italian version of this club's website. CSKA Moscow’s website has English version in addition to Russian version. It is possible to access English versions of all areas on the Russian version of this club's website. Barcelona's website can be accessed in English, French, Chinese and Japanese versions other than Spanish. All areas in the Spanish version of Barcelona's website can be accessed in other languages. Real Madrid's website is accessible in English, French, German, Indonesian, Arabic, Chinese and Japanese, as well as Spanish. All areas in the Spanish version of Real Madrid's website can be accessed in other languages. Bayern Munich’s website has English version in addition to German version. It is possible to access English versions of all areas on the German version of this club's website. Khimki Moscow’s website has English version in addition to Russian version. It is possible to access English versions of all areas on the Russian version of this club's website. Olympiacos’s and Panathinaikos' websites have English versions in addition to Greek version. It is possible to access English versions of all fields in the Greek version of the websites of these clubs. TD Systems’ and Valencia’s websites have English versions in addition to Spanish version. It is possible to access English versions of all areas on the Spanish version of this club's website. Zalgiris Kaunas’s website has English version in addition to Lithuanian version. It is possible to access English versions of all areas in the Lithuanian version of this club's website.
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Zenit’s website has English version in addition to Russian version. In order to access the English version of the Zenit, it is necessary to click on RSS first, then it can be entered into the homepage. The English version of this club's website contains information in both Russian and English. Maccabi’s website has English version in addition to Hebrew version. It is possible to access English versions of some areas on the Hebrew version of this club's website. The website of Crvena Belgrade is prepared only in the Serbian version and there is no English version of the website. Asvel's website is prepared only in the French version and there is no English version of the website. Easily accessible and visible positioning of photo and video content that will provide visibility to sponsors. When the club websites are examined in terms of easily accessible and visible positioning of the photo and video content that will provide visibility to the sponsors, it is determined that Asvel and Zenit fall behind other club websites. Because the photo and video content used on the websites of Asvel and Zenit are not easily accessible and visible. It is determined that all clubs except these clubs comply with the relevant criteria. Especially in order to access the English version of Zenit and to see the photo and video contents, it is necessary to first click on the RSS and then it can be entered into the homepage. Having search engine in the website. There is a search engine on websites other than Maccabi, CSKA Moscow, Khimki Moscow, Panathinaikos and Valencia. When the websites are examined in terms of ease of access to the search engine, it is found that the search engine can be easily accessed on the home pages of Fenerbahçe, Anadolu Efes, Crvena Zvezda, Barcelona, Asvel, Olympiacos, Real Madrid, Olimpia Milano, TD Systems Baskonia and Zenit St. Petersburg websites. However, although there is a search engine on Alba Berlin, Bayern Munich and Zalgiris Kaunas websites, it is necessary to enter the menu section of the site to search. Having Frequently Asked Questions. The Frequently Asked Questions section is available on the Barcelona, Real Madrid and TD Systems websites. However, the Frequently Asked Questions section is not included on the websites of Maccabi, Olimpia Milano, Zenit St. Petersburg, Zalgiris Kaunas, Valencia, Panathinaikos, Olympiacos, Khimki Moscow, Bayern Munich, CSKA Moscow, Anadolu Efes, Alba Berlin and Fenerbahçe. Since the website of Crvena Zvezda is only in Serbian and Asvel's website is only in French, it is not clear whether there is a Frequently Asked Questions section on these websites. Having contact information (e-mail address, mail address, fax number, telephone number). Fenerbahçe's website contains only the phone number of the basketball branch within the scope of contact information. The Alba Berlin website includes a postal address and telephone number within the scope of contact information. Anadolu Efes website does not contain any
38 information within the scope of contact information, it is necessary to fill in a form to reach the club. Zenit St. Petersburg, TD Systems Baskonia, Olimpia Milano, Zalgiris Kaunas, Valencia, Real Madrid, Olympiacos, Bayern Munich, Crvena Zvezda, CSKA Moscow, Barcelona and Maccabi Tel- Aviv websites contain e-mail address, mail address, telephone number and fax number within the scope of contact information. The Khimki Moscow website contains only a postal address, but a detailed explanation of how to get there. The phone number and e-mail address of the club are available on Asvel's website. Panathinaikos' website includes mail address, telephone number and fax number within the scope of contact information, and it is possible to fill in a contact form to reach the club.
