The Top 5 Ways to Irritate Your Blog/Website Visitors
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So, you want to irritate your website visitors? You say you want to provide a lousy experience for them and practically guarantee they never return? Here are 5 ways to make it happen.
1. Make your off-site links open in a new window.
At one time, this was “convetional wisdom” for websites. The idea is you want people to remain on your site as long as possible, so if you link to an outside site, open that link in a new window, and thereby leave your website alive in the previous window.
That line of thinking is so Web 1.0. The reality is people will leave your site whether you want them to or not. Methods to trap them or keep them there just irritate them. Let them have the option to open links in a new window (or new tab for us Firefox users) if they choose.
As for blogs, some people go so far as to say the best blogs send their visitors away. Kevin O’Keefe, for instance, writes this:
“Some of the best blogs are what Buzz Bruggeman describes as intelligence agents. They post what they believe would be of interest to their target audience. Look at Steve Rubel’s Micro Persuasion or Dave Winer’s Scripting News. Read their blogs. They cover the globe for their readers by sharing via links what they read and hear. Mixed in you’ll get their strong commentary.”
2. Throw a pop-up box in front of me within 5 seconds of landing on your site.
Have you heard the term “pop-up blocker” before? There’s a reason people want to BLOCK pop-up boxes. They’re irritating. It’s like walking into a grocery store, and as soon as you do, an obnoxious clerk jumps in your face trying to sell you their latest brand of toilet bowl cleaner. He gets your attention, sure, but you’d rather punch him in the head than buy something from him. Websites are the same way. It doesn’t matter if you’re popping up ads, a newsletter sign-up box, photos of your kids or whatever. Pop-ups are irritating. Just don’t do it.
3. Create a cool, trendy Flash-driven site that takes more than 5 seconds to load and/or opens in a new window.
No offense to Flash developers, but most Flash-based sites are the ultimate in pretentiousness. They’re like buying the fancy sports car just to buff up your image. Flash sites are typically more about the site and/or company than they are about me the user. They usually take an inordinate amount if time to load, and if they have to open in a new window … well refer to number 1 above.
4. Make me try to figure out who you are and/or what your site is about. Bloggers are especially notorious for this. When I arrive on a site for the first time, I want to know one thing. What’s here that can improve my life? Unless I can figure that out within 5-10 seconds, I get irritated, and I leave. If it’s a blog, I want to know who the writer is. A picture would be nice, although a simple “about me” page will suffice.
5. Use an opening headline laced with hyperbole and ridiculous promises. Like this one:
“Discover the Amazing Scientific Breakthrough that Leads to Overnight Riches.”
I respect good copywriters for their ability to clearly and quickly communicate the value of a product or service without hype and/or BS. To this day, one of the best headlines I’ve seen on a website is for a product called Blinksale.
“The easiest way to send invoices online.”
Some may argue the word “easiest” is hype, yet for some reason, it’s believable to me as it’s used here.
I have to confess, in fairness, these are the things that irritate me about blogs and websites. Perhaps the best thing to do is ask your visitors what irritates them about blogs or websites. With any luck, you’re not doing any of them.
By the way, what irritates you about blogs and websites?
About the Author
Michael Pollock is the marketing and product development guy for Solostream. He's also a blogger, a web marketing trainer and an entrepreneur. When he's not evangelizing Solostream, he trains other solopreneurs on how to use the web to reach more people, earn more money and live a bigger life. Michael's Website.
Is scrolling a turn off these days, this site scrolls a bit and I dont mind it?.
I keep reading that Floating Pop Ups supposedly work.
How this is even remotely possible is beyond me.
It’s a screaming cry for help as far as I can tell.
-kevin
Even there could be many ways to irritate visitors but what should we have from such instructions?
I think satisfaction of ones approach on these points.
“It would be interesting to survey a bunch of web surfers to see what the preference is.”
That’s a very interesting point, i’d love to hear what web surfers prefer.
I heartily agree on #1 (even though I’ve been guilty of it in the past, I’ve changed my ways). Another consideration for opening new browser windows is it may cause big problems for people with accessibility issues.
Personally, #1 is a pet peeve of mine too.
I agree that people have different browser habits, but it seems easier to override open in same window than to override open in new window – you can right-click & select Open in New Window/Tab, but not Open in Same Window!
I have a Firefox extension (Tab Mix Plus) that lets me choose my preferences. However, that seems to me to be much too advanced for most users – bloggers need to make things as painless as possible.
A survey like that is priceless to people who build sites for a living, like us.
LOVE the podcasts!
David: It would be interesting to survey a bunch of web surfers to see what the preference is. Hmm … food for thought. Good conversation too. Thanks!
Best – Michael
What I meant was that Users have their own habits and preferences when browsing the web. Some like only one browser window open when jumping through sites and others want multiple windows open of the sites they want to go back to. I definitely prefer the later. There’s different ways to manage your browsing experience (tabs, right-click menus, long history menus, back button, etc) and different people use different ways. I’m proof of that.
I disagree David. That assumes people don’t know how to make off-site links open in a new window or tab. I can’t verify it, but I’d guess most people know how to do that.
With # 1, it seems you’re damned either way.
Not sure how I feel about your first point. In my blog I’ve been trying to have links open in a new window. The thinking being that most users read links while they’re reading my post – so I’m commenting about something in context. In that circumstance I’m trying to allow the reader to click through to whatever I’m talking about, but still continuing to read my post.
Can see your point though – guess it’s all about intent!
Steve
Except for #1, I agree with you.
MOST OF THE TIME I prefer to have a new window appear so I can get back to my original intent for being on the web.
I think people jumping from Blog to Blog may not want it, but I rarely read blogs!
Overall, it really is a case by case basis.
hey ben:
thanks for writing.
i hate new windows. it’s really bad when you use Firefox, because you get so used to using the tabs.
Your #6 doesn’t bother me so much. personally. I can just ignore a post if it’s off topic.
best – michael
#1 is an interesting one. I was doing this for awhile on my blog and then decided to change. No one has said anything one way or the other but I feel better about it, and I think it makes more sense to say, “get off with you and enjoy those links!” rather than “pop pop pop pop…”
My biggest pet peeve with blogs is the lack of contact information on some of them. I think that’s a huge mistake, and I’ve even seen some professional blogging networks do this.
If I may add another point: #6 — Go Way Off Topic.
that is a HUGE bug for me, jennifer. i tried to thank somebody for linking to me the other day. i visited their blog and could NOT find a single way to contact them. they didn’t even have comments turned on.
weird.
thanks for writing jeniffer.
you too martin.
I couldn’t agree more — especially for no. 4.
It seems odd that bloggers spend their time and effort blogging and then don’t say who they are how to contact them.
Great stuff Michael,
I’m currently writing a post on pop-ups so I’ll be quoting your #2 and giving you some link love.