Computer and Web Articles

As a website developer, I regularly receive requests from new clients that make me cringe deep down inside. I’ve learned over the years that, for some reason, many people struggle to remember what they hate about other websites when building their own.

With this in mind, allow me to list six of the big website annoyances many new clients, for one reason or another, request specifically for their website.

1. Music or video that plays automatically. If I want to watch your video, I’ll press play, thanks. I don’t want to have to find the “stop” button every time I visit your site.
2. Confusing navigation. Wait … I just wanted to buy a T-shirt from your site and all I see in the navigation are links for “about,” “candy,” “more info” and icons of some flowers that appear to morph into words when I mouse over them. I’m outta here.
3. Too many “bookmark my site” icons. Um, if I want to bookmark your site, I will bookmark your site. Stop taking up so much space on your webpages with these big buttons telling me to CLICK HERE to bookmark your site. Very annoying.
4. Huuuuuuuuge chunks of text. Remember, it’s a website, not Franny and Zooey. Do you really expect me to read through 40 solid lines of unbreaking, non-titled, unchunked text? No way. You lost me a long time ago.
5. Hidden Contact Info. Alright, I’m sold! I want to set up an appointment with you. I want to purchase your services. OK. So … um, how do I contact you? Where’s your phone number?? No contact page? Is your phone number maybe on your “About Us” page? Or is it - whatever, I’m leaving.
6. Outdated Info. If I had a dollar for every time a client has requested an “Updated News” section on his/her website and then promptly forgotten to keep that section up to date … well … I’d have … a lot of dollars. Please believe me when I tell you that it does not makes your business look very good when the most recent item in your “Latest News” section is from a year and a half ago.

I know, I know, it all sounds SO obvious, doesn’t it? Hold on though; before you roll your eyes and complain about me providing you with obvious information, go look at your website and tell me the date of your most recent news entry.