Bop Design Shares Common Problems to Aging a Website
San Diego, CA (PRWEB) February 17, 2014 -- Today, Bop Design shared common practices that result in an outdated B2B website. As B2B websites become a requirement for those researching new business partners, these tips encourage B2B marketers to revise their current website to ensure the design is attracting and generating ideal client leads.
“You can’t quite put your finger on it, but something about the website is making you bored and uninterested. Many times clients come to us feeling the same about their own website and it’s our job to pick apart the elements that are dating the website and, ultimately, the brand,” says creative principal Kara Jensen.
Jensen shares the following eight common factors of antiquated website design:
1. Dated Screen Resolutions
Many websites are still being optimized for mobile and tablet, but a small percentage is even not yet optimized for modern day desktops. Incorrect or unnecessary screen sizes make your website difficult to navigate for technology and can communicate to customers an ancient brand.
2. Too Much Flash
“Finding an excess of Flash one a website homepage makes us cringe. Most of the time it’s not well done or intriguing animation and isn’t on part of the website that should even be in Flash, such as the navigation bar,” says Jensen. Incorporating Flash on a website was a good idea 10 years ago, but today most website users Flash players are outdated or nonexistent. Therefor, instead of seeing an animated website, it’s only gray boxes.
3. Table Based Design
While still used in some digital marketing tactics, such as email marketing, a website with the majority of HTML done in tables translates as boxy and limits the potential of newer web development coding. While any user may not know about a table based layout, oftentimes this design method is one of the primary consequences to a websites perceived age.
4. Poor Hosting
For every additional second it takes a website to load, page abandonment rises. While there are a few factors that play into slow response time, one of the largest and most costly is partnering with a poor domain hosting provider. “These archaic services not only charge an arm and a leg, but also conduct poor practices such as hosting multiple domains on a single server,” says Jensen.
5. Default Fonts
There are a variety of free typography options out there, so going with Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman, or others is selling your website short. The “type of type” used can dramatically change the look and feel of a website. Using a unique, professional font sends a professional and refreshing message to a website visitor, differentiating the company from a competitor.
6. No Social Platforms
Today, if a company isn’t utilizing at least one social media platform and having “follow us” features on the website, it discredits the business. Lack of social media shows the company isn’t innovative, short-staffed, and uninteresting. Including social media buttons is essential, but a business must remember it holes them accountable to updating the platform with engaging content.
7. Lacking Customized Landing Pages
With inbound marketing on the rise, sending a website visitors to a homepage, about page or contact us page during a marketing push is unacceptable. Whether it’s to find more information, download a white paper or read a blog post— web users are savvier than ever and expect a link to not require them to dig around more on a site.
8. Your Last Website Launch Was During the Bush Era
“When was the last time you refreshed that website design? Has it not been touched since the launch date? Sometimes websites will look old because, well, it is!” says Jensen. Typically, a website design should last about five years. Once it starts hitting “Kindergarten age,” it’s time to refresh and tweak the design to meet new standards.
Jeremy Durant, Bop Design, http://www.bopdesign.com, +1 619-330-0730 Ext: 801, [email protected]
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