To prepare for an upcoming training seminar, I have been tasked with researching and identifying new trends and best practices in small business web design. Through my quest for perfection, I have failed miserably and have only come up with a list of what not to do.

In the interest of sharing, I include my findings below. Warning: If any of these items hit a little close to home, I recommend seeking professional help.  Just make sure that whoever you turn to has a sense of humor!

You Might Need a New website if.....

If I have to click "Enter Site Here" to see what you're all about, you might need a new website...

 

If you have a ticker telling me how many people before me have visited the site, you might need a new website...

 

If you have more flashy things jumping and jiving than a rerun of American Bandstand, you might need a new website...

 

If you have text ranging in color from pink, blue, green, grey and red and in some cases all in the same word, you might need a new website...

 

If it takes the average person longer than 3 seconds to find your contact information, you might need a new website...

 

If you still have your email address listed as something other than your domain name (you know who you are @gvtc users), you might need a new website...

 

If each page I visit looks as though it came from 9 different sites, you might need a new website...

 

If I have to have Adobe Acrobat to read your content, you might need a new website...

 

If you have a background in neon rainbow, blue water drops or space odyssey and are not promoting rainbows, water or outer space, you might need a new website...

 

If you have photos on your site date stamped 2006, you might need a new website...