People do things to their customers online that they would never do to them in real life. Would you force a customer to look at a 15 second video before being allowed to enter your store? Would you hold a big, obnoxious sign up to their face in the middle of them examining your merchandise?
No? Then why do you continue to do these things to them when they’re on your website. Just like how people lose all sense of decorum when they are communicating online versus in-person, they tend to do silly things on their website because they forget a real person (and potential customer) is on the other end.
The #1 thing people want from a website is to be able to easily get what they want. Are you doing this for your customers or are you making it difficult (or at least annoying) for them to accomplish this?
Below are 5 things that you really shouldn’t be doing on your website, unless you enjoy annoying your potential customers.
Flash Intros and Splash Pages
Flash is pretty much dead, thank Apple for that. Flash intro’s and splash pages, not only waste people’s time, study after study has found that they drive people away from your site. They may look good, your developer may be proud of it, but they act as a customer repellent on your website. People don’t want you to “wow” them, they want you to show them what they want, in the easiest manner possible. By the time it takes for your amazing intro to load, you’re customer will have already hit the “back” button and moved on to one of your competitors. Design only works if it doesn’t take away from the user experience.
Auto Playing Audio and Video
You’re in an office meeting (or church) and you load a website on your phone, it immediately starts blaring “Life Is A Highway” at full blast as you fumble to turn off the volume on your phone. Epic fail. People hate videos and audio that auto play upon loading. Worse yet are one’s that don’t have an obvious Pause/Volume Control. Way to go buddy, you just made a great first impression with a potential customer. People want to self-select when and where they interact with your business. Don’t force things down their throat. If they want to watch the video, they’ll hit play.
Poor Use Of Popups
Popups are a bit controversial. People tend to hate them, yet they work very well for building an email list. If you do it right, they can work, if you do it wrong, you can damage your brand. If a potential customer was browser through your store, would you sneak up behind them and shove a giant sign in front of their face telling them to subscribe to your newsletter? I think not.
Popups can be used in a far less annoying way, such as only showing it when a visitor is on a page that shows they are engaged (About page) or have spent a considerable amount of time on your website. I don’t like them personally, but if you do use them, use them in a way that doesn’t annoy people. Check out this article on how to use popups responsibly.
Social Media Icons (when you have no following)
“Hey, I want you to now leave my website because I want to show you how lame I am!”. Yes, that’s what you’re telling your visitor when you promote one of your social media platforms that’s gathering cobwebs. What a way to torpedo your own credibility. Don’t listen to your graphic designer or “Social Media Guru”, you don’t need to list everything, just the platforms you’re active on and where you engage with your audience.
Every icon you have that leads visitors off your website, is a risk you’re taking that they will leave and never coming back. Choose wisely.
Cheesy Stock Photography
Some would argue that all stock photography is cheesy, and I would probably agree for the most part. People know fake from authentic. Stock photography can never accurately convey what your business really is all about.
An image of two hands shaking or a woman with a headset on, these images don’t convey anything except that fact you’re not authentic. Get a friend with a good camera, buy them lunch, and have them take some great photos of your business and staff that you can use on your website.
Create a great website experience
Making it easy for people to find what they want, not annoying them, and showing them the real you, are all good starting places for creating a website that converts visitors into customers. Besides the above, what things do you wish websites would stop doing?
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Gary Shouldis
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LOL, I have 5 social media icons on my site now, but only use Facebook with any regularity. My friend, I guess you can say Social Media Guru, told me I need to promote myself across all platforms. Going to spend tonight removing them, thanks!
If Facebook is your stong point, then that’s the platform you should work on promoting, good luck
Auto playing video and audio is the one things that bugs me the most. I’ve been caught a few times in public scrambling to turn down the volume on my computer, I usually close the site and never go back. I find real estate sites do this a lot with their virtual listings….annoying!
I hate auto-plays on a website, a pet peev of mine, though the slow loading flash intro is a close second.