The Top 5 Website Design Mistakes
1. Jamming too much information on the home page.
Most companies try to show and tell everything about their company and products on the home page. They seem to think that if the viewer does not see all of the company’s products immediately they will leave the site. Not only is this not necessary, it usually has the reverse effect. Customers coming to a website for information, or to purchase a product, do not want to be bombarded with the kitchen sink. Good website design displays the right balance of information and photos through eye-pleasing graphics. A good website designer knows how to create a home page design that compels the viewer to take the next step.
2. Not making it quick and easy to find what the customer is looking for.
Because most people today use the internet to pretty much do everything from buying clothing and food to researching cars and medical conditions, nobody wants to waste time online. So if your website does not make it clear and obvious on how to find what you are selling, your potential customer is gone. Effective website design will make it easy for the viewer to navigate the site to find what he is searching for. It will also draw the viewer in through words and images so they will want to stay on the website. Good website design utilizes the rule of ‘Three clicks’. That means you must make it easy for the viewer to find what he is searching for using three clicks of the mouse, or less. More than that and they are likely to ‘bounce’.
3. Overload the website with fancy bells and whistles.
In the early days of website design it was cool to use things like flash animations and other devices that dazzled the viewer but took a long time to load and play. Today nobody wants to spend time on a website to be entertained with these gimmicks. Customers want to find what they came looking for and leave. Not to mention that these effects do not help with being found by search engines. If your website designer recommends using these types of files, get a new designer.
4. Not incorporating good search engine tactics.
In today’s marketplace most people use search engines to find goods and services. If your website does not show up in the top few listings you lose. Good website design incorporates certain practices that will enable the search engines to find your site quickly. It will also tell the search engines that your website contains relevant information to the subject the person is searching for. This is becoming more and more important as many companies are employing this practice and creating a good deal of competition. A qualified website designer will be familiar with these practices.
5. Not updating content on a website.
It is extremely important to update the content on your website to show the search engines that your products and information is current. Search engines like Google and Yahoo are continually trying to bring highly relevant search results for their users. That is a key factor in what makes one better than another. A website should have text, photos and pages updated regularly to show these search engines, and your viewers, that you are continually trying to keep your information and product offerings fresh and meeting the expanded needs of your customers. Good website design will allow for these changes and updates to be made easily.