I can categorically confirm that a lot of vehicles on Lings website are the exact same price on other “More proffessional” looking sites. Indeed, several vehicles are actually more expensive on her site. Don't forget, she has to earn a living, thus, she must and obviously does, turn a profit! Don't be fooled, she is still a business woman!

Several HCI researchers in recent times have produced sets of generic usability principles namely: learnability, visibility, consistency and standards, flexibility, robustness, responsiveness, feedback, constraints, mappings, affordances, stability, simplicity, memorability, help, and documentation to buttress the underlying assessment issues. But even in the light of the ongoing, it is still very much important to make sure the old fashioned precept of functionality serves as the fundamental basis for designing any computer interaction system.

Plain speaking usability is a mix of both objective and subjective assessment….

Saw her on you-tube… loved her ethusiasm… either we like it or not… being classified as one of the worst site out there adds to her popularity…. and who says anything about not wanting to do business with LingsCars… I 'll surely DO!!!!…it's even got a proven track record…

And does LingsCars works? the answer is it is very sucessful in the light of the publicity it's been given. LingsCars has made the most of the publicity, and did someone ask if you people will want to do business. As for me, the answer is a capital YES!!!!

Several HCI researchers in recent times have produced sets of generic usability principles namely: learnability, visibility, consistency and standards, flexibility, robustness, responsiveness, feedback, constraints, mappings, affordances, stability, simplicity, memorability, help, and documentation to buttress the underlying assessment issues. But even in the light of the ongoing, it is still very much important to make sure the old fashioned precept of functionality serves as the fundamental basis for designing any computer interaction system.

Plain speaking usability is a mix of both objective and subjective assessment….

Saw her on you-tube… loved her ethusiasm… either we like it or not… being classified as one of the worst site out there adds to her popularity…. and who says anything about not wanting to do business with LingsCars… I 'll surely DO!!!!

Hahaha, it is an emotional decision (to get a car). It is not logical. If it was we would all drive a Ford Focus or (insert boring car). Have you seen Top Gear?

Look, you need people to ENJOY websites, and 50% of my visitors will. 50% (I would hate to suggest some anal retention) will go on about usability blah blah. There are very few websites where you can ENJOY yourself (but you are in the 50% below that get annoyed, not enjoyed – is that English?).
To be sensible for 10 seconds, people choose a new car approx once every 3 or 4 years. That's a LONG product cycle. So 99.9% of people don't want one today. So, I need them to remember me and come back. It's a MASSIVE purchase for a 100% online sale. It's not Amazon you know, these are not $9.99 books. People want “cheap”. Also want “new”, “big”, “free” and “sex”. The 5 magic webwords.

Name one other car leasing company you remember or even choose to discuss? You can't. See? Name one other car leasing company or dealership who would even notice you had blogged about them, the same day? And replied in a cohesive manner (?).

My site does polarise, it does annoy, and it does work. Yes, yes, yes. But of course, some like it, some hate it. At least you have an opinion :) In a very difficult mature market, with massive branded competition all selling the same basic product, it differentiates. No one else ever manages that. Plus have you tried really USING any car dealer's website? Pass the razor blades.

I am looking at my 7373rd visitor online today, with 71 concurrent on my site (today was/is busy). No one else manages that in my industry apart from Autotrader and eBay motors etc. Certainly no independents manage it.

So, stop thinking too hard. I did a full presentation last week to Newcastle University based IT community “SuperMonkeys” here: http://www.lingscars.com/supermondays.php (which other car company gets invited to do that?). Watch the films if you want.

Also read how Web Design Magazine http://www.lingscars.com/news.php#webdesignermag had to eat humble pie IN PRINT after I won the BT Business/NatWest IT and Communications award (for whole of UK) in December.

Happy to discuss. Chill dude, keep writing. Thx for the discussion.

Ling
LINGsCARS

I think the correct response is to say that Ling's Cars is not half as bad as you'd expect, and that it works well enough in a number of ways. That's not to say that it works per se, however. And the irony here is that a simpler site would probably be cheaper to develop and maintain – serve the organisation's goals better.

Still, I get your overall point about poor design meeting an organisation's requirements.