Learn how not to annoy your webpage visitors

As a website developer, I regularly receive requests from new clients that make me cringe deep down inside. I've learned over the years that, for some reason, many people struggle to remember what they hate about other websites when building their own.

With this in mind, allow me to list six of the big website annoyances many new clients, for one reason or another, request specifically for their website.

Music or video that plays automatically. If I want to watch your video, I'll press play, thanks. I don't want to have to find the "stop" button every time I visit your site.

Confusing navigation. Wait ... I just wanted to buy a T-shirt from your site and all I see in the navigation are links for "about," "candy," "more info" and icons of some flowers that appear to morph into words when I mouse over them. I'm outta here.

Too many "bookmark my site" icons. Um, if I want to bookmark your site, I will bookmark your site. Stop taking up so much space on your webpages with these big buttons telling me to CLICK HERE to bookmark your site. Very annoying.

Huuuuuuuuge chunks of text. Um, it's a website, not Franny and Zooey. Do you really expect me to read through 40 solid lines of unbreaking, non-titled, unchunked text? No way. You lost me a long time ago.

Hidden Contact Info. Alright, I'm sold! I want to set up an appointment with you. I want to purchase your services. OK. So ... um, how do I contact you? Where's your phone number?? No contact page? Is your phone number maybe on your "About Us" page? Or is it - whatever, I'm leaving.

Outdated Info. If I had a dollar for every time a client has requested an "Updated News" section on his/her website and then promptly forgotten to keep that section up to date ... well ... I'd have ... a lot of dollars.

Please believe me when I tell you that it does not makes your business look very good when the most recent item in your "Latest News" section is from a year and a half ago. I know, I know, it sounds obvious, doesn't it? Hold on though; before you roll your eyes and complain about me providing you with obvious information, go look at your website and tell me the date of your most recent news entry.



Helpful Tips of the Week: Ensuring a Successful Christmas

In honor of the first Christmas tree I glimpsed in a neighbor's front window a few days ago, here are a few tips that are sure to assist you in experiencing one of your best Christmases ever.

First, you need to know whether or not today is Christmas. If you're confused or not sure as to what I mean, I suggest visiting www.isitchristmas.com.

Second, delight your young ones by having a personalized letter from Mr. Claus sent from the North Pole right to your house. This lovely bright-pink site will handle all the details for you, quickly and easily (and for $9.95): www.becomesanta.com.

And lastly, if you'll be doing a bit of gift shopping for a special technophile this holiday season, do make sure you visit the Oregon Scientific website in the near future at www2.oregonscientific.com. From fancy weather stations to handheld altimeters to compass watches to waterproof action cams, you'll surely find a treat or two for the gadget lover in your life in their online store.



Grab Bag: Five Links of the Week

• www.buythecase.net - Stop driving down to Costco every time you need to buy a case of soup. Try exploring the "hassle-free warehouse savings" over at the Buy-the-Case website instead, where you can purchases cases of everything from Starbucks coffee to Planters mixed nuts to Stove Top stuffing. Oh, and don't forget that orders over $100 incur zero handling charges.

• http://tinyurl.com/yuy9zu - Does your website have an online store? Take a look at this article and learn from the successes of some of the best online stores out there on the web today; can you improve both your users' experiences as well as your site's sales?

• http://tinyurl.com/86ljs - If good-looking keyboards are your thing, you really should take a look at the DiNovo Edge from Logitech.

• http://tinyurl.com/ye3woe - Follow this step-by-step tutorial if you'd like to learn how to make your very own ringtone from a standard mp3 file.

• www.spamarrest.com - Still don't have control over the ludicrous amounts of spam flooding your inbox each day? Here's another option for you to consider. (It obviously works for the happy fellow on the site's homepage.)

And that wraps it up for today. Have a great week, and see ya next Monday, everyone.



Based in Frisco, eRin pheiL is the primary creative force behind timeforcake (www.timeforcake.com). She can be reached via phone at (970) 668-0709 or e-mail at info@timeforcake.com.