Calgary, AB -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/25/2014 -- 1. Disabling the back button. Evil site authors long ago figured out how to break a browser’s back button so that when a user pushes it, one of several undesired things happen: There’s an immediate redirect to an unwanted location, the browser stays put because the “back” button has been deactivated, or a new window pops up and overtakes the screen. Our advice: Never do it. All that’s accomplished is that viewers get annoyed and do not return to our site.

2. Opening new windows. Once upon a time, using multiple new frames to display content as a user clicked through a site was cool--a new thing in web design. Now it only annoys viewers because it ties up system resources, slows computer response and generally complicates a visitor’s experience. Sure, it’s easy to use this tool. But don’t. With tabbed browsing common in browsers like Firefox, users who wish to open links in new tabs can do so if they wish.

3. Failing to put a phone number and address in several easy-to-find locations. If us’re selling, us need to offer viewers multiple ways to contact us. The smartest route is to put up a “Contact Us” link that leads to complete info--mailing address, phone and email address. That link should be on each and every page of our website. Even if nobody ever calls, the very presence of this information adds real-world legitimacy and transparency to our site and comforts some viewers.

4. Broken links. Bad links--hyperlinks that do nothing when clicked or lead to “404” error pages--are the bane of any web surfer. Test our site--and do it weekly--to ensure that all links work as promised. Include a “Contact the Webmaster” link in our site’s footer so users can quickly let us know if they find a broken link or other mistake on our site--and fix those errors immediately.

5. Slow server times. Slow load times are inexcusable with professional sites -- it’s an invitation to the visitor to click away. What’s slow? A recent study by Akamai Technologies, commissioned through Jupiter Research, showed that online shoppers, on average, will wait only four seconds for a site to load before clicking away. If our site is loading significantly slower than this, put it on a diet--images may be too large or special add-ons, like a Flash introduction, may be slowing things down.

6. Outdated information. Again, there’s no excuse, but it’s amazing how many sites include old, dated content. Make sure to keep our site fresh and updated daily for best results. us can't afford the loss of credibility that can come from having dated content. Also, make sure our content is accurate, and if us should find a single error, fix it immediately.

7. Poor navigation. The internet promises speed. If surfers can’t figure out where to go next quickly and get there easily, they’ll simply surf on to the next website--our competitor’s! It’s very frustrating to be forced to go back two or three pages to get to other areas of a site. It’s also a waste of time. There should be a navigation bar on every page that guides visitors to other areas of the site. Position the bar along the top of the page or along the left side so it will always be visible regardless of screen resolution. Add an easy-to-find site map in our main navigation bar and/or footer to provide visitors with an at-a-glance view of every page on our site.

8. Too many font styles and colors. Pages ought to present a unified, consistent look, but novice site builders--entranced by having hundreds of fonts at their fingertips, plus dozens of colors--frequently turn their pages into a garish mishmash. Use two or three fonts and colors per page, maximum. The idea is to reassure viewers of our solidity and stability, not to convince them us're wildly artistic. Also remember to make sure our font and colors look good on all possible devices from desktops to tablets to iPhones, etc.

9. Orphan pages. Memorize this: Every page in our site needs a readily seen link back to the home page. Why? Sometimes users will forward a URL to friends, who may visit and may want more information. But if the page they get is a dead end, forget it. Always put a link to “Home” on every page, and make our site logo (usually found near the top left side of the screen) link back to our home page--that will quickly solve this problem.

10. Failing to link with our social network sites. Most businesses have their own Facebook pages, others use Pinterest with boards full of photos, while some broadcast their latest activities on Twitter. The point is that social media is here to stay and businesses are benefitting from having a presence in it. Forgetting to link to our social media platforms is a big no-no. People should be able to go from one to the other effortlessly. Using social media to market our business and drive customers to our website will only work if we make it easy for users to move from one to the other. If done right, we can drive a lot more traffic to our site.

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About Red Cherry
We are a digital marketing and software agency that stands out from all other agencies. Our team of talented and creative individuals work closely with us to deliver rich and engaging solutions that drive qualified traffic to our website and convert that traffic into sales. Red Cherry has offices in both Kelowna, BC and Calgary, AB. We work closely with us to develop a comprehensive digital marketing campaign for Facebook, Google, Twitter, Remarketing (largest ad network), Pay Per Click, SEO, and more. Providing website design in Calgary for over 10 years.

We are also a full scale software development firm specializing in web development and apps development.

Let's chat +1 888 401 6668 or visit http://www.redcherryinc.ca/