Avoiding common web design mistakes can contribute to a more user-friendly, visually appealing, and effective website. Also, here you will know the possible solutions to over come common website design mistakes easily.
April 28, 2023
In this digital age, the importance of a good website for a business cannot be overemphasized. To think of a business running without a website is like operating in the dark ages.
Having a website is a major requirement for any thriving business to establish its online presence. How can you reach your potential customers if you do not have a digital platform to showcase your products and services?
A business will miss out on many opportunities in the absence of a website. You cannot expand your customer base, neither you can compete with your rival.
Website is such a powerful tool that can help a business to succeed and thrive.
To understand the importance of a website for businesses, let us look at it from a number perspective.
Web design is the dynamic process of creating the functionality, appearance, and layout of a website, and it consists of several vital components. These components include the website's layout, color scheme, typography, images/ digital graphics and multimedia, and navigation.
Properly designing these components can have a significant impact on a business's online presence and brand identity. A well-designed website can provide a better user experience, increase engagement, and ultimately lead to higher conversions. This translates into increased sales and revenue.
Moreover, having a responsive design that works on all types of devices, including mobile devices, is important in today's digital world. Web design is critical for businesses to effectively communicate their message to their target audience and establish a strong online presence.
By making it easy for visitors to interact with the site and take action, businesses can drive more leads, sales, and revenue, resulting in a positive impact on their bottom line.
Let us now understand the common website design mistakes committed by website design companies and web designers.
A renowned website design agency - Webomindapps recommends the integration of these practices when it comes to designing the website. Not only that, keeping an eye on the latest website design trends helps the firm to stay relevant.
1. Poor Navigation : A poorly designed navigation system on a website can impede its performance in various ways. It can create a challenging experience for users to locate the required information, leading to frustration and causing them to leave the site.
It also affects the overall user experience, resulting in a lower probability of visitors returning to the site. It can also negatively impact search engine rankings, as search engines favor websites that offer a smooth user experience with easy navigation.
2. Slow Page Load Time: Slow page load time can create significant obstacles for a website. It can cause visitors to lose their patience and leave the site, resulting in high bounce rates.
Besides, it can impact search engine rankings as search engines prefer fast-loading sites. Slow-loading pages can also lead to a poor user experience, decreasing the chances of visitors returning to the site.
You must have experienced a slow page load time while browsing the website. It is a big turn-off.
3. Inconsistent Branding: Inconsistent branding can lead to a lack of trust in the brand and create confusion among visitors. It can also weaken brand recognition and harm the overall image of the brand.
Furthermore, it can make the website appear unprofessional and poorly designed, resulting in a negative user experience and potentially causing visitors to abandon the site.
4. Poor Mobile Optimization: A website that is not optimized for mobile devices can cause several hindrances to its performance. Mobile users may face a poor user experience, leading to high bounce rates and low engagement.
It is an open secret that search engines give preference to mobile-friendly sites, so poor mobile optimization can adversely impact search engine rankings. Moreover, it may cause slow page load times and make it challenging for mobile users to navigate the site, resulting in a potential loss of sales.
5. Cluttered Layout: A cluttered website layout can confuse and distract visitors. This leads to a high bounce rate.
The solution to a cluttered layout is to create a clean and organized design that prioritizes user experience and makes it easy for visitors to find the information they need. This can be achieved through simplifying the design, prioritizing the content, and using consistent design.
6. Inadequate Accessibility: Inadequate accessibility can prevent users with disabilities from accessing and using a website, which can hinder their ability to complete tasks, gather information, and engage with online content.
Screen reader incompatibility, lack of alt text, poor color contrast, and non- descriptive links are common issues affecting accessibility.
7. Lack of Contact Information: The lack of contact information on a website can hinder communication and decrease trust and credibility. Users may abandon the website and miss business opportunities. Displaying clear contact information is crucial.
8. Poor Content: Poor content can hinder a website's success by failing to engage users, reducing credibility, and decreasing search engine rankings.
High-quality, informative content can attract and satisfy users while establishing the website as a trusted source of information. Ensuring content meets users' needs is essential for success.
9. Autoplaying Media : Autoplaying media can cause frustration for users by interrupting their experience and privacy, using up bandwidth, and disrupting their sound environment. To prevent this, it is advisable to avoid auto-playing media altogether or provide users with the option to control it.
10. Excessive Pop-Ups: When a website has an excessive number of pop-ups, it can impact the user experience.
Pop-ups can be intrusive and upsetting for users. It makes it difficult for them to navigate the site or access the content they want. This can result in users leaving the site and potentially damaging the site's reputation. We all experience pop-ups and it is not at all pleasing.
11. Broken Links: Broken links tend to affect a website's overall performance and user experience. Users may find error messages when clicking on broken links, leading to frustration and a possible exit from the site.
Search engines may view broken links as a sign of low-quality content, impacting the ranking of the site. Additionally, broken links can disrupt the site's internal linking structure, making it difficult for users to navigate. Website owners should regularly check for and fix any broken links.
12. Inconsistent Font Usage: Inconsistent Font usage can affect the visual appeal and attractiveness of the website.
13. Lack of White Space: The absence of white space can make a website feel cluttered and difficult to navigate.
14. Substandard Image Quality: Poor image quality can harm the overall visual appeal and aesthetics of a website. It can detract the user.
Even inconsistent image sizes and poor color choices can affect the visual appeal and the user experience.
15. Lack of Social Proof: A website lacking social proof, such as customer reviews, testimonials, or social media engagement, may struggle to establish trust with users.
