8 Deadly Sins of Site Design

WHAT MAKES SOMEONE EXIT Leave a Website? Attracting a potential customer is hard enough. Grabbing their interest and retaining them is even more difficult. It's important to design your site so that user frustration is kept to a minimum, thereby maximizing customer retention. Below are some examples of what not to do when designing your website. 1. Bad Navigation Nothing frustrates a website visitor more than a website that's hard to navigate. Complex or inconsistent navigation can cause users to feel helpless, confused, or angry-certainly not the emotions you want potential customers to be feeling. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT V Your website navigation should be logical, intuitive and easy to understand. Don't provide visual elements that aren't clear in defining where the user is and what they're supposed to do next. NEWS V Try grouping navigation elements in a central area. For larger websites try adding a sitemap. Don't scatter your main navigation links around your site. WELCOME TO OUR SITE! НOME Don't bury your main navigation links in body text. ABOUT Don't make your link text hard to understand. "Other links" is generally not a good choice for link text. OTHER LINKS 2$ 2. Too Many Ads Suffocating your visitor with ads that pop, flash, and fill the entire browser will only serve to enrage them. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT As a general rule, ads shouldn't be the first thing that your visitor sees. AD AD AD V Running ads on your website can be a perfectly legitimate way to monetize. However, in order to maximize your retention rate (and lower your bounce rate) be tasteful and discreet in your approach to displaying ads. WELCOME TO OUR SITE! Don't be obtrusive with your AD pop-up ads. Try not to cover up the content that attracted your visitors in the first place. ÅD! Avoid ads that take up more real estate than your content. 3. Bad Content Structure Bad content structure can destroy your conversion and retention rates. Make your content (especially your contact info) easy to find. It's estimated that as many as 50% of sales are lost because potential customers can't find what they're looking for. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT WELCOME V Don't have visitors fish TO OUR SITE! Don't complicate things by distributing your content across multiple around for the content they're looking for. pages that could easily be communicated on one page. v Group similar content in a clear, concise manner. EMAIL PHONE LOCATION v Consider using bold headings in addition to highlighting certain keywords that visitors may be searching for. !!! Don't forget to include introductory content. 4. Obtrusive Use of Audio E Video Most people value their ability to choose what content to absorb. Having video or audio that loads automatically can potentially drive visitors away. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT WELCOME TO OUR SITE! v Give users the option of viewing video or audio content-don't force them. If you do choose to play a video automatically, make Avoid using videos that sure there are clear exits. automatically stream and V Sometimes a simple paragraph can just as easily intrude on the visitors browsing experience. AD convey the content of a video. Test and see what works best for you. Avoid loud or obnoxious music that plays in the background. S. The Registration Requirement It's often the case that forcing visitors to register before they can view content is much like a physical barrier. Barriers, such as forced-registration, may ultimately cause the visitor to go elsewhere for what they're looking for. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT WELCOME TO OUR SITE! V Avoid putting up barriers between you and your visitors. If a visitor must register to interact with your site, try Avoid excessive use of pop-ups that require visitors to register giving them a taste of what they're signing up for. Offer a preview or a demo. REGISTERED USERS ONLY before they can see content. Signup! NAME EMAIL PHONE 6.Boring Content, Boring Design A dull website that has no purpose or interactivity will never create a memorable experience for a visitor. Data suggests that 40% of visitors don't return to a website after having a negative experience. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT YOUR COMPANY'S NAME V Minimalistic websites can be very effective and beautiful if done correctly. Always be sure that your site has utility and that your visitors have no trouble finding what they need. Don't intentionally make LOGO your website as bland and useless as possible. v Consider ways to enhance interactivity with your visitors. Examples of good engagement catalysts are blogs, forums, and special features that are updated on a regular basis. OBFUSCATED EMAIL ADDRESS 7. Poor Legibility Bad typography choices, abrasive colors, and excessive typos all contribute to poor legibility-and ultimately a poor user experience. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT * Welcome V If it's within your budget, hire a designer. The color palate, the typeface, and the general tone of your website can have an enormous impact on Don't use typefaces that are unnecessarily elaborate, pixelated or have poor contrast. conversions and customer retention. V If you don't have a referral for a good designer, check out dribbble.com and For most kinds of websites, excessive use of bright, 99designs.com. fluorescent colors can be distracting and abrasive. 8. Lack of Frequency You may have found the right balance of interactivity, design and content construction-those are all good things. But you also need to keep your site fresh with new content. