Examples of Bad Websites

Today's bad website is missing an FAQ section, so we'll make one for this place:

Q:  Why does the content only take up half the screen?

Q:  Why is the page title "Home?"

Q:  Why is there no navigation?

Q:  Why is there no address?

A:  NO ONE KNOWS

If you ran a business called the National Security Training Academy, it would seem like a no-brainer to have a secure website.  Right?  At the very least, you'd secure your online enrollment form.  Right?  Fail on both.

Today's submitted bad website was made back when having 22 keywords or phrases wasn't unusual.  That's no excuse for keeping them these days, especially when none of those words or phrases appears on the site.  Do you see Fire Alarm Installation Methods anywhere here?  Nope.

Text on the website indicates that the training you can purchase is "is designed to help electronic persons stay abreast of the complex and expanding electronic security industry."  This old website doesn't do much to foster that impression.

Have you ever heard of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne?  A quick reminder:  a young woman bears a child out of wedlock, and is forced to endure public shame by wearing a red (scarlet) piece of cloth in the shape of the letter A.  Can you imagine this method in practice today? But back to the plot and its relevance to today's bad website.

Look at the footer of this site.  It's nothing but keywords. This practice is so old and useless it's laughable.  But let's call it what it is:  shameful.  Checking on the company taking credit for this unfortunate gaffe we find a parked domain at GoDaddy.  

SHAME!

Isn't it kinda cute?  This old website was 'last modified' in 2005 - so maybe it's not even for an active company any more.  That was THIRTEEN YEARS AGO!  When you have text on your site that tells how long you've been in business, it's better to say 'since YYYY' because that will never become outdated.  When you say 'for XX years' it's immediately outdated when the calendar year changes.

There's really not a lot here.  You can try the nav buttons, but you'll get very little reward for doing so.  Then, you'll need to use the back button to return to the landing page, as the nav doesn't carry over to the subpages.

"Finally!  A Princess Di collectible plate!" said no one ever.  But that's what's front-and-center on today's bad website.  Horrors.  Is there anyone in your family that's been fooled into buying collectible plates, thinking they'll increase in value?  Actually, the only thing they increase in is DUST, if you're unlucky enough to live in a house where they are on display.

Hoarders Collectors gather round, this o-l-d style website has something for everyone.  But that's not the point, is it?  Submitting a website to us as 'terrible' or 'poorly designed' is.  There is an actual company claiming credit for this creation, maybe it was one of their first efforts.  It's certainly not featured on their portfolio...

If you have a website, congratulations.  But it is also your responsibility to keep it fresh, clean and appealing.