http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/ A Web Design Software forum thread at WPDFD.com en-us 05/28/10, 148 38 2010 2010:%i:1275035929 08:38:49 05/21/94, 141 37 3194 3194:%i:38637869878 13:37:58 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss NineLabs Framework Feed Generator sitemaster@wpdfd.com sitemaster@wpdfd.com http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p3406
While designing a website, it is significant keep it simple and organized. This idea should be practical while selecting the fonts for the web content. It is necessary to provide to human visitors while creating the website. The fonts must be easy, uniform and simple to understand. Therefore, one must pass up using fancy, flashing and little fonts on the website.

Visitors get simply bored of extended paragraphs which may seem like dissertations. Therefore, the content must be fundamentally broken down into bite sized pieces to grasp the concentration of the reader. The content can be efficiently broken down into bullets or numbered lists.

The first few seconds that a visitor spends on the website are very critical in retaining the prospective customer. Therefore, the web design should be clever to converse to the visitor what the website is about. In other words, a first look at the web design should offer a clear understanding of the website.

It is sensible to pass up long and fancy introductions which are time consuming. Visitors have a small attention span, and so it is best to get to the point, and let the visitor simply find the way to the result they are looking for. The small number of steps between landing on the site and what they are looking for is the best choice here.

A good web design is easy organized and straightforward. Therefore, too many flash, images, badges, association labels may confound the visitor. So, one must try to stay focused on the objective of the website and make a clear communication with the visitor.

]]> 05/28/10, 148 38 2010 2010:%i:1275035929 08:38:49 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p3406 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p3621 List of web design errors:

Some of the points are common sense, others are quite polemic. Most of them apply to any website though, whether we talk about a business entity or a blog. Enjoy!

1. The user must know what the site is about in seconds: attention is one the most valuable currencies on the Internet. If a visitor can not figure what your site is about in a couple of seconds, he will probably just go somewhere else. Your site must communicate why I should spend my time there, and FAST!

2. Make the content scannable: this is the Internet, not a book, so forget large blocks of text. Probably I will be visiting your site while I work on other stuff so make sure that I can scan through the entire content. Bullet points, headers, subheaders, lists. Anything that will help the reader filter what he is looking for.

3. Do not use fancy fonts that are unreadable: sure there are some fonts that will give a sophisticated look to your website. But are they readable? If your main objective is to deliver a message and get the visitors reading your stuff, then you should make the process comfortable for them.

4. Do not use tiny fonts: the previous point applies here, you want to make sure that readers are comfortable reading your content. My Firefox does have a zooming feature, but if I need to use on your website it will probably be the last time I visit it.

5. Do not open new browser windows: I used to do that on my first websites. The logic was simple, if I open new browser windows for external links the user will never leave my site. WRONG! Let the user control where he wants the links to open. There is a reason why browsers have a huge “Back” button. Do not worry about sending the visitor to another website, he will get back if he wants to (even porn sites are starting to get conscious regarding this point lately…).

6. Do not resize the user’s browser windows: the user should be in control of his browser. If you resize it you will risk to mess things up on his side, and what is worse you might lose your credibility in front of him.

7. Do not require a registration unless it is necessary: lets put this straight, when I browse around the Internet I want to get information, not the other way around. Do not force me to register up and leave my email address and other details unless it is absolutely necessary (i.e. unless what you offer is so good that I will bear with the registration).

8. Never subscribe the visitor for something without his consent: do not automatically subscribe a visitor to newsletters when he registers up on your site. Sending unsolicited emails around is not the best way to make friends.

9. Do not overuse Flash: apart from increasing the load time of your website, excessive usage of Flash might also annoy the visitors. Use it only if you must offer features that are not supported by static pages.

10. Do not play music: on the early years of the Internet web developers always tried to successfully integrate music into websites. Guess what, they failed miserably. Do not use music, period.

11. If you MUST play an audio file let the user start it: some situations might require an audio file. You might need to deliver a speech to the user or your guided tour might have an audio component. That is fine. Just make sure that the user is in control, let him push the “Play” button as opposed to jamming the music on his face right after he enters the website.

12. Do not clutter your website with badges: first of all, badges of networks and communities make a site look very unprofessional. Even if we are talking about awards and recognition badges you should place them on the “About Us” page.

13. Do not use a homepage that just launches the “real” website: the smaller the number of steps required for the user to access your content, the better.

14. Make sure to include contact details: there is nothing worse than a website that has no contact details. This is not bad only for the visitors, but also for yourself. You might lose important feedback along the way.

15. Do not break the “Back” button: this is a very basic principle of usability. Do not break the “Back” button under any circumstance. Opening new browser windows will break it, for instance, and some Javascript links might also break them.

