One of the worst experiences an addicted surfer can have is visiting a site that does not live up to expectations. The pages may be slow, wordy, boring, or just plain don’t work. Well, we’ve listed three “don’ts” of Web page design and likened them to one of our favorite super villains, Bizarro. Bizarro is one of the Man of Steel’s foes who is a little “off’ and displays powers, abilities, and mannerisms that are the exact opposite of Superman. He is a character that should have never happened. Similarly, there are a few characteristics of Web sites that should never happen and, unlike Bizarro, can be aborted before they grace the Net:
1. Broken links. When the addicted surfer clicks on one of these links that lead to nowhere, an extreme emotional breakdown can occur. Spare them the misery of trying to research where the link should have taken them (unless you enjoy toying with the obsessive compulsive types).
2. Explosive, but slow, graphics. Sometimes these can be great and look visually stunning…if they ever completely load. Sometimes the addicted surfer may lack the patience to wait for that colorful “swirly whirl” to finish its dance.
3. Outdated information. Nothing is more annoying than trying to reply to information on a site that is months or years old.
So, although Bizarro would no doubt love all three of the “don’ts” listed above, make it easy on the rest of us and keep those sites clean.
