In the modern world, having a website is crucial if you own a business. But with 252,000 new websites being created every day and 200 million active websites worldwide, it’s essential to stand out from the crowd.
However, in the rush to launch or update their online presence, many businesses fall prey to common web design mistakes that can significantly detract from their site’s effectiveness and, by extension, their brand’s appeal. From poor navigation that leaves users lost in a maze of pages to overwhelming design elements that overshadow content, these pitfalls can lead to increased bounce rates, lost revenue and diminished credibility.
This article highlights eight common web design mistakes, from overlooking website accessibility to having unclear CTAs. By understanding why these errors occur and learning how to avoid them, businesses and web designers alike can create engaging, user-friendly websites that attract and retain the attention of their target audience.
1. Neglecting Accessibility
According to WHO, around 1.3 billion people live with disabilities, which is around 20% of the world’s population. Therefore, treating accessibility as an afterthought when designing a website is one of the biggest mistakes you can make.
Text size, colour contrasts, page titles, image alternate text and moving and blinking contents are all crucial components of a website from an accessibility point of view.
An accessible website ensures all users, including those with disabilities, can access, navigate and interact with the content. Disabilities can range from visual, auditory, motor and cognitive impairments to temporary disabilities like a broken arm.
By designing for accessibility, you’re acknowledging and catering to this diversity among users.
How To Avoid This Mistake
So, how can you avoid making this mistake? By including elements that suit a range of disabilities.
For example, image alternate text is an often overlooked accessibility error. It’s imperative to include image alt text that describes what’s in the image so that vision-impaired individuals can understand the image and why it relates to the content.
2. Forgetting The Importance of Responsive Web Design
As of March 2024, 61.2% of all website traffic comes from mobile devices, and 92.3% of internet users access the internet using a mobile phone. So, if your website isn’t as easy to navigate on mobile as it is on desktop, you risk frustrating customers and increasing your bounce rate.
So, why is it important to have a responsive web design? Because 50% of people will exit your website if it isn’t mobile-friendly.
Since most websites are designed with the idea that most people will view them from a desktop, many web designers overlook the fact that many more will view them from a mobile device. Therefore, it’s important to ensure that your website looks good and is responsive across a range of devices, such as desktop, tablet, and mobile.
How To Avoid This Mistake
Implementing responsive web design can help you avoid the mistake of not having a responsive website. But how can you do that?
- Use a fluid grid layout
- Implement flexible images and media
- Opt for responsive typography
- Optimise navigation for small screens
- Continuously test and monitor
3. Slow Loading Speed
Statistics have shown that 40% of visitors will leave a website if it takes longer than three seconds to load. A slow website can lead to a poor user experience and an increased bounce rate.
Factors contributing to slow loading speed include large file sizes, outdated code and too many plug-ins. Not only is fast loading speed good for user experience, but Google also made it one of the key factors for SEO ranking.
How To Avoid This Mistake
To avoid having a slow-loading website, there are a few things you can do, such as
- Compressing images and vidoes
- Load images only as they enter the user's viewpoint
- Minimise the use of heavy scripts
- Minimise HTTPS requests
- Reduce redirects
You can also use Google PageSpeed Insights to monitor your website’s loading speed and implement improvements it suggests.
4. Lacking Hierarchy
Have you ever landed on a website and found yourself unsure where to focus your attention? If so, you’ve likely landed on a site that featured a lack of hierarchy. Like how a newspaper uses headlines and subheadings to represent significance, so should your website’s typography.
Not only does having an order to your website emit aesthetic appeal but it also:
- Improves usability and navigation
- Enhances user experience
- Aids in content prioritisation
- Improves accessibility
- Boosts SEO
How To Avoid This Mistake
Avoiding a lack of hierarchy in website design is essential for creating an engaging, user-friendly and effective online presence. Here are some things to do to avoid having a lack of hierarchy in your website design:
- Utilise headings and subheadings
- Implement visual hierarchy
- Prioritise key information
- Design clear navigation
- Use typography to your advantage
5. Poor Call-To-Action Tactics or Unclear CTAs
A call to action (CTA) is a prompt that encourages website visitors to perform a specific action. For example, when browsing a clothing website, under each item of clothing, there is usually a button that says “Add to cart” to prompt customers to buy.
However, a lack of clear CTAs in web design refers to vague buttons, such as “Learn More.” It is important not to make this web design mistake, as it can confuse the user and drop conversion rates. Studies have shown that personalised and detailed CTA buttons perform 202% better than basic CTAs.
How To Avoid This Mistake
To avoid having poor or unclear CTAs on your website, set clear and actionable CTAs that will make your users want to click the button. For example, if you want your users to shop your new collection, display a “Shop the New Collection” button to drive them to that page.
6. Prioritising Aesthetics Over User Experience
One of the most common website design mistakes that have emerged over the last couple of years is prioritising aesthetics over functionality. The result? A cluttered interface that is visually overwhelming, too busy and disorganised, making it hard for the visitor to navigate and focus on what’s important.
How To Avoid This Mistake
To avoid this common web design mistake, incorporate white space to create a cleaner, more organised, easy-to-navigate layout. White space breaks up the content and allows the user’s eyes to rest, making it easier to focus on the important elements, such as content and CTAs.
7. Navigation Issues
There are two types of navigation issues involved in web design: hidden navigation and complicated navigation. Hidden navigation refers to menu options or navigation elements that aren’t immediately visible when a user lands on your website. Complicated navigation is navigation that’s too busy or doesn’t make sense to the user.
Both of these types of navigation can create a confusing or frustrating user experience, as visitors may find it difficult to access the information or features they’re looking for. When this happens, it can also increase bounce rates as users click out of the website due to frustration.
How To Avoid This Mistake
Avoiding navigation issues is critical in designing an effective, user-friendly website. Here are a few essential strategies to ensure your website’s navigation is intuitive and efficient:
- Keep it simple and consistent
- Prioritise intuitive placement
- Use descriptive navigation labels
- Limit the number of menu items
- Make navigation responsive and mobile-friendly
8. Vague Messaging or An Undefined Target Audience
Vague messaging and an undefined target audience are significant web design mistakes that can undermine the effectiveness of a website. These errors can dilute the impact of your content, confuse visitors and result in lower engagement and conversion rates.
How To Avoid This Mistake
Avoiding vague messaging and an undefined target audience involves strategic planning and clear communication. Here’s what you can do to ensure your website speaks directly and effectively to your intended audience:
- Conduct audience research to understand your audience and create personas
- Define your unique value proposition
- Use clear and direct messaging
- Tailor content to your audience
- Implement strategic content hierarchy
Find Compelling Web Design With Anchor
What are the common mistakes made in web design? From hidden navigation to slow loading times and lack of hierarchy, all of these mistakes lead to poor web design, user experience and increased bounce rates.
So, if you’re planning to create a website for your business but want to avoid these common mistakes, look no further than Anchor Digital. Our experienced and professional web designers will create a website that focuses on accessibility, user experience and SEO to ensure high traffic and conversion rates.
If you’d like to learn more about how we can help create the perfect website for you, contact us today.