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT WELCOME V Keep your content TO OUR SITE! current and fresh. Not only will this boost the interest level in your site, it will also contribute to НОME ABOUT CONTACT Don't forget to update content frequently. higher rankings on search engines. V Trying adding a blog to your site. Blogging is an easy way to keep your content fresh and update LAST UPDATED: 7/1/1995 Don't use the "under construction" cliché, Visitors have come to equate visitors with news and "under construction" with UNDER CONSTRUCTION events. "this site is rarely updated, move along." SOURCES OKISSmetrics econsultancy.com bx.businessweek.com usability.gov forrester.com PEOPLE PAY YOU. NOT PAGEVIEWS. KISSmetrics is a powerful web analytics solution that helps you make smarter business decisions. Start your FREE trial at kissmetrics.com/signup WHAT MAKES SOMEONE EXIT Leave a Website? Attracting a potential customer is hard enough. Grabbing their interest and retaining them is even more difficult. It's important to design your site so that user frustration is kept to a minimum, thereby maximizing customer retention. Below are some examples of what not to do when designing your website. 1. Bad Navigation Nothing frustrates a website visitor more than a website that's hard to navigate. Complex or inconsistent navigation can cause users to feel helpless, confused, or angry-certainly not the emotions you want potential customers to be feeling. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT V Your website navigation should be logical, intuitive and easy to understand. Don't provide visual elements that aren't clear in defining where the user is and what they're supposed to do next. NEWS V Try grouping navigation elements in a central area. For larger websites try adding a sitemap. Don't scatter your main navigation links around your site. WELCOME TO OUR SITE! НOME Don't bury your main navigation links in body text. ABOUT Don't make your link text hard to understand. "Other links" is generally not a good choice for link text. OTHER LINKS 2$ 2. Too Many Ads Suffocating your visitor with ads that pop, flash, and fill the entire browser will only serve to enrage them. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT As a general rule, ads shouldn't be the first thing that your visitor sees. AD AD AD V Running ads on your website can be a perfectly legitimate way to monetize. However, in order to maximize your retention rate (and lower your bounce rate) be tasteful and discreet in your approach to displaying ads. WELCOME TO OUR SITE! Don't be obtrusive with your AD pop-up ads. Try not to cover up the content that attracted your visitors in the first place. ÅD! Avoid ads that take up more real estate than your content. 3. Bad Content Structure Bad content structure can destroy your conversion and retention rates. Make your content (especially your contact info) easy to find. It's estimated that as many as 50% of sales are lost because potential customers can't find what they're looking for. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT WELCOME V Don't have visitors fish TO OUR SITE! Don't complicate things by distributing your content across multiple around for the content they're looking for. pages that could easily be communicated on one page. v Group similar content in a clear, concise manner. EMAIL PHONE LOCATION v Consider using bold headings in addition to highlighting certain keywords that visitors may be searching for. !!! Don't forget to include introductory content. 4. Obtrusive Use of Audio E Video Most people value their ability to choose what content to absorb. Having video or audio that loads automatically can potentially drive visitors away. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT WELCOME TO OUR SITE! v Give users the option of viewing video or audio content-don't force them. If you do choose to play a video automatically, make Avoid using videos that sure there are clear exits. automatically stream and V Sometimes a simple paragraph can just as easily intrude on the visitors browsing experience. AD convey the content of a video. Test and see what works best for you. Avoid loud or obnoxious music that plays in the background. S. The Registration Requirement It's often the case that forcing visitors to register before they can view content is much like a physical barrier. Barriers, such as forced-registration, may ultimately cause the visitor to go elsewhere for what they're looking for. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT WELCOME TO OUR SITE! V Avoid putting up barriers between you and your visitors. If a visitor must register to interact with your site, try Avoid excessive use of pop-ups that require visitors to register giving them a taste of what they're signing up for. Offer a preview or a demo. REGISTERED USERS ONLY before they can see content. Signup! NAME EMAIL PHONE 6.Boring Content, Boring Design A dull website that has no purpose or interactivity will never create a memorable experience for a visitor. Data suggests that 40% of visitors don't return to a website after having a negative experience. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT YOUR COMPANY'S NAME V Minimalistic websites can be very effective and beautiful if done correctly. Always be sure that your site has utility and that your visitors have no trouble finding what they need. Don't intentionally make LOGO your website as bland and useless as possible. v Consider ways to enhance interactivity with your visitors. Examples of good engagement catalysts are blogs, forums, and special features that are updated on a regular basis. OBFUSCATED EMAIL ADDRESS 7. Poor Legibility Bad typography choices, abrasive colors, and excessive typos all contribute to poor legibility-and ultimately a poor user experience. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT * Welcome V If it's within your budget, hire a designer. The color palate, the typeface, and the general tone of your website can have an enormous impact on Don't use typefaces that are unnecessarily elaborate, pixelated or have poor contrast. conversions and customer retention. V If you don't have a referral for a good designer, check out dribbble.com and For most kinds of websites, excessive use of bright, 99designs.com. fluorescent colors can be distracting and abrasive. 8. Lack of Frequency You may have found the right balance of interactivity, design and content construction-those are all good things. But you 6 also need to keep your site fresh with new content. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT WELCOME V Keep your content TO OUR SITE! current and fresh. Not only will this boost the interest level in your site, it will also contribute to НОME ABOUT CONTACT Don't forget to update content frequently. higher rankings on search engines. V Trying adding a blog to your site. Blogging is an easy way to keep your content fresh and update LAST UPDATED: 7/1/1995 Don't use the "under construction" cliché, Visitors have come to equate visitors with news and "under construction" with UNDER CONSTRUCTION events. "this site is rarely updated, move along." SOURCES OKISSmetrics econsultancy.com bx.businessweek.com usability.gov forrester.com PEOPLE PAY YOU. NOT PAGEVIEWS. KISSmetrics is a powerful web analytics solution that helps you make smarter business decisions. Start your FREE trial at kissmetrics.com/signup WHAT MAKES SOMEONE EXIT Leave a Website? Attracting a potential customer is hard enough. Grabbing their interest and retaining them is even more difficult. It's important to design your site so that user frustration is kept to a minimum, thereby maximizing customer retention. Below are some examples of what not to do when designing your website. 1. Bad Navigation Nothing frustrates a website visitor more than a website that's hard to navigate. Complex or inconsistent navigation can cause users to feel helpless, confused, or angry-certainly not the emotions you want potential customers to be feeling. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT V Your website navigation should be logical, intuitive and easy to understand. Don't provide visual elements that aren't clear in defining where the user is and what they're supposed to do next. NEWS V Try grouping navigation elements in a central area. For larger websites try adding a sitemap. Don't scatter your main navigation links around your site. WELCOME TO OUR SITE! НOME Don't bury your main navigation links in body text. ABOUT Don't make your link text hard to understand. "Other links" is generally not a good choice for link text. OTHER LINKS 2$ 2. Too Many Ads Suffocating your visitor with ads that pop, flash, and fill the entire browser will only serve to enrage them. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT As a general rule, ads shouldn't be the first thing that your visitor sees. AD AD AD V Running ads on your website can be a perfectly legitimate way to monetize. However, in order to maximize your retention rate (and lower your bounce rate) be tasteful and discreet in your approach to displaying ads. WELCOME TO OUR SITE! Don't be obtrusive with your AD pop-up ads. Try not to cover up the content that attracted your visitors in the first place. ÅD! Avoid ads that take up more real estate than your content. 3. Bad Content Structure Bad content structure can destroy your conversion and retention rates. Make your content (especially your contact info) easy to find. It's estimated that as many as 50% of sales are lost because potential customers can't find what they're looking for. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT WELCOME V Don't have visitors fish TO OUR SITE! Don't complicate things by distributing your content across multiple around for the content they're looking for. pages that could easily be communicated on one page. v Group similar content in a clear, concise manner. EMAIL PHONE LOCATION v Consider using bold headings in addition to highlighting certain keywords that visitors may be searching for. !!! Don't forget to include introductory content. 4. Obtrusive Use of Audio E Video Most people value their ability to choose what content to absorb. Having video or audio that loads automatically can potentially drive visitors away. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT WELCOME TO OUR SITE! v Give users the option of viewing video or audio content-don't force them. If you do choose to play a video automatically, make Avoid using videos that sure there are clear exits. automatically stream and V Sometimes a simple paragraph can just as easily intrude on the visitors browsing experience. AD convey the content of a video. Test and see what works best for you. Avoid loud or obnoxious music that plays in the background. S. The Registration Requirement It's often the case that forcing visitors to register before they can view content is much like a physical barrier. Barriers, such as forced-registration, may ultimately cause the visitor to go elsewhere for what they're looking for. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT WELCOME TO OUR SITE! V Avoid putting up barriers between you and your visitors. If a visitor must register to interact with your site, try Avoid excessive use of pop-ups that require visitors to register giving them a taste of what they're signing up for. Offer a preview or a demo. REGISTERED USERS ONLY before they can see content. Signup! NAME EMAIL PHONE 6.Boring Content, Boring Design A dull website that has no purpose or interactivity will never create a memorable experience for a visitor. Data suggests that 40% of visitors don't return to a website after having a negative experience. