Best way to handle advertising that expands on mouse over
Question
I have recently seen a number of web sites where you want to click a link in content on the page, but as your mouse moves across an advertisement (ad) to get to the link, the ad expands to cover the content link, and I accidently click the ad often leading me someplace as a user where I DID NOT choose to go.
I find this beyond annoying from a user standpoint and feel it reduces site usability.
I do see the value of ads in web sites :) some revenue helps drive the content existance but golly gosh gee I really don't like this.
What is the best way to handle this as a web site developer?
Solution
As a web site developer you can choose ad proveders who don't do these things. Or manage ads by yourself. Or put a "donate" button.
Autoenlarging ad areas could also violate an ad agreement, where the ad's dimmensions are described. Check the agreement text.
OTHER TIPS
Make sure that your ad provider has policies in place that do not allow those kind of ads.