|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The number of entrepreneurs is increasing every day, and the web design cost is generally not in their initial marketing plan. Therefore, they decide to go for one of the DIY website platforms such as Wix or Squarespace which leads them to have a pretty website but less than ideal. In this blog post, we would like to list 10 common web design mistakes small business owners often make.
1- Too many navigation items
Your website’s navigation is one of its most crucial features. When you have a lot of options on your navigation, you only confuse your visitors. Limit your navigation to five items – the less, the better.
You can always place the other links on your footer.
2- Navigation items order
There is a term in psychology: the serial position effect.
Based on the serial position effect, your website visitors tend to remember the first few and last few words and are more likely to forget words in the middle of a list. Using this as a guide, we can create navigation menus more effectively.
3- Poorly written copy
To find information, most people turn to the internet. Your website copy will turn visitors away if you write it like an advertising copy. Use an editorial style, and inject emotion and credibility into your writing.
Make sure your copy is scannable. In order to make a web copy scannable, use icons, and meaningful subheadings or highlight some keywords by making them bold or italic.
People buy from people they trust and like. They trust people who provide them with information rather than those who are overly aggressive in trying to sell them products and services. Instead of trying to sell aggressively, ask for their contact information so you can send them helpful information and invite them back to your website.
4- Alignment, padding and margins
The padding in web design pushes the content inward from the top, bottom, left or right of a container, while the margin creates white space around an element.
Google Material Design recommends padding for containing elements on mobile devices of at least 16pt and for tablets and desktops of at least 24pt. To align all of your content horizontally, apply the same amount of padding to the left and right sides of your containing elements.
5- Missing headings and optimization
Headings play an important role in search engine optimization. They help Google understand the content on your web pages. Also, they can improve the user experience of your website since they enable people to read easily.
Use an H1 for each page, use subheadings for the text and do not forget to include targeted keywords in these headings.
6- Lack of contact info
Your contact information must be accessible via the main menu and footer on every page of your website. In addition, making email addresses clickable can make it easier for visitors to get in touch with you.
7- Lack of Call to Actions
Did you know that 70% of small businesses have websites with no CTAs on the homepage?
You can maximize conversion rates by using strategic calls-to-action (CTAs) to guide your visitors through the buying journey.
Use a conversational tone, make CTA buttons distinct by using contrasting colours, and separate primary CTAs from secondary CTAs.
8- No Responsive Design
In essence, a non-responsive website is a regular website that displays perfectly on a desktop computer. Mobile users, however, often need to zoom into the page to read the text because the text appears too small. Most of the older websites we encounter are not responsive.
It has always been recommended by Google to use responsive web design, especially after it rolled out a big update on 4/21/15 ranking mobile-friendly sites higher.
9- Slow Website
There are many reasons why a website may take longer to load. And a slow website means a lower search engine ranking. Therefore, improving the performance of your website should be a priority for you.
Unoptimized images, the use of a lot of dynamic content, not using a CDN, caching, unoptimized CSS and many other factors contribute to a slow website.
10- Generic 404 Pages
When a visitor lands on a generic 404 page, they will most likely leave your website. A custom error page, however, can increase conversions. With a creative and on-brand 404 page, you can improve your visitors’ experience and decrease your bounce rate.
In conclusion, avoiding common web design mistakes is crucial for creating a successful online presence that effectively engages visitors and drives results. By addressing the issues I mentioned above, you can enhance user experience and maximize the impact of your website. Remember, your website is often the first impression potential clients or customers will have of your business, so investing in high-quality design is essential.
If you’re ready to take your website to the next level and ensure it reflects the professionalism and value of your brand, schedule a discovery call with me today. Let’s work together to create a website that not only looks great but also delivers measurable results for your business.
