In my opinion, the most common mistake web designers make is this: Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should. Don’t use technology simply for the sake of using technology. Here are some things that I think should never be done in web design:
Don’t make everyone register
Maybe you think your website is great, or maybe your marketing department thought it would be a great way to collect information…but whatever the reasons, never make your visitors register before they even enter your site. Thankfully, there aren’t many that are guilty of this, but there are still a few.
Don’t use splash pages
I know, you need to make money with your website, but do you really need to throw an ad in front of me before I even visit your site? If the answer is “yes”, at least give me a way to skip said ad so I can do what I originally intended to do, albeit somewhat more annoyed.
Never use music
I don’t want theme music when I’m browsing your website. I’ve actually never met anyone who does. It’s especially annoying at work. If you must have sound on your site, make sure the visitor has full control of it.
Add contact information
If you have a website, and you are a legitimate company, then you must have contact information. No, that doesn’t mean having a form for visitors to fill out. It’s insulting to think that you want to review my question before speaking to me. You should list a phone number and an email address, but at the very least, an email address.