Jakob Nielsen, CEO of the Nielsen Normann Group and one of the world’s most excellent experts in web consulting, argues that several common mistakes can ruin any web project in its infancy:
- Lack of prices. Price is part of the minimum information that users need to understand the essence of the offer. If prices are not available, visitors may simply not know what they are talking about. Indicating prices allows you to distinguish one product from another.
- Inflexible search modules. Too smart search modules reduce usability, as users may make a typo or not know how to spell a word correctly.
- Horizontal scrolling. Users don’t like it when they force to scroll from left to right. Pages that require horizontal scrolling in a standard window are just awful!
- Fixed font size. In 95% of cases, the fixed font is just tiny, reducing the page’s readability.
- Large blocks of text – they are boring to read, which leads to the loss of users.
- JavaScript in links is not a good option. If the link behaves unpredictably, users feel lost. They also don’t like pop-ups, which are now often abused.
- Collection of e-mail addresses in the absence of non-disclosure policy. When websites ask for e-mail, the user usually reacts negatively. Nowadays, no one wants to report such information so readily.
- URLs are longer than 75 characters are almost impossible to send to a friend. If the URL is too long, users will simply not know how to copy it. And if the link doesn’t work, they may not know how to return to the home page.
- The link “mail to” in unexpected places. Do not hide such links under names. Instead clearly indicate that this is an e-mail address.