web design – ten simple rules to follow – part 2

4. Errors: Act Like A Red Light  

When you are driving along a road and are stopped by a red light, people tend to respond negatively. The same principle can be applied to web design. When a user is navigating around your website and they are stopped by an error, regardless of how significant the error is, they will also respond negatively. Errors will often lead to web users becoming frustrated, with some likely to leave the website immediately. In worst-case scenarios, some simple errors have led to web users leaving a website, vowing never to return again, and even going so far as to tell their friends about the overall negative experience. Ongoing website testing and maintenance cannot be overlooked!

5.  Coding: No Copy & Paste  

Amateur web designers will often copy and paste code from various websites and compile their website like its Frankenstein. When an error occurs, the web designer doesn’t know how to fix it because they didn’t write the code. Web designers must then sit down and waste time working out what each piece of code does, before discovering the error and then rectifying it. During this time it’s the web users who suffer, as they sit through error after error. Although writing the code from scratch causes longer initial development stages and may cost more in the short term, it will save you a lot of time in the long run if any errors do happen to occur. As mentioned above, errors need to be avoided, whatever the cost. Before seeking professionals to do your website design or flash design, always run double-checks to see how much of the code they are actually writing. If the web design agency is copying code from within their own web design / flash design team, then there is nothing to worry about because someone in the agency will know what to do if a problem arises or they typically have an FAQ that can be easily referenced. The only time you should worry is if the code is copied from an external website.

6.  Consistency: Critical To Success  

Regardless of size, every website should remain consistent to ensure the web user knows exactly where they are and where to look at all times. This applies to everything from simple navigation bars to the location of help menus. The goal should be to make the web user familiar with all aspects of your website, from the colours used in the design to the overall layout. Some web designers, who are often pressured by management to create a variety of web designs, feel the need to experiment with different colour schemes and website layouts within a single website, but this does nothing but confuse the web user by causing disorientation. Only break consistency when the website is receiving a complete overhaul.