Bloomsbury, London -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/07/2011 -- Tiny errors can lead to a lonely website

Web design by an ecommerce digital agency that knows its business should enhance the online reputation of your website and increase both visitor numbers and sales. Unfortunately, slipshod web construction and cutting corners can result in a loss of traffic and a poor experience for potential customers that do make it to your website.

Typical mistakes include the following:

1) Slow loading links
Speed is everything and the speed that pages on your website load is incredibly important. Seconds really can make a difference and it is the slow loading of pages that drives people away from websites more than anything else. Taking too much time to load a landing or Home page can be caused by the page containing too much weight and weight is caused by programs such as Flash. The way to solve the problem is to make sure that your Flash is the best it can be or to reduce or eliminate the Flash element.

2) Too much of a good thing
We live at a time of information overload and hitting your visitors with too much info on arrival is like walking into a room and being introduced to everyone at once. A professional web designer will use Home page and landing pages to woo visitors, to seduce them into your website so that the buying process is simple and straightforward. Too much choice is a killer for any website although there are some ecommerce websites that sell hundreds of specific items where choice is the key to success. But, in general, a structured ecommerce development architecture follows the notion that less is more and it is not a good idea to bombard visitors with an all singing and all dancing Home page that has no real focus or direction.

3) Counter intuitive web navigation
In the last few years, since the emergence of broadband, people have got very used to browsing on the internet and expect to find menus and other forms of navigation in the usual places. A top quality digital agency in London will not fight the expected norms but will create a strong, innovative website that conforms to design norms, especially in terms of navigation menus. Placing menus in unexpected places just to be different will annoy your visitors and drive away business.

4) Making contact difficult
An adroit website designer will not simply place the menus in the right place but also place the menu buttons where people would expect them to be. It can be hard to fully understand why some web designers and their clients insist on hiding contact information at the foot of a website and often in a tiny type face. The fear of people getting in touch outside of the ecommerce check out system is both surprising and counter-productive. If a customer wishes to send an email or pick up the phone, make it easy – protecting yourself against spam should never come at the expense of helping customers.

5) Forgetting about SEO
There is a lot more to good Search Engine Optimisation than simply finding a few key words to place within your copy, but the right key words are still vitally important. Good research and website analysis by your web designer should be ongoing so that at no time does your website fall behind through outdated copy and key words that no longer provide the key to your website’s success.