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4 Common Web Design Mistakes to Avoid (+ Solutions)

February 11, 2022 Web development

Your web design can even make or break your business. 

Having a unique, well-designed professional website that’s easy to navigate can bring in more visitors, with a high chance of converting them into actual customers. People love an optimal user experience, after all. You’ll be seeing a steady flow of targeted leads and ongoing sales in a matter of time. 

A disorganized website, on the other hand, can only hurt your ranking and reputation, resulting in loss of potential customers and revenue. If you’ve noticed a persistent decline in your visitor count lately, or traffic isn’t as good as it used to be anymore, your web design is likely to blame. 

For all we know, you could’ve fallen into one of the traps professional web designers try their best to avoid. Fortunately, such errors are reversible – and we’re here to assist you in fixing them. 

We’ve rounded up four of the most common web design mistakes that could be hampering your website’s bottom line. Steering clear of these problems will definitely do your website AND business a big favor. That said, let’s get to it!

Mistake #1: Your Call-to-Action (CTA) Is Bad

Your CTA is pretty much the gateway to your business. It’s basically what drives your visitors to take your desired action – whether it’s to make a purchase, subscribe to your email list, or download your latest e-book.

If your CTA isn’t compelling enough, or perhaps you don’t even have one at all, then that might likely be the reason you’re not seeing any positive outcome. A call-to-action should be clear, powerful, and visible to everyone. Most of all, it should be able to tell visitors what will happen when they complete a specific action. 

Focus on practical language instead of complicated jargon. Keep it direct and straightforward. Whatever your goal is, make sure you consistently use a CTA to strategically lead people through your website.

Mistake #2: Your Navigation is Now here to Be Found

As we’re now living in an age where almost everything is handed to us in a snap, having a website that’s difficult to navigate is certainly something you want to avoid at all costs. 

Imagine spending a couple of minutes on a website just trying to figure out where the menu or search bar is. Completely annoying, isn’t it? We won’t blame you if you end up leaving – everyone does it!

That’s exactly why your web design should allow for fast and simplistic navigation. Don’t let your visitors get lost, or you’ll lose the opportunity of turning them into customers. 

Here are quick tips to achieve seamless website navigation:

  • Make hypertext obvious by formatting it in a different color, underlining it, or bolding it
  • Keep sidebars separate so they stand out 
  • Use the clearest text and design possible so visitors know what you mean right away
  • Streamline your navigation bar by using a main heading and subheading (with links categorized below it)
  • Place your navigation in a standard place sovisitors can quickly find what they’re looking for

Mistake #3: You’re Doing Content Wrong

They say content is king, and we 100% agree. 

Your content tells your visitors everything they need to know about your business, and the products and/or services you offer. It’s also what keeps them engaged to your brand – as long as your posts are valuable and insightful, of course. 

Always write copy with your target audience in mind. You can’t just talk about any topics you prefer. Remember, your goal is to draw them in, not to push them away.

Make your content scannable. Most people don’t read websites like they do with books, and they will only skim through to find the information they’re looking for. Use headlines, bullet points, and images. Don’t forget to highlight the key points.

Break up text whenever you can and add visual elements wherever you can. A good rule of thumb is to use white space properly, as it guides readers through interactive content by directing their attention to the area of focus. Plus, it helps them comprehend the whole content easier. 

Lastly, your content should always be up-to-date. Outdated articles may be indicative of a neglected website, and nobody likes a neglected website. 

Mistake #4: Your Website Isn’t Optimized for Mobile

Not having a mobile-friendly website is another reason why you’re missing out on a significant amount of traffic and conversions. 

Mobile device users won’t be sticking around your page if they’re having trouble viewing or navigating through it.And, with billions of people browsing online using their smartphones every day, optimizing your site for mobile should be a main priority. 

So, how can you design a mobile-friendly website? Find out below!

  • Pick a responsive designfor better user experience and SEO value
  • Simplify your navigation menu and forms
  • Use CTAs instead of pop-ups to direct visitors to your landing page (if there’s an urgent need to use pop-up, perform multiple user tests)
  • Avoid too many bells and whistles
  • Keep content short and sweet
  • Strip down the heavy media files that exist on your desktop site
  • Make it easy to discover your contact details and location

Over to You

There you have it! Avoiding these web design mistakes will surely help drive more traffic to your website. 

However, what we mentioned are just four of the most common no-nos. We suggest you hire a website design Miami company if you’re looking to get the most of your web design.