educational

Defeating Design Disasters

The world of adult e-commerce is far too competitive these days for websites to be allowed to fail from basic and common design mistakes. Whether you are building a new site or freshening up an existing property, the following considerations will ensure that you start with a firm foundation:

Careful Color Palettes. The early days of web design involved adhering to strict color palette choices, often limiting artists to 216 colors — hardly an ideal situation for rich graphical renderings (www.w3schools.com/html/html_colors.asp). While desktop designers need not worry about adhering to these limitations today, mobile-savvy designers targeting less-than Smartphone caliber devices with limited graphics capabilities may wish to revisit the 216 color palette; ensuring that color choices focus on clear readability and easing eye strain.

At a minimum, be sure your site works as intended in the latest versions of Firefox and Internet Explorer

Navigational Necessities. One of the primary goals of website designers should be to make the site’s content easily accessible to surfers; most of which may be first time visitors, unfamiliar with the site’s layout and structure. While flashy, animated menus are eye-catching, text links will provide a vital backup for users with older computer systems or those with the enhanced features such as JavaScript turned off. As an added bonus, plain text links are also easier for search engines to crawl.

Splash Page Seriousness. Many adult websites feature a splash or “warning” page, typically without explicit imagery and providing notice to visitors that the site contains age-inappropriate content. Tweak this page to lower bounce rates and to provide the fastest entry possible into your content pages, while still honoring your legal and social obligations. Remember, this is your only chance to make a first impression.

Standards Compliance and Cross-Browser Compatibility. While many inexperienced webmasters balk at the notion of chasing W3C standards compliance, having a compliant site that passes validation (validator.w3.org) is the easiest way to ensure the maximum level of crossbrowser, cross-platform compatibility — enabling websites to be displayed as uniformly as possible to the broadest audience. At a minimum, be sure your site works as intended in the latest versions of Firefox and Internet Explorer — something that should not be taken for granted.

While our suggestions are common sense, the percentages of sites that do not meet these criteria is both astounding and unnecessary — so evaluate your site in the context of the considerations outlined above and make any changes needed to see revenues grow.

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More Articles

opinion

Know When to Drop Domains You Don't Need

Do you own too many domains? If so, you’re not alone. Like other things we accumulate, every registered domain means something to us. Sometimes a domain represents a dream project we have always wanted to do but have never quite gotten around to.

Juicy Jay ·
opinion

Understanding 'Indemnification' in Business Contracts

Clients frequently tell me that they didn’t understand — or sometimes, even read — certain portions of a contract because those sections appeared to be just “standard legalese.” They are referring, of course, to the specialized language used in legal documents, including contracts.

Corey D. Silverstein ·
opinion

5 Steps to Make Card Brand Compliance Easy

It’s February, the month of love. Just once, wouldn’t it be great to receive a little candy heart asking you to “Be Mine” instead of more forms to fill out and documents to submit? Of course, regulatory compliance does have one important thing in common with romance: Fail to put in the work, and your relationship is likely over — your relationship with the card brands, that is.

Cathy Beardsley ·
opinion

Protecting Your Business With a Data Backup Strategy That Works

If the subject of backups sounds boring to you, maybe this will grab your attention: Without properly implemented backups, your business is vulnerable to partial or even catastrophic data loss, which could screw your company and tank your income.

Brad Mitchell ·
profile

WIA Profile: Paulita Pappel

Raised in Spain, surrounded by a predominantly Catholic community, Paulita Pappel grew up being told porn was bad. When she became a feminist, she was told her fascination with porn was not in line with her desire to empower women. This inner conflict made her feel like there was something wrong with her.

Women In Adult ·
opinion

Complying With New Age Assurance and Content Moderation Standards

For adult companies operating in today’s increasingly regulated digital landscape, maintaining compliance with card brand requirements is essential — not only to safeguard your operations but also to ensure a safe and transparent environment for users.

Gavin Worrall ·
opinion

Understanding the FTC's New 'Click to Cancel' Rule

The Federal Trade Commission’s new “Click to Cancel” rule has been a hot topic in consumer protection and business regulation. Part of a broader effort to streamline cancellation processes for subscription services, the rule has sparked significant debate and legal challenges.

Corey D. Silverstein ·
opinion

Key Factors for Choosing a Merchant Services Partner

Running a successful adult business requires more than just delivering alluring and cutting-edge products and services. Securing the right payment processing partner is essential to maintaining a steady revenue stream.

Jonathan Corona ·
opinion

Identifying and Preventing Transaction Laundering

Recently, a few merchants approached me after receiving compliance notifications from their acquirer about transaction laundering. They were unsure what it meant, and unsure how to identify and fix the problem.

Cathy Beardsley ·
profile

WIA: Alexis Fawx Levels Up as Multifaceted Entrepreneur

As more performers look to diversify, expanding their range of revenue streams and promotional vehicles, some are spreading their entrepreneurial wings to create new businesses — including Alexis Fawx.

Women In Adult ·
Show More