Is your web
site hurting your business
more than helping? Check out
the following 12 common web
design mistakes to make sure
that your web site is
presenting a positive first
impression with your
customers:
1. Pages that load
too slowly
Slow
performance (taking too long
to download pages) is the
most commonly experienced
problem with the web. Web
sites should be designed to
load quickly by minimizing
large images and file
downloads.
2. Hard to use
navigation
Poor
navigation can lead to
customer stress, annoyance
and impatience. Customers
expect a consistent site
layout that is easy to use
and remember.
3. Poor text color
choices
Using color
combinations such as dark
text on a dark background
makes it difficult for
customers to read and scan
text. The easiest color
combination to read on
screen is black text on a
white background.
4. Overuse of
animation
Graphics that
flash, or animated
characters and logos can
quickly become annoying to
your customers, especially
if they continue to
“animate” during their
visit. Try to reduce the
number of distractions
competing for the attention
of your visitors.
5. Outdated
information
When was the
last update to your site?
Customers who visit your web
site and see a page that
contains outdated
information quickly lose
interest.
6. Generic template
design
A web site
gives your company the
opportunity to stand out
from your competitors. You
quickly lose your
competitive advantage by
using a generic design
template for your site that
customers have seen on
hundreds of other sites.
7. Pages “under
construction”
Your web site
is a constantly evolving
marketing investment that is
always “under construction.”
By displaying pages that
offer no value for the
customer, you are losing an
important chance to educate
and gain the trust of your
customers.
8. Use of splash
pages
How many
times have you visited a web
site with a flashy
introduction and clicked the
“Skip Intro” button? If you
are like most web visitors,
this happens most of the
time. While a splash page
can be used in a positive
way, make sure you are not
frustrating your customers
on each visit to your site.
9. Broken links
Broken or
orphaned links reflect
poorly with your customers,
especially if they are
looking for specific
information and come across
a “page not found” error.
Make sure all of your links
are up to date.
10. Overuse of
frames
When used
correctly, frames can be an
effective aid with
navigation and consistency.
Unfortunately, many sites
have misused frame pages
which confuse and frustrate
their customers. In most
cases, a similar effect can
be produced without the
frames. Use frames
sparingly, if at all.
11. No connection
with your current marketing
campaign
A web site is
an important tool in your
marketing strategy. Is your
current web site an
extension of your marketing
campaign? Keep your message
consistent with your
customers by making your web
site an integral part of
your overall marketing
message.
12. Hard to find
contact information
Often, a
customer has looked over
your site and is ready to
take the next step, however
they often have a hard time
finding a phone number or
email address. Make it easy
for your customers to
contact you, with a clearly
defined menu tab for
“Contact Us” or include your
contact information on each
page of your site.
Many times the customer’s
first interaction with you
is through your web site and
your company has only one
chance to make a positive
first impression. Make sure
your site is making the most
of that crucial first
encounter with a
professional web site.
