digitalMAMMOTH


Top 5 Mistakes that May Drive Your Visitors Away in Less Than 2 Minutes


You took the leap. You set up a website to display your important message. Congratulations! As in life, first impressions are important on the web. Web researchers found that you have about 2 minutes to make that first impression a good one. Visitors will judge your site in those few seconds on its professionalism and appropriateness to what they are looking for.

In fact, a website can lose about one-third of its potential customers due to poor design, according to a recent user study conducted by Jakob Nielson, Ph.D., a principal of the Fremont Calif.- based Nielson Norman Group.

Take a long hard look at your site. Or ask a friend to give you a brutally honest review of your site. Does it pass the test of professionalism? Are the graphics of good quality and clear? Is the formatting, font size and font colors consistent throughout the site? Or does your site commit design mistakes that speak AMATEUR as soon as it loads?

There are some common mistakes website owners make that may cause visitors to leave early. Correct these top 5 mistakes to make sure your visitors stay long enough to read your important message:

Mistake #1 They use large, squeezed or out of portion graphics.

Beginning website owners mistakenly post large graphics that seem like a good idea but usually will bloat the website. Large graphics will slow your page load and turn away impatient web surfers before they have a chance to read your message. Even so, do use them for graphics and photos help illustrate your communication and sell online.

Solution: Use optimized, web-ready photos and graphics. Web Wit Tip: If a larger image is needed to help illustrate your message, add a link that says, "Click here to see larger image." That way large images that slow your page load will only be displayed by people who really need to see a larger image.

Mistake #2 They use distracting elements that blink, bounce, scroll or turn circles.

Most novice websters are sure this will get the attention of their visitors. It's true visitors may enjoy the cutesy elements or flash presentations. But they may never focus on your important message as well. Unless the flash empowers your presentation, use the adage "Less is More."

Solution: Limit or eliminate any distracting elements from your website.

Mistake #3 They use too many different formatting styles

Unless your formatting is consistent throughout your site, it will spell UNPROFESSIONAL to its visitors and may cause them to leave early. Inexperienced site owners change formatting with too many different size, colors and styles of fonts throughout the site. They create text blocks that are out of alignment.

Solution: Use a consistent style and size of text throughout website. CSS style sheets are helpful. Learn basic HTML and explore CSS style sheets; it will improve your command of webbing for profit.

Mistake#4 They use colored backgrounds and graphics that make text illegible

Some colored backgrounds, graphics or textures make it difficult to read the type on a web page. Anything that hinders the readability of your message may cause visitors to give up and leave quickly.

Solution: Choose colors that will enhance readability of your site's message. Light backgrounds with dark text improves readability of your text every time.

Mistake#5 They use mismatched graphics that are inappropriate for the content of the site.

Unseasoned site owners will sometimes use graphics or photos that do nothing to help illustrate their message. For example, they choose cutesy stars and flowers on a site selling accounting services. Look for clipart and photos that will support your important message.

Solution: Select graphics or design elements that will harmonize and illustrate your site's message. Web Wit Tip: For non-techies like the author invest in inexpensive clipart/photo sets that will enhance and help illustrate your communications. Additionally, unless you are training to become a graphic artist look for graphic programs with templates to shorten your learning curve.

First impressions are important on the web. Follow the simple design techniques above and stop turning your visitors away at the door. Use your first few seconds to impress your visitors with simple design that delivers your powerful message effectively.

ŠEarma Brown, 10 yr. Web Developer, Author, Small Business Owner
Helps entrepreneurs and writers with full featured hosting, domain names,websites and a host of other web solutions
eBk: Jumpstart Your Website to Success
P.O. Box 612, Wylie, Texas 75098-9998
http://www.bestarrowhosting.com
Free eZine: Web Wit mailto:webwit@arrowproduction.com
earma@bestarrowhosting.com
877-846-9908


MORE RESOURCES:

Web Hosting Solutions Provider, Attenda, Joins Microsoft BizSpark
WebSite Host Directory (press release), OR - 13 hours ago
London, United Kingdom - (Website Hosting Directory) - November 21, 2008 - Web hosting company, Attenda Limited, has been selected to join the Microsoft ...


Web Hosting
DSB Direktoratet for samfunnssikkerhet og beredskap, Norway - 5 hours ago
Watch & search the largest selection of Web Hosting Videos now. This page provided to the domain owner free by Sedo's Domain Parking . ...


PAC Web Hosting a Nominet Domain Registrar and Member
webhostdir.com, UK - 15 hours ago
PAC Web Hosting Ltd have announced that they are now a Nominet domain registrar and member. Shared web hosting and domain registrar PAC Web Hosting Ltd ...


Natuba(TM) Chooses ServerBeach As Dedicated Web Hosting Partner
MarketWatch - Nov 18, 2008
... 1 company specializing in dedicated hosting, has been chosen by Natuba(TM) to provide web hosting and IT infrastructure for the rapidly growing site. ...


Web Hosting
TheStorygroup.com, GA - Nov 20, 2008
Professional web hosting services featuring premium performance and 24/7 phone support. Plans include an extremely rich feature set and start at just ...


Hosting Sales and Promos Roundup
Web Host Industry Review - 10 hours ago
At least one hosting provider, Globat.com, has vowed to give its hard working web hosting affiliates Christmas bonuses. Other special presents include Host ...


NetFirms Hosts Pixlr Image Editor
Web Host Industry Review - 10 hours ago
Netfirms, which has offices in the US and Canada, says it provides web hosting solutions and web 2.0 technology to small and medium-sized businesses, ...


UK Web Hosting Site Studyhost Goes Live
Press Release 365 (press release), FL - Nov 20, 2008
HULL, UK -- New UK Based Web Hosting Company Studyhost opened its doors today and went live on the internet. The people behind Studyhost have over 7 years ...


WebhostforASP.NET Announce Windows 2008 Web hosting with IIS 7 ...
PRLog.Org (press release), Romania - 19 hours ago
NET Web hosting. WebhostforASP.NET have been participating in ASP.NET since its beta version (version 1) and continuously upgrading the team skills in ASP. ...


Web Hosting Provider, Rackspace Cloud Hosting Division, Names ...
TheHostingNews.com (press release), OR - Nov 18, 2008
San Antonio, Texas - (The Hosting News) - November 18, 2008 - Clustered hosting provider, and Rackspace Hosting's cloud division, Mosso, has expanded its ...

Web-Hosting - Google News

home | site map
© 2006