Web Site Design and SEO

Working on the internet industry for more than ten years, I spent most of my time browsing for websites having good designs for inspirational purposes as well as client design research. I spent my free time blogging and forum postings which provides me up-to-date information on current trends about search engine optimization and web design as well.

One major thing that disappoints me a lot is finding websites that were created without proper preparation and poor design. These web owners have no idea that they are missing the opportunity of becoming successful. Some of these web design mistakes fall on the following :

• Poor/slow load time
• Poorly designed
• Poor spelling/Grammar
• No contact information - particularly an address
• Poorly designed navigation
• Hard to read text
• Broken links
• Poor cross-browser compatibility ( problems with CSS websites)
• Over-sized, slow loading graphics
• Too many graphics
• Horizontal scrollbars
• Very long pages / too much information on one page
• To much flash graphics
• Poor choice of color scheme
• Use of frames
• Too many pop up windows
• Poor content organization
• Advertising banners
• Too many different colors
• Under construction signs

Having these web design mistakes only shows that the owner don’t take pride of their websites. If others find their website to be poorly design, so will they. They don’t show their customers passion of what they do, so customers will surely ignore them and look elsewhere.

Site owners should always remember that their web site is a reflection and foundation of their business integrity and trust. The website appearance is the most important factor in determining your potential business success rate. If your website doesn’t look professional at first glance then potential customers will assume that your services or products will be the same.

On the other hand, overdoing the design like having beautiful graphics will give you the same result. You may end up with a beautiful looking and highly aesthetic web site, but your site may prove unreliable and at times may take too long to load. There is nothing worse for a customer than trying to visit a slow loading site, and most likely they will l close their browser window in complete frustration.

Web designing is a very important part of any SEO program. Having in-depth understanding on the nature and elements of web designing provides better site optimization. A well-designed website tends to have an edge over a poorly designed one in SEO. Asking questions won't cost you a penny, and in doing so could actually save you a lot of money over the long term.

Building your website right the first time is vital in terms of saving money and time. The earlier your website is up and running properly, the quicker you will be able to enjoy the rewards of a successful business.