There are thousands of websites on the internet, and while some are great, many are downright terrible. What makes them so awful? In most cases, it is their website design. A website should be easy to use and navigate, and it should provide a positive user experience. Unfortunately, many websites fail to do this.
Websites serve as the first impression for your business. While apparent features such as lousy imagery, incorrect color usage, and outdated branding make for a poorly designed website, we’ve also included a few examples of the bad websites that missed the mark on user experience and content organization.
This blog post will discuss 19 of the worst websites in the world and explain why they are so terrible. We’ll also provide some tips on how to avoid making these mistakes with your own website!
What Is A Website?
A website is a collection of web pages typically hosted on a single web server. Websites comprise various elements, including text, images, videos, and more. To create a website, you will need a domain name (the website’s address on the internet) and web hosting (where your website’s files are stored).
Websites are an essential part of our lives. We use them for work, entertainment, and socializing. However, not all websites are created equal. Some websites are so terrible that they make you wonder which web design team took their time to create them.
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The Purpose Of A Website
The purpose of a website can vary depending on the type of website it is. For instance, some websites are created to provide information about a company or product, while others are designed to sell products or services online. Many personal websites exist for the sole purpose of sharing ideas or thoughts with the world. No matter what the purpose of a website is, it should be easy to use and navigate and provide a positive user experience.
The Benefits Of A Website
There are many benefits to having a website, such as reaching a global audience, sharing information or ideas with the world, and generating revenue through online sales. A website can also help you build credibility for your business or brand. If you’re considering creating a website, be sure to keep the purpose and benefits in mind so that you can create a successful website.
Bad Websites
There are many ways that a website can fail, but some qualities of a poorly designed website include bad site design, lack of content, poor user experience, wrong color scheme, or font choice. Let’s take a closer look at each of these problems:
Bad Website Design
One of the main reasons why a website can be terrible is poor website design. This can include a cluttered layout, hard-to-read text, and slow loading times. Unfortunately, many websites fail to do this. A website should be easy to use and navigate, but many websites have poor designs that make them difficult to use. In some cases, website designs are so bad that they make it difficult to find the information you’re looking for.
Lack Of Content
A website should have enough content to be informative and useful, but many websites lack sufficient content. This can make a website seem unfinished or unprofessional.
Poor User Experience
A website should be easy to use and provide a positive user experience. However, many websites have poor user experiences, making them frustrating to use. This can be caused by bad website design, lack of content, or other problems.
Slow Loading Times
Another common problem with terrible websites is slow loading times. No one wants to wait for a website to load, especially if it’s taking forever. Slow loading times can be caused by various factors, including large images, too much code, and wrong website hosting.
Hard-To-Read Text
Text that is difficult to read is another problem that can ruin a website. People will find it challenging to use a website if the writing is small, fuzzy, or difficult to read. This can be a serious issue if the website is attempting to sell something or offer crucial information. Also, websites with too many different fonts are bad websites.
The Website Is Not Mobile-friendly
In today’s world, a website needs to be mobile-friendly. This means the website should be easy to use on a smartphone or tablet. If a website is not mobile-friendly, it won’t be easy to use on these devices, and people will likely give up and go to a different website.
The Website Is Not Updated Regularly
A website that is not updated regularly can quickly become outdated and irrelevant. This is especially true for news websites and other types of sites that need to provide accurate and up-to-date information. If a website is not being maintained, people will likely stop using it.
The Website Has A Lot Of Pop-ups
Pop-ups are one of the most annoying things about the internet and are often used to sell products or services. However, many bad websites use pop-ups excessively, which can irritate users. In some cases, a website with a lot of pop-ups can even be considered malicious.
The Website Is Difficult To Navigate
A website should be easy to navigate so users can find what they’re looking for. Unfortunately, many websites are poorly designed and difficult to use. This can be a significant problem if the website is trying to sell something or provide important information.
The Website Has A Lot Of Ads
Ads are a necessary part of the internet, but they can be very annoying if they are not used properly. Many websites have too many ads, making them difficult to use and decreasing overall quality.
Now that we’ve discussed how websites can fail, let’s look at 19 of the worst websites in the world. These websites are ranked based on their terrible website design, website functionality, and overall user experience.
Top 19 Bad Website Examples
Below we list the top 19 bad websites examples:
1. AOL
AOL is an American web portal and online service provider based in New York City. It is a brand marketed by Verizon Media. The website was once popular in the early 2000s but has since become outdated, cluttered, and difficult to use.
2. MySpace
MySpace is a social networking website launched in 2003. It was once the most popular social networking site in the world but has since been eclipsed by Facebook. The website is now cluttered and challenging to navigate.