3.1.3 Interaction Features
Table 4
Findings of the research (Interaction features)
Website Content Zenit
Review Codes Asvel
Maccabi
Valencia
Barcelona
Alba Berlin
Fenerbahçe
Olympiacos
TD Systems TD
Real Real Madrid
Anadolu Efes
Panathinaikos
CSKA MoscowCSKA
Bayern Munich
Olimpia Milano
ZalgirisKaunas
KhimkiMoscow Crvena Belgrade Having a ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ------membership system ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ User Feedback - - -
Links to buy e- ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ - - tickets Links to e-shop for ✓ ✓ - ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ - ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ merchandising Links to club’s social media ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ - ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ accounts Note: created by student
Having a membership system. It is possible to login to club membership in both English and Turkish versions of Fenerbahçe and Anadolu Efes websites. In the German version of Alba Berlin's website, club membership can be accessed, while in the English version, club membership cannot be entered. It is possible to login to club membership in both English and Russian versions of the CSKA Moscow website. Club membership can be accessed on both English and Spanish versions of the Barcelona and Real Madrid websites. Access to club membership is possible in both English and Italian versions of the Olimpia Milano website. Club membership can be accessed via the Russian version of the Khimki Moscow website, but not through the English version.
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The English version of TD Systems, Zenit, Zalgiris Kaunas, Valencia, Bayern Munich, Olympiacos and Panathinaikos websites do not have a club membership system. Since the website of Crvena Zvezda is only in Serbian and Asvel's website is only in French, it cannot be understood whether there is a club membership system on these websites. User feedback. On the English and Turkish versions of Fenerbahçe and Anadolu Efes websites, users can send messages to the club regarding basketball activities. In the German version of Alba Berlin website, users can send messages to the club. In the German and English versions of the Bayern Munich website, users can send messages to the club. Users can send messages to the club on the Spanish and English versions of the TD Systems, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Valencia websites. Users can send their messages to the club on the Russian and English versions of the CSKA Moscow and Khimki Moscow websites. On the English and Greek versions of the Olympiacos and Panathinaikos websites, users can send their messages to the club. It is possible to contact the club through the Messenger chat program on the Zalgiris Kaunas website. However, there is no feedback feature on Maccabi, Olimpia Milano and Zenitin websites. Since the website of Crvena Belgrade is only in Serbian and Asvel's website is only in French, it is not possible to understand whether there is user feedback on these websites. Having links to buy e-tickets. Buying e-tickets on the homepage of Anadolu Efes, Alba Berlin, Olimpia Milano, Crvena Belgrade, CSKA Moscow, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Khimki Moscow, Asvel, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, TD Systems, Valencia, Zalgiris Kaunas and Zenit websites link has been arranged, and when you click this link, a separate ticket purchase page can be accessed. However, a separate page has not been arranged on the website of Fenerbahçe to purchase e-tickets. Instead of a separate e-ticket purchase link, the ticket of the next match is offered for sale on the page with the score status. Also there is no separate page on Maccabi website to purchase e- tickets. Having links to e-shop for merchandising. There are links from Fenerbahçe’s website to https://fenerium.com, from Alba Berlin’s website to https://shop.eventimsports.com/albaberlin/, from Crvena Belgrade’s website to http://kkczstore.com, from CSKA Moscow website to https://cskastore.com, from Barcelona’s website to https://store.fcbarcelona.com, from Khimki Moscow’s website to https://funkydunky.ru/catalog/brands/khimki/, from Asvel’s website to https://boutique.ldlcasvel.com, from Olympiacos’ website to http://officialstore.olympiacosbc.gr/index.php, from Panathinaikos’ website to https://www.paoshop.gr/el-gr/, from Real Madrid’s website to https://shop.realmadrid.com/?lang=en, from Valencia’s website to https://valenciabasket.com/vbshop/index.php?id_lang=4, from Zalgiris Kaunas’ website to https://www.zalgirisshop.lt, from Zenit’s website to https://enstore.bc-zenit.com,
40 from TD Systems’ website to https://www.baskoniaalavesstore.com, from Olimpia Milano’s website to http://store.olimpiamilano.com/en/, from Maccabi’s website to http://shop.maccabi.co.il/en/ for e- shop. However Anadolu Efes and Bayern Munich websites do not have link to e-shop for merchandising. Having links to club’s social media accounts. It is found that all clubs have links to their social media accounts on their websites. When the websites of 18 clubs are examined, it is determined that 11 different social media channels are used. While Twitter is used by all clubs, Instagram is used by all clubs except Asvel, and Facebook is used by all clubs except Zenit. Youtube is used by all clubs except Real Madrid, Zenit and Asvel (Table 5).
