Top Billing’s totally rubbish website

Posted on 8 October 2007 Design Rants South Africa

I actually can’t believe that Top Billing, which is a weekly lifestyle programme that also publish a monthly magazine could run such an incomplete and cheaply put together Joomla site.

My dad watched last weeks show and wanted to know more information regarding some water pump that they installed at Robbie Fleck’s home as part of their Handy Man series on the show. My dad told me to go and check out topbilling.com for more information, as the show instructed. When I spotted the Joomla favicon in the address bar, I knew we were in trouble.

Big problems on the topbilling.com

Firstly there is no Top Billing brand identity. The logo is handmade, and the site design is using a basic Joomla template (RocketTheme?).
Content on the site is down to a bare minimum. There is very little information on the TV show or magazine, and other than the information being completely out of context and irrelevant, the Magazine page has a lovely paragraph of Lorem ipsum dolor text. (I also just noticed that the TV Show page is dated the 28 August. Lovely.).
How about contact details? Nope, nothing but a nicely placed back link.
Want some info on the lovely Jeannie D? Forget it.

But wait, there’s more ~~rubbish~~! They running a forum on the site, with one of the Admin’s posting this gem:

Welcome to the New Website

There is lots of potential for your interaction here !

All you need to do is register an account – thats your password to interactions like:

-Making comments against presenter search candidates
-Participating in this forum
-Submitting your OWN article – how about that? You could use this space to promote your business or whatever you like. Use your discretion and good taste though.
-We may even let you communicate with other users – we will see how that goes.We want to do that in contained manner so that this site is always a pleasure for you and not another space where you are constantly interrupted.

Try this forum – you can discuss anything here!

Thanks
Selwyn Wacks

Complete and utter rubbish

Top Billing’s web presence is a joke. For all the glitz, glamour and jet-setting presenters on the show, their marketing team has completely left out one of the most crucial aspects that could enhance their brand. The www is not some kids toy. Show some respect.

Oh, and I still have absolutely no way of finding some sort of info regarding that water pump for my dad. Anyone know someone at SABC that might help?

Tags: Brand Identity, Top Billing

http://www.cerebra.co.za Mike

You probably need to blame the cheapskate halfwits who charged them a fortune to build it thinking they were getting something original. This is the darker side of readily available open source CMS’s.
http://defza.com David e Freitas

Wow, that’s a horrific site.

Top Billing is synonymous with glitz and glamour and all the best stuff in the world. That site is the anticlimax.

About the water thingy – as long as it’s not some water filter sold by Amway :-P
http://www.markforrester.co.za Mark

Wow they sure have made a mess of their web presence! Joomla is a great content management system that I have used before, but Top Billing look like they have only half implemented it and got stuck along the way. Surely they have enough of a budget to get a custom designed theme and a professional webmaster on board!

I think Expression Engine or Drupal would have been a better choice in content management systems for such an established brand!

Well found Jason :)
http://www.tylerreed.co.za/ Tyler

Ouch! I can’t believe somebody was able to sell that in the first place!
http://www.capetowndailyphoto.com Kerry-Anne

Would you believe me if I told you that it used to be EVEN WORSE? I used to be a subscriber to their newsletter, and that was hideous too. It took about 6 months for me to actually succeed in unsubscribing (I tried, oh how I tried), and I had occasion to visit their site a couple of times in my seemingly never-ending quest to unsubscribe. I can’t even remember the specifics (I may have blocked it out due to it being so utterly horrible), but it was very ugly indeed. If I recall correctly, none of the links worked in Firefox (but we’re used to that, aren’t we?) and there was even less information than there is now.

Doesn’t it make you mad that there are people out there labelling themselves as web designers and web developers, dishing out this kind of junk?
Peter

One would think they would have done something about their website already! It’s still terrible, I just visited it, there is missing information and empty pages, not even any contact information! The colour scheme is all wrong and has such a scrabby look and feel.
Cindy

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the Top Billing website….bare in mind that it is still a new site, and will continue to grow on a daily basis… users still need to express what it is that they would like to see more of etc.

You know how the saying goes…”if you don’t have anything good to say, then don’t say anything at all!!!” (so do us all a favour….)

I like the Top Billing website, and I think it will only get better!!!
http://www.jasonbagley.com Jason

Hi Cindy, I see that they have slightly updated the site, but it is still poorly designed with little to no content that is relevant or informational.

Yes I do not have anything good to say about it, but I do have some constructive criticism to level at Top Billing’s web team.

