Given the rapid pace with which things change on the internet, it is not uncommon for techniques or devices that were once regarded as best practice to quickly move to being considered worst practice. Outlined below are examples that we believe in the vast majority of cases will decrease, rather than increase, a website's chance of success:
1.Splash Pages: Remember when almost every website made you view an image or animation before you got to enter the site? Such splash pages frustrate users and significantly decrease website conversions. In almost every case a splash page is a terrible idea.
2.Large amounts of flash: Flash can add visual impact to your site. However, this needs to be balanced with the fact it is not properly indexed by search engines, cannot be viewed on iPhones or iPads and can be slow to download. Never place anything important inside flash.
3.Bulky Images: Not everyone has a great internet connection or a huge screen. Keep your image sizes small to ensure the majority of people can enjoy your website.
4.Graphics for site navigation: If you are serious about search engine optimisation your main site navigation should be text rather than graphics based.
5.Too much animation: Movement attracts the eye but can make reading difficult. Don't let too much movement impact on the ability of a site visitor to understand your message.
6.Bleeding edge technology: Avoid technology that requires users to download special software or acquire new skills. Often, they will do neither, and your website will be less effective.
7.Being unique: Your product, design and content can be unique. Your site navigation and the way people use your website should not be. It is vital to stick to website conventions. Confusing people will affect the success of your website.
8.Tricks to fool search engines: It can be tempting to bend the rules and artificially manipulate a search engines' view of your site. However, any short term gains will likely be more than offset if you get caught and your domain is demoted or worst case, entirely removed from Google altogether.
9.Background music: Making an impact with your website is a good thing. Annoying your users, embarrassing them at work or severely slowing down the browsing of your website is not. Very few websites benefit from background music or audio that launches automatically.
10.Automatic pop-up windows: No-one likes websites that create automatic pop-up windows. While there is a chance that pop-ups can convert some site visitors you need to balance this with the larger number of people who will be annoyed and driven away by them.
There are aspects of this list that are subjective and I can begrudgingly admit that there are possibly some items above that have a role to play for some websites. Does your website contain any of the above? Do you know for sure whether they are helping or hindering your online success? Make today the day you take a fresh look at your website.
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