Bad Websites: A Timeless Tradition
Let’s be clear: caring about your website isn’t nerdy, it’s rad. Like, Björk ripping apart a TV and comparing it to a little city with streets and houses kind of rad (I know that is a deep cut ... but come on. that’s rad). Your website is often the first impression people get of your brand, and if it loads like it’s using dial-up or looks like it was built during the MySpace custom CSS era, that impression is: “we don’t care.”
Would you pour and serve an expensive wine in a rinsed-out Tim Horton’s cup? Well ... would you? I will help you a little. The answer is HELL NO YOU WOULDN’T.
It’s not just about appearances though. If your brand identity is high-end, minimal, and modern, but your website screams “bargain-bin flea market”, that inconsistency breaks customer trust.
Picture a luxury skincare brand with packaging so refined it belongs in a gallery, but when you hit their site: pixelated images, no device responsiveness, and a checkout process that feels like it was made by the creator of the Rubik's Cube.
Now let’s talk about accessibility, because having a site that works for everyone isn’t optional, it’s the law. In Canada, AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act) compliance isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a legal must-have. And our friendly neighbours south of the border have the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), which requires similar accessibility standards.
This means making sure screen readers can navigate your content, ensuring colour contrast doesn’t require bionic vision, and ditching those annoying image carousels that move faster than a caffeinated toddler.
So yes, bad websites still exist, obviously. But there is really no excuse for them to continue to exist! Your website can (and should) look like it belongs in the same century as your product/service. You need a site that reflects your brand, works seamlessly, and doesn’t leave your customers asking Alexa what year it is.