Don’t: Be untidy
We’ve all come across a website that is just messy, where styles don’t make sense, things don’t line up and in general it is just sloppy. This is not just a big “Don’t†for web design but design in general.
Don’t: Place irrelevant ads across your page
There is nothing wrong with wanting to earn money from some ads on your websites, but don’t overdo it, and don’t let them dominate over your own content. Not only will it irritate people but they won’t click on them either. The more the ad seems to be a part of your site the more likely the user will be to trust it.
Don’t: Overdo it with different colours
Just because there are an incomprehensible amount of colours available it doesn’t mean you should try and use all of them. Pick a colour scheme that compliments each other and stick with it.
Don’t: Write too much
To key to great copywriting is being able to use the least of words to carry across the most information. Too much copy will not only bore people but it can irritate them and your brand could leave a sour taste in the back of their mind.
Don’t: Ramble on and on about nothing really
Get to the point. These days people are bombarded with information on the net and if they can’t find what they want or what you are about on your site they’ll just leave.
Don’t: Excessively use keywords to try and increase your Pagerank
Google isn’t stupid. Neither are your readers. If your page has the main keyword for your site stuffed into each paragraph 30-40 times, it will not only read very poorly, but you’ll be penalised. Writing should flow naturally and should only mention your keywords where they fit.
Don’t: Make your users work hard to find information
Your readers shouldn’t spend more than 30 seconds trying to find a contact or about page. They also shouldn’t have to click through three pages just to get to a sign up form. Get the important things out in the open. For the items that aren’t required to have a strong focus on your website, you might want to consider in a search box.
Don’t: Make everything on your page an image
Text on a website is there to be exactly what it is, text. There is no need to make the text blocks of your site images. Also, making your website background 1MB or more in size will also cause your page to load very slowly.
Don’t: Have 5 different fonts in 10 different sizes
You should pick a uniform style that compliments your design and corporate image and then stick with it.
Do: Remember what your site should be about
Are you building a website for a business that sells one specific product? If so, make sure that’s the focus of the home page. Allow yourself space on the inner pages to place calls to action for that specific item.
Do: Keep your page structured
Lately we’ve seen an explosion of great grid layouts and css files. Draw inspiration from them and incorporate elements that work with the content of your site.
Do: Choose the right colour scheme
Use colours that work with your corporate identity and your products. Deviating from these colours can negatively impact on your site as a whole.
Do: Keep it simple
It’s a proven fact that sign up forms with more than three items, name, email and one other item, will have a significantly lower sign up rate than the easier forms.
Do: Focus on quality over quantity when it comes to copywriting
Words matter. Keep them short, sweet and to the point. If you have trouble writing copy that attracts the reader’s attention to where you need it to go, hire someone.
Do: Keep your site as fast as possible
You need to build your website with optimal speeds and allow your page to load in a matter of seconds.
Do: Make your page easy on the eye
Fantastic looking websites will grab someone’s attention more than a bland site, which is your first step to getting someone to love your site and hopefully love your brand.
