Epileptic Web Design: The Fastest Way to Lose Site Visitors

by Ellen Foster
ellen.foster@webdesignschoolreview.com
Web Design School Review Columnist

Professional web designers know that the best ways to annoy site visitors usually have one thing in common: uncontrollable movement. With fear of viruses running high, surfers can be on edge when visiting new sites. Web designers must reassure visitors that everything is legitimate and under control. This becomes critical for the many online businesses web designers represent—designers must create web sites worthy of a visitor’s trust.

Designer Deal-Breakers: These Moves Make Site Hits Dwindle

Here are some of the sneakiest and most misguided web design maneuvers. Some might be well-intentioned, and others are just plain annoying.

Bad Design: When the Pop-Up Assault meets the Broken Back Button This brings back afternoons in the schoolyard when the bully held you down as his friends pummeled your gut. Pop-up after pop-up—all you want to do is exit the site—but the web site has broken your back button so you take a beating.

The Horror of Horizontal Scrolling in Web Design

The problem could be easily fixed if the web designer used 600 width or 100%, but he or she didn’t, and it’s the victimized site visitor who must scroll left and right, and left and right, just to read a little text!

Ban the Bad Banner Ad in Web Design

It would be one thing if those happy banner ads provided information about something the visitor wanted, but more often than not, they’re wholly unrelated to the website. It’s sleazy to see casino ads when you’re trying to research Grandma’s home medical equipment—whose idea was that?

Unnecessary Movement: A Recipe for Web Design Disaster

In the right hands, Independence Day fireworks are fun. But remember when Uncle Murray almost lost an eye? Let it be a web design lesson: no more than one “moving” object per page. Restrain yourself, and no one will get hurt.

Source

Bad Web Design

About the Author

Ellen Foster is a freelance writer and teacher. She has taught students aged 5 to 45.

Posted at 2:46 PM on December 1, 2006

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