How to Wreck a Web Site in 10 Easy Steps

Common mistakes in web design

By J.D. Solomon
JDS Strategic Communications

1. Don't assess a dollar value for your site. How much is it really worth to you to have a web site? Will it bring in sales or donations? Will it reduce costs associated with printing and mailing? Or is it just something you feel your organization must have in order to be taken seriously in this digital age? Build a site where the size and cost reflect its true value to your organization.

2. Build from a site map instead of a site plan. A site map merely indicates which pages link to other pages. A site plan documents the kind of site you want. It specifies - and justifies - your site's size, features and functionality. Site planning starts with a needs assessment and continues with a blueprint that reflects those needs.

3. Let your high school or college kid design the site. Even if your child got an A in Web Design class, it doesn't mean he or she is qualified to build your site. If you want it to look professional, hire a professional. Besides, what are you going to do if your kid takes three weeks to post an update — withhold allowance? (Same rule applies to well-meaning volunteers.)

4. Add features and functionality because you can. We've all seen those silly animated mailbox icons, but other useless features abound on web sites as well. Guest books, slide shows, scrolling text, news feeds and search boxes are all examples of web gizmos that are easily installed but rarely needed. Even items that could be useful, like e-mail alerts, user forums and chat rooms, should be abandoned if they're not promoted and used.

5. Let your site design go on, and on, and on. It's great to think big, but not if it means being in a perpetual state of design. Create a plan with stages, and make sure the first one can be completed and posted in a reasonably quick time.

6. Leave "Under Construction" or "Coming Soon" pages up indefinitely. Of course you intended to post valuable content on those placeholder pages, but that was six months ago and you still haven't gotten around to it. Here's a news flash: you never will. Accept defeat and remove those pages.

7. Think that if you build it they will come. Sure you want to maximize your search engine placement so people from all over can find your site. But more important is making sure that people who already know about your organization know about your web site. Promote your site in newsletters, mailings, advertisements and press releases; print your web address on your stationery and envelopes; include your domain name in your e-mail signature.

8. Think that after you build it you are done. Web sites need to be maintained and updated regularly. Old press releases, events listings and staff directories need to be replaced with new ones, and sites need to be redesigned every few years to reflect changes in your organization. Put one person in charge of web maintenance. Make "Web site revisions" a standing agenda item for staff meetings. Schedule an annual web site review.

9. Don't monitor usage. Your web designer or hosting company should give you an easy way to track the number of visitors to your site and its key pages. Review your site statistics at least quarterly. You may find that you're devoting a lot of attention to portions of your site that very few people visit, or that you're neglecting popular pages.

10. Post an animated introductory page. Here's proof that animated intro pages are just plain silly. Imagine if you posted an informative home page with a link at the top that said, "Wait! Click here now if you want to view a cute animation with music before reading this page." How many visitors do you think would click that link?