permanent tsb

— Published December 6th, 2002  |  by David Moore

Customer Value - 31 marks out of a possible 50

The new site offers a range of information, but it is neither particularly deep nor timely. There's still mention of the late-lamented first time buyer's grant, and only a single page on their One Plan programme, which is currently being advertised on television. Several financial calculators and online application forms provide a useful service, but there's too much bland marketing copy, and not enough simple information on the benefits and advantages of the products and services.

Clear feedback and contact information is let down by a lack of support FAQs for the site.

Site functionality - 10/40

Where's the search? Given the wayward navigation (see below), the lack of a search facility is a glaring ommission. There are privacy and security policies available, but they're buried deep in the Legal section at the bottom of the page - given that you could be entering a lot of personal information on the site (applying for mortgage approval, for example), those policies should be closer to hand.

Site Design - 35/60

The navigation is less than straightforward, and the Quick Find box does not make up for poor structuring. Only a look at the site map reveals how much information is available. The homepage design is bright without being attractive, and the large graphics on the section homepages mean you have to scroll down to get to any information - a poor use of the medium.

Conclusion - 167/250

The creation of the site for the newly-merged bank should have provided the opportunity to start from scratch on delivering a successful banking and personal finance site. Instead, useful calculators and application forms are let down by poorly written and structured content and unconvincing design and navigation.

Related Links:

• permanent tsb can be found at http://www.permanenttsb.ie