five things not to do with your website design

When your looking to build your award winning website design, most of the advice out there is on how to create a successful design. I have however put together a list of things not to do when designing your corporate website.

1. Dont use content that's not written for the web

Writing for the Web means making content short, easy to read and to the point. The content on your corporate website design should also answer users questions and use common language and not made-up terms. This will also improve search engine optimisation (SEO), since users search using their own words, not yours.

2. Dont use background music

Many internet users are likely to be listening to some music, so for a website to have music running in the background is often a mistake as it can annoy the user. If you do however need music in your website design, ensure it can be controlled by the user by providing player controls.

3. Dont use long scrolling pages of text

Nobody wants to scroll down a website, reading more and more text. Break this information down into manageable chunks, in dedicated sections. Read more about this in the blog titled '10 tips for website design using text.

4. Ensure the user can Navigate through your site

Don't assume that users know as much about your site as you do. They always have difficulty finding information, so they need support in the form of a strong sense of structure. Start your website design with a good understanding of the structure and communicate this to the user. Provide a sitemap and let users know where they are and where they can go. Also, you will need a good search feature since even the best navigation support will never be enough.

5. Make sure the user can read the information provided

Most web browsers can only read a small number of fonts, so any radical fonts in your website design are unlikely to be seen by the viewer as you expect. Small font sizes should also be avoided as they cannot be read by everyone. Colours can also be a problem as low contrast between the text and background means, once again, the text cannot be read easily.

If you want a website design, corporate identity or newsletter design that doesn't make any of these mistakes, contact the team at Advansys. Our skilled team can make the most of your information, and ensure visitors will come back again and again. Check out our web design portfolio.