Web Design Mistakes To Avoid Like The Plague
By Stephen Spry : Filed under Basics
I was recently asked to list the top things web designers should really try to avoid when they are creating a web site. So this list is what I came up with (off the top of my currently balding head), and which I now try to explain these aspects in some more detail…
1. First Impressions Count
While this is a probably more a “marketing” issue than a “design” issue, web designers should consider this one before anything else!
There’s no chance of fixing a poor first impression on the net!
Can visitors work out the primary purpose of your site within just a few seconds? Because that’s all the time you get… probably just while it is loading… for a new visitor to decide whether they will hand around or go elsewhere.
And that’s NOT just talking about your home page either, but ALL your internal pages too, especially since around 80% of your traffic will arrive at your internal pages!
If your message is not clear, your visitors will leave… fast!
2. Providing Too Many Choices
Offering too many choices/options/links on a web page will usually result in visitor confusion. Don’t make it hard for them.
Avoid offering too many options which DISTRACT visitors away from whatever your PRIMARY page objective is.
If a visitor cannot work out what they are supposed to do next, they will bail out and do the only thing they can - click the red “x” in the top RH corner!
3. Poor Site Navigation
Simple, consistent web site navigation is essential for people to
- initially understand what your site is about, & then
- dive in to use the information.
That also helps you with future planning on where you can easily “extend” your property without making too many major alterations later!
4. Not Putting Your Visitor Into The Picture
Avoid talking in the “we” tense… i.e. “We do this, we also do that!” A web site which only raves about how good “we” are, will just not work!
While this is marketing/copywriting issue more so than design, it is something a GOOD web designer should also address!
Concentrate your web site copy on addressing your visitor! Explain the BENEFITS (to your visitor) of using your product/service, rather than dealing with the “features” (which is a “we” moment).
Put THEM the picture by using “You” as much as you can.
5. “Prettifying” Your Site
“Pretty” is not always the best! While a site loaded with piccies may look good, the conversions could be terrible (for many reasons).
A lot of “ugly” web sites have great conversion rates, which shows it is the MESSAGE that counts.
Whatever you do, a business site should still look as “professional” as possible.
6. Pages Slow To Load
Not everyone has fast broadband with unlimited downloads (I wish!) There are STILL many users who have no option but to use slow ADSL or even dialup.
So limit the total number of pictures/page, and optimize the file size of any graphics you use.
A fast loading page, with little waiting, is better for all visitors - and helps form a good first impression!
7. Not Using “White Space” Effectively
Here’s a tip from the days of print (remember that?) Make good use of WHITE SPACE!
Use it to improve readability & to attract the eyes to elements you want people to click on.
Stop thinking you are paying per column centimeter with the web! It’s DIGITAL 
So don’t cram everything too close together.
But remember… the space “above the fold” (or what a user sees first on a page without scrolling) should contain the main action/s you want your visitors to take! So think long and hard about what you put there!
8. Make Your Content Hard To Read
Unless you have a VERY good reason for it, try to avoid DARK backgrounds & light text - it’s far too hard to read! Go for dark text (that’s black or dark gray) on a light background.
Good ole black & white for content blocks usually works best!
Make sure that font size is not too small either (unless you work in legalise and are used to reading the fine print!)
9. Using Non-Standard Link Colours and Styles
Speaking of colours… Changing link colors and NOT having them underlined, does reduce their effectiveness.
Unless there is a specific design need for it, stick closely to the DEFAULT link colors (blue and purple) and keep your links underlined.
It’s what people expect and are used to looking for. Change these at your peril!
10. Dead Links
Be anal about checking your links! Often. To make sure they work!
Make sure ALL your links - to your OWN pages, and to other sites - are working!
Nothing is more frustrating (and possibly unprofessional) to your visitors than following a link which is dead!
And remember to check your off-site links regularly. If visitors are directed to a dubious link, it reflects on your credibility. So watch for linked domains that have changed hands or expired and no longer contain relevant content.
11. Flash Animations
Home pages which feature nothing more than a flash animation/intro not only annoy visitors, they are extremely poor for SEO (search engine optimisation) purposes.
Sure, you can use tiny elements of flash in your pages to make them a little snazzier (see caveats above) but don’t have pages which are ONLY made up of flash elements.
12. Auto Start Audio/Video
If you include audio and or video on your pages, try not to be so much “in their face” as soon as visitors arrive at your page.
Think about letting your users START it themselves when they are prepared to listen/watch. And provide OBVIOUS volume controls so those using the net at work don’t get sprung!
Obviously, sites which focus on music and/or video (eg fan pages, sites for musicians etc) can autostart their stuff because that’s what people are expecting to happen at such sites!
All other sites… if it is not the norm, it may not be good to autostart these things.
13. Cross Browser Compatibility
After all of that…
Is your web page compatible with different web browsers? Check it in different browser software, and on different computer operating systems, to see if there are any glaring problems that may need attention.
14. Horizontal Scrolling
Not everyone has 18″ to 20″ monitors running at super high res. Those that do, usually use them to open many windows, not necessarily wider ones.
Make sure your web page display width is around 800 pixels wide. Some people even suggest 1024, but remember the eye is NOT good at reading WIDE paragraphs, so stay narrower. Check your site on different sized monitors for readability.
What’s Missing From This List?
Probably heaps… but I’ve endeavoured to stay with the common web “design” problems that I come across every day of the week, rather than including too many copywriting (use of bullet points etc), or even SEO (meta tags, anchor text etc) issues - which are even bigger minefields of things to avoid!
But if you’ve got something to add to this list - whether it be design, SEO or other “problems”, then go for it!
And yes… I KNOW there are several “rules” that this very site breaks! I really MUST work on fixing them!
So please… add your suggestions and comments to this post by using this form…
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Re #3 above… I often use the Architect analogy when talking about web design… so if you would like to have a bit of a giggle, then please visit this page
If Architects Had to Work Like Web Designers
Even though it was originally written in 2002, it is still so-o-o true in many cases!
Enjoy!
Maybe you should proofread your article .. Good advice all the same.
Good point Garry! Certainly every article should be proofread multiple times to avoid any major stuff-ups… but if you are suggesting I didn’t and missed something, please let me know where, because I can’t see anything
Which means it is probably a good idea to get someone ELSE to do your proof-reading - someone who is NOT so close to the topic that they might be blind to spotting any mistakes!