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Big Companies: Are Their Sites Good?

by Ron Kerr
8 replies
For some time I have wondered why it is that big companies around the world very often have web sites that annoy me.

They annoy me because they take too long to load, having graphics or videos that I have to see but don't want to before I can access the information I seek.

So my question to you is: do these companies know something that I don't or are they just dumb when it comes to web sites?

Let me give you an example (please note that I am not picking on this company in particular), Samuel Adams. It's site has to wait for graphics to load before you see anything. Contrast this to a company in the same market, Anchor Brewing, which loads quickly. I happen to be doing some research in the beer market, hiccup, and came across these contrasting sites.

There are many corporate sites that are far slower than Samuel Adams so please don't concentrate too much on that particular site; my point is, do the corporate sites so dominate their markets that people will put up with the time "wasted" before anything that they can use comes up, or are the corporations simply lacking the information needed to develop a user friendly web site?

I suspect many corporations have gone for the "latest and greatest" effects that have been sold to them and have not considered the impact on users.

I would be interested in your feedback - do users want all the "bells and whistles" available or do they just want to get to the information they seek? I believe the latter to be true, but I have been wrong before.
#big #companies #good #sites
  • Profile picture of the author Ryan Dodson
    With large companies, their brand is so well-known that their web-presense seems to be secondary. I don't think a slow loading website (for some users) bothers or effects them.
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  • Profile picture of the author bgmacaw
    At the 'big companies' I've done contracting at the main web site is not under control of IT but the marketing department. The marketing department has all these crazy ideas (flash, hi-res graphics, etc.) and outsources them to a web developer in India or somewhere else cheap. The IT department points out things like slow load time, strange half-hidden embedded links and Javascript, Adsense ads and so forth but they're ignored because marketing LOVES the site as it is. If IT complains too much or tries to fix obvious problems the site gets hosted somewhere outside the company where the IT guys can't touch it.
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  • Profile picture of the author borilbogoev
    What do you mean by "Good" and "Bad" sites? What are the criteria?

    Beautiful? Contemporary? Performance and speed? Effects? Usability?
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    • Profile picture of the author Ron Kerr
      Originally Posted by borilbogoev View Post

      What do you mean by "Good" and "Bad" sites? What are the criteria?

      Beautiful? Contemporary? Performance and speed? Effects? Usability?
      The word good was only used on the header. Please read the OP and replies.
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      Ron
      The Gadget News

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  • Profile picture of the author James Schramko
    Originally Posted by Ron Kerr View Post

    So my question to you is: do these companies know something that I don't or are they just dumb when it comes to web sites?
    You are right.

    They are as dumb as dogshit. Try working for a big corporation at the same time as being an IM'er and you will know first hand how idiotic corporate marketing departments and their expensive outsourced agencies can be.
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  • Profile picture of the author Leanne King
    I think the problem is Ron they are designing the sites for themselves not their visitors

    Leanne
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    • Profile picture of the author Richard Tunnah
      You're right Ron. I think many throw loads of money at a super duper all dancing flash enabled website that's slow to load and annoys the heck out of you. As said it seems more to have a web presence than to actually use the power of the web.

      Rich
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  • Profile picture of the author George Wright
    Hi,

    They are dumb or just not Internet savvy yet. The fact that they make millions in spite of their website helps them to not care. As was pointed out the website is not created for their customers it's created for their ego. And if you think most visitors are annoyed think about the few who still use dial up. They don't even see that type of site.

    George Wright
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