Click here to bypass this blog post
By Mike Moran. Filed in Internet Marketing |Tags: Usability, Web page
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The very title of his post sounds a bit odd, doesn’t it. I mean, I don’t want you to skip my blog posts–I want you to see them. Geez, if I thought you should skip them I wouldn’t write them at all. That makes sense, doesn’t it. But why do we think it’s sensible to ask people to skip our content? Yet I see Web sites that do it every day and I don’t think we question it enough.
How often do you come to a Web page that loads some annoying Flash/video/podcast (pick one) when you just wanted to get some information? It’s like they thought if you dared to stop by, they can show you whatever they want. They can show you a commercial before you actually get what you want.
And that is incredibly annoying because it wastes your time. And I think everyone hates it. But instead of taking it down, what do they do instead?
They put a button on the incredibly annoying intrusion that says, “Click here to bypass this waste of your time.” OK, OK, that isn’t the exact wording, but that’s what they do. Why does that make it all better?
Do you think they ever check to see what an overwhelming number of people click that button? Or bail out of the site completely?
Here’s a usability tip: If you think you need a link that says “Skip this,” then you should just get rid of whatever “it” is. Your customers will thank you for it.
Tuesday, April 7th 2009 at 7:53 pm |
It’s like they thought if you dared to stop by, they can show you whatever they want. They can show you a commercial before you actually get what you want!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, April 8th 2009 at 2:24 pm |
That is so obvious that it should not need to be said. It’s a sad commentary on how out of touch some people are with the customer-centric frame of mind. I doubt whether some people will ever grasp that it’s not what they think important that really counts. Sheesh!
Thursday, April 9th 2009 at 2:29 pm |
This puts me in mind of the do not reply prevalence in email marketing – why send out a message with a carefully crafted call to action, only to set up cognitive dissonance with the goofy donotreply@.com address making a first impression in the email box?
It seems to me that if you wouldn’t do something in conversation, don’t do it on a website. Can you imagine someone you just met saying “let’s skip my introduction and get right into a conversation, shall we?”
Friday, April 10th 2009 at 4:07 am |
One of the oddest titles I’ve ever seen for a blog post. I guess their logic was the same as telling a child not to touch something. The first thing they’ll do is touch it.
Wednesday, April 15th 2009 at 11:52 am |
you just wanted to get some information? It’s like they thought if you dared to stop by, they can show you whatever they want. They can show you a commercial before you actually get what you want.