Examples of Bad Websites

You know what's odd about this website?  It's not obvious, and we'll let you think about it while you read what else is interesting; and not in a good way.   Let's start with the lack of excitement.  How about a photo, or even a drawing of some kind?   Without reading the landing page, you'd never know what this company does, or wants you, as a potential customer, to do.  There's a 'search' page that includes, for some reason, the ability to search the Internet using a variety of links to search engines (including altavista and excite - how quaint!) - it's as though they assume you don't have your own access to Google.

A 'navagation' choice of Travel Links brings up a really interesting list of airlines (most still in business) and United States Airport Codes...but why?   If Master S & P is such a tourist destination, you'd expect a ticket sales page as well.

Are you ready to learn what's odd?   Where is this company?  You can call them on an 800 number, and you can email them...but their location must be a secret.   Kind of like LeBron James' new Florida residence.

It's hard to see from the small thumbnail what makes this a boogersite - so you'll need to click on it to see what's all kinds of wrong with it.   The text in the middle is overlaying the menu!   We tried several browsers, and cannot find one that displays this site well.

If you're going to take the time and spend the money to promote your business online, please make sure your web developer knows how to present standard navigation for your site visitors to use.  The most important thing to display on your site is what, class?  HOW TO DO BUSINESS WITH YOU.  That's right - your phone number, address, hours, etc.  None of those very important items are visible on this website.

We don't even want to know what those squirrels are doing in the upper left-hand corner.  That's where your logo or company name belongs, folks.

Huh.  Who would've thought that lime green with white text would be so hard to read?   Maybe it's just us non-beef industry folks, but does this look good to anyone?  There are also way too many menu options.  We trust that the purpose of this website is served by the articles posted in the middle, which are the only content that is easy to read. 

The ads down the right side offer some s-t-r-a-n-g-e items.  At the time of this posting, there was an ad for a 'replacement female sale'.  Quick, guys, you may be able to get a new woman at a discounted price!  (We think they mean cows, but still!)

If you manage to look a little further down the lime menu, you'll see that Web Sites and Web Design are two of the choices.  Please say it isn't so...we'd rather see the cattle industry stick to raising tasty hamburgers and leave the web design to us.

"Why settle for dull, faded, sun bleached horses?"  Why indeed?  While we take time to ponder this question, why has this business settled for an old, unattractive FrontPage website?  To promote products, a website that hopes to SELL some of them should be up-to-date (not only with technology) with quality high-resolution photos.

Another 'must' for any website is to make sure the navigation is functional.  The subpages of this site - also spectacularly under-designed - have non-functional "Home" links.  Some of the page titles need attention as well.   "What" and "Anderson" don't accurately describe the pages they title.  There are even some places on this site with 3 full page-downs of whitespace between content areas.  Font colors of purple, red, and blue on patterned wallpaper won't get you style points either.

We trust that the animals pictured on this site get more attention than the site itself...

This site got off on the wrong foot for us right away.  A blurry, out of focus logo & tag line - which is "It just doesn't get any easier".  What, exactly, doesn't get any easier?  Asking for "testimonials" from "customers" in your own office?  A lot of them, by the way, have boogersites themselves.  IF their domain is still up, that is.  If you're going to put references for your business on your website, at least make sure the company is still open for business and the linked site is still active.

This site's home page content is overlaid by right-hand-side nav choices. (Why right side?  Trying to be different?  Don't.)  For some reason, each subpage of this site has a completely different look.  When you do that, visitors think they've left your site for another one.  Consistent look, feel, and navigation is essential for site visitor experience, not to mention best practices.