“Seven Deadly Sins of Site Design” is the title of both a 10/28/08 article by Seth Rosenblatt on iMedia Connection and an 8/22/08 posting on the ClickZ digital marketing site, by Jack Aronson. The first is richer in content and they overlap some, but both are worth your consideration. (This is also the title of a seminar or two and undoubtedly other articles.) A few highlights, more like site lowlights:
1. Sloth translates as slow-loading pages (more graphics than make sense) and difficult check-out (donation site).
2. Gluttony for nonprofits would be found in graphic overstimulation. More info on each page than a person can reasonably consume.
3. Pride — yep, too much about you, not enough donor orientation. Telling them what you want them to know, rather than what they want to know.
4. Lust can be translated as excessive passion for Flash or integration of the latest and greatest, like social networking links. Aaronson also makes failure to stir lust a deadly sin … not providing enough “desire data” that would increase your donors’ passion for your cause.
5. Envy — the sincerest form of flattery? A sin when you emulate organizations you aspire to be rather than clearly distinguish your own mission in the marketplace.
6. Greed — I love Rosenblatt’s characterization of requiring people to commit too much … in the simplest operative way: to register before getting deeper into your site.
7. Anger — More like passive aggression. Talking down to your donors. Being too pushy or too hard-sell.