5 Website Design Techniques To Avoid Like The Plague

Is she looking at your website?

I have a headache…

I’ve spent a few hours perusing websites while I work on some ideas.  I’m a bit stunned at some of the website design mistakes that my eyes and head have the misfortune of witnessing.

I’ll be honest, I don’t have a creative bone in my body.  I don’t do web “design” (or design of any description)  – I build local websites that work.  You don’t need anything fancy or swish to do that. Nice simple websites work.

Of course, you want your website to look good. Most importantly, it needs to work and be user friendly.  Are you doing any of these user unfriendly mistakes?

Website design techniques that turn your visitors off

1. Black backgrounds with white writing – ok, I know some people need black with white writing, but the majority of your viewers are usually not partially sighted.  Reading white writing on a black background is HARD especially if you have tiny fonts. 
   If you want your visitors to read what you have written, use a pale (preferably white) background with a dark (preferably black) font.
2. Everything in a huge bold font – font size 16 maybe the new 12, but 20 and 24 isn’t and definitely not all in bold either.  That just makes your webpage very difficult to read.
3. Daft things that float down/across the screen – I know it’s Easter, but floating Easter eggs? Really? We’re not in the 90’s. Things that waft across the screen unbidden is not “in”.  They’re just infuriating, distracting, and unnecessary. 
   Oh, and make your website hard to read too (have you spotted a recurring theme yet?)  
   If you want to celebrate a holiday with your website design, please do it tastefully.
4. Auto-play anything – I don’t care if video is the latest thing, I don’t care what your favourite tune of the moment is either.  People go to your website for information.  If you want to include video or music make sure there’s an OFF switch and preferably an ON switch first so people can switch it on if they choose.
5. Speaking of on and off, Flash (arrhh arrhhhhh) – you know the fancy stuff that does things. 
   Just don’t. 
   It’s not needed in most cases.  It’s definitely not needed as an intro-page for a local business just so I can click to enter.  Like most sane people, I click the browser back button before it has even loaded fully.

So maybe I sound rather grumpy.  I admit, it’s late and I am tired (did I mention a headache?) The design mistakes above are all very valid regardless of the time of day. 

Don’t make your visitors run for the hills with horrendous website design.  Keep it simple and readable.

Please?