This is our guide to the obsolete website features that you need to avoid in 2021. Now, as with anything, the evolution of the internet means that once-popular website design tactics eventually become somewhat irrelevant. It doesn’t happen overnight, and there’s no shouting from the rooftops to actively discourage such tools. Nevertheless, these elements suddenly drop in significance, and can even hold back websites that are still using them. And it isn’t the client’s fault, but the sooner they make the necessary changes to remove them, the better. But what features are we talking about? Let’s delve into the subject right now.

Social Media Feeds On Websites

In the early 2010s, Twitter and Facebook feeds on the side panels of websites would be all the rage. Now, this was to allow users to catch up on a company’s current developments without leaving the base website. But nowadays, such feeds are clearly a thing of the past. After all, the rising use of smartphones (92% of all UK phone users according to Statista) makes it easier for users to simply use social media aps. And they can still jump to and from the company’s website from the likes of Twitter and Facebook. As a matter of fact, it improves the company’s social media analytics if link clicks increase due to this. Furthermore, when a potential customer visits the company’s website on their phone, they want as few distractions as possible. And a social media feed falls into this category, especially if the site lacks proper mobile optimisation. So, to avoid hassles like this, keep the website and social media channels separate, and leave live feeds in the past.

Unnecessarily Fancy Fonts

Remember WordArt on Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel? Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, WordArt text was rather popular. But eventually the rising number of “normal” fonts would render this as archaic. Yet the influence of WordArt remains due to so many websites using over-the-top fonts where they’re simply not necessary. If anything, they can be off-putting due to the lack of relevancy and also the lack of legibility. Why would a customer purchase a product that is promoted by text that doesn’t come close to blending with the organisation’s identity? Or worse still, how can anyone buy a product if the promotional text is barely readable without highlighting the words? A user experience needs to be easy, quick and leave a positive impression. And having fonts that detract from what the business is showcasing doesn’t meet any of these requirements.

Overly Familiar Fonts

So, one would think that you should stick to the basics, right? Well, not necessarily. Because Times New Roman and Arial are so common that they can influence website text to become forgettable. Just think about it. You’re so familiar with both of these fonts that you can probably identify them without a notification. So, how can a website’s written content be memorable if the fonts are visible everywhere? Therefore, while we don’t recommend you using fonts that raise eyebrows for no reason, you also don’t want a no-frills, generic font. Think of it like a hairstyle. You don’t want to go too far by walking into the office with a mohawk. But you also won’t leave a lasting impression with a simple short back and sides, so you need to find a balance. And that’s the case for fonts too: find something that lies in between going too far and not trying hard enough.

Throwing Everything At The Wall

We finish off with a mistake that is common amongst those launching a website for the first time. Naïve or excitable website managers may struggle to decide what features they want on which pages and in which colours. So, rather than making a firm decision one way or the other, they try to use everything, thinking it will help. But all this does is clutter up the home page so that it looks like a mess, with nothing standing out. Simply put, it is best to do a couple of things well than to do many things badly. Focus not on being minimalist, but on featuring just enough features to tick every box without going extreme.

Summary

This is our round-up of obsolete websites features you need to avoid in 2021, but what do you think? Let us know by getting in touch, or to find out more about how we can help your website, simply visit www.breezedevlopment.co.uk.

Why Choose Breeze Development?

Breeze Development is a digital marketing company based in the northwest. If you would like a no-obligation chat about an existing or new website, please arrange a free digital marketing consultation.