So, I get an email today from a website design and development company telling me about their services and asking if we can set up a call so I can learn more. Cool, I get it. Cold call email. They are looking to generate some new business. Being the kind of girl I am, I decide not to say no right away and to at least take a look at their website and their work to see what they are all about. That’s when things failed big time.
I clicked on their URL and got this:
You know what that is, don’t you? It is that horrendous count-down (or count-up) you wait for when you have to load something in Flash. Now, let’s say you send me a flash app or a file or something I know is built in Flash. Well then whether it’s right, wrong or indifferent, I expect to wait for the thing to load (still annoying but my expectations are set). When you send me the url to your website, I expect it to load immediately – seconds or less – not take over 3 minutes to buffer a completely useless Flash intro that then leads me to another completely unusable Flash-based menu. I know you creative types. I am one too. I want things to look amazing and hip and all that jazz. BUT…I am also a a practical marketer and know that I only have a few seconds to convey my message before someone yawns, gets frustrated and moves on. I know HTML is not all that snazzy or sexy. It doesn’t spin and whirl and twirl. It doesn’t play music and talk. But, it loads fast and helps me get a potential customer interested right away.
If you are in the business of attracting customers and getting them to buy what you sell, skip the fancy Flash crap and get ’em right to the goods. Your bottom line will thank you later and so will I.
<end rant>