Business Website Design Top Tips (Tom Andrews)
Jan 9, 2010
Your Business website design shoudl bring in profits and leads if designed and marketed professionally. A poorly designed and marketed site will have the opposite effect and bring you little to zero website traffic and visitors. Below we discuss the biggest design mistakes you should avoid.
1. Use title tags that are relevent. The use of meta title tags should include your target keywords and also information about what the webpage is about. Remember that your title tags also appear in the blue bar at the top of the window and it what people see if they add the page to their "favourites".
2. Putting lots of ads on your webpage. Don't do this as it will not only alienate your visitors, but also distract them, prompting them to leave the website. Keep ads and flashing banners to a minimum and your customers will focus on the important parts of the page.
3. Keep website navigation simple. Most websites have links on the left or top of the page to get around the website. Keep it simple and follow the same navigation that your visitors are already used to, and don't make it difficult for them to get around. Remember that your visitor is used to getting around a website in a certain way.
4. Dead page links. Web page links that do not work are very frustrating. Check all your links work and that they point to the right place. Another good reason is that having dead page links can penalise you in the earch engines as well.
5. Using Flash on your website. Flash does have a place on computer gaming sites, but consider using animated GIF's instead. Only use Flash when there is no other option, as visitors will have to have flash already installed in their browser to be able to view flash elements. The worst thing you could do is to design your website navigation in flash, which is surprisingly common - and stops your visitors from being able to get around the website. Also consider using javascript or java as an alternative to make your site more "interactive".
6. Missing a Search Box on your website. Large websites can have many pages and it is important to allow users to search the site easily. Consider adding a search box.
7. Don't use PDF documents on your website unless there is no other way. Using PDF files is only a benefit when perhaps uploading your company brochure online. It is much better to take the time to put the brochure in HTML format which all web browsers can read without a plug-in.
8. Visited text links do not change colour. Most web surfers are used to a link they have already clicked on changing colour once they have visited it. Keep link colours familiar to visitors and make sure they change colour once they have already clicked them. Put your reader's interest in mind when designing your website.
9. Text formatting that is messy. Lay the text out on your website neatly and clearly. Use formatted paragraphs and pictures to break the text up and make it easy on the eye.
10. Use a good-sized font. Using small fonts can make pages difficult to read. In many cases these days, blind people are also now reading web pages with screen readers, but also those with poor vision. Make sure your website is W3C compliant so that the latest screen reading technology can 'read' them.
About the AuthorTo find out more about Business Website Design, visit Tom Andrews's site. A great business web design really can transform your business online..