5 Common Web Design Mistakes & How It May Be Hurting Your Business
As business owners, your website is the first impression customers have of your business- yet so many business owners are creating websites that are unknowingly driving their customers away. Avoid the most common web design mistakes that could be costing you valuable traffic and income.
Slow Loading Times
In today’s world, we move and think faster than ever, expecting instant access to information. One of the most critical yet often overlooked factors in web design is site speed, a slow loading website will often turn visitors away before they even have a chance to learn what your business has to offer, creating a negative impact on your SEO and ability to successfully convert a visitor into a client. Hiring a professional web designer can help ensure your website runs efficiently right from the start. A skilled designer will focus on optimizing image sizes, using efficient code and choosing a reliable hosting provider all while maintaining a visually appealing website.
A Non-Responsive Design
While website speed is crucial, ensuring your website looks and functions well across all devices is equally important in today’s mobile-driven world. To do this, you will want to implement a design that will automatically adjust to different screen sizes, use flexible images and grid layouts. Don’t forget to test your site on various devices and browsers, you can use tools such as Google’s Mobile Friendly Test to help optimize your site for mobile users.
A Cluttered Layout
After checking that your site is both fast and responsive, the next key to avoiding common mistakes is to keep your site visually clean and organized, avoiding the pitfalls of a cluttered layout. With so many accessible web design templates circulating the web, you may be wondering, “what exactly is a cluttered layout?” For starters, you will want to avoid creating a website that is overloaded with texts, excessive images, multiple fonts, and distracting animations that compete for your users attention. A cluttered layout will more than likely overwhelm your visitors, making it more difficult to find important information. This will lead to frustration and a high “bounce” rate. A clean and organized site will help to guide users to key content and encourage them to engage in more meaningful ways with your site.
Poor Navigation
Alongside maintaining a clean layout, effective navigation is essential for ensuring visitors can easily explore your site and find the information they need. Contact details, service or product descriptions, pricing information, an “About Us” page outlining your company's mission and values, and customer reviews are just a few components you will want to ensure your visitor can easily locate on your website. When creating your site or choosing a template, you will want to ensure that you have a clear structure that categorizes your content logically, use descriptive call to action buttons, while limiting the number of items on each page to avoid overwhelming your visitor with information.
Lack of Clear Call To Action:
Equally as important as effective navigation is the need for clear call-to-action (CTA) buttons which will guide your visitors towards taking meaningful steps on your website. You will want to double check that your website contains specific, actional prompts that guide them towards the next steps, such as signing up for a newsletter, making a purchase, or contacting your business. The absence of clear call-to-action can lead to confusion and indecision, causing potential customers to leave your site without engaging further or completing their desired actions.
By avoiding these common web design mistakes, you will create a more engaging and effective online presence that attracts and retains customers.
If you’re ready to enhance your online presence and avoid common web design mistakes, Dallas Texas Web Design is here to help. Contact us today to learn how we can elevate your business online!