12 Common Mistakes in Business Website Designs and How to Avoid Them

You’re probably spending a lot of time blogging about your business’s items, services, or products. You might have even spent some money on great photography to make your blog look good.

You put so much effort into your corporate blog site. But have you thought about your business website homepage?

After all, the homepage is one of the most important places on your website. It will entice users to look around your site. But a poorly designed homepage might end up scaring visitors away.

There are common mistakes in business website designs that you want to avoid. If you want to learn what these mistakes are, then read on!

1. Poor Navigation

One of the biggest mistakes in website design is making it hard for people to find their way around. When navigation menus are complicated or hard to understand, it can be hard for viewers to find the information they’re looking for, which can cause a high “bounce rate.”

To avoid this, your website’s menu must be clear and easy to use. Set up a menu that is the same on all pages and puts it in a visible place like the header or sidebar. Use signs that are clear and organized in a way that makes sense.

Think about adding links, a search bar, or a sitemap to make it easier to find your way around. 

2. Cluttered Layout

Overcrowding the layout of a business website with too much text, pictures, and widgets is another common mistake. Even though it’s important to show off what you have to offer and give useful information, a cluttered design can make the user experience bad.

To prevent this, try to keep your layout clean and well-organized so that each page’s main message or purpose stands out. Focus on the most important information and leave out anything that might distract or confuse users. Use a lot of white space to let your design breathe and make it easy to look at and understand.

3. Lack of Responsive Design

With the rise in mobile device usage, a lack of responsive design can be a detrimental mistake. Your website must adapt seamlessly to various screen sizes and resolutions to provide an optimal user experience across devices.

A lack of responsiveness can lead to distorted layouts, unreadable text, and difficult navigation on mobile devices, ultimately driving away potential customers.

To avoid this, prioritize responsive design during the development process, and consider consulting web design experts to ensure a flawless implementation that caters to the diverse needs of your audience. With these webdesign consultants found here, you can create a more engaging and visually appealing website for your business.

4. Slow Page Load Times

Users get frustrated with websites that take too long to load, which hurts their experience. In today’s fast-paced digital world, users expect pages to load almost instantly, and any delays can cause them to leave. Slow loading can be caused by several things, such as big image sizes, code that needs to be optimized, too many plugins, or insufficient server resources.

To prevent this, use different methods to improve the performance of your website. Compress and optimize images to lower file sizes without losing quality. You can “minify” your HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files to eliminate extra code and make them run faster.

Use the browser’s caching feature to store static resources locally so they don’t have to be downloaded repeatedly. Think about using content delivery networks (CDNs) to get your website’s information to people worldwide faster.

5. Inadequate Call to Action (CTA)

It’s a common mistake for business websites not to have clear and appealing calls to action (CTAs). With clear CTAs, website users might know what actions or steps you want them to take next.

To stop this from happening, put buttons or links with clear, action-oriented text in key places on your website. Use colors and design features that don’t go together to make them stand out. Make sure that the calls to action (CTAs) on each page match the goals of that page, whether you want people to sign up for your email, buy something, or contact your business.

6. Poor Readability

If your website has small fonts, low contrast between the text and the background, or bad line spacing, it can make it hard to read and make people less interested in your words. Choose fonts that are easy to read, especially on computers, to avoid making this mistake. Choose a font size that is easy to read without putting pressure on your eyes.

Make sure there is enough difference between the text’s color and the background’s color so that the text is easy to read and stands out. Check the line spacing (leading) to ensure enough room between lines so the text looks manageable.

7. Lack of Mobile Optimization

In today’s mobile-focused world, not making your website work well on mobile devices can be a big mistake. Since many people reach the internet through their phones and tablets, it’s important to ensure the mobile experience is smooth.

To prevent this mistake, use responsive design, which lets your website adapt to different screen sizes and resolutions by scaling up and down. Ensure that buttons, links, and other engaging parts are easy to touch and tap.

Use hamburger menus or parts that can be collapsed to make it easier for mobile users to move around your site. Images and videos should be set up for mobile devices so that they run as quickly as possible. Test your website on different mobile devices and platforms to ensure it works and looks the same everywhere.

8. Ignoring SEO Best Practices

If you do search engine optimization (SEO), your website will rank better. Proper SEO may make it easier for online customers to find your business.

To avoid making this mistake, do keyword research to find keywords and phrases that are relevant to your business and target audience. Use these keywords naturally in the meta tags, headings, and text of your website. Write high-quality, useful content for your users that includes targeted keywords in a smart way. Optimize your URLs, picture alt tags, and the structure of your internal links.

Pay attention to website loading speed, the metrics of a mobile-friendly website, and how safe it is (HTTPS). Use SEO tools to monitor and examine how your website is doing and make changes as needed to improve its rankings and visibility.

9. Missing Contact Information

Failing to provide clear and accessible contact information on your website can be a missed opportunity to engage with potential customers. Visitors may become frustrated if they need help finding a way to contact your business.

To avoid this, prominently display your contact information on your website, preferably in the header, footer, or dedicated “Contact Us” page. Include essential details such as your phone number, email address, and physical address, if applicable. Consider integrating a contact form to allow users to send inquiries directly from your website. 

10. Lack of Visual Hierarchy

If your website has a clear visual order, it can be easier for people to find their way around and figure out what’s most important. Users may feel confused and need help finding what they want without clear visual cues.

Set up a visual hierarchy that guides users’ attention and makes your information easy to understand to avoid this. Headings, subheadings, and body text can be told apart by size, color, font weight, and space. Use bigger fonts or colors that stand out to bring attention to important elements and messages.

11. Absence of Social Proof

If you add social proof to your website, you might be able to build trust and trustworthiness with potential customers. In the digital world we live in now, people depend heavily on the thoughts and experiences of others before they buy something.

To prevent this mistake, use social proof smartly all over your website. This can include reviews, scores, case studies, or recommendations from experts in the field.

Showcase good reviews and success stories that show how valuable and good your products or services are. Consider adding social media feeds or counters that show how many friends, likes, or shares you have to show that you are active online.

12. Insufficient Accessibility

If you don’t pay attention to online accessibility, people with disabilities may be unable to use and navigate your website. It’s important to ensure everyone can use and understand your website.

Follow accessibility rules like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to avoid this mistake. Ensure that pictures on your website have alternative text (alt tags) so that screen readers can describe them to people who can’t see them. Provide closed captions for movies so that people who can’t hear can still watch them.

Ensure your website can be used with a keyboard so users can move around and connect with elements. To help people with cognitive disabilities, ensure your forms and interactive parts have clear instructions and labels.

Avoid Costly Mistakes in Business Website Designs

Creating a successful website with proper planning and focused on desired outcomes is possible