I have a feeling that they outsourced the job, which makes it even worse!
Lwazi

Uh Cindy, it’s cute that you are so altruistic and all but the website sucks. Please, anyone can put together a half decent website for next to nothing. Tswelopele productions has plenty of money- Bassie should sell some of her shoes and handbags and get herself a decent marketing team. This is ridiculus! I went on the site to vote for my friend, Dhiveja, to be the next presenter and went back to the site twice because I thought I was lost!
Loo Loo

I have been on the Top Billing website lately, and I must say I have seen vast improvements. I have been voting for the presenter search and was quite surprised at the simplicity and user friendlyness of the site now as it stands. I certainly did not have a problem with finding the top 12.They have been updating there television clips quite regularly. I do see quite a number of changes. The content changes once a week to fit in with the programme. I subscribe to the magazine and find that with the changing of the cover of the magazine, so does the website colour. I think its a great site with loads of potential. Something different… you go guys
Pingback: Top Billing responds | JasonBagley.com
Rick Wilson

Tried to get some info on Egon Tania the artist they featured on TV. Seems like their website focus is on them filming him, rather than the artist himself. How do I contact him, where can I see more of his art for God’s sake? I don’t need the silly stuff from behind the camera!
Shiloh Noone

Please inform me how to invite memebrs of Top Billing to a book launch that will have guest Eric Clapton as a speaker
Sandy

I also have a problem with the Top Billing website and newsletter.I used to receive the newsletter every week , but 2 days after the show had already aired.As I am a huge fan of the show , I must have sent them about 200 requests to send my newsletter before the show airs , but instead of assisting , they just took me off their mailing list.The website is not up to date , I have just been there to find out what tonights show is about , but they still have last weeks show on there.There are no longer any contact details.I really think they have a brilliant tv show , but this website is not doing them any justice !They don’s seem to care what people think and don’t take any notice of any critisiscm
be it constructive or not.
Zack

I cant even access the site, think it might have been shutdown ! LOL
Sandy

Yipppeeee !Top Billing paid attention and tonights show is on their website !I am so glad !
I forgive them.
Mind you , I am still annoyed that they took me off their mailing list after complaining to receive the newsletter in time , before the show airs.
Anyway , I am happy to see that their site has been updated !
http://www.autostyle.co.za Aaminah

well i think top billing is very very interesting especially the d i y from Aaminah age 7
Gee

Shoo, I am completly shocked.

For a brand that prides itself on glitz and glamour, they sure are’nt portraying that on their website. Do these people even know how horrible their website is?

They should spend more money on their marketing and less on something else.
It needs to be changed or they shouldnt have one at all
Xvatit_spamit_milo

В очередной раз пришло письмо от kovrovik.ru/
Не удержался и запустил постер. Админы сорри если не по теме отпостило, но реально досталиспам письма с картинками :)
Leonie

I was also very dissapointed with the Top billing web-page, greetings Leonie
Gary

I would agree. I actually went onto the website to look for a venture capitalist that I saw on the show 3 weeks ago and low and behold they don’t have an archive link to past episodes.

The tabulations are rough and broad, the layout is very unfriendly and there is no glitz or glamour within the framework.

Absolute shocker and I agree Jason…
cynthia

hi there – funnily enough I also went to the website for info on that very same water pump. No luck from there but found an email and they were very prompt at getting back to me – only hitch the suppliers are all in cape town so no-one could really help me in the end. Sorry!
Vanessa

I totally agree!I keep checking it out to see if there has been anything done on it, but dissapointing every time!Come on guys!!!!
http://www.mamboserver.com Godfrey

Good Grief !!!! did they get a 5 year old to do that website! They need to take that site down ASAP! its damaging to the eyes!

Sad Day :(
PETER

hi u know what i went to the website and hope that i will get something nice like it show on tv but no, basetsana do something about webside girl dont let things go like that please if u cant do it give it to orther people to do it ok dont just take money and pocket it .topbilling is on top now u must do yo best to make website to be there also sharp.
K. Hannan

Hi I can’t believe so many young people can complain so much – get a life and stop complaining about mundain, non life threatening subjects – if you could all do it better then go for it and approach top billing & help them or do something constructive with your time – this is the first time I’m blogging – I don’t think it is really my scene – waste of time – got to go do some work.

Cheers – hope you all find happiness!
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Mack

they have a new website now….:), what do you think of it
http://www.jasonbagley.com Jason

Mack, to be honest, their current website still doesn’t do their brand any justice. There really hasn’t been any thought to the design of the site.

It looks like a Joomla template they have customised to fit all their content and not made the content the focus of their site. It’s coded using tables. Tables?! Cmon, that went out in the 90′s.

Lastly, the site looks like a “social media” poster child – they more worried about all the share this buttons than anything else!

I’d love a crack at designing a homepage for them and show them what their site should look like!
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