13 Things To Remove From Your Website Immediately

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After 20+ years of planning 1000+ website projects (and measuring performance in Analytics for each) we have learned a few things about what works and what doesn’t on websites.
In this video, we share a list of website elements and content formats that you should probably take off your website ASAP. They may be popular, they may feel like common sense, but everything on this list is here because of hard-won experience or real-world data and examples.
Here’s the list with jump links:
0:31 Vague homepage headlines
1:30 Generic navigation labels
2:40 Meaningless subheadings
3:25 Homepage sliders
3:55 Stock photos of people
4:30 Social media icons
5:12 Dates on blog posts
5:55 Long paragraphs
6:37 Press releases
7:40 PDF files
8:52 Testimonial pages
10:05 Email links
11:05 Dead end thank you pages
Are the exceptions? Of course.
Do you disagree with any of these? Let us know in the comments!
You can get the full post with the detailed breakdown of everything on the list here on the Orbit blog... bit.ly/42j88Rb
#webdesign #ux

Опубликовано:

13 июн 2024

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Комментарии : 720

@thestreamreader 4 месяца назад

I leave most sites immediately that remove the date. Can't stand not knowing how relevant the content is to the present or if it was written with the past in mind.

@EdwinMartin 4 месяца назад

Indeed. I sometimes skip it because I think it’s unreliable.

@bikeybikebike 4 месяца назад

Yeah, especially for technical content that changes over time fuck websites without dates. I ain’t got time for reading your ten year old blog post. If you’re posting your grandmas hotpot recipe fine leave the date out.

@BjarneOldrup 4 месяца назад

+1 In tech, an article that hasn't been updated for years, is likely a waste of your time. I'm showing both published and updated month on my blog posts, leaving it up to the visitor to decide whether this post could be relevant to them. If PDF's are the rust of the internet, old articles are the crap. :) But the other 12 arguments? Strongly agree.

@NotoriousNeedle 4 месяца назад

My website is about crafting. Embroidery hasn’t changed much in thousands of years, so no dates on my articles

@JackieDElia 4 месяца назад

One option would be to put the published date at the end of the article.

@seanwashere 4 месяца назад

Agree with everything but I very much dislike when blog posts don't have dates. Everything is relative to time, it's easier to understand the content knowing the date it was created. I discount blogs that don't have dates more than ones that do and are just old posts.

@jonno081 4 месяца назад

Same here... In my fields (software dev) things change quickly so dates are quite important... The rest of the tips where really great

@MissVindicat 4 месяца назад

Agreed. Having dates is a service to the readers.

@strawpiglet 4 месяца назад

Yep, my only disagreement, too. I look for the date right away because information changes quickly. If I can't find it I am immediately put off.

@nickvledder 4 месяца назад

True, there must be dates like this: Edit History Jun 2018 - article created Jan 2024 - updated

@michaelgill7333 4 месяца назад

That's the whole point :) avoid the dates, and keep updating that blog post to suit the times and continue getting ranking and traffic from the post ongoing...

@labas9817 4 месяца назад

One of the first things I look for is the date of an article. Even if it's for comparing and contrasting. 😊

@MissVindicat 4 месяца назад

I even usually stop reading when I can't find one. Don't trust it anymore.

@Paul_Wetor 4 месяца назад

One of my pet peeves too. If you're posting cat photos, it's not relevant. But if you are reviewing a restaurant or something topical, a date is critical.

@labas9817 4 месяца назад

@Paul_Wetor Perhaps, it depends on the purpose of the photo.

@VitorMadeira 3 месяца назад

@@MissVindicatme too! Date on a post is just critical.

@PM2022 Месяц назад

Fully agree. His advice is utterly foolish--besides, it contravenes the dictum of authenticity. Alas, the next point underscores his penchant for shallowness--when he talks about no-more-than-3-line paragraphs! There are plenty of real readers out there.

