Imagine having a physical store. You’ve worked hard to design the perfect setup, choosing just the right colors and furniture to create the perfect atmosphere. But then you make a mistake. Maybe you forget to put a sign out front, or you don’t have enough lighting inside so customers can’t see your products.
Such mistakes can be costly and sway potential customers away. The same is true for your website. Even if you have the best product or service in the world, certain web design mistakes can ruin your business.
Before getting into the nitty-gritty of what those mistakes are, let’s first talk about the downsides of having a poorly designed website:
- Losing potential customers
- People may not take you seriously
- Difficulty ranking in search engines
- Low conversion rate
- Negative online reputation
- Decrease in web traffic
These are only a few of the risks you face when you don’t put time and effort into designing a great website. If your want to attract and retain customers, then you need to create a website that reflects that.
To do so, avoid making these seven common web design mistakes:
Lack of branding
Many businesses failed to integrate their branding into their website design. As a result, their website feels generic and uninspired. This can be a missed opportunity to stand out from the competition and create a lasting impression on potential customers.
A strong brand can give a website a unique identity and make it more memorable for visitors. It can also help build trust and loyalty, which are essential for any business. This includes using the same colors, fonts, and logos on your other marketing materials.
Let’s take Facebook as an example. The blue and white color scheme and the distinctive “f” logo are integral parts of the Facebook brand. Even though the Facebook interface has changed significantly over the years, the company has always stuck to its core branding elements.
Too much text on the page
While it may seem like more text will provide more information and help visitors make better-informed decisions, the opposite is actually true. Adding too much text can dissuade people from staying on your site.
Even newspapers and magazines use images to break up large chunks of text. This makes the reading experience more enjoyable and easier for the eyes. Use headlines, subheadings, and bullet points to make your text more scannable.
And don’t forget about images and infographics. Creating a short video is also a great way to engage visitors creatively.
Confusing website navigation
Confusing navigation makes it difficult for visitors to find the information they’re looking for, leading to frustration and ultimately driving them away. It can also convey the impression that your business is disorganized and difficult to deal with.
The goal is to create a positive user experience and ensure that users keep coming back to your site. Drop-down menus can help organize large sites with many pages. But remember to only use them when absolutely necessary.
Ignoring mobile users
Mobile devices account for over 60% of all internet traffic. Yet, many businesses still don’t have mobile-friendly websites. This huge mistake can cost you dearly in terms of lost traffic and customers.
Compared to desktop users, mobile users have different needs and expectations. They’re typically looking for quick, easy-to-digest information rather than long-form content. Your content and navigation should be easy to use on a small screen.
Some are forced to zoom in and out to read text or click on links, which can be frustrating. Avoid this by using larger font sizes and buttons. Crop your videos and images to fit a mobile screen, as well. No one wants to watch a video that’s been cut off.
Using graphics incorrectly
Have you ever been to a website full of images and videos that it’s challenging to find the actual content? This is a common mistake of designers who think that more graphics will make their site more visually appealing.
Too many graphics or busy patterns can make a web page cluttered. It can also make the text on the page more difficult to read. And yes, it will definitely affect your loading speed.
The key is to use visuals only when they add value to the page. Though it’s tempting to add pictures or videos just for its sake, resist the urge. Every graphical element on your website should have a purpose.
Wrong advertisement placement
Some companies make the mistake of placing ads in locations that are less than ideal, such as in the middle of a page or above the fold. This can be risky and result in a poor user experience and drive visitors away from your site.
Ads should never interfere with the content on the page. They should also be relevant to the interests of your target audience. Otherwise, you’re just annoying people trying to read your content.
There are also certain types of ads that are more intrusive than others. Pop-ups, for example, are notoriously annoying and should be avoided.
No clear call to action
The whole point of having a website is getting people to take action, whether buying a product or signing up for a newsletter. If the call to action is unclear, then visitors are likely to leave the site without taking any useful action.
This is why having a concise and easy-to-spot call to action is essential. The button or link should be prominently displayed on the page and stand out from the rest of the content.
The language used in the call to action is also important. It should be direct and use persuasive words that urge visitors to take action. For example, “Buy now and get 50% off” is more effective than “Click here to shop.”
Bottom Line
Web designers often focus on functionality and forget user experience, while some are invested in aesthetics and overlook the technical aspects. A great website needs to have both.
Understanding common web design mistakes is an excellent step in creating a website that will look not only good but also be easy to use and effective in driving conversions.
Keep the list above in mind the next time you design a website or update an existing one. If you’re not sure how to make some of these changes on your own, don’t hesitate to ask for help from a professional web designer. It’s worth it to ensure that your website sends the right message about your company and its products or services.
