Examples of Bad Websites
There are countless examples of embarrassing website designs and development out there. These are the latest examples we have discovered. For each site below we provide a brief analysis to assist you in avoiding the same pitfalls.
After looking at the websites and critiques below, please visit our free advice area.
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Castle Events and Weddings
When you only have a few seconds to convince users to stay on your web page, the last thing you want is a JavaScript error as the first thing that users see. If you get past the error or use a browser that suppresses it, you will be greeted with a very sad attempt to rent out Castle LadyHawke for $6,000 a day. Don’t get us wrong, we're sure that it is a beautiful facility and $6K a day could possibly be a bargain. But when you have to search for photos and wade through a sea of unattractive colors, you may be tempted to give up and go with the competition which they conveniently advertise all over their site.
The menu almost blends into the background and the text links have very little contrast. Some of the links on the site go to other websites, which is fine but it is usually a good idea to open those links in a new window so your visitors can easily get back to your site.
While this site is not a complete mess, it doesn't do the castle justice that it is trying to promote.
X10
The submitter mentioned that the site looks like a porn site advertisement. We will take their word for it since none of us have ever accidentally clicked on a porn site. This is another great example of lack of focus due to every element screaming for attention.
Fortunately for eye doctors everywhere, the secondary pages have even larger flashing images, Only this time we have 44 pages of them.Think of your users, kids. If you can repeatedly hit the 'page down' button on your pages, consider breaking the information up into mulitple pages or get rid of it altogether.
Mancow
The setup, design and maintenance of a website can be time consuming and expensive, especially when you figure in a hosting cost of $1.99 a month. So it is understandable that sites turn to advertising revenue to offset costs or make a little extra change. Mancow has more attention on adspace than on content. When you decide to run ads, take a look at the finished product and if you get a seizure from all of the flashing ads then rethink your ad strategy.
By the way, what exactly IS a Mancow? A steer? No, that's a bull that has been gelded. I think we'll just leave the definition alone - although a website should attempt to tell you what it's about at the very least.
Another issue with this self-appointed psuedo-political guru's site can be found on the station listings. Unless they only care about every other station, they may want to reconsider white text on a white background.
Keb Paper and More
We have no idea what this site is about. They claim to be the number-one source for professional service. From their name, we could assume that they are a paper company (and more) but good luck figuring anything else out on this random collection of pixels. When you decide to make a website, sit down and come up with a site map, outline or scribbles on a napkin - just make sure there is a clear purpose and focus for your site.
The other pages on the site appear to have the start of a design but at the risk of telling us any sort of useful information, the designer wisely stopped so that they could focus on the squiggly fire line graphics. By the way, touting “months of collective comprehensive knowledge and experience” doesn’t go a long way toward establishing trust.
We maintain that no one reads text but even if you tried to read some of the copy on these pages, you are faced with statements such as "everythig is disposable equipment". To be fair this site is probably still under development, but at the same time if your page is not ready for the world to see it then don't leave the door open when your pants are down.
One Store 4 You
If you are compelled to write instructions on how to use your site, you’re doing it wrong! If people are emailing you and saying that they do not know how to find things, you’re doing it wrong! If Superman with his super-human eyes can not read your blue on black menu then (say it with us class) you are doing it wrong!
Everything on this site is weak at best, it's not a complete assault on the eyes but it is a sorry excuse for a shopping site even if it is just a collection of links to other stores. The sole purpose of this site is to get people to click on one or more of the banners on the hidden pages. Make things easy for your users! If you are selling products then show products on the front page. If you are a portal of links, (yep you guessed it) show links on the front page.