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Click here to bypass this blog post

The very title of his post sounds a bit odd, doesn’t it. I mean, I don’t want you to skip my blog posts–I want you to see them. Geez, if I thought you should skip them I wouldn’t write them at all. That makes sense, doesn’t it. But why do we think it’s sensible to ask people to skip our content? Yet I see Web sites that do it every day and I don’t think we question it enough.


How often do you come to a Web page that loads some annoying Flash/video/podcast (pick one) when you just wanted to get some information? It’s like they thought if you dared to stop by, they can show you whatever they want. They can show you a commercial before you actually get what you want.
And that is incredibly annoying because it wastes your time. And I think everyone hates it. But instead of taking it down, what do they do instead?
They put a button on the incredibly annoying intrusion that says, “Click here to bypass this waste of your time.” OK, OK, that isn’t the exact wording, but that’s what they do. Why does that make it all better?
Do you think they ever check to see what an overwhelming number of people click that button? Or bail out of the site completely?
Here’s a usability tip: If you think you need a link that says “Skip this,” then you should just get rid of whatever “it” is. Your customers will thank you for it.

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Mike Moran

Mike Moran is a Converseon, an AI powered consumer intelligence technology and consulting firm. He is also a senior strategist for SoloSegment, a marketing automation software solutions and services firm. Mike also served as a member of the Board of Directors of SEMPO. Mike spent 30 years at IBM, rising to Distinguished Engineer, an executive-level technical position. Mike held various roles in his IBM career, including eight years at IBM’s customer-facing website, ibm.com, most recently as the Manager of ibm.com Web Experience, where he led 65 information architects, web designers, webmasters, programmers, and technical architects around the world. Mike's newest book is Outside-In Marketing with world-renowned author James Mathewson. He is co-author of the best-selling Search Engine Marketing, Inc. (with fellow search marketing expert Bill Hunt), now in its Third Edition. Mike is also the author of the acclaimed internet marketing book, Do It Wrong Quickly: How the Web Changes the Old Marketing Rules, named one of best business books of 2007 by the Miami Herald. Mike founded and writes for Biznology® and writes regularly for other blogs. In addition to Mike’s broad technical background, he holds an Advanced Certificate in Market Management Practice from the Royal UK Charter Institute of Marketing and is a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. He also teaches at Rutgers Business School. He was a Senior Fellow at the Society for New Communications Research and is now a Senior Fellow of The Conference Board. A Certified Speaking Professional, Mike regularly makes speaking appearances. Mike’s previous appearances include keynote speaking appearances worldwide

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