16. Do not use blinking text: unless your visitors are coming straight from 1996, that is.

17. Avoid complex URL structures: a simple, keyword-based URL structure will not only improve your search engine rankings, but it will also make it easier for the reader to identify the content of your pages before visiting them.

18. Use CSS over HTML tables: HTML tables were used to create page layouts. With the advent of CSS, however, there is no reason to stick to them. CSS is faster, more reliable and it offers many more features.

19. Make sure users can search the whole website: there is a reason why search engines revolutionized the Internet. You probably guessed it, because they make it very easy to find the information we are looking for. Do not neglect this on your site.

20. Avoid “drop down” menus: the user should be able to see all the navigation options straight way. Using “drop down” menus might confuse things and hide the information the reader was actually looking for.

21. Use text navigation: text navigation is not only faster but it is also more reliable. Some users, for instance, browse the Internet with images turned off.

22. If you are linking to PDF files disclose it: ever clicked on a link only to see your browser freezing while Acrobat Reader launches to open that (unrequested) PDF file? That is pretty annoying so make sure to explicit links pointing to PDF files so that users can handle them properly.

23. Do not confuse the visitor with many versions: avoid confusing the visitor with too many versions of your website. What bandwidth do I prefer? 56Kbps? 128Kbps? Flash or HTML? Man, just give me the content!

24. Do not blend advertising inside the content: blending advertising like Adsense units inside your content might increase your click-through rate on the short term. Over the long run, however, this will reduce your readership base. An annoyed visitor is a lost visitor.

25. Use a simple navigation structure: sometimes less is more. This rule usually applies to people and choices. Make sure that your website has a single, clear navigation structure. The last thing you want is to confuse the reader regarding where he should go to find the information he is looking for.

26. Avoid “intros”: do not force the user to watch or read something before he can access to the real content. This is plain annoying, and he will stay only if what you have to offer is really unique.

27. Do not use FrontPage: this point extends to other cheap HTML editors. While they appear to make web design easier, the output will be a poorly crafted code, incompatible with different browsers and with several bugs.

28. Make sure your website is cross-browser compatible: not all browsers are created equal, and not all of them interpret CSS and other languages on the same way. Like it or not, you will need to make your website compatible with the most used browsers on the market, else you will lose readers over the long term.

29. Make sure to include anchor text on links: I confess I used to do that mistake until some time ago. It is easier to tell people to “click here”. But this is not efficient. Make sure to include a relevant anchor text on your links. It will ensure that the reader knows where he is going to if he clicks the link, and it will also create SEO benefits for the external site where the link is pointing.

30. Do not cloak links: apart from having a clear anchor text, the user must also be able to see where the link is pointing on the status bar of his browser. If you cloak your links (either because they are affiliate ones or due to other reasons) your site will lose credibility.

31. Make links visible: the visitor should be able to recognize what is clickable and what is not, easily. Make sure that your links have a contrasting color (the standard blue color is the optimal most of the times). Possibly also make them underlined.

32. Do not underline or color normal text: do not underline normal text unless absolutely necessary. Just as users need to recognize links easily, they should not get the idea that something is clickable when in reality it is not.

33. Make clicked links change color: this point is very important for the usability of your website. Clicked links that change color help the user to locate himself more easily around your site, making sure that he will not end up visiting the same pages unintentionally.

34. Do not use animated GIFs: unless you have advertising banners that require animation, avoid animated GIFs. They make a site look unprofessional and detract the attention from the content.

35. Make sure to use the ALT and TITLE attributes for images: apart from having SEO benefits the ALT and TITLE attributes for images will play an important role for blind users.

36. Do not use harsh colors: if the user is getting a headache after visiting your site for 10 consecutive minutes, you probably should pick a better color scheme. Design the color palette around your objectives (i.e. deliver a mood, let the user focus on the content, etc.).

37. Do not use pop ups: this point refers to pop ups of any kind. Even user requested pop ups are a bad idea given the increasing amount of pop blockers out there.

38. Avoid Javascript links: those links execute a small Javascript when the user clicks on them. Stay away from them since they often create problems for the user.

39. Include functional links on your footer: people are used to scrolling down to the footer of a website if they are not finding a specific information. At the very least you want to include a link to the Homepage and possibly a link to the “Contact Us” page.

40. Avoid long pages: guess what, if the user needs to scroll down forever in order to read your content he will probably just skip it altogether. If that is the case with your website make it shorter and improve the navigation structure.

41. No horizontal scrolling: while some vertical scrolling is tolerable, the same can not be said about horizontal scrolling. The most used screen resolution nowadays is 1024 x 768 pixels, so make sure that your website fits inside it.

42. No spelling or grammatical mistakes: this is not a web design mistake, but it is one of the most important factors affecting the overall quality of a website. Make sure that your links and texts do not contain spelling or grammatical mistakes.

