I have been making websites and using the internet now for over 20 years. I have seen all the latests fads come and go but the fundamentals have never changed.

The more I use the internet the clearer picture I develop and pass on to my customers what I know makes for a good website and what to avoid. I have written a few posts relating to this and today there were a couple of other things I would like to add.

Website copy not related to audience

I read a lot of experts say you have to use correct grammar on your websites and correct punctuation.

I don’t agree with this. You wont find a computer gamer using a website about the latest 3D game if its written like the Wall Street Journal. The internet is open and for everyone, beyond the constraints of “the man” and free for anyone to leave their mark the way the want too.

Make your web copy to fit your target audience.

A whole lot of clicking going on

Don’t make your customers have to click too much to see and go where they want on your website.

This business of listing 10 things on a webpage and having to click the next button every time to see the next thing on the list make me just go straight to another website.

Webmasters do this so they can add advertising to each page and increase their chances of you clicking on it.

Embeded Music

I hate going into a website and wait for it too lad because the designer thinks their viewers want to hear some crappy synthesized music in the background for the whole 5 seconds i am on their site.

It wastes time and annoys the viewer.

If you are going to have music on your site at least have a button for the customer to turn it off!

Poor Layout and Not Enough White Space

A poor layout on your website can really rub your customers the wrong way, but I can handle that if there is enough white space.

Worse than poor layout is not being able to see the forest through the trees.

You have to have a nice balance of enough text so your customers can read what you are trying to relay to them, but not at the expense of the white space and them not being able to read the text.

Under construction signs

To me seeing an Under Construction Sign looks like someone made the website and forgot all about it.  It might not be the case but that what it seems like.

If you don’t have anything to put on a page, remove the link to the page or just leave it blank.

In fact leaving it blank might look like an error but that is probably better than having a website that looks like you just dont care about it or have forgotten it existed.

Don’t use free hosting

Web sites are the realestate of the online world. If you renting your website you really dont have control of it.

If its a play site or not every serious that is ok. But if it is your business or something you at least take a little more serious it is better to own your own real estate.

All free hosts have some sort or rules or exceptions to you using their hosting in order to make money etc. Whether it is too get oyu on the upsell or put advertisements on your site, when you use free hosting you are at the mercy of the privder.

Spend a bit more and own your online realestate.

I highly Recommend BlueHost or Hostgator for well priced, reliable professional hosting.