How to avoid having a “2022 website”

I came across this write-up today, and had a bit of a giggle:

A typical website visit in 2022

1. Figure out how to decline all but essential cookies
2. Close the support widget asking if I need help
3. Stop the auto-playing video
4. Close the ”subscribe to our newsletter” pop-up
5. Try and remember why I came here in the first place

While we can laugh, it’s also unfortunately an experience that will be familiar with many of you while browsing the internet.

And it’s a problem, because it’s turning away potential customers.

The tough part is that we see businesses get excited for all of these add-ons and moving parts to add to their home page, forgetting that if you blind your customer before they can even reach the main pages of your website, you’ve lost them before you even get to start.

As designers, we are always about taking a minimalist approach – the users experience is incredibly important to us. If you’ve got too much stuff for them to read and close, they’re unlikely to read the real content on your home page that you wanted them to truly connect with.

We highly recommend check out your own websites, and check how many warnings, pop ups and moving parts (eg. auto-play videos and animations) are happening when you first visit your website. Put on a timer and see how many seconds it takes until you get to the text most important to you on your home page. If it’s taking more than 3-5 seconds, then you need to decide what can be culled to make it a more streamlined (and friendly!) experience to visiting your website.