Table 5 Social media distribution
Youtube Twitter Instagram Facebook Snapchat Viber Tiktok Xing Linkedin Flickr Telegram Fenerbahçe ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ------
Maccabi ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ------✓
Anadolu Efes ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ------
Alba Berlin ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ------
Olimpia Milano ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ------
Crvena ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ------Belgrade CSKA Moscow ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ - ✓ - - - - -
Barcelona ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ - ✓ ✓ - - - -
Real Madrid - ✓ ✓ ✓ ------
Bayern Munich ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ - - - ✓ ✓ - -
Khimki ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ------Moscow Asvel - ✓ - ✓ ------
Olympiacos ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ - - - - - ✓ -
Panathinaikos ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ - ✓ - - ✓ - -
TD Systems ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ - - - - ✓ ✓ -
Valencia ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ------
Zalgiris Kaunas ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ - - - - ✓ - -
Zenit - ✓ ✓ ------Note: created by student
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3.2 Discussions
3.2.1 Content Sufficiency Features
Agarwal and Venkatesh (2002) argued in their study that the content of the site is important in the usability levels of consumer-themed websites. In the framework of content sufficiency features of websites, the principles of credibility, uniqueness and attractiveness come to the fore. The first expectation of the user about the website content is that the information is descriptive and accurate. While determining the content of the website, it is necessary to pay attention to the principles of credibility, timeliness, and privacy (Cober et al, 2004; Dineen et al., 2002). Credibility is that the information required by the users on the website is sufficient and accurate. Insufficient information prevents obtaining an idea about the business. In this context, it was examined whether the basketball clubs' business-related content was sufficient or not. There are “match announcements and fixtures”, “results of previous games”, and “news about the club” sections on the websites of almost all clubs. This indicates that clubs are generally sensitive in announcing match announcements, fixtures and match results. There is no information about the organizational chart of the basketball team on the websites of Fenerbahçe, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Zenit, TD Systems and Olimpia Milano. In this respect, the absence of an up-to-date organizational chart on the club websites in question creates a weakness at the point of directing communication with the right person and introducing the team. On the other hand, it is an important deficiency that Anadolu Efes and Panathinaikos websites do not include the names and surnames of the people and their duties within the scope of the current organizational chart. Asvel, Alba Berlin, CSKA Moscow, Barcelona, Khimki Moscow, Olympiacos, Maccabi, Valencia and Zalgiris Kaunas websites have an up-to-date organizational chart, and it is found that the names, duties and contact information of the persons within the scope of the organizational chart are included. This provides an important advantage in terms of access to the official websites of these clubs. One of the topics that should be included in the website of basketball clubs at the Euroleague level is information about the club's venue. As a result of the examination, it is found that some clubs give information about the club's venue in both English and native versions. This shows that the clubs in question have made significant progress in terms of institutionalization. It is determined that some clubs only give information in native language and there is no information in the English version. A small number of clubs do not provide any information about the club's venue. As mentioned above, insufficient information prevents obtaining an idea about the business. Considering that one of the important elements of club business is the club's venue, it is considered that detailed information 42 about club's venues should be given in both native and English languages on the websites of basketball clubs. Another issue examined in the context of whether the business-related content of club websites is sufficient or not is mission and vision of the club. As a result of the research, it is determined that there is no information about vision and mission of the club on the website of any club other than TD Systems. TD Systems website provides detailed information about the club's vision and mission as well as values, and with this feature, TD Systems surpasses other clubs. This result is important as it shows how sensitive the TD Systems club is in terms of vision, mission and values. The value of a website is determined by features that are not found in other websites operating in the same field. Matters in one web site that are not in other websites are generally considered as unique (Henderson, 2001). This situation is also considered to reflect the uniqueness feature of the TD Systems website. The image of the website and its reputation in terms of the user determine the rate of organizational attraction (Yıldız, 2013). The culture and values of the website, the social activities for its visitors or the announcement of the activities carried out by other organizations, the awareness of social responsibility, its sensitivity (environmental issues, work and non-work life, gender equality) significantly affect the perception of organizational attraction. Seminars, courses, all information and activities related to career management that will positively affect the visitors affect the image of the website positively (Zamparini et al., 2010). Another issue examined in the context of whether the business-related content of club websites is sufficient or not is the social content and features of these websites that can be sponsored. It is found that social content is realized within the scope of One Team, a corporate social responsibility program where Euroleague integrates 40 teams participating in Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and EuroCup organizations. Olympiacos, Zalgiris Kaunas, Valencia and Khimki Moscow participate in One Team projects. In addition, Anadolu Efes, in its first home game in the Euroleague every season, realizes the "Pink Ball on the Field" project in cooperation with Anadolu Medical Center within the scope of "Breast Cancer Awareness Month". Also, Panathinaikos has chosen to work with the Corinth Juvenile Detention Center. Through basketball, juvenile inmates (15-18 years old) gain knowledge of the sport and learn values such as teamwork, cooperation, solidarity and respect. As can be seen, there is no information about social content studies on the websites of most of the clubs. It is considered that clubs should participate in more social projects and these activities should be explained in detail on their own websites. Agreements with sponsor firms are at the center of the business-oriented activities of basketball clubs. In the context of business-related content, it is very important to provide information about these firms on a separate page of the club websites, in both native and English versions. For example, in both English and native versions of CSKA Moscow and Real Madrid websites, detailed
43 information about all sponsors is given on a separate page. In the English version of the Zalgiris Kaunas website, all sponsors are displayed on a separate page under the heading "Business", but only Lithuanian information is available about the sponsors. In the German version of the Alba Berlin website only, all sponsors are displayed on a separate page. Apart from this, in general, in both English and native versions of club websites, all sponsors are shown on a separate page, but information about sponsors is not included. In the context of the content sufficiency of the website, it is considered that the sponsor companies should be shown on a separate page and information about these companies should be given and the examples of CSKA Moscow and Real Madrid should be taken into account. Another issue examined in the context of whether the business-related content of club websites is sufficient or not is the history of the club described in native and English versions. The vast majority of clubs include the history of basketball activities in both native and English language. However, it is found that there is no history information on the websites of clubs such as Alba Berlin, Bayern Munich, Zalgiris Kaunas and Zenit. In this respect, it is considered that the clubs in question should make up for this lack of content. As a result, considering the content sufficiency criteria, it is found that the best websites belong to Olympiacos, Panathinaikos and Valencia. The weakest websites were found to be from Belgrade, Bayern Munich and Asvel.
