Truebluetitan - Internet Entrepreneur Journey

This post is inspired by Mark Lloyd’s Irritating Design & Web Annoyances article.

I browse the web daily; it’s in my job description. Usually, I only view Websites in CSS galleries or my RSS reader, and they’re typically related to the niches that I’m interested in: Web Design, Entrepreneurship, and Making Money Online. However, since joining Entrecard I have broaden my horizon and view sites outside of these categories. For the most part it’s been a great experience and I’ve met some amazing people, but like everything else in life, it has it’s downside.

Some sites out there employ annoying web design tactics that I haven’t seen in years. In an effort to help them improve their site’s look and feel, I decided to compile a list of 10 ways to annoy a Website Designer. Now I’m probably going to get a little heated about this (which is uncharacteristic of me), but hang in there, read the list, and avoid these design no-no’s .

I. Auto-Playing Music

One of the top ten reasons why I stopped using MySpace was the auto-playing music on people’s profiles. My iTunes is open and playing music that I want to listen to all day long, and a midi of Bobby McFerren’s “Don’t Worry Be Happy” competing with my playlist isn’t going to make me add you to my Del.icio.us bookmarks. Instead I’m going to look at your domain name, and make a mental note to never visit it again. It’s almost 2008 and if you haven’t learned this lesson yet, then the rest of this list probably applies to you as well.

II. Animated Tiled-Backgrounds

Content is king. Right? Then why do some people insist on trying to divert my attention to their swirling background instead of letting me read what they’ve written? I recently visited a Website where I had to highlight the text to read it. The font color was poorly chosen and the text was washed away by the background. Unfortunately, the content was as poor as the design. Choose a background that compliments your text, not one that battles it.

III. Use Pop-Ups

Pop-Ups are annoying. I shouldn’t have to go into much more detail than that, but I will, because I care. Everyone hates them. Most browsers now have pop-up blockers built into them, and if you wish to advertise with a Search Engine you better drop the pop-ups from your site. It’s a violation of most of their terms and conditions. Those of you that use them should probably get the hint by now. No one wants to take your survey or view your unbelievable deal of a lifetime. No one. I recently visited a blog directory site that did this on every page of their site and It took me less than 30 seconds to sigh a profanity and close my browser window. May God help you if you use a pop-behind…

IV. Page Counters

So you launched your new Website and want to know how successful your site is. That’s great. Any Website administrator wants to know how they’re doing, but there’s a right way and a wrong way to do this. The wrong way is by putting a free stats counter at the bottom of your Webpage. The world does not care if you have had 10,561 visitors to your site since whenever.

Instead, sign up for a FREE analytics package. There are amazing ones out there that will tell you everything about your visitors, and they do it in style. The two that I highly recommend are Google Analytics and Reinvigorate. Reinvigorate is in BETA right now, but I’ve used it since February and find it to be better than Google’s package. It displays it’s information in real time, which is geeky fun when someone stumbles your article.

V. Splash Screen

Back when Flash was the cat’s meow, splash screens seemed to be the going trend. They were a way of giving users with slow connections the option to view the non-Flash version of the site. As we near 2008, Splash screens should be a thing of the past. If you use a splash screen on your site, install one of the analytics packages mentioned in the previous section and see just how many of your visitors do not click past the first page. That should provide enough evidence to convince you to drop it and take your readers directly to the meat of your site.

VI. Mis-Named Bookmarks

If you were to bookmark this page right now, you wouldn’t have to rename it. It’s appropriately titled so that you know exactly what the content is. However, I’m sure that you’ve visited a site once or twice where every page title read something like /#———TRUEBLUETITAN———#/. The content may be wonderful, but you now have to go in and manually write in the bookmark name so that it’s appropriate to the page content. Help your readers out and make sure that your page titles are bookmark-friendly.

VII. Resize My Window

I like to have my Safari window open to a specific size. Why? Because it enables me to see other windows and toggle to them without having to minimize Safari. I like it that way. Don’t do me a favor and maximize my window to take up the entire screen or shrink it to hide the flaws in your design. If you feel the need to do this then contact me and we’ll figure out a better way to design your site…for a fee, of course.

VIII. Internet Explorer 5 Or Higher Required…

Is this really necessary? What kind of code does your Website use that browsers like Firefox, Safari, and Opera cannot handle? Honestly, I’d really love it if someone would chime in with an example Website that does this and it’s for a good reason. Only 10% of my Internet traffic comes from people browsing the Web using IE. If I were to do this on my site I would be cutting out an exceptionally large chunk of visitors. Stop. On second thought, if you think IE is the browser necessary to maximize my Web experience then I probably don’t want to visit your site anyway.

IX. Form Tab Order

The mouse is a great tool, but there are times when using the keyboard by itself should be faster. For example, when I’m filling out a form on the web, I should be able to use the tab key to proceed to the next field. I find it incredibly confusing to fill out the “password” box, hit tab to go to the “confirm password” box below and look up to find myself typing in the “address” field elsewhere on the page. If you want me to sign up or subscribe for something then make it easy and logical. I’m your typical Web user with Internet-ADD…cater to me! ^__^

X. Ads Gone Wild!

I want to make money online. Chances are that if you’re reading this site you probably do too, but when you employ advertising on your Website you have to walk a fine-line and avoid killing your design with gaudy advertisements. That’s one of the reasons why I rarely visit sites in the “Make Money Online” niche. I prefer to subscribe and view them through my RSS reader. That way I don’t have to wade through the hundreds of onsite match-making and tech equipment advertisements. Sure, I could flood Truebluetitan with text links and 125×125 advertisements and probably make some good money while doing it, but who is that gonna benefit? The style/the feel of the site would be lost and I’d be just like the rest of the sites out there. I’m working on a different method of making it profitable (TBA)…let’s see if it works. Don’t lose that special something that makes you unique to make another dollar or two in your pocket today. Stay unique, differentiate yourself, and be creative.

A Special One For Entrecard Members

…and now I wanted to write something special for those of you participating in the Entrecard Ad Network. Imagine if your card was displayed on my sidebar to the left of this paragraph. That would mean that it’s far below the fold and there’s a good chance that any visitor scanning this site probably wouldn’t even see it.

Scroll up and look at where my Entrecards are displayed. They’re above the fold and are guaranteed to be viewed by every person coming to Truebluetitan.com. Before I buy an advertising spot on a Website I visit it to see where my credits are going, and if I have scroll for years to find your cards then you will not be receiving my business. Let’s help to maximize the effectiveness of the Entrecard Ad Network and move those widgets near the top of your site. It’s a mutually beneficial move, and I think you’ll find more people willing to buy your ad space.

Whew! I’m Done Ranting

So what do you think? Am I just cranky because I haven’t had my morning Joe yet, or am I spot on? Are there any others that you think should be added to the list? Chime in. Let me know.