8 Terrifying Website Taboos

a skeleton sitting at a computer that shows a blank white screen

Committing any of these website sins could kill your web traffic.

Spooky season is here, but we’re not scared of slashers or ghosts. This year, we’re addressing some of our biggest fears as web designers. Outlandish color schemes, broken links, poor layout… these are 8 of the worst website taboos we come across.

No Navigation

People visit websites for information, and they don’t have a lot of time. Bad navigation (or no navigation) frustrates visitors and they’re likely to leave your website without taking action. Ensure you have clear and understandable menu buttons and that users can easily find their way around your site in just a few clicks.

Crazy Colors

That neon blue and neon yellow might be your favorite color combination, but it probably doesn’t belong on your website. Be aware of readability when you’re choosing website colors. High-contrast combinations (like black text on white) are the most accessible for the widest audience. They’re also best for ADA compliance.

Long Blocks of Text

Let’s be real. Nobody wants to read long paragraphs of text when they visit a webpage. People scan when they read web pages, so your copy should be broken up into digestible blocks of informative headings and short summaries. It’s always good to accompany or break up bits of text with engaging images.

Non-Responsive Design

As of 2022, about 52% of all online traffic is mobile. If your website isn’t optimized for mobile or tablet viewing, you’re not only going to be frowned on by Google, your user experience is going to tank. Ensure that all your web pages are optimized for your mobile audience as well as your desktop audience.

Music

Unless you’re updating your Myspace page, autoplay music does NOT belong on your site. If you have reason to feature music or audio on your site, integrate it in a way that allows the user to decide when they want to listen to it. Audio embeds are always a solid option.

Blurry, Pixelated Images

Web pages are extremely visual, therefore your visuals should be top-notch. It’s not 1995 anymore; fuzzy images not only look unprofessional, they make it harder for your audience to understand what they’re looking at on your site.

Invasive Popups

Forget what you’ve heard about popups. Bombarding your visitors right off the bat with annoying popups, animations or buttons will likely put them off spending any time on your website. Instead, opt for permission-based conversation, which gently guides visitors through your website and encourages them to take action rather than forcing them.

Broken Links

The scariest element of all: the dreaded 404 page. Broken links and missing pages are the silent killers of websites. Why? Because most of the time you aren’t aware they’re there. Google recognizes 404s and lowers your ranking when you have them, and your users are likely to notice if they can’t find a page they clicked on. Keep an eye on your pages so you don’t end up with broken or missing links!

Is your website spooky?

Take advantage of our expertise with a discounted mini-audit offer. We’ll go over all the key aspects of your website and help you avoid committing these website sins.

8bitstudio • For those with grand ambitions