Over the years I’ve visited so many websites. Some good and all too many disappointing. The hunting and fishing services industry is no exception.

Why does it matter? I think it goes without saying, its very important for a business to have a professional presence. Visitors to your site are going to make a decision about your business within seconds of landing on your home page. Much the same way we might judge someone walking by on the street. Their mismatched cloths, funny looking hair, or toilet paper hanging out of their pants!

But, enough about me… Let’s talk about some of the common mistakes.

The never-ending web page

Is your website really just one long web page? Don’t be afraid to have multiple pages. Believe me, your visitors will be far more afraid of your uni-monstrous web page than having to click the menu for a specific page of information. The fact is most people will make an instant judgement about your website, and therefore your service, without ever even scrolling down the page. We call this area “above the fold”. But, even more importantly, most never-ending pages have a way of losing information to the eye. Solution: Break up your website into logical pages such as home, products, services, amenities, gallery, directions, about us, and don’t forget the contact us page. The search engines will love you for it too.

The expanding web page

This could be argued as a personal preference, but I believe I have good reasons to consider this a mistake. What is an expanding page you’re asking? Visit virtually any mainstream website such as Cabelas or BassPro. Notice how the width of the content on their web pages doesn’t expand and contract with the resizing of your web browser? The biggest reason this is so bad is readability. It can be very hard to start reading on the left and still be on the same line by the time you make it to the right side of the page. Its just very hard for your eyes to stay on track, and it makes the reader feel like there is so much more to consume than there really is. And, now that widescreen monitors are all the rage, imagine how that super-duper wide web page now looks if your visitor has their browser at full size! Solution: Pick a static width somewhere between 800-1000 pixels wide and stick with it throughout your entire website.

Dancing menus

Often times I see menus (navigation) doing the polka as I click from page to page around a website. This is a pretty big mistake. The menu on your website is the achor to your users experience. Its the place where they go to get around. Don’t move it, don’t change it, don’t confuse your visitors! Solution: Make sure your menu stays in the same place, above the fold, and with the same links, in the same order, on EVERY PAGE.

Super-duper, flaming, high-tech menus

While I’m on the topic of menus, let’s pick on just one more menu mistake. Don’t get fancy with your menu’s. Don’t use Flash or bleeding edge javascript drop downs with whiz-bang flaming rollovers. There is a chance visitors might have browser compatibility problems with cutting edge techniques and never see your menu options. Not to mention search engines often struggle with these same technologies. In other words, the search engine will hit your home page and won’t find links to the pages deeper in your website. Solution: KISS… Keep it Simple Stupid. There’s nothing wrong with dressing up your menus to be attractive, but I highly recommend sticking with good ol’ HTML for the real mechanics of the links in your menu.

Pictures

I’m no photographer or clip art artist. The fact is I believe that amateur and grainy photos of the big catch or the great shot add character and authenticity to your website…as long as they’re in the right places. Solution: Either go easy on them or have a dedicated gallery page in your site. For all images that are an integral part of your website’s design and layout, make sure they’re crisp, clear, and professional. Try a stock photo service like iStockPhoto. They’re relatively cheap and the selection is excellent. There are many others which can be found using your favorite search service such as Google or Yahoo.

Color, backgrounds, contrast, and alignment

Too many sites sacrifice readability for the sake of a cool color combination or an emotional attachment to a special background image. I also see sites where all the text on the pages is centered to the middle of the page. A website is a informational sales tool, and if your visitors struggle reading that information then it can’t do its job. Solution: Pick solid colors with good contrast to the text on your site. Don’t use a complex or distracting background behind text. Left-align or justify your text. I only reserve aligning text centered for section headings, and only when it makes sense. In all, there are too many other ways to give your website flavor without detracting from it’s purpose.

All caps

This is a quick and personal plea. DONT USE CAPS FOR ALL THE TEXT ON YOUR WEB PAGE. ITS HARD TO READ AND JUST PLAIN ANNOYING, AND TO SOME EVEN RUDE! Upper and lower case letters keep your eyes focused and interested in the text you’re reading. In Internet lingo, using all capital letters is call shouting. Its only used to “shout” what you’re trying to say in an informal Internet conversation such as instant messages.

Broken links

This is an easy one. Broken links lead to nowhere and leave a bad impression to your visitors. If you create your own website, make sure you have someone test and proof read it. If you higher someone to build your website, make sure they do the job you’re paying them for.

Summary

There are many other mistakes, and I’m sure I’ll return to this topic again soon. In the meantime, study big-name websites for the qualities that make them look and act professional. Even if they’re not hunting and fishing related, there can be much to learn. And, the best advice I can give you is to higher a professional designer. Even if its not our OutfitterSource.com design services, get professional help.