It’s funny what the weekly review of what everyone’s up to tends to dig up. In this case, it transpires that Confused.com has launched its long await site redesign. On the surface, the GUI largely looks to have changed for the better. Althoughit’s nothing too innovative it’s definitely an improvements and it’s all too easy to criticise the subjective elements.
Over the last month or so, we’ve also seen a number of other significant site redesigns/relaunches – from UpMyStreet to Insurancewide to Compare the Market and The Comparisons. Each with their varying degrees of success it has to be said.
What’s interesting to see in these situations is how much change has been influenced by a marketing/design team and how much has been put down for SEO reasons. It’s fair to say, for example, that the Confused update is a vast improvement for their on-site SEO (namely in that they no longer use javascript links for the primary actions beyond their homepage). But they’ve also managed to improve usability and provide plenty of sticky content. Insurancewide’s change is undoubtedly an improvement from their previous incarantion – a very 1990′s looking site has now been change into a much better SEO prospect for the future. Even Compare the Market have turned a cheap looking image into a clean interface with a “sensible” use of flash (marketing versus SEO remember!).
But TheComparisons.com, oh dear! It actually looks like something that could have been drawn better in Microsoft Paint. In fact, yep, thought so… <meta name=”Author” content=”Code managed by – Simon-john.roberts Head developer, Design managed by – Children using Etch-a-sketch” />
So what are everyone’s thoughts on the site redesigns we’ve seen in recent months?
The Insurance IndustryAn Entrepreneur's Perspective
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
“provide plenty of sticky content.”
Thanks very much! Nice to get some credit!
Confused looks better now as the money section is not simply a separate project but now fully part of the main site.
Love the comment on theComparisons!
That must breach so many colour usability rules on one page!
Is November / December the normal time of the year to rebrand? If so I will build it into my marketing plan to tap these guys for content requirements in May 2009.
Keep up the good investigative work!
Jason
@Jason, have you been writing for Confused or are you part of the team there? To be honest, I was looking for the AdFero accreditation on the content as it’s the usual lazy route people looking for content tend to take
Had a little bit of a dig into the SEO on the new Confused design – my word, they’ve missed a few really important, yet simple elements of optimisation.
I don’t hate TheComparisons design, in fact I would go as far as saying I actually like what they are trying to achieve, but agree with Jason; the palette is PFA.
Confused site looks a lot better, what is it with minis though? Why does everyone use Minis?!
@Ernest – No we are seperate company. Like Adfero but better!
Adfero is okay for news stories but nothing more than that. We tend to provide anything other than news. Guides, articles, FAQs, etc
Sadly we didn’t get involved in the new design, but at least their new homepage passes link juice now!
The Comparisons! What a site. I believe I have commented before on the lack of ethnic characters on view.
Also, their security cert seems to have expired, meaning that even IE 6/7 throws up warnings before entering a quote. Bad approach.
@Creased. The guy selling loans looks ‘ethnic’ to me. (If that’s what you meant)(!):
http://www.thecomparisons.com/images/home_sl_money_blank.gif
…and the guy selling gas is definitely a vegetarian!
Confused homepage always passed juice because they used noscript tags to.
Often in my experience the first release of a website does not always include all seo elements for a variety of reasons. I am sure further changes will be made.
Agree with the comments on Adfero. Content for contents sake rather than quality.