NEW MEDIA CHOICE: Anna Sui

Site: www.annasuibeauty.com

This is a site for Anna Sui followers, a chance to venture online to learn more about the designer's products. The look and feel of the site is very Anna Sui: There is a strong presentation of purple and black, ensuring great synergy with the brand's offline appeal.

As someone who knows little about Anna Sui, I found the site to be informative.

I didn't have much knowledge before about the brand or its products. Now I do.

There are interesting features on the site, such as fashion shows, 'Annagrams', which are like virtual greetings, and a chat lounge.

While I enjoyed surfing the site, there is room for improvement.

One point, which may seem minor, but can be critical when a consumer is looking to buy a product online is picture size. This is particularly true when you consider cosmetics because you want your consumer to have a clear picture of the product and colours available.

There is a registration option on the homepage. But the reasons and benefits for users to register are not spelt out. Why should I as a consumer register on the site? Give me an incentive to give away my personal particulars.

The registration is also US-centric, which is odd when you consider Anna Sui's international appeal. Perhaps this site was made only for the US market.

Meanwhile, the beauty tips offered on the website sound merely like instructions for use of the brand's products.

The site also uses very little Flash features, which often help boost interactivity on websites.