How to Avoid Three Common Website Design Mistakes
On the world wide web, even a small mistake can have far-reaching consequences. This is why it is important to take a methodically approach to website design. Absent a plan and process you may end up on a site like this one, serving as an example of what not to do.
There are many mistakes made but a few that are more common than others. Here are a few examples that may help you avoid some common mistakes.
Poor Content Organization
Is the content on your site readable, accessible, and easily navigable for users on all devices? Is your permalink structure memorable and uncomplicated? Does the arrangement of your categories make sense?
The most frequent mistake we see designers making lies in organization. A site might be aesthetically pleasing, but that is meaningless if visitors can’t find what they’re looking for. Design for usability first, and beauty second.
No Calls to Action
Have you made sure to include clear calls to action on relevant pages? Do users have an easy way to contact you? If not, don’t feel too bad – this is a mistake made by many. At the same time, it can be a crippling mistake if your aim is to bring in new leads from your site (which, presumably, it is).
You need to think extensively about the sort of action you want a visitor on your site to take.
- Do you want them to:
- Subscribe to a newsletter?
- Submit a membership form?
- Purchase a product?
- Share your content?
The answers to these questions should inform the design of your site – websites are always best when they are created with their specific audience – and a specific action – in mind.
Lack of Image Optimization
Given that Google considers page speed a ranking factor – especially on mobile devices – you need to ensure your site loads as quickly as possible. That means cutting out unnecessary elements from your design templates, but also doing what you can to reduce the resource load of your site’s media content.
A high-definition, high-resolution image can have a massive impact on site speed. You need to optimize your images and reduce both their size and quality to a manageable level. If you don’t, you will very likely lose potential customers as your page rank drops – and as people abandon your site in favor of one that’s a bit more agile. Check out our tips on how to optimize your images in this blog post: “Optimizing Images on Your Website.”
Easily Avoid Big Website Design Mistakes
Web design can be tough, and everybody trips up every now and then. You just have to make sure you aren’t making any huge, site-breaking mistakes. Keep any eye out for the above three mistakes and ensure your website will be a shining example of website design done right.
