We’ve all been there. You’re looking for a new pair of shoes, so you go to your favorite online retailer’s website.
Instead of finding what you’re looking for, you spend the next 20 minutes clicking through page after page of irrelevant products, or worse yet, you can’t find anything at all because the website is so poorly organized. Finally, you give up and go to a different website altogether.
If this sounds familiar, then you’ve experienced first-hand the frustrations that can come from using a bad website. But what exactly makes a website “bad”?
In this guide, we’ll take a look at some examples of bad websites, provide tips on how to avoid them and detail most common mistakes that web designers make.
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19 Bad Websites Examples
1. Gates N Fences
Gates N Fences’ website has several shortcomings that hinder the user experience.
First off, its website design feels straight out of the early 2000s and hasn’t seen updates for a while.
Navigation? Tough. Bright red buttons and unclear operations make it hard to find your way around. The color choices clash, pulling attention away from the content.
And the visuals? The tiny, low-quality images certainly don’t do the site any favors.
On top of that, the site’s drowning in text. Visitors are met with an avalanche of words, making it a chore to pinpoint the information they need.
And those outdated, skeuomorphic menu buttons? They’re more confusing than helpful.
The bottom line: these flaws negatively affect user experience and can push potential customers to seek alternatives.
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2. Zara
Zara is a popular fashion retailer, but its ecommerce website is anything but fashionable. The experience you get when you first land on its homepage is like flipping through a magazine.
It looks cool on the one hand, but it makes it nearly impossible to shop, which is, of course, the whole point of going to the website in the first place.
The navigation is non-existent, and the product pages themselves are just a mess. It’s hard to find anything you’re looking for, and when you do finally locate an item you want to purchase, good luck trying to figure out how to add it to your cart.
In short, Zara’s ecommerce website is a perfect example of what not to do when designing an eCommerce site.
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3. The Room – Official Movie Site
The Room is a decent movie, but the official website for the movie is not nearly as good.
For starters, the homepage is overly long and doesn’t give users the option to jump to a specific section.
The navigation is also confusing, with links that go nowhere and are labeled inconsistently.
The design is amateurish and the overall experience is frustrating.
It has some links under the featured image that you’d think are navigations to different parts of the site but when you click them, they open up new tabs to some really ugly pages.
This website doesn’t really give you a lot of options- you can either scroll down or exit it completely.
There are lots of images and GIFs placed throughout the website which makes it confusing to look at and hard to focus on the main aim of the site which is for users to buy the right to use the film.
It will also be difficult for users to enter their payment details on this website as it doesn’t look secure.
In general, the website looks like it was made in a hurry and with little care or attention to detail.
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4. Fandango
Like Wayfair and other retailers, Fandango depends on its website to drive sales and keep customers coming back. Unfortunately, the site is plagued by a number of design flaws that make it difficult to use.
For starters, the home page is cluttered with too much information. Instead of prominently featuring a few upcoming movies and showtimes, the page is filled with links to different sections of the site, ticket sales, and other distractions. This makes it hard to find what you’re looking for.
The biggest issue the site has may very well be the fact that it has no clear call to action. When you first visit the site, you’d think that it has no CTA at all, which is because it’s not immediately obvious what you’re supposed to do.
The “Join Now For Free” and “Buy Tickets” buttons are placed under what appears to look like ads, and it’s not until you scroll down that you see the real CTA.
This is a huge mistake, as users should never have to hunt for the CTA. It needs to be front and center, above the fold.
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5. Great Dreams
The Great Dreams website used a combination of colors and textured backgrounds that made it very difficult to read the text on the site. The text size is very small, which makes it difficult to read.
The main page is too long and dull. It contains a lot of information that is not necessary, and it is not organized in a way that is easy to follow.
Worst of all is that the website does not have a clear theme or purpose. It appears to be an all-in-one website that tries to do everything but fails to do anything well.
If you scroll down enough, you will see that the width of the page changes randomly, making it even more difficult to read the text. This inconsistency makes it tough to navigate the website.
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6. Suzanne Collins’ Website
If you have read Suzanne Collins’ books, you will be familiar with her work. However, if you visit her website, it is not at all user-friendly.
The first thing that you will notice is that the website has very tiny text. You will need to zoom in at least 200% to be able to read it.
Then try to click any of the books to find out more information and nothing comes up. Nothing screams missed opportunity more than a book website that doesn’t provide information about the books.
The website looks like it was made in the early 2000s and has not been updated since.
The moral of this story is to make sure your website is easily navigated and informative. If you are selling a product, ensure there is information about the product readily available.
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7. Historian of the Future
Perhaps the makers of this website know something that we don’t and are going for a future look, but for now, this type of design only turns visitors away.
The site uses a lot of acid colors, which can be overwhelming, and the font choices are difficult to read. It also has a lot of GIFs and subpar images that fail to connect.
The website doesn’t even sit well on desktop browsers and has a lot of useless space. It’s hard to tell what the focus of the website is supposed to be.
There are no clear CTAs, and the overall message is confusing.
