Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

And the list continues to grow...

• Home pages that try to include everything.
  
  
• Cryptic Flash navigation that makes you guess where it`ll send you.
  
  
• Small reverse white type on dark backgrounds.  OK, actually dark backgrounds in general.
  
  
• Sloooooooooowwwwww loading sites.
  
  
• Entry pages, usually in Flash, for no logical reason, especially when they don`t include an option to "skip intro..."
  
  
• Forms created in Flash.
  
  
• Sites using multiple fonts as though they were designed back when desktop publishing first became popular with the masses...
  
  
• Sites that only use "Times New Roman" - ...shows that they didn`t make the effort to change the default font.(edit)
  
  
• Sites that won`t let you leave.
  
  
• Sites that automatically resize your browser window to fit your entire screen.

It seems that the use of Flash (or overuse/misuse) accounts for a lot of these complaints.  That`s something we should all probably keep in mind while designing our own sites.

Are there more peeves out there?

Thanks everyone!

R-


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Quaerite Primum Regnum

"There's a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line."
~ Oscar Levant ~

Twitter: @rossb

A comment on this... there are times when a customer prefers Times New Roman, it`s not always just the default. I have one customer who wanted a serif font for his site... this is a USA thing, though, because we are brought up reading schoolbooks printed in a serif font. From what I understand, however, from many foreign (to the USA) contacts who were brought up abroad, the fonts people are used to everywhere else are sans-serif (like Arial, Helvetica, Verdana), so most folks find those easier to read.

Something else to keep in mind...Most browsers default to Times New Roman, so when you see that font it may be specified, OR the font that was specified was not on your computer. This happens a lot with inexperienced or amateur web designers, who will specifiy fonts like Comic Sans or Tahoma. Sure, it looks okay on their computer because their computer has that font installed. But it comes out as Times New Roman for anyone who doesn`t have that font installed.

There are only 4 fonts that one can pretty much count on for being on the user`s computer, and these are the four fonts from which one can choose to create a web page`s text: Arial, Times New Roman, Helvetica, and Verdana. Verdana was originally designed for the web, designed to be legible on screens even when it`s small, so in many ways it`s a desirable font to use, but it also has a less formal look, which does not go as well with some sites. That`s when Arial steps in.

What folks (who design sites) need to remember is that the only way one views a web page is if everything on that page--all images and content and all linked files--is downloaded onto one`s computer--that`s what web browser caches are for, a place to store all those pieces. Fonts are *not* downloaded--you have to have them installed already, or you don`t see them. So any fonts used that are not one of those four above, need to be made into graphics if you really want to use them. Needless to say, this means that you`re going to have to pick one of the four "horsemen"--Arial, Times New Roman, Helvetica, or Verdana--for your main content.

I expect that this will one day change again, but for now that`s how it is. 

Pat -

Thanks so much for the info, you make some fantastic points!

I must be having a really off day though because this is the second post today that I`ve had to offer clarification on, maybe one too few cups of coffee (or one too many     )!!!

As the originator of this thread, I have on a couple of occasions taken the time to compile a general list of those insights offered by everyone.  That particular post also included a reference to not having bothered to change the default font, (I have edited the list to reflect this for the sake of clarity and so as not to misrepresent the original post) to which you pointed out will typically display as Times New Roman.

Something else to keep in mind...Most browsers default to Times New Roman, so when you see that font it may be specified,

Anyway, sorry for any confusion or for insinuating that Times New Roman is somehow a font that automatically represents poor quality or choice.

R-


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Quaerite Primum Regnum

"There's a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line."
~ Oscar Levant ~

Twitter: @rossb

i think the fact that a lot of people have broadband connection means that flashy websites will still be attractive to them - ISPs are continuously improving on the infrastructure so we`ll always be getting better and better speeds

on the other hand, :)  , i still prefer simple websites -> straight to the point


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I don`t think that the gripes with `Flashy` websites are due to the bandwidth available. It is true that the bigger pipes bridging machines today has allowed rich internet interactivity. However, it`s all about functionality. If the flash is used to create the web 2.0 version of a `flaming logo` it will annoy people. If its strengths are leveraged - streaming audio, video, and content animation - it`s a perfectly site inclusion.

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Creative Principal - Vox Pop Design http://voxpopdesign.com (801) 953-3805

On the "Flash" point, when I switched over to Firefox, I didn`t bother to get the extension. I used IE instead, and kept Firefox "clean." I learned an awful lot, very quickly, about stupid Flash content!

What I found, over and over again, was when I saw empty boxes with the icon that I`d have to install Flash to see, they turned out to be advertisements, animation, noise, or equally pointless and utterly annoying junk.

Then things started getting much worse! I found that on the FoodTV site, I couldn`t even use the Search function at all (for recipes) unless I had Flash (or something) installed! Then when I finally did install it in FireFox, it wouldn`t work well at all.

I found I couldn`t access log-ins, registrations, and other things, even though I had my Javascript enabled. Now, I just put up with Flash, since it`s harder to remove it or reinstall Firefox than just deal with the junk. I`d venture to say that less than 5% of what I`ve ever seen done in Flash has any useful function whatsoever.

Thankfully I DO have a broadband connection! Otherwise, my Internet experience would be so bad I`d just shoot the neighbor`s cat...or something. :-)

hi guys,

i am looking for a  good web designer for the past few months, i have worked with few companies that offer e-commerce and non of them keep their word and they do not deliver what they promise on time. i am a small business owner and i am trying to move my business online and it is essential for me to do this job as fast as possible and with professional people.

please please help me out , i fell like , god , if you guys do it and have system for it or if you know anybody , please let me know

norman

Hi Normna,
           There are some commercial website template providers from whom you can purchase a full-website template and replace the content with yours. They have specialized websites for each category, including e-commerce.

http://freesitetemplates.com/
http://www.templatemonster.com/

I`m sorry I cannot suggest any professional web-designers right away, but, will post any info that I can get from friends.



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Sleek Photo Album View

There are so many, a lot of which have been mentioned here already.  Here are two major irritants that I have run into frequently:

1.  ecommerce sites that require you to "create an account" to buy something.  Sometimes you just want to order, go and never hear from them again.

2.  sites that ask for extra, unnecessary personal data (alas, like this one,  which for some unknown reason wants to know your birthdate - who cares and why should they know anyway?!).  

When I run into these I vote with my mouse - if I can find what they are selling somewhere else, they lose the sale.

 

 

I know the forums aren`t the place to advertise or anything, but I`m curious after all this talk, what people think of my website.  (Admin, feel free to delete this post if its not welcome.)  I`ve been doing website development for years but am enjoying everyone`s comments about things to avoid.



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Ryan J StarPointe Marketing Website Development, Hosting & Marketing Consulting