10 Mistakes to Avoid with Your New Web Site Design

This article is for small business people who maybe developing their first web site. They need not be designing it themselves but should know some common errors that can cost time and money to fix later.

1. Be sure that all of pages on your web site are compatible with all the current web browsers. It sounds simple but sometimes this simple task is overlooked. If you have any doubt have your web site designers show you web pages as you go in multiple browser formats. (need more on this go to web site faq.
    
2. Use graphics and placement of them carefully. Large graphics can take time to load, your visitors are impatient, ten seconds is a long time to wait. Also flash graphics, animation and video are great tools but remember what your internet audience looks for, information. Give them what they want.
    
3. Navigation that is easy and obvious. A visitor arrives at your web site they need to immediately see how to get from point A to point B and back. Always have links leading back to your home page on every web page of your site. Try to give them two choices a left hand navigation aid and a top or bottom one. This will minimize loosing them as they move around your web site.
    
4. Avoid oversize pages that will not fit the average browser window. Again being creative is one thing but you need to keep your visitor long enough to tell them about your creativity. Then allow them to choose to move to an oversized page or one that is hard to navigate.
    
5. Fonts. The great new text editors today allow you to use almost anything as your text font. Again keep it simple. Think of your web site as if it is a brochure. You don't use five different fonts just because you can. This would be disturbing to your reader and like wise to you internet visitor.
    
6. Background graphics. If you choose to use a background for your web pages keep it simple and non distracting. A dizzying pattern will detract from your text and may even drive your visitors away.
    
7. This is an obvious one but check that all your links work. This good to do on a regular basis. Often things or destinations change so part of your web site maintenance plan should be to check that all links are operational.
    
8. Do not use pop up windows. This is very annoying to the average web surfer. The seek to escape from web sites or pages that place pop up ads and or windows in their face, hence the much touted development of the "pop up blocker" in browsers now days.
    
9. It is a good policy to keep your links the most common color of blue and then purple after visited. That is what most people are used to. That means they see a blue underlined text they think, that is a link to something interesting. Again you can make links and visited links any color but think of your visitor and what you want them to do while they are visiting your web site.
    
10. Don't forget a privacy policy, especially if you are asking you visitor to buy something or provide other information, such as an email address. They will want to know you are not going to spam them or otherwise abuse their information.
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