Web Pages That Suck - learn good web design by looking at bad web design

Site: Keyence

Submitter’s comments: I have an interesting problem here. I want information on a Keyence EM-005(P) proximity sensor. I went the Keyence’s web site, and I searched my way in. I am in Canada, but I tried this through their USA route as well.

I found the proximity sensor page and I found the EM Series. The gratuitous Flash animation did not get in my way.

I clicked on Catalog and a form came up demanding that I sign up on their site. I cannot get information on their product without leaving all sorts of information on me! At the very least, this is inconvenient. Calling this a civil rights issue is a stretch, but I would rather not provide them my email.

If they want to sell proximity sensors, they are going to have to be more eager to tell me about them.

Vincent Flanders’ comments: I understand why the company wants you to register to get a price quote. Their products are not something you go and buy on a whim. On the other hand, asking people to register to get a four-page, 159Kb PDF catalog seems like a lot to ask. The folks at Keyence need to read The $300 Million Button and decide whether or not they should continue to ask potential customers to register to get information.

To show you how it should be done, MailChimp offers a 65-page PDF guide (1.27Mb) called Designing, Coding & Delivering HTML Email and all you have to do is click a link. No registration required. I have a warm spot in my heart for these guys and I don’t know anything about them.

Since I don’t have a clue about the industries Keyence serves, I can’t tell if the site is easy to navigate or not. To me, it looks like a nightmare. I’m going to trust that if you understand what they provide, you’ll be able to navigate; otherwise, it’s a disaster.