Things I Hate About Websites

Last week, I wanted to revisit a fun Irish pub we had stumbled upon recently. I had a vague idea where it was, but wasn’t sure. So I searched and found a few likely suspects in my area.

One pub’s website drove me truly crazy. Its home page was a 30-second flash animation that sloooooowly revealed its menu items.

That’s not where I ended up going that evening. I never learned where that pub was located.

It got me thinking about the many ways websites drive me crazy:

• flash intros
• video clips automatically launching when I go to a website (ESPN is the worst)
• pop ups that bypass the browser’s pop-up blocker
• ads that load first, before the content, jamming my browser
• rollovers that blow up in my face – with a hard-to-find “close” button
• subscription notices nine months before it expires – without telling me when it expires
• being forced to register to see free content on a page. Then, it demands every demographic data about me possible
• long online surveys that don’t tell me how much longer it take me to finish it
• webinars that always happen during the middle of the business day
• unsolicited news releases by e-mail, without an unsubscribe

Sites that indulge in these aggravations share a sincere contempt for their user. They put their own goals before users, and keep them on a short leash. Bad idea. When I see these things, I leave.

What do YOU hate about the web?