I can’t be the only person to have been underwhelmed at some attempts to capture my attention online. I am sure it happens to us all every day to some degree, just think about all the stuff we don’t get to see because we are repulsed by the welcome. In this great article the author talks about the ‘59 second rule’ which walks us through some of the ways we alienate our prospects.
Good , eh? But wait, there’s more!
Reading this article got my juices flowing…. what about all the other obnoxious stuff that goes on while we try to get to the stuff we want to see and hear?
My particular ‘pet peeve’ is the flagrant use of ‘pre-roll’ video on home pages. If you are not familiar with ‘pre-roll’ they are the irritating video clips that pop up in-front of the chosen content and play automatically, forcing you to endure them until the end before you can carry on.
How rude is that?
The very idea that such a technique will drive me to make a purchase of an unrelated product just because I had to watch an obligatory video is fundamentally flawed. The result of these ‘pre-roll’ stunts, in my world at least, is a instant cancelling of the page and me leaving the site…. if I am to be treated like a muppet then I won’t do business with you. I can get the info and product somewhere else. ‘Own goal’!
Next bugbear is the ‘pop up’ window requesting that I register before I can get more information. Why would I register my details with a company from whom I may or may not either get what I need or end up wanting to do business with? Do they really think we will purchase before we inspect?
That would be like a politician voting for a major piece of Federal legislation without even reading it, like that would ever happen……………!
Okay, moving swiftly on , the thread of all this is ; just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.
Take great care in assuming you know what the customer wants, because you don’t…period!
If you listen to the customer and enter into meaningful dialog with them, they will tell you and all will be well. This is not a quick method but it is the only one that works in the long run.
Yes, a stiff and formulaic video to best illustrate the stiff and formulaic attempts many websites employ to ‘engage’ with you.
Don’t be these folks, with a little time and effort you can be so much more.
see you on the long and winding road……….. Patrick
