Skip to content
FacebookTwitterLinkedinYoutubeInstagram
  • Join ATA
  • Renew
  • Shop ATAware
  • Contact Us
  • Log In Welcome, My Account
American Translators Association (ATA)
Find a Language Professional
  • Certification
    • Certification
      • Guide to ATA Certification
      • What is a Certified Translation?
      • How the Exam is Graded
      • Review and Appeal Process
      • Looking for more information?
    • Taking the Exam
      • About the Exam
      • How to Prepare
      • Practice Test
      • Exam Schedule
    • Already Certified?
      • Put Your Credentials To Work
      • Continuing Education Requirement
    • Register Buttons
      • Register for Exam
         
      • Order Practice Test
  • Career and Education
    • For Newcomers
      • Student Resources
      • Starting Your Career
      • The Savvy Newcomer Blog
    • For Professionals
      • Growing Your Career
      • Business Strategies
      • Next Level Blog
      • Client Outreach Kit
      • Mentoring
    • Resources
      • For Educators and Trainers
      • Tools and Technology
      • Publications
      • School Outreach
    • Event Buttons
      • Visit ATA66
      • Upcoming Webinars
  • Client Assistance
    • Client Resources
      • Why Should I Hire a Professional?
      • Translator vs. Interpreter
      • Buying Language Services
    • More Client Resources
      • Need a Certified Translation?
      • What is Machine Translation?
      • The ATA Compass Blog
    • Find a Translator Button
      • Find a Language Professional
  • Events
    • Events
      • Annual Conference
      • Free Events for ATA Members
      • Certification Exam Schedule
    • More Events
      • Virtual Workshops and Events
      • Live and On-Demand Webinars
      • Calendar of Events
    • Event Buttons
      • Visit ATA66
      • Upcoming Webinars
         
  • News
    • Industry News
    • Advocacy and Outreach
    • The ATA Chronicle
    • The ATA Podcast
    • ATA Newsbriefs
    • Press Releases
  • Member Center
    • Member Resources
      • Join ATA
      • Renew Your Membership
      • Benefits of Membership
      • Divisions & Special Interest Groups
      • Chapters, Affiliates, Partners, and Other Groups
      • Get Involved
      • Member Discounts
      • Shop ATAware
    • Already a Member?
      • Member Login
      • Connect with Members
      • Credentialed Interpreter Designation
      • Become a Voting Member
      • Submit Member News
      • Submit Your Event
      • Contact Us
    • Member Buttons
  • About Us
    • About ATA
      • Who We Are
      • Honors and Awards Program
      • Advertise with Us
      • Media Kit
    • How ATA Works
      • Board of Directors
      • Committees
      • Policies & Procedures
      • Code of Ethics
      • ATA Team
    • Contact Button
      • Contact ATA
  • Join ATA
  • Renew Your Membership
  • Contact Us
  • Log In
  • Find a Language Professional
The ATA Compass: Your guide to translation and interpreting in the global market

5 Website Features That May Be Working Against You

February 8, 2019 | ATA Compass | No Comments | Client Assistance, Public Outreach

Contrary to popular belief, your website is not about the products you sell, the services you provide, or the information you share. It’s actually about the people who visit it and their needs. As a website owner, your job is to turn those visitors into paying clients. But before you can do that, you have to keep visitors on your website for long enough to pique their interest. And that means not scaring off your prospects with features that are annoying or—even worse—that could make you look unprofessional.

With all the web-design elements available today, it’s easy to lose sight of what will work best for your target audience. However, once you shift your focus to serving your visitors instead of your own needs, avoiding these features becomes much easier.

Here are five website features that may be working against you:

1) Aggressive pop-ups:

Pop-ups come in all shapes and sizes. Some are intended to persuade visitors to interact with your call-to-action (“Sign up for our newsletter” or “Take our survey”), while others are paid advertisements to bring in some extra income. But, let’s be honest, pop-ups are quite bothersome, especially if they appear repeatedly. Expect to lose visitors if they have to spend more time closing pop-up windows than exploring your content. If you feel you need to include pop-ups on your site, make sure you do your homework, place them well, and use them wisely.

2) Translation plug-in:

Translating your website into other languages is a smart business move if you are looking to expand internationally. It makes your products or services available to more people in more places and may very well increase your sales and online success. While it may seem like a translation plug-in or machine translation service will save you time and money, think twice before taking action. Machine translation systems are great at getting the gist of a text, but often skew the meaning. For example, in some languages, a popular machine translation tool translated “U.S. President” as “Bush” well into the Obama administration. To avoid embarrassing mistakes that scare off global customers, make sure you hire a professional translator who can perfectly craft your message for your audiences abroad.

