5 Things To Hate About WEB SITE DESIGN And HOW EXACTLY TO Fix ThemPosted by Gutierrez Sharma on May 23rd, 2021 What can you hate most about websites? In the event that you browse websites around we do, then there exists a lot to hate. Because you can find so many terribly designed, user non-friendly websites online today, we have put together this short but detailed set of things to hate about web site design. As well as compiling this list, we've also provided a remedy for each of the problems. When creating a web site design, there are a number of things that a web designer should take into consideration if their goal would be to produce a high quality, user friendly website. 1. Vomit Inducing Color Schemes You'll find nothing worse than visiting a website and seeing a borderline-gruesome, mismatched, out of control color scheme. As basic as it is, some people have an awful time choosing successful color schemes. Though there are millions of colors from which to choose, it doesn't have to be a difficult process. Whether you want to pay for a bit of software that may significantly simplify the color scheme selection process or use one of many free color scheme tools available on the Internet, you can be implementing attractive and successful color schemes very quickly. To Pay If you want to pay for a color scheme application which will do all of the do the job, then your best solution may be the Color Schemer Studio. Located at http://www.colorschemer.com/index.php and obtainable in both Mac OS X and Windows flavors, this tool not only builds you an entire color scheme based on an individual color, but it addittionally generates monochromatic, complement, split complement, triad, tetrad, and analogous harmonies based from that same single color that you select. It is absolutely remarkable. There are a great number of other neat and intensely useful features built into this application, too. Less is More Whenever choosing your color scheme, avoid way too many colors. The statement "less is more" should be applied through the color scheme selection process. How many colors should one use? That's a difficult question to answer. Although there is no set number, it is generally best to work around three colors if possible: Primary color: The main color that occupies a lot of the page. The primary color sets the entire tone. Secondary color: The next color that has a purpose of backing up and reinforcing the primary color. The secondary color is generally a color that is like the primary color. Highlight color: This is the color that's used to emphasize certain areas of the page. Additional info is usually a color which contrasts more with the principal and secondary colors, and as such, it should be used with moderation. If read more using color schemer software like the ones mentioned above, it's quite common to use a complimentary or split-complimentary color because of this. There are a great number of resources available on the web that explain color schemes in more detail. However, if you use the color schemer solutions mentioned previously and follow the basic tips which we have mentioned, then you shouldn't have a problem developing a beautiful color scheme for your website. 2. Flash-al Abuse When used excessively or in inappropriate places, Flash is terrible for the website - terrible for Search Engine Optimization and perhaps more importantly, terrible for your visitors. Don't get us wrong - Flash is a remarkable program which allows creative multimedia geniuses to create some fascinating work. However, the following implementations of Flash should be excluded from your website: Navigation Essentially the most abused and misused method of using Flash, Flash navigation is usually bad or extremely bad. Exactly why is it bad you ask? Well, there are a number of reasons: Search Engine Optimization: If you are familiar with SEO, then you know the importance of having text on your own website. Text is what makes indexing your website in the various search engines possible. The problem with Flash is that the various search engines do not go inside of the Flash files to collect the written text information. What this basically means is that whenever the internet search engine spiders crawl during your website and run into your Flash navigation file, they crawl right over the top of it. Should you have keywords in your Flash navigation which are relevant to the content of your website, then they won't be indexed and even noticed by the internet search engine spiders. Page load time: Using Flash for your navigation will slow down the load time for your web page. Yes, using anything on your website will enhance the load time; however, some things (such as Flash navigation) are avoidable. Some Flash file sizes are bigger than others - the bigger the file size means an extended download time means the more your already impatient visitors have to wait. User non-friendly: The objective of website navigation is to provide for your visitors a way of, well, navigating throughout your website. Flash navigation crosses over from bad to extremely bad when the visitor must await an animation to complete each time their mouse cursor rolls over something in the menu. If you happen to didn't already know, people hate waiting. You'll find nothing worse than having to wait even a few moments in order to activate a specific navigational item after rolling over it. Not only can the animations be annoying, but sometimes the menus are just downright confusing (i.e. Picture elements are used instead of words for each item). What about people who don't possess Flash?: Not everyone is using Flash these days. Although it is usually rare that someone does not have Flash activated on their computer, it still occurs. These Flash-disabled users could have no way of finding their way around your site. And since one of the key ingredients to an effective website is navigation, devoid of navigation to those with Flash disabled will make your site look quite terrible (and more importantly, non-interactive and useless). The best way to create a SEO friendly, fast loading, user-friendly, ultra compatible navigational menu is by using CSS (cascading style sheets). CSS solves most of these problems that you will come across when using Flash navigation. There a number of free CSS navigational menu resources on the web. Dynamic Drive CSS based navigational menus located at dynamicdrive.com are really popular and widely used by web designers and web designers, including us. Flash Intros Without a doubt the worst solution to use (or should we say misuse) Flash would be to have a Flash intro on your website. In the event you don't already know, Flash intros are those annoying animations that play when you initially reach some websites. If this content of your website is engaging and useful, then there is absolutely no real reason to have a Flash intro. Adding to the fact that most people are impatient when surfing the net, many of them don't have the time or patience to watch a lengthy Flash intro. If you're likely to have a Flash intro, then at the very least include a "Skip Intro" button that's clearly visible to the user. Even better, rather than making the Flash intro a thing that is automatically shown to all visitors, place a descriptive link somewhere of one's website that, when clicked, allows the user to view your promotional animation (usually what Flash intros are). Finally, be cautious with the inclusion of sound in your Flash intro. If someone has their speakers turned up to a high volume, then you might lead to scaring the living daylights out of these (and scaring them away from your website aswell). 