13 Things To Remove From Your Website Immediately
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 พ.ค. 2024
- After 20+ years of planning 1000+ website projects (and measuring performance in Analytics for each) we have learned a few things about what works and what doesn’t on websites.
In this video, we share a list of website elements and content formats that you should probably take off your website ASAP. They may be popular, they may feel like common sense, but everything on this list is here because of hard-won experience or real-world data and examples.
Here’s the list with jump links:
0:31 Vague homepage headlines
1:30 Generic navigation labels
2:40 Meaningless subheadings
3:25 Homepage sliders
3:55 Stock photos of people
4:30 Social media icons
5:12 Dates on blog posts
5:55 Long paragraphs
6:37 Press releases
7:40 PDF files
8:52 Testimonial pages
10:05 Email links
11:05 Dead end thank you pages
Are the exceptions? Of course.
Do you disagree with any of these? Let us know in the comments!
You can get the full post with the detailed breakdown of everything on the list here on the Orbit blog... bit.ly/42j88Rb
#webdesign #ux
I leave most sites immediately that remove the date. Can't stand not knowing how relevant the content is to the present or if it was written with the past in mind.
Indeed. I sometimes skip it because I think it’s unreliable.
Yeah, especially for technical content that changes over time fuck websites without dates. I ain’t got time for reading your ten year old blog post.
If you’re posting your grandmas hotpot recipe fine leave the date out.
+1 In tech, an article that hasn't been updated for years, is likely a waste of your time. I'm showing both published and updated month on my blog posts, leaving it up to the visitor to decide whether this post could be relevant to them.
If PDF's are the rust of the internet, old articles are the crap. :)
But the other 12 arguments? Strongly agree.
My website is about crafting. Embroidery hasn’t changed much in thousands of years, so no dates on my articles
One option would be to put the published date at the end of the article.
One of the first things I look for is the date of an article. Even if it's for comparing and contrasting. 😊
I even usually stop reading when I can't find one. Don't trust it anymore.
One of my pet peeves too. If you're posting cat photos, it's not relevant. But if you are reviewing a restaurant or something topical, a date is critical.
@Paul_Wetor Perhaps, it depends on the purpose of the photo.
@@MissVindicatme too! Date on a post is just critical.
Fully agree. His advice is utterly foolish--besides, it contravenes the dictum of authenticity. Alas, the next point underscores his penchant for shallowness--when he talks about no-more-than-3-line paragraphs! There are plenty of real readers out there.
Agree with everything but I very much dislike when blog posts don't have dates. Everything is relative to time, it's easier to understand the content knowing the date it was created. I discount blogs that don't have dates more than ones that do and are just old posts.
Same here... In my fields (software dev) things change quickly so dates are quite important... The rest of the tips where really great
Agreed. Having dates is a service to the readers.
Yep, my only disagreement, too. I look for the date right away because information changes quickly. If I can't find it I am immediately put off.
True, there must be dates like this:
Edit History
Jun 2018 - article created
Jan 2024 - updated
That's the whole point :) avoid the dates, and keep updating that blog post to suit the times and continue getting ranking and traffic from the post ongoing...
Disagree about dates and generic navigation labels. Familiar labels like Products, Documentation, Use Cases, Pricing help me navigate quickly to the area I'm interested in. And I hate blogs that don't include dates, especially for technical information.
and testimonials works great in some niches
His complaint about generic labels is too generic 😂
@@brunodosreis😂
He is not at all dependable as a webpage advisor.
1. Vague hompage headline
- Do 5 second test to analyze the homepage
2. Gemeric navigation label
- Navigation must be helpful, specific
- Use GA4 : Path Exploration, to know how user navigate
3. Meaningless subheading
4. Homepage Slideshow
5. Stock photo of people
6. Social media icon on header
7. Dates on blog
8. long paragraph
9. Press release
10. PDF File
11. testimonial page
12. Email link
13. Dead end thank you page
In the description
Thanks for posting@@stuart6478
I'm quite sure that There was no detail in the description when i wrote this, i wrote this for my self...., and i believe that it is the first comment on the video...,
@@aqil199thank you. Public service.
Thank you for this!
As a developer, it pisses me off when I land on a blog post that doesn't declare when it was written. Tech moves on so quickly that old posts potentially carry stale information that will be detrimental to absorb. I'm more likely to navigate away.
Great point. Engineering based content requires a date, because methods evolve.
"Candy-colored exit signs"! : ) Great tips!
All of the candy-colored buttons at the top of my site provide quick access to features of... my website!
I don't agree with removing dates on blog posts. If it is a technical blog and content is over a year old I generally won't read it. And if there are no dates, I assume it is old and wont read it.
You're absolutely right.
