The title of the article was simply, "How to piss off your customers". It was an evocative title that did it’s job… it got me tp click and begin reading the article.
Unfortunately, the article wasn’t about customer service or even order fulfillment but it was about spam and how the definition of spam is growing to include "anything you don’t want in your inbox". I found the article mildly interesting with one important take away: 8 out of 10 users report using the "designate as spam" button for incoming emails.
It was a great headline headlining a dull article that had absolutely NOTHING to do with the title.
Because of the business I’m in, I went digging further. Was this a one time thing for this author? Was he in the habit of writing great headlines that grabbed attention and then disappointing his readers with the article?
At the end of the article was the author’s bio which wisely included a link to his website. I click and go there. Located in PRIME real estate territory is a link called "One Page Marketing Piece"…. yet another compelling title and again, I’m a sucker. I click.
Without warning, I find my browser is opening a PDF document.
OH THE HUMANITY! NOOOOO!!! I have other apps running! I’m installing an update!!!!
ABANDON SHIP!
Scotty’s voice, "Captain, I’m giving it all we’ve got but we just don’t have enough RAM to open that print quality PDF!"
BROWSER CRASH!!!!
I hit ctrll/alt/del… all of my other browser windows have closed except for one… the one opening that monstrous print quality PDF.
What blows me away is this guy is a self proclaimed marketing expert AND customer service consultant. He claims to have worked with really big companies on his web site (from what I saw before I made that fatal click).
Want to piss off your visitors? Include a link to a print quality PDF (aka:HUGE FILE) and be sure not to warn visitors that the link leads to this massive document.
When I include a link to a PDF document, I ALWAYS warn my visitors to download the PDF to their computer first. (I know… PDF documents are no longer the safe download they once were…. sometimes I HATE the progress hackers force upon us!) I also provide instructions on how they can download the document and how, if they only click on the link, they will open the document in their browser which very well MAY crash their browser.
Want to piss off your visitors? Include a link to a print quality PDF (aka:HUGE FILE) and be sure not to warn visitors that the link leads to a massive document.
