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Website Pet Peeves - what annoys you most?

24

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    NORMNANORMNA subscriber Posts: 0
    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
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    venivveniv subscriber Posts: 0
    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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    tcbarrytcbarry subscriber Posts: 0
    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.
     
     tcbarry2006-9-23 22:25:0
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    starpointestarpointe subscriber Posts: 2
    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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    rossbrossb subscriber Posts: 5
    Ryan -Asking for input is what StartUp nation is all about so no worries regarding your request.  However, in keeping with the "spirit" of this thread, surely there must be something that you run into often enough on websites that just annoy you like crazy!  Toss one out here!!Craig - You make a great point about leading people by the hand.   I for one know that I find myself expecting too much from an unexperienced audience.  The fact is, as big as the internet is getting, the "majority" are still relative newbies.Thanks!R-
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    JulioFJulioF subscriber Posts: 0
    I`ll name some names.

    In particular:

    BAD
    ESPN is a big sinner for automatically running a Flash video in the
    upper right side of their homepage. Flash in itself isn`t a bad
    thing,  but to run it unsolicited, and have it last for more than
    a few seconds, is inexcusable.

    BAD
    Websites which capture your logon info and work fine for awhile. But
    then, they miraculously lose your logon data. Typically, they inform
    you that the username you`re entering is invalid and instruct you to
    register. When you do attempt
    registering, using the logon ID which they just said is invalid, they
    inform you that you cannot use that logon ID because THE USER NAME ALREADY EXISTS!
    These banks, healthcare companies, and other institutions should stop
    allowing 10 year-old children to create their web content and
    databases. This means you, CareMark.

    BAD
    Website development companies which use FrontPage. You know who you
    are... you`re the ones who have pages which are rich in extraneous XML
    and embedded CSS code which increases your html file sizes by between
    50 and 100% of what they could be. Yaaawn! Waiting long for a page to
    load? Chances are it was created in Front Page, or worse yet, generated
    by WORD.

    GOOD
    Google has a no-nonsense homepage. Few graphics. Loads fast for
    everyone. Content is king. Paucity of graphics and pix is the result of
    a good design, not lack of it.

    GOOD:
    Using AJAX and HIJAX. If you don`t know what these are, you should look `em up and learn.

    GOOD:
    Upcoming legislation to include legal requirements via ADA for
    legitimate accessibilty coding. Not only for "alt" tags, but for button
    sizes, fonts, colors, and more. Design in the Web world should key on
    usability, not blinking lights nor number of search keywords one can
    fit into an "alt" tag.

    I`ve enjoyed reading the comments here, btw. Some excellent annoyances have been uncovered!
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    bluffslandingbluffslanding subscriber Posts: 0
    I hate websites

    with roll-down or dynamic menus that make it really difficult to select the item that you really need.
    without a cookie trail
    without a HOME link
    with music or automatic video
    a "Flash Splash" page as the entry.
    with an "ENTER HERE" link on the splash page
     