@ijstanley 3 месяца назад

As a developer, it pisses me off when I land on a blog post that doesn't declare when it was written. Tech moves on so quickly that old posts potentially carry stale information that will be detrimental to absorb. I'm more likely to navigate away.

@abb0tt Месяц назад

Great point. Engineering based content requires a date, because methods evolve.

@thespeedytraumahealer 3 дня назад

I have to agree. It annoys the heck out of me when I don't see the date on a post!

@ahallock 4 месяца назад

Disagree about dates and generic navigation labels. Familiar labels like Products, Documentation, Use Cases, Pricing help me navigate quickly to the area I'm interested in. And I hate blogs that don't include dates, especially for technical information.

@PazLeBon 4 месяца назад

and testimonials works great in some niches

@brunodosreis 4 месяца назад

His complaint about generic labels is too generic 😂

@serinadelmar6012 3 месяца назад

@@brunodosreis😂

@PM2022 Месяц назад

He is not at all dependable as a webpage advisor.

@aqil199 4 месяца назад

1. Vague hompage headline - Do 5 second test to analyze the homepage 2. Gemeric navigation label - Navigation must be helpful, specific - Use GA4 : Path Exploration, to know how user navigate 3. Meaningless subheading 4. Homepage Slideshow 5. Stock photo of people 6. Social media icon on header 7. Dates on blog 8. long paragraph 9. Press release 10. PDF File 11. testimonial page 12. Email link 13. Dead end thank you page

@stuart6478 4 месяца назад

In the description

@RyanLeeCreative 4 месяца назад

Thanks for posting@@stuart6478

@aqil199 4 месяца назад

I'm quite sure that There was no detail in the description when i wrote this, i wrote this for my self...., and i believe that it is the first comment on the video...,

@kikijewell2967 4 месяца назад

@@aqil199thank you. Public service.

@sbuceeh 3 месяца назад

Thank you for this!

@QuantumKurator 4 месяца назад

I don't agree with removing dates on blog posts. If it is a technical blog and content is over a year old I generally won't read it. And if there are no dates, I assume it is old and wont read it.

@WordStampedTutorials 4 месяца назад

You're absolutely right.

@qwertiepie 4 месяца назад

Same here, I look for current, in fact I add the year in my search

@P-Funk69 4 месяца назад

I’m like that too

@No0utlet 4 месяца назад

Absolutely correct. Around 2017 I hated finding Medium articles in my technical search results page because they never had dates so you couldn't rely on the fact that they were talking about the same version of software that you're using. Technical articles are not evergreen content.

@holleey 4 месяца назад

well, by your own logic tech blogs SHOULD remove dates for posts that are 1+ years old... because then at least there's a chance the user might stay. but I agree; no date = really bad UX in cases where users specifically are looking for one.

@ottebya 4 месяца назад

this may be one of if not the best list of website optimizations Ive seen, SO many of these feel so obvious but noone ever frames them this way

@lysafulbright564 4 месяца назад

"Candy-colored exit signs"! : ) Great tips!

@RealDevastatia 4 месяца назад

All of the candy-colored buttons at the top of my site provide quick access to features of... my website!

@CompletedReview 4 месяца назад

Andy, I sat in your talk in ~2014 in SMMW in SD. I still use bits I learned from your talk that day. And it's helped me move up quickly in my marketing roles since then. Love your straight talk. Glad to find you on YT!

@kidmosey 4 месяца назад

don't mention the date

@tjsayers5428 4 месяца назад

“Go away.” Love it! I need to improve my sites’ thank you pages. Appreciate the great list and you taking the time to make this video.

