Reversing Surfer Mania

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by Bob McElwain

Most people are well intended. Most are happy to share as possible. Most will pitch in and help when it is appropriate. Smile at someone on the street; they'll smile back. Ask for directions and you will generally get a good response. But I don't see this behavior among surfers on the Web. Yet they are the same people. What gives?

People seem to be in more of a hurry these days than in earlier ages. Some seem totally into instant gratification. But still the above holds true for most. What happens to all these good people when they become surfers? What turns ordinary people into maniacs when they hit the on-button and go to cuddling a mouse?

Many become wild, often demonic creatures, lacking any semblance of courtesy, grace or style. I'm not sure why, something related to power, maybe. Since they have the benefit of total anonymity, they are free to do anything they please without ever deferring to any higher authority. Ordinary thoughtful people become irrational opinionated experts instantly. With a click they not only say, "Forget you!," or worse, they literally do. They're gone.

As webmasters, we ignore *how* surfers behave at our peril. Such questions as right and wrong simply have no meaning. What we feel is best for our site is totally irrelevant if our visitors do not agree. Sure, there is exaggeration in the above. Not all visit in this manner. But your site will be more successful if you assume the above is an accurate picture of every visitor.

The secret is to grab their interest, slow them down a bit, let them catch their psychic breath so they are once again the sort of folks who drop into your shop or office.

A poorly designed page is rejected in milliseconds. A break in the HTML code will drive them away instantly. Many will exit on the first misspelled word or grammatical error encountered.

A benefit loaded headline must appear in seconds, else they're gone. And one is needed on every page on the site, for you never know which page will be seen first. And as in a sales letter, each word following the headline needs to draw them deeper into the page, and ultimately into the site. Since many scan; use headlines that give the gist of the page.

Take a good look at your site. Try to see it with a fresh set of eyes, preferably as a demonic surfer might perceive it. Move quickly down your pages. Are there compelling reasons to read on or to click to another page?

If it's so, you have a better chance of slowing your visitors down to the point where they are willing to click to another page, and at some point listen to your offer. If not, there is work to be done.