Big Boys Break All the Rules...

[zulufox]

I hear alot of guidelines for a good website floating around here:

Small Load Times
Minimal Graphical Ads
No Pop Ups
Minimize Graphics
Easy Navigation
No Video or Music on autoload
Simple Lay-out
Vailidated Coding

etc... etc...

However, when I use doctor-html or netmechanic to look at established sites.. CNN.com yahoo.com etc... most break almost every rule of good webmastering

CNN.com:

Video with audio on autoload
pop ups and unders
lots of graphics
71.6 second load time! netmechanic
Completely unvalidated code
complex layout, confusing actually

So how valid are these guidelines of ours if the big boys are forgetten them long time ago.

[Goober]

Hey zulufox,

Perhaps it's because those sites are considered a necessity, and a site devoted to a particular topic, ie: tomatoes is not.

Goober

[1milehgh80210]

I think people will put up with a more annoyences from a name brand than a 'nobody' in general.
Plus there are probably people who have to justify their jobs @ these companies by constantly tinkering with their websites.)

[Marketing Guy]

I would say the large percentage of *marketing* and *design* effort put into large well know sites is not by the web designers / developers, but by other departments.

Try explaining to your marketing manager why you think those popups are a bad idea! ;)

"Users dont like them.."
"They make money"
"People find them tacky.."
"They make money"

.....

I would say many many sites out there (big well known ones) would be much worse if it wasnt for consessions given to web developers.

Scott

[tomparis]

I agree with Scott.

That explains why my email inbox is full of SPAM.

I did an experiment sending 20,000 former customers
a "2 FOR 1 SPECIAL" an incredible 48 ordered.

Do the math. SPAM, POP-UPS, IP MESSAGE, SCREAMER ADS, and FLASH all work.

Still I try to adhere to basic rules of website design
like

1) Do NOT use SIZE 1 text.
2) Background and text of a similar color.
3) loud annoying background music.
4) POP-UNDERS
5) Excessive emails to former customers.
etc.