With hundreds of thousands of professionally designed websites on the Internet it is important to make sure that your site stands out for the right reasons - sometimes it’s shocking to see the poor quality of some websites (and some of these are designed by ‘professionals’ too!). Don’t despair, there are a couple of things that you can watch out for to ensure that your site doesn’t wind up as an example of what not to do.

One: Flash introduction pages
Flash introductions can look nice and attractive since they include animated and interactive elements but, aesthetics aside, many users find them frustrating. Users don’t like to wait for an intro page to load in order to reach the content so if you are going to include such a page on your website, make sure there is a ‘skip intro’ button as well as a loading bar to show visitors how long they will have to wait.

The loading time of such a page depends on what is included on it. For example music and images increase the loading time significantly. Remember, in the online sphere no-one has time to wait. If your website can’t provide them with the information they need, fast, they will click back and find it somewhere else. In terms of SEO a pure flash page is a big no-no because many search engines cannot read flash files easily. For this reason, if you decide to make use of a flash intro, make sure your underlying content is indexable and includes meta tags with title tags and relevant keywords.

Two: A ghastly colour palette
Probably the first thing a visitor to your site will notice is its colour palette. This is why the colours you chose for your site’s template play a vital role in the success of your website. Colours have a significant psychological impact on visitors and it is important to keep in mind the different meanings associated with different colours. For example, white is associated with innocence and purity whereas red is associated with passion and danger. Your colour choices should be based on factors like the market you are targeting, your brand’s positioning and the type of services or products you are promoting. Keep in mind that too many colours might be distracting. It’s a good idea to use colour to highlight important elements on your pages like headings and links. Be consistent!

Three: Bad layout and navigation
Your visitors need to know exactly where they are on your website at all times and what you want them to do, therefore it is important to include clear and consistent calls to action. The website’s layout should be logical and at first glance define what the website is about. Also, make use of links within your website’s text to lead visitors deeper into your website. Remember, if you offer high quality content visitors will want to come back to your website.