3.2.2 Ease of Access and Usability Features
Another effective factor in the content planning of the site is the ease of access and usability feature of the site. According to Henderson (2001), Meyer (2001), Hastings (1998) and Smith (1997), websites provide a lot of information, but may cause information confusion. The visitor should not get lost while navigating the website, and should find the desired content easily. The information should be easily distributed on the website and should have a logical order. It is very important that the visitors can easily find the subject they want in the site. Wroblewski (2002) states that there are many items on a website such as logo, search box, menu bar, privacy information, contact information, external and internal links, images and text, page titles. All these elements on the website should be placed on the page regularly. In this way, visitors can experience the site more easily and accurately. The use of interactive tools, presentation of information in a good design or high usability affect the user positively. Usability is defined as the ease of use at the point of obtaining the desired information and reaching the purpose of being on the website (Nielsen, 2000). According to Palmer (2002) usability is the ability to easily switch between the pages of the website, to predict where the
44 relevant information will be, in short, the user can easily find the direction. Visitors to a web site that provides usability gain a positive impression of the institution and its products (Braddy et al., 2008). Navigation is the system that enables users to access the information they want immediately or logically how they can reach the information they want (Palmer, 2002). Information is first divided into groups for easy management and then this information is divided into groups and presented in a hierarchical order (Neiderst, 2001). The ease of use of the website is the observance of the order and hierarchy in the design of the website (Kent & Taylor, 1998). In this respect, the general design of the website comes first among the factors that affect the accessibility and ease of use of the website. It is found that the general design of some websites makes it easier to access and use of that website. The 3 click criteria developed by Collinsel was developed as one of the criteria that determine how easy it should be. Accordingly, the point you want on a site should be reached with a maximum of three clicks. (Meyer, 2001; Hastings, 1998; Smith, 1997). For example, it is possible to access all content on the websites of clubs such as TD Systems, Maccabi, Zalgiris Kaunas, Anadolu Efes, Barcelona and Panatinaikos by simply going to the menu section, i.e., accessing the desired content with two clicks. Although some clubs do not have a menu section, it is found that the general design of the website makes it easier to access and use. For example, it is found that the websites of the clubs such as Olimpia Milano, Olimpiakos, Asvel, Crvena Belgrade, CSKA Moscow and Khimki Moscow have subtitles under main headings on the home pages, so that the desired content can be accessed within two clicks at most. However, it is determined that the general design of some club websites makes it difficult to access and use of that website For example, it is understood that on the website of Fenerbahçe, where basketball is overshadowed by football, access to basketball content is rather limited compared to football, and the website is generally organized and planned according to football. The irregularity of Alba Berlin's website design and the presence of German content even in the English version make it very difficult to access basketball-related content. Although the general design basketball content is easily accessible on the Real Madrid website, the small images and font used on the page and the colors preferred on the site make it difficult to access and use the site. Accessing basketball-related content on the Bayern Munich website is very difficult due to the fact that the contents of some of the titles in the menu are the same and the English and German versions are mixed with each other. Although the general design basketball content of the Valencia website is easily accessible, the images used on the site are placed adjacent to each other, making the use of the site difficult. The obligation to click on the RSS to access the English version of Zenit's website makes it difficult to access and use the site.
