Annoying Web sites lose business

CHICAGO, Aug. 1 (UPI) -- A new national survey of consumer "pet peeves" about commercial Web sites identified pop-up ads as a top offender.

Also on the survey hit list were registration log-on pages and eye-catching Flash software, according to Hostway Corp., a Web-hosting firm. This may be bad news for businesses that rely on these tactics to encourage, track or engage their current and potential customers, the firm said.

What's more, in responding to the survey commissioned by Hostway, more than 70 percent of consumers say they're unlikely to purchase from, or even return to, a Web site after encountering these pet peeves. And, because only 25 percent of consumers say they'll complain to the companies about their pet peeves, the use of these online annoyances may be having a negative impact that's difficult to trace or measure.

"The results of this survey are a clear warning to e-businesses," said John Lee, vice president of marketing at Hostway. "The Internet has matured to the point where consumers demand an easy online experience. Quite simply, consumers are warning companies, 'you're going to lose my business if your Web site experience is annoying.'"

According to the survey results, a whopping 93 percent of consumers say pop-up ads are annoying or extremely annoying; 89 percent are annoyed at the need to install extra software, and 83 percent express annoyance with registration log-on pages that block access to online content.

"In an increasingly Internet-focused world, consumers have many choices," said Lee. "These results clearly show that consumers will make a behavioral change if they encounter a Web site that annoys them."