The Comparison of The Online Identities and The Uber and Lyft's Websites

In the comparison of online identities paper, two types of transportation services, Uber and Lyft were reviewed, analyzed, and compared through their individual sites. Both of the websites are organized in a way that is easy for viewers to find what they need. Through analysis, the uber site lacks an emotional appeal to attract customers to ride their service. However, it does a great job organizing the site. Some viewers navigating through the web can be impatient so they would want to find their answer in a flip second. On the other hand, the lyft site has a slideshow of interactions between the drivers and riders. The downside to the site is that lyft does not provide people with the full information of costs for rides. Both of these transportation services were evaluated to demonstrate the navigation through the sites, use of persuasion and costs and services available for riders. After analyzing both sites, viewers would be able to compare the Uber and Lyft websites to then see how they each build their identities online.

The Battle for a Ride Service

We live in a world full of options. In each moment, we are introduced with the opportunity to choose from a variety of options. The truth is we do not always make our choices intentionally. Sometimes, instead of choosing what is best for our personal needs, we fall in the trap of the appearances of commercials and ads that lead us to purchase a product or even mode of transportation that is unnecessary. When we want to make a choice based on facts and objective reasoning exclusively, we need to methodically analyze and compare each product based on the criteria that we value. Uber and Lyft are modes of transportation that have been greatly used by the society. However, each differ in the organization of their websites, their use of persuasion to gain customers through pathos, and their services and charges they provide to their customers.

When viewing websites, people first look to see how easy it is to navigate around and find their answers through the sites. The Uber and Lyft both do a decent job in categorizing subjects to help viewers or customers move smoothly through the site while getting their questions answered. With the popularity of smartphones in this generation, both Uber and Lyft have their own free apps in which people can download to allow for a more convenient “on-the-go” service. A difference shown on the Uber site that is not found on the Lyft site is the option of how people can order food through the uber site and they can deliver it to you. Customers are allowed to get as many deliveries on the road as they want. This “grubhub” like service allows flexibility for customers to get a ride and order food at the same time without having to rush to eat before they go to work, school, or a important meeting/event. Lyft has a section on the site where customers can understand the cancellation policy on the site while Uber will only tell you the cost of the cancellation in the app the moment the customer wants to cancel. Most customers would rather want to know the cancellation policy and cost before they begin to ride rather than when they change their mind.

Persuasion is a socially accepted way of attempting to change individuals’ attitudes. A common way to persuade people is through social media and online. Word of mouth from a variety of people with different views and opinions within the public can lead to tension Aristotle’s three components of persuasion logos, pathos, and egos help attract new customers, in this particular case Uber and Lyft. Lyft and Uber use less of the logos and ethos appeal in persuading customers to use their service. While surfing both sites, viewers will notice their strong use of pathos. On the Uber homepage, the site utilizes a picture of an uber driver bonding with its passenger to convince people that Ubering is a great service and the drivers will not make you feel awkward during the ride. Uber wants their drivers and customers to socially connect with each other. Similarly, Lyft also uses a picture of the same context but instead, uses a slideshow showing a variety of customers and drivers talking, laughing, and smiling.

Surfing through a site visually, allows viewers to respond quickly to color, form, depth, and movement. The use of light and color in images allows for a deeper meaning. Colors are used to enhance images and allow for interest to others. A viewer’s initial reaction will be full of curiosity. The images will force the viewers to get a deeper look into their websites. This advertising is true in real life situations. People will most likely surf through sites that are interesting and contain decent images and colors. The method of pathos convinces people the most because customers are only willing to pay someone who will give them a quality service, a positive attitude, and a feeling of an enjoyable, satisfying atmosphere whether the rider is an introvert or extrovert.

Most people like it when others are straightforward rather than being tricky and hiding important information from them. The Uber site has a spot where it gives people information about how they will be charged so they can know before the ride or even through the app when they want to ride. When riding Uber, they not only tell their customers how much the cost is beforehand but also the price is set. The only thing that would make the cost go higher would be if a customer changes their destination during the ride. However, Lyft is tricky in that the website does not contain any information about how they charge customers. This reflects on their reputation by making customers think that they are liars and therefore, not a trustworthy company. They give customers a base amount but they will not know how much their final cost is until they arrive at their destination.

On top of the base amount, there are also hidden charges that customers are not aware of which makes them mad when they see that their bill is at a much higher cost than expected. For example, when looking at the Uber homepage, there is a place for customers to get an estimate cost of their ride while having all the details of their charge given to them. Meanwhile, the Lyft site does not provide that option so a customer can be charged for tiny details like traffic incorporated into their final cost. Interestingly, Uber and Lyft both provide the service of a twenty dollar discount on a customer’s first ride. When given the opportunity to analyze the two services just by looking at the charges and services, Uber provides sufficient detail for their customers without being slick.

When people have to use their money to get what they want, they typically would go for the most affordable and reasonable product. Uber and Lyft are both convenient modes of transportation that each provides special services towards their customers. They do things differently on their websites such as the layout, method of persuasion, and costs and services they provide to customers.