Planning Website Design

5 Common Mistakes People Make In Web Design

Web design has become a simpler and more accessible process over the last few years which has led to a lot of people attempting to create their own. We welcome innovation and initiative in business but unfortunately we see the same simple mistakes time and time again which we know could be easily avoided. Fixing these mistakes could make an incredible difference on the user experience and subsequently the conversion rate of the website itself.

In this post we will share 5 common mistakes we see people making every day in web design so that you can avoid them.

Too Busy Or Too Quiet

Striking a balance between busy and quiet is absolutely vital in web design. If it is too busy, your visitors will find it difficult to understand what you provide and if they don’t grasp your business within the first few moments, they will move on and forget all about you. It is of course tempting to want to share with your potential customers everything you do but too much information thrown at them can feel overwhelming and confusing.

On the contrary, another danger is providing too little information. In essence the result is the same as a busy website; your visitors will feel unsure about your service and leave to find business elsewhere. A mistake some make here is they try to be clever, to lure the visitor in with clever images and copy. They aim to intrigue the reader to find out more without revealing the purpose of the business. The truth is that this is not a clever strategy and this ambiguity will only turn perspective clients away.

A website with very little going on, looks scarce, boring and unexciting, it also looks unprofessional as the visitor might assume that you haven’t bothered with your website and therefore don’t bother with your business in general.

Misguided Call To Action

The Call to Action (CTA) is the instruction you give to your visitor on each page to guide them around your website. People assume a CTA is just a command to a sales page and it could be but it could also be so much more.

You might want them to sign up to your newsletter, connect with you on your social media platforms or access a free product in exchange for their email. On each page your direction might be different but it is important to provide some guidance or you risk your visitor leaving, never to connect with you again.

Where some people leave the call to action out altogether, others sound like they have written theirs using  a script from a double glazing salesman, don’t be pushy and make sure that it connects to the content on the rest of the page. It should emphasise what the visitor will gain from clicking as oppose to what you are selling.

Poor Content

Copy is an essential part of any website and if it is badly written it will turn people away quicker than anything else. You want to make a meaningful connection by talking directly to your ideal client and you want to make sure that you represent your brand, your vision and your why with every word you write.

Of course content is not just about words; images and videos are equally important. Pictures are able to represent thoughts and emotions within a millisecond so make sure they are aligned with your potential customer and yourself. Don’t forget that the quality of the images symbolise the quality of you and your business.

Confusing Navigation

People have not got the time to be working out how to get to where they want to be on your website. If you have a hidden or poor navigation system then your visitors will get bored and leave. The navigation bar should be visible and clear with obvious tabs so that your visitor never has the opportunity to get lost and frustrated while in the company of your website.

Not Speaking To The Right People

If you have done your research, you will know the enormous value in knowing your ideal client. Spending time understanding who they are is an essential aspect of any marketing campaign. However, knowing this information is next to useless if you are not utilising it. Your website must appeal to your target audience; everything counts including images, copy, layout and colours. Make sure every decision you make has your ideal client at the heart of it. Do not make the mistake of trying to appeal to everyone. You won’t end up speaking to anyone.

Get Professional Support

The reality is that although it may be possible to create your own website, you have to ask yourself why you want to do it? If it is because you enjoy it then fantastic, continue to learn and grow your skills so you can create the best website for you and your business. If on the other hand, you are trying to save money or time, you will most probably waste more trying to work through all these mistakes yourself and end up with a site that doesn’t perform as highly or make as much money long term.

Here at Aspire Shire, I create websites with a simple goal; to convert. Get in touch here to organise a free consultation.