There are a lot of things I love about the web. Take for instance the availability of information or the relative ease of communication. I’m a web designer after all, so it’s only natural that I have an unhealthy obsession with all things world wide web. But even though I love the web like [insert whitty comparison], I come across a few things that really annoy me. Here’s one.
Obtrusive Advertising
Image from Engague Blog
I’ve been around the web long enough to remember a time before pop-up blockers. You’d go to a website and BAM! a bunch of windows would pop-up (or under) with advertisements for anything and everything. Sure, pop-up’s are still around but not nearly as prevalent as they were in 1997 thanks to the aforementioned blockers. I for one was happy to see them go. Nothing is more annoying to me than wanting to read a site and having something get in the way.
Of course, you and I both knew those crafty marketers would find a way to make their ads even more annoying. Case in point:
I love sports. I check ESPN.com multiple times a day. On one such occasion I was reading a story about the latest star whining about something or about someone changing their last name to a Spanish number. I don’t really remember. That’s not the point. Anyway, while reading the column the entire page shifts down causing me the lose my place and question why ESPN didn’t want me reading their quality content. Turns out ESPN had to make room for an iPod Touch ad at the top of the page WHILE I was reading. Not only that, the flash ad had to be all crazy and move around and do hip things that iPod ads do.
Don’t get me wrong it’s a cool effect, but even the coolest things can be extremely annoying.
The sad thing is, this form of advertising isn’t going to go away. Just head over to AskMen.com and read a column. Eventually you’ll be asked to click to go to the “next page.” However, between page #1 and page #2 you’ll get stopped and asked to look at an ad. Go head, go try it. It’s annoying as hell and I’ve seen this technique used at a number of websites. It’s like reading a book and between chapters someone punches you in the face.
Even when someone develops an “Annoying iPod Ad Blocker” someone else will develop another craptastic method to cram hip products down our throats. It’s an never ending struggle. As a designer you want to do away with this crap, but you’re not the one writing the check so what can you do? You cash the check and go buy an iPod. It’s not hard.
Henry - December 2, 2009 - 5:37 pm -
Man I agree all them sites gonna do is turn away their viewers. I know for one site I don’t visit as ofter cause of their way of freezing the browser till the ad disappears. There is plenty of room at the sides or the top and bottom of a site to place a little html ad, no need for that flash stuff, but like you said the sites don’t care about their readers just their advertisers so they can get that big big check then you and I don’t get but a fraction of a penny of it.