45
Another factor affecting the ease of access of the website is whether the site has an English version other than native language. Of the 18 clubs examined within the scope of the research, two of them use Turkish, two of them German, three of them Russian, two of them Greek, one Italian, one Serbian, one French, one Hebrew, one Lithuanian and four Spanish languages. In other words, in order to navigate these websites easily, a person must know ten different languages. In this respect, having an English version, which has become the common universal language, is of great importance in terms of accessibility. It is found that the websites of clubs such as Alba Berlin, Real Madrid and Barcelona include languages other than English. It is found that the majority of websites include English versions besides native. However, in the case of Alba Berlin, all areas on the website can only be accessed in German language, brief information about the club is given in the English version of the site, and links on other issues are directed to the German version. This situation makes it difficult to access Alba Berlin's website. Zenit’s website has English version in addition to Russian language. However, in order to access the English version of Zenit, it is necessary to click on RSS first, then it can be possible to enter into the homepage. Because someone who does not know that the homepage can be entered via RSS, cannot log in at all. This feature of the Zenit website, which makes it very difficult to access the site, is against the 3 click criteria. In addition, the English version of this club's website contains information in both Russian and English. In other words, when you navigate in the English version of the site, you will see information in Russian. Maccabi’s website has English version in addition to Hebrew language. It is possible to access English versions of some areas on the Hebrew version of this club's website. Since the website of Crvena Belgrade is prepared only in Serbian, the website of Asvel is only in French, there is no English version of these websites, which makes access and use of the site almost impossible. As a matter of fact, the websites that faced the most difficulties in the study conducted within the scope of the research were the websites of Crvena Belgrade and Asvel. Because the English version is not available when accessing these websites, the requested information was mostly not accessible. As a result, it is considered that English versions of Alba Berlin, Maccabi, Zenit, Crvena Belgrade and Asvel websites should also be prepared. Today, it is a known fact that websites are accessed mostly via mobile and tablet devices. Therefore, in order to easily access the services offered on the websites of basketball clubs, it is very important that these websites have mobile and tablet compatibility. As a matter of fact, as a result of the research, it was understood that CSKA Moscow is the only club that declares mobile and tablet compatible on the homepage of the website. In addition, it is found that the majority of other club websites are mobile and tablet compatible. However, it is determined that Asvel, Zenit and Macabbi
46 websites are not mobile and tablet compatible. It is considered that the related websites should be made compatible with mobile and tablet in order to easily access the websites of these clubs in mobile environment. Another factor affecting the ease of access and use of the website is the feature of accessible and visible positioning of photo and video content. When the photographs and video contents that will provide visibility to the sponsors are examined in terms of easy-to-reach and visible positioning criteria, it has been determined that Asvel and Zenit are behind other club websites. Because the photo and video content used on the websites of Asvel and Zenit are not easily accessible and visible. It is determined that all clubs except these clubs comply with the relevant criteria. Especially in order to access the English version of Zenit and to see the photo and video contents, it is necessary to first click on the RSS and then it can be entered into the homepage. In this respect, it is considered that this problem on the websites of Asvel and Zenit, which creates an obstacle in terms of using the site, should be eliminated. Another factor affecting the ease of access and use of the website is the search engine on the website. There is no search engine on Maccabi, CSKA Moscow, Khimki Moscow, Panathinaikos and Valencia websites. However, although there is a search engine on Alba Berlin, Bayern Munich and Zalgiris Kaunas websites, it is necessary to go to the menu section of the site to search. It is considered that the search engine feature, which has an important function in terms of finding what you are looking for on the website and providing easy access, should be found on the homepage of all websites. The FAQ section is an element that provides the users with ease of use of the website, answering the questions frequently asked by users about the services offered on the websites. As a result of the research, it is determined that the Frequently Asked Questions section is available on the Barcelona, Real Madrid and TD Systems websites. It is observed that the Frequently Asked Questions section is not included in the websites other than these clubs. It is considered that the Frequently Asked Questions section, which provides great convenience for the user in the use of the site, should be included in all websites. Another factor affecting the ease of use and access of the website is to include contact information such as e-mail address, mail address, telephone number and fax number. Users can access the website more easily thanks to contact information. It can be seen that there are e-mail address, mail address, telephone number and fax number throughout the websites. However, only the telephone number of the basketball branch is available on the Fenerbahçe website within the scope of contact information, while the postal address and telephone number are available on the Alba Berlin website. Anadolu Efes website does not contain any information within the scope of contact information, it is necessary to fill in a form to reach the club. On the Khimki Moscow website, only
47 the postal address is available. The phone number and e-mail address of the club are available on Asvel's website. As a result, considering the ease of access and use criteria, it is found that the best websites are Barcelona and TD Systems. The weakest websites are found to be Zenit and Asvel.
