Update Website Design Tips

I wrote a page about website design tip long time ago but time had evolved thorough years.  So, I updated the tips here now.

Guideline to make a website better place for visitors.

Common Mistake Following Are:

• Heavy Graphics: 
• There are still large portion of dial up users in this world nowadays, so keep images in minimum to enrich the visitor's pleasant visiting.  Cascading Style Sheets often help to control the style, color, images, and position for website that will keep website running well.  Overuse images, CSS, flashes, and animations often cause website loads more than 8 sec that makes visitors feel that it is not for them and leave quickly and never come back.  They always take 8 sec to see if the website is suits well for them.

• Too much videos and pictures:  
• The time had evolved, the videos and pictures on website are more acceptable.  Often YouTube and other video hosts has an automatic thumbnails on the video to appears on video before they click video that help a lot to make it faster to load.  Just do not put too many videos in one page.  If it is a business website, videos should be in separate page and let visitor know that they are going to watch video unless it is a store or emphasis product is OK to use video or image to draw attention.  Vanity websites is somewhat more flexible for visitors to relax and enjoy, so having a few videos on website is ok now.  Also several pictures on website is ok now, too but keep it fast loadable and thumbnail size and allow visitor click it and open it in new window if they want see a bigger picture.  Bloggers are encouraged to post at least one picture each post to keep visitor attracted to their blog.

• Too much scripts:  
• Webmasters like to use many scripts because they are cool or fun to use.  They probably thought they might be useful.  Unfortunately, some visitor disable JavaScript or use some browsers do not support some JavaScript scripts that can cause them won't experience pleasant visiting on other website.  Keep scripts in minimum and ensure it is available every browsers. It should be used for images or some benefits' purpose to enrich the visiting.  Read More >>>

• Too much Advertisements:  
• Browse users adapted with advertisements and learned to ignore them because advertisements are everywhere. Advertisements are always annoying such as pop up and ads interrupt when they are reading the content in the page They will get upset and leave without giving you a chance. Flashy banners are the worst annoyer ever! Do not use it on any of the website unless it is the purpose to get people attention to get specific the website that webmaster want them to go.

• Webmaster chose Vanity and Business together in one website:  
• She or he needs choose business or vanity for your website. If she or he chose both in one website will make visitors think she or he is not serious about her or his business. So, she or he ensure that her or his website sticks one subject. The most common mistakes for guestbook be in business site is inappropriate. Guestbook is best for vanity websites only.

• Too long characters in domains and uncommon 3 ext end of the domains.
• Sometimes it can be difficult to choose good domains because there are million domains had been taken. webmaster have to think outside of the box and choose short characters of the domain. Common people know .com and .org that can be found easily for people. the domain with .com is for commercial and org is for nonprofit or fundraiser organizations.

• Colors conflicts and inappropriate colors for business or vanity websites:
• Million websites have some colors that annoys people's eyes. Number one is regular blue with regular red is too bright. People will not able to stay, read, and leave immediately because it hurts their eyes. Most business should use white or close to white for the background to make it look like real store and make people feel excited to buy products from business. Dark background will make people feel dull and lose motivation or relaxed.  Time had evolved about color and tint usage for website.  Dark colors on website is ok for some specific website such as art.  It is purpose to relax.  Keep color in contrast between image and text, so people can read easily.

• Errors in spelling and grammars.
• Webmaster needs to proofread her or his spelling and grammar before she or he publishes her or his website.  She or he can have her or his families, friends, classmates, or co-workers proofread for her or his to make sure it is a clear enough for people to read.

• Too long page that requires a lot of scroll with your mouse.
• Many affiliate pages have very long page that will make people feel that there is too much to read. Webmaster need break down each page with each subject that you want to tell people. Another way you can make it easier for long page, write a summary at top of the page cover all information.

• Website load up more than 10 sec at main page.
• Dial up users only can wait up to 8 sec for website to load up. If your website load up too slow will make them think there is something wrong with your website and will leave immediately and move on other website that will load up to 10 seconds and start to read content or buy their products. The quote for people saying "Do not make me wait."