@stephensandor6503 4 месяца назад

So many great points. My favourite is putting descriptors in the navigation tabs. It’s got me thinking totally differently. Super helpful. PS I prefer forms and the fact that it takes a little more effort to fill out is a nice filtering process. If they can’t be bothered filling out a form they are probably not that interested

@eronhonez Месяц назад

My middle school students upgraded and maintain our school’s website and will be taking on the task of improving /reorganizing the high school site this quarter. I can’t wait to share this video with them - applicable tips, to the point…perfect video format for lots of people including 11-14 year olds ;-)

@LambrosHatzinikolaou 4 месяца назад

Thanks for the post. I agree with everything you say except for the 7nth point. Dates on blogs. As a consumer of blog posts, I have to choose what to read and what to ignore from a SERP, with posts with no date falling into the latter category. I prefer fresh content to old one and when I'm not sure it is fresh I just ignore it. It’s difficult to hide the date of the content, anyway. One can check the comments or the source code to find out. If the content is old, an update would remedy it. So in this case, the blogger can show the update date instead of the publication date.

@PatrickGoddard 4 месяца назад

I was thinking that same thing. As a consumer researching for a product, as an example, say "best space heaters", I want reviews that are the most recent, not information that is out of date. I find more value with articles that have been update recently and is stated ("Updated Jan 2024"), then either old articles or articles with no context to date.

@GregoryMatous 4 месяца назад

Yes, a last updated date is a great idea! Shows you are keeping the content current.

@beckypetersen2680 4 месяца назад

I write a blog which is more like a real blog - daily activity journal - quilting, and the date is vital to me. I understand that old looks bad, but when looking at other people's blogs or even videos, I often check the dates to know how prices might have changed, etc. I personally want the date on there. But I get it if the content is just generic advice or a rant about 10 things I hate, or whatever...then the date is irrelevant as it is just general advice and not as time relevant. As a quilter, I don't mind reading an older blog if it has the content I am looking for.

@PazLeBon 4 месяца назад

yet the date doesnt actually change whether the data is accurate or indeed the best answer ever

@benhetland576 4 месяца назад

@@PazLeBon I disagree; the date matters a lot when considering the accuracy of a lot of information (though not everything). Consider an article describing RAM technology and gives guidelines for what to use in various use cases. A year later the picture might have changed drastically. I may still consider an old article "accurate" for its date of publication when I know it, and I might be able to adjust for the changes myself. But when there's no date, then I don't really know if it was written yesterday by someone who just lagged about 15 years in their knowledge on the topic. Or I wouldn't even recognize that if it was a topic I was very unfamiliar with, which certainly could be one reason to read it in the first place.

@deerhaven3350 4 месяца назад

I'm so happy and relieved to see that the new website I created about a month ago for my small business follows all of these guidelines. Thank you!

@larryfarr 4 месяца назад

Thank you very much for an informative, well-produced, thoughtful video that was enjoyable to watch. Your presentation style is spot on. Much appreciated.

@PaleSaturn 4 месяца назад

This video is exactly what I want to see more of on RU-vid. Perfectly executed.

@derwaldbaer5707 4 месяца назад

I disagree on the blog post dates. Content is rarely truly evergreen, and as a reader I want to know whether an opinion was a qualified opinion in 2013 or 2023.

@0rbium 4 месяца назад

Great point about press releases: always write as articles in the style of the publication, editor and columnists you're targeting. I've had columnists go to print with my releases without changing a word. They get the byline, I get the crowds at my events.

@NoRosesJewelry 4 месяца назад

pearls of wisdom for those of us who are NOT user experience experts! thank you, sir. 😊👍

@VirtualTourPhotographer 3 месяца назад

Nice! The big one for me (and my clients) is to avoid stock photos. Hire a photographer and have them build an internal stock library.

@wheels4515 4 месяца назад

Good list, just stumbled over your video/channel. As a web designer who's been around for 20+ years your points are spot on. I had to ban the word 'solutions' in my last workplace - unless you work in a chemical laboratory or you're a mathematician, you don't need to use it. Sales people shouldn't use it either!

@PazLeBon 4 месяца назад

yet the whole features and benefits, problem and solutions is exactly what 99% are selling so ofcourse it should be used in many ways

@luxdevine 4 месяца назад

I have learned so much from you over the years I have followed your blog and channel. Thank you for another great video! You make excellent points, most of them I have already implemented, learned from you before. Do you ever make any videos about product pages? That would be very helpful too. Thanks again!

