He explained that a mobile site is not simply a 'small-screen' version of your normal website. Due to device and other constraints it often cannot be used in the same way.

As such, it should aim to provide just enough information for someone to digest while sitting in the back of taxi on the way to meet a friend. No more.

Someone was listening.

Compare the Lighthouse mobile website to the fully featured 'desktop' version.

No movie reviews. No online booking. No popcorn ads.

Just movies, dates, times and box office number.

Great job!

You come to a door. It's locked. Someone shouts over that you need to "press the button" to open it.

To your right 3 boxes are lined up on the wall, coloured kinda like traffic lights.

• 1 is bright red.
• 1 is dull silver.
• 1 is bright green.

You don't stop to read them. You just make a snap decision and stab a button.

Well, many people press the big green box.

Why? Because it is big and green. And green means "Go"!

Unfortunately, this means the maintenance man has to repair the emergency door release button every few weeks.

There has got to be a better way.

Since entering the Irish market a few years ago, RaboBank have done a lot to shake up the financial industry.

Irish banks tend to be very conservative, introverted and secretive. They are wrapped up in the notion of "we know best".

In contrast, Rabo seems to understand that openness works. People trust an organisation that trusts itself to talk openly on the web - and to take criticism.

This is illustrated in their new blog.

Staff within the organisation post thoughts on finance. The public can then comment on it.

Traditional branding-types feel faint at this type of transparency. "What if the public say something bad?!"

Well, that's the risk. However, a mature and sincere response to genuine customer concerns can elicit greater loyalty than simply playing it safe.

The respected UK usability firm Etre discussed this recently in their newsletter.

They quoted research which showed that companies who are prepared to take the blame for major mistakes have higher stock prices 1 year later than those that do not!

Openness = money! The perfect recipe.

So how long will be it before Irish banks follow suit?