Same here, I look for current, in fact I add the year in my search
I’m like that too
Absolutely correct. Around 2017 I hated finding Medium articles in my technical search results page because they never had dates so you couldn't rely on the fact that they were talking about the same version of software that you're using. Technical articles are not evergreen content.
well, by your own logic tech blogs SHOULD remove dates for posts that are 1+ years old... because then at least there's a chance the user might stay.
but I agree; no date = really bad UX in cases where users specifically are looking for one.
1. Copy Link 2. Send to my web development team. 3. Ask them to stop what they are doing. 4. Nag them until these are complete. 5. Add these to our future SOPs. 6. Add this to what I talk about when I am on podcasts and give you zero credit. Just kidding. Another amazing video. Great job.
Must be a manager...
So many great points. My favourite is putting descriptors in the navigation tabs. It’s got me thinking totally differently. Super helpful. PS I prefer forms and the fact that it takes a little more effort to fill out is a nice filtering process. If they can’t be bothered filling out a form they are probably not that interested
this may be one of if not the best list of website optimizations Ive seen, SO many of these feel so obvious but noone ever frames them this way
My middle school students upgraded and maintain our school’s website and will be taking on the task of improving /reorganizing the high school site this quarter.
I can’t wait to share this video with them - applicable tips, to the point…perfect video format for lots of people including 11-14 year olds ;-)
Andy, I sat in your talk in ~2014 in SMMW in SD. I still use bits I learned from your talk that day. And it's helped me move up quickly in my marketing roles since then. Love your straight talk. Glad to find you on YT!
don't mention the date
Thanks for the post. I agree with everything you say except for the 7nth point. Dates on blogs. As a consumer of blog posts, I have to choose what to read and what to ignore from a SERP, with posts with no date falling into the latter category. I prefer fresh content to old one and when I'm not sure it is fresh I just ignore it. It’s difficult to hide the date of the content, anyway. One can check the comments or the source code to find out. If the content is old, an update would remedy it. So in this case, the blogger can show the update date instead of the publication date.
I was thinking that same thing. As a consumer researching for a product, as an example, say "best space heaters", I want reviews that are the most recent, not information that is out of date. I find more value with articles that have been update recently and is stated ("Updated Jan 2024"), then either old articles or articles with no context to date.
Yes, a last updated date is a great idea! Shows you are keeping the content current.
I write a blog which is more like a real blog - daily activity journal - quilting, and the date is vital to me. I understand that old looks bad, but when looking at other people's blogs or even videos, I often check the dates to know how prices might have changed, etc. I personally want the date on there. But I get it if the content is just generic advice or a rant about 10 things I hate, or whatever...then the date is irrelevant as it is just general advice and not as time relevant. As a quilter, I don't mind reading an older blog if it has the content I am looking for.
yet the date doesnt actually change whether the data is accurate or indeed the best answer ever
@@PazLeBon I disagree; the date matters a lot when considering the accuracy of a lot of information (though not everything). Consider an article describing RAM technology and gives guidelines for what to use in various use cases. A year later the picture might have changed drastically. I may still consider an old article "accurate" for its date of publication when I know it, and I might be able to adjust for the changes myself. But when there's no date, then I don't really know if it was written yesterday by someone who just lagged about 15 years in their knowledge on the topic. Or I wouldn't even recognize that if it was a topic I was very unfamiliar with, which certainly could be one reason to read it in the first place.
“Go away.” Love it! I need to improve my sites’ thank you pages. Appreciate the great list and you taking the time to make this video.
I'm so happy and relieved to see that the new website I created about a month ago for my small business follows all of these guidelines. Thank you!
Great point about press releases: always write as articles in the style of the publication, editor and columnists you're targeting. I've had columnists go to print with my releases without changing a word. They get the byline, I get the crowds at my events.
Thanks Andy, this is essential "must have" information and likely takes years to learn on your own. Thanks for the leg up.
Great video. After 15 years of web design and development I see this video as a refresher.
Good job.
Thanks
pearls of wisdom for those of us who are NOT user experience experts! thank you, sir. 😊👍
Good list, just stumbled over your video/channel. As a web designer who's been around for 20+ years your points are spot on. I had to ban the word 'solutions' in my last workplace - unless you work in a chemical laboratory or you're a mathematician, you don't need to use it. Sales people shouldn't use it either!
yet the whole features and benefits, problem and solutions is exactly what 99% are selling so ofcourse it should be used in many ways
Very helpful, thank you. I was really hoping you would include those gigantic headers so many sites use these days. I hate those. If I have to scroll to see the first word on the website, I’m never going to see the first word on the website, because I’m already gone.
I have learned so much from you over the years I have followed your blog and channel. Thank you for another great video! You make excellent points, most of them I have already implemented, learned from you before. Do you ever make any videos about product pages? That would be very helpful too. Thanks again!
