Prevent the most common visible website mistakes.
Build your website from the visitor’s perspective and make it easy for them to take action (such as calling for information, filling out your contact form or purchasing online). You have under 5 seconds to grab the attention of your prospects before they click away from your site (possibly forever). Call or email us with any questions.
Top 30 Visual Design Tips
Your Domain Name should be logical and search engine friendly like www.web-design.com
Avoid clutter and “busy” backgrounds – white space is important.
Make it easy to skim – lots of subheadings, short paragraphs. Get ideas across quickly.
Be concise – avoid too much text on main pages of site.
Bullet lists are very effective. List features, benefits, examples.
“Content is King!” Incorporate the “keywords” your visitors are searching for.
Each page of your site should focus on different SEO keywords, giving you more chances for higher rank in search engines.
Don’t write from your perspective. Give visitors the answers they seek! Make them want to contact you.
Build trust by actually providing solid information.
Place contact info, or a link to it, on the top and/or bottom of each page. Sample
What separates you from the competition? Best, Free, Most experienced, …
Keep content accurate and up-to-date. Outdated or bad info drives visitors away for good.
Keep navigation consistent and clear – make it easy to find things on each page. Sample
Explain what you’re linking to, both internally and externally.
Ensure easy access to each page. Large sites may need a Site Map, Search Feature or drop-down menu.
Make links apparent (blue, underlined, or stand out).
Avoid underlining words if they’re not links. [oops!]
Test links to be sure they function correctly. Remove dead external links.
Consider a “Last Modified” date on time-sensitive material.
Avoid distractions such as blinking text, scrolling text, animated GIFs, or sound files.
Don’t annoy visitors with automatic pop-up windows.
Use contrasting colors or simple backgrounds for best possible readability.
Don’t type more than a few words in ALL CAPS.
Always check spelling and make text large enough to read – especially if your target audience includes seniors.
Don’t add graphics just to make pages pretty. Appropriate graphics (logo, photos, etc.) will help convey and reinforce your message. Some people are more visual than others.
Same idea with sound files. IF appropriate, sound bites or background music can add to viewers experience. Give visitors control to turn on and off.
Compress image files which can cause slow page loading. (100 KB vs. 3 MB) — Don’t make your customers wait!
Beware of excess multimedia – can cause confusion and hurt search engine rank.
Avoid “Splash” pages if they don’t answer questions.
What turns you off from a site?
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