3.2.3 Interaction Features
Another factor in the content planning of the site is the interaction feature of the site. The most important criterion of whether a website has an interaction feature is that it has both native and English versions of the membership system for users on that site. Having a club membership system on the website provides great benefits for clubs in terms of sponsorship and marketing actions. While in Maccabi, CSKA Moscow, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Olimpia Milano, Fenerbahçe and Anadolu Efes websites, it is possible to enter club membership in both English and native versions, in websites of TD Systems, Zenit, Zalgiris Kaunas, Valencia, Bayern Munich, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, Khimki Moscow, and Alba Berlin, it is possible to enter the club membership in the native version of their websites. As it is seen, it is possible to access club membership through the websites of all teams. However, in order for clubs to appeal to a wider audience, it is considered that it is necessary to be able to enter club membership not only through native versions but also through English versions. The purpose of the website is not only to share information, but to enable the user receiving the information to be included in the communication and react. According to Palmer (2002) responsiveness refers to the user's ability to provide feedback against the website and the website to react to the user's feedback. Feedback cycle, also called the dialogic cycle, refers to instant returns to the website. It provides opportunities such as querying, helping to solve existing problems, and providing mutual information exchange to the user who uses the website (Kent & Taylor, 1998). Another criterion of whether a website has an interaction feature or not is that the feedback system for users on that site is available in both native and English versions. On the English and native versions of the websites of the vast majority of clubs, users can send messages to the club regarding basketball activities. Users can send messages to the club only in the native version of the websites of some clubs such as Alba Berlin. However, there is no feedback feature on Maccabi, Olimpia Milano and Zenit websites. In order to have a healthy interaction between the club and users, it is necessary to create a user-oriented feedback system in both native and English versions. Another criterion that shows the interaction feature of a basketball website is that users can purchase e-tickets on that website. In the vast majority of websites, an e-ticket purchase link has been arranged on the home page, and when this link is clicked, a separate ticket purchase page can be
48 accessed. On the website of Fenerbahçe, instead of a separate e-ticket purchase link, the ticket of the next match is offered for sale on the page with the score status. Likewise, it is found that a separate page is not arranged on the Maccabi website to purchase e-ticket. In this respect, it is considered that a system that makes it possible to buy e-tickets on the websites of these clubs should be established. Another criterion that shows the interaction feature of a basketball website is the presence of e-shop links for merchandising on that website. According to the research, it is found that the majority of websites provide links for e-shops. However, on the websites of clubs such as Anadolu Efes and Bayern Munich, do not have link to e-shop for merchandising. It is considered that there should be e-shop links for merchandising on the websites of these clubs. Another criterion that shows the interaction feature of a basketball club website is that the club communicates with users through different social media channels. It is found that all clubs have links to their social media accounts on their websites. According to this research, it is noteworthy that while Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Panathinaikos and TD Systems are the clubs that show the most interest in social media, Zenit and Asvel are the clubs that show the least interest in social media. As a result, considering the interaction criteria, it is found that the best websites are Alba Berlin, CSKS Moscow, Barcelona, Khimki Moscow and Real Madrid. It is determined that the weakest website is the Bayern Munich website. Considering the whole study, it is determined that the best website belongs to Barcelona and the weakest websites belong to Bayern Munich, Asvel and Zenit in the context of business-related content planning. In this respect, Barcelona website is considered to be the best practice in terms of business-related content, if information about "mission and vision of the club, social content and features that can be sponsored, and information about the sponsors" is included on its website.
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CONCLUSION
Official websites are one of the most crucial marketing channels for the activities of basketball clubs in the Euroleague. In this context, an official website is very important platform where club products are marketed, communication is established with the fans, and the sponsor companies meet the consumers. In other words, basketball clubs open to the world in many ways thank to their official websites. Consequently, particular emphasis should be placed on how effectively this platform can be used. This study aimed to establish criteria for the business-related content evaluation of Euroleague club websites and to examine whether the Euroleague club websites complied with these criteria. In order to reach the aim of the study, firstly, it was targeted to establish criteria for the business-related content evaluation of Euroleague club websites. To realize this target, the literature was examined to analyze the websites of 18 basketball clubs playing in the Euroleague during the 2019-2020 season, and within this scope, and a total of 3 website content categories under this dimension were determined. 9 different codes under the title of “Content Sufficiency Features”, 7 different codes under the title of “Ease of Access and Use Features” and 5 different codes under the title of “Interaction Features” were created. The second target of this study was to examine whether the Euroleague club websites complied with these criteria. To realize this target, websites of 18 clubs were examined due to 21 different criteria and their features that stand out among them were detected. This target is also related with the third target of determining the strongest and weakest aspects of club websites. In this context, it was examined whether the basketball clubs' business-related content was sufficient or not. It was found that there were “match announcements and fixtures”, “results of previous games”, and “news about the club” sections on the websites of almost all clubs. This indicated that clubs were generally sensitive in announcing match announcements, fixtures and match results. Research findings showed that there was no information about the organizational chart of the basketball team on the websites of Fenerbahçe, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Zenit, TD Systems and Olimpia Milano. In this respect, it is evaluated that the absence of an up-to-date organizational chart on the club websites creates a weakness at the point of directing communication with the right person and introducing the team. On the other hand, it was an important deficiency that Anadolu Efes and Panathinaikos websites did not include the names and surnames of the people and their duties within the scope of the current organizational chart. Asvel, Alba Berlin, CSKA Moscow, Barcelona, Khimki Moscow, Olympiacos, Maccabi, Valencia and Zalgiris Kaunas websites which had an up-to- date organizational chart, and the names, duties and contact information of the persons within the scope of the organizational chart had an important advantage in terms of access to the websites of these clubs. 50