Thank you very much for an informative, well-produced, thoughtful video that was enjoyable to watch. Your presentation style is spot on. Much appreciated.
This is super helpful. Just started writing a blog and didn't think about inserting images or adding links. Thanks.
Great work dude. You've just told people to make useless low information low value blogs, sites I avoid like the plague because they just have a product to sell but no information value.
Accidentally found a very Informative site. Yours. I've been confused about how to set up a new website. Now I know. Thanks a million. And I subscribed.
Very solid advice overall! That last one for the "Thank You" page, nice!
Very well done, said and in detail with examples. This was not a rant, this was informative content we need.. Thank you new sub!
Great points! I've been in this field for almost 25 years and it keeps amazing me that the majority of website owners are still doing this.. Also great, because it's so easy to fix this and provide them with some amazing results 👌
Thank you Andy! This really helped me evaluate my site and opened my eyes to a number of things I need to modify.
There is a lot of info out there. Thanks for taking the time to do this, you fundamentally helped me.
Just building my site. This was excellent and easy to understand from a newbie point of view. I'll watch for more of your videos.
This video is exactly what I want to see more of on TH-cam. Perfectly executed.
Thanks so much for this. I'm an author, looking to update my old website, and this has given me more information than all the other sites I've looked at. A brilliant summary.
I’m only halfway through and this is already the most useful, informative video about websites. Thank you for sharing!!
I love how straightforward you are… I’ve got some work to do 😅
Good point with social media icons. Thank you!
Love it, great tips! It seems like most of these are obvious but I never really gave them much thought before. So thanks for the list!
And thank you so much. This wasn’t an incredible video, and I really got a lot of validation for the things that I’ve been trying to explain to my team, you rock!
Thanks... just what I needed to know... updating, transitioning to course creating, and like the blog you pointed out, I'm "old, but good". I subscribed and with the advice in this video alone, I can make a lot of quick and good changes!
Researched and taught this stuff from all the way back to the days of Mosaic. Very well done and 100% true.
Just had a 'social media expert' update our website. You have highlighted what is glaringly wrong with our new site. Great advice here. The 'expert' is going to get the boot and I will do it myself.
Excellent info, I was ready to think - yes this will be a load, but it is all really spot-on, plenty of good actionable content, cheers!
I USED to be proud of my colorful little social links.😢 Seriously, great advice on all fronts Andy! I'm applying them all! Liked, subscribed, and hit that bell! 👍🏽
As I redesign a new site for my own business, all of these tips come in handy. Thank you very much!
Great list with actual value. Thank you.
Thank you so much for this. Just stumbled upon and gleened some info that I had never considered.
I read lots of blog articles that have to do with coding and technology. Dates are EXTREMELY relevant in these areas and often will not consider spending my time on something if I'm not sure it's up to date content. In many cases, I can understand dates not being of importance, but in many cases, they're necessary. Other than that, great content, thank you.
Andy, as always, this is brilliant!
The first video I've seen of yours and it's some solid tips. I passed about a third, failed a third and a third weren't relevant to my own site.
Thank you so VERY VERY much for this video! I have been trying to build a website for my husband (he is a carpenter and just starting out on his own) He doesnt really think its very important to have a website (which is incorrect) and he doesnt think it should be taking so long for me to complete, especially and with all of these no code tools around now, he thinks it should be easy quick thing to throw something together. But what I have been trying to get through to him is that I want the website to actually help him get more customers-and some small business websites are just not good and when the website is bad , I feel it turns potential customers off and actually costs you business instead of helping you grow. This video gives me the information I have been trying to find in a very straightforward and easy to follow format. Again, THANK YOU!
Now that's the Education we need most! Great job!
Great info, Andy! I’m updating my website and your points are very valuable. Thanks.
In agreement with everything you said!! Been blogging for nearly 20 years and these are all spot on.
Thanks! This is an awesome checklist. 🙌🏾
Good talk. Glad to know my sites would rank high on your scale when it comes to effective content. You did mention there are exceptions, and I know a few, but still, useful content!
Some great tips there. I have been ranting about a few of those myself at times :)
This was very helpful in debunking unchallenged ideas I seem to have accumulated. Thanks
Great video. Love all of these. Going to go work on my website!
Nice! The big one for me (and my clients) is to avoid stock photos. Hire a photographer and have them build an internal stock library.
Your tips make so much sense!
Thank you for supplying valuable and insightful information.
