If you’re running a business, chances are you have a business website. And if you don’t, you need one. A lack of a business website is a sign of a shoddy business, but the state of that website also reflects on the business. Therefore, you’ll want to keep it in its best shape to reflect your business practices. But is there something you’ve missed? Take a look at our guide to make sure. These are the scariest web design mistakes and how to avoid them.
Long loading times
Remember the idea people have that attention spans are shrinking? Well, whether it’s true or not it’s true that no one is willing to wait too long for something to load. Long loading screens are something no one can tolerate and they will just exit your website, app, social media, etc. and not think twice about what they were missing out on. That is a very easy way to lose sales if you are in eCommerce. Websites that make these web designs mistakes are enough for someone to leave their basket at the door without paying, costing you money.
Test thoroughly before you launch, and if you have already launched your website you might want to go through it to optimise images, plugins, themes, modules, etc. Run over your website with a fine-toothed comb to avoid these web design mistakes.
No mobile optimization
Similarly, a website that isn’t optimised for a smartphone is a cause to send users running. People are using their smartphones more than their computers nowadays, so to not optimise for phones is just leaving money and views on the table. If your phone’s mobile layout isn’t adapted for the phone, you’re just giving users a headache that they won’t tolerate. Not to mention it could be seen as a red flag since just about every website nowadays is mobile-friendly. This is another of the biggest web design mistakes to avoid, since you don’t want anyone thinking your website and therefore your business is dodgy.
No call to action
If you find that you’re getting lots of traffic to your website, but maybe your objectives aren’t being fulfilled, you might be at a loss for why that is. It’s more than likely going to be due to a lack of call to action. A call to action is what you’re directing your users to do. So, for example, that can be “Follow”, “Register”, “Buy now”, “Book a call”, etc. If your visitors don’t know what they’re doing there they’ll simply explore and exit without any follow up action.
If you have a call to action, take another look at it. Is it clear what you want visitors to do and how to do it. There’s no point in saying “register” without a link to a registration forum, for example. This is one of the most expensive web design mistakes to make since it could be losing you sales in turn.
Font issues
If your users can’t read what you’re posting, you have a problem. One of these web design mistakes is to use a font that is unclear, whether that’s down to size, style, or colour. These are web design mistakes that can be dotted all over your site in small doses. Don’t use font colours that blend into your background and don’t use fonts that give you a headache to read. Your font isn’t just about getting the message across, but it is also how your customer navigates your site, so it’s important to get it right.
No fresh content
It’s very easy for a website, especially a business website, to look stale quickly. Whether it’s due to the graphics, the subject matter, or a sheer vibe, customers can tell if your content is old. This is really a problem if you’re posting content about up to date events too. There’s no point in leaving a post about what Elon Musk is doing this week and expecting that to be relevant next week. He’s busy.
To avoid these web design mistakes, you’ll have to either commit to a website that is constantly uploaded with relevant information and updates or focus on evergreen content. Evergreen content is things that won’t go out of date in a few weeks, like guides or lists, but it really depends on the subject.
A lack of security
Perhaps the scariest aspect for a business owner, a lack of security is one of the biggest web design mistakes that you want to avoid. Holes in security are not only dangerous to you but to your customers, and in turn, to you. Without the right cyber security, you’re opening yourself up to hacking, which is in itself a problem of course, but it’s also a compliance and regulation violation to be lacking in security. If you’re taking online payments from customers and their information is stored in your website, you can be held liable for a hacking on your site. It’s the same idea as a customer slipping and suing you for no “wet floor” sign: you didn’t take the appropriate steps to avoid it.
Contact us today to learn more about web design and how you can positively use this to your advantage.
