PDF netiquette - Please Don’t Forget

Posted by Henrik Madsen on August 5, 2008

The Portable Document Format (.pdf) is unquestionably one of the most useful communications tools around. Accessible to just about everyone, the format maintains page layout, graphics, fonts etc so it’s ideal for distributing documents such as forms, catalogues, brochures, questionnaires, artwork, logos and more. But Please Don’t Force (PDF) them on your website visitors. Please Don’t Forget (PDF) netiquette…

If you do, chances are your potential customers will back-out of your site and go elsewhere. Probably to a competitor. Possibly lost forever.

Please Don’t Force. Please Don’t Forget.

CorrectIf you want or need your website visitors to download a pdf then always tell them in advance that that’s what they’re about to do. Tell them it’s a pdf and indicate the filesize:

…for a closer look at our logo, download the artwork (pdf 216KB)

CorrectIf you use an ordinary-looking link your visitors will assume it points to another page. And if it doesn’t - if a pdf is downloaded instead, that’s when they’ll begin to think twice about your manners.

…for a closer look at our logo click here.

Sorry for this minor rant but my downloads folder is again bursting with unwanted pdfs - info that I only wanted to glance at online, not to be forced (possibly tricked) into downloading.

 

Filed Under Hints & Tips, Website Design

 

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3 Comments so far
  1. David September 28, 2008 12:16 pm

    if design is an issue, place the title tag as the information eg

    “Web Analytics (PDF) 78k”

  2. mrl January 8, 2009 6:05 am

    Couldn’t agree more!

  3. SidekickWD January 10, 2009 12:44 pm

    I agree 100% with this. It does boil down to manners and courtesy.

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