Driving traffic to your website it just the first step in the process of gaining conversions, or just readership. Once they arrive at a page, the content must interesting enough to keep them there for a while. But the design of the page is nearly as important. An easy on the eyes, user friendly website can go a long way in not only keeping visitors at your site, but bringing them back in the future. Here are the 7 deadly sins that freelance graphic designers make that can offset all the work involved in driving traffic and producing quality content, products, and services.
1. Using pop-ups: Nearly everyone has a popup blocker associated with their browser now, and for good reason. If for some reason your pop up happens get through, you will have succeeded in annoying the visitor, and you have most likely lost them forever.
2. Flashing letters: Unless your site is geared towards children, avoid flashing letters. There are also less reputable sites that use flashing media; they may not be the kind of sites with whom you want to be associated.
3. CSS code not cross-browser compatible: Your visitors will no doubt be using any of several popular browsers, and if your pages only work correctly in one, you stand to lose most potential repeat visitors.
4. Page redirects: If a visitor expects to navigate somewhere, and is redirected to something they may not interested in, you probably have lost them. Nobody likes to be tricked, and redirection gives the impression of trickery. Yet another problem with redirects is that the page may get hung up in transit. If that happens, you have lost the visitor for sure.
5. Fonts too small: This is obvious. Many people wear glasses, and there are many more that should be wearing them. If a visitor cannot read the content comfortably, chances are, unless your website is incredibly compelling, they will forgo using magnification tools and just leave your site.
6. Fonts too big: Refer back to #2. Your website should look professional, and huge fonts are gaudy and cartoonish. A visitor may not take your site seriously, and if you are trying to make sales, your prospects may not stay around very long.
7. Difficult to navigate: With a few exceptions, a difficult to navigate website may the fastest way to lose a visitor. A page should be easily scannable and links clearly defined. If a site visitor has to search to find their way around your site they are more likely to just leave. Unless your site has Facebook-like appeal, you will have a hard time getting away with a difficult navigation set up.
There are literally hundreds of mistakes a graphic designer can make when designing a website, but these 7 will drive traffic away nearly as fast as bad content. If you are a freelancing graphic designer, avoiding these 7 deadly sins will not only improve the quality of the website, but may help mitigate the damage in the event you do make design errors in other areas. A client depends on you to design a quality website. Avoid these amateurish gaffs and both you and the client will have something to be proud of.