10 Things You’re Doing Wrong With Your Website Design

(Designing your own website is not all bad. But be wary of making some common mistakes. Learn what you may be doing wrong when it comes to website design)

Proper website design can make or break your website. Having a poor design is a surefire way to alienate customers and lose out on business. It is crucial to build your website, to keep in mind the correct design principles, for delivering an excellent user experience. Any web design company worth its salt focuses on developing a website that’s easy to navigate, looks visually appealing and remains usable and enjoyable for its audience.

But it is not unusual to see businesses building their websites themselves, in a bid to save money. While websites can be designed by anyone, not having proper technical knowledge can result in poorly designed websites and hamper the bottom line. As a result, business owners often find the need to resort to website redesign services.

This article sums up the 10 most common mistakes you may be making with your website design.

1. Opting for a non-responsive website design

   Gone are the days when users would browse through websites on their desktop devices alone.

   Approximately 91% of the world’s population uses mobile devices, and this includes browsing through websites. That’s why having a responsive website design is a critical requirement. A responsive web design has the same HTML code for the web page, no matter which device you plan to use. However, the presentation of the website changes depending on which device is being used for viewing. This optimises the website for the viewer, leading to a superior user experience.

2. It takes ages for your website to load

   One of the biggest design issues with a website is its loading time. With shrinking attention spans, the longer your site takes to load, the higher the chances of losing out on potential customers.

   A quick and efficient solution that branding agencies recommend is opting for a WordPress theme that loads quickly. This ensures your readers don’t spend too much time looking for relevant information required to make a purchase. Another way to tackle the problem is by optimising the visual assets on your website. Scaling them down makes your landing pages fast-loading, a key requirement for drawing in new visitors and keeping them from exiting the website. Lastly, creative agencies also believe that too many plugins and modules, especially when not up to date, can slow down your website. Make sure these are updated and test the speed of your website periodically to fix any errors.

3. Not paying attention to visual hierarchy

   Science has established how human brains have a natural knack for structuring and organising visual information. When certain elements stand out, the chances of the audience retaining the information are much higher.

   The same theory applies when you design websites. You should arrange different elements on your websites depending on their importance. It is the best way to ensure that your audience notices what you want them to see without any other distractions. The best way to achieve this is through conducting UX research to find out insights about what your visitors are looking for. If you already have a website, reach out to the existing users to understand how you can make the flow more seamless and intuitive.

4. Not making your website more accessible

   Making your website more accessible means getting access to more audiences. Very often, businesses do not account for those visitors with different impairments who may find it challenging to navigate through the website in the same manner as others would. This results in a loss in traffic.

   Designing an accessible website is no rocket science. Simple principles such as adding ALT text for all images used, adding relevant audio descriptions, using fonts that are compatible with screen readers, etc., are some of the easy ways to create an intuitive and accessible website. There is a lot of room to experiment, and one shouldn’t shy away from making changes — while it may not be an industry standard yet, it surely provides inroads in getting more conversions. Using a website exit survey will also provide you with valuable information about why your audience is exiting quickly.

5. Having a bad CTA

   CTA is an integral element of your website. It is what signals a prospect to complete the transaction. Very often, websites have vague or confusing CTAs that do not provide a clear direction to the audience. While you may have engaging content otherwise, failure to tell your audience what to do next can seriously hamper your business.

   At the same time, be cautious about not bombarding them with CTA as soon as they land on your website. Your CTA shouldn’t interfere with their overall experience of browsing through the website. It should be concise and tell them exactly what you want them to do. A/B testing a few options is a great way to find out what clicks with your audience.

6. Not having enough whitespace

   A cluttered website is an eyesore. It makes it challenging for your audience to understand what you want to convey. One of the common reasons for having a cluttered website is the lack of whitespace.

   Whitespace enhances the readability of content. When used intelligently, it can help you shine a spotlight on exactly what matters to your viewers. However, whitespace should align with the goals of your audience. Using too much whitespace can also be harmful — it can take away focus from what matters.

7. Not adding your contact information

   Imagine designing the perfect website but not adding any contact details. Not only can it raise suspicion in the mind of your audience about your credibility, but it also prevents them from getting in touch with you when they need to.

   No one should have to scour through the entire website to find out how to get in touch with you. Make sure you add a dedicated contact us page where all the information is clearly displayed. You can also add the details at the bottom of every page to make it easier for viewers to locate it.

8. Not having FAQs

   Regardless of your business, there are some vital questions every visitor needs to be answered. It is not unusual for them to exit the website should they find no answers to such questions. For example, if you have an eCommerce website but do not add information about shipping and returns, you are likely to lose out on customers.

   Make a list of common questions depending on your industry and have a dedicated section on your website. This small yet significant exercise can help you convert a viewer into a paying customer.

9. You have not paid any attention to SEO

   The ultimate goal of having a website is to get more access to customers. But unless your website shows up on search engine results, it is impossible for prospects to locate the website.

   This is where SEO steps in. SEO and web design are intricately connected. When a website is designed keeping in mind the SEO principles, you have a structure that complies with how search engine crawlers view a website. It improves the chances of your website being understood by the search engine and ranking higher. Optimising the content on your website with the right keywords and adding relevant headings/tags can also help you improve your ranking.

10. Your website doesn’t have security

    In a world where there is a threat to security and privacy, browsing through an unsecured website is less than desirable for your audience. In the absence of HTTPS certification, search engines flag your website as unsafe, cautioning a prospect from proceeding further.

    It is also in your interest to secure your website as it protects your data from keeping out hackers and bugs. If you are unsure about the current security protection offered by your website, get in touch with your hosting provider.

Conclusion

These are some of the common mistakes every website owner makes, reducing their chances of finding potential customers and increasing conversion rates. If you want to nip the problem in the bud, work with a web design agency to create the blueprint of your website. Our team at SPINX would be happy to assist you — get in touch right away and schedule a call.