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2020Geek speak – How Programmers See Bed & Breakfast Lodging
Websites Through the Eyes of Website Programmers
Question to Programmers: When you look at an existing website, what NEGATIVES pop out to you as programmers?
Answers From 3 Website Developers at i Love Inns
Outdated HTML Structures / Frameworks / CMS
This is the first problem for us web developers when scanning a site to be redesigned. Some sites have obsolete HTML structures and frameworks. Several well-known HTML frameworks are used in creating websites. Some are Bootstrap, 960.gs, and WordPress. However, existing sites are often using their “own, custom frameworks” which make it hard for modern web developers to scan and gather resources from the site.
Another Outdated HTML Structure is “Image Mapping”.
This situation doesn’t allow the text to be re-used because the whole site was an image. The programmer set up “Image Mapping” to text so that it looks like it is clickable. However, this is an obsolete approach and is not browser friendly especially in tablets and mobile devices. It’s bad for SEO.
Also Flash Players.
Flash was very popular. However, with today’s web design, Flash is a “no no” and lowers rankings.
Bad Design
Design is always evolving. Design is coordinated with the HTML structure. If the site is using an outdated framework, then the design possibilities will be limited.
Bad contrast of colors.
Colors largely affect the look of a site. Colors should blend, compliment, and be harmonious with each other. There are sites which are using very bright or shaded tone combinations that can constrain (and repel) the eyes of viewers.
Poor Balance in Layouts.
Text and images should be laid out properly, not just a straight block of text. It affects the user experience of the site. Some layouts improve search engine rankings.
Logos That Are Not Transparent
Most of the time, outdated web designs have a “flat” logo together with their banner. We often have a hard time getting the logo off a site with this kind of navbar. Logos should be transparent, and in PNG file format.
Too Many Clicks To Get To the Page Guests Want
Another problem is the cluttered and overly-done structure of menus. There are pages that can be compressed into one, but the old sites are making single pages out of each of them. The user experience will be affected when sites have “too many clicks” before going to their desired page.
Responsiveness
Old sites are not mobile friendly or they are using a separate mobile site. Sometimes, if a client wants some elements in the old site to remain in the redesign, it is a challenge to make it mobile and tablet responsive.
Websites have to be responsive. More than 80% of web users are surfing the web using their mobile devices. If a site is not laid out perfectly on mobile, the tendency is users will leave your site.
Question: When we are building a new site, what is the biggest mistakes our clients make when requesting things from you on the new websites you are building?
Images. They want to create large banners with the current small images from their old site.
Lack of information or the absence of the “Design Brief” prepared with customer service.
Being Clear with what contents should be on what pages.
Overly complicated navigation menu and styles. Navigation menus should be hierarchical, and easy to be understood. Navigation serves as the table of contents of the website.
This is why you need our Translator to speak computer-eze to programmers. You don’t have to do it. With 10 years experience, our team leader is skilled in translating what an innkeeper wants. This winds up making everyone happy! You, Google & your guests.
11 Things You Need to Update On Your Website
Get Your Website Into Tip-Top Shape While It Is Quieter
- Review your title tags and meta tags – (Frequently overlooked on new websites and DIY sites.)
- Optimize your photos to make sure they load fast – (This can affect rankings.)
- Image tagging – add invisible alternate text which Google looks for
- Run Speed Tests
- Update everything from pricing to text to new photos, new reviews
- Run SEO Tests
- Make your site ADA Compatible
- Add blogs, Pop-Ups, Direct Booking Messages, social Media links
- Correct or remove bad links, flash, old specials
- Install an uptime tracker to send alerts if your site goes down
- Analyze Google webmaster data on your site to review other problems
- Run your URL through a content delivery network to filter out attacks to your server
Keeping your website up to date makes all the difference in where it appears on search engines and will bring you more traffic that stays longer on your site and improves your bookings.