The Most Common Web Design Mistakes

Do you know which web design mistakes annoy user so much? This article will be useful for those who are working at some project now and can use the chance to check if there are any of the mistakes which we are going to talk here.

1. The problem with readability

A mistake of choosing the font is at the first place in this rating. When users go to website the readability should be convenient. Some sites have too small font or a fixed size font, one more thing that needs to be taken into account is the absence of contrast between text and background color which also happens often.

2. Non-standard links

Here there are five important rules for links:

It is necessary to clearly indicate the link on the page: if it is text, it should be colored and underlined (do not use underline for normal text)
The difference between visited and unvisited links should be visible.
Explain to the users what they will find by clicking on the link and add a little bit of key information in the text of the link in order the content can be easily scanned by a person and a search engine. Do not use the text "click here" in the link or other similar phrases which tell nothing.
Avoid using JavaScript in the links as well as other not easy techniques breaking the standard interaction with a link.

Links are the first element in interaction in the Web. Breaking the usual work of the link, you can confuse users, and it will make difficult for them to work with your site.

3. Flash

Flash is a software environment and it should be used so that users get extra features and functions which they cannot get from static pages. Flash should not be used only with the aim to make something to run and jump on the page. If the page content is not attracting readers, the text should be rewritten. The same refers to photos which should be bright and eye-catching. Do not make your page full of unnecessary flash. It will not attract the user's attention, on the contrary � the user will leave your page as most people consider animated content to be useless.

Using the Flash in navigation is almost always a mistake. Predictable navigation and static menus are the choice of most number of people.

4. The content which is not written specifically for Web

What does it mean to write for Web?

To write short.
To write so that the text can be viewed easily.
To write about the theme (and not to fill the space with the advertising noise).

What must the text for Web do?

respond to users' questions
use simple language without technical terms to provide the better look of your text into the search engines, because users are searching for the necessary documents not in your specific terms)

5. Bad Search

All other mistakes in the list are simple enough to be fixed and as for a search the situation is not the same. Much work is required and significant investment in high-quality search software is also necessary. However, it is worth paying money as the search is a basic part of the web user�s work with the site.

6. Incompatibility of browsers

Today, many users prefer the Firefox browser (and others which are not so common like Opera and Safari), that the requirement to support different browsers is again on the agenda: don�t lose your clients only because they prefer to work on another platform.

7. Absence of contact information of the company

In fact the most common contact information that is often asked is the phone number and e-mail address, but the presence of the usual postal address on the website may be much more important than the number of phone and email, as this is one of the signs by which visitors form level of trust to you.

8. Incorrect pictures� sizes

The user should be provided with the possibility to enlarge the picture of the goods, so that he could get evaluate the product to convince that this product can be purchased on this site. If you visit website, you will see that many of them use this function not correctly. After clicking the option �to enlarge a photo", the user wants to observe not the same picture. Items that do not do anything are always a mistake. Such links and buttons take place in vain, wasting time of the user. The best variant is the photo which moves and gives the user an opportunity to look at it from the different sides.

Each time you think about adding some new function to the website, think first if every technology that exists at your website works properly or maybe something needs to be improved.