07.25.06
Website Design Mistakes
It’s rare, in this day in age, to hear of a business that doesn’t have some type of website presence. Some hire website designers. Others do it themselves. With so many software programs out there, creating your own website can be simple and fun. However, you need to avoid making mistakes that can turn potential customers off your website. Here are three common mistakes:
Cramming. Unlike a sheet of paper on which you feel you must jam pack with information until no white space exists, web pages are longer and allow you the luxury of a little white space. This is a good thing. Cramming only makes people frustrated as they try and search through the graphics and the text looking for the information they need.
Skip the gobbledygook. In short, use plain, easily understandable text. Avoid using jargon that only you or your industry may understand. If someone needs to pull out a dictionary to decipher your website, chances are you’ve lost a potential customer.
Unapproachable. Spam, and I don’t necessarily mean the lunch meat, can leave a bad taste in anyone’s mouth. Nothing is more annoying then opening your business email and finding fifty unsolicited emails clogging your mailbox. Unfortunately, in our desire to protect our contact information from spammers and identity thieves by not making it readily available on our websites, we also alienate potential customers who may be trying to contact us. Other contact information besides a simple contact form also lends a level of credibility to your business.
