Worst website 2012

smcelhinney

Rather than resurrect old threads, I thought Id start a fresh one. What site, for you, is the pinnacle of poor design?

For me, its www.powercity.ie.

I cant even begin to say whats wrong with it. Ok, I will so.

• Its left aligned
• Secondly, its left aligned
• It seems to think that putting text in graphics is ok
• There's one clickable item in the centre of the page. If you dont like whats in it, tough sh!t.
• Drop down menu content is longer than most government legislation documents I've seen
• Did I mention it's left-aligned?

Anyone else got any "pearls"?

tricky D

Have a look at the source - cringeful. It's just as 'all over the place' as the other design elements.

Send feedback to powercity@clubi.ie

I could go on..........

TsuDhoNimh

tricky D wrote: »

cringeful.

That doesn't even scratch the surface of it.

On first glance, and in spite of the URL, I honestly thought it was a joke or a spoof site. Especially when I spotted that mail addy that Tricky pointed out.

It's hard to believe in this day and age that there are sites for businesses that large that are still that poor. Baffling.

tricky D

Just came across: http://dublincarvalet.ie

GetWithIt

To be honest I don't think that Power City site is the worst. If it was simply centered I'd almost say it has a certain style.

The source may be ugly but some people might suggest that that was a form of obfuscation. It didn't take an inordinate amount of time to load and I can see straight away the product.

I'd be more inclined to judge based on money spent. Something that someone slaps together in the bedroom versus something that has uber bucks spent on it are 2 different things.

Now if someone was to tell me that that Power City site was just launched and cost 100K+ then I might be inclined to pour all manner of vitriol over it.

smcelhinney

tricky D wrote: »

Just came across: http://dublincarvalet.ie

Thanks. I can never un-see that. :rolleyes:

tricky D

tricky D wrote: »

Just came across: http://dublincarvalet.ie

Couldn't even be bothered un-amercanising or correcting the spelling mistakes from the site they ripped their tips section off
http://www.essortment.com/car-washing-tips-57328.html

Razzuh

I used powercity's site recently and it's not too bad to use, although it does look amateurish. I'd call it serviceable. They do have all the information there that you'd want including live stock counts. Their products are well categorised so sorting through them isn't as difficult as on some bigger sites. Most of these might look much better and have fancy filters but don't bother to actually tag their products correctly, so you can't find what you want anyway.

My nomination would have to be ryanair.com. For such a big international company that depends 100% on its site it's ridiculously poor in every aspect. It's hard to look at, it's hard to use, and it often doesn't work (I've had compatibility trouble using a major browser). Although in fairness, I think it has improved a bit over the years.

smash

smcelhinney wrote: »

It seems to think that putting text in graphics is ok

It is ok... They're republishing their print ads online!

TsuDhoNimh

smash wrote: »

It is ok... They're republishing their print ads online!

If they want to attract visitors to the site based on the content (hint: they should), it's far from ok.

smash

TsuDhoNimh wrote: »

If they want to attract visitors to the site based on the content (hint: they should), it's far from ok.

Everyone knows power city. Yes their site is rubbish but everyone knows them and people looking for a TV etc will check their site anyway. Bottom line is that they just don't care.

Apart from that, with the level of content they have and the styling of their ads, there is no way you could support all browsers and be able to quickly release content if you were to go down the CSS route.

Look at any large consumer company and they embed text in graphics. It's not a big deal! It's all about the look and feel for most people! Vodafone, O2 etc etc... they all do it!

I'd love to hear your suggestion for them...

TsuDhoNimh

smash wrote: »

Everyone knows power city. Yes their site is rubbish but everyone knows them and people looking for a TV etc will check their site anyway.

I've bought a few TVs over the last few years, mainly through research on the internet. I've never, up until the other day when this thread was posted, visited the PC site. So no, not everyone will check their site.

smash wrote: »

Bottom line is that they just don't care.

This is the problem. They obviously don't and the results they achieve from their site and their online presence in general will match accordingly.

smash wrote: »

Apart from that, with the level of content they have and the styling of their ads, there is no way you could support all browsers and be able to quickly release content if you were to go down the CSS route.

