The 7 Deadly Mistakes of Web Design

Avoid these 7 deadly mistakes of web design to make your web site more effective:

1. Choosing style over substance.
If you are a private club your key focus should be timely communication. Design your home page to keep all the upcoming events in front of the membership. If you are a daily fee club, focus all the attention on various tools that collect data on your home page. Do NOT waiver from this advice – you need to capture the contact information of prospects. For resorts or real estate sales, combine the above advice.


2. Text is too small.
 Over 50% of all websites are unreadable. Chances are your web site was created by a young person with great eyesight but most of your players are probably 35 and up. Anything less than 10-point Times is unacceptable and bigger is always better - not from a design view but from a RESULTS view! The same holds true for reverse type or any graphic element that makes reading your site harder. JUST DON’T DO IT!


3. No room allotted to update content on the home page weekly.
 Space should be designed in for rotating in ads, banners, and promotions of your upcoming events. This is a dynamic feature so forget doing your whole site in flash. It can be done but at a cost.


4. Poor navigation.
Make your navigation menus easy to see, easy to read, and easy to follow. On top or at the left of the site are the only places to put core functionality. Highlight your 2-5 most important services with additional graphic treatment on the home page.


5. Lack of key information.
 Most designers act as if they are somehow afraid of words or feel that words pollute their beautiful design. IGNORE them you need text to sell your visitor and to generate search engine ranks. Always err on the side of too much information and you will hardly ever go wrong. People will decide for themselves what is too much. The number one complaint ob the web is not finding the information they were looking for!


6. Failure to offer multiple data collection points.
No matter what type of operation you run the more data you collect the more likely you are to succeed. Incorporate multiple collection points into your design. 


7. Not allowing visitors to book and buy online from your home page.
Internet users want to complete a transaction right there on the web, not on the phone. Allow them to do this wherever possible and ask them to do so on every page.