3. eBaum’s World
eBaum’s World is a website that hosts user-submitted videos, pictures, and other content. The website is known for its low-quality content and poor design. It is also difficult to navigate and often crashes.
4. Xfinity
Xfinity is a website that provides information about Comcast Corporation. The site’s design is criticized for being confusing and lacking in information. It’s also one of the slowest pages to load.
5. MapQuest
MapQuest is a website that provides maps and driving directions. The website’s design is outdated and difficult to use. The maps are also often inaccurate.
6. Homestar Runner
Homestar Runner is a website that hosts cartoons, games, and other content. The website’s design is outdated; the color scheme is also very jarring, and the content is often low-quality. The website also frequently crashes.
7. Live Nation
Live Nation is a website where you can buy tickets to see concerts and other events, but its design is messy and hard to navigate. Furthermore, the website loads slowly compared to other ticketing sites.
8. Chase
Chase is a website for JPMorgan Chase bank. The website’s accessibility is subpar, and it has an obsolete design. The website frequently crashes as well.
9. The World’s Worst Website
The world’s worst website was designed to graphically demonstrate the most common mistakes made by new web page designers. When browsing this website, it becomes clear that the website owners proudly try to ensure it is as bad as they come. Everything about this website is designed to be as annoying as possible, from the blinking text to the garish color scheme. So congratulations to them; they have succeeded!
10. WebMD
WebMD is a website that provides users with information on health and medicine. The website’s design is cluttered and difficult to navigate, and the website is not mobile-friendly.
11. Tripadvisor
TripAdvisor is a website where users can read reviews of hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions. The website is difficult to navigate because of its poor design, and it cannot be appropriately accessed on a mobile device.
12. Toronto Cupcake
What do you expect to see on a website that sells cupcakes? Usually, such websites are full of nice images, bright colors, and vivid design elements that lure users into buying some extra sweets. However, the owners of this website have decided to neglect the opportunity to attract new customers through their web resources. The main page of Toronto Cupcake is too plain and simple. It doesn’t contain any helpful information about the company.
13. Penny Juice
Pennyjuice is a website that sells fruit juices. Outdated design, bad color scheme, and lack of mobile-friendliness make it one of the worst websites out there. It is also difficult to find the products you are looking for.
14. The Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a well-known name, and the website layout is fairly typical for a news website. However, there are just too many ads here. The website does not offer a pleasant user experience, with ads covering most of the screen and disrupting users when they want to read the news.
15. FMyLife
FMyLife is a website where users can share their stories of misfortune and embarrassment. This website was included on the list due to its poor design and lack of safety. Safety and poor design are essential factors to consider when choosing a website.
16. Gawker
Gawker is a website that was founded in 2002. The website features celebrity gossip, news, and commentary. The website has a color scheme that can be off-putting for some users. In addition, the website’s design is also very cluttered.
17. The Big Ugly Website
Designers deliberately created the Big Ugly Website to show all the horrors of obsolete design and bad usability. As ugly websites go, this one is a perfect website to include on this list. The website’s design is outdated, the navigation is confusing, and the overall user experience is poor.
18. People Of Walmart
People of Walmart is a website that features photos and videos of people who shop at Walmart. The website’s design is basic, and the content is often crude and offensive.
19. EarthCam
This also made it to the list of one of the badly designed websites as our final pick. EarthCam is a website that features live streaming webcam footage from around the world. The website’s design is outdated, and the video quality is poor. It is also slow to respond and twitches a lot.
This list of worst websites can tell us what design mistakes we must avoid at all costs.
What Makes A Good Website Design?
When designing a website yourself or assigning it to a professional web designer, it is essential to consider these factors to avoid a bad experience.
- A website should have a clean and modern design.
- A website should have user-friendly navigation.
- A website should be effective on mobile devices.
- A website should be secure.
- A website should be SEO-friendly.
- A website should be easy to find.
- A website should have quality content.
- A website should be updated regularly.
- A website should be visually appealing.
- A website should load quickly.
- A website should have social media buttons.
Most importantly, update your website. Design rules continuously change, and you need to follow them if you want your website to be successful.
Conclusion
The entire purpose of having a website is so people can find you and learn about your company, product, or service. If your website is not effective, it will not only cost you visitors, but it will also cost you customers.
Bad websites can often be solved by making small changes to improve the user experience. If you are still unsure about your website design, but at the same time, you do not want to make the same mistakes these website owners made, seek help from professional web designers. Do not let a bad website design cost you your business. Contact us! We will guide you.