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT YOUR COMPANY'S NAME V Minimalistic websites can be very effective and beautiful if done correctly. Always be sure that your site has utility and that your visitors have no trouble finding what they need. Don't intentionally make LOGO your website as bland and useless as possible. v Consider ways to enhance interactivity with your visitors. Examples of good engagement catalysts are blogs, forums, and special features that are updated on a regular basis. OBFUSCATED EMAIL ADDRESS 7. Poor Legibility Bad typography choices, abrasive colors, and excessive typos all contribute to poor legibility-and ultimately a poor user experience. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT * Welcome V If it's within your budget, hire a designer. The color palate, the typeface, and the general tone of your website can have an enormous impact on Don't use typefaces that are unnecessarily elaborate, pixelated or have poor contrast. conversions and customer retention. V If you don't have a referral for a good designer, check out dribbble.com and For most kinds of websites, excessive use of bright, 99designs.com. fluorescent colors can be distracting and abrasive. 8. Lack of Frequency You may have found the right balance of interactivity, design and content construction-those are all good things. But you 6 also need to keep your site fresh with new content. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT WELCOME V Keep your content TO OUR SITE! current and fresh. Not only will this boost the interest level in your site, it will also contribute to НОME ABOUT CONTACT Don't forget to update content frequently. higher rankings on search engines. V Trying adding a blog to your site. Blogging is an easy way to keep your content fresh and update LAST UPDATED: 7/1/1995 Don't use the "under construction" cliché, Visitors have come to equate visitors with news and "under construction" with UNDER CONSTRUCTION events. "this site is rarely updated, move along." SOURCES OKISSmetrics econsultancy.com bx.businessweek.com usability.gov forrester.com PEOPLE PAY YOU. NOT PAGEVIEWS. KISSmetrics is a powerful web analytics solution that helps you make smarter business decisions. Start your FREE trial at kissmetrics.com/signup WHAT MAKES SOMEONE EXIT Leave a Website? Attracting a potential customer is hard enough. Grabbing their interest and retaining them is even more difficult. It's important to design your site so that user frustration is kept to a minimum, thereby maximizing customer retention. Below are some examples of what not to do when designing your website. 1. Bad Navigation Nothing frustrates a website visitor more than a website that's hard to navigate. Complex or inconsistent navigation can cause users to feel helpless, confused, or angry-certainly not the emotions you want potential customers to be feeling. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT V Your website navigation should be logical, intuitive and easy to understand. Don't provide visual elements that aren't clear in defining where the user is and what they're supposed to do next. NEWS V Try grouping navigation elements in a central area. For larger websites try adding a sitemap. Don't scatter your main navigation links around your site. WELCOME TO OUR SITE! НOME Don't bury your main navigation links in body text. ABOUT Don't make your link text hard to understand. "Other links" is generally not a good choice for link text. OTHER LINKS 2$ 2. Too Many Ads Suffocating your visitor with ads that pop, flash, and fill the entire browser will only serve to enrage them. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT As a general rule, ads shouldn't be the first thing that your visitor sees. AD AD AD V Running ads on your website can be a perfectly legitimate way to monetize. However, in order to maximize your retention rate (and lower your bounce rate) be tasteful and discreet in your approach to displaying ads. WELCOME TO OUR SITE! Don't be obtrusive with your AD pop-up ads. Try not to cover up the content that attracted your visitors in the first place. ÅD! Avoid ads that take up more real estate than your content. 3. Bad Content Structure Bad content structure can destroy your conversion and retention rates. Make your content (especially your contact info) easy to find. It's estimated that as many as 50% of sales are lost because potential customers can't find what they're looking for. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT WELCOME V Don't have visitors fish TO OUR SITE! Don't complicate things by distributing your content across multiple around for the content they're looking for. pages that could easily be communicated on one page. v Group similar content in a clear, concise manner. EMAIL PHONE LOCATION v Consider using bold headings in addition to highlighting certain keywords that visitors may be searching for. !!! Don't forget to include introductory content. 4. Obtrusive Use of Audio E Video Most people value their ability to choose what content to absorb. Having video or audio that loads automatically can potentially drive visitors away. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT WELCOME TO OUR SITE! v Give users the option of viewing video or audio content-don't force them. If you do choose to play a video automatically, make Avoid using videos that sure there are clear exits. automatically stream and V Sometimes a simple paragraph can just as easily intrude on the visitors browsing experience. AD convey the content of a video. Test and see what works best for you. Avoid loud or obnoxious music that plays in the background. S. The Registration Requirement It's often the case that forcing visitors to register before they can view content is much like a physical barrier. Barriers, such as forced-registration, may ultimately cause the visitor to go elsewhere for what they're looking for. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT WELCOME TO OUR SITE! V Avoid putting up barriers between you and your visitors. If a visitor must register to interact with your site, try Avoid excessive use of pop-ups that require visitors to register giving them a taste of what they're signing up for. Offer a preview or a demo. REGISTERED USERS ONLY before they can see content. Signup! NAME EMAIL PHONE 6.Boring Content, Boring Design A dull website that has no purpose or interactivity will never create a memorable experience for a visitor. Data suggests that 40% of visitors don't return to a website after having a negative experience. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT YOUR COMPANY'S NAME V Minimalistic websites can be very effective and beautiful if done correctly. Always be sure that your site has utility and that your visitors have no trouble finding what they need. Don't intentionally make LOGO your website as bland and useless as possible. v Consider ways to enhance interactivity with your visitors. Examples of good engagement catalysts are blogs, forums, and special features that are updated on a regular basis. OBFUSCATED EMAIL ADDRESS 7. Poor Legibility Bad typography choices, abrasive colors, and excessive typos all contribute to poor legibility-and ultimately a poor user experience. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT * Welcome V If it's within your budget, hire a designer. The color palate, the typeface, and the general tone of your website can have an enormous impact on Don't use typefaces that are unnecessarily elaborate, pixelated or have poor contrast. conversions and customer retention. V If you don't have a referral for a good designer, check out dribbble.com and For most kinds of websites, excessive use of bright, 99designs.com. fluorescent colors can be distracting and abrasive. 8. Lack of Frequency You may have found the right balance of interactivity, design and content construction-those are all good things. But you 6 also need to keep your site fresh with new content. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT WELCOME V Keep your content TO OUR SITE! current and fresh. Not only will this boost the interest level in your site, it will also contribute to НОME ABOUT CONTACT Don't forget to update content frequently. higher rankings on search engines. V Trying adding a blog to your site. Blogging is an easy way to keep your content fresh and update LAST UPDATED: 7/1/1995 Don't use the "under construction" cliché, Visitors have come to equate visitors with news and "under construction" with UNDER CONSTRUCTION events. "this site is rarely updated, move along." SOURCES OKISSmetrics econsultancy.com bx.businessweek.com usability.gov forrester.com PEOPLE PAY YOU. NOT PAGEVIEWS. KISSmetrics is a powerful web analytics solution that helps you make smarter business decisions. Start your FREE trial at kissmetrics.com/signup WHAT MAKES SOMEONE EXIT Leave a Website? Attracting a potential customer is hard enough. Grabbing their interest and retaining them is even more difficult. It's important to design your site so that user frustration is kept to a minimum, thereby maximizing customer retention. Below are some examples of what not to do when designing your website. 1. Bad Navigation Nothing frustrates a website visitor more than a website that's hard to navigate. Complex or inconsistent navigation can cause users to feel helpless, confused, or angry-certainly not the emotions you want potential customers to be feeling. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT V Your website navigation should be logical, intuitive and easy to understand. Don't provide visual elements that aren't clear in defining where the user is and what they're supposed to do next. NEWS V Try grouping navigation elements in a central area. For larger websites try adding a sitemap. Don't scatter your main navigation links around your site. WELCOME TO OUR SITE! НOME Don't bury your main navigation links in body text. ABOUT Don't make your link text hard to understand. "Other links" is generally not a good choice for link text. OTHER LINKS 2$ 2. Too Many Ads Suffocating your visitor with ads that pop, flash, and fill the entire browser will only serve to enrage them. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT As a general rule, ads shouldn't be the first thing that your visitor sees. AD AD AD V Running ads on your website can be a perfectly legitimate way to monetize. However, in order to maximize your retention rate (and lower your bounce rate) be tasteful and discreet in your approach to displaying ads. WELCOME TO OUR SITE! Don't be obtrusive with your AD pop-up ads. Try not to cover up the content that attracted your visitors in the first place. ÅD! Avoid ads that take up more real estate than your content. 3. Bad Content Structure Bad content structure can destroy your conversion and retention rates. Make your content (especially your contact info) easy to find. It's estimated that as many as 50% of sales are lost because potential customers can't find what they're looking for. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT WELCOME V Don't have visitors fish TO OUR SITE! Don't complicate things by distributing your content across multiple around for the content they're looking for. pages that could easily be communicated on one page. v Group similar content in a clear, concise manner. EMAIL PHONE LOCATION v Consider using bold headings in addition to highlighting certain keywords that visitors may be searching for. !!! Don't forget to include introductory content. 