43. If you use CAPTCHA make sure the letters are readable: several sites use CAPTCHA filters as a method of reducing spam on comments or on registration forms. There is just one problem with it, most of the times the user needs to call his whole family to decipher the letters.]]> 09/30/10, 273 21 2010 2010:%i:1285856493 14:21:33 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p3621 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p3691 11/16/10, 320 46 2010 2010:%i:1289875589 02:46:29 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p3691 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p3834 01/24/11, 024 33 2011 2011:%i:1295829212 00:33:32 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p3834 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p3950 many things i never knew before
hope after reading this post my web design services improves hell of quality
thanks again for your wealth of information]]> 03/22/11, 081 52 2011 2011:%i:1300765928 03:52:08 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p3950 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p3956 03/24/11, 083 26 2011 2011:%i:1300940763 04:26:03 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p3956 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p3962 03/28/11, 087 02 2011 2011:%i:1301295742 07:02:22 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p3962 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p3964
1. A good web design is always consistent as all of the modules and navigations are patronized
2. It is highly satisfactory in usability aspects and amuses its users with ease of use]]> 03/28/11, 087 29 2011 2011:%i:1301326164 15:29:24 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p3964 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p3973 04/04/11, 094 24 2011 2011:%i:1301887453 03:24:13 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p3973 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p4001 04/16/11, 106 55 2011 2011:%i:1302940505 07:55:05 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p4001 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p4065 05/13/11, 133 57 2011 2011:%i:1305269823 06:57:03 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p4065 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p4073 05/17/11, 137 17 2011 2011:%i:1305631031 11:17:11 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p4073 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p4124 06/02/11, 153 43 2011 2011:%i:1306982611 02:43:31 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p4124 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p4340 Poor load time
Poor use of HTML tables
Spelling/Grammar mistakes
Inconsistent page design
No contact information
No 'about us' page
No privacy policy
Different backgrounds on each page
Poor content
Poor navigation
Broken HTML code links and graphics
Poor browser compatibility
Large slow loading graphics
Too many graphics
Large Welcome banners
Flashing banners
Pages scrolling to oblivion
Multiple colored text
Large fonts
Poor use of mouse over effect]]> 09/24/11, 267 31 2011 2011:%i:1316856665 09:31:05 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p4340 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p4391 ]]> 10/01/11, 274 05 2011 2011:%i:1317438313 03:05:13 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p4391 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p4703 To create a website, keep these tips in mind as they can make the difference between a good and a bad project.

1. Content. Break your content on the bullets or paragraphs to make it easy to read. Make sure the content is "above the fold". You can do this by not having a large logo or advertisements below the logo. That visitors should not have to scroll down to view the content.

2. Navigation. Visitors often leave a site because it is unclear what to do next. They offer suggestions and related content, popular posts and categories.

3. Color. For text-based sites have a white background and black text. This combination is easier on the eyes. It is the most popular combination because it works.

4. Windows. Do not open links in new windows. The surfers are smart enough to do that, if they want. In other words, do not use target = _blank, even for external links. If your site is good, the visitor presses the button again to return.

5. Of contact. They have a contact page. There are many reasons to have one. Allows visitors to send feedback about the site or notify you of errors. Allow other webmasters to contact you for joint ventures. That allows advertisers to contact you about the ad spots on your site. If you are selling a product, have a contact page to create customer confidence.

6. The media. Having audio or video to play automatically is annoying. Allow your visitors the option to play the file if they wish. Background music in your site is never a good idea.

7. Flash. Do not use Flash on their sites, as it affects load times and the iPhone / iPad viewers can not see.

8. Splash. Do not use a splash page before your homepage. Visitors prefer to stop having to deal with an introductory page.
]]> 11/02/11, 306 21 2011 2011:%i:1320211261 05:21:01 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p4703 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p5848 Jake Mcgreg said:
What I noticed with other websites is that their CAPTCHA is not readable. Thanks for this one. You did a great list.

Captcha is not a as such big problem as compare to many other. Website should develop nice relate to user.]]> 11/28/11, 332 43 2011 2011:%i:1322484226 12:43:46 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p5848 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p5856 The first few seconds that a visitor spends on the website are very critical in retaining the prospective customer. Therefore, the web design should be clever to converse to the visitor what the website is about. In other words, a first look at the web design should offer a clear understanding of the website.
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]]> 12/06/11, 340 10 2011 2011:%i:1323155403 07:10:03 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p5866 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p6813 01/31/12, 031 59 2012 2012:%i:1327982370 03:59:30 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p6813 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p8456 04/13/12, 104 37 2012 2012:%i:1334284621 02:37:01 http://www.wpdfd.com/forums/wpdfd/web_design_software/web_design_mistakes/#p8456