Top
10 Web Site Design Mistakes
Using Too
Much Color
When it comes to adding
color to a web site, it's
easy to go overboard. You
may have always liked dark
brown, but on a web page,
it has to be added carefully.
Generally, pastel colors
work best for backgrounds.
These kind of colors (along
with the old standby, white)
are the best choices. Why?
Text has good contrast
against them. As for the
colors of graphics and
so forth on top of
your background, it is
important to realize that
certain colors go well
together while others do
not. A helpful approach
is to surf the web to see
how professional sites
use colors. Then it's a
matter of trial and error
as you learn how colors
can help the effectiveness
of your web site and your
message.
Big Does Not
Mean Better When It Comes
To Text
Your body text should
stay on the small side.
Not tiny small, mind you.
Most professional sites
have smaller body text,
around 10 points. This
allows for more content
per page and it just looks
more professional. For
headings and subheads,
you can have more fun with
sizes. But also keep in
mind that using more than
two font types on your
site will work against
a sense of consistency.
Arial, Verdana, Times Roman,
and Geneva are widely viewed
(no pun intended) as easy
to read on web pages.
Turning Your
Text Into Graphics
 |
This
is plain text. Notice
how you can swipe and
copy it if you wish. |
Do not make your text into graphics. That is, don't
use software like Photoshop or Paint to turn your
text into GIF or JPEG's. The problems it causes
are twofold. One, graphics take longer to download
than straight text, and two, when the search engines
index your web site, they can't scan your images
to read the text. This can really hurt when it
comes to your search engine rankings. How can a
search engine understand what your page is about
if it can't read your text? The short answer...
it can't.
Clicking On
A Link Brings Up A New
Window
There's a setting in HTML
that allows a new browser
window to open when you
click on a link. This can
be a good thing if the
link is to a web site outside
the scope of your site
(for example, a link on
a car dealership that goes
to a transmission repair
company). If it is overdone,
however, it can be a real
annoyance as well as confusing
to your viewers. If you
have ever tripped across
a site that keeps opening
windows as you try to close
them, you know what I am
talking about. So use this
technique with discretion.
It is rarely ever needed.
No Consistent Navigation
Scheme
It is important to allow
your audience to move around
within your site easily.
The best way to assure
this is to have a set of
navigation links in the
same location on every
web page. Having to search
through a page to figure
out how to navigate is
a quick way to wave goodbye
to your audience. The best
places to anchor your navigation
bar is along the top left
or along the top of your
of your pages. A large
percentage of web sites
out there use these two
positions. Why? Because
they work. Also consider
a set of text-only links
at the bottom of each page.
The more ways you can help
your visitors navigate,
the better.
Thinking Flash
Is "Where It's At"
Those flying, spinning,
cool animations you see
on the web are usually
Flash. Flash is a technology
developed by Macromedia,
Inc. In its place, it can
add an interesting accent
to your site. But some
folks overdo it, especially
with the "splash screens" that
visitors see when they
first get to a web site.
Think of it this way, people
come to your web site with
a purpose, and it is rarely
to see stuff blink and
swirl. They come for content.
Recently there has been
less fuss over Flash. Unless
there is a real reason
to include it, focus on
your content.
Forgetting
About The Search Engines
What good is a web site
if people can't find it?
Ninety percent of the time,
your target audience is
using Google or a similar
search engine to locate
web sites. So make sure
your site has gobs of useful
content on your subject
matter and a rock-solid
navigation scheme. If you
can get other web sites
to link to your site (not
link farms) then that helps
too. Lastly, include the
phrases your target audience
is likely to enter in the
search engines within
the text of your site.
These tips are part of
what's called Search Engine
Optimization (or SEO).
It is critical to a web site
successfully reaching its
target audience.
-
Kaufman Web Design™ |
