NZSE facelift ... but still sorry site

By CHRIS BARTON

The Stock Exchange's web site got a much needed facelift yesterday, but beyond a tarted-up home page, the rest of the site remains in a sorry state.

The upgrade is the first of three which will eventually see www.nzse.co.nz provide long overdue detailed company information; a database of announcements; historical pricing and enhanced market indicators.

In the meantime visitors will get marginal satisfaction from new homepage layout providing a snapshot of indices and a paltry list of headlines of the latest company announcements. There are also links to news articles and press releases about the exchange.

New features include a "Question and Answer" and "Useful Stuff for Investors" section and a feedback area. For the novice investor, there are pages explaining stockmarket investing, jargon and how to get involved.

The site still has a long way to go before it matches its counterpart across the Tasman (www.asx.com.au) which provides not just a professional look but also immediate access to stock prices, charts, company details and announcements.

By contrast the NZSE site looks shabby and provides a roundabout path to rudimentary pricing information and the barest of announcement headlines.

The exchange doesn't do itself any favours in layout, design, or typography - with pages that look like they were created by an amateur using Microsoft Word.

The home page redesign does give hope a full makeover will belatedly bring the exchange into the internet age. But rather than ask for feedback, it should rapidly get on with the job.

There are plenty of examples - such as Stockwatch and Access Brokerage - using NZSE-supplied data that show what a professionally designed stock information site should look like.