ESPN Really screwed up their web site

[heat4life]

The problem is that they have geared the website towards their mobile users while making the desktop version garbage. They should have simply kept the mobile and desktop versions separate.

It's called "Responsive Web Design" where your "single" website is optimized for viewing and navigating on mobile or a browser with very little re-sizing or scrolling required. Maintaining two websites (one for mobile, one for browsers) is more of a hassle and time consuming for a large site like ESPN, even though they use the same data on the backend. Also, Google now is actually putting an emphasis on having your website "mobile-friendly" in order to get properly index by their crawlers. In other words, if your website is not "mobile-friendly" based on their standards, you'll drop on the search results.

Is Your Website Optimized For Mobile? You Have Until April 21 To Get It Done

[JeepCSC]

I was hoping the proliferation of tablets and smart phones would mean we were moving away from cheap clunky mobile sites and back towards real sites. I guess they are just finding a middle-ground of cheap sleek mobile sites.

[PaulieWal]

The problem is that they have geared the website towards their mobile users while making the desktop version garbage. They should have simply kept the mobile and desktop versions separate.

It's called "Responsive Web Design" where your "single" website is optimized for viewing and navigating on mobile or a browser with very little re-sizing or scrolling required. Maintaining two websites (one for mobile, one for browsers) is more of a hassle and time consuming for a large site like ESPN, even though they use the same data on the backend. Also, Google now is actually putting an emphasis on having your website "mobile-friendly" in order to get properly index by their crawlers. In other words, if your website is not "mobile-friendly" based on their standards, you'll drop on the search results.

Is Your Website Optimized For Mobile? You Have Until April 21 To Get It Done

Good information. Thanks. But the desktop version of the site sucks and I hope they make some changes there still.

[WolvesGuy14]

People just don't like change. This is so much better. It's organized better, flows better, easier to navigate, and loads a lot quicker.

It's like any change that happens to Facebook or any other social media site. They hate it at first but once they get use to it they like the changes.

[WolvesGuy14]

The problem is that they have geared the website towards their mobile users while making the desktop version garbage. They should have simply kept the mobile and desktop versions separate.

It's called "Responsive Web Design" where your "single" website is optimized for viewing and navigating on mobile or a browser with very little re-sizing or scrolling required. Maintaining two websites (one for mobile, one for browsers) is more of a hassle and time consuming for a large site like ESPN, even though they use the same data on the backend. Also, Google now is actually putting an emphasis on having your website "mobile-friendly" in order to get properly index by their crawlers. In other words, if your website is not "mobile-friendly" based on their standards, you'll drop on the search results.

Is Your Website Optimized For Mobile? You Have Until April 21 To Get It Done

Even though those sites aren't getting penalized yet, they are still behind the times if their mobile site sucks.

[marcush]

The light background is always a winner for me but kinda agree with the other criticisms. The narrative on these mainstream sites is so predictable anyway, the same talking heads, totally lacking the passion and insights of the bloggers who mostly do it for nothing.

[hands11]

The problem is that they have geared the website towards their mobile users while making the desktop version garbage. They should have simply kept the mobile and desktop versions separate.

The thing barely displays on my laptop. Granted this this isn't brand new but for standings, scores and stats, you want the information closer together not huge and spread out.

These new content manager designs with load of pictures is getting a little annoying. They work well for some things but I think they blow it. I already found another site to use. See ya ESPN.

[hands11]

It takes longer to get to the box scores (for in progress games) now. On the old frontpage, you used to be able to mouse over the game and click "box score," but now that's gone and clicking on the game takes you to the gamecast box score, and you can't jump from game to game on there.

Now you either scroll to or select NBA from a drop down, mouse over NBA and select 'all NBA,' then click on 'full scoreboard' on the other side of the screen. Then you have access to all of the box scores for that day. I'll get used to it, but man, it's annoying. I've been right clicking open the box scores from the frontpage for years.

I'm sure that would in theory, raise their clicks.... That is if every doesn't leave the site for anothers.

Its all about them trying to make more money from the site. Which is fine. Its just what they did was stupid. Didn't they market test this first. They don't even have a feedback form which is even dumber.

Really bad move on their behalf. Never Never Never move peoples cheese like that. Lots of people don't take to change like that well and you open the door for them to leave. Which I did. So now they get no clicks.

They would have been much better off tweaking it a little at a time where people hardly noticed the change and instead people would see it as new features being added.

[arbsn]

Lmao at Google influencing ESPN to change their website to some mobile friendly flaming heap of garbage

Will have to use NBA.com's garbage heap at least they have 1 click box scores.

Although all of them have auto-videos now smdh

[hands11]

People just don't like change. This is so much better. It's organized better, flows better, easier to navigate, and loads a lot quicker.

It's like any change that happens to Facebook or any other social media site. They hate it at first but once they get use to it they like the changes.

