I surf the web quite a bit. In fact, I spend several hours each day viewing web sites for both my work and personal life. Usually I am doing some kind of research: looking for information on the latest Microsoft security issue, researching a new product or reading up on the new laws regarding hiring and firing. Sometimes I just relax and look at the cool Christmas sites or surf a wallpaper webring.
Every once in a while I run across a site which just makes me hit the back button almost immediately. This is a list of some of my pet peeves.
Obviously not updated - Perhaps one of the fastest ways to get someone like me to hit the back key is to make it obvious that your site is not updated on a regular basis. The web is meant to be a depository of information which is constantly changing. In fact, my expectation is information should be very, very up-to-date on any web site, and when this desire is not fulfilled I tend to leave very quickly.
Under construction signs - A web site should always be changing and evolving. Thus, an under construction graphic is not only not necessary, it tells me the site is not ready for prime time. Thus, I leave quickly and tend never to come back. There are plenty of sites to look at which are finished.
JavaScript errors - JavaScript is cool, when used properly. However, the vast majority of sites which use JavaScript use it incorrectly. The ironclad rule is simple: the site should work perfectly with or without JavaScript. Why? Because many surfers (myself included) turn off JavaScript when they surf. The reason is simple: there are so many security issues with JavaScript in Internet Explorer that it's simply wise to turn it off for the internet zone, and add desired sites to the trusted zone.
ActiveX - Okay, if you really want to keep people from using your site, install one or more ActiveX controls. Why does this discourage visitors? Because each time someone visits they are asked if they trust the control enough to install it. Guess what? I will almost certainly leave immediately, unless it is an extremely well known control.
Popups - I know that it's common knowledge that a popup window will almost certainly increase the revenue of a commercial web site. In spite of this, if you want your visitors sticking around and returning at a later time, don't use popups. And if you do decide to use them, limit it to ONE popup per visit, not per page.
Banner Ads - Don't even bother with banner ads these days. The conversion rate is terrible, and if you have more than a couple you will lose visitors like crazy. Just avoid the temptation.
Spelling errors - Little shows a lack of professionalism than a site rife with spelling errors. It's normal to misspell a word here and there, but more than a few errors means amateur. It does not matter what kind of site you are putting up, this rule is true. So use your spell check program and correct those errors. It's usually a good idea to re-read your page at least once, looking for words which are spelled correctly but are not correct.
Grammatical errors - Grammar errors are a little more forgivable than spelling mistakes. Not everyone on this planet is a grammar wiz. Do take a minute, however, to review your page and correct at least the most obvious problems.
Slow loading time - One of the biggest dangers to the success of your site is simply slow loading pages. This could be due to a slow server, too many graphics or a huge page. In any event, the slower a page loads, the more likely it is for a visitor to hit the back key and go somewhere else.
Blinking text - It's no where near as common as it was a few years ago, but every once in a while while surfing I'll run across a site with blinking text. On those sites, I'll hit the back key almost immediately.
Garish colors - As a general rule, people don't like lots of strange or bright colors on web sites. If you have, say, bright pink or neon green, you can count on a fairly high percentage of users leaving pretty quickly.
Incorrect information - As with any written information, saying something that's not true will tend to make your visitors leave pretty quickly. All web sites should communicate truth and avoid lies or rumor.
Lack of a coherent theme - Sometimes it's appropriate for a site to contain articles about many different subjects. Sometimes it's not. If your site claims to be about a particular subject (geology, for example), then it's not wise to mix many different other subjects in that site. If you must, get another domain name (they are cheap, after all), create a new site, and link them together.
Cookies - I surf with cookies set such that I get prompted each time a cookie is added from a new site. I then decided whether or not I want that cookie in the present and forever after. I don't mind a cookie to, say, save my login information or to save certain kinds of context, but don't just set cookies for no apparent reason. Quite honestly, I don't care about your marketing needs or your desire to create a massive profile on my shopping habits, so please don't even try. If you do, I will leave your site very quickly and probably not come back.
Poorly designed shopping carts - I cannot count the times that I found something on the web that I wanted to purchase, only to be defeated by a poorly designed shopping cart. Spend some time when you create your site and use a shopping cart that actually works for users. Please make it easy for paying customers to purchase something.
No price - One of the first things that I want to know when I purchase something is the price. Hide it in any way, and I probably will not purchase your product. As an example, a certain large book selling site has an annoying "feature": they will not tell you the price on some items until you reach the shopping cart. Guess what? I never reach the shopping cart in these instances - I want to know NOW.
No product information or picture - Before I purchase something, I like to shake the box, look at all sides, read the brochure and give the item a thorough checkout. I cannot do all this on the web, but I do expect to see a good picture and have decent information. If you don't provide this data, I often will surf to another site that does have it.
Require registration to shop or view - Oh, if you want me to leave your site right away, simply require registration for me to just look at your site or products. Like many people, I will NOT register just to shop. I am fine with registering or having an account in order to purchase something, but asking for all of my data just to allow me to look around your site is a sure way to get me to leave.
No contact information - It's perfectly fine to leave contact information off sites which are personal or informational in nature. However, if you are selling something you had better give me a way to contact you. On any kind of significant purchase I will check for a phone number first (and I want a phone number, not an email address), as well as an address and other contact data. If I purchase a product from you, I want to know who to call if I need repairs or have questions.
Unless otherwise noted, all photos and text is Copyright © Richard G Lowe, Jr.