Frankly, there are scores of mistakes you can easily make in web design, but quite a few are insignificant, whilst others can destroy your web site performance. People really should have genuine belief in their website designer and be assured that they know the pros and cons before proceeding with any form of web design.
If you are an experienced and skilled web page designer, you need to acquire, and warrant, your client’s confidence and as a consequence you will have to keep up to date with the continual developments in the ever changing world of web development.
Even if deciding on the 5 worst errors in web design is in many ways a personal preference situation, usability must always be regarded as top of the priority list. So, knowing that, the major problems to watch out for in this concern are:
1. Incorrect Use of PDF Documents.
As a user you must know how much of a nuisance it can be to come across PDF files within a search engine search. They can be hard to browse through, and in spite of the truth that lots of search engines currently list them, they are not typically what the visitor to your site was looking for. Make sure that all data you need to include in PDF files is also included in HTML web pages that are easily indexed by search engines.
2. Poor Website Structure.
Obviously you would like visitors to find your website with no difficulties. Low penetration on yahoo and bing will undoubtedly decrease the visitors landing on your web-site, which obviously isn’t a good thing, so you need to master the basics of on-page seo and apply them. In addition, once they arrive on your site, you really want them to appreciate the encounter, and a decent web site structure is key to both these aims. On a website level, make sure you prioritize your site structure according to each document’s importance to the subject and not merely a collection of related query terms.
Make use of the more important broad product phrases at the peak of the navigation hierarchy, and the more detailed and exact keyword phrases lower down the website hierarchy. On a single page level, begin every page using a properly chosen main title, and after that a brief outline, preferably with the merchandise or service name and the principal benefit to the end user in the very first sentence. Don’t use avoidable conversational expressions like “Welcome to my site” to begin your description. Make it short, sharp, and concise, so that you can convey the major benefit of the item or service, while giving the major search engines the correct message as to the main theme of your site.
3. Text That is Hard to Read.
Lots of websites display a “wall of text” to their guests. If you present your visitors with what appears to be a word porridge, they will likely have problems picking out the message, get bored, and go elsewhere.
A good web site ought to utilize effective formatting, i.e. bold emphasis on critical words, headings and bullet points, brief and to the point paragraphs, and a straightforward readable style of writing. Flowery prose can be the kiss of death in actually communicating your message. Also, make sure that the visitor can change the text size for comfy reading. All too often a visitor will have a non-standard monitor, or have reading issues, so fixed-size text could be a major aggravation.
4. Window Pollution.
Basically, too many windows opening on your website can be annoying and difficult to understand. Many designers set up links that start pages in new windows in the belief that this will sustain a visitors curiosity. In fact this leads to frustration that may possibly water down your message.
This could also result in confusion over use of the “Back” button which returns you to previous pages. Your links ought to be uncomplicated html links that open up the page in the exact same browser window. Oh, and whilst we are on the subject, steer clear of pop-ups, I am sure you know how annoying they can be.
5. Complex Navigation Menus.
Be sure that your website has a solid navigation menu, an effective breadcrumb trail, and that hyperlinks change colour once they have been visited. It’s extremely important to ensure it is easy for visitors to know exactly where they are, and to easily see which pages they have previously read.
This is very easily achieved with effective use of style sheets, so there certainly is no justification for not doing it. When visited links do not change colour it can cause confusion, and that leads to visitors leaving the site. This may seem like a little issue, but inconvenience is one of the main causes of visitors leaving your web site without taking any action.
As a closing piece of valuable advice, don’t forget the sentence: “Surfers spend most of their time on ‘other’ websites.” In simple terms, people are only likely to spend a little time on your website, and they already have countless others to compare it to. The simpler web sites, those with well-defined content that is very easy to understand, will be the sites that will get greater revenue. Recognizing this will allow any web designer to stay ahead in this ever expanding market.