• Using Html and JavaScript Redirect.
• It is not recommended to use it because if you put zero second to redirect will be considered as spam in search engine or it will not work for browse users who turn JavaScript off. Using your web hosting Cpanel redirect is recommended and will be seamless redirect and will not considered as spam.

• Using disable right side menu or highlight.
• If you want protect your works, simple do not upload it or mark copyright on your works. If you disable right side menu or highlight will upset visitors, encourage visitors to steal your work, and make them think you are hiding something from them. Many people like to use right side menu to open file, new windows and other so many features.

• Every hyperlinks require open new windows:
• If you put all hyperlinks relate to your website open new windows all the time make visitors get tired of using their pop blocker to allow it pop up and will make them lost and cannot click back button. So keep all related pages in same window so visitors can explore around and read contents. If they want open new window, they will use right side menu feature. You only can make hyperlink opens in new window if it goes to another website or completely different topic websites and let them know.  It should reserved for images and external links.

• Images are not resize to thumb size and has a link that opens in same window:
• If you use large image on page as list will make your website loading slower and will discourage visitors to explore more. You need resize the image and hyperlink it with image link in new window. So the visitors can see the image closer and stay in your website and not be lost.

• Harsh Writings.
• Never say negative to people when they first read contents will upset visitors and offend them. You need start with positive contents. If you feel you need tell them truth about your website situations such as website is going to down or remove features, you need start with positive contents and explain reasons about this situations in nice way only. The common quote "We're sorry for your inconvenience."

• Hide the identify for business websites.
• It is common to not tell people's full name, address, and phone number in chat rooms and other chat programs to protect themselves.  However, when webmaster is running business webmaster need to let visitors know who webmaster is and let them know who they are dealing with to make them feel comfortable and trust him or her. So they can feel safe to buy products from the webmaster without being conned.

• Set up products or Services that Webmaster cannot deliver.
• Webmaster need analysis his or her skills and abilities first and practice with it if it is necessary before he or she start to do the services for other people. New business people thought they can do some services and end up failed to deliver customers' request that end up upset customers and more likely to spread bad news to others about new business also will think that he or she is fraud.

• Design website for one web browser only.
• Webmaster made his or her website works for Internet Explorer only and haven't check or test to see if it works for other browser such as Firefox, Google chrome, etc.. that often can ruin visitors and encourage them to leave.  Make sure the website is accessible to nearly all browsers.

• Unreadable Fonts.
• Webmaster only should use common fonts such as Arial, Verdana, and Time New Roman that is well read by visitors. If webmaster chose fancy fonts that is not accessible by visitors, the font will change to visitors' default would be worse than chosen common fonts.

• Clutter and unorganized websites.
• Webmaster put too many advertisements and too much information on a page that is not necessary that will confuse visitors. Webmaster need sticks with one title each page. Also, he or she needs organize website, so visitors can find the contents that they are looking for. Webmaster only need one navigation each page on top or side and a legal information link at bottom. A navigation should kept on each page to keep visitor engaged and can be found again if the visitor is lost and want click home that is friendly user.  If you use same hyperlinks in two navigation, it is overload and causes clutter. The quote, "Do not make me think."

• Not optimized for Search Engine.
• All webmaster must optimize their websites for Search Engine (SEO) because they will crawl the website and indexed it to be on search engine list for people to find websites. If webmaster put all images template, that will be total impossible for them to crawl the website even image navigation, too. Webmaster need use text or put alterative text on the image so Search Engine crawls it easily. Webmaster needs includes title, keywords, descriptions to command search engine crawlers indexes the website.  Webmaster need to includes a page called site map for engine search to index them easier.  There are a lot of information about SEO in Google search to help webmaster to optimize the website.

Further guideline about designing website to please visitors at http://websitehelpers.com/design

My old site about website design tip in 2006 at http://www.silentmysts.com/web_design_tips.htm

Helpful Resources:

Web page analyzer will tell you how fast your website loads with different level of the speed.

http://www.lighthouse.org/accessibility/design

http://snook.ca/technical/colour_contrast/colour.html - It give a new webmaster way to choose color for website.

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