12 WEBSITE DESIGN MISTAKES TO AVOID

Businesses need a strong web presence to ensure success, to attract customers, build loyalty and maximise results. Regardless of how good your products or services are, in this digitally driven world we now live in, customers want a digital site to explore.

There are good websites and there are bad websites, and having a website that lacks some of the most essential factors will be detrimental to any business.

Here is an outline of 12 web design mistakes to avoid. While reading, consider your own experience with poor websites and how it affected your actions while browsing.

1. Using a Free Website Design Platform

The word ‘free’ entices all of us, but when it comes to website builders, you get what you pay (or don’t pay) for. An amateur website can destroy your reputation and your rankings so an investment with a reputable platform is essential.

Our team at Web Force 5 specialise in a range of platforms including Adobe Commerce, Shopify, WordPress and our custom designed Continuum CMS. A website design platform that is a comprehensive yet easy to use, packed full of features to turn your website into an invaluable resource for your business. The team can also provide advice on current website design trends to get you ahead of the game.

2. Ignoring Responsive Design

More and more website visitors are using their smartphone to browse, so it is critical that your website is responsive so that it targets users on any type of device, whether that is phone, tablet or desktop. A site that is attractive and easy to navigate on any device will keep the visitor browsing for longer.

3. Overlooking the User Experience

This one is so important, as your customers are everything! People have high expectations when it comes to websites these days, and rightly so. A clear and simple browsing experience is best, so as not to overwhelm users with clutter. Users are demanding a great user experience and if they don’t get one, you will lose potential customers instantly, to find what they are looking for elsewhere. Web Force 5 has a dedicated website design UX team who can put a tailored strategy together for your business.

4. Inadequate Content

Customers want information when they visit a website, so give them some detail straight away about who you are and what you do. If the information on your website is too sparse, it won’t give users what they are seeking, and it may even build a lack of trust. Include adequate content on all the major facets of your business including your products or services, but also your background and mission statement, goals and what you can provide within your industry.

5. Poor Quality Content

Spelling mistakes and grammatical errors simply look sloppy and unprofessional, so your website needs to be top-notch in presentation. If visitors can’t find what they are looking for quickly, they are likely to bounce. Content must also be original and unique as website content quality affects Google’s ranking of your pages.

6. Poor Website Accessibility

Website accessibility for all users must also be considered as a vast portion of the population lives with special abilities. The design principles are Perceivable, Operable, Understandable and Robust, to enable an interface that is accessible for everyone. For instance, someone with visual impairment may prefer speech rather than text for content, and leaving a trail of breadcrumbs will allow those with short attention spans to visualise the content structure a lot easier.

7. Neglecting the Inclusion of SEO

Search Engine Optimisation helps to improve your website ranking in search listings. Without considering the effective use of keywords and phrases, backlinks, meta titles and meta descriptions, you will notice your pages will get lost so customers won’t find your business.

8. Not Including a Call to Action

Not creating a call to action, or CTA, on your webpage can leave customers confused about what they should do next. It is a great marketing tactic to encourage visitors to go where you want them to - to browse products, sign up to a mailing list or enlist your services. Put some personality and emotion into your CTAs, make them clear and locate them in prominent places, to make people believe in your message.

9. No Analytics

Website analytics tools like Google Analytics provide data on everything you need to know about what is working for your site and what areas need some improvement. It takes the guesswork out of your website’s performance so you can invest your time and effort into implementing positive changes.

10. Forgetting to Update

Not having current information on a website is not only inconvenient for your visitors but damaging to your reputation. If your opening hours change or you move location and don’t update this information, it will affect relationships with your customers and lower trust. Of course, the details about your products and services should always be up to date, as should team members and anything else that changes in your business.

11. Slow or Broken Web Page Links

Slow loading web pages are frustrating for users, and if they take too long it is likely your visitors won’t bother continuing and will look elsewhere. Browsing needs to be quick and efficient, so test your site before going live and keep your load times under 3 seconds to minimise bounce rates.

Broken links to your webpages are not a good look, for your visitors and for Google. Whether you have internal or external links, or both throughout your site, they must be working. Always verify and update any broken links immediately.

12. Hard to Find Contact Details

You want customers to find you, right? So, make your contact details obvious and easy to access across all pages of your site. A tiny little ‘contact us’ in your bottom footer is not going to cut it.

Web Force 5 offers simple and effective content management and website design tools to simplify building your custom website. You can be assured that it will be personalised and smart, because we work closely with you every step of the way.

With help from Web Force 5, your business will avoid these 12 web design mistakes. Speak to one of our specialist consultants for a free no obligation chat.