As a result of this study, it was found that some clubs gave information about the club's venue in both English and native versions, while some clubs only gave information in native language and there was no information in the English version. A small number of clubs did not provide any information about the club's venue. As mentioned above, insufficient information prevents obtaining an idea about the business. Considering that one of the important elements of club business is the club's venue, it is evaluated that detailed information about club's venues should be given in both native and English languages on the websites of basketball clubs. Another issue examined in the context of whether the business-related content of club websites was sufficient or not was on “mission and vision of the club”. As a result of the research, it was found that there was no information about vision and mission of the club on the website of any club other than TD Systems. TD Systems website provided detailed information about the club's vision and mission as well as values, and with this feature, TD Systems surpassed other clubs. This result was important as it showed how sensitive the TD Systems club was in terms of vision, mission and values. Another issue examined in the context of whether the business-related content of club websites was sufficient or not was the social content and features of these websites. It was found that Olympiacos, Zalgiris Kaunas, Valencia, Anadolu Efes and Khimki Moscow participated in social content projects. However, there was no information about social content studies on the websites of most of the clubs. It is considered that clubs should participate in more social projects and these activities should be explained in detail on their own websites. In the context of business-related content, it is very important to provide information about sponsor firms on a separate page of the club websites, in both native and English versions. In both English and native versions of CSKA Moscow and Real Madrid websites, detailed information about all sponsors was given on a separate page. In the English version of the Zalgiris Kaunas website, all sponsors were displayed on a separate page under the heading "Business", but only Lithuanian information was available about the sponsors. In the German version of the Alba Berlin website only, all sponsors were displayed on a separate page. Apart from this, in general, in both English and native versions of club websites, all sponsors were shown on a separate page, but information about sponsors was not included. In the context of the content sufficiency of the website, it is considered that the sponsor firms should be shown on a separate page and information about these firms should be given and the examples of CSKA Moscow and Real Madrid should be taken into account as the best practices. Another issue examined in the context of whether the business-related content of club websites was sufficient or not was the history of the club described in native and English versions. The vast majority of clubs included the history of basketball activities in both native and English language. However, it was found that there was no history information on the websites of clubs such
51 as Alba Berlin, Bayern Munich, Zalgiris Kaunas and Zenit. In this respect, it is considered that the clubs in question should make up for this lack of content. Another effective factor in the content evaluation of the websites was identified as the ease of access and usability feature of the website. The ease of use of the website is the observance of the order and hierarchy in the design of the website. In this respect, the general design of the website comes first among the factors that affect the accessibility and ease of use of the website. It was found that the general design of some websites made it easier to access and use of that website. It was detected that it was possible to access all content on the websites of clubs such as TD Systems, Maccabi, Zalgiris Kaunas, Anadolu Efes, Barcelona and Panatinaikos by simply going to the menu section, i.e., accessing the desired content with two clicks. However, it was found that the general design of some club websites such as Fenerbahçe, Alba Berlin, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Valencia and Zenit made it difficult to access and use of that website. Another factor affecting the ease of access of the website was whether the site had an English version other than native language. It was found that the majority of websites included English versions besides native. However, in the case of Alba Berlin, all areas on the website could only be accessed in German language, brief information about the club was given in the English version of the site, and links on other issues were directed to the German version. Zenit’s website had English version in addition to Russian language. However, in order to access the English version of Zenit, it was necessary to click on RSS first, then it could be possible to enter into the homepage. Since the website of Crvena Belgrade was prepared only in Serbian, the website of Asvel is only in French, there was no English version of these websites, which made access and use of the site almost impossible. It is considered that English versions of Alba Berlin, Maccabi, Zenit, Crvena Belgrade and Asvel websites should also be prepared. As a result of the research, it was understood that CSKA Moscow was the only club that declared mobile and tablet compatible on the homepage of the website. In addition, it was found that the majority of other club websites were mobile and tablet compatible. However, it was determined that Asvel, Zenit and Macabbi websites were not mobile and tablet compatible. It is considered that the related websites should be made compatible with mobile and tablet in order to easily access the websites of these clubs in mobile environment. Another factor affecting the ease of access and use of the website is the feature of accessible and visible positioning of photo and video content. It was found that Asvel and Zenit were behind other club websites since the photo and video content used on the websites of Asvel and Zenit were not easily accessible and visible. It was found that all clubs except these clubs complied with the relevant criteria. In this respect, it is considered that this problem on the websites of Asvel and Zenit, which creates an obstacle in terms of using the site, should be eliminated.
