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Reload this Page 7 Web Site Design Mistakes That Will Lose You Clients

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Old 11-24-2004, 11:27 AM THREAD STARTER               #1 (permalink)
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Thumbs up 7 Web Site Design Mistakes That Will Lose You Clients


In today's world, a web site is virtually mandatory for any successful business. But there are web sites that will win you customers, and there are web sites that will lose you customers. Good design has a lot to do with which category your web site will fall into. But what is it that makes good or bad web site design? In my personal opinion, a good web site is one that's simple, informative and gives me a reason to come back frequently. That's what you should get from a good web designer/writer team. Bad sites, on the other hand, are complicated to use, slow loading, confusing or just plain annoying. Here's a list of my personal top 7 turn-offs as far as web site design is concerned:
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/webmaster-tutorials/56915-7-web-site-design-mistakes-will.html
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=56915

1. Slow loading pages

Studies have shown that you have less than ten seconds to grab a visitor's attention. If your web page hasn't finished loading within that (very short) amount of time, you might as well forget about it. The main culprit I've found here are huge, slow-loading graphics, especially when they are embedded in tables. If large images are absolutely vital to presenting your business, compromise by adding thumbnails to the main page and allow the visitor to click on them to access the main image. Nobody minds a longer loading time, as long as it's them who can make that choice.

2. No contact information

As I've already mentioned in my article "Do's and don'ts of web site copy", one of my pet peeves is a web site that has no contact information accessible form the main page. If I can't get in touch with a company quickly and easily, chances are that I'll go to the competition. My advice is to have a whole page dedicated to contact information - address, phone, fax, email, and preferably a map of where you can be found (remember item #1, though - no huge graphics!) And please, don't use a graphic to display that information in a particularly clever way. I like to copy and paste that information directly from the web page to my contact management program. If I can't do that, you'll likely never hear form me - and all other customers who do the same!

3. Difficult to navigate

Don't try to be clever with navigational features. Simple text links or, if you prefer, quick-loading graphics are perfectly good means of allowing a visitor to navigate your site. Anything that requires interactive navigation, like menus that expand into sub-menus, sub-sub-menus and so on, is more an indication of a wrong information architecture than of a true need for complicated navigational features.

4. Non-HTML features

Don't get me started on this one. I've got a firewall on my computer, and my browser is set to block all those little nasty things that can mess with my PC. As a result I come across many a site that won't display or function properly, because it relies on features like JavaScript, Cookies, Interactive Headers or Java Applets. None of these are necessary to build a good web site, and unless you want your web site to lose you potential customers, you shouldn't use them. Or, if you absolutely have to, make sure that they are not integral parts of the web site!

5. Huge splash page

Another pet peeve of mine. As mentioned earlier, you have less than ten seconds to get your message across. Now guess how many visitors are going to wait longer than that just to watch a fancy animation? 'Nuff said.

6. Pop-up ads

A huge turn-off as far as I'm concerned. As a matter of fact, I've got a pop-up blocker installed on my PC, so if your web site tried to tell me something important via a pop-up window, I'd never even see it. If you feel that you have to use pop-ups, consider going for the less intrusive (and annoying) pop-under windows instead.

7. Sideways scrolling

Not everybody has a monitor with the same screen resolution as you, so make sure that your web site displays on monitors with a lower resolution without forcing your visitor to scroll sideways. It's a singularly annoying thing, and chances are that you'll lose those visitors very quickly. Or, if you have information in a column on the right side of your web site, it may simply never appear on the screen.

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Old 02-15-2005, 09:07 PM   #2 (permalink)
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Right on!


Here are a few more from my Top Ten Mistakes list:

Inconsistent Navigation: Don't you love a site that has little or no navigation, or navigation that changes on every page you visit?

No Company Profile: I want an About Us page! Who are you? How long have you been doing whatever your site is about? Where are you located? Is this all you do, or part of a larger purpose? What associations do you belong to? What's your mission?

Don't Answer Inquiries: Some surveys say nearly half of the Fortune 500 fail to answer half or more of the contact us/email inquiries they get. If they're not going to bother, don't waste my time by inviting me to inquire in the first place.

Broken links: Run an automated linkbot. Yes, you can't help it if you link to a page that changes...but you still look bad for providing a bad link. Automated bots can alert you to bad links so they may be repaired or eliminated in a timely fashion.