8. eBay – Worst Ecommerce Website Example
eBay is often considered as one of the bad ecommerce websites example.
eBay’s product pages bombard visitors with an excessive amount of information. They could streamline these pages with clearer calls to action.
Navigating the site can be a chore. Finding specific brands or using filters isn’t always intuitive.
They could boost user satisfaction by enhancing the visibility of filters and categories right on the homepage.
They’ve also made random changes to the interface over time. This inconsistency can baffle both buyers and sellers, potentially impacting sales.
The seller hub? It’s jam-packed with links, and not all of them are useful. This clutter makes navigation a hassle.
Beyond website design elements, there’s another issue: eBay has faced criticism for not effectively tackling scams and rogue sellers. This compromises the trust and overall experience of users.
All these problems together make navigating and transacting on eBay website less than seamless.
9. Lipton
Lipton is another bad website design example. The website doesn’t hit the mark for a few reasons. First off, they’ve got these low-quality images that not only look fuzzy but also lag in loading.
Sometimes, you even spot broken image links before the real deal pops up. Then, there’s the visuals. Most are just stock images of their tea packs.
It hardly paints a picture of what makes Lipton unique.
The site takes its sweet time to get going, leaving users twiddling their thumbs.
10. Madewell
Madewell’s mobile website design leaves a lot to be desired. Though it has a clean look, it doesn’t offer the smooth navigation and essential details users expect.
This oversight can hurt the user experience and reduce the site’s overall efficiency.
11. Paper Source
Paper Source’s website doesn’t hit the mark. It sports an outdated design with a messy & cluttered layout, making it look like they’re stuck in the past.
Toss in images, text boxes, and not one, but two CTAs above the logo, and you’ve got a recipe for user confusion.
All these design elements not only taint the user experience but also risk driving potential customers to fresher, sleeker competitors.
12. IMDb
IMDb’s website design often falls short. Here’s why: Their pages can feel like a blast from the past.
Outdated design elements, scarce whitespace, tiny fonts, and an abundance of ads give the site a cluttered feel.
Their search bar isn’t the best. It’s not exactly user-friendly and struggles with errors or shorthand. And it’s a mystery why they haven’t synchronized the auto-complete function across the systems.
Dive into their movie pages, and you’ll spot a lack of standardization and finesse. Navigating the site? More complex than it should be.
They’ve tucked away essential features and used confusing layouts, making it tough for users to pinpoint what they want. And let’s talk about the desktop view. It looks like an old mobile design.
Critical details are hidden, and there’s no reactivity beyond 1080p, wasting a lot of screen space. All these flaws combined make it a challenge to smoothly navigate IMDb and locate the desired info.
13. Toronto Cupcakes
Toronto Cupcakes’ website has some serious issues. For starters, it rocks an old-school design that doesn’t mesh with today’s web standards.
Worse yet, it doesn’t play nice with mobile. No matter the screen size, it doesn’t adapt well, especially on smartphones.
The typography? Hard to read and a visual letdown. Low-res images do it no favors either.
But the real headache is the homepage: it’s jammed with links and graphics.
This overwhelm users & they struggle to find what they need. With these challenges, users question the brand’s credibility, potentially affecting its bottom line.
14. 4Chan
4Chan falls short when it comes to solid website design. Its visuals don’t catch the eye, and the overload of text sans white spaces gives it a dated look.
Instead of appearing like a modern site, it feels more like a bulletin board, leaving visitors guessing about the content’s importance.
Moreover, 4Chan’s track record with controversial content and notorious online groups detracts from user experience, sealing its place as a less-than-stellar website example.
15. Headhunter Hairstyling
Headhunter Hairstyling’s website misses the mark in a few key areas.
First off, they opted for jumbo-sized fonts, which can be more distracting than helpful.
Their visual design? Not exactly a feast for the eyes, putting a damper on the overall user vibe.
And if you’re trying to find something on their site, good luck. Their navigation feels like a maze.
All these issues combined make the site less user-friendly, potentially denting the business’s credibility.
16. Craigslist
Craigslist’s website doesn’t win any design awards. It sports an outdated look that lacks visual flair.
When you resize the browser window? Some content might disappear.
Even though the mobile version functions decently, the non-responsive design can be a hiccup on different devices.
Sure, Craigslist still holds its ground because of its straightforward usability and distinct style.
But here’s the thing: its design strategy isn’t one that most businesses should aim for.
17. Berkshire Hathaway Inc
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s website misses the mark. It looks outdated and lacks visual appeal, offering users a basic list of text links and PDFs.
There’s a glaring absence of navigation aids, images, and dynamic content. It’s puzzling to see such a minimal design for one of the world’s largest conglomerates.
The current layout feels more like a bland directory, serving only those deeply familiar with the company.
Despite Berkshire Hathaway’s massive success, its digital footprint certainly doesn’t reflect that brand’s identity.
18. Internet Archive
The Internet Archive falls short on modern design expectations. Its outdated look and cluttered header, packed with excessive links, make navigation a hassle.
Then there’s the Wayback Machine, a key feature. It often fails to capture web pages accurately, missing graphics and crucial elements.
