MSE Website Sucks

Procrastinator333

I know I will likely get flamed, but Imo the MSE website sucks. Not the content, or the forums, the articles, the tips etc, that is all great. But the website itself. If you see a banner for something that might be of interest, more fool you if you believe that by clicking that link you will find the information that you are after. No. It is set up like an online IKEA. You can only get to the thing you want if you walk through this online maze first. Lets take an example from today....

The front page. Oh look, cashback on the iPhone, that is interesting. But click on it and where do you end up? On a page talking about tax credit deadline day. But it is ok, because I know this game and my eagle eye will find the link. In the end I do though this time it is actually smaller and slighlty hidden, so I am forced to read most of the page before I find the link. So I then click on where it advertises this same info to the left of the page. Now where does it take me? It drops me further down the same page. Yes, at the very top is yet another link to this info, but most of the page is filled with info on energy fixes.

So now, feeling a little jaded, I click the link again. Please, this time, please, just give me the info. But no. I'm now taken to the page that wants to talk about "The cheapest iPhone". Fair enough, this is probably of interest to me. But again, I have to read most of it, or click yet another link. Finally I'm there and can see the info I was promised on that first link all those hours ago.

Does this not annoy anybody else? I just don't get it. People come to MSE because they want to read most of this stuff, they are going to read the articles anyway. So why force people through this Ikea like maze before giving up your secrets MSE? I would have looked at the article on energy fixes anyway, but I would rather have done it at a time of my choosing instead of when I'm thinking about an iPhone. Am I the only one who hates this about MSE?

unluckychappie

Totally agree. Content, articles, forum all brilliant, try to find the good stuff quickly, fairly hopeless. I generally look elsewhere first and might do a final check on this site last.

Procrastinator333

Redneck wrote: »

It might be a good idea to condense these points and make a post in Site Feedback.

There is no way it all change, so what is the point? I would rather have a bit of a rant instead.

FATBALLZ

I've noticed this too it is a bit crap. If I was a novice with computers I'd have given up on the site very quickly. Only bit I'd disagree with is that the articles, specifically the news articles are all great. They've gotten very hysterical and misleading over the last few months.

Procrastinator333

Redneck wrote: »

Perhaps not, but helpful suggestions that identify problems that users may be experiencing could result in some remedial action.

Better to offer helpful suggestions to the administration than just 'rant' about the problems that you percieve there to be with the site.

Dude, wake up, it is done on purpose. It isn't a problem they will want to rectify. The logic probably goes something like the more pages people are forced to look at, the more thy will click on, the greater the pay per click revenue for the site.

And £10 says they read a thread called "MSE sucks" anyway.

Techhead_2

I have to agree, the site is desperately in need of an overhaul to make information easier to find.

Its no wonder that people head to the forum to ask questions (where there is already a detailed guide)when the articles are often so difficult to find.

Procrastinator333

Redneck wrote: »

I am already awake. Dude...

It's all a conspiracy by MSE to create more revenue by making the site interpenetrates to users. Okey doke...

Not a conspiracy. A business model. More clicks more cash. How do you get more clicks, by making people view as much of the site as possible. Why do you think ikea make thei stores in to a maze? Simply because the more people look at the more they end up buying.

Procrastinator333

Redneck wrote: »

Are you seriously using the layout of a business-driven home-furnishings store to somehow reinforce your argument that a free-to-use site like MSE deliberately designs that site to be difficult to navigate? Comparing apples to oranges there I think.

(Just as an aside, Ikea stores have arrows on the floor every few metres. Hardly the most challenging maze if you ask me.)

The site is free to use because they make cash out of the number of links people click on. I have no problem with that in itself. It is the deliberate complications that annoy me.

Another example. Supermarkets deliberately shuffle items or put the things you are most likely to buy at the far end. Thus making you walk past as much of their other produce as possible. I'm sorry, but most people are easily distracted. Be it a vase for your house that catches your eye as you go to pick up the table from ikea. The jaffa cakes on special offer when you pop in to get milk. Or the extra link you might as well have a look at while you are trying to find out about something else. It is the oldest trick in the book.

That link on the front page. It isn't bad page layout that results in actually having to click through 4 or 5 times. Every single time you ever click on those links it takes you on tour of MSE. if it was the odd occasion fine, I could believe it was an error. But it isn't, it is every time.

bluebeary

basically, martin needs to maybe review the advertisers that he uses on the site ?

if your after something in particular, maybe google it instead ?

Procrastinator333

bluebeary wrote: »

basically, martin needs to maybe review the advertisers that he uses on the site ?

if your after something in particular, maybe google it instead ?

MSE doesn't use ads, just links. No problem with that. I'm happy to click on link and generate some revenue for the site. I just don't see why they have to squeeze every last penny by forcing people round as many pages as possible. Is it too much to ask that if a link says "cashback on iPhone" it actually takes you direct to the info on "cashback for iPhone"?

Procrastinator333

Redneck wrote: »

Perhaps if you reposted your questions in Site Feedback someone from MSE would be able to provide you with an answer to such queries.

See post 4.