What? That's absurd, of course you could.

The time it would take to transfer an image file into a standard html template to get the content 'on page' would be a minuscule relative to the results it should provide (assuming there's something of merit within the image to begin with). Even if they're simply linking to the individual products on special offer from the home page, the change in site architecture to prioritise these links for both users and search engines would have a dramatic impact on rankings, click through rates and ultimately purchases.

smash wrote: »

Look at any large consumer company and they embed text in graphics. It's not a big deal! It's all about the look and feel for most people! Vodafone, O2 etc etc... they all do it!

Throwing the names of sites that do it horribly wrong isn't a justification of PC doing it horribly wrong. It just shows that they're not the only one doing it wrong.

It was only a few months ago that Vodafone were throwing error messages to anyone visiting the non www version of their site (they and cro.ie were always the two huge examples of how not to mess that one up).

smash

please tell me how you could easily translate this into css.

There's what... 38 ads there? And probably a basic CMS with 1 person adding the content. It is not manageable for them to crease it all as text over images. And for SEO, well all their products actually have individual pages with a lot of text on them.

I find it very annoying when people suggest that it's maintainable for these companies to be able to create these type of ads through a cms using real text because it just isn't. They don't have web teams and they outsource their brochure design work.

Another example is http://www.lidl.ie - as I say, large consumer brand with high turn over of content and offers. It's all images with text because it works across all browsers and it's easy to maintain.

SpaceCowb0y

smash wrote: »

please tell me how you could easily translate this into css.

There's what... 38 ads there? And probably a basic CMS with 1 person adding the content. It is not manageable for them to crease it all as text over images. And for SEO, well all their products actually have individual pages with a lot of text on them.

I find it very annoying when people suggest that it's maintainable for these companies to be able to create these type of ads through a cms using real text because it just isn't. They don't have web teams and they outsource their brochure design work.

Another example is http://www.lidl.ie - as I say, large consumer brand with high turn over of content and offers. It's all images with text because it works across all browsers and it's easy to maintain.

960 grid??

TsuDhoNimh

smash wrote: »

And for SEO, well all their products actually have individual pages with a lot of text on them.

You just answered the question yourself.

They already have the majority of the content they need.

Rather than posting a cheap looking print add in the middle of their site, they should simply create a template for showing their current specials in a neat and manageable way, have a sidebar linking to the majority of their most important specials and then a slider highlighting a small selection of the highest priority ones.

They can't just treat their site as a broadcast medium on which to slap a copy of their print ad. It just won't work and users expect and demand more.

smash wrote: »

I find it very annoying when people suggest that it's maintainable for these companies to be able to create these type of ads through a cms using real text because it just isn't. They don't have web teams and they outsource their brochure design work.

I work with businesses a lot smaller than PC, on far tighter budgets and with far smaller teams available. It is maintainable and is quite easy once the process has been thought about, a structure has been put in place and the team is aware of it.

The point is that it shouldn't be "these type of ads", it should be a different ad system that works online. Trying to 'recreate' the print ad exactly isn't a solution and wouldn't work (even if you did have the resources to achieve it). It's about finding the best solution for the medium you're working with. If you're simply trying to recreate the print ad on the website it's the equivalent of asking "But how do we get the contact us page to work in the newspaper?". You don't.

smash wrote: »

Another example is http://www.lidl.ie - as I say, large consumer brand with high turn over of content and offers. It's all images with text because it works across all browsers and it's easy to maintain.

I'm not suggesting it's not easy, it's not quick, it's not fast or anything of the sort. I'm saying, not suggesting, that it's not the right way to do it. If you look at it in terms of UI, UX or in terms of the technical impact of doing it, it's terrible.

smash

SpaceCowb0y wrote: »

960 grid??

This has nothing to do with converting graphics to text

smash

TsuDhoNimh wrote: »

Rather than posting a cheap looking print add in the middle of their site, they should simply create a template for showing their current specials in a neat and manageable way, have a sidebar linking to the majority of their most important specials and then a slider highlighting a small selection of the highest priority ones.

