With a number that large, it is imperative for your web site to be clear to navigate, easy on the eyes, and easy to read. Here are some major mistakes that websites should avoid:

 

Bad site structure. Content that is difficult to find and requires several clicks to locate is a headache that Internet users are not willing to gain. Always make content available through three clicks at the most, or expect to lose users. A web site with a site map and clear content will avoid the loss of your users on a page.

 

Complex menus. Sure, an animated menu that moves around or shifts may sound good, but it may not be compatible with every viewer to your website. Long menus also are very distracting, and menus too heavy on graphics may be harder to read by search engines. Optimization is key.

 

Hard to find contact page. Most users visit websites in order to find the contact information for a company or their address. It is crucial to make this page easy to find.

 

Outdated information. This is something that just cannot happen with a website for a business. Credibility is lost when it is clear that a website has not been updated for a long time, and users may think that the company is no longer active. Always keep dates, contacts, and other information up to date.

 

Bad marketing. Just because a website is online and working does not mean that it will immediately attract users. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is very important, as well as adding the website address to all of your materials for your company. Let users know this information is available to them whenever they need it, just by typing a web address.\

 

Outdated links. Bad links are another way to allow credibility to be lost. If a site goes unupdated, the user no longer feels that the page, nor the business behind it, are dependable. This is one of the main reasons why the maitenance and planning of a website is crucial. Do-It-Yourself sites may seem like a good idea, but without the knowledge to maintain your site or keep visitors coming, all you will have is another page on the Internet.

 

Not tracking statistics. Without seeing who is visiting your site and when, how are you supposed to know what audience to target? How do you know which pages work, and which pages may need to be redesigned or removed? This is a common mistake made with web sites, and can easily be avoided by using web analytic tools.