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Last week I discussed blog design elements that help you present the best online version of you. This week I want to point out elements that may damage your online presence. We determined last week that, although your blog or web site should be a reflection of you, it should also be useful and user-friendly for your readers.
Many of the design elements that render a site annoying are optional. In other words, they are not key to designing a useful site, they are simply elements the designer (you) thought would be cool. I've been working with web sites since 1995. Trust me when I tell you that "cool" rarely helps usability and most often results in annoyance. Take flashing text that changes color for example. In 1995 and 1996 this was "cool" and several sites couldn't resist the lure of the flashing online marquee. It was abandoned quickly when those web site owners discovered people were clicking away from the distracting blinking and not bothering to read the information the site provided.
What are the worst design offenders these days?
- Music that auto-loads. I can tell you that I'm not alone when I say I immediately click away from any site that auto-loads music. Many people do offer the option to turn off the music, but the player may be hard to find or buried at the bottom of a long page. Readers appreciate music more if they have the choice of turning it ON instead of turning it OFF.
- Light type on a dark background. I understand the dark background is "edgy" and "artistic", but it also makes your site really hard to read. I will concede that, depending on your niche, the dark background can be successful. However, in most cases it's hard to read and, therefore, lacks successful usability for your visitors. Instead, choose a light background (no, it doesn't have to be white) and dark text.
- Large banners. Many blogs have ginormous headers that take up a reader's browser page. The visitor is forced to scroll down to read posts or find relevant links. Visitors come to your site to read, not to look at your banner. Make your important content stand out by placing it above the fold (i.e., readers don't have to scroll down to see it). Make your banner smaller. It's an important part of your brand, but it's not the only important part.
- Flash introductions. One of the first things I learned about web design can be summed up in four words: Three clicks to content. Visitors need to be able to find what they are looking for at your site with three clicks or less. The click to get to your site was one. If I have to sit through a Flash presentation or even click the Skip link, that's two and I haven't even hit your content yet. Are you confident that your site is so well-planned that I'll find what I'm looking for before I use that third click? If I don't, I may just decide to find the information somewhere else. Unless the Flash is integral to functionality (and it does work well with certain sites), it may be better to focus on the content and less on the, uh, flash.
- Widget mania. The word widget is short for window gadget. A widget is simply a visual element of your page that does something (e.g., a drop-down menu, an iPod playlist, ads, or even your RSS subscription feed). There are widgets for everything from tag clouds to newsfeeds to search. The problem is that too much of anything is, well, too much. Too many widgets ends up being distracting.
More reading:
- webdesigner depot explains that large backgrounds can work, but there are some rules. You can read more in the article Large Website Backgrounds Do’s and Don’ts.
- Zinni, at Positive Space, wrote Common Traits of Bad Web Design. Her list covers everything from non-degradable navigation to typography. It's worth a read.
- SayzLim points out 12 Bad Blog Designs You Should Avoid.
Melanie Nelson writes tips and instructions for beginning bloggers at Blogging Basics 101.
