Don’t DO IT! as cool as it might be!!
Posted by Lindsayanng on February 22nd, 2009
Things you REALLY need to stay away from when designing your blog/website.
Read this page to seee the things you WANT to stay away from, and to find out if your web page sucks!
Do NOT put white text on a black background. It is IMPOSSIBLE to read and readers will run as soon as they see it. Use grey on black instead
Just cause its a cool gadget does not mean your blog/website needs it. There are so many plugins and addons and snippets of codes for any type of website. Unless it ads functionality that your visitors will appreciate, fight the urge to add it.
Do NOT add music to your website. These days, everyone already has their own music on their computers. If they way to play it they will. Also, studies have shown that most adults surf the web while at work, do you really want to get a reader in trouble by blasting your latest favorite.
Don’t kill your readers with ads. I know you would like to make some extra money off of them, but the real value in your blog is it’s readers. If there are no readers, there’s no blog. So keep them to a minimum and strategically place them to be non-invasive
Clearly label your navigation. There is such a thing called MYSTERY MEAT NAVIGATION. Does your website have it?
Animated gifs are for 1990, and they should stay there! Blinking things and animations over your cursor are NOT cool and do NOT add quality to your site content. (see example here )
Do not try to stuff too much content on your main page. Instead, link to the content from a single, well defined button. This will free up space for some more important things
Do not leave the default page titles on there. When you look at your tabs in your browser, you see a custom name that I created. You can do this too! Its very easy – it’s called the TITLE tag and it is in your head section of your web page
If you want a COMPLETE checklist of “Does My Website Suck?” GO HERE
I do not mean to hurt anyone’s feelings, but you have a website to get people to look at it. Make sure those people ENJOY their experience so they come back again and again.
Want some honest feedback and critique,
POST YOUR WEBSITE HERE
I will be honest and give useful answers, but do not post if you are sensitive. I will be blunt, and I am known for being blunt in giving feedback, but never mean.
Want to know who is offering this awesome content? Here it is! Someone who is relatively new to web design. I am new enough to still remember how absolutely frustrating it was to try and get anything done in this field, but have also been around long enough to be able to help those that are where I was a year ago.
Aside from web design, I run the office of my dad's engineering business, and do book keeping by trade.
I love my pets.. All 6 cats, 1 peg legged dogs, and 1 hedgehog. LOVE THEM!!
Oh yea, and my husband. He lets me chase my dreams and I let him do the same. We are happy people because of it. Read more from this author
This is a amazing blog , i am really impressed about this site. keep writting,good job !