10 Common Website Design Mistakes
If you’re in the market for a new website or even redesigning an existing website, there are some mistakes that are commonplace. We have outlined 10 of the most common website mistakes so that you can be on the lookout. However, all of these can be avoided by getting a professionally designed website by Fusion Group USA, based in Grand Junction, Colorado and Phoenix, Arizona! Here are 10 of the most common website mistakes:
- Trying to do it yourself.
Trying to design a website when you have little to no experience may not be the best idea. You don’t want to spend time and money on a site that does not live up to your expectations. You really don’t want customers judging your business according to a poorly designed website. Just get a professional
- Paying little attention to content.
Content is key! Not only is content important to generating better SEO rankings, it is necessary to inform your customers of your products and services so that they know exactly what they are getting when they do business with you. Staying on top of the competition, keeping content updated, and making sure the content you have is well-written and organized is important to making your website successful.
- Poor navigation within your site.
Brujo Owoh discusses the importance of seamless navigation in his Hongkiat blog, suggesting alt text for images, alternative text descriptions for Flash and Javascript links, and organizing your navigation according to the theme of your website. Something to keep in mind is that if users can’t find what they are looking for in 3 clicks, most will leave your site to find an easier to navigate site.
- Sites that are not mobile-friendly or responsive.
We live in a mobile age, and most internet users are using devices other than a desktop computer to find information on the web. To make sure your site is completely user-friendly and relevant, find a web designer that has the knowledge and expertise to create a fully responsive site for you (like Fusion Group!).
- Cluttered design.
Cramming as much information as you can onto a page making it look cluttered and unappealing is a terrible idea. This is where having a professional designer will help – they understand how elements of a page work together and will place a value on empty, white space. White space draws the eye to what is important on the page and makes the page more appealing to read and look at aesthetically.
- Using images for the sake of filling space.
Images are great…when used accordingly. Use images that are relevant and serve the purpose of illustrating your point or content. Too many images can create problems with loading time and are just plain unnecessary.
- “Orphan Pages”
Entrepreneur.com’s post “The 10 Most Deadly Mistakes in Website Design” discusses a problem they call “Orphan Pages”. These are pages that do not link back to the home page making them dead end pages. Finding a way back to the homepage means customers can find their way to more information and will stay on your site longer.
- Not utilizing social media.
Do you have a business Facebook or Twitter? If so, you should link your website with those sites. Social media can be a powerful marketing tool for your website. Plus, as mentioned in some of our other posts, social media helps you connect with your customers on a personal level – your website is your professional page, and your social media is your more personal page. Here’s an interesting fact: 84% of businesses saw a site traffic increase when they used social media at least 6 hours a week. So, using your social media and linking your site to your social media is a great way to increase your site traffic.
- Design is inconsistent within the website.
It’s important to stay consistent in your design throughout your website. Thinking of your brand, you want to stay within what you consider to be your identity – give customers a complete picture of your brand identity when they visit your website. In addition to this, you don’t want to confuse customers when they visit your website by having a different design for each page. Your site can be creative, clean, and simple while staying true to your brand.
- Lack of call to action.
Your site needs to have a purpose! You shouldn’t just have a site because it’s the thing to do. Make sure that you have a reason, and that it’s clearly stated on the site. If your goal is to let people know that you offer free estimates and to encourage the use of your “Contact Us” form, then highlight that on your main page! Make sure that your contact information is clear and readable in addition to making sure that your forms are easy to use and accessible.
These mistakes are easily avoidable if you just hire a professional web designer in the first place! Fusion Group USA has the professional and creative experience to ensure that your website design is exactly what you want. Call today or use the Contact Us page (see what I did there?) to talk to someone about your website design ideas!