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    digitalvision313digitalvision313 subscriber Posts: 3
    From a deseloper Point of View (and there are some great suggestions before and I apologize if I`m repeating).Dancing leprechauns.  When we`re redesigning sites, the biggest challenge sometimes is to convince the client that their dancing leprechauns playing midi music need to go.Flash for the sake of flash.  Flash can be really useful to reinforce information or add visual interest, but keep it light and keep it useful.Internet-Explorer only sites.  Making your site internet-explorer only through use of frontpage or other Microsoft-only technologies pretty much guarantees you`re turning 1 of 5 visitors away.  Many times for small businesses, there are less expensive and more sensible solutions that fit ones` needs much better.  MS is getting better, but not there yet.Confusing navigation or non-consistent navigation.  As few clicks as possible to get everywhere is the key, and it needs to be the same everywhere.Lack of Content.  The biggest issue we run into is that so many companies want web sites, but don`t realize you need to put time into the content.  That content is key - we can give you a great design but if you have nothing to say it means nothing.  It needs to be scannable, and "shallow but deep."  This means if you want the overview, you can get that quickly; and if you happen to want more in-depth information, it`s readily available.  People want information, give it to them.Just my thoughts - great thread!p.s.- CraigL, great point about the direction of visitors.  I advise others to do it, and I just realized I don`t do it on my own site.  That`ll be fixed by the morning
    digitalvision3132006-9-25 19:40:7
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    rossbrossb subscriber Posts: 5
    JulioF, bluffslanding digitalvision313 -You all make some awesome points, thanks so much for contributing!So what`s everyone`s take on .htaccess?R-
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    digitalvision313digitalvision313 subscriber Posts: 3
    For us, it`s best use is as a blunt, cheap and easy way to prevent access to folders and prevent directory listings.   I use it with snif (warning, techie link) and you`ve got an instant preview area for clients with very low overhead that is dead simple.  Don`t really use .htaccess for anything else, it`s not the best tool for a lot of things.
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    LogoMotivesLogoMotives subscriber Posts: 15
    New web site pet peeve: Banner ads appearing within forum directories or between forum posts.  (Oops, did I type that out loud?)- J.
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    digitalvision313digitalvision313 subscriber Posts: 3
    Long post warning!  As to copywriting....CraigL and all, you`re absolutely right, but I`d amend it to say that clients expect content to magically appear.  Unless they`re a larger organization ($50 million +), they don`t move the ball, even though content can be one of the most time-consuming things and make or break your site.From a deseloper point of view, the rule of thumb is you simply cannot trust clients to write their own copy.  I hate to say this, but it`s been one project in three years where people wrote their own copy.  It`s an odd conundrum- the clients that say they`ll write their own content never do.  One client took a year and a half while his site was sitting half-empty, I`ve got another project sitting in the wind, all the design and programming done, but we`re sitting in neutral because we can`t get content because quite frankly the client doesn`t have the time.  I`ve never met a client that has the time, but covincing them to let go of their perceived content baby is like pulling teeth.  It is truly a time where delegation is the best option to move forward.  This happens regularly where people will invest money into a site, and then get mad at us because there is only so far we can go without content (but they won`t let us engage with a copywriter to get them out of the mud, even when for the sake of moving the project we offer to pay for it out of our own pocket)!I`m now starting to wrap it into the price as a non-negotiable item.  I just tell them the truth - only 1 out of 15 clients provide their content in a timely manner (within 30 days of the due date) and half take about four months, the rest even longer.But to be brutally honest, so far, it`s been hard to pitch as an advantage to midsize and smaller organizations, who don`t realize a reason the big boys got to be the big boys is by taking care of items like this.  I just think that part of our job as a deselopment team is to make sure that when we`re done, we`re really done and the site is ready to go. As to bank apps online...Yes, I know for a fact many are using a Microsoft foundation and custom software built on a Microsoft platform and they invested hundreds of thousands if not millions into the project, to have it not work with a significant slice of internet traffic.  Even worse when it`s an e-store or other site where you`re losing money with every visitor you turn away.Oh well, I won`t get into my opinion that Microsoft isn`t-all-it`s-cracked-up-to-be and not-always-the-best-choice-for-everything here, I know they`re a sponsor here and will respect that.
    digitalvision3132006-9-26 12:26:54
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    rossbrossb subscriber Posts: 5
    TonerDesign:What
    irks me is all the bank online apps that will ONLY run on IE... and
    that`s all they will support or want to hear about. Did MS write these
    bank apps?digitalvision313:Oh well, I won`t get into my opinion that Microsoft
    isn`t-all-it`s-cracked-up-to-be and
    not-always-the-best-choice-for-everything here, I know they`re a
    sponsor here and will respect that.I think this discussion (Microsoft) could take on a life of its own!!!   LogoMotives:New web site pet peeve: Banner ads appearing within forum directories
    or between forum posts.  (Oops, did I type that out loud?)So I`m not crazy, I only seem to get half of the add and just chocked it up to my use of Firefox...  this definately needs to be on the list!!!  Thanks for getting it out.R-
    rossb2006-9-26 14:52:51
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    digitalvision313digitalvision313 subscriber Posts: 3
    Was going to make semi-snide comment about how it`s only half a problem for me on Firefox/OS 10.4

    However, it looks like they already fixed the feature.  p.s.- You`re right rossb.  Problem is, it`s hard to have a discussion on an online forum on that topic without it eventually becoming much like a religious war (few in the tech community will be open to changing their mind on any side, and for some reason people take it personally, and as a Mac person I`m the first to say they can be quite guilty of it), so I tend to avoid it, especially online.  There`s lots of really passionate people on all sides, who are all quite smart and have their reasons.
    digitalvision3132006-9-26 14:53:10
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    rossbrossb subscriber Posts: 5


    Was going to make semi-snide comment about how it`s only half a problem for me on Firefox/OS 10.4
    Nice!!!!R-
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