10 website blunders that users hate

No introduction needed.
These things make me want to stick needles in my eyes.   So, in no particular order…here we go!

1. Don’t let the design over rule the content. We all know designers love to showcase their skills, but if I’m so distracted by things that are jumping around on the page that I can’t focus on the content. You have lost me. This is especially true for the landing page.
2. Make your company name and purpose clear, especially on the home page. I kid-you-not, I recently visited a website where I could not find the company name…on the home page!   They used an acronym several times, but no company name.
3. Invest in a decent logo. Ok, this one makes my husband/partner really nuts. Folks spend upwards of $2k on a website, but have a logo that looks like clip art and sticks out like a sore thumb. Really folks…this is the cornerstone of your company. Spend a few bucks and have it done right.
4. Make sure your site loads quickly. This is a no brainier…I wait about 5 sec and then move on.
5. Date your blog posts and make them easy to share. There are lots of plug ins for cool and creative ways to do this.
6. If you are selling a service or a product, make it easy for folks to contact you. I hate looking for an email address or phone number. Put it on every page with a link to your email. Unless, of course, you don’t want to hear from your customer/clients.
7. Make the navigation easy to follow. I don’t want to guess how to get back to the home page from your store.   Make it easy for me and label it “home”.   Save the creative writing for the content.
8. Turn off the music. I know it sets a mood, but it’s distracting….and not everyone LIKES the same music as you.

Ok…so maybe that’s nine things….taking submissions for the 10th.

For some additional entertainment and information about how to ruin your website, enjoy this cartoon about “How a Web Design Goes Straight to Hell.“