• Home
  • About
    • About
    • Policies
  • Submissions
    • Op-eds
    • News / Announcements
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

eJewish Philanthropy

Your Jewish Philanthropy Resource

  • News Bits
  • Jewish Education
  • Readers Forum
  • Research
  • Show Search
Hide Search
You are here: Home / Using Technology Wisely / The Dirty Dozen Website Mistakes

The Dirty Dozen Website Mistakes

February 25, 2014 By eJP

12by Molly Ritvo

A new year offers fresh opportunities to develop new relationships while strengthening existing ones. It is also the perfect time to tune up your website.

With 2013 behind us, we encourage staffers to take a close look at your website and examine every single page for content, style, tone and layout. Think about the big questions first and ask yourself: is this page really necessary? What is the main message from this page? Is there a shorter, more effective way of saying it? It’s a best practice to regularly maintain your website to keep it functioning optimally, much like a car.

To help kick-off your website tune-up, below are the most common mistakes we’ve seen on websites. Is your site suffering from any of these dirty dozen mistakes?

1. Too much white space

There is a beautiful webpage located somewhere between too much clutter and not enough content. An empty website leaves too much to the imagination. Your pages should have a good balance of pictures and words and enough room for your audience to soak in the information. On average, users spend about 22 seconds on a page. Make sure your users are getting the most of their visit.

2. Inconsistent type, size, and color

Too many fonts, colors, clip art images, etc., can make your page look busy, confusing, and unprofessional. Maintain your color scheme, sizes, fonts, and the general look-and-feel of your organization across all pages – and social media channels. This will ensure good branding.

3. Too much text

Users need to see a good balance of text, graphic and multimedia. Think about breaking up your text by using headlines, bullet points, short sentences and paragraphs, and visuals and graphics.

4. Dead-end links

It’s pretty embarrassing when your register here or contact us or learn more pages lead to nowhere. To be safe, double check all of your links (even to documents and forms) three times.

5. Incomplete calendar items

If you don’t tell people when and where to show up, they won’t be there. Make sure all calendar events include short, inviting descriptions and specify the event location, time, and give a contact name/ number.

6. Missing opportunities for members to get more information

You know how frustrating it is when you can’t find a “Contact Us” page. Make sure it is easy for your members to have the opportunity to share experiences, ask questions, provide feedback, and get more information if they need it.

7. A mobile-unfriendly site

For the millions of smart-phone users who often look at websites while waiting in line, riding public transportation, or when they’re taking a break from their kids, make sure they can enjoy your website.

8. No search tool

Your website visitors are goal driven. They are looking for information and if they can’t find it, they will navigate away.

9. Irrelevant content

Having interesting content that addresses the needs of your members is crucial! If you aren’t targeting the needs and wants of your members, you are losing them. Aren’t sure what they want to see? Send out a survey with Survey Monkey or ask a member to poll for you. Use Google Analytics to see who is visiting what on your website, so you can cater to them.

10. Using social media indiscriminately

The Chronicle of Philanthropy notes that some organizations jump onto every new online platform that comes along to look relevant. Instead, they spread themselves too thin. It is best if you focus on using one or two platforms effectively.

11. Outdated content

Focus on upcoming holidays and remove information about Hanukkah and other past events!

12. Bad navigation

Do all of your home subpages have a clear way to return to your home page? Does your home page provide access to all major parts of the site? Is navigation consistently presented from page to page?

Don’t forget that your website is your calling card! Use your website well and don’t forget to give it your organization’s personality. Keep it simple. Prioritize information so that your homepage is easy to read with a clear header, introduction, and easy to see links. Not every piece of information needs to be included right away (that’s why you have subpages). Use your website to tell your genuine story and your members will be your audience for many years to come.

Molly Ritvo is the Content Manager at Jvillage Network, a Burlington, VT based organization that offers membership engagement solutions for Jewish communities. You can follow Molly on Twitter, @MollifyMR.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: Using Technology Wisely

Click here to Email This Post Email This Post to friends or colleagues!

Primary Sidebar

Join The Conversation

What's the best way to follow important issues affecting the Jewish philanthropic world? Our Daily Update keeps you on top of the latest news, trends and opinions shaping the landscape, providing an invaluable source for inspiration and learning.
Sign Up Now
For Email Marketing you can trust.

Continue The Conversation

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Recent Comments

  • Bruce Powell on An Invitation To Transparency: Reflections on an Open Salary Spreadsheet
  • Sara Rigler on Announcement: Catherine Reed named CEO of American Friends of Magen David Adom
  • Donna Burkat on The Blessings in 2020’s Losses
  • swindmueller on Where Do We Go From Here?
    Reflections On 2021
    A Jewish Response to These Uncertain Times
  • Alan Henkin on Where Do We Go From Here?
    Reflections On 2021
    A Jewish Response to These Uncertain Times

Most Read Recent Posts

  • Jewish Agency Accuses Evangelical Contractors of “Numerous Violations” but Denies They Evangelized New Immigrants
  • Breaking: Birthright Israel & Onward Israel Seek to Join Forces to Strengthen Jewish Diaspora Ties with Israel
  • An Invitation To Transparency: Reflections on an Open Salary Spreadsheet
  • Why One Zoom Class Has Generated a Following
  • The Blessings in 2020’s Losses

Categories

The Way Back Machine

Footer

What We Do

eJewish Philanthropy highlights news, resources and thought pieces on issues facing our Jewish philanthropic world in order to create dialogue and advance the conversation. Learn more.

Top 40 Philanthropy Blogs, Websites & Influencers in 2020

Copyright © 2021 · eJewish Philanthropy · All Rights Reserved