Top 10 outdated things to say on your site

I’ve been guilty of a few of these in my time – because just as design trends go out of fashion – so do the words and phrases you use on your site.

I haven’t included any aspect of design in this list, but please let me mention that comic sans is strictly out of bounds (except for 11 year old girls).

1. Welcome!… to the company name website
   This is just so unnecessary.
2. Click on this link
   This takes up so much space and isn’t very accessible. You need to tell the user what they’ll find and should make sense when read out of context. The W3C provide some clear guidance if you need help.
3. Check it out!
   This was a favourite of a former colleague – as in she hated it, too. I suppose if your site appeals to the yoof then that might work. As a rule – if you wouldn’t say it out loud, don’t write it.
4. Internet (with a capital I), Web-site/Web Site or E-mail
   The net’s been around long enough for us to be able to comfortably drop the caps. I don’t even like the hyphen in email, but will probably be a local style issue on your site.
5. This website aims to provide…
   This feels old fashioned because the navigation really ought to show you what the site provides. If you can’t see at a glance what the site provides then you might have a design or information architecture problem.
6. We will try to keep the content of the website fresh and interesting
   Frankly, if you have to tell me that, I don’t believe you will.
7. And saying the same thing several times
   It’s just irritating when people don’t get to the point. In fact, it’s pointless as people don’t read that much online anyway.
8. Acronyms (without explanation)
   Because it helps if you know what you’re reading about. Or you can use this acronym finder. Using acronyms slows down the reading speed of the user if they’re struggling to work out what it means. Discarding – or explaining – them will provide the added benefit that it will help search engines read your site as well as humans.
9. “We’re switched on”
   Course you are, Grandad.
10. ‘Signing’ the page.
    We know it’s you – we’re reading your website.

Thanks for reading! Whoops, another one sneaked in (not to mention that naff exclamation mark).

Christine. Oh hell, I just can’t stop myself.

This post was originally published by Christine on Mon, 03/02/2009

One Response to “Top 10 outdated things to say on your site”

1. Richard Morton says:

   December 31, 2009 at 6:04 pm

   I see loads of this sort of stuff. Don’t think I am guilty of it myself (apart from possibily too much use of capitals) but I may have to go back and look at my site. One of the first places I look on a web page is for a “this page updated on …” or “copyright 1999″ which tends to be a giveaway