iBlog by iDesign
When it comes to our websites, many of us are looking to be on the cutting edge of technology. We want really cool functionality, are stunning graphics and animation, and we will go to great lengths to embed those elements into our website. And while this virtual dog & pony show provides us with some great eye candy, we often need to pause.....take a breath....and sit in the customer's seat for a minute.
There are some key mistakes that designers often make when building out a website for a client. Often times they are too caught up in the "creative" process that they forget about the realities of usability and functionality. This can be even more evident when a business owner steps out into the "wild digital yonder" and attempts to build his/her own website. Websites will often become laden with an excess of "gadgets" that render the site unusable, slow and more importantly, annoying. Today, I provide you with a short list of 5 Major Website Mistakes that you should avoid.
- Java that loads additional functionality into the page - Java is a great tool, when necessary, but building a Java heavy webpage only works to slow down your site, which create two major problems for website owners. Google is now including speed as a factor in determining website rankings, and you only have about 10 seconds to load a page before you start losing site visitors.
- Sound/Video files that start when a visitor enters the website - Speaking from personal experience, I hate this, and statistically, so do other site visitors. Yes it might be cool the first time someone visits your website, but by the third....fourth...or fifth time, those great video and audio files that are probably outdated anyway, become an annoyance more than a help. I typically make a bee-line for the mute button as soon as I hear one kick in.
- Pop Out Menus that Cover My Screen - Do you really want to cover up your content with a pop-up? NO! Pop-out menus can be confusing for even the most agile web surfers, but put them in front of a less than savvy user and you are giving yet another reason for them to abandon your website.
- Javascript that loads a mini page - Okay...it's kinda cool, but more times than not, your website visitor's browser is going to crash. Look, its not about "cool" its about RESULTS. Any script or element that could POTENTIALLY take away from results generation, should be left off.
- Giant Animate Graphics - Completely, totally and annoyingly unprofessional. Graphics need to have relevance to the website. There needs to be some sort of correlation between the graphic and the story you are telling. Animation can be successful, but often it is excessive. Not to mention, if you are going the Flash route, 41 MILLION iPhone users can't see your graphic anyway.
I always encourage our clients to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to their websites. Remain on the cutting edge and keep things interesting. But most importantly, provide customers and site visitors with an experience they will enjoy, so that they will return, and purchase.
Are you ready for the Bakersfield Business Conference? If you've never heard of it, the BBC is the premier business networking event on the West Coast. For the last 21 years, Borton Petrini's conservatively focused event highlights the top names in business, politics and entertainment, as well as a Who's Who of small, medium and corporate business owners.
But are you ready? Sure you have your business cards and hand, your elevator speech refined, and your best suit pressed to impress, but how is your website doing? You and your team will spend the better part of October 9, meeting and greeting, handing out cards and talking to potential customers about your products and services. But what will happen on Monday when your potential customers check out your website, full of outdated content, broken links and styles as old as your polyester bell bottoms?
Today, nearly all of your potential customers will jump online to find out more information about you and your business. If your web-presence is outdated, or even worse, non-existent, the opportunities for creating new business decrease exponentially. The power of social networking, in the business community can no longer be underestimated by members of the business community, looking to grow their business network, as those serious about connecting with professionals like yourself, are first going to see if you are serious too.
The simplest approach is to do a quick check in your digital mirror.
-
Is the content on my website up to date?
-
Do all of the links on the website work?
-
Is my contact information easy to find?
-
Is my LinkedIn profile accurate?
Perform this check in advance of the Bakersfield Business Conference and you will be sure to secure some great prospects for new business. If you don't check out, make a beeline to your email and drop me a note, because you may be in need of a digital makeover.
Just in case you are thinking to yourself "Well, there is always next year" think again. The next Bakersfield Business Conference is scheduled for 2015.
Can website hosting really be free? Yes. 
iDesign Web Solutions provides clients dedicated website, email and database hosting in a safe and secure environment. We only host client websites on our dedicated servers and never overcrowd our servers to ensure your site is up and running 24/7. Latest security updates are done for you by our technicians without ever asking! Our data center is SAS 70 certified and offers multiple tier-one providers, un-interruptible power, battery backup, 24/7/365 on-site support and a state-of-the-art climate controlled facility.
How do you get your website for free? It's simple. Those clients that pay for website design services in advance, receive unlimited hosting for FREE. As long as your site remains on our hosting servers, your hosting will be free.
Clients that prefer to participate in our payment plan can still receive great pricing on website hosting. Our rates are competitive and the service is unparalleled.
We are still in the process of completing the program details. Call us today at 877-480-5018 to take advantage of our free website hosting program.
