Web
Design Blunders That Can Cost You Lost Profits
by Angela Wu
It's hard enough to
bring people to your little corner of
cyberspace, and once they're there, you have
just a few brief seconds to catch their attention.
A simple click-of-the-mouse and your site visitor
is gone!
Keep as many interested
prospects on your site by avoiding
these blunders:
1.
Multiple Popup and Popunder Windows
Many online business
owners swear by the effectiveness of popups
and popunders for getting more subscribers,
making sales, or generating leads.
At the same time, a
large percentage of users claim to dislike
popups and popunders. And it's no wonder; many
of us have been 'held hostage' by popups that
spawn even more popups when you try to close
them, until your screen is filled with windows
and you're completely frustrated. Most people
simply do NOT appreciate multiple popups or
popunders!
If you choose to use
them, try for a 'happy medium' -- a window that
appears only once upon entry or exit. One such
script is available fr*e at DesignerIndex,
http://www.designerindex.com/Free_Tools/popupwindow.shtml
.
2.
Unreadable Text
Certain formats are
easier to read than others. For example,
it's generally accepted that black text on a
white background
is the easiest to read. The reverse -- light
text on a colored
background -- can cause fatigue when reading
large blocks of
text, and is better used to highlight a portion
of the page.
Similarly, text that
is too small can cause problems. Although
it's possible to change the displayed text size
on a browser,
many Internet users don't know how.
3.
Confusing Navigation
Ever been to a site
where it's hard to get around? It's just as
easy to leave and go instead to a competitor's
site. Make your
navigation clear and simple.
4.
Trapping Visitors In Your Frames
Improperly designed
frames can leave your visitor 'trapped' on
your site, unable to use the 'back' button on
their browsers to
leave. You can bet they'll never be back if
you try to force
them to stay! BigNoseBird.com has a nice little
tutorial on how
to get the 'Frames look' without actually using
them. Read it
at: http://bignosebird.com/k3.shtml .
5.
Broken Ordering Links!
It sounds silly... heck,
it *is* silly. Check your order links
regularly to ensure that they still work. Enough
said.
6.
Splash Pages
You only have a few
seconds to catch your visitor's attention.
A big showy graphic that serves no real purpose
is an easy way to lose your visitor -- particularly
if they're forced to wait
for it to load!
7.
Flash Animation
Flash movies are commonly
used on websites these days. However, to view
them often requires users to download a plug-in,
if they don't already have it. It can chew up
your machine's resources and make it darn near
impossible to get out - even a 'Skip Intro'
link is hard to click on if your computer is
too involved with Flash! Plus the load time
can be far too long for those without high-speed
Internet connections.
Of course, there are
legitimate reasons to use Flash. But if you
use it, make sure visitors have the OPTION to
view it. A couple
of suggestions are:
