I wish there was only a "Top 10" list of web design mistakes to avoid. Unfortunately, there are many more. Listed below are those that we at North Texas Web Design strive to avoid:
- Users must know what the site is about in seconds
- Content must be scannable
- Do not use fancy fonts that are unreadable
- Do not use tiny fonts
- Do not open new browser windows
- Do not resize the user’s browser windows
- Do not require a registration unless it is necessary
- Never subscribe the visitor for something without his/her consent
- Avoid overuse of Flash
- Never play music ... if you MUST play an audio file, let the user start it
- Do not use a homepage that then launches the “real” website
- Include contact details
- Avoid breaking the “Back” button
- Do not use blinking text
- Avoid complex URL structures
- Ensure users can search the whole website
- Limit the use of “drop down” menus, when possible
- Use text navigation
- Use a simple navigation structure
- Make sure your website is cross-browser compatible (InternetExplorer, FireFox, Safari, Opera, Netscape, etc.)
- Make links visible
- Do not underline or color normal text
- Make sure to use the ALT and TITLE attributes for images
- Do not use harsh colors
- Do not use pop ups
- Include functional links on your footer
- Avoid long pages
- Absolutely AVOID horizontal scrolling
- No spelling or grammatical mistakes
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Custom Web Site Design
(with hosting)