But here is the problem people make in evaluating things. ESPN and Facebook are totally different.

People have invested in Facebook by linking to friends, loading pictures, etc. Its what you call "sticky" ESPN is not sticky.

I use it to get data and scores and to read a few stories. There are lots of other sites I can do that on.

And I already am.

[hands11]

The problem is that they have geared the website towards their mobile users while making the desktop version garbage. They should have simply kept the mobile and desktop versions separate.

It's called "Responsive Web Design" where your "single" website is optimized for viewing and navigating on mobile or a browser with very little re-sizing or scrolling required. Maintaining two websites (one for mobile, one for browsers) is more of a hassle and time consuming for a large site like ESPN, even though they use the same data on the backend. Also, Google now is actually putting an emphasis on having your website "mobile-friendly" in order to get properly index by their crawlers. In other words, if your website is not "mobile-friendly" based on their standards, you'll drop on the search results.

Is Your Website Optimized For Mobile? You Have Until April 21 To Get It Done

Even though those sites aren't getting penalized yet, they are still behind the times if their mobile site sucks.

And that also maybe provide opportunity for competition. If you are an investor, it might be time for yahoo to make a comeback. Plus, counter to Google who watches everything you do, my tech at work turned me onto Duck Duck Go which is said to not store your search information.

Google took over because it simplified search and came across as counter culture to the big players at the time. I went to Firefox because it was better then Explorer for the same reason. If you remember, Yahoo was king back then.

Has Google finally gotten to big for their britches. They are now the Microsoft. The company you love to hate. This is an opportunity for other more nimble player who are more customer friendly to step in.

Its business cycles.

[BruceO]

the real story should be RealGM screwed up their mobile website. Have to scroll down past the numeroua tabs just to get to the posts every damn page

[nomansland]

I like it better. The old one had too much stuff crammed too close together and I'd always accidentally load pages I didn't mean to load. This is way better organized.

[BruceO]

the real story should be RealGM screwed up their mobile website. Have to scroll down past the numeroua tabs just to get to the posts every damn page

[Higga]

Don't think I've gone on ESPN in years. Yahoo is much better.

[nomansland]

I won't go anywhere, that forces a video on me. Done with yahoo now too.

realgm does it if you leave the page open too long.

[Michael Lucky]

I like the design, the only problem is that due to habit I already knew where are all the links that were relevant to me were located. Now i just have to get used to where the new ones are at. In a week or two it will seem a lot better to many.

[E-Balla]

It's called "Responsive Web Design" where your "single" website is optimized for viewing and navigating on mobile or a browser with very little re-sizing or scrolling required. Maintaining two websites (one for mobile, one for browsers) is more of a hassle and time consuming for a large site like ESPN, even though they use the same data on the backend. Also, Google now is actually putting an emphasis on having your website "mobile-friendly" in order to get properly index by their crawlers. In other words, if your website is not "mobile-friendly" based on their standards, you'll drop on the search results.

Is Your Website Optimized For Mobile? You Have Until April 21 To Get It Done

Even though those sites aren't getting penalized yet, they are still behind the times if their mobile site sucks.

And that also maybe provide opportunity for competition. If you are an investor, it might be time for yahoo to make a comeback. Plus, counter to Google who watches everything you do, my tech at work turned me onto Duck Duck Go which is said to not store your search information.

Google took over because it simplified search and came across as counter culture to the big players at the time. I went to Firefox because it was better then Explorer for the same reason. If you remember, Yahoo was king back then.

Has Google finally gotten to big for their britches. They are now the Microsoft. The company you love to hate. This is an opportunity for other more nimble player who are more customer friendly to step in.

Its business cycles.

Google is getting bigger and better constantly. Their websites do responsive design the right way it's not their fault ESPN blotched it. And Duck Duck Go is a bad search engine. Google usually stays clear of bad criticism and negative press because outside of YouTube and Google Plus they implement everything perfectly.

Also any website forcing responsive design on people is terrible. To get to the boxscores it used to take one click and now it takes about 4. I don't see myself going on ESPN at all anymore and I have no reason to go back. Even on realgm I hate responsive design (and I'm sure most still do - especially people using their phones like I usually do). I have to wait 10-20 extra seconds after the page loads for everything to finish moving around and settle in their right spots.

[rcfc1]

There's actually less information up on the site now, too. It's harder to find box scores while the game is ongoing, game preview doesn't have the injury report or other typical information (just an article now), and you can't click straight into the full scoreboard from the main site (meaning you can't see point, rebounds, assist leaders, etc., at least not from the main page). It's actually lost some functionality. Plus, I think they need a darker grey/background color so it's easier to distinguish everything. They need to use their negative space better. Just a few cents.

[Ballerhogger]

i hate it . the old one was easier to navigate.