3 Things I Hate On Websites

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Day 8 of the 100 blogs in 100 days challengeIn my musings today I tell you 3 things I don't like on websites.

1. Over complicated sites with poor navigation.

Are you trying to WOW us with all the stuff you have on your site? But I don't know where I am, I don't know how I got here and I don't know how to get back.

I'm just confused I think I'll go to another website.

When I design a site I always try to follow the KISS acronym: Keep It Simple Stupid

2. Carousels

That is, the large image at the top of a web page, that changes every few seconds.

If there's text on the graphic it's often a case of: "I didn't have time to read that!" What point are you trying to make?

It's like the kid who's constantly saying "Look at me! Look at me!"

When you are trying to read the text underneath, the constant movement is distracting. It's like trying to read a book while someone keeps showing you photographs in their photo album

While we are on the subject I find any moving image or animated gif annoying after about 2 seconds. What are you, an amusement arcade? What audience are you trying to attract? Are you trying to take pennies from children? Grow up! We are adults, treat us like adults. Well that is, unless you are a child, I guess.

3. Remarketing adds

Remarketing adds are adds, usually banner ads that appear on websites after you have been browsing another site. Maybe a site where you are interested in their product. You finish browsing there and move on to another unrelated site. Suddenly, there it is a big banner add for the site you have just been on! Then you go to another site and there it is again!

It's like you are being stalked, and really annoys me. Is it just me or do other people feel the same?

That's not really a web design issue, there's nothing that the web designer can do about that. Unless they don't put in the banner add widget at all.

What features of websites wind you up?

A website designer's schedule

What's been happening in the wonderful world of web development today?

Fruit salad for breakfast, yum!

This website designer's breakfast

And then:

6 hours 6 minutes Form validation with jQuery and testing, and ironing out glitches
2 hours 2 minutes Writing blog posts, restructuring Onsitenow blog
50 minutes Hootsuite, reading network forums and blogs
26 minutes Free work for a website I support
24 minutes Email
22 minutes Trying to join Microsoft anti-spam JMRP
17 minutes Studying Google Analytics for a client website
4 minutes New client communications

Total: 10 hours 37 minutes

So today I was pretty much focussed on one thing, and finally got it finished, thank goodness! But this journal is becoming a bit of an obsession too. Will it last? I don't know.

And I've put my time sheet in a neat table :-)

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Mike Nuttall

Author: Mike Nuttall

Mike has been web designing, programming and building web applications in Leeds for many years. He founded Onsitenow in 2009 and has been helping clients turn business ideas into on-line reality ever since. Mike can be followed on Twitter and has a profile on Google+.