What is it?
One of the first Irish website directories, dating back to 1996.
Who is it for?
In theory, anyone looking for general or specific information about Ireland. In practice, it targets people looking to visit the country on business or holiday, with a strong focus on the US market.
What are its main features?
A searchable directory of Irish internet sites. There are 25 categories covered, ranging from computer software to property. There are also downloadable ringtones, phone games and several news feeds.
How does it look?
Bright, luminous orange – a bit garish for some, perhaps. To its credit, the layout is straightforward and clutter-free. What is less than perfect, however, is the system for displaying section contents. Rather than being displayed alphabetically or in some other logical format, websites are listed randomly, making it more difficult to find relevant ones. For example, not all Dublin accountants or Cork hotels are bunched together; they are interspersed with the accountants/hotels from other counties.
Best feature?
The submit-a-URL service (free, it appears) that allows businesses to get themselves listed under one or more categories.
The verdict?
Reasonably efficient at what it does, but – faced with the growing might of Google and other powerful search engines – niceone.com must be finding it harder than ever to stand out from the crowd and give punters something different.
By Brian Skelly