MTV Graphics: Please, don't make my eyes bleed. Good, basic text in a simple graphic environment (read: substance) beats "style" every time. Just look at this Forum.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=56915

Good list in the first post above.

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Old 02-15-2005, 10:16 PM   #3 (permalink)
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Agree with most Except possibly this one ~
Originally Posted by vimkar
4. Non-HTML features
Don't get me started on this one. I've got a firewall on my computer, and my browser is set to block all those little nasty things that can mess with my PC. As a result I come across many a site that won't display or function properly, because it relies on features like JavaScript, Cookies, Interactive Headers or Java Applets. None of these are necessary to build a good web site, and unless you want your web site to lose you potential customers, you shouldn't use them. Or, if you absolutely have to, make sure that they are not integral parts of the web site!
Not saying People should Force Downloads or any spyware on to you , But if you don't allow
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You won't be Visiting / Enjoying Many sites out there any longer Java Makes the World Go Round
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Old 02-16-2005, 12:35 PM   #4 (permalink)
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With anywhere from 10-15% of the population colorblind... you'd be wise not to use color schemes that arent CB friendly like blue with red print (or vice versa)., etc.
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Old 02-19-2005, 08:15 AM   #5 (permalink)
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No offense, but that article isn't very good at all. The better your site looks, the more people will visit/look around. NON-HTML features are the best way to do this. Not everyone has the same opinion, so you can't really speak like that. Also: Typing every word with a capital letter is annoying also, hence the topic name.
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Old 02-19-2005, 10:53 AM   #6 (permalink)
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Originally Posted by stevegarbz
No offense, but that article isn't very good at all. The better your site looks, the more people will visit/look around.
While a nice looking site is important, it should be designed with loading times in mind, and since the majority of the world is still on dialup connections, that should be taken into consideration. The way your site looks is important, but the way it functions is equally important (if not more).
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=56915

Many dialup users skip right by sites that are too heavy with eye candy, because they are not willing to sit there waiting for the page to load. Each one of those users is a lost potential customer.
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Old 02-19-2005, 10:57 AM   #7 (permalink)
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Originally Posted by -db-
While a nice looking site is important, it should be designed with loading times in mind, and since the majority of the world is still on dialup connections, that should be taken into consideration. The way your site looks is important, but the way it functions is equally important (if not more).
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=56915

Many dialup users skip right by sites that are too heavy with eye candy, because they are not willing to sit there waiting for the page to load. Each one of those users is a lost potential customer.
This is the reason I've never been a big "Flash" Design fan - I have Cable , but still skip 95% of that stuff - Maybe using it as an added page/feature/slideshow inside the site that you Choose to see ~
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Old 02-19-2005, 11:03 AM   #8 (permalink)
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>>>>5. Huge splash page

Another pet peeve of mine. As mentioned earlier, you have less than ten seconds to get your message across. Now guess how many visitors are going to wait longer than that just to watch a fancy animation? 'Nuff said.<<<<

This should be number 1. My pet hate are those flash intro's that take 2 minutes to load.
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Old 02-19-2005, 12:11 PM   #9 (permalink)
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cool guide!
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Old 02-19-2005, 12:13 PM   #10 (permalink)
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I personally really hate sites where you have to sit through a flash intro....
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Old 02-20-2005, 04:25 PM   #11 (permalink)
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Another pet peve of mine is sites that are all hype.

When I visit a webiste, I don't care what your plans for next month or next year are... I want to know what you can do for me today.

If you want to tell people what your future plans are, fine, but put it on a seperate page. Having a homepage full of hot air, and 'coming soon' hype is one sure way to make people hit the 'Back' button.
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Old 02-20-2005, 04:30 PM   #12 (permalink)
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Originally Posted by Zeeble
I personally really hate sites where you have to sit through a flash intro....
when I designed www.peelmedicalpractice.co.uk for a small Surgery in UK I had a flash intro there, and it took ages to load. Pity really it was such a nice intro.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=56915

now I have put a nice image there.

ONE THING THAT REALLY GETS MY GOAT IS STUPID MOUSEOVER IMAGES

:::::: you don't know what the image is till you mouse over it. I read on a website somwhere where they called it "mystery meat". The worst place to put those kind of images is in a menu bar!!! You don't know where you can go till you mouse over the images!
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Old 02-21-2005, 07:06 AM   #13 (permalink)
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Totally agree.

