Recognised by many as the market-leading financial website, As well as a new, cleaner look and feel, and more efficient tools and wizards, the new site incorporates Charcol Direct, a new telephone based advice service that charges a flat fee of £199.
Candice Hodgson, marketing director at Charcol, comments: “We have redesigned the site to make it even easier for people to navigate the often complex world of mortgages. All the industry-recognised benefits have of course remained, but have been freshened to make the experience even better. In addition, we have launched Charcol Direct, offering a telephone based advice service for a flat fee of £199. We now offer a truly multi-channel approach to arranging a home loan.”
Charcolonline, which attracts more than 250,000 unique users a month, provides many features that are critical in arranging a new mortgage:
· Mortgage Wizards that are tailored to each specific customer type. These include first time buyers, home-movers, remortgagers and buy-to-let investors. This enables consumers to run targeted, personalised comparisons to find the best deal for them.
· Mortgage Calculators to illustrate how much you can borrow, the cost of repaying the loan, savings to be made by remortgaging and the benefits of having a flexible mortgage.
· Best Buy Tables that are continually updated, covering all types of loans, which include Charcol market-leading exclusives that are not available elsewhere.
Charcol Direct
Consumers who decide that they need advice to help make their mortgage decision can now turn to a new telephone advice service – Charcol Direct. For a flat fee of £199, the new service offers mortgage advice over the phone, managing the application process right through to completion. In addition, Charcol Direct has been integrated in to all partner websites, including AOL, the Telegraph and the FT.com.
Hodgson continues, “After much consumer research and feedback, we felt that there was a clear market for this type of telephone advice. Many consumers who wanted to take advantage of the advice and product offerings we are known for, just did not have the time to spend with a mortgage consultant, face-to-face. Charcol Direct addresses this, providing a much-needed solution for professionals who are time-poor. It offers support and advice in an ever-competitive marketplace.”
Designed to help
The site has been given a comprehensive makeover, improving the look and feel with new design elements. One key element of this is the addition of more white space to the site, making content more manageable and navigation clearer.
The site has also been re-developed to comply fully with the Disability Discrimination Act, and offers Double A accessibility. The act was introduced last year to ensure equal access to services for people with disabilities. For example, for the visually impaired, Charcolonline is now viewable in large print or information can be listened to through screen-reader software.
Hodgson concludes, “We are very confident that our new site, and indeed new service, will help to maintain our market-leading position. Listening to what our online customers have to say is paramount to us and we are constantly evolving our proposition to reflect this. Initial reaction to the new site has been very positive so we believe we have got it right.”
