| In Part One we reviewed several things to | | | | The length, and this is one of my faults, is |
| that we would avoid when creating a website. | | | | not quite as big a problem, but should still |
| Here are some additional stand outs, that we | | | | be kept within reason. It has been shown |
| would avoid. | | | | that, unless there is considerable interest, |
| | | | most people will not scroll down to the the |
| Blank Space. | | | | bottom of a very long page. Try categorizing |
| | | | your content and add more pages instead of |
| Many web designers try to fit in as much as | | | | going "on and on and on", on a single page. |
| possible onto a single page and in doing this | | | | |
| the page becomes so cluttered with text | | | | Now the width is a whole different story. |
| boxes, images, ads, links, etc. that it | | | | That is a definite violation of the rules. I |
| becomes one big "mish-mosh" (how's that for | | | | don't know where the rules are written, but |
| good English?). | | | | it's against the rules anyway. Having to |
| | | | scroll width is without question poor design |
| Give the page plenty of empty space. Make it | | | | and planning. People hate scrolling width. |
| easy to read, see and understand. Even if | | | | |
| your writing lengthy articles group your | | | | Although computer monitors are ever changing |
| content in order for the viewer to easily | | | | their viewable area, my suggestion is to keep |
| scan the page to get an overview. Of course | | | | the width, at least for the moment, at around |
| we want the viewer to read everything, but it | | | | 900 pixels. |
| just doesn't work that way. | | | | |
| | | | Interestingly enough, when I view my site on |
| It has been shown that people like bite sized | | | | my older 19" monitor it takes up entire |
| pieces and don't like very cluttered pages. | | | | screen, however, when I look at it on my 15" |
| | | | laptop it takes up about 75 percent of the |
| Spelling, Grammar, Vocabulary. | | | | width. |
| | | | |
| Could it be more obvious that you should have | | | | Overall Poor Quality and Omissions. |
| correct spelling, proper grammar and a good | | | | |
| vocabulary. You would be amazed at how many | | | | Have you ever looked at a site with blurry |
| web sites that I look at where it looks like | | | | pictures or graphics? Or, have you looked at |
| it was written by a "Fifth Grader". The | | | | a site that has so much left out and omitted |
| question remains, "Are You Smarter Than a | | | | that it leaves you with more questions than |
| Fifth Grader?" | | | | answers. |
| | | | |
| Now don't misunderstand, we're not looking | | | | This is just plain sloppy work. There is |
| for a literary genius here. You don't have | | | | absolutely no excuse for it. Yes on occasion |
| to be an F. Scott Fitzgerald, or an Ernest | | | | we all make mistakes, but, if you continually |
| Hemingway, but you should be able to properly | | | | see the poor quality throughout the website, |
| phrase a sentence and write so that you're | | | | as far as I'm concerned it tells me that this |
| not going to be laughed at. | | | | is a company that I'd prefer not to do |
| | | | business with. |
| I know that when I read the content of a web | | | | |
| page I can quickly tell you whether this is a | | | | Generally, the website is your first exposure |
| person or company that I would want to do | | | | to the company. If they can't put their best |
| business with. | | | | foot forward when they are trying to attract |
| | | | customers, what do you think that you're |
| And with "SPELL CHECKER' you have absolutely | | | | going to get once you are a customer. |
| no excuse. | | | | |
| | | | There is an awful lot more that we can |
| Oversized Pages. | | | | discuss regarding negative impressions, but |
| | | | in Part 1 and Part 2 of this series "Website |
| A big "No, No" is an oversized page, in | | | | Impressions - Be Positive" I tried to outline |
| "Length" and most especially in "Width". | | | | some of the more obvious, errors, mistakes, |
| | | | omissions, etc. |