@juliaevans9521 13 дней назад

Really think you point about Thank you pages is spot on. What a missed opportunity to engage with the viewer who has just interacted with you !

@chrisguli2865 2 месяца назад

Great tips thanks! I would have one exception to the no PDF rule - for online training or courses, PDFs are very helpful, for material you can print and take offline with you. I am taking an online course right now and am printing all the PDFs as I progress through the site. I will print these out so I can study them offline, such as when I am on the subway. They are also useful for hand printed notes when they are printed. They are great for printing "cheat sheets" for when you are offline or don't want to look at a tiny screen. Also some people feel more secure with a PDF form to print, fill out and snail mail in, versus an online form, especially these days with all of the spoofed websites out there. Otherwise, yes, PDFs would be "rust" compared to HTML.

@gellirollz 2 месяца назад

Very well done, said and in detail with examples. This was not a rant, this was informative content we need.. Thank you new sub!

@357molotov 3 месяца назад

I read lots of blog articles that have to do with coding and technology. Dates are EXTREMELY relevant in these areas and often will not consider spending my time on something if I'm not sure it's up to date content. In many cases, I can understand dates not being of importance, but in many cases, they're necessary. Other than that, great content, thank you.

@HiProfileAI 4 месяца назад

Great video. After 15 years of web design and development I see this video as a refresher. Good job. Thanks

@brucewilliamsstudio4932 4 месяца назад

Thanks Andy, this is essential "must have" information and likely takes years to learn on your own. Thanks for the leg up.

@ikantdanz 4 месяца назад

Very helpful, thank you. I was really hoping you would include those gigantic headers so many sites use these days. I hate those. If I have to scroll to see the first word on the website, I’m never going to see the first word on the website, because I’m already gone.

@EricFullerton 4 месяца назад

Love it, great tips! It seems like most of these are obvious but I never really gave them much thought before. So thanks for the list!

@sztupkaylevente 4 месяца назад

Great list with actual value. Thank you.

@gordongoodfellow826 17 дней назад

Strongly agree about PDFs and email links.

@philsprofitpoints 3 месяца назад

Great info, Andy! I’m updating my website and your points are very valuable. Thanks.

@IainMacGillivray 4 месяца назад

Excellent info, I was ready to think - yes this will be a load, but it is all really spot-on, plenty of good actionable content, cheers!

@lewisticknor 2 месяца назад

There is a lot of info out there. Thanks for taking the time to do this, you fundamentally helped me.

@steveguglielmo 4 месяца назад

Thank you Andy! This really helped me evaluate my site and opened my eyes to a number of things I need to modify.

@DavidDorianRoss 4 месяца назад

And thank you so much. This wasn’t an incredible video, and I really got a lot of validation for the things that I’ve been trying to explain to my team, you rock!

@JeffWhiteMedia 18 дней назад

Excellent advice, Andy! Thank you!

@FrancisLCorro Месяц назад

Your tips make so much sense!

@ShelleySimpsonagent99 3 месяца назад

Just building my site. This was excellent and easy to understand from a newbie point of view. I'll watch for more of your videos.

@ThomasKnip 4 месяца назад

Very solid advice overall! That last one for the "Thank You" page, nice!

@vegangirll 3 месяца назад

This is super helpful. Just started writing a blog and didn't think about inserting images or adding links. Thanks.

@DonnaPatterson-fy5tz 4 месяца назад

Accidentally found a very Informative site. Yours. I've been confused about how to set up a new website. Now I know. Thanks a million. And I subscribed.

@MarilynHarding 16 часов назад

Thank you! This is super helpful. I just redesigned our whole website. Some of these suggestions I knew and already implemented and now I’m going back to fix the rest!

