The online directory, goldenpages.ie, has been given a facelift
I wish I had taken a screenshot of the old interface, as I knew it was going to be replaced.
The new frontend is a lot slicker in my opinion and I particularly like the “topics of interest” on the main page.
The yellow on the results pages is a bit overpowering – I know it’s golden pages, but who says it has to be that yellow???
Hopefully they’ll be improving the keyword tagging in the search results as well, because the present set of results for most queries I threw at it was anything but satisfactory.
Of course the other question is – who actually uses the site and what for?
Is it worthwhile investing in advertising goods and services on goldenpages.ie ?
From Hugh:
Hmmm… better, but a long way to go.
They might as well just copy yell.com – i’m sure they won’t be given out to.
From Pete:
Didnt Irene Gahan take over there? Maybe the first visual step of good things to come?
From Liam Burke:
This might be what you’re looking for http://tinyurl.com/a26yz. I was looking for podcasters in Ireland and came back with posters very clever
From hostyle:
Any idea who was behind the re-design? I like it.
From Blast Radius:
Blast Radius, Amsterdam, designed this new site.
http://www.blastradius.com
From Hugh:
Uh oh… I can sense a whole ‘why didnt an Irish company do it?’ rant brewing somewhere.
From blacknight:
Hugh – It would be a bit pointless
From Pete:
Nah it wouldnt be pointless. YOu do have to wonder why use an “external” company, when there are companies within Ireland who are just as good, if not better.
Was the reason financial? Or did someone in goldenpages have previous working experience with them
From hostyle:
What ever happened to being part of the EU, where companies from any country should be on equal footing for projects in any member nation? Why does it *have* to be done by an Irish company?
From blacknight:
Pete – I’ve seen pitches from some of Ireland’s “top” web development companies and they were laughable in some cases
Hostyle – exactly
From Hugh:
Here, we’d have done a bleedin deadly job for a fiver usin’ mamboserver an a few mambo plugins, roigh?
From Pete:
hostyle its nowt to do with equal footing or “it has to be done by an Irish company”.
I am just curious as to why look elsewhere – I would agree in doing so if all web houses/designers in Ireland sucked – but there are a few decent types out there
From hostyle:
“I am just curious as to why look elsewhere”
why not?
Perhaps there was a tendering process?
From Blast Radius:
World Directories (Owner of GoldenPages.ie) are based in Amsterdam.
From Pete:
Blast Radius – that explains it then
From Irene Gahan:
Goldenpages.ie is owned by World Directories and has sites in Holland, Portugal and Belgium as well as Ireland so Blast Radius has done the design for all of them.
Am putting together an expert panel for usability for the site and its planned upgrades if anyone of this blog is interested just email are irene.gahan@goldenpages.ie
From Pete:
experts, here…well I dont mean to brag but…actually no, think I’ll keep my gob shut on this one
From blacknight:
Irene – sounds interesting
From Pete:
As Michele said, it does sound interesting. Wonder what kind of interesting upgrades are lined up?
Goldenpages via Mobile perhaps
From hostyle:
I’m no expert, but if you find yourself looking for a guru, feel free to contact me.
From Pete:
No expert and yet you are a guru – whats the difference?
From blacknight:
Pete – You can access it on your mobile already – if you use 3G
Hostyle – you are the CSS guru!!
From Hugh:
Irene – I’m deadly, pick me!
From blacknight:
Hugh – deadly in what sense?
From Hugh:
I think you know what sense by now!
From blacknight:
Do I?
From Irene Gahan:
Hi guys
This is the quick update. Went live with new interface and backend will be announcing who they were shortly if it’s of interest. Needless to say was a hectic three months going through two site upgrades. Re comments on outsouring we have appointed salesonline our online media partner, and doop desgn won the contract for our logo and banner design which is being announced shortly too. Any comments would be welcome and the expert panel should feature shortly so I will post nearer the time. BTW, credit to Michele for a lot of technical advice.
Irene
From michele:
Irene
Thanks for the update. You know where to send the cheques
Michele
From Richard Moyles:
We contacted the Golden Pages in relation to advertising on their new website and we were refused. our website is http://www.furniture.ie
We never got a proper explanation.
Richard Moyles
From Richard Moyles:
Just to let anyone know that Irene, has being in contact with me and outlined areas where we can advertise.
Good to see the Blog working.
Thanks,
Richard
From michele:
Richard – Glad to hear it
From Pete:
Just wondering – whatever happened to the usability panel that Irene was talking about. Did anything come of it?
From michele:
Pete – No idea. I haven’t heard anything since
Irene – comments?
From Irene Gahan:
Hi all
I have moved to a new role within GP.ie not so techie anymore – looking after banners, syndication and traffic with busdev so usabilty is kind of off my desk but will follow it up with new person. We are about to move to mapping functionality which is keeping me out of blogs in the short term. We need a new job title ‘techmarketer’ what you do think. Marketing role with the joys of a technical understanding.
Irene
From Pete:
My god it sounds like some kind of mutant hybrid
Ah the joys of only being different and not a mutant
From Irene Gahan:
The two parts of the brain constantly fighting between the logical and the creative….should get paid extra for this.
Irene (smile)