Originally Posted by all4cost
This is the reason I've never been a big "Flash" Design fan - I have Cable , but still skip 95% of that stuff - Maybe using it as an added page/feature/slideshow inside the site that you Choose to see ~
Thank you vimkar, usefull information for all of us.

I have cable also but the second I see "Loading" I start looking for the "skip intro".
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=56915
When I go to a site I'm looking for something specfic, (item, service, information) and want to get to the Nav as soon as possible. Attractive Home Pages are cool only to the extent they dont distract from why I'm there, to find what I'm looking for.

Designers have to remember also, there are still lots of P2 and smaller P3's that will freeze at graphic overload. It doesnt take much to lock a 32mb or smaller video card, which most of the world still uses.
Trick out if you must, but keep the HP for navigation and text info with links to your "Heavy" pages.

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Old 02-21-2005, 03:34 PM   #14 (permalink)
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Simple but true....Good job. I hate when people ahve pop-ups on there site..Well I did untill I got Firfox and it had a pop-up blocker haha.
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Old 02-25-2005, 02:58 AM   #15 (permalink)
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hmmm. are these original articles??
TRY google this phrase:

"7 Web Site Design Mistakes That Will Lose You Clients"
you get about 328,000 google results!

or you can check this:


http://ezinearticles.com/?7-Web-Site...lients&id=3053
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Old 02-25-2005, 04:22 AM   #16 (permalink)
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It's all about opionon here really....
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Old 02-25-2005, 08:55 AM   #17 (permalink)
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Useful.Good tut..
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Old 02-26-2005, 12:02 PM   #18 (permalink)
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I couldnt agree more to all of this! I feel exactly the same way when i enter a site!

Sweet tut! Thanks!
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Old 03-01-2005, 04:22 PM   #19 (permalink)
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I agree that all of those things will make your site loose visitors, but honestly I think the biggest thing is the lack of fresh content. It's like a business, and repeat business is vital to survival. If someone comes to your site one day and sifts through all your content and then comes back a week later and there is no new stuff, you can just say goodbye to them. When you keep your site freshly updated people are more likely to keep coming back, as well as spread the word about your site.

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Old 07-12-2005, 11:59 PM   #20 (permalink)
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Some good things to keep in mind. As far as the non-HTML stuff, I think you also have to consider your audience. If you have a site that targets more tech-savvy people (like a development site) then I think you have a little more room for fancier stuff.
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Old 07-13-2005, 01:57 AM   #21 (permalink)
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I dislike flash intros and popup ads they are very annoying. Great tut.
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Old 07-13-2005, 07:34 AM   #22 (permalink)
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Wink Very Good Topic


First- I own a hosting company and i really dont expect my clients/ customers to be dial up ones. So i try to target the cable/ dsl ones and these people are my potential clients. If you have a website i dont think you use dial up for uploading and etc...

I think my site passed all these rules can people please check it out and let me know what they about it. I do have flash as the header on my page and it wont start unless you push play intro. So im guessing it doesnt really slow anythin down. Here is my site http://www.asmarterhost.com

Please reply with your opinion.
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Old 07-13-2005, 12:21 PM   #23 (permalink)
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Nice article, thank you vimkar and WebForging
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Old 07-13-2005, 05:49 PM   #24 (permalink)
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In a subliminal way, author did suggest that html is the BEST way to go but I would have to disagree. Different company, different product, different services would all lead to a differently designed site. If someone is a graphic artist and designer offering his services I would expect to see him at his best using his graphic and design skills. Image is everything in my opinion.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=56915

All the web technologies out there to make a site interactive can be used in a professional way, it's just that some people over do it. Also let's not forget that the type of design you have will depend on your audience you're trying to attract. Corporate professionals would look for something different than a Bored teen browser.

I don't know about java and javascript but I know flash and css would be the Best type of design to go with. Both of them can cater for every category of visitors. Think about it. Flash, however, only has one leverage over designing a CSS site and that would be the interactivity. So we come back to, it's all about what audience you want.

That's 2cents.
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Old 07-14-2005, 03:35 PM   #25 (permalink)
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Hmm...nice post.....i agree with the seven rules but i may add...using actionscript for the pages is also a best way to make ur site more easily browseable...the main thing in that is it shud b easy loading...

Perfectly designed flash loads even faster then the normal html page!
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