Your website is the gateway to your business. It’s often one of the first places that prospective customers visit to form their initial impression of your brand. There are a lot of ways to create a top-notch website that delivers results, but just as many ways to create one that drives customers away from your brand.
That leaves the question: how do you build a website that’s functional and intuitive, yet also aesthetically pleasing?
We’ve spoken to the experts on our team, scoured the endless articles online, and compiled a list of the TOP TEN MISTAKES made on websites so you know exactly what to avoid.
1. Readability
Buckle up because we’re just getting started- and this one is a doozy! If your site has too much, or too little, going on, it could be an automatic game over for anyone checking out your website. Strike a balance between too much and too little content.
PRO-TIP: Poor grammar and misspellings kill readability. A clean copy of all content on your website ensures that you appear professional and knowledgeable, misspellings and grammar mistakes say the opposite.
2. Inconsistency
Have an established font, size and color palette that you use to keep things looking consistent and uniform within all the pages of your site.
PRO-TIP: Consider using a template. Different websites will look and function differently, so do some research and find a template that aligns with your brand and much of the work is taken care of.
3. Bad or no call to action
Your website isn’t doing its job if people look at it and have no idea what to do or what action you want them to take. An informational site about your products is great, but not if there isn’t a place for visitors to purchase it. Make sure that you are clear about your mission as a brand and reflect that on your site with a call to action.
4. Hidden or missing navigation
A visitor will be frustrated if they are unable to easily navigate between pages on your site. It should be as simple as a click of a button. If people find themselves spending more than a few seconds getting to where they need to be, you are going to lose their interest fast.
5. No contact info
This one seems obvious, but there are tons of websites out there with absolutely no contact information anywhere to be found! How will prospective customers reach you for further information or inquires if they can’t find your info? Consider making a simple contact page or form so they can get a hold of you easily.
6. Assuming length means credibility
There is a tendency to overload pages with as much information as possible in order to seem credible but resist the urge to fill your page to the brim with content. People browsing websites can lose interest in pages full of straight text.
PRO-TIP: Although you may want to go into detail about pertinent information product or service information, it’s best to consolidate text-heavy content for potential customers.
7. Not mobile friendly
What website did you most recently view? Were you on a desktop? Mobile device? A tablet? Your website will look differently on each of these devices, so it is important to ensure that your visitor has a good experience no matter what device they are using to view your site.
PRO-TIP: Test your site on a variety of devices. Its readability may change, in which case you should consider making adjustments, so it is friendly across all devices and operating systems.
8. Not a secure site
People want privacy. In an age of data breeches, hackers and more, people want to know that their information is protected. This is especially important if you have a brand that does any sales through your site since you’ll be collecting sensitive identifiable information about your customers.
9. Not using SEO or tracking analytics
It is vital that people can find your site through a simple Google search. To ensure this, you should practice SEO, or Search Engine Optimization. Additionally, there are many ways to track your traffic and engagement via third-party sources. Figure out what’s working and what drives the most traffic to your site and use it to your advantage.
10. Pages that don't work or have broken links
When viewing a website, most people will simply close the site all together if they stumble upon a page that doesn’t work. It indicates that you are not a credible source, or you simply don’t care about the upkeep of your site.
PRO-TIP: Another thing to keep in mind- it’s a great idea to utilize links to other sites or pages, but only if they work! If you send a prospective customer to a link that doesn’t work, chances are they aren’t coming back.
It’s hard work to design a website that is both beautiful and functional. However, with these ten common mistakes in mind, consider yourself prepared to enter the wonderful world of web design!
Interested in help with your site? Drop us a note – we'd love to meet with you!
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