Unnecessary, outdated, or just plain annoying- these are some website features we want to leave behind.

web_design_donts

Generic Stock Photos

In the battle of authenticity versus perfection, authenticity and originality is winning out. One way to gain the trust of your visitors is to try taking photos of the real people behind the company.

On the “About Us” page, if you can, choose to include a genuine photo of your team rather than an unrealistic stock image of three beautiful people wearing business suits. You especially won’t want your visitors to find that same polished photo of models masquerading as your team on your competitor’s website.

Flash Intros

You probably don’t see these that often, and for good reason. Flash intros are unnecessary and take long to load – a surefire way to irritate your visitor. Visitors will be clicking away before they even reach your content.

Automated Popups

When speaking of irritating, we vote that automated popups take the cake. They might be well-meaning- offering a free email subscription, a reminder, or a more “convenient” method to view their site on mobile. On the flip side, they might also be reminiscent of aggressive ads, and that’s something no visitor looks forward to. Despite the intention, automated pop ups interfere with the flow of navigation around your site, and don’t let your visitors see what they want on their own terms.

Autoplay Videos

In the same way, autoplay videos can also interfere with the flow of navigation around the site. While companies may attempt to boost their video view rate by autoplaying a video, they can be distracting and irritating to the visitor. However, autoplay videos can be smartly incorporated as part of your website design, for example, in place of a background image for your site, but keep in mind your user’s needs if you choose to implement this feature.

Too Many Elements

Simplicity is becoming the norm this year, and that’s because the user experience is the first priority when designing a site. The enthusiasm over new flashy technology is dying down, and we’re seeing designs become more selective with their element choices. Right now, the focus is on offering the most innovative site with elements that bring real use to the visitor.

Too Many Pages

Similarly, website designers are limiting their website page count as well. In fact, some websites display all they need to convey on a single web page. While you might not want to go that extreme, before you create each page, be sure to consider whether you and your clients will actually need it.

What else do you think should be a feature of the past? Let us know in the comments!

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