Combell presents Ugly Belgian Websites
The Internet is a wonderful place. Everyone tries to put themselves or their company in the spotlight in an original way. And that is what Combell wants to pay tribute to. By launching the 'Ugly Belgian Websites' campaign!
Because web design is just like architecture: everyone has an opinion about it. That is why, together with Hannes Coudenys, the founder of Ugly Belgian Houses, we are going to try and find Belgium's most remarkable websites – and by remarkable, we obviously mean the ugliest. The Ugly Belgian Websites!
Follow Ugly Belgian Websites
What are the Ugly Belgian Websites?
You probably know one yourself: a website that bursts out of your screen, making you nostalgic for the good old days of Geocities, when anyone who had an Internet connection was able to create their own website.
But of course, a retro Geocities-esque design is not the only criterion that will be taken into account when selecting an Ugly Belgian Website. Whether it is a website with an overabundance of fonts (Comic Sans MS! Papyrus! Lucida Handwriting!), or a site that betrays that the designer might be colour-blind: they all qualify for the list of Ugly Belgian Websites.
Not to mention tacky GIFs, annoying pop-ups or error messages hiding behind every corner. The list of ingredients for Ugly Belgian Websites is actually endless!
Why is Combell launching the Ugly Belgian Websites campaign?
As the Belgian market leader in hosting, we at Combell know better than anyone that a properly functioning, nice-looking website is worth its weight in gold for your business. However, there are still plenty of examples of... er... let's say 'mavericks' on the Internet, who see things differently.
Throughout the years (well, yes, we have been around since 1999!), we have witnessed the Internet develop into something that is now very different than it was before. This can clearly be seen in the functionality as well as in the design of modern websites. And that is not illogical: just take a look at your old photos and see what you were wearing 20 years ago. You probably no longer have any of those clothes in your closet either 😉.
But there are still websites that are perhaps not quite up to scratch: Ugly Belgian Websites! Ugly Belgian Websites often make us feel nostalgic or bring a smile to our face. That is exactly why we want to give those Ugly Belgian Websites some attention.
And besides attention, we also want to give one website – the Ugliest Belgian Website – the chance to undergo an 'extreme makeover'. And all costs will be borne by us. Because that is what we like to do at Combell: make the Internet better, for both website owners and their visitors!
By the way…
Did you know that creating a good-looking website is really not that difficult? You can easily create one with our SiteBuilder!
Nominate an Ugly Belgian Website and win!
From 19 September onwards, we will be on the hunt for the most out-of-the-ordinary websites on the Belgian Internet for three weeks. And we will do it with your cooperation!
Have you come across a website that makes you think 'Wow, this is... something special'? Then be sure to nominate it on uglybelgianwebsites.be. There, you will also find an overview of all the other nominated websites. So this will be the perfect opportunity to take a peek at what the Belgian Internet has to offer!
At the end of this quest, our panel of judges will examine the entries and decide who deserves to win the title of Ugliest of the Ugly Belgian Websites. The judging panel consists of Hannes Coudenys, our in-house lead web developer Michiel Van de Veire, illustrator Eva Mouton, artist Joëlle Dubois and tech blogger Herman Maes.
The Ugliest Belgian Website will not only win eternal fame and an Ugly Belgian Cup, but it will also get the chance to have its Ugly Belgian Website completely redesigned, including a budget to stay online for 10 years!
And... er... you too could be in with a chance of winning something! Because when you nominate a website, you automatically stand a chance of winning a bol.com gift voucher worth €100. Because we are raffling off twenty of those vouchers among all the entrants, so make sure to seize this unique opportunity!
In short: adding a website to the Ugly Belgian Websites list is definitely worthwhile. And we are of course very much looking forward to discovering all the Ugly Belgian Websites, so keep those nominations coming in 😉.
Okay, but... Isn't such a nomination a little offensive?
Not at all! There is no accounting for taste, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. With Ugly Belgian Websites, we just want to celebrate the diversity of our Belgian web.
Because if your website gets nominated, that can only be a good thing, as it means that you will gain exposure. And that is exactly why you made a website in the first place, right?
In fact, we sincerely hope that your website will be the winner of this Ugly Belgian Websites competition! Because then, we will make sure that your website gets a makeover and stays online for free for 10 years... on Belgium's best hosting platform, which is that provided by Combell!
Do you already have one or more Ugly Belgian Websites in mind, or do you secretly want to win the main prize with your own website? Then visit uglybelgianwebsites.be to nominate your own!
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