Bits & Bytes: Top Ten Website Mistakes--Part 2 of 2

Top Ten Website Mistakes--Part 2 of 2

by Doug DeVries of Tech Help

Last month, we looked at five of the top ten mistakes in web design, adapted from an article by Jakob Nielsen of Useit.com. Here are mistakes 6-10:

6. No Site Map
The site map is the easiest way for a user to find what they are looking for without sifting through submenus or trying to guess at the proper search terms. Even if you have a great search function, everyone interacts with a website slightly differently. Be sure to provide your users with multiple methods to access the same information.

7. Anything That Looks Like an Ad
Web users no longer pay attention to ads that come between them and their goals. This includes:
• Banner Blindness: If it looks like a banner ad due to shape or position, users will look right past it.
• Animation Avoidance: Blinking/flashing text and aggressive animations don't attract attention--they drive it away.
• Pop-up Purge: Even if pop-ups get past their blocker, most users shut them down before they're fully rendered.

8. Violating Design Conventions
Jakob's Law of the Web User Experience: "Users spend most of their time on other websites." Those other sites teach them what to expect from your site. Unconventional sites are harder to use because they force the users to retrain themselves. Most users would rather find their content elsewhere.

9. Opening New Browser WindowsThere are only a couple of situations where a new window or pop-up should be used on your website. Links to pages within your website should never open new windows. Links to other resource websites can open new windows, allowing people to keep track of where they are within your site. Extra windows can cause confusion, so use sparingly.

10. Not Answering Users' Questions
People use the Internet because they have a goal. They want to accomplish something, or maybe even buy your product. If you don't provide the information they're looking for, your website has failed. This includes service or product details, phone numbers, prices, and return policies.

For the full text of Nielsen's article, visit http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9605.html