01.29.06
The Pitfalls Of Using Technology For Technology’s Sake
Being a long-time Internet entrepreneur, I have made
certain observations over time. Most people who start an
online business seem to go through certain “phases.” They
make the same mistakes, and they react the same to
different circumstances. All the while, they never realize
that much of this behavior sends a glaring red signal that
they are undoubtedly newbies.
There is nothing wrong with being a newbie (after all, I
wasn’t born this brilliant grin). But ask any novice and
they will tell you that they don’t want to appear to be a
beginner. That’s why I recently felt the need to bring
attention to a typical newbie mistake that you’ll want to
avoid. That mistake is using every single piece of new Web
technology you can find JUST because it is available.
I understand the appeal of new technology. However, before
loading up yet another animated graphic or phasing Web
page, ask yourself a few questions.
1. Will this technology add value to my site? By value I
mean something that will enhance (and not clutter) your Web
visitor’s experience. Other than being cool, will the
technology help in some way?
2. Will the technology cause an inconvenience to my
visitors? Will an all Flash home page force visitors (even
repeat visitors) to sit and watch a two-minute long movie
each and every time they come to your site? Will tons of
animated or rotating graphics files make your home page
load extremely slow? Web surfers are very impatient people,
you know. I can tell you from experience, they won’t wait.
3. Does the technology require that my site visitor do
anything? Will your visitors have to download any special
software or plug-ins to see your site with this new
technology? If so, skip it! It isn’t worth the chance of
visitors clicking away.
4. Is the technology stable? Is the chat program you’ve
installed reliable? Does that new java script work the way
it should? Does that streaming video feed skip and crash?
If your new technology doesn’t perform up to speed 99% of
the time, it isn’t worth causing aggravation to your
visitors.
Before making any technological enhancements to your site,
think about your visitors. Yes, the new technology may be
cool, but if it doesn’t offer some true value to your
customers, you would most likely be better off and more
professional looking without it.
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