Why You Should Never Ever Use Pop-Ups on Your Site

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*The following guest post is by Duncan*

I like to think that I have become a more passive and accepting internet user over the years. Perhaps this is because I no longer have to wait ten minutes to upload an image and web pages load as fast as my brain works (sometimes even faster). I have not however lost my contempt for people trying to get one over on me or make me do things I don’t want to do.

I remember back in the day, the first time I opened a .exe file from a friendly email, only to get a huge phone bill through the post a couple of weeks later saying my computer had been ‘dialling’ out to Delhi every five minutes for the last fortnight. I was soon after introduced to virus and malware protection and coupled with my cable internet connection I again felt safe to roam the streets of the information super highway once again. I think I even reached a state of browsing zen for a couple of days, until I found my first pop-up that is.

These intensely infuriating, invasive creations of Beelzebub get in the way of what I am trying to do and serve only to make me hate the website I am on and the product or service being advertised more than I hate my mother-in-law. I do have pop-up blockers but the tenacious critters still frequently find their way through. For me they fly right in the face (literarily) of what the internet and usability is all about. When I visit a website I expect every part of it to earn its place in my consciousness, and if it doesn’t, then either it is not important or the site has not been built properly. If I want to go to the ‘kitchen accessories’ section of the website I will look around for a link that I interpret to be the right path and follow it, likewise with the DVD and underwear sections respectively. I do not want to be told however that “I MUST CHECK THE BOOK SECTION NOW!!” Or “VISIT THIS VIAGRA SITE….NOW!”

Pop-up ads are not good for website image and do not work for advertisers. But don’t just take my word for it; there are Many reports that show pop-ups are just about the worst thing you can get involved with. There are so many alternative methods for merchants to market their website, and myriad different options that help site owners to earn a few extra bucks. There is no need to encourage people to imbed their fists in their computer screens by popping up, under, sideways or any other way for that matter.

Duncan is an SEO and online marketing expert who represents a Las Vegas holidays company. He believes there are much better ways to promote websites than forcing them down people’s throats.