Home
>
Web Design
>
Your Website Visitors - Will They Stay?

Your Website Visitors - Will They Stay?

I'm sure you've all heard the saying 'Build it and they will come'. Although that may have been true a few years ago, now we must work, and work hard, to get visitors to our websites.

You can't always control who visits, however, you can have some control over who stays.

Here are a few website no-no's that I have come accross that made me leave without even clicking past the first page.

1. Slow loading pages - For those of us still on dial-up internet access this is one of the primary reasons for not hanging around.

If you think you are going to load your page up with lots of images and javascripts to make it look nice and do great things, think again. They slow down the loading of the page. Save that stuff for later pages when you have your visitors' attention. If you offer them something they came to find they will have a little more patience as the remaining pages load.

2. Curser followers - We've all seen them, those little dots or letters that follow the curser around the page. They are so annoying that I don't even bother to read the first paragraph.

OK, so maybe there is a place for them. If you have a site based on entertaining children then perhaps you can use them effectively. However, if your site is focused on getting signups for your affiliate programs try to keep it professional looking.

3. Flash Intro - These are not as bad as they used to be due to the fact that most search engines can spider and index them now.

What is annoying though is when a site has a flash intro and does not give the visitor a way to skip it and go directly into the site. Again this is particularly bad for those with dial-up connections. If I have to sit and watch a little colored bar that says 'loading', guess what, I'm gone. Always give your visitor a means to skip the intro if they want to.

4. Colored backgrounds and printing - Have you ever had to get up close to your monitor to read the words on a website? I have and I can tell you that I didn't read too many lines before I was gone.

There are definitely some color schemes you should stay away from. For example, red letters on a black background are extremely hard to read. I'm sure you have come accross some yourself that were sure-fire triggers for the 'back' button.

Simple black letters on a white background is your best bet for easy reading. Also be sure to keep your paragraphs short and have lots of 'white space' on your page.

I'm not saying not to use colors in your site, there have been many studies that indicate certain colors trigger certain responses, however, you really need to experiment to get the right combination.

5. Animated Banners - DO NOT put animated banners on your home page.

Banners, animated or not, are images and can slow down the loading of your page. Also, animated banners are distracting and if you distract your visitor from the main purpose of your site......there goes a possible sale.

I know that many people just starting out are using Banner Exchanges as a means of getting visitors to their site. That's OK just don't put them on your home page. Put them at the bottom of all the rest of the pages if you want, just not on your index page. Remember, if your home page is strong enough to capture your visitors' interest, they will click on more pages and you will get your banner impressions.

6. Too much on one page - I've seen some sites where the owner has just about every affiliate program he belongs to on his home page.

If I type a keyword into a search engine and click on the first site that comes up, I want to be able to find what I'm looking for without having to sift through paragraph upon paragraph of other advertisements and affiliate links. If your visitors don't think they will find what they came to find, you'll lose them.

You should use your home page to welcome your visitors and tell them exactly what they want to know. If your site is about pet grooming, tell them that right from the start. Let them know the kind of information they can expect to find on each of your pages. Make sure your navigation is easy to follow by having the main navigation bar at the top left of your page and putting links throughout the text.

Your home page should lead your visitors to the rest of your site, that's where you do your selling.

Those are a few of the deterants that I have found while searching for information on the internet. I hope you will be able to use this information to make your own sites more user friendly and keep your visitors from clicking away.

Randy Justason is the Owner/Webmaster of MLM Wonders - http://www.mlmwonders.com - A website dedicated to opportunities, ideas and resources for starting a home based business on the internet. You can subscribe to the MLM Wonders free monthly Newsletter at: http://www.mlmwonders.com

recurring maid service Buffalo Grove ..

In The News:

The iconic Mary Kay pink Cadillac goes electric with the Cadillac Optiq, available only to the company's top 1% of sales force performers.

Cybercriminals abuse trusted Intel driver to gain kernel access and shut down Windows Defender, enabling undetected malware deployment since July 2025.

Using email aliases for online shopping and subscriptions can protect your privacy by preventing companies from linking your activity across websites.

New research shows AI overlap does not equal job replacement, with knowledge-based roles seeing most integration while physical jobs remain least affected.

Scammers target seniors who avoid social media by exploiting public records like obituaries and real estate filings to steal personal information and money

Recovery team in Italy use AI-enabled drones to detect missing hiker's red helmet, leading to successful recovery after months of ground searches

Google Salesforce system breach exposes business data while scammers use incident to target users with fake security calls and phishing attempts.

Google announces Pixel 10 lineup with Tensor G5 chip and Gemini Nano AI, introducing Magic Cue, Pro Res Zoom up to 100x and satellite emergency support features.

C San Diego study reveals 86% of school safety companies monitor students 24/7 on personal devices, raising privacy concerns.

Users can now add their favorite outlets' coverage to the Top Stories section of Google search results by utilizing the 'preferred sources' feature. With just a few clicks, you can add Fox News.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS shows an unexpected frontal glow that Harvard's Avi Loeb says cannot be explained by sunlight reflection or standard cometary outgassing.

Receiving order confirmations for purchases you never made could mean your email address is being exploited in fraud operations targeting multiple retailers.

First wireless brain implant works with Apple's official protocol, enabling hands-free control of iPhones, iPads and Vision Pro through thought alone.

Data brokers sell personal details that scammers use to target retirement funds through fake financial advisor calls and convincing phishing attempts

Ten innovative tech solutions from gait sensors to smart pill dispensers help adults 65+ track fall risks and prevent injuries before they happen.

Meta AI internal documents revealed chatbots were allowed to flirt with children and engage in romantic conversations until the company was exposed by Reuters.

ChatGPT will avoid giving direct mental health advice under new OpenAI rules following instances where the AI model provided harmful or misleading responses.

Your phone tracks you in more ways than that little GPS icon suggests. Here’s how to find and clear hidden location logs on iPhone and Android.

Authorities in France and the Netherlands have been notified. Meanwhile, impacted customers are being told to stay alert.

Apple just rolled out a redesigned Blood Oxygen feature to specific models, following a recent victory in a legal dispute.

Kidney dialysis provider DaVita experienced a ransomware breach by the Interlock gang affecting 916,000 people in the second-largest U.S. healthcare attack of 2025.

A Chinese-made Unitree R1 robot walked Manhattan streets and shopped for shoes as part of KraneShares' $28 million AI robotics fund promotion campaign.

The ShinyHunters cybercriminal group breached Google's Salesforce system through vishing attacks, stealing business contact details and customer data.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Your Website Visitors - Will They Stay?

Web Design