PDF & DOC files on the Web
People use PDF files when they should be using Web Pages instead. How would you feel if at this point in the story I said, "I'll post you the rest of the information. You should receive that in 2-3 days. Have a look and get back to me"?
Yuck. Super Yuck!
I think that Portable Document Format or PDF is a great technology and am mighty glad that the kind folks at Adobe gave it to us. However there is a problem with use of PDF files that needs to be addressed.
The Internet is the greatest remote information delivery system invented (outside of the telephone and that is being usurped at a rate of knots). The Internet is fast, very affordable, universal and interactive. To not use all of these features and rely on an a system that is inferior strikes me as dumb and infuriating every time.
If I'm researching a restaurant I want to go to their web site to get an overview, know where they are located and the kicker is to be able to view the menu. 99% of restaurants force me to download a PDF of their menu. The PDF takes time to download and is usually a version of the printed menu from the table which means that it is hard to navigate. Also the PDF usually replaces the web page I am on so when I go to close the PDF I lose the restaurant Web Site and either have to try again or give up in disgust.
This is very bad practise. I have asked many Web Site owners why they use PDF(or even worse DOC) files instead of offering the information on the page and overwhelmingly the answer is Time. I think this is like a cowboy saying that he didn't have time to put the safety on his pistol before popping it in his holster. Sooner or later he will shoot himself in the foot. Guaranteed he will pay for his laziness.
At least the cowboy will learn very directly not to be lazy but the Web Marketer may not learn so obviously. If I don't dine at a restaurant because the PDF menus annoyed me so much I abandoned their Web Site the restauranteur won't know that they almost had me but I slipped away. I am an uncounted statistic. I am $50 they will never bank and possibly several $50 ker-chings they will never hear.
Word Document .DOC and .DOCX files create even worse usability nightmares on the Web as thy cause a whole other application to launch and then the version that you saved in may not be the same as the user has. What is more not everyone uses Microsoft Word which means your file is totally unreadable. Again, your story is better told on real web pages where your users and Googgle can read it easily. If you do need to share files then be sure of versions and try to offer alternatives like Open Office or Rich Text (RTF).
PDF Clangers
- an Indian restaurant that has a different PDF for each of the sections of the menu so there are about 12 files to download!
- a national chain that offers the print version of the menu so that pages are not in order and the download takes ages!
- a specialist engineering film who offers valuable information but only in PDF and DOC file format so some pages are simply lists of obscurely named files I might or might not want to read!
- the small company that had a glowing review in a national magazine and had scanned the review into a PDF that was 3MB. The PDF replaced the Web Site, took about 60 seconds to download and was then really blurry. I closed the PDF in frustration and the Web Site was gone!
- a restaurant that had a striking menu on their site but when I sat down to order, the menu didn't match the online version. After the meal I told the manager that I was disappointed at not being able to get my planned "Crocodile, Shark and Emu Laksa" from the Web Site menu. He replied that the online menu was several years out of date!!!!!
Good PDF Manners
- transcribe all but the largest PDF files into real Web Pages so that users can read them quickly and easily. The other upside is that Google can now index your information as part of your site.
- you can still offer the PDF as a download on the page. This is a great method for technical information that an engineer may want to peruse and then print to take to a site or for a good product review where the PDF becomes proof of your triumph.
- only use PDF for really large files. Never use DOC files unless there is no other way because not everyone has MS Word or the same version as you. Warn people of the file size e.g. 3MB next to a download icon.
- whenever you offer a PDF ensure it opens in a new browser window so that the user can continue to read your Web Site if the download is slow. Also that way the user will most likely be back on your site when they close the PDF.
If you want me to work with your business then please visit BRM Web Consulting
