10 Things I Hate About Your Website

Ok, don’t get grumpy about the title here, I’m just using a bit of creative license to lure you in to read this post

So, let’s go. Here they are folks, my top 10 annoying things online …

1.    Intro Pages, especially Flash ( see #6)

Didn’t we move on from intro pages years ago?

2.    The words “Click Here”

Please give me something meaningful to click on. Click here is just noise. And goodness knows there is enough noise online as it is.

3.    Default 404 pages

Lazy, lazy. Plus such a waste of an opportunity to redirect visitors somewhere else on your site.

4.    Hide And Seek Menus

You know, the ones which move about like a video game when you click on it.

5.    Contact Us forms

Yes I know it’s to avoid spamming a lot of the time. But please, even if you have to space it out, I still want an email address. At least then I know if it doesn’t bounce back that it may actually have got to you.

6.    Flash for Flash’s sake

Nothing more to say here

7.    Videos/audio that starts automatically

So annoying I can’t write anymore about it.

8.    Animation

Anything animated that I didn’t ask for is wrong. It’s annoying and distracting.

9.    White text on black

Up there with wearing white shoes after labor day. Wrong on so many levels.

10.    Sites that use pop ups when you try to leave

And no, not *that* kind of site. Lots of legitimate sites have started using this technique now. Take the hint .. if i’m leaving, I’m just not that into your site!

So, how does that stack up with your top online peeves?

Leave a comment and let me know!