Being a web designer, I visit a lot of web sites, and I have to admit I look at sites with a very critical eye. One of the biggest mistakes I see, or perhaps I should say that probably the root of most of the blunders I see out there can be attributed to the failure of the site designer or site owner to step out of him or herself, and look at their site not from their perspective, but from that of their user. While that is a subject warranting its own article, here I will point out a few of the common mistakes I come across.

Cross Browser Incompatibility

My browser of choice is Firefox, but I realize that most of the world still uses Internet Explorer. I can't tell you how often I visit a site and see that the formatting is all screwed up, or maybe there's a background color that looks out of place. I think wow, how can a web site owner let something like this go? But then I remember that if I check out the site in Internet Explorer, it probably looks very different. Some older sites display poorly because their code is outdated and doesn't render well in newer browser versions. Bottom line here, look at your site in different browsers. It's easy to download Firefox, Safari and Google Chrome, but if you can't, try to look at your site on other people's computers. While most of Corporate America will use Internet Explorer for the foreseeable future, many of these other browsers are gaining market share in the personal market, by some estimates as much as 25%. If you find your site breaking down, it may be time for an update or a redesign.

Navigation That’s Difficult to Find…or Just Plain Difficult to Figure Out

Today's Web is all about usability and accessibility. Don't try to get too cute with your navigation. Sometimes it's ok to break the rules, but your users should not have to think. If they do, they will most likely move onto the next site. Make your menus obvious and easy to use. Label your menu options in a meaningful way, and be sure they lead to what they say they do. Remember, frustrated visitors tend to hold a grudge.

Poorly Optimized Images

Stretched images, pixilated images, images with fuzzy borders, dithering, or just plain poor quality images; you only get one chance to make a first impression, don't scrimp on image quality. If you can't produce good quality images yourself, get someone to do it for you. Nothing makes a web site look amateurish in quite the same way that bad photography can, especially of you are using photography to illustrate your product. Think about how you feel when you see an ugly food photograph. Enough said.

Broken Links

This might be the single best way to drive visitors away from your site, especially if you don't have a helpful, customized 404 error page. Use your .htaccess file to specify a redirect, and create a nice looking, helpful page that won't make the broken link look like so much of a mistake. The W3C offers a link checker: W3C Check Link where you can check your site for broken links.

Typos, Grammatical Errors and Other Crimes of Syntax

Write your content as though you are writing for your eleventh grade grammar teacher. Don't assume you're safe just because you use a spell checker; it will miss incorrect words, word omissions and misusage. If you don't have a dictionary, or you're not sure about grammar or usage, Dictionary.com is an excellent online resource for not only its dictionary, but also grammar and usage. It's very easy to glaze over your own errors, ask a friend, colleague, or relative to proofread your content…twice.

Your web site is a reflection of you, your business or whatever organization it represents, and the Internet is a highly competitive medium whose users tend to be very unforgiving. Don't jeopardize your site's chances of building a strong following by making easily avoidable mistakes that make your site look amateurish. The Web has evolved at a lightening fast pace and it's important that you keep your web site consistent with current standards.