Five things which will turn customers away from your business website
Often you find sites which tell you what to put on your website in order to make them more appealing. And where you find that these hints are useful, there are somethings which should not be added to your site. Either the trend has passed or it is just poor design to do so. Here are three things NEVER to put into a business site if you want it to be successful.
Popover Ads
Advertising is a good thing. AdSense, click links, and banners are a great way in which you can bring some extra revenue to your site. Yet, I find that more and more sites are using overlays/popovers to do so. Why is this bad for your business page? For one, the overlay screams that you want money. Potential clients do not want a sale shoved down their throats, but want to have the option to explore and make the choice to buy. Secondly, the popover/overlay creates a visual barrier to your site. The customer cannot see your content due to the advertisement, which could take away from your sales. Finally, the pop-over may be misconceived as being malware or a virus and the person will avoid the site and tell others to do so. The best practice is to keep the overlays to subscription notices and newsletter signups.
Automatic Play videos
Automatic play videos are problematic to the web design of a business as they tend to be a bit intrusive. Imagine that you are on a conference call with a client. They have asked you a question regarding the 3D printing of your product. You wish to be informative on the subject so you quickly jump to a site that talks about 3D printing. However, the site starts up an automatic video giving away that you are online and doing something else while in the conference. Such could have negative effects on business.
Apart from the interruption to business, putting automatic play into a website is just bad design. Consider, the fact that the page will take longer to load as the video is embedded into the design. The site becomes unstable if audio is playing on another site. Additionally, if the user is not given control over the video, they are prone to miss important information. Instead of having Automatic play videos, use controllers. This gives the user the visual of the video but does not force them to watch it. If your site cannot stand without the video playing, you need to reassess the design. Additionally, if you must have animation on your site, consider an automatic slideshow over the auto play video as such is typically less strenuous on the web design and the loading time of the site.
Flashing Text
When the internet was still new, flashing text was an acceptable way in which to get the customer’s attention. Yet, with the advancements in design, typography, icons, 3d models, scrolling pictures, SEO, etc. it is no longer something which should be used. I like to equivocate the flashing text to the giant purple gorilla outside of a car dealership. True, you may get people to look at it, but the majority of people who view the text will see it as cheesy and novice, especially if the text is a bold header or dominating the screen.
Instead of using flashing text, take the time with your website designer to explore different text for the headers and sub-headings of your site. Put emphasis on your navigational tabs, icons, and use images which capture the viewer. If you want to animate the text for a specific purpose, then by all means do so, but avoid just having the text blink (unless of course you are using the text with a stunning visual such as a 3d restaurant render with the sign blinking open).
Above all keep you content in mind
The visuals of your site should accent the content that your business is trying to sell. As such, you should take careful considerations in how you present your content. The points which are most important to your business should have the greatest focus in your design with the lesser items taking a back seat. Keywords and SEO should also be considered along with organic content. Webpages should be built upon the precept that the modern design is not static in nature but engaging for the potential client. Whether you make your site such through 3D design, layers, ap syncing, or live chat with potential clients is up to you. However, do not neglect to keep the content at the forefront. A great design does well only if the content of the site is amplified.