Web Design - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
30 Jun 2008
Bad web design and ugly websites are two terms that are quite subjective. What one person may consider ugly, another person might consider quite pleasing to the eye. it's also true that many so-called ugly websites are quite functional and more importantly, they're very profitable. That being said , there are generally agreed upon principles that can be applied to an ugly site to make it more pleasing to the eye and also make your site more user friendly.
The first thing you want to consider is your visitor profile. Are most of your visitors likely to be web savvy? If so, they're likely more interested in a well-designed site. Or maybe the majority of your visitors are newbies and they simply want an easy to use and navigate site. they're not concerned with an award winning design and they certainly don't care about all the bells and whistles. They just want access to the info they need and they want it quick and easy. If you own an ecommerce site, are most of your visitors wary of making payments online via their credit card? Or maybe most of them enjoy the convenience of making payments online without having to speak to anyone.
When considering bad site design, keep in mind that functionality is more important than web design. That certainly doesn't rule out having a beautiful design. It simply means you should not sacrifice functionality for the sake of beauty. Remember, if you're attempting to earn an income, then a site is basically a marketing tool. That is the purpose it serves. Your site should convey trust and move your visitor to action. If an ugly site can accomplish that, then the web design doesn't matter much, in this case.
If you're still concerned that your site isn't what we would call "traditionally beautiful", then there are certain things you can do. make absolutely sure you're using consistency, colors, and images in the proper manner.
Consistency - When you're designing (or possibly redesigning) your site, make absolutely sure your pages are consistent. On most pages, your menu should be in the same place. Also, use the same font on each page. If you don't do this, your site will look amateurish.
Colors - Try to use colors that correspond with your company logo. Also, use contrasting colors when creating the text and background. After selecting on a main color scheme, then choose complimentary colors that fit in with your main theme.
Images - make absolutely sure you use high quality images. Also, make absolutely sure the images you use convey the proper image. A picture can say a thousand words so you can comprehend why it's so important to choose the righ images.
Bad web design is a very subjective term. So if you feel like it, go out and create an "ugly website". It just might be a big money maker for you! That will put all those non profitable "shiny" websites to shame.
See our top picks for Ugly Web Designs
