Examples of Bad Websites

'pixel playhouse' continued:

For the .net version pictured here - and yes it IS hard to read, your eyes are fine - we can't seem to navigate through the site, whether you choose the ENHANCED version that uses Flash or the LOW BANDWIDTH version - as if those with higher bandwidth automatically prefer Flash.  Yeah right.  Good luck using this site on your smartphone!  And by the way - an animated 'intro', popups and audio are a surefire way to alienate users.  If you are patient, maybe by now you've reached the actual website.  Sure, you can hover over SERVICES, and some choices appear (one of them, unbelievably, is 'web site' design) but you cannot click on any of the services for further information.  In fact, if you move your cursor away from hovering, you lose the entire menu of services.  The same is true for LOCATIONS.   We're already frustrated and bored, so buh-bye.

This boogersite was not exactly 'submitted' to us, at least not in the usual way.  It came to us via email, with the incredible suggestion that boogersite.com was relevant to one of the emailer's business partner's websites, and that we should consider cross-linking.  Oh, we'll link to you, friend, but not in the way you were hoping.

What do we always preach?  Have a clear brand image, easy-to-use navigation, and make it easy for site visitors to understand what you do right away.  Fail, fail, and fail. Quick - where is the navigation?  Hint:  look up.  There it is, up in the ivy-covered rafters.  Another problem - the paid Google ads on this site are pitching the same thing you're trying to give away here.

Whatever you do, don't miss the article on "Cross Stitch and Men - Crossing the Gender Barrier"

At first glance, this website simply seems boring and cluttered.  But hey - they might sell some cool stuff, so we'll take a look around.  How about a hidden camera?  Okay, found it in the small print left-side nav.  Now, what kind? Let's try the first option.  Dang - there are 52 pages of hidden cameras, all in hard-to-read bright blue and white text on a black background with very low quality photos.
How do you buy one?  By clicking on a faraway link back up at the top or bottom of the very long page.   No 'click to buy' here...you must write down the stock number, description and price so you can fill in an order form manually.  Too much work!

Conclusion:  Once someone finds your website, make it easy for them to buy your products!  Also, The Spy Store has done a good job of hiding any design appeal it may have had. 

FrontPage & Frames - ah...those were the good ol' days, right?   Maybe...but the Internet has moved on and so should this website.  Somewhat unbelieveably, this company offers web design!

The person who submitted this boogersite wrote:  "I would never give this person any of my business" and we have to agree.  The distracting (and ultimately useless) animated banner is not showing off any design skill, and the Shop ESI is 'coming soon'.  The non-working Clients nav choice is a not-so-subtle hint at the quality of work as well.  Although...the Clients link at the bottom does work and oh dear - ends up being a wealth of more boogersites.

Also - beware of  "guaranteed" site traffic numbers.  There is simply no way to honestly forecast how many people will visit a website in a specific period of time.  This website's Company Profile states "there is no reason to look anywhere else".  We can find a LOT of reasons to look elsewhere.

Close your eyes for a moment, and try to guess what sort of website a search engine would come up with when the search terms of Iowa, pencil, noodler, nib grinding, and pilot were entered.   If you said "a website about all facets of pen collecting and repair", you'd be correct!  But, be honest - you would not have guessed that. 

This website was submitted quite some time ago, but much worse websites have come in since.  Honestly, it seems nitpicky to mock this website because it IS updated often and does feature a lot of interesting information.  There are a few unavoidable issues with it, however, mostly due to the overwhelming amount of information on the site, which would benefit from categorization and archiving. For example: 
It takes 47 page-downs to get to the bottom of the About Us page.
There are 96 pages of "News" - all (incredibly) from this year.
And the winner - over 100 page-downs on the Advertisements page.
All in all, it's a fascinating site in need of a new look.