I agree with you fully! The problem is that "we" are Geeks unfortunately and we understand how usability and navigation should work but there are the Dinosaurs who really don't get this.

In my day job I see this all the time. We have to develop a site where we literally have to spell things out to end-users because the simply do not get clicking on a link takes you to where you want to go.

Just my 10c worth.

Posted by Justin Hartman on 2007/05/25

Thanks Justin!

I feel much better now ... and at least I'm not alone : )

Posted by Janine on 2007/05/25

Janine!

I feel your pain..

This is the kind of site an IT department builds.

Posted by thescott on 2007/05/25

I think the problem lies not just with the developers, but with marketing departments that don't understand the web at all.

It's one thing to commision a website, and another alltogether to understand when you have received a product that actually works.

Too often in South Africa we see websites that cater to a company, but not to that companies clients. I think that there are a lot of design and development houses that are getting away with delivering far too little.

Posted by Andrew on 2007/05/25

*DING* Andrew hits the nail on the head.

Posted by Smith on 2007/05/25

God, it's so difficult being right all the time, the burden is killing me...

Posted by Andrew on 2007/05/25

So if they can't connect, would you trust them to get you connected? Obviously they should fire their whole marketing department...

I think that CTA came 2nd in 1998 only to creating a "Contact us" link to your listing on the Yellow pages...

Posted by Werner on 2007/05/25

Janine, I feel you.

Frustration flippin' Inc.

It's an industry-wide problem and SA's mobile SP's pretty much suck as badly as each other.

I do believe it'll get better, though.
It's just a matter of a majority market moving to the medium - when not makings things clear will actually hurt the business and hand over market share to the competitor.

Cheers,

http://habit47.vox.com

Posted by Ivan Ayliffe on 2007/05/25

Don't Make me Think: Steve Krug.
I believe there are some copies floating around at the quirkstation.
Otherwise try Amazon.com

Posted by boer on 2007/05/25

I agree with you Janine, good post. I am not much of a geek, but usability is important to me online. I have to say that the MTN site is not very user friendly at all or I am just very 'dof'.
The site reminds me of one of those horrible forms companies make you fill in... I also agree with Ivan that it will get better. Positive criticism will help in this regard if we will make the effort to share with these companies.

Posted by SuperSanti on 2007/05/29

Clearly they have to many customers and are looking for ever more inventive ways to prevent new customers signing up. I think they need to try harder. The ocasional dogged individual might manage to navigate themself through the maze.

I wait with bated breath to see what those crazy guys at MTN come up with next to prevent people signing up

Posted by Lachlan on 2007/05/30

I agree with you too, I think they also should focus more on this part of the article to make it easier for viewers to grap it!

Posted by Rasha Abu Shama'a on 2007/05/30

Just a sweet reminder of how we, the "know it alls" (meant in the nicest possible way of course!), need to continue the education process. If everyone got it right, we probably wouldn't be in business to start with.

Posted by Andrea Mitchell on 2007/05/30

Personally I love this site as the idea of a challenge apeals to me and I visit it often to see if I can get the information I am looking for... ;-)

On a positive side, they can only improve - one hopes.

Posted by Jaco Meiring on 2007/05/31

Hi Janine,

I totally agree with you and am delighted that I am not alone in trying to trumpet the message of site conversion strategies from LeadGenerators in London.

Keep up the ranting and hopefully together, Quirk and LeadGenerators will change the world to be a better place for all the defenseless internet users out there :-)

Posted by Frank Orman on 2007/06/01

In defense of the MTN developer/designer - maybe they just don't understand the medium just quite yet.

I've made some real usability blunders, but with more experience and a good dose of Steve Krug and Jakob Nielsen, I acquired a deeper understanding of web usability.

Maybe you should send a copy of Steve Krug's; "Don't make me Think" book to MTN's web developer or marketing department.

Posted by Piet on 2009/06/08