As a customer, I absolutely hate it when websites force you to use a contact form instead of just giving you an email link to click on. Please take that recommendation off your list, or at least follow it up with a guide on how to build good contact forms, don't use prebuilt solutions from whatever CMS you're using. Avoid character counters, especially such tight limits like 500 characters that many prebuilts use. Consider the most common inquiries you get and verify how many attachments are commonly required for the customer to get their request across. If you absolutely must use a file type filter (hint: you don't, ever. if you're worried about viruses, scan every incoming file.), ask your presales engineers etc what they use. I've had so many cases where I needed product detail infos from a company and had to put a "please follow up via email" into a contact form because the damn form wouldn't allow me to e.g. attach a CAD file to request a quote for manufacturing. This just adds unnecessary steps and might lead to customers picking other suppliers that have less restrictive contact forms or offer plain email links.
Thanks a bunch for this! Great suggestions and really helped me streamline my website. Just subbed!
Thank you for mentioning that PDFs aren’t accessible for disabled people! Great tips, only uncertain about the dates, but still going to try it out on one of my websites. Thank you for this!
Great tips thanks! I would have one exception to the no PDF rule - for online training or courses, PDFs are very helpful, for material you can print and take offline with you. I am taking an online course right now and am printing all the PDFs as I progress through the site. I will print these out so I can study them offline, such as when I am on the subway. They are also useful for hand printed notes when they are printed. They are great for printing "cheat sheets" for when you are offline or don't want to look at a tiny screen. Also some people feel more secure with a PDF form to print, fill out and snail mail in, versus an online form, especially these days with all of the spoofed websites out there. Otherwise, yes, PDFs would be "rust" compared to HTML.
Valuable tips. Great tactics to keep in mind. Thank you for sharing.
Wow, this is a super post.. I loved it, thanks! ❤ New SUB!
this is such great info. I thought I was pretty good at building websites, but I now can see a lot of areas I need to improve.
Amazing tips! Also very confronting 😅 I’m off to make some changes now …
This is a great video. Informative and enjoyable! I even chuckled when he mentioned he was getting emotional.
This video is a short and elegantly pithy summary of the modern consequences and reasons I first read about in the "Don't Make Me Think" and "Don't Make Me Think, Revisited" books on user interface design by Steve Krug. I am a multi-disciplinary product designer (blending hardware, electronics, application and embedded software, user Interfaces and API's, and manufacturing transfer into usable Products). Krug's books are some that I go back to often for guidance for usability testing of my user interface designs. I'm adding yours to this now. .Thanks!!!!
I opened my website while watching this😆 and when through it! Thanks for all the info!
Thank you! I just fixed my navigation menu because of you :)
Sir! Great job! Best Web Design Optimization video I've seen so far.
Everything relevant is well explained in short time! THANK YOU!
Wow. How much value can you smash into one video.. You're awesome.
Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge! It was helpful in polishing my husband's website and generating more engagement.
Fantastic video. That was a ton of actionable info. Thank you.
Just came across your channel. This is great stuff!
As an agency owner I agree with all your tips. I only have 1 thing to adjust. Navigation descriptors. ❤😮thx!
If you're using buttons or icons for navigation, make sure each element has a title attribute that explains what that button does when the user hovers over it. I've been on sites - and even desktop applications - that had a bunch of tiny buttons, and I had no clue what they were for. I generally don't stick around if I can't figure out how to use the darned thing within a minute or so.
Thank you so much for this video!!! So many helpful tips, delivered in a clear and concise manner. Like some other viewers, I also prefer to see when an article was published and am often frustrated when I don't see a date because it leaves me wondering, "Is this information still relevant?" Other than that, though, I will adopt all the other tips you mentioned.
Great video with equally great delivery! 😊
Excellent and passionate information. Thank you.
You, fella, have earned yourself another sub from this fantastic video! *_SUBSCRIBED!_*
That was really great. I didn't learn a thing but I agree with everything you said
Super valuable now I’ve got tons of work to do. Thanks a lot.😅
Brilliant video 👍 Good stuff man
This is great content. Probably my favorite Kevin Spacey video since The Usual Suspects. Thanks!
Now I can’t unsee this. Here’s your thumbs up
Thank you for your insight, Andy. Your advice will be instrumental to me as a newly active system designer.
Thank you so much, this helps our family business. We are going to add a contact form. Appreciate this very much. I am subscribing
Great tips - I've been telling my clients and friends to ditch those social icons on the homepage as it takes them away from their websites.
Refreshing. Thanks lots. 😊
I am designing a website for a client and when I came across this video "glory be to the algorithm"...lol I implemented all steps and the website was received so well when from the client. Thank you for sharing this content. Heading to your website now
Extremely practical, thanks!
Useful. Thank you!😊
This was EXCELLENT! Thank you ✌🏽
Good list. These are real things we have to explain these to clients all the time that want todo it the other way 😂
Awesome! Highly informative. Thank you.
Great video, great suggestions. You just earned another subscriber.