A few weeks ago, I saw the worst website I've ever seen.
I don't remember many dreams, but in those few weeks, I had two nightmares about how bad this website was. I'm not going to say who it belongs to, other than it's a well known regional community asset. Based on the organization, I'm confident they had the budget to do it right. Instead, they ended up with a site that left me wondering how it ever made it to launch.
So why do I consider it such a bad website?
1. It lacks purpose.
When you first land on the site, especially the homepage, you have no idea who they are, what they do, or who they serve. The homepage only has three generic words that could describe almost any nonprofit.
As you move through the site, it's difficult to understand the purpose of each page. Every page should have a clear goal. If a page doesn't have a goal, it doesn't have a purpose.
2. It's a Frankenstein.
This is a term I use when a website looks like it was stitched together from unrelated pieces. Image sizes are inconsistent. Animations and transitions don't work well together. Features appear once and never again. Nothing feels connected, and the entire experience lacks consistency.
3. The performance is horrendous.
The site performs so poorly that it feels like there was little or no quality assurance before launch. Performance, accessibility, best practices, and SEO all fall well below where a professionally built website should be.
4. It lacks trust.
This organization previously worked with an agency that spent years building credibility and trust online. Looking at the new site, it feels like much of that work was discarded. A website should strengthen confidence in an organization, not weaken it.
5. Someone approved it.
This website almost certainly wasn't inexpensive. That means somewhere along the way, people reviewed it, approved it, and decided it was ready to launch.
That may be the part I struggle with the most.
Even in my mid to late 40s, I still care deeply about the work my company produces. I know how much effort goes into building a website that serves visitors well, performs well, and reflects the quality of the organization behind it.
Seeing work like this is frustrating. Not because it's imperfect. Every project has compromises. It's frustrating because it feels like nobody stopped to ask, "Is this actually good enough?" Going back to my Adjuct Design Professor days at Edinboro this is at best "C" work for a student.&
I still find myself wondering how agencies that produce work like this continue to win projects.