Not too long ago, seeing a pop-up ad appear meant that you were either on a page that distributed illegal software or looking at something that isn't suitable for the eyes of under 18-year-olds. Back then, pop-ups were seen as an annoying but inseparable part of the Web's dark side. However, encountering them while visiting larger and more reputable Web sites was something that only a small amount of people could even dream about.

不長時間之前，如果出現彈出框，就表示網站宣傳盜版軟件，或者出現18歲以下青少年不宜瀏覽的內容，彈出框被認為是不法網站令人厭煩但必需的內容。然而，大型、信譽度高的網站，經常不會出現這種情況。

Nobody could have believed it at that time, but these yesterday's dreams have become the reality of today. In the eyes of many advertisers and webmasters, pop-ups have shaken off their dirty past and are now considered to be quite acceptable and harmless. Rather than the result of the general Internet population starting to see pop-ups in a better light, this change in attitude is more a case of making a virtue out of a necessity.

那時沒人相信，但現在卻已經變成了現實。在很多廣告客戶以及站點管理員眼中，彈出框似乎已經能夠被用戶接受，不僅因為網絡客戶開始重新審視彈出框，也因為客戶已經轉變了態度。

As everyone knows by now, the large dot-com's are in trouble and need cash. The continuing decrease in the click-through rates of banner ads has reduced the demand for banner space, and it is clear that the sites that live off advertising need something to replace this drying income stream. At the same time, an increasing amount of evidence seems to indicate that pop-up advertisements are more likely to be noticed and generate more sales than banner ads. Thus, it is no surprise that pop-ups have been able to break out of the dark side into the mainstream.

我們都知道，dot-com公司陷入困境，現在急需用錢。用戶對橫幅廣告點擊率的降低，使得橫幅廣告空間減少，因此，網站需要其它內容代替這些廣告空間，以增加網站收入。同時，越來越多的證據證明，彈出框廣告比橫幅廣告，更容易吸引用戶注意力，增加網站銷售量，所以現在橫幅廣告很流行。

Follow the leader?
參考大型網站的設計方法？

After pop-ups started to appear on major websites, many webmasters of small- and middle-sized sites have begun to consider following in the footsteps of the big guys. After all, we've all heard countless success stories, and the users have probably already become accustomed to pop-ups and...

彈出框在大型網站出現之后，許多中小型網站紛紛開始效仿這種方法，畢竟他們成功的經驗多，用戶可能已經習慣了彈出框。

While it is certainly true that pop-ups can really work, it should be remembered that using them does also have multiple negative consequences. According to several sources, pop-ups do draw more attention than banners, but users are also very hostile towards them. For example, a Statistical Research report from last spring [1] claimed that pop-ups are 50% more likely to be noticed than banners, but also 100% more likely to be considered intrusive. Thus, by having pop-ups on your site, you're increasing the effectiveness of your advertising, but you're also hurting the reputation of your site and driving your visitors away.

彈出框確實可以發揮作用，但我們不能忽視它的消極影響。據調查，彈出框確實比橫幅更吸引用戶，但網站用戶討厭彈出框，比如說，去年春天的統計研究報告顯示，50%的被調查者認為，彈出框廣告（相對于橫幅廣告）更容易吸引用戶注意力，但100%的被調查者認為，彈出框廣告令人討厭。所以，網站中的彈出框，會增加廣告的有效性，但會損害網站聲譽，流失訪問者。

Even if you're willing to accept the above side-effect, it is doubtful whether pop-ups can be used as a long term solution for the falling response rates to Internet advertising. As we remember from the past, banner ads had splendid click-through rates when they were introduced. Over time, the novelty wore off and click-through rates began to deteriorate. It is likely that pop-ups are doing so well partly because they've been used on a large scale for a relatively small amount of time. When pop-ups keep on spreading, users will eventually learn to ignore them as well.

即時你可以接受這個負面影響，你還應該考慮彈出框是否可以長期作為提高網站點擊率的方法。我們還記得，橫幅廣告剛開始出現時，確實有很高的點擊率，但隨著時間流逝，點擊率開始降低；彈出框廣告現在有很高的點擊率，出現時間不長可能是其中一個原因。隨著彈出框廣告的不斷流行，用戶最終會忽視這些內容。

The third problem with using pop-ups is born out of the two previous ones, the hatred users feel towards them and the fact that they are spreading like wildfire. Even now, a wide range of software that prevents pop-ups from being displayed is available for anyone to download for free. The use of such software isn't very common at the moment, but if pop-up advertising continues to grow, it is reasonable to assume that users will begin to install countermeasures at an increasing rate.

第三個問題是，現在存在阻截彈出框的軟件。有些不喜歡彈出框的用戶，可以利用許多軟件阻止彈出框內容呈現，這些軟件可以免費下載。雖然現在這些軟件現在并不普及，但隨著彈出框廣告的增加，我們有理由相信，越來越多的用戶會安裝這種軟件。

Some may doubt that software that removes pop-ups will never become a major concern, no matter how widely pop-ups are going to be used in the future. Software that removes banners from web pages has been out there for a long time, but it has never really "catched on". Why should this situation be any different?

有些人認為這些軟件不會對彈出框廣告構成威脅，不管彈出框內容將來如何擴大。阻止橫幅廣告的軟件已經產生很長時間了，但卻沒有真正發揮過作用，這兩種情況應該相同。

The difference is that as stated in the Statistical Research report mentioned above, users find pop-ups to be more intrusive than banners. If each of the sites you visit displays two banner ads, you'll probably feel a bit annoyed, but put up with it. However, if they'd all launch two pop-ups, what would you do? I myself would be scrambling to download a copy of Pop-Up Stopper or PopUp Killer.

兩種情況不同，區別在于，上述統計研究報告顯示，用戶認為彈出框內容比橫幅內容，更令人厭煩。如果瀏覽的網站出現兩個橫幅廣告，你可能覺得有點厭煩，但可以忍受，然而，如果設置兩個彈出框廣告，你會怎樣呢？我會下載阻截彈出框廣告的軟件。

What's the point?
總結

If your alternatives are to either close your site or install pop-ups, the choice is not a hard one. But if your Internet business is doing fine and you're thinking about adding pop-ups to make it do even better, beware. Pop-ups can create profits, but they can also create trouble. Look before you leap.

如果你在關閉網站或者設置彈出框之間做選擇，那很難。但如果希望精心經營網站業務，你需要仔細考慮彈出框是否可以發揮作用。請記住，彈出框可以創造利潤，也可以產生消極影響，你需要仔細考慮。