I agree, but I'm guessing they just don't have the time or resources for it. Sure they don't even link the ads to actual offer details.

TsuDhoNimh wrote: »

I work with businesses a lot smaller than PC, on far tighter budgets and with far smaller teams available. It is maintainable and is quite easy once the process has been thought about, a structure has been put in place and the team is aware of it.

But it's maintainable because its a smaller operation.

Bottom line is that yes it is a crap site, it's not user friendly and it looks like crap. But still, with their level of content they couldn't manage it better unless they pumped money into it and I really don't think they could be bothered. They're the kind of company that want customers in store, not online. Which is wrong but it's how they operate.

TsuDhoNimh

smash wrote: »

They're the kind of company that want customers in store, not online. Which is wrong but it's how they operate.

I think that's the long and the short of it really, and something we're in complete agreement on.

That alone bugs me as I've personal experience of what a difference it could make to them if they did it properly. From the small things like generating customer trust by making a few very small tweaks to their pages (and generating a proper email address to use) to larger things like completely changing how they use their site (i.e. not just slapping up the print copy) they could make dramatic changes that would have an immediate ROI (less than 3 months) as well as significant long term gains.

I can only imagine how much money they invest into their print advertising and if even a small portion of that was redirected into their digital activity it would provide significant returns.

I do agree that you're 100% correct in why they're doing the things they're doing, I even agree with you that they'll continue to do it that way, but I'll never agree that they (or any of the others you mentioned in a similar boat) are doing it correctly. I'd even go one further and say that if they continue to do it the way they are they'll be in trouble and will end up with an unsustainable business.

smash

TsuDhoNimh wrote: »

I do agree that you're 100% correct in why they're doing the things they're doing, I even agree with you that they'll continue to do it that way, but I'll never agree that they (or any of the others you mentioned in a similar boat) are doing it correctly. I'd even go one further and say that if they continue to do it the way they are they'll be in trouble and will end up with an unsustainable business.

But I never said they're doing it correctly. They're not. It's just how they do it and I'm guessing it's to do with resources or because they have a marketing manager that doesn't know what a computer is.

SpaceCowb0y

http://www.freakscene.com/index.htm

Came across this and had to laugh, i would have thought a website for a successful club night would have been a bit slicker but this is pants! Still using a table based layout!

smcelhinney

Probably should update the title to this, but anyway. I just found an absolute pearl:

http://www.uissp.ie/

A local broadband provider in Carlow. Yes, I said "broadband".

_ciaran_

smcelhinney wrote: »

Probably should update the title to this, but anyway. I just found an absolute pearl:

http://www.uissp.ie/

A local broadband provider in Carlow. Yes, I said "broadband".

Yowzer

Check this bad boy out http://www.lingscars.com/

Kenny Logins

_ciaran_ wrote: »

Yowzer

Check this bad boy out http://www.lingscars.com/

That's not a bad website, it's clever (and very successful) marketing.

kickslate

for me this website is pretty awful!
http://www.eganshouse.com/

_ciaran_

Kenny Logins wrote: »

That's not a bad website, it's clever (and very successful) marketing.

Clever and successful it may be. However, the design is horrendous.

_ciaran_

_ciaran_ wrote: »

Clever and successful it may be. However, the design is horrendous.

Reminds me of this!
http://divshot.github.io/geo-bootstrap/

kickslate

_ciaran_ wrote: »

Check this bad boy out http://www.lingscars.com/

Have to agree the design of this is terrible, just far too much going on, too many colour, terrible fonts, too much animation. It really is awful.

Kenny Logins

_ciaran_ wrote: »

Clever and successful it may be. However, the design is horrendous.

That's deliberate though, and not a case of plain old 'bad design' as the other examples on this thread are.

LINGsCARS

Hey Hey, it's Ling! My God, you lot are resurrecting an old thread.

My website design is *NOT* terrible, it's *BEAUTIFUL* )

I will visit the Free State later this year, so might meet a few of you numpties.