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Another factor affecting the ease of access and use of the website was the search engine on the website. It was found that there was no search engine on Maccabi, CSKA Moscow, Khimki Moscow, Panathinaikos and Valencia websites. However, although there was a search engine on Alba Berlin, Bayern Munich and Zalgiris Kaunas websites, it was necessary to go to the menu section of the site to search. It is considered that the search engine feature, which has an important function in terms of finding what you are looking for on the website and providing easy access, should be found on the homepage of all websites. The FAQ section is an element that provides the users with ease of use of the website, answering the questions frequently asked by users about the services offered on the websites. As a result of the research, it is determined that the Frequently Asked Questions section was only available on the Barcelona, Real Madrid and TD Systems websites. It is considered that the Frequently Asked Questions section, which provides great convenience for the user in the use of the site, should be included in all websites. Another factor affecting the ease of use and access of the website was to include contact information such as e-mail address, mail address, telephone number and fax number. It was found that there were e-mail address, mail address, telephone number and fax number throughout the websites. However, only the telephone number of the basketball branch was available on the Fenerbahçe website, while the postal address and telephone number were available on the Alba Berlin website and Anadolu Efes website did not contain any contact information. Another factor in the content planning of the site was considered as the interaction feature of the website. The most important criterion of whether a website had an interaction feature was that it had both native and English versions of the membership system for users on that website. It is deemed that having a club membership system on the website provides great benefits for clubs in terms of sponsorship and marketing actions. As it was found, it was possible to access club membership through the websites of all teams. However, in order for clubs to appeal to a wider audience, it is considered that it is necessary to be able to enter club membership not only through native versions but also through English versions. Another criterion of whether a website had an interaction feature or not was that the feedback system for users on that site was available in both native and English versions. On the English and native versions of the websites of the vast majority of clubs, it was found that users could send messages to the club regarding basketball activities. Users could send messages to the club only in the native version of the websites of some clubs such as Alba Berlin. However, it was detected that there was no feedback feature on Maccabi, Olimpia Milano and Zenit websites. In order to have a healthy interaction between the club and users, it is considered essential to create a user-oriented feedback system in both native and English versions. Another criterion that showed the interaction feature of a basketball website was that users could purchase e-tickets on that website. In the vast majority of websites, an e-ticket purchase link was arranged on the home page, and when this link
53 was clicked, a separate ticket purchase page could be accessed. On the website of Fenerbahçe, instead of a separate e-ticket purchase link, the ticket of the next match was offered for sale on the page with the score status. Likewise, it was found that a separate page was not arranged on the Maccabi website to purchase e-ticket. In this respect, it is considered that a system that makes it possible to buy e- tickets on the websites of these clubs should be established. Another criterion that showed the interaction feature of a basketball website was the presence of e-shop links for merchandising on that website. According to the research, it was found that the majority of websites provided links for e-shops. However, on the websites of clubs such as Anadolu Efes and Bayern Munich, did not have link to e-shop for merchandising. It is considered that there should be e-shop links for merchandising on the websites of these clubs. Another criterion that showed the interaction feature of a basketball club website was that the club communicated with users through different social media channels. It was found that all clubs had links to their social media accounts on their websites. According to this research, it is noteworthy that while Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Panathinaikos and TD Systems are the clubs that show the most interest in social media, Zenit and Asvel are the clubs that show the least interest in social media. As a result, considering the content sufficiency criteria, it was found that the strongest websites belonged to Olympiacos, Panathinaikos and Valencia while the weakest websites were found to be from Belgrade, Bayern Munich and Asvel. Considering the ease of access and use criteria, it was found that the strongest websites were Barcelona and TD Systems. The weakest websites were found to be Zenit and Asvel. Considering the interaction criteria, it was found that the strongest websites were Alba Berlin, CSKS Moscow, Barcelona, Khimki Moscow and Real Madrid. It was found that the weakest website was the Bayern Munich website. Considering the whole study, it was found that the best website belonged to Barcelona and the weakest websites belonged to Bayern Munich, Asvel and Zenit in the context of business-related content evaluation. In this respect, Barcelona website is considered to be the best practice in terms of business- related content, if information about "mission and vision of the club, social content and features that can be sponsored, and information about the sponsors" is included on its website. The research was limited to the websites of 18 clubs playing in the Euroleague in the 2019- 2020 season. However, it is proposed to study on business-related content evaluation of Eurocup clubs as a future research.
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ANNEXES
Annex 1
The Glossary of Terms
Business - is defined as an organization or enterprising entity engaged in commercial, industrial, or professional activities. Content - is defined as “anything created and uploaded to a website: the words, images or other things that reside here” (Handley & Chapman, 2011) Content analysis - is defined as the systematic observation and objective analysis of written, verbal and other materials (Bilgin, 2006) Content marketing - is defined as publishing material to viewers that will attract them to communicate and interact (Mcpheat, 2011) Website - in the context of the topic, it is defined as online environment that is developed in accordance with the identity and culture of a company and enable the sharing of designed information with the target audience (Peltekoğlu, 2012)
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