A lot of the internet is purely trash. That’s right, I said it! A good majority of the web is horrible garbage that no one would ever want to look at it. Companies or individuals put it out there with the hopes that their long, annoying domain name and cheap web hosting will generate revenue. But very few of these horrible sites seem to take the very fundamentals of web design into account. Any web design expert or student will tell you that there are rules to be followed before putting your site online. Just because you know the code to do it does not mean it “should” be done.
If you are at a total loss on how to code basic HTML, you might want to contact that cheap frontpage web hosting company for a referral to a web design firm or contractor that can further assist you with revamping your site. This list involves some minor code modifications. There is nothing too complex here, but it does involve some basic HTML knowledge.
Can users even find the information they want? Do you have a bunch of useless clutter taking up space on your homepage? Think about it, if you were looking for information on how to take care of your pets, would you want to see a weather bar, an RSS feed of the NY Times, and pictures of the web site owner’s kids? Just because the technology is there does not mean it is appropriate for every web page. Use discretion and carefully think about what you would like to see if you were searching for information.
Along the clutter line of thinking, some people just have their information scattered all over the web page. Too many bullets, side bars, and tickers can be very visually distracting from the main content on your page. Less is much more when it comes to web design. A simple link to “Resources” would be much appropriate than having links to every site you have ever been to on every page.
Keep it functional. If you have designed this elaborately ornate site in Flash or Dreamweaver that is absolutely gorgeous but has no navigation, you have failed. For example, I have seen sites where the graphics were amazing, but users had to click on the person’s pupil in the picture to go to the next page and there was no instruction to do so. This is unclear, confusing, and you will lose visitors on day one! Keep it functional for even novice web users to maximize your audience. You can keep your beautiful graphics and fantastic Flash animations, but also make sure to utilize a simple HTML or CSS menu to keep the navigation of your site clear.
Give your users a road map. If you have not implemented a site map, consider doing so. Even if you have a search feature, a nice outline of your site will drastically increase the usability. Many cheap front page web hosting companies offer Fantastico which offers auto installing site map scripts. If this is not the case, you can make a site map the old fashioned way by just constructing a simple set of links organized in logical order to all the pages on your site. If this is too massive for your site or inappropriate for your content, consider hiring a consultant or web designer to develop a third party program to auto generate a site map for you. This will help your users find their way around.
In addition to this site map, every single page on your website should have a link to go back to the home page. With the exception of the home page, there is no reason NOT to implement a discreet home link on every page. Consistency is key here. If your user sees that home link on every page and they eventually do not know where they have navigated to on your site, they can simply click Home.
Does your site actually have a purpose? Even if your site is merely an online scrapbook, document it as such. Explain what the purpose of your site is within the first one or two lines of your site. This will reassure your users that they have come to the right site (or wrong site if the case may be) and keep them looking for their information on your website.
Never, ever, ever have any type of horizontal scrolling on your website. This is annoying to your user and a display of poor coding. Think about your own viewer experiences. Have you ever gone to a website and enjoyed scrolling horizontally?
If you need further help, feel free to contact your frontpage web hosting provider for referrals to web design or web coaching companies.
