6 signs your agency’s website is giving everyone a headache

I sit staring at a blank screen as giant blobs slowly descend, swirling around before deciding to settle down into the focal point of the website I had entered. My mind has already drifted and I soon forget why I came here to begin with.

The icons posing as navigation tools don’t seem to want to help and some of them lead to static images where any shred of relevance is lost on me. Minutes later I’m navigating another web world where everything is so minimalist I can’t decipher what they’re actually selling. The mouse drifts confusedly around the page. My head hurts. I need coffee.

The shortcomings of agency websites are nothing new, yet this is a struggle I regularly encounter when researching for many of our corporate events. It has me wondering – why are so many agency websites so poorly made?

Paul Cookson, CEO of the ad agency Ad Army, which specialises in web design, claims that: “Great web design without functionality is like a sports car with no engine.”

This seems blindingly obvious to me. A company’s website is the first point of contact for the majority of potential customers and first impressions are everything. Almost always, the difference between whether I buy something online or not comes down to how intuitive the website experience is.

I may not be a designer, but as a user I know that I crave the feeling of being in control. As soon as uneasiness creeps in and content crowds me, I get lost and I jump to the exit button.

More often than not people find themselves on agency websites simply for bites of information – a brief company history, portfolio of work and key contacts. Why are these often so hard to find at first glance?

The challenge for agencies trying to stand out with their website design is to achieve a balance between being functional and showcasing high levels of creativity. In an attempt to show off their out-of-the-box techniques, agency websites too often become over-designed, as though over-excited creatives were given far too much free rein.

Here are some of the common examples that impact my experience as a user and which could ultimately lose me as a client:

Just a pretty face
This website may look good, but that’s where it ends. Far too little focus is on functionality and the attempt at originality renders the navigation confusing so nothing is where you would expect.

Mindless mover

Animations can be exciting, but only when they actually add to the experience. Unnecessary movements and a clear case of flash fever make the user nauseous and ready to return to looking at the calming face of the Google homepage.

Barely there

This website takes minimalism to a new level of pointless, being so minimalist that there isn’t anything useful on it.

Overly wordy

This agency website simply has too much to say. Yes the internet is flooded with images and clever uses of typography can be refreshing, but if I’m overwhelmed with copy that is difficult to navigate and lacks contrast, I’ve already stopped reading and I won’t be coming back.

Lag, lag, lag

Agency websites that try to add too many graphics, videos and icons every time I want to click, had better be worth my attention. Frankly, I’d rather not watch a video or wait 30 seconds every time I access a new section of the site. Testing the patience of potential clients is never a good strategy.

Playing it safe

Having said all this, form and individuality is still important. This is the chance for an agency to really express itself without the constant pressure and frustration of a client on its back. Some agency websites are so staid that they become stale and un-engaging. This is no time to resemble characterless template WordPress sites – bring out the big guns and show us what you’ve got!

I don’t believe there’s a single solution to getting the balance right, but in this digital climate it’s an agency’s duty to constantly reassess their web design so it addresses both form and function.

Agency folks, by all means display creativity, but please stop giving me headaches every time I click on your site!

[Image from Shutterstock]