@michaeldmarkham 3 месяца назад

Thanks! This is an awesome checklist. 🙌🏾

@borismedved3105 Месяц назад

Sir! Great job! Best Web Design Optimization video I've seen so far. Everything relevant is well explained in short time! THANK YOU!

@AmyVince 14 часов назад

I love this. As a designer, I know it's hard to get the budget for a photoshoot! I'm forced to use stock photos and avoid any photos of people looking at the camera. It still feels fake every time.

@NancyMyrland 4 месяца назад

Andy, as always, this is brilliant!

@ajrosales047 4 месяца назад

Good point with social media icons. Thank you!

@jean-michelgilbert8136 4 месяца назад

Great work dude. You've just told people to make useless low information low value blogs, sites I avoid like the plague because they just have a product to sell but no information value.

@anikm8003 Месяц назад

Very relevant and thoughtful advice. Thank you.

@simonanne_com 4 месяца назад

Great points! I've been in this field for almost 25 years and it keeps amazing me that the majority of website owners are still doing this.. Also great, because it's so easy to fix this and provide them with some amazing results 👌

@gsmith6733 13 дней назад

Really appreciate this helpful information from a professional. Thank you!

@FernandoGarcia-xj8hb Месяц назад

Valuable tips. Great tactics to keep in mind. Thank you for sharing.

@hartgetzen7867 13 дней назад

Thank you. Excellent advice. Making some changes!

@pelioscoaching2803 4 месяца назад

I’m only halfway through and this is already the most useful, informative video about websites. Thank you for sharing!!

@gretamerican 4 месяца назад

Thank you for supplying valuable and insightful information.

@writerlywitterings Месяц назад

Thanks so much for this. I'm an author, looking to update my old website, and this has given me more information than all the other sites I've looked at. A brilliant summary.

@juliaevans9521 13 дней назад

I found your video very thought provoking so I will need to have another listen or two to see which points I need to take on board (if they relate to my website). Thanks for sharing this video. Julia

@kammistry 2 месяца назад

Great video with equally great delivery! 😊

@BrettGilmour 4 месяца назад

Fantastic video. That was a ton of actionable info. Thank you.

@AdamClarkx1 4 месяца назад

Great video. Love all of these. Going to go work on my website!

@chriscarr1002 4 месяца назад

1. Copy Link 2. Send to my web development team. 3. Ask them to stop what they are doing. 4. Nag them until these are complete. 5. Add these to our future SOPs. 6. Add this to what I talk about when I am on podcasts and give you zero credit. Just kidding. Another amazing video. Great job.

@joereuben4909 Месяц назад

Must be a manager...

@yapdog 3 месяца назад

You, fella, have earned yourself another sub from this fantastic video! *_SUBSCRIBED!_*

@thomasstrand2240 Месяц назад

Thank you so much for this. Just stumbled upon and gleened some info that I had never considered.

@reneewright2954 4 месяца назад

Excellent and passionate information. Thank you.

@davidgilbertvo 27 дней назад

Great ideas, Andy!! Thanks for sharing.

@wormholeinteractive День назад

Lots of value in this video! Gained a new follower 🙂

@AxtonPark 3 месяца назад

I USED to be proud of my colorful little social links.😢 Seriously, great advice on all fronts Andy! I'm applying them all! Liked, subscribed, and hit that bell! 👍🏽

@CitizenKate Месяц назад

Good talk. Glad to know my sites would rank high on your scale when it comes to effective content. You did mention there are exceptions, and I know a few, but still, useful content!

@corinnecowper1339 2 месяца назад

Just had a 'social media expert' update our website. You have highlighted what is glaringly wrong with our new site. Great advice here. The 'expert' is going to get the boot and I will do it myself.

@elberthardy961 2 месяца назад

Now that's the Education we need most! Great job!

@fourseasonsgirl 3 месяца назад

Thanks... just what I needed to know... updating, transitioning to course creating, and like the blog you pointed out, I'm "old, but good". I subscribed and with the advice in this video alone, I can make a lot of quick and good changes!

