Web Development
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Top 10 Web Development Mistakes

Description: As with any kind of progress, mistakes can be made when we're trying to learn new applications and technologies, and trying to create the best website we can. Here are the ten big mistakes that are commonly made in the world of web development.

When it comes to designing your own website, tread very carefully indeed. There are plenty of pitfalls you can get sucked into without even realizing, and before you know it you've got a website that doesn't do what it was supposed to be doing.

Here are the ten mistakes you should avoid at all costs:

1- Incorrect use of HTML

If you are coding your documents using HTML, make sure you double check everything before you put that document on your website. HTML has a tendency to work (in one form or another) even if you don't use the right tags or forget one altogether, which makes it even more important that you make sure you haven't made any grievous errors.

2 - Relying too much on Flash

Flash might seem like a great idea and it certainly peps up your website, but it can also limit your audience. Not everyone uses it, likes it or has the player, so use it wisely and provide an alternative means for getting the information that's contained in the Flash elements of your site.

3 - Getting unnecessarily complicated

There are almost too many web applications out there to make use of now, so it's small wonder that lots of people try and use all of them when they are designing and creating their websites. Remember - just because they are there, it doesn't mean you should use them. Pick the ones that work for you and keep it at that.

4 - Sprinkling your website with errors

Some people sprinkle, others positively pour them in. A lot of the authority you have as a webmaster is represented by the quality and content of your site. You may not think the odd spelling error matters, but it gives people an idea of who you are, and even though they may occasionally make the wrong assumptions it can surely lead to lost customers and opportunities.

5 - Using frames

Why do you need to use frames? Traffic exchanges use them for a very good reason - they really couldn't exist without them - but unless you can say the same, but use them. They're more trouble than they're worth.

6 - Making things too difficult to find

It's amazing how many people seem to think that once they have someone on their site and browsing round, it should be as hard as possible for them to get back out again. Don't annoy your customers. Make their path to what they want to find as short and as easy as possible.

7 - Assuming everyone has fast broadband

Watch how you create your site. Don't assume everyone has super fast broadband, even if you do. Some people still have dial up and if your site places too much of a strain on a dial up connection, you could lose a significant part of your visitor numbers to frustration.

8 - Not enough text

Have you ever heard the saying that ?content is king'? It's true - at least as far as the internet is concerned. Don't get so caught up in creating beautiful images that you forget the importance of the text itself. That's what will attract visitors and keep them coming back.

9 - Not being user friendly

What is your site trying to do? What are your aims? How do you want to help the people who are going to visit? Whatever the answers are, make sure your site is user friendly and doesn't get overly complicated. Provide a site map. Provide plenty of links through to other pages. Make everything organized and easy to find. This is a website, not a challenge.

10 - Not thinking about SEO

Search engine optimization is what brings you visitors. If you get so caught up in designing your website that you forget all about little things called keywords and descriptive content, you won't be getting the volume of traffic you could be.

All of the above things are really self explanatory and very obvious when you read them. But it's easy to forget them when you're deep in the process of creating a website. That's why you should keep them where you'll always see them.

It will increase your chances of getting everything just right.