Site review: Bill Monitor
Developed by mathematicians from Oxford University, Bill Monitor allows consumers to compare phones and tariffs and find the best price plan from the five network operators.
It has also received accreditation from Ofcom, meaning the site can place a nice logo on the homepage which should help reassure customers using the website to select their next mobile phone contract. I've been tying it out...
Site review: Epiqfashion.com
Epiqfashion.com is a website that has been launched to provide an outlet for suppliers to the now defunct Principles chain to sell the stock left over, which is estimated to be worth £5m.
This is a good way of dealing with all of this stock, but having had a look at the website, the execution could have been better. Here are a few suggested improvements...
Qype improves its iPhone app
Qype, which claims to be the UK's largest local search and recommendation website, has just released an updated version of its mobile app, Radar, for iPhone users.
Like rival Yelp, Qype Radar provides local listings and reviews for mobile users, very useful when you're out and looking for somewhere local to eat, or for other local services.
Site review: Quizclothing.co.uk
Glasgow based clothing retailer Quiz starting selling online in 2005, and has recently launched a completely redesigned version of its website.
According to Lost Ferret, the company behind the redesign, results are promising so far, with a doubling of conversion rates over the past month.
I've been having a closer look at the Quiz website from a user experience perspective...
Grand Central relaunches its website
Grand Central, which operates rail services between London and the North East, came in for some criticism on this blog a few months ago for the shocking customer experience when attempting to book tickets online.
The company has now relaunched its booking engine so I've been trying it out to see if Grand Central has managed to make the site more usable than before.
Mobile site review: Auto Windscreens
In what seems like an effective use of mobile internet, Auto Windscreens recently released a new mobile site which is optimised for iPhones and Blackberries.
The mobile site allows drivers to find the nearest fitting centre to them and make a booking before that crack gets any bigger. I've been trying the site out to see how well it works.
Travelocity unveils new homepage
Travel search engine Travelocity has redesigned the homepage on the .com version of the site, aiming to provide more inspiration for users with more deal and offers.
According to Travelocity, the aim was to achieve a balance between a simple page design and providing ideas for customers who may arrive at the site without a fixed destination in mind. I've been talking a look at the redesign...
Which UK newspapers have mobile sites?
I've reviewed the mobile sites of The Guardian and FT.com recently, and both are excellent examples of how newspapers can make their content accessible for mobile users, as well as creating more advertising opportunities.
With this in mind, I thought I'd see what all of the UK's national newspapers are doing with their mobile sites, how easy they are to find and access, and if they even have one...
Site review: theOutnet.com
High end fashion retailer Net-A-Porter recently launched theOutnet.com, a clearance site which offers designer names at discounts of up to 80%.
Several retailers have been busy launching outlet sites this year; they offer a good way to offload out of season stock and, in the current economic circumstances, have the added effect of appealing to bargain hunters.
A bargain on theOutnet.com is more likely to mean paying £300 rather than £450 for a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes, so it perhaps doesn't appeal the the same type of shoppers the Debenhams Outlet I reviewed recently, but how does Net-A-Porter's offering compare?
Mobile site review: The Guardian
The Guardian recently relaunched its mobile site, bringing the look and feel of the site more in line with the newspaper's website, and moving away from the AvantGo platform.
It's a long overdue revamp, as the old mobile site was looking a bit tired and didn't compare well with more recent offerings from FT.com and The Telegraph. I've been having a closer look...
Social media: the best and worst of 2009
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Web 2.0
Graham Charlton
Strategy & Planning
