New here? If you'd like to be notified of new content, simply subscribe to my RSS feed or sign up for email alerts. Thanks for visiting!
It’s an often asked question and one to which there probably isn’t a standard answer, as it will depend on the demographics of your site’s visitors.
The more geeky and savvy they are, the more likely they know how to avoid "nasty commercial stuff" online, but "average consumers" are (rightly) constantly being urged to look after their online security, so they too will take measures to switch off potentially unsafe features. We know that they will throw out quite a number of babies along with the deluge of bathwater, but it’s their prerogative: we can’t expect them to change their thinking.
Anyway, just looking at the statistics for one of my sites, Secret Tenerife, which has a decent bit of traffic (so it should be a fairly representative sample), we find that 7% of visitors now have JavaScript disabled.
W3schools publish regular browser statistics, including those for JavaScript, which shows that 95% had it enabled and 5% had it turned off, in January 2008. Interestingly, that was a drop in the percentage of those with JavaScript turned off, compared to 6% in 2007 and 10% in 2006.
We cannot rely on statistics and we cannot be complacent either, because the Firefox NoScript addon (as well as others, such as AdBlock) continues to be a popular one, often topping Mozilla’s most popular extension list.
This is not, however, a problem merely related to Firefox.
Firstly, because, being a relatively safe browser to begin with, people might be LESS likely to disable features in Firefox than they might in other browsers.
Secondly, because the free, open source, extension is for Flock, SeaMonkey, and other Mozilla based browsers and not just Mozilla Firefox.
Lastly, because, at least the NoScript addon gives the user a chance to make exceptions and allow sites of their choice to serve JavaScript. If they had some other browser with the feature just absolutely turned off, there would not even be this very small chance that they might allow you an exception.
Still don’t, ever, expect users to do so, just because you want them to. They will use it "out of the box", they will NOT spend time learning how to use it, so if you have stuff that you absolutely want visitors to see, it is up to you, the website owner to ensure that they can do so, with non-Javascript means.
What can website owners do about users with JavaScript disabled?
Probably, the best thing to do is to realize that (for now) the glass is still well over half full: simple maths tells us that 93% have JavaScript turned on.
People like who surf the Web are increasingly using tools like the Firefox add-ons AdBlock and NoScript to block ads from their view. There will even be an "arms race" of sorts between advertisers and ad blockers, with each group trying to outwit the other. Those determined to never to see ads will find the means, the most effective of which is avoiding your site entirely, if you become too determined to overcome their tactics and force anything on them.
Even if you could educate users, you can’t be sure that they have control.
Recently, I tried to book a flight online and found my then ISP was blocking a JavaScript function on the airline’s site that prevented me from going further with the order (I had to use an alternate connection.) Many IT departments also block functions, so you can forget anyone who is surfing at work.
Concentrate on the majority, realize that the 7% are probably going to be of the mentality to be resistant to anything to you do, so you weren’t going to gain their trust, or make them into customers anyway. Don’t waste time fretting or piddling about with your site for potentially little return.
Above all, do not attempt to convince people that they are missing out on something. It may be true, but you’re the last person they’re going to trust for this advice. People are not stupid: they know you have a motive. You know you just want them to click on your ads or see your JavaScript served content or widgets, but they will assume you want to do something devious.
On the other hand, if that 7% are going to have problems accessing functions on your site, then you probably want to take action to provide alternate methods that work if they do have JavaScript turned off, if only because that will reduce the amount of time of yours that they waste, whining to you about stuff "not working" (when it was them who had functions turned off.)
Just some serving suggestions (but not limited to):
- If you use a list host that provides JavaScript signup forms, like Aweber, then add another subscription method after the form. The dead easy way to do this is to add simple wording and an ordinary email link between noscript tags, along the lines of:
<noscript>
To subscribe, send a blank email to yournewsletter@yourservice.com
</noscript>
- If you have widgets or other JavaScript served content, then you need to provide alternatives, or explanations so that people know why they see great gaping holes in your site.
- Order buttons and other working bits and bobs with JavaScript functions: add one that does not need JavaScript, or a message so that, at least, you won’t be disturbed by emails from people telling you that "you" have something broke (although, you do, really, because only you can fix this.) If you only do the latter, remember, they’re still not going to buy from you.
- There’s no excuse for not having a noscript version for ads (like Adsense), because this has been covered time and again, see Alternate Ads in Javascript Disabled Browsers.
- Perhaps the most overlooked tip and one I live by, is that, if you expect to make your living online, "do unto others …" DO NOT use these addons yourself and then expect others not to.
Nevertheless, despite all of the forgoing and saying that there’s no use trying to educate users, I do think it’s worth you reading this new report (it’s free) to see what is likely being affected and, to give you ideas for solutions.
Sponzurz
