Internet Marketing Strategies from Brightspark Consulting Dublin, Ireland

What I Don’t Like About The Big Switch

April 6, 2009 at 9:12 pm

Everyone’s talking about how great the Big Switch campaign has been, but I would like to point out 3 things I don’t like about the site:

There is a typo. On the “why switch” page, bullet point 1. Should be ‘your’ electricity costs. Also, that asterix doesn’t have a corresponding explanation on the page – anywhere! Wow, Web Factory need to check their work a little more closely. How embarrassing.
I wanted to see where they’re getting the basis of their calculation from. It says 10% saving – but how does it work? Is it a blanket 10% off whatever I’d pay with ESB? If so, then tell me that. Again in the box on the right hand side of that page, it’s referring to a 10%* but nowhere on the page does it tell me what the asterix is about. A nod and a wink from one of Ireland’s utility providers doesn’t exactly instill me with confidence. Especially when it’s the gas people, the ones who raise their rates by 20% at a time.
I can’t stand untalented ubiquitous RTE ‘celebrities’. Lucy Kennedy seems to be flavour of the month right now. So we get Lucy all over Ireland telling us to make the big switch. In non-controllable television-land I can’t do anything about that. But when she hits my computer screen, it’s rude to have her talking at me. Give me the ability to hit that ‘turn off sound’ button and shut her up. Actually if you gave me that button, I’d probably drop in and out of the big switch site just to shut her up!

So although Nicky Doran, head of marketing at Bord Gáis, Nicky Doran believes in interacting with bloggers, here’s one blogger who believes he hasn’t got it right. When you reach out to bloggers, or to Twitterers, or even run a natinonwide poster campaign directing people to your website, you should ensure that you get the basic www right.

UPDATE: What I don’t like about Airtricity’s website.

Posted in Best Practice | 5 Comments

Comments (5 responses)

The Big Switch @ April 8th, 2009 at 10:14 am
Hi there,

First of all many thanks for your comments about our website, we really appreciate the feedback.

In relation to the typo yes you are correct a little oversight on our part which has now been addressed.

The issue of the discount percentage and the asterix was an issue that was discussed at length during the various design workshops. The reason that we didn’t have the explanation of the asterix on every single page was to keep the content as light as possible on individual pages. The asterix was explained in full at the foot of the hompage and within the general T&Cs. The discount is explained in full in the ‘How much can I save’ section as well as within the FAQs.

Unfortunately your views on Lucy are beyond our control however we do take on board your feedback in relation to the ‘turn off sound button’ which we are currently testing with a view to deploying soon.

Once again thanks for the feedback on the site please feel free to get in touch with us via Twittter (http://twitter.com/TheBigSwitchIRL), IGO People (http://www.igopeople.com/bord-gais-energy) or by email.

Stiofain on behalf of The Big Switch
Maryrose Lyons @ April 8th, 2009 at 11:20 am
@Stiofain, now that’s what I call responsive! Great that you’re looking at the turn off volume button, got the typo, my only remaining issue would be the asterix… it’s not going to damage the clarity of the page design by adding an explanation at the bottom (it will aid the content comprehension).

Thanks for looking at and for taking the time to respond so politely on my blog.
The Big Switch @ April 8th, 2009 at 11:28 am
Maryrose,

Apologies I forgot to mention that we have now added the asterix information at the foot of the page in question.

Thanks again,
Stiofain.
Rory @ April 16th, 2010 at 8:38 am
I commend Stiofains response and his restraint. Highly professional and commendable.

Perhaps Mary Rose you could maybe first email people before you blog about them. Ita kinda sad watching you take cheap shots at website/hosting providers in a self indulgent and petulant manner.
Maryrose Lyons @ April 16th, 2010 at 8:44 am
@rory of course you do!

Perhaps Rory, a large organisation like Bord Gais might first check that their website fulfils basic usability functions and provides potential customers with the facts before they launch it. Don’t put it back on me to email them about a flawed online presence.

FYI there is no ‘cheap shot’ made at hosting providers in this post. I’ve reserved that for other posts.