There are several things you can do with your website, but you shouldn’t. You may see other websites putting some of these things into practice and think they are common enough to be a good thing, but they are not. Here are some of the most common website practices you should avoid at all costs.
Automatic Audio
Even if you are the car dealer with the loud and obnoxious commercials, automatic audio is a big “No, No” on your website. There’s nothing more annoying that hearing audio as soon as you go to a website without knowing how to turn it off.
Keep in mind, some of your visitors may be viewing your site at work, in a library, while watching a sleeping baby or in other delicate circumstances. If you’re the reason they get in trouble at work or the baby wakes up, do you really think they will come back to your site again?
A Front Door for Your Site
Your site doesn’t need a front door unless you have to legally verify the person’s age before they enter. If there is no legal reason for a front door to your site, don’t use one. This is a common, yet outdated practice, which can increase your bounce rate very fast. Just send your visitors directly to your real homepage instead of a page telling them to “enter your website here.”
Bad Contact Info Placement
Every website is different, but the contact information is pretty standard. You need to display this prominently in an easy place to find it. Putting your contact info in the footer is also necessary.
For some websites, such as an SEO firm, you may want to display your contact information above the fold and throughout content. If your site is made to generate leads, include your phone number and email often.
These are just a few of the many common website practices you should avoid. If you do, your site will be better set up to get the most out of each visitor without turning them off.
