Most websites today have certain elements which make them a lot similar to each other. For instance, e-commerce websites will often have their checkout (shopping cart) and member log-in buttons or icons grouped together, and most websites will feature a grid or ‘table of contents’ on the left-hand side of the homepage. But there are some elements which are a big mistake, even though we may not be aware of them. What are these elements, then? If you want to have a good, user-friendly website, here are the top mistakes you should avoid.
- Download your app? What app?
One of the worst mistakes you can make for your website is to have your visitors greeted with an utterly annoying ‘download our app’ message. These messages often appear when a visitor follows a certain link from search engines using their mobile phones, and they’re also aptly referred to as a ‘door slam’. The good news is that these ‘door slams’ are not as likely to appear today as more website designers and owners utilise more reasonable and user-friendly designs for mobile, but they’re still around, so it’s best to avoid them at all costs.
- Automatic sound
Nothing is as annoying as visiting a website and having sound or music play automatically. You don’t want this to happen to you when you visit a website, and neither would your visitors. It is not only disruptive and distracting, but also quite infuriating. Avoid the automatic playing of sound (or video) when a visitor enters your site because it automatically takes away the user’s control. You want your users to feel that they’re in control at all times, and surprising them with some annoying sounds or music is tantamount to making them feel harassed.
- A ‘forgetful’ form
If you have a website and you have successfully convinced a user to input their details to your site, kudos to you. You have been able to persuade them about the relevance of what you are offering – and, more importantly, you’ve convinced them about the worthiness of what you are offering, that it’s worthy enough for them to part with their important personal details. But there are still a lot of websites nowadays which ‘forget’ what their users have already entered. Whatever online form you may have on your website needs to be designed in such a way that it doesn’t forget those crucial details. It’s important for your forms to ‘remember’ the data which users have already submitted. It’s very easy for a visitor or user to just abandon your site if too much effort is asked of them.
- Silly and pointless surveys
Surveys have long been used, not only on the Internet but in the real world, simply because they are inherently useful, as web design experts from https://xist2.com will tell you. But whilst surveys can be relevant and useful, they can also be quite irritating, especially if the questions asked are not entirely related to the service, product, offer, or company. If you have to do surveys, make sure your survey is relevant and quick to accomplish. Don’t give your users a survey which consists of 50 questions and takes 30 minutes to finish. Figure out what it is you really want to find out, and then ask just several, highly-focused questions. This way, your users are still happy to participate, and you’ll have the information you need.