Common website mistakes - what to avoid when designing a website

There's a number of classic mistakes many web designers make when putting a website together - the web is full of these sites which are either confusing to navigate or in extreme cases, invisible to search engines.  The Immediasite system automatically steers you clear of most of these potential problems but let's take a look at what CAN happen...

The following examples are some of the typical ‘mistakes’ which can often scare prospective customers away rather than persuade them to contact you with a view to using your services.  Keep these pointers in mind when developing your business website and you will automatically increase your chances of online success.

Flash animations and over-use of graphics

Flash animations may look impressive but when a search engine spider searches for your site, it will be looking specifically for text, NOT graphics.  How many times have you come across websites that are bursting with animations rather than written content?  The heavy use of graphics can discourage and confuse a search engine spider.  In extreme cases, your site may not be indexed at all by the search engine, making it impossible for your prospective customers to find the site via an online search.  They can also slow down the time it takes for your pages to load - another reason why site visitors click away.

Background music or sound effects 

Did you know that a huge proportion of your website visitors will be searching for your site discreetly whilst at work?  So the last thing they want is a sudden unexpected burst of music to give the game away!  If this happens, they will click away from your site within a second.  Worse still, they will usually be irritated and annoyed and unlikely to return.

Outdated information

Having plenty of up-to-date written content on your website does 2 jobs:  firstly it keeps site visitors coming back for repeat visits to check your latest news, and secondly it keeps the search engines interested in your site.  Fortunately the Immediasite system makes it a simple and quick task to update your pages.

Contact details difficult to find

Keep your contact details in a prominent position on your site – you may even wish to show it at the bottom of every page.  Remember the aim of your website is to encourage customers to contact you - the easier you can make this, the more likely you are to win their business. 

Confusing navigation

There’s nothing more off-putting than a website with so several confusing layers of navigation.  Keep the navigation structure as simple and intuitive as possible and always make sure your visitors can easily find their way back to your homepage.  (Again, if you are using the Immediasite system you hardly need worry about this one as it's automatically taken care of ny our file structure).