#10 - Lack of Contact Information
All legitimate businesses must have a mailing address -it is one of the credibility markers for customers. Yet it is also the single most common piece of missing information in a website's contact page.
Don't just place your mobile and email address as your company could look temporary at best, downright dodgy at worst. Full contact details including, email, telephone, mobile and mailing address inspire confidence from a customer.
#9 - Non-Standard Links
Links are the stepping-stones through a website, if your visitors can't find them, or don't know what page they are on, you are in trouble. Make things difficult for your visitors and they will leave you!
Going against expectations of how menus and links work is guaranteeing confusing and delay amongst users, and may even prevent them using your site. Here are some simple guidelines for using and identifying links:
- When a link is clickable make it obvious - in text links use colour and underlining, in image links use changing rollover images.
- Use the text of a link to describe what the user will find when they click. Try to avoid 'Click here' links. This will also improve your search engine optimisation.
- Avoid mixing javascript with straightforward HTML or graphical links. Pick a style for your site and stick with it throughout!
- Don't open new windows unless necessary. i.e. links to other sites and documents etc.
#8 - Accessible Sites That Aren't
Font sizes should be scalable to support the Accessibility legislation. However sites usually don't have scalable fonts, or even worse have fonts which scale and a layout which doesn't! Thus giving massive fonts overlapping graphics, creating scrolling sections etc... which make the web experience even more complex than simple small fonts.
#7 - Legibility Problems
An artistic font chosen for menus and titles that is completely illegible is a frequent problem. Combine this with poor contrast between the font and the background colour and a tiny font size and bingo you have a site that looks beautiful but is totally unusable!
#6 - Content Not Written for Visitors
Websites need to have a style of writing that is all their own. You should avoid marketing waffle, full of jargon and technical terms at all costs. This is because most people will search using words that they know rather than the terms marketing people have created. A person will search for a printing solution, not the latest PX 1430-ht.
Web content should be short, to the point and be of value to readers. Answer questions, provide useful information and use common terms. This will be a hit with both your users and improve search engine visibility too.
#5 - Complex Forms
Why does a company need to know my inside leg measurement before answering my question?
Avoid all unnecessary questions when using forms in a website. Keep to the information you will need to answer a question, or to provide a reply when information becomes available in the future. Some simple guidelines:
- Do you really need a salutation (Mr/Mrs/Ms/Miss/Dr etc...)?
- Do not make fields mandatory unless they really are.
- Allow flexibility when entering a phone number, credit card date etc, the system can always edit out the unnecessary spaces and brackets later
Quite simply don't conduct market research behind every form on your site - keep information gathering to a minimum.
#4 - Browser Incompatibility
The number 1 browser of choice is still Internet Explorer, however the number of people using Firefox, Opera and Safari has increased significantly.
There is nothing worse than opening a site in an alternative browser and being presented with an image a couple of inches across! Don't turn away potential customers simply because they choose to use a different platform.
#3 - Oversize Fixed Width Layouts
On large screens a website can be difficult to see if it is too small, likewise if the monitor is small a larger layout becomes filled with scrollbars. Print a layout like this and you will loose the right hand section of the screen.
The use of liquid layouts, that re-size with the users screen resolution and available screen space, will prevent this problem and present all users with the same quality experience.
#2 - Flash
Why do so many sites have useless intro animations? Flash can be used effectively and beautifully yet most designers seem to get this wrong, and most flash animations found on the Internet are annoying and serve no purpose, such as the aforementioned intro animations. They can even hide your site content from search engines!
Flash is a powerful tool, which should be used to provide additional power and features to your site that cannot be implemented through a static page. It shouldn't be used to add sparkle to your page.
If you have boring uninspired content - re-write it!
If your photography is poor - hire a professional to provide better images.
#1 - Pop-Ups
My personal number one hate - the advertising pop-up. They are pure evil!
- They get in users way
- Cover your valuable content
- Re-direct your clients away from your site
Enough said.
If you feel that your existing site is suffering from any of the above usability mistakes why not give us a call to see how we can help you out? Then again if you feel that we have missed off some dire web design disasters, please tell us about them.