As a result, users don’t always get the full picture of archived pages.
Due to these issues, many point to the Internet Archive as a classic case of poor website design.
19. The Big Ugly Website
The Big Ugly Website clearly showcases poor web design, failing to hit the mark.
Here’s why: Its site design feels like a throwback, not aligning with today’s web standards. The fonts? They’re tough on the eyes and make reading a challenge.
And there’s an overuse of underlined text, only adding to the visual mess. The site’s swamped with banners, diverting users from the actual content.
But if you’re trying to explore more, good luck. It’s missing a clear navigation system.
To top it off, the site flaunts oversized animations that just add to the chaos, not enriching the user experience. Simply put, The Big Ugly Website is a textbook example of how not to design a website.
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Common Mistakes that Web Designers Make on Websites
Photo by Tranmautritam
Poor Navigation
One of the most common complaints about bad websites is poor navigation. This can manifest itself in a number of ways, but generally speaking, it boils down to two things: a lack of organization and difficulty finding what you’re looking for.
When it comes to organization, a common mistake is to put all of the website’s content on a single page.
This may seem like a good way to save space, but it’s actually very confusing for users. Instead, your website should be divided into sections, with each section containing its own set of pages.
For example, if you have a website for your business, you might have a section for your products, a section for your services, and a section for your blog.
Another common navigation mistake is what’s known as “burying” content. This happens when the most important information on your website is hidden away on an obscure page, or worse yet, buried several layers deep in the navigation menu.
As a general rule, users should be able to find what they’re looking for in three clicks or less. If it takes them longer than that, chances are they’ll get frustrated and leave your website.
Finally, a good navigation menu should be intuitive and easy to use. This means using familiar labels (such as “Home,” “About,” and “Contact”) and making sure the menu is always visible, even when users scroll down the page.
The good navigation is also important for search engine optimization of the website & helps users find the website on search engines like Google.
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Difficult to Use
Another common complaint about bad websites is that they’re difficult to use. This can manifest itself in a number of ways, but generally speaking, it boils down to two things: a lack of functionality and poor design.
When it comes to functionality, a common mistake is to use Flash animation or other complex features that require users to install special software or plugins.
While these features may look impressive, they’re actually very frustrating for users, since not everyone has the same software or plugins installed on their computer. In addition, these features can make your website slow to load, which is another major frustration for users.
As for design, a common mistake is to use small, hard-to-read text. While you may think that using a smaller font will save space, it’s actually very difficult for users to read.
In addition, using a large amount of text can make your website look cluttered and overwhelming. Instead, you should use short, concise paragraphs and plenty of white space to make your website more user-friendly.
Finally, another design mistake that can make your website difficult to use is using too many graphics.
While images and videos can be a great way to add visual interest to your website, too many of them can make your website slow to load and difficult to navigate. In addition, many users find images and videos distracting, so it’s important to use them sparingly.
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Unattractive Design
While the design of your website may not seem like a big deal, it actually has a huge impact on how users perceive your website.
In fact, studies have shown that users are more likely to trust and engage with a website that has a clean, professional design. On the other hand, websites with a dated or cluttered design are often seen as less credible and trustworthy.
So what makes a good design? In general, you should aim for a clean, minimalistic look that uses plenty of white space.
Your website’s color scheme should be easy on the eyes, and your typography should be legible and easy to read. In addition, your website’s navigation should be intuitive and easy to use.
Remember that less is more when it comes to design. Resist the urge to cram too much information onto your website. Instead, focus on quality over quantity.
Lack of Mobile Optimization
In today’s world, having a mobile-friendly website is more important than ever. With the majority of internet users now accessing the web from a mobile device, it’s essential that your website is optimized for these devices. If it isn’t, you’re likely to lose a lot of traffic (and potential customers).
There are a few things you need to do to make sure your website is mobile-friendly. First, you need to make sure your website is responsive, meaning it will adjust to fit any screen size.
Second, you need to use large, easy-to-tap buttons and links. Third, you need to avoid using Flash animation or other features that are not compatible with mobile devices. Finally, you need to make sure your website loads quickly on mobile networks.
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Failing to Test
Before you launch your website, it’s important to test it thoroughly. This includes testing all of the links on your website to make sure they work, testing your contact forms to make sure they’re working properly, and testing your website’s security to make sure it’s safe from hackers.
In addition, you should also test your website on different browsers and devices. This will help you ensure that your website looks and works the way you want it to for all users.
Not Updating Regularly
Once your website is live, it’s important to keep it up-to-date. This means regularly adding new content, updating existing content, and fixing any broken links or errors. Failing to do this will make your website look dated and neglected, which will turn users away.
In order to keep your website up-to-date, you should create a content calendar. This will help you plan and schedule your content in advance, so you’re never caught without something new to post.
Additionally, you should set aside time each week to check for any broken links or errors on your website.
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Bad Website Examples – Recap
In wrapping up, these bad website examples spotlight what not to do.
Learning from these examples is key. Avoiding these pitfalls can set your site up for success and a top-notch user experience.
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