Having a website for the first time is exciting and a bit of stress, you get to have your very own piece of Internet (Really!). You are a bit stress with the launching, you don’t know if your visitors like your website? Does it going to run well? Why analytic haven’t show me anything yet?
When you get to do your website, you will get carry away very quickly. You would want EVERYTHING under the sun to be on your website, you want your website to be entertaining so you added a background music, hopefully visitors will be more relax when visiting your website. You think that competitor may have copy your text and image, you disable the right-click and etc.
STOP! Let’s walk through some of the mistake you may have done with your website. Let’s save your website and your visitors will definitely love your website more.
Pop-up windows
Don’t get desperate to get more subscriber. When you have a great content, user will search for your subscription form. Popping up a model window whenever a visitor come to your website will annoyed your visitors. A web user don’t like surprise, they want to keep everything as normal as possible, so they get to control how to navigate your site by themselves.
Repeating sharing icons
We are bloated with all the features there have to share a website, there are browser add-on, a simple bookmark click to share, and of course a website with a sharing icons. You don’t have to keep repeat the few icons thinking your visitors will eventually share the content. Your visitors will only share the content if your content is good, not because they see too much sharing icons.
Music background
The most annoying of all website mistake is this! Not everyone using the computer without listening to their iTunes. Be considerate, remove your website music completely.
Auto-play video
Never auto-play your video. Always remember to give your visitor the controling power, let them go through your website themselves. Auto-playing a video will only lead to 3 ending: 1: They get annoyed and close your website directly (visitors are your website asset); 2: They stop the video; 3: They continue watching your video. Give it only 33% for a result is risking when you can get a high chance of a potential.
Image as text
Separate both text and image. Image is not meant for reading, while text is for reading. Never use a whole image with text just because you don’t want competitors to steal your copy idea. Search engine don’t like it and “scholar” cannot cite you.
Focus on effect and design than content
Some websites like to have a lot of effect, even just loading another page. The facing floating arrow and etc. All these don’t really add value beside, eye candy.
Load only text
We all don’t have much attention span. Unless your content is super, don’t go with 300 words without a single image to spice up the reading experience. Give reader a space to breathe, intervent the reading with an image. You can always get some free and conceptual image here and here or here.
Script font
Unless your website is about Internet MEME, all websites are about reading and text. Readability is the key for a website, a scripting font doesn’t help at all. Make sure you have the right text, there are a series of websafe font or Google font to help you spice up your website design.
Disable right-click
There is no point for disabling right-click anymore. Nowadays people like to right-click a link to open a link on a new tab or simply want to save your download file (some browsers open PDF instead of download PDF). You need to give more freedom to your visitors to use your website (relax, you still keep the operating power), don’t cage your visitors to certain common features.
Advertisement everywhere
Don’t get caught up with revenue of your website. Things come from hardwork, not from a hard to load website. If you really need to get revenue from your advertisement, make sure you analyze all your website element, find the best working location and advertisement and use only it. You don’t have to bloat in all the available advertisement, your visitors may hate your website and some with ad-blocker will see nothing too.
These are some of the website mistakes new website owner may have made. Hopefully this will give you an idea to come out with a better idea for your website. The best thing to do now is to check your own website first.