3. Information Overload Having too little information on pages of your website could make them seem bare and boring; however, having too much information can overwhelm the user (which isn't something you particularly wish to accomplish). Ads, images, text, more ads, navigation, secondary navigation, content, more ads... they all start to add up. Although there is absolutely no rule as to just how much information per web page will do, you should try and limit your web pages to the following: Header/logo: All website s require a header/logo to identify who they're. For usability purposes, try to keep the height of your header at a moderate size. Most of our headers are only 200 - 300 pixels tall. Anything taller than 300 pixels and you take the chance of forcing the user to have to scroll down merely to see the navigation and content of your website. Yes, we want an individual to look at the navigation and content of your website; however, less scrolling makes for an easier and more enjoyable visit for the user. Navigation: All websites must have a functional navigational system in order for users to be able to find their way round the website. Using vertical or horizontal menus certainly are a matter of personal preference. Although one menu is necessary, try not to have significantly more than one. Multiple navigational menus can easily confuse the user. For those who have a lot of sections on your own website, then use a CSS drop down menu that will allow you to add a great deal of navigational items while taking up minimal space. Ads: Many websites give a service to their visitors for free. For the reason that of advertisements that most of the services are available for free. When using advertisements, don't abuse their usage. Google AdSense allows a maximum of 3 ads per web page for a reason - way too many ads can make your web site look like spam very quickly. Placement of advertisements can be important. Don't try to trick your visitors by placing your ads in areas where they appear to be actual content on your web site. People don't like to be tricked. Should they want to visit your advertising sponsor, they will go through the ad. Content: Each web page must have a location for content. This main section should be the focal point for each web page. Having a lot of information about the topic for each web page is absolutely fine. Make sure not to include too many different topics on one website. Instead, split the topics up and allow for each to have its own page. Images: Use images moderately and only when necessary in your articles area. Images take longer to download than text. Be certain that your images are properly compressed in order that the download time for your webpages are not compromised due to large images. Nothing says "amateur web designer" more than having large, uncompressed images that take minutes to load. Footer: The information contained in footers change from website to website. Do not stuff an excessive amount of information in the footer - especially important info. Not all users scroll down to the bottom of webpages to start to see the footer - some visit the end of this content. If you have important info that must be placed within the footer, then begin the footer immediately after this content area ends. Placing the primary links for the website in the footer is a practice commonly used by designers. There may be additional things that a website requires depending on topic and the industry; however, all websites should contain these 6 elements. Creating a navigation and layout strategy before building a website is essential in guaranteeing that your website doesn't have problems with information overload. 4. Image Text: A Big No No Like a car inside of an airplane hanger, text does not belong inside of an image. The only exception to this should be using text inside of a logo. Yes, it usually is boring using the same text that everybody else uses because of their websites. However, it is possible to still make rich and compelling designs without sticking fancy text of one's images. There are a few reasons why using text within images is a no-no: Larger image file sizes: Each little bit of information inside of a graphic adds size to the file. Once we mentioned earlier, the bigger the file size means an extended download time means the more your already impatient visitors have to wait. Not SEO friendly: Exactly like Flash files, internet search engine spiders cannot detect the textual information inside of image files. If you have an image that will require text, then try an alternative solution method using CSS layers. Not only is this method easy to implement, but it can help keep the image quality smaller. Additionally it is SEO friendly. 5. Attack of the Columns No, this is not a spin from the Star Wars movie. Attack of the Columns is really a phrase we use when a web designer uses more than a few columns within their layout. Some designers think that by using lots of columns they can better organize and display the info on their web page. The problem is, just like information overload, using way too many columns will overwhelm an individual. When more than two or three 3 columns are employed, a focal point is usually eliminated from the net page. Without a center point, the user has no idea where you can look. Instead, the user's eyes wander aimlessly through the entire web page. This will cause an individual to feel confused and overwhelmed and might make them visit a similar website with a cleaner, less-busy layout. Even if there exists a focal point, there is probably going to be too much home elevators a 4+ column layout. If huge sites with massive levels of content (i.e. Amazon.com) can easily work with a 3 column layout, then there is absolutely no reason that any website can't do the same. Plan your layout before you begin building your website and you may find that even if you have a whole lot information and content, a 3 column layout is more than enough. Happier Visitors These 5 What to Hate About Web Design are very important - perhaps the most significant things a web design service should take into consideration when building a website. All 5 of these items have one thing in keeping: when followed, an individual will have a straightforward, fast loading, self-explanatory experience when they visit your site. What more could they ask for? Well, maybe less advertising.Like it? Share it! More by this author |