SharePoint Site Hi-light: Supplying the Spark for Down Under

Welcome to another installment of “SharePoint Site Hi- light”, our ongoing blog series that focuses on web sites driven by SharePoint. Our aim is to show you who is using SharePoint and for what, and how good a job they are doing. We want to know if they are built right, and if they take advantage of SharePoint’s capabilities.

Today’s focus is on Australia’s number one energy provider and the only Australian producer of energy that has a full suite of renewable energy generation. Their lineup includes solar electric and solar hot water, with discount incentives to go “green”. AGL Energy provides energy solutions to over six million Australian residents.

As far as the AGL web site goes, it gives a nice first impression. The site search is exactly where it is supposed to be, and where I like it. The main navigation links are prominent, easy to read, and at the top of the page. Again, the designers opt for drop down menus instead of cluttering the page with links. It’s a trade off, but for best practices, drop down menus are a no-no.

The color scheme is a welcoming set of blues offset by orange and grey. The best thing about the site is the quick navigation links down the left side. They are prominent, and cover the most common needs for energy consumers, such as pay your energy bill, connect or disconnect service, etc. This makes it easy for most people to find exactly what they need and be about their business.

When navigating to different main sections of the site, such as residential or business, a second and more detailed navigation menu appears on the left- hand side, making it easier to find what you’re looking for. This has the effect of framing the main content nicely in two grey bars, a layout I like.

After spending some time surfing the site, I am happy to give it a 3.5 out of 5 possible stars. AGL’s site is well organized and attractive. I would be happy to use this site instead of the one I’m forced to deal with for my local energy, but we all can’t be that lucky.

So until next time, see if you can find any new SharePoint web sites & upgrade to a low cost dedicated SharePoint server with hyper-v hosting. You might be surprised. Now sign up for SharePoint 2013 Server hosting solutions from Apps4Rent.