@TiffinboxTV Месяц назад

As I redesign a new site for my own business, all of these tips come in handy. Thank you very much!

@PeterHebert 4 месяца назад

This list is spot on!

@passiveincomepathways 3 месяца назад

In agreement with everything you said!! Been blogging for nearly 20 years and these are all spot on.

@nilsrp 2 месяца назад

Brilliant video 👍 Good stuff man

@cannamediaservices2324 3 месяца назад

Great video, thanks Andy!

@josephmasongsong11 4 месяца назад

Extremely practical, thanks!

@jvcouk 8 дней назад

Tech writer here. You home in on a lot of skills that are rare outside tech writing, where the aim of online content is to convey relevant info quickly and clearly, and make it discoverable. Most corporate sales sites are so vague and indirect that I can't work out what they do, how they can really help, or how they charge for services. They seem to want to comply with "This is what corporate success looks like". I have to wonder who their customer is: new clients, or investors?

@drdehailey 4 месяца назад

Researched and taught this stuff from all the way back to the days of Mosaic. Very well done and 100% true.

@user-fd5nj1zg6j 2 месяца назад

Awesome! Highly informative. Thank you.

@Hampdensipnpaint 16 дней назад

These tips are excellent. Thank you!

@kyram123 2 месяца назад

I love how straightforward you are… I’ve got some work to do 😅

@HeyJohnScott 4 месяца назад

Wow. How much value can you smash into one video.. You're awesome.

@brucemcclelland904 Месяц назад

This was very helpful in debunking unchallenged ideas I seem to have accumulated. Thanks

@tonybottrell1611 2 месяца назад

This is a great video. Informative and enjoyable! I even chuckled when he mentioned he was getting emotional.

@brandsintel 4 месяца назад

Refreshing. Thanks lots. 😊

@KudaFamily 4 месяца назад

This is great content. Probably my favorite Kevin Spacey video since The Usual Suspects. Thanks!

@BradGardner 4 месяца назад

Now I can’t unsee this. Here’s your thumbs up

@VisitorsWelcome 4 месяца назад

If you do use a contact form, please include an email address at the top. Most contact forms are way too long and complicated to bother to fill out, and they don’t allow me to attach a screenshot or other document.

@gafarali3603 10 дней назад

Very insightful, professional, smart, and challenging the traditional web development that doesn't make sense today. Well done!

@FrankyDeMeyer 4 месяца назад

Amazing tips! Also very confronting 😅 I’m off to make some changes now …

@scispiracy 4 месяца назад

Thanks a bunch for this! Great suggestions and really helped me streamline my website. Just subbed!

@crystaldittrich-vb3ss Месяц назад

Thank you so VERY VERY much for this video! I have been trying to build a website for my husband (he is a carpenter and just starting out on his own) He doesnt really think its very important to have a website (which is incorrect) and he doesnt think it should be taking so long for me to complete, especially and with all of these no code tools around now, he thinks it should be easy quick thing to throw something together. But what I have been trying to get through to him is that I want the website to actually help him get more customers-and some small business websites are just not good and when the website is bad , I feel it turns potential customers off and actually costs you business instead of helping you grow. This video gives me the information I have been trying to find in a very straightforward and easy to follow format. Again, THANK YOU!

@lenpalmeri6228 4 месяца назад

Outstanding advice for website designers !

@WilhelmCazimirovici 4 месяца назад

Useful. Thank you!😊

@rpraelsporcupine3112 3 дня назад

That was really useful, thank you!

@SuzanneRowell 3 месяца назад

Thank you! I just fixed my navigation menu because of you :)

@DrunkenUFOPilot 4 месяца назад

For immediate release - as opposed to what? As opposed to embargoed until some stated time and day. This is common with newsmakers to coordinate release of images, website updates, social media posts, and media stories. The press release is put out early so news organizations have time to write, fact-check, proofread and get it ready to unleash. Not having a release date or "For immediate release" leaves the intended purpose of the press release ambiguous.