keith@webpens.com
(407) 929-1324
by Keith Finley
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Sometimes what isn't present is just as important as what is. A website which
lacks
the following mistakes keeps its visitors - and its owner - happy.
Inappropriate
focus on search engines
We've all seen websites with text that bends over backwards to constantly fit in
keywords. Writers of such websites cram keywords into every sentence whether
their English professors like it or not. But those committing these blunders in the
name of search-engine placement may be doing more harm than good.
At the very least, such shenanigans leave a bad taste in the mouth of visitors.
An
overly-keyworded website will be regarded as unprofessional since page
readability
suffers. At worst, the site could be ignored by search engines. Search engines
compete to deliver
quality
search results to their users; it's in their interests to filter
out the tricksters and noise-makers.
The other side of the search engine coin is also unpleasant. A website which
entirely fails to feed keywords and page titles to search engines may find
itself
hungry for visitors. Searchable websites:
Needless flash movies
Many websites have a flash intro as the
first page of their website. Others sprinkle
flash movies throughout the site. Except in certain circumstances, flash
movies are
an unnecessary annoyance.
One such forgivable website might be a wedding photographer's. In this case,
visitors want to see plenty of pictures, and a flash movie can deliver them in
a
compelling way.
But many website owners feel a great need for flash without a great reason.
Visitors
lacking the flash plug-in usually see only an ugly red "X". Sites which require a
plug-in
download could very easily send its visitors packing.
Flash movies play like TV commercials. Many visitors simply change the channel.
Pages which are
painful to change or update
Whether the
pain comes from difficulty or expense isn't important. What matters is
that needed changes aren't happening.
According to Google, websites which get updated periodically favor better in
search
results than those that have been abandoned by their creators.
Websites that are difficult or expensive to change usually feature inaccurate
and
dated information. Spelling mistakes, grammatical errors and poorly organized
pages are seemingly etched in stone, perhaps forever.
Why? Often, a site's owner does not control the website, and must pay big fees
to a
website designer to make any changes. When owners do control their websites,
they often lack the computer-savvy needed to make changes.
Change? It's a swearword to many website owners.
Hyperlink
Overuse
When people get
frustrated with a website they exit. When it's not crystal clear what
the visitor should click on next, frustration occurs.
Hyperlink overuse can ruin a website's organization. If every other sentence
has a
link to some other page, frustration occurs in the mind of readers who just want
some quick info.
With all those links leading to
even more links, it's easy for
visitors to become lost. But visitors know
how
to escape the hyperlink labyrinth.
They close the browser and end the game.
Lack of
substance
Many websites
miss the important point that sites can be used to host information or
valuable resources that visitors will appreciate. A problem exists when all of
a
website's pages read like a commercial. People search the Internet for
information,
not commercials.
Websites that give visitors something besides a sales pitch are doing themselves
a
big favor. A website with authoritative information on appropriate subjects will attract
people it
wouldn't have otherwise and give all visitors a real reason to return.
-Copyright Web Pens, 2005