Might bring my parents on a boating trip, as they can nip across freely if they have a UK visa (on Chinese passport).

Ling!

Kenny Logins

Kenny Logins

dogski wrote: »

I thought I would give it a go to fine a worse website than use had already found but that http://www.lingscars.com/ is the worst in my opinion, its all of the place

Is your reading broken?

LINGsCARS

Kenny Logins wrote: »

Is your reading broken?

Yes Kenny.

That, typically, is the quality of English expected from the type of person who criticises my website.

However, as they are probably Irish, I give them some latitude. But now that you point out their writing is crap, I stick the boot in.

As I am Chinese, it's like a chicken talking to a duck.

Ling

Kenny Logins

There you go ^^ . That's who I'd go to if I was in the market for a new car.

tricky D

Yay, Ling is back!!

Did you have a sound in the office to alert you to this thread?

@_ciaran_ and kickslate and any others not familiar with Ling, take a look at her post history especially the 'Ling is in the well' thread. It's a top-notch and eye-opening read.

LINGsCARS

Hahahaha,

Of course I am back. I never left really.

I see where people come from when they visit my website and follow the referrer and then murder them. It's all great fun

Ling!

Fanny Cradock

Love the source code. Pure class as they say.

LINGsCARS

Fanny Cradock wrote: »

Love the source code. Pure class as they say.

How did you find that?

You must have a lot of time on your hands.

Ling

Fanny Cradock

I do computery related thing-a-ma-bobs for a living.

Gordon

Jaysus Ling, those absurd planets are ridiculous. Any plans on doing UK dragons den again?

LINGsCARS

Gordon wrote: »

Jaysus Ling, those absurd planets are ridiculous. Any plans on doing UK dragons den again?

No, no, that's done and dusted now.

Next, I am doing 2 talks. One in Cardiff at Handheld with Zeldman (late Nov), and one in Shanghai (early Nov in English)... 4th Annual Digital Marketing Revolution Summit 2013. Tra-laaa

Ling

CelticRambler

My favourite of the moment in the not-fit-for-purpose category comes from our local tourist board. Imagine you're a tourist and want to visit ... http://www.berryprovince.com

It's worse than the ireland.com site.

KonFusion

I presume you've all seen this amazing bootstrap theme/template: http://divshot.github.io/geo-bootstrap/

And it's responsive!! :pac:

So awesome.

Trojan

KonFusion wrote: »

I presume you've all seen this amazing bootstrap theme/template: http://divshot.github.io/geo-bootstrap/

And it's responsive!! :pac:

So awesome.

Genius!

tricky D

KonFusion wrote: »

I presume you've all seen this amazing bootstrap theme/template: http://divshot.github.io/geo-bootstrap/

And it's responsive!! :pac:

So awesome.

It doesn't have a spinning globe. Am disappoint.

ivanc

Here's a site that would benefit from a flying toaster or two - http://www.docket.ie/

Maglight

Dear God, and they probably paid someone to build it too

Trojan

Meta discussion: I'm not sure about the ethics of posting real (i.e. non-joke) web sites in a thread with this subject.

I do still love the deliberately done stuff like Geo Bootstrap and the wonderful LingsCars.

Am I being overly sensitive, or is it unfair or unethical?

KonFusion

Trojan wrote: »

Am I being overly sensitive

Not necessarily. I get where you're coming from.

Perhaps a change of thread title/new thread (since the the thread title here is '2012' anyway) with a more forgiving title such as "websites in need of a spruce/some love".... Or is that too...er...lame?

You get the idea.

I would agree that saying "dear god that website is terrible etc what morons are they for having that" and so forth is a bit much and seems a little petty. Perhaps an attack the website and not the company/person rule?

Kenny Logins

Maybe it should be restricted to sites with analytics installed?

"Good news - the numbers are up this month."

"Bad news - it's only because they're mocking us on boards.ie."

Reamer Fanny

Remember when the marquee tag used to be cool

Kenny Logins

https://ncts.ie/locations.html

Must have been a school project, they used this - http://www.serif.com/webplus/