Here are five good examples of bad web design service up by the Deliverance Outreach Ministries web site:

1. Home Page: Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should – in particular I’m talking about the embedded MP3 file that blares out of one’s computer when arriving to the site. This is not a good idea because:
• slows the page load, especially for dial-up users
• gets people visiting your site from their office computer in trouble
• gets moms visiting the web site late at night mad because it wakes-up the baby
• becomes absolutely annoying for individuals who navigate back to home page more than once
• not sure about this case, but can create RIAA/royalty related problems
2. Do not represent text with graphic because:
   
• slows the page load, especially for dial-up users
• confuses users who try to click on the graphic representation of underlined text
• search engines these days are smart, but not so smart where they can dig into your jPeg blocks of plain, Arial text
3. KidZone page: Where’s the beef?
• One line wonders don’t cut it especially when it involves leaving their children unattended with strangers.
• One line wonders, such as in this case actually can hurt the ministry’s conversion goals because their terseness translates to many users as clueless and/or disorganized. The last thing any parent wants when dropping their kid off with strangers for the first time.
4. ‘Jabaz’ Prayer page: Image Reduce, please – head-shots so large that visitor can see one’s blemishes are not a good idea because:
• slows the page load, especially for dial-up users
• ineffective in obtaining one’s conversion goals
• IrfanView is free and easy – learn to use it.
5. About Us: Text is more readable when its color easily contrasts against the background, in other words:
• don’t set blue text against a blue background.
• Also, said of blue in this case usually reserved for and recognized by users as a hyperlinks. Don’t confuse your users that way.

If I had to add a six, I’d suggest that all centered, all bold, all the time fatigues the reader’s eye – but this is a fast five – so this point about the Service Times page only gets an ‘honorable mention.’

Side Note: As you can see, as part of my previously announced category overhaul, I’ve created a “Fast Five” – five points of five points of effective and usable church website design based upon a five minute web site review.

And while I hope this new category will include some good examples – there are enough bad examples resulting out of tje ‘cool church website’ mentality to keep us busy for a while.