| Avoid these often made, but costly mistakes | | | | not make a habit out of bashing my competition. I'm |
| 1. Confusing Layouts | | | | sure that their client insisted that the website be |
| The biggest mistake you could make when designing | | | | designed as it was. |
| your next website is designing a confusing and | | | | The website was for a vacation resort. Before I |
| scattered site with a layout that discourages | | | | continue, try to envision how you would build this site, |
| comfortable viewing. Let me explain. | | | | how it should be promoted, and how search engines |
| I'm sure at some point in your Internet surfing career, | | | | would view the site (remember, search engines can |
| you have fallen upon a website that has so many | | | | only read text... not images, video, or flash). On the |
| sections that you can actually feel your pulse quicken | | | | home page was a huge picture of one of the cabins. |
| as you scurry to make sense of the layout and | | | | The picture took up the entire page and you actually |
| decipher where to begin your reading. I would bet my | | | | had to scroll down to see anything else. Therein lies |
| next paycheck that you probably pushed the back | | | | the problem. There was nothing else. Below the picture |
| button as quick as you could so you could look at the | | | | were two buttons; Reservations and For More Info. |
| next site that appeared in your search return. | | | | At first glance the website is actually very beautiful. |
| Your website should be easy to understand. You have | | | | The image on the home page had me wanting to take |
| about 5 seconds to capture your visitor and set them | | | | vacation, however the site lacked info, additional |
| at ease so they can continue exploring your site. Easy | | | | pictures, rates, etc. More importantly, the website was |
| to understand navigation, complimenting colors and | | | | designed as such that search engines will simply |
| text, and logical flow will be your goals when building | | | | overlook the page and omit it from search results. If |
| your next website. | | | | you already knew about the vacation spot it would be |
| 2. Seizure Inducing Websites, Web-Dungeons | | | | easy to look up the website. But what about casual |
| Ok, maybe I'm being a little dramatic, but it sure feels | | | | vacation seekers? How are they supposed to find |
| like a dungeon of torture when you fall upon one of | | | | your site? Search engines rely on content to deliver |
| these sites. | | | | relevant search results, so if your website is all Flash, |
| Again, looking back at your glorious Internet surfing | | | | video, or image with no actual text content, the search |
| career, you've probably come across a website that | | | | engines will view that site as irrelevant and not |
| made you dizzy and want to throw-up. Yes... I can | | | | authoritative. This business owner is MISSING OUT on |
| actually see the frustration on your face from here! | | | | a ton of potential business (read: revenue). |
| Many web developers, and even some business | | | | 4. When in Rome, do as the Romans do |
| owners, have the idea that more is better, and even | | | | As any decent public speaker already knows, your |
| more than that is super-good! They fill the website with | | | | message should address the audience. If you are a |
| flashy ads, larger images scattered across the site | | | | doctor and asked to speak to your son's 8th grade |
| with no logical purpose, and even use video (dare I | | | | class on "Career Day", are you going to explain the |
| mention those horrible websites that have music in the | | | | significance in detecting irregular neurotransmissions in |
| background?) to "improve" user experience. | | | | geriatric Alzheimer's patients? Or would you tone |
| The fact of the matter is that these are distracting | | | | down your speech a bit so your audience could follow |
| features and if you were to look at your weblogs you | | | | along? |
| would see people leaving your site after the first 5-10 | | | | That may be an extreme example, however the |
| seconds. Come on, you know as well as anyone that | | | | principal remains the same. Your website needs to |
| there are millions of websites out there...you can't | | | | communicate in a way that addresses the majority of |
| afford to drive your customers away from your site | | | | your potential customers. In some cases industry |
| and directly to your competitor. | | | | jargon may be appropriate. Other times it is not. |
| 3. Self-Serving Ego-Sites | | | | 5. A Penny Saved is Not Always a Penny Earned |
| Yes, I made that term up myself. These are the sites | | | | Far too often business owners view their website as |
| that Egyptian pharaohs would have designed for | | | | nothing more than a check-box to be marked through. |
| themselves... that is, if they had Internet. | | | | They see their website as a need to keep up with the |
| I was recently scouting out my competition and was | | | | "Jones", however they don't view their website as a |
| looking at some work a particular competitor had done | | | | true asset to their business. Out of sight, out of mind is |
| for one of their clients. First let me preface that I do | | | | their attitude toward their website. |