4. Obtrusive Use of Audio E Video Most people value their ability to choose what content to absorb. Having video or audio that loads automatically can potentially drive visitors away. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT WELCOME TO OUR SITE! v Give users the option of viewing video or audio content-don't force them. If you do choose to play a video automatically, make Avoid using videos that sure there are clear exits. automatically stream and V Sometimes a simple paragraph can just as easily intrude on the visitors browsing experience. AD convey the content of a video. Test and see what works best for you. Avoid loud or obnoxious music that plays in the background. S. The Registration Requirement It's often the case that forcing visitors to register before they can view content is much like a physical barrier. Barriers, such as forced-registration, may ultimately cause the visitor to go elsewhere for what they're looking for. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT WELCOME TO OUR SITE! V Avoid putting up barriers between you and your visitors. If a visitor must register to interact with your site, try Avoid excessive use of pop-ups that require visitors to register giving them a taste of what they're signing up for. Offer a preview or a demo. REGISTERED USERS ONLY before they can see content. Signup! NAME EMAIL PHONE 6.Boring Content, Boring Design A dull website that has no purpose or interactivity will never create a memorable experience for a visitor. Data suggests that 40% of visitors don't return to a website after having a negative experience. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT YOUR COMPANY'S NAME V Minimalistic websites can be very effective and beautiful if done correctly. Always be sure that your site has utility and that your visitors have no trouble finding what they need. Don't intentionally make LOGO your website as bland and useless as possible. v Consider ways to enhance interactivity with your visitors. Examples of good engagement catalysts are blogs, forums, and special features that are updated on a regular basis. OBFUSCATED EMAIL ADDRESS 7. Poor Legibility Bad typography choices, abrasive colors, and excessive typos all contribute to poor legibility-and ultimately a poor user experience. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT * Welcome V If it's within your budget, hire a designer. The color palate, the typeface, and the general tone of your website can have an enormous impact on Don't use typefaces that are unnecessarily elaborate, pixelated or have poor contrast. conversions and customer retention. V If you don't have a referral for a good designer, check out dribbble.com and For most kinds of websites, excessive use of bright, 99designs.com. fluorescent colors can be distracting and abrasive. 8. Lack of Frequency You may have found the right balance of interactivity, design and content construction-those are all good things. But you 6 also need to keep your site fresh with new content. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT WELCOME V Keep your content TO OUR SITE! current and fresh. Not only will this boost the interest level in your site, it will also contribute to НОME ABOUT CONTACT Don't forget to update content frequently. higher rankings on search engines. V Trying adding a blog to your site. Blogging is an easy way to keep your content fresh and update LAST UPDATED: 7/1/1995 Don't use the "under construction" cliché, Visitors have come to equate visitors with news and "under construction" with UNDER CONSTRUCTION events. "this site is rarely updated, move along." SOURCES OKISSmetrics econsultancy.com bx.businessweek.com usability.gov forrester.com PEOPLE PAY YOU. NOT PAGEVIEWS. KISSmetrics is a powerful web analytics solution that helps you make smarter business decisions. Start your FREE trial at kissmetrics.com/signup WHAT MAKES SOMEONE EXIT Leave a Website? Attracting a potential customer is hard enough. Grabbing their interest and retaining them is even more difficult. It's important to design your site so that user frustration is kept to a minimum, thereby maximizing customer retention. Below are some examples of what not to do when designing your website. 1. Bad Navigation Nothing frustrates a website visitor more than a website that's hard to navigate. Complex or inconsistent navigation can cause users to feel helpless, confused, or angry-certainly not the emotions you want potential customers to be feeling. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT V Your website navigation should be logical, intuitive and easy to understand. Don't provide visual elements that aren't clear in defining where the user is and what they're supposed to do next. NEWS V Try grouping navigation elements in a central area. For larger websites try adding a sitemap. Don't scatter your main navigation links around your site. WELCOME TO OUR SITE! НOME Don't bury your main navigation links in body text. ABOUT Don't make your link text hard to understand. "Other links" is generally not a good choice for link text. OTHER LINKS 2$ 2. Too Many Ads Suffocating your visitor with ads that pop, flash, and fill the entire browser will only serve to enrage them. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT As a general rule, ads shouldn't be the first thing that your visitor sees. AD AD AD V Running ads on your website can be a perfectly legitimate way to monetize. However, in order to maximize your retention rate (and lower your bounce rate) be tasteful and discreet in your approach to displaying ads. WELCOME TO OUR SITE! Don't be obtrusive with your AD pop-up ads. Try not to cover up the content that attracted your visitors in the first place. ÅD! Avoid ads that take up more real estate than your content. 3. Bad Content Structure Bad content structure can destroy your conversion and retention rates. Make your content (especially your contact info) easy to find. It's estimated that as many as 50% of sales are lost because potential customers can't find what they're looking for. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT WELCOME V Don't have visitors fish TO OUR SITE! Don't complicate things by distributing your content across multiple around for the content they're looking for. pages that could easily be communicated on one page. v Group similar content in a clear, concise manner. EMAIL PHONE LOCATION v Consider using bold headings in addition to highlighting certain keywords that visitors may be searching for. !!! Don't forget to include introductory content. 4. Obtrusive Use of Audio E Video Most people value their ability to choose what content to absorb. Having video or audio that loads automatically can potentially drive visitors away. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT WELCOME TO OUR SITE! v Give users the option of viewing video or audio content-don't force them. If you do choose to play a video automatically, make Avoid using videos that sure there are clear exits. automatically stream and V Sometimes a simple paragraph can just as easily intrude on the visitors browsing experience. AD convey the content of a video. Test and see what works best for you. Avoid loud or obnoxious music that plays in the background. S. The Registration Requirement It's often the case that forcing visitors to register before they can view content is much like a physical barrier. Barriers, such as forced-registration, may ultimately cause the visitor to go elsewhere for what they're looking for. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT WELCOME TO OUR SITE! V Avoid putting up barriers between you and your visitors. If a visitor must register to interact with your site, try Avoid excessive use of pop-ups that require visitors to register giving them a taste of what they're signing up for. Offer a preview or a demo. REGISTERED USERS ONLY before they can see content. Signup! NAME EMAIL PHONE 6.Boring Content, Boring Design A dull website that has no purpose or interactivity will never create a memorable experience for a visitor. Data suggests that 40% of visitors don't return to a website after having a negative experience. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT YOUR COMPANY'S NAME V Minimalistic websites can be very effective and beautiful if done correctly. Always be sure that your site has utility and that your visitors have no trouble finding what they need. Don't intentionally make LOGO your website as bland and useless as possible. v Consider ways to enhance interactivity with your visitors. Examples of good engagement catalysts are blogs, forums, and special features that are updated on a regular basis. OBFUSCATED EMAIL ADDRESS 7. Poor Legibility Bad typography choices, abrasive colors, and excessive typos all contribute to poor legibility-and ultimately a poor user experience. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT * Welcome V If it's within your budget, hire a designer. The color palate, the typeface, and the general tone of your website can have an enormous impact on Don't use typefaces that are unnecessarily elaborate, pixelated or have poor contrast. conversions and customer retention. V If you don't have a referral for a good designer, check out dribbble.com and For most kinds of websites, excessive use of bright, 99designs.com. fluorescent colors can be distracting and abrasive. 8. Lack of Frequency You may have found the right balance of interactivity, design and content construction-those are all good things. But you 6 also need to keep your site fresh with new content. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT WELCOME V Keep your content TO OUR SITE! current and fresh. Not only will this boost the interest level in your site, it will also contribute to НОME ABOUT CONTACT Don't forget to update content frequently. higher rankings on search engines. V Trying adding a blog to your site. Blogging is an easy way to keep your content fresh and update LAST UPDATED: 7/1/1995 Don't use the "under construction" cliché, Visitors have come to equate visitors with news and "under construction" with UNDER CONSTRUCTION events. "this site is rarely updated, move along." SOURCES OKISSmetrics econsultancy.com bx.businessweek.com usability.gov forrester.com PEOPLE PAY YOU. NOT PAGEVIEWS. KISSmetrics is a powerful web analytics solution that helps you make smarter business decisions. Start your FREE trial at kissmetrics.com/signup WHAT MAKES SOMEONE EXIT Leave a Website? Attracting a potential customer is hard enough. Grabbing their interest and retaining them is even more difficult. It's important to design your site so that user frustration is kept to a minimum, thereby maximizing customer retention. Below are some examples of what not to do when designing your website. 1. Bad Navigation Nothing frustrates a website visitor more than a website that's hard to navigate. Complex or inconsistent navigation can cause users to feel helpless, confused, or angry-certainly not the emotions you want potential customers to be feeling. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT V Your website navigation should be logical, intuitive and easy to understand. Don't provide visual elements that aren't clear in defining where the user is and what they're supposed to do next. NEWS V Try grouping navigation elements in a central area. For larger websites try adding a sitemap. Don't scatter your main navigation links around your site. WELCOME TO OUR SITE! НOME Don't bury your main navigation links in body text. ABOUT Don't make your link text hard to understand. "Other links" is generally not a good choice for link text. OTHER LINKS 2$ 2. Too Many Ads Suffocating your visitor with ads that pop, flash, and fill the entire browser will only serve to enrage them. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT As a general rule, ads shouldn't be the first thing that your visitor sees. AD AD AD V Running ads on your website can be a perfectly legitimate way to monetize. However, in order to maximize your retention rate (and lower your bounce rate) be tasteful and discreet in your approach to displaying ads. WELCOME TO OUR SITE! Don't be obtrusive with your AD pop-up ads. Try not to cover up the content that attracted your visitors in the first place. ÅD! Avoid ads that take up more real estate than your content. 3. Bad Content Structure Bad content structure can destroy your conversion and retention rates. Make your content (especially your contact info) easy to find. It's estimated that as many as 50% of sales are lost because potential customers can't find what they're looking for. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT WELCOME V Don't have visitors fish TO OUR SITE! Don't complicate things by distributing your content across multiple around for the content they're looking for. pages that could easily be communicated on one page. v Group similar content in a clear, concise manner. EMAIL PHONE LOCATION v Consider using bold headings in addition to highlighting certain keywords that visitors may be searching for. !!! Don't forget to include introductory content. 4. Obtrusive Use of Audio E Video Most people value their ability to choose what content to absorb. Having video or audio that loads automatically can potentially drive visitors away. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT WELCOME TO OUR SITE! v Give users the option of viewing video or audio content-don't force them. If you do choose to play a video automatically, make Avoid using videos that sure there are clear exits. automatically stream and V Sometimes a simple paragraph can just as easily intrude on the visitors browsing experience. AD convey the content of a video. Test and see what works best for you. Avoid loud or obnoxious music that plays in the background. S. The Registration Requirement It's often the case that forcing visitors to register before they can view content is much like a physical barrier. Barriers, such as forced-registration, may ultimately cause the visitor to go elsewhere for what they're looking for. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT WELCOME TO OUR SITE! V Avoid putting up barriers between you and your visitors. If a visitor must register to interact with your site, try Avoid excessive use of pop-ups that require visitors to register giving them a taste of what they're signing up for. Offer a preview or a demo. REGISTERED USERS ONLY before they can see content. Signup! NAME EMAIL PHONE 6.Boring Content, Boring Design A dull website that has no purpose or interactivity will never create a memorable experience for a visitor. Data suggests that 40% of visitors don't return to a website after having a negative experience. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT YOUR COMPANY'S NAME V Minimalistic websites can be very effective and beautiful if done correctly. Always be sure that your site has utility and that your visitors have no trouble finding what they need. Don't intentionally make LOGO your website as bland and useless as possible. v Consider ways to enhance interactivity with your visitors. Examples of good engagement catalysts are blogs, forums, and special features that are updated on a regular basis. OBFUSCATED EMAIL ADDRESS 7. Poor Legibility Bad typography choices, abrasive colors, and excessive typos all contribute to poor legibility-and ultimately a poor user experience. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT * Welcome V If it's within your budget, hire a designer. The color palate, the typeface, and the general tone of your website can have an enormous impact on Don't use typefaces that are unnecessarily elaborate, pixelated or have poor contrast. conversions and customer retention. V If you don't have a referral for a good designer, check out dribbble.com and For most kinds of websites, excessive use of bright, 99designs.com. fluorescent colors can be distracting and abrasive. 8. Lack of Frequency You may have found the right balance of interactivity, design and content construction-those are all good things. But you 6 also need to keep your site fresh with new content. WHAT NOT TO DO HOW TO FIX IT WELCOME V Keep your content TO OUR SITE! current and fresh. Not only will this boost the interest level in your site, it will also contribute to НОME ABOUT CONTACT Don't forget to update content frequently. higher rankings on search engines. V Trying adding a blog to your site. Blogging is an easy way to keep your content fresh and update LAST UPDATED: 7/1/1995 Don't use the "under construction" cliché, Visitors have come to equate visitors with news and "under construction" with UNDER CONSTRUCTION events. "this site is rarely updated, move along." SOURCES OKISSmetrics econsultancy.com bx.businessweek.com usability.gov forrester.com PEOPLE PAY YOU. NOT PAGEVIEWS. KISSmetrics is a powerful web analytics solution that helps you make smarter business decisions. Start your FREE trial at kissmetrics.com/signup