There are a lot of really amazing techniques and types of software and ‘wow factor’ website addons these days.  However, as neat as they may be, they may also put your site – and ultimately your visitors – at a disadvantage.

This could result in loss of sales, loss of current clientele, and loss of credibility.

Here are the top six reasons Web sites end up unusable.

1. Not Knowing the User
If you don’t know who is using your Web site and why, how can you design for them? Find out who your audience is, then find out what they do at your Web site and make it as easy as possible for them to achieve that goal.  Whenever possible, bring your end-users in to test your product and work with your developer.

2. Choosing Looks over Function
A Web site can be as pretty as it wants but if it doesn’t work, it’s useless.  Ensure everything at your site works, and if it doesn’t – fix it.

3. Too High Standards
Not every user, in fact very few of your users, will be high end geeks.  You must develop your site for the lowest common denominator.  Proper usability testing will ensure your site works for all users.

4. Succumbing to Fads and Fashion
Flash is great, don’t get me wrong, but it’s made to accent a Web site.  When your Web site is cluttered with widgets and useless ‘wow’ it becomes useless to the user.  When in doubt, keep it simple.

5. Ignoring Standards
If you’re at a Web site and you want to search where is the first place you look?  Usually search boxes are located in the top right corner of a site – move it on yours and you’ve slowed down your user.  Stick with standards, they work for a reason.

6. Designing for the CEO
This is the most common problem we encounter.  The CEO wants the site to look and function a certain way, but the CEO never actually uses the site.  Design for your user – not your CEO.

Think of your site like a dictionary, it has one purpose – to allow its user to look up words and their definitions.  It isn’t fancy, but it does its job better than anything else.  Ensure your Web site does what it needs better than anyone else.