Does Experience Matter
The theme for the promo day for b5media Business Channel is “Does Experience Matter?”. I have to answer yes - for a brand or company, the experience that a potential or existing customer has when they hit your website or interact with your distributed content or any of your marketers does matter. Remember, your marketers are not just the people with that function in the job title, but customer service reps, shop front people, receptionists and anyone who may interact with a customer.
So let me list some bad website experiences, the practices that I dislike and make me question the product. These aren’t the same for everyone of course, some people may love these.
- Opening splash pages. I’ve typed in the URL or clicked on a link and all I get is a useless splash page (usually in flash, so it’s dynamic and moving, supposed to show something about the company). Don’t make me click again!!! Just take me right to the action or the information.
- All flash sites that don’t have section URLs. Some all flash sites are brilliant, or have some great sections or information I want to share. If you don’t let me send out URLs to specific sections/pages, how am I going to share it via IM, Twitter or this blog. I’m not going to type out instructions on how to get there.
- All flash sites for information-led sites. Flash has its place, for video, for interactive experiences. If all you are doing is showing some case studies, some text-driven information or anything that really does not require ‘action’ then stick to HTML. Or at least fix the flash so I can copy and paste relevant information.
- Dodgy roll-over menus. You know the ones, they expand and you can’t move the mouse in the right direction to actually click on something before the menu goes away.
- Using forums for help instead of providing some basic information. I tend to see this more with tech companies, where there’s help forums. Great for a lot of stuff, but when it’s used to replace basic documentation, making me search through multiple forum threads for an answer, then it’s just annoying.
- Sites that go away. If you put up a site, ie for a tactical campaign, then keep it there, or at least degrade the URLS gracefully t your main site. Please don’t break the internet.
- Teeny, tiny windows. Sites where there’s a whole page, but the only bit that changes as you click around is a little bit in the middle, with scroll bars. Use all the page!
- Sites that don’t have a mobile version. At minimum, put up a basic page saying that a user needs to go to a big browser to have the experience, don’t just leave it blank.
- Pages that resize my browser. I’ve probably got my screen set up just as I want it, don’t ruin it byhijacking the browser settings.
- Autoplaying sound. I’ve got about 100 tabs open at the moment, don’t make me hunt down the one that is making the weird noises.
Oooh, going to have to stop there before I get too irate. So, what are your pet peeves about your website experiences.
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POSTED IN: Marketing in General
3 opinions for Does Experience Matter
b5media - Does Experience Matter?
Sep 16, 2008 at 3:28 pm
[…] you focus on the consumer’s point of view? At Behind the Buzz, Rachel lists her pet website design peeves that impact on the customer experience. In keeping with the consumer experience theme, at Brandcurve, Susan shares a montage of Mac Guy […]
The b5media Business Channel Bloggers Ask - Does Experience Matter?
Sep 16, 2008 at 8:47 pm
[…] And when it comes to providing an experience, shouldn’t you focus on the consumer’s point of view? At Behind the Buzz, Rachel lists her pet website design peeves that impact on the customer experience. […]
Around the Business Channel: Does Experience Matter?
Sep 22, 2008 at 5:14 am
[…] Rachel Clarke lists her pet website design peeves that impact on the customer experience. She asks, “Does Experience Matter?” according to Rachel, "yes" - for a brand or company, the experience that a potential or […]
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