Home
>
Web Design
>
The Top 8 Website Sins Part One

The Top 8 Website Sins Part One

They say the eyes are the window to the soul. Your website then is the window to your business. What would a passerby think of your "window"? What does your website say about you? About your business?

Does your website entice the visitor to pause and take a few moments to look around or does it confuse them so much they click past it without ever looking back.

The goal of your website is to make the visitor stay until the desired visitor response has been achieved. That might be that they sign up for your newsletter, complete a survey or make a purchase. If surfer doesn't stay for more than a few moments then all your hard work is for nothing.

There are 8 key factors that can prevent people from staying on your site. In extreme cases the key areas below can actually drive traffic away from your site.

Sin #1

Provide Useful Content.

People search for information online. To find that information they use search engines. They type in keywords or phrases to locate items, places or information they require or desire. Google, Yahoo and MSN go through their indexes and present the searcher with the best possible match for their information request. The searcher clicks on the links and visits a few sites.

What happens if the searcher doesn't find relevant information once they get to the site? Yup they go right back to their previous search results and go elsewhere.

Provide useful content. Don't scam the search engines. Don't churn out another site made up of copied search engine results. Your website is your business. Treat it like one.

The two key rules for website content are:

1. Make it useful.

2. Make it easy to find on your site

Sin #2

Slow Loading Sites

If your site takes any longer than 30 seconds to load then the visitor is gone. Theywon't be back either.

Ideally your website should load in 15 seconds or less. Web surfers will not wait around for your fancy graphics or flash demos to load. They'll get bored and move on.

Do not use bitmap graphic files for logos or as part of your site design. They're ugly and take forever to load.

Ensure that every single GIF and JPEG is optimized for faster loading. If you don't understand how to optimize graphic files for your site ask somebody to do it for you. It can cut your site loading time by 50%.

Keep your site to 20% graphics and 80% text. Text loads faster and gives the web surfer something to read while your graphics are quickly loading in the background. Look at some of the most successful websites on the net - Google, Yahoo and Amazon. Graphically intensive? bsolutely not. These guys realize that every second they waste and visitor they lose is money out of their pocket.

Sin #3

Poor Layout

A visitor should be able to find what they need on your website in 3 clicks or less. Any more than that and you're losing valuable visitors and the potential income that involves.

Your navigation menu should be easy to use and every single link must work properly. Don't just assume that all your links work - check them yourself.

Use a sitemap on each and every one of your websites.

Do not use fancy mouse pointers - the type with the fancy trails.

Do not use complicated menu systems.

Text should be legible but not huge. Change your screen resolution to 640 x 480 and 800 x 600. How does your website look now?

Keep it simple. Imagine how a new Internet user would react to your website. Would they love it or hate it? Could a new visitor easily find the information they're looking for? If not then why not? Find the problems yourself and eliminate them in advance.

Sin #4

Awful Color Schemes

There's nothing worse then searching for hours for the information you need and then not be able to read it.

You've all been there. You click on the search result and that's when the pain starts. You've just arrived at a page with a light blue background and yellow text. Or maybe it's red text on a black background or white text on a gray background. You stare at the site in disbelief that anybody could ever have thought such a color scheme would actually work.

If you need guidance on how to choose colors for your website look at any magazine. Black or dark blue text on a white background is the simplest and most effective color scheme for text presentation.

For your menus and other background colours bear the following in mind:

Red is stimulating and agressive.

Blue is peaceful and tranquil.

Green is calm and refreshing.

Yellow grabs peoples attention.

Purple is wealthy and luxurious.

Brown is solid and reliable.

Orange is bright and optimistic.

The colors you choose for your website can have a direct impact on how people react to your content or message. It can either attract them or repel them. The choice is yours.

Continued in part 2 of The Top 8 Website Sins.

This article was provided courtesy of Affiliate-Advocate.com where you'll find tons of information on online affiliate marketing

maid service near Deerfield ...

In The News:

ShinyHunters claims it breached FBIJobs.gov and stole Social Security numbers, home addresses and sensitive assignment details of FBI personnel.

Find My iPhone, Google Find Hub and Samsung Find have critical tracking settings to enable now, before your phone ever goes missing or stolen.

The FTC proposed a new enforcement policy on personalized pricing, warning companies that hide how personal data shapes the prices shoppers see.

The $250 million Apple Siri AI settlement is now accepting claims, with eligible iPhone owners potentially receiving up to $95 per device.

ShareAScan turns T-shirts into scannable digital business cards with QR codes that link to profiles the owner can update anytime they choose.

BragJack research reveals how a single malicious browser extension could hijack Gemini, Perplexity Comet and Edge AI agents with zero clicks.

A phishing campaign impersonating OpenAI uses fake ChatGPT billing emails with a convincing login page to steal credentials and payment details.

Startups are helping modernize America’s defense industry with new technology and innovative ideas as the War Department diversifies its inventory.

New account fraud victims jumped 31% in 2025, reaching 5.4 million. Criminals open accounts you may never see on your regular bank statements.

Flytrex says its AI-powered Rooftop Dock system in Dallas-Fort Worth positions drones at restaurants before orders arrive, cutting delivery costs by 60%.

Samson Sky's Switchblade flying car secures $80 million from Dubai's Matin Group, but the redesigned hybrid-electric aircraft still needs more testing.

The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

CenterPoint Energy confirmed customer data was stolen, while a hacker claims 7.49 million records with partial Social Security numbers were taken.

The $59 Brick device promises to help curb phone addiction, but free iPhone and Android tools may already do the job. Here's what to try first.

Epsilon Data Management's "opportunity seeker" lists helped scammers target millions of older Americans, DOJ court filings reveal in detail.

HBO Max's verified Reddit account was hijacked to push 108 malicious ads using ClickFix, a technique that tricks victims into running dangerous commands.

Flash Shelton reveals how home security cameras and alarm systems can stop squatters before they claim tenant rights in your vacant property.

WIM-Z's AI dog training robot uses on-device processing to detect barking and dispense treats autonomously, with field trials showing up to 83% reduction.

Google's Threat Intelligence Group found PROMPTFLUX malware that uses Gemini to rewrite its own code every hour, raising urgent cybersecurity alarms.

Your VPN may quietly drop protection when switching between airport Wi-Fi and hotel Wi-Fi. Key settings like auto-connect and kill switch help.

A South Carolina caregiver allegedly gained power of attorney over a 75-year-old with Parkinson's, then transferred his home via quitclaim deed for $5.

Joby Aviation flew its eVTOL air taxi into DFW Airport's busy airspace as Texas launches Project Nexus, a three-year advanced air mobility program.

Federal prosecutors say criminals bought sponsored search ads mimicking real banks, capturing over 5,000 login credentials and draining accounts.

The Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 electric truck targets 621 miles per charge on a 28,000-mile round-the-world journey through over 30 countries.

A viral video shows roughly a dozen Coco Robotics delivery robots swarming a Chicago sidewalk near Lincoln Park, raising wheelchair access concerns.

The Top 8 Website Sins Part One

Web Design