Broadband service provider Be Broadband has just launched a brand new version of its website, and it's not proving to be too popular with customers so far.
The company, to its credit, has admitted as much on its Twitter account: 'We get the gist of the feedback; our new website is live and you don’t like the look of it. We’ll listen and learn over the next few days.'
Here's the lovely new homepage:
There is also an option to customise the background, if you want to make it even less easy on the eye:
Here's a selection of comments about the new site from Twitter (and there are plenty to choose from):
I've seen badly designed websites in my time, but @bebroadband's at http://www.bethere.co.uk takes the biscuit. School project, done wrong.
Dear lord. @bebroadband website looks like something I used to knock up on Geocities in 97. All it needs is that Under Construction gif
I'm actually considering moving to a new ADSL2+ provider because of the offensiveness of the new @bebroadband website.
Even worse - http://www.bethere.co.uk/ redirects to https which gives me an "untrusted certificate" error.
If I didn't know that the new @bebroadband website was for real I'd think it had been hacked to be honest!
You get the idea. The vast majority of comments on Twitter were negative, though one or two did like the design, or praised Be for its bravery in introducing such a 'different' website design.
There are a few issues too, such as the https problem referred to in the comments above, and the fact that it seems to be half finished:
I can't deny it's a brave move, but when you are looking to get as many people as possible to come to your website and sign up for services, such a striking colour scheme is not such a great idea.
A crazy migraine-inducing colour scheme like this, which is way too bright, will have many people abandoning the site as soon as they enter it, no matter how good Be's service and prices may be.
It also doesn't give a great impression of the company to potential customers, who may be expecting a more professional looking website from an ISP.
It seems that Be is willing to listen to feedback though, and it will have to do better than this effort. It'll be interesting to see how quick the company is to change this website design, and what it comes up with next.
Reader comments (8)
3:25PM on 23rd July 2009
They've taken that wierd giant ampersand down now. I looked at it last night and decided it must have been hacked!
They so aren't changing it though: "We'll listen and learn over the next few days" = "We are going to ride out the storm until you all move on to something else".
Editor at Econsultancy
3:40PM on 23rd July 2009
I think they'll be forced to when they see what it does to conversion rates...
5:02PM on 23rd July 2009
Pretty much sums what we all think about their new site.
You should see the negative comments in their own forums.
At least Stevie Wonder likes it though, and I totally agree about the conversion rate. That will take a huge hit.
Managing Director at we are:london
8:11AM on 24th July 2009
All I would like to know is "who done it?" Professional suicide if you ask me.
11:45AM on 24th July 2009
This site keeps the user guessing. The giant pink V next to sections is actually an arrow. "V Feed Me" is actually news ?? "V Pioneer Here" is anybody’s guess! Cryptic headings and purposefully changing "normal" conventions have gone sadly wrong. You don’t have to be wacky to be different.
12:34PM on 24th July 2009
I understand the site was designed and developed by http://www.dave.biz/
4:22PM on 24th July 2009
@Leigh Dowding Apparently they have put a PS on a recent email to customers stating that their new site will not work in IE6 and they are not planning to do anything about it.
http://www.webcredible.co.uk/blog/bes-ie6-unfriendly-launch
1:07AM on 30th July 2009
too. cool. for. skool.
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