We as users always look for evidence of positive experiences from others, and we start to become skeptical of the website and its offerings if it is not supported by social proof. Moreover, failing to solicit and implement user feedback can also harm user experience and hinder business growth.
16. Lack of Clear CTAs: Call to Action (CTAs) is an important part of a website. Confusing and unclear calls-to-action can lead to a lower conversion rate.
17. Inadequate Search Functionality: Failing to provide adequate search functionality can harm user experience and decrease engagement.
18. Poorly Designed Forms: Poorly designed forms can lead to missed business opportunities. If you find it difficult to complete a form, you may well abandon the process and move on to a competitor's site.
It can also result in inaccurate or incomplete information being submitted, which can cause additional work for the website owner or result in lost sales.
19. Inadequate Security Measures: The absence of adequate website security measures can result in significant harm to a website. Cyber threats, including hacking attempts and data breaches, can exploit vulnerabilities and compromise sensitive information.
20. Overuse of Stock Images: Overuse of stock images can harm the overall visual appeal of a website and detract from the user experience.
21. Poorly Designed 404 Pages: A poorly designed 404 page can harm user experience and lead to decreased engagement.
22. Failing to Update Content: Failing to update website content can harm search engine rankings and detract from the user experience.
23. Lack of HTTPS: Failing to provide HTTPS can harm user trust and lead to a lower conversion rate.
24. Poorly Designed Footer: A footer that is asymmetric can harm user experience and make it difficult for visitors to find the information they are looking for.
25. Failing to Test: Failing to test a website for functionality and user experience can harm engagement and result in lost business opportunities.
| Design Mistake | Possible Solutions |
| Confusing Navigation | Use clear and concise labels for navigation menus, add a search bar, use breadcrumbs to show users where they are on the website |
| Slow Page Loading Issues | Optimize image file sizes, minify JavaScript and CSS files, use a Content Delivery Network (CDN) |
| Cluttered Design | Use whitespace to create a clean layout, limit the number of design elements on each page, create a visual hierarchy with typography and color |
| Inconsistent Branding | Ensure all design elements such as logos, color palettes, and fonts are consistent with brand guidelines |
| Improper Mobile Optimization | Use responsive design to adapt to different screen sizes, create mobile-friendly navigation, test website on mobile devices |
| Non-Responsive Design | Use a responsive design that automatically adjusts to different screen sizes, test website on different devices |
| Non-Responsive Design | Use a responsive design that automatically adjusts to different screen sizes, test website on different devices |
| Auto-Playing Media | Allow users to control media playback or avoid auto-playing media altogether |
| Inadequate Color Choices | Use colors that align with brand identity and consider accessibility guidelines, use consistent colors throughout the website |
| Hard-to-Read Text | Use legible fonts, format text for easy readability, consider contrast for those with visual impairments |
| Lack of White Space | Use whitespace to create visual balance, reduce clutter, and improve readability |
| Unclear Call-to-Actions | Use clear and concise language for call-to-action buttons, place them in a prominent location on the page |
| Complex Forms | Keep forms simple and use only necessary fields, break long forms into smaller sections |
| Poor Quality Content | Regularly update website content to keep it fresh and relevant, remove outdated information |
| Broken Links | Regularly check website for broken links and fix them as soon as possible |
| Too Much Text | Use concise and scannable text, use headings and subheadings to break up large blocks of text |
| No Contact Information | Provide clear and visible contact information on the website, such as a phone number, email address, and physical address |
| Stock Photos | Use original and high-quality images that are relevant to the content, consider using professional photography services |
| Inaccessible Content | Ensure website is accessible to users with disabilities, such as using alternative text for images or captions for videos |
| Inappropriate Font Choices | Use legible and appropriate fonts that match the tone of the website, consider using web-safe fonts for maximum compatibility |
| Inconsistent Layout | Use consistent layouts throughout the website, such as the placement of the navigation menu or the location of the logo |
| Lack of User Testing | Conduct user testing to identify and address usability issues, consider A/B testing to compare different design options. |
| Ignoring Analytics | Use website analytics to track user behavior and make informed design decisions, such as identifying popular pages or user demographics |
| Too Many Ads | Limit the number of ads on the website, avoid ads that are intrusive to the user experience |
| Ignoring SEO | Optimize website for search engines by using relevant keywords, adding meta tags, and creating quality content |
Steve Krug, a renowned website usability expert, has commented on common web design mistakes in website development, stating "Don't make me think!" in reference to the need for intuitive website design.
He stresses the importance of creating a website that is easy to navigate, where users don't have to expend mental effort to understand how to use it. Krug emphasizes that website owners must strive for simplicity, clarity, and ease of use, to provide the best possible user experience.
To create a website that delivers a top-notch user experience and ultimately drives business success, it's crucial to steer clear of some biggest website design mistakes. A meticulous approach to details like mobile responsiveness, speedy loading times, and user- friendly navigation can elevate the overall experience for visitors and help build brand trust.
If developers can overcome issues such as broken links, excessive pop-ups, and insufficient security measures, website owners can ensure smooth site performance and prevent user frustration.
By avoiding these shortcomings and designing a website optimized for today's digital landscape, website owners can establish a competitive edge, provide real value to the users, and position themselves for greater success.
Webomindapps is a profound enterprise serving successfully since 2013. Based in Bangalore, it offers expert solutions in web designing & development, e-commerce, mobile & web app development, digital marketing, and SEO across the globe.
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