3) Autoplay video:

It’s happened to every internet surfer out there. They arrive at a new website and an unfamiliar voice or loud music blasts through their speakers. They frantically stop the video, rub their sore ears, shake their fist at the screen, and close the tab. Video may be all the rage right now, but the secret lies in knowing how to use it effectively. Autoplay videos—whether for informational purposes or to bring in revenue from advertisers—are annoying and will often push visitors away from your site. If you plan on using video on your website, add a prominent play button instead of having it autoplay. Let users decide whether they want to watch the video instead of deciding for them.

4) A dysfunctional mobile version of your website:

Mobile internet usage now surpasses computer usage. This means that you must have a mobile-friendly version of your website that maintains all the same key functions as the desktop version. If visitors do not have a positive experience when they land on your mobile site, you may drive away a huge portion of potential traffic. So, make sure your website is responsive. Responsive websites include all the same content and information on any device used to access them, but the display changes automatically based on the size of the viewer’s screen.

5) Infinite-scrolling home page:

Infinite scrolling is a design technique in which content continuously populates at the bottom of the screen as the user scrolls down the page. This technique can be very effective for certain types of sites, but for most an infinitely long home page can be distracting and confusing. It increases load time, makes navigation and linking messy, and hides or eliminates the highly valuable website footer. Users often search the footer for contact information, social media links, and privacy or security notices. If you’re not sure what type of home page will work best for you, consult a web-design professional to learn what works best with your target audience.

Whether you are a freelancer or you own a multi-million-dollar company, all you have to remember is this: make your website for them, not for you.

By Molly Yurick


About the Author

Molly Yurick is a Spanish-to-English translator specialized in tourism, hospitality, and airline industry translations. She is also an active member of the American Translators Association (ATA), which represents over 10,000 translators and interpreters across 103 countries. For more information on ATA and to hire a translation or interpreting professional, please visit www.atanet.org.


ATA is Making News

ATA provides content for professional and trade publications to spread insight to a wide range of readers. This article appears in the following publications:

  • Energy Central (February 27, 2019)
  • Article Weekly (February 28, 2019)
  • Arizona Business Magazine (March 3, 2019)
  • Inside Business: Hampton Roads Business Journal (March 15, 2019)
Share this

Posts navigation

← From Blunder to Wonder: How Companies Successfully Bounce Back from Mistakes
How to Win at Customer Service: 3 Strategies for Converting Customers into Brand Devotees →

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply





I accept the Privacy Policy

Language Services Directory

Find the translator or interpreter that meets your needs. Customize your search by language, specialties, location, credentials, and more.
Start Your Search

Subscribe to The ATA Compass



Connect with The ATA Compass

Contact Us

Recent Posts

The High Stakes of Legal Interpretation: Why You Need a Certified Court Interpreter in Colorado
Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act and Language Access: Who, What, How
Video Game Localization: Q&A with Expert Marina Ilari (Part 2)
Video Game Localization: Q&A with Expert Marina Ilari (Part 1)
Why Translators & Interpreters with Disabilities Can Make a Difference
Want Your Children’s Book Translated into Another Language? Answer These 7 Questions First!
Guide to Buying Translation Services, Part IV: Terms to Know
Guide to Buying Translation Services, Part III: ATA Certification and Legal Considerations
What is Transcription and Why Does it Matter?
VRI vs VSI Interpreting: A Guide for Language Service Users
Buying Language Services

Buying Language Services

Guide to Buying Translation Services Translators help power the global economy, working with businesses, governments, non-profits and individuals. Translators work with the written word. The ATA Guide to Buying Translation…

Read More
Why Should I Hire a Professional?

Why Should I Hire a Professional?

It takes more than just the ability to understand two languages. Professional translators and interpreters have the education, experience, and expertise to understand the nuances in one language and transfer…

Read More
Client Assistance

Client Assistance

Can I afford to hire a professional? You can’t afford NOT to. Poor translation and interpreting services can be disastrous for your business. See what’s at stake. Learn More What’s…

Read More
What is a certified translation?

What is a Certified Translation?

What are the basics of a certified translation? In the United States, anyone can certify a translation. A translator does not need to be certified in order to provide a…

Read More

Language Services Directory

Start Your Search ATA’s Language Services Directory includes a list of all ATA members of individuals, as well as companies. Need help finding the right professional? Professional translators and interpreters…

Read More
Exploring Translation and Interpreting Services

Exploring Translation and Interpreting Services

Why Are Language Services Essential in an Internationalized World? In a world where communication knows no bounds, effective language services are paramount. ATA helps you find professional translators and interpreters…

Read More
  • 1
  • 2
  • Next »
Language Services Directory
ata_logo_footer

American Translators Association
211 N. Union Street, Suite 100
Alexandria, VA 22314

Phone +1-703-683-6100
Fax +1-703-778-7222

  • Certification
  • Career and Education
  • Client Assistance
  • Events
  • News
  • Member Center
  • About Us
  • Member Login
  • Contact Us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Submit Feedback

© 2025 - American Translators Association

Find a Language Professional
Scroll To Top
By clicking accept or closing this message and continuing to use this site, you agree to our use of cookies.I AcceptPrivacy Policy