We are not against websites with interesting designs and encourage and adopt this strategy. The more of an impact you can create with your website the better. However it is important to say that you must not forget the user experience. If you site looks great but it is impossible to use or get the information people need what do you think your chances of converting sales are? Below is our list of things you should stay away from:

1. Inconsistent Navigation

The worst thing you can do is have a different navigation system on every page. I have been on websites before where you click on a menu item and then you get a whole new menu on the new page. This may seem logical to you but to your visitors will be confusing especially if they are not sure how to get back to where they were.

If you have a lot of content then consider a secondary navigation system. For example you could have you main topic along the top of your website and then when you click on topic you get a secondary navigation system down the left. This will help people to understand what is going on a lot more and encourage them to stay.

An additional thing to say on this is to make sure people can find things easily on your website. For example if you have a login don't hide it. Make sure people can find it easily. We saw a site recently where this was hidden in the links at the bottom of the page. Most people never even look at these links, never mind click on them, so chances are no one will ever register on your site.

2. Inconsistent Design

Some site designers think it is a good idea to give each page a different look and feel. Each page may look amazing and be a credit to the designer however what will your users think? Probably they will get very confused and not be sure if they are on the same site and will just get frustrated and fed up.

If you want to define different sections on your website, try keeping the same design but using a colour coding system to define the section you are on. This will help to keep consistency and be easier to use then different designs.

3. Hard to Read content

In the past many web designers would try putting coloured text on a black background. If you have ever tried to read this you will know it is almost impossible. Having this will cause people to give up and go somewhere else.

Remember you want to make things as easy as possible for users. The best thing to do is have black text on a white background. However if you do have a black background, use a light grey or white text and check the readability before you use it.

4. Badly Written Content

There is nothing worse than going to a website and seeing lots of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. Do not write your content in a rush, remember it is just as important as your design. If you are not a great writer then get someone else to write it for you. Poorly written content will just put people off.

The above tips are just the main things that you should consider, there are lots of things that can make a website difficult to use. When creating a site always consider usability, this is your online brochure or shop. What image are you creating of yourself, will people have confidence in you? If you are not sure about your design, get friends and family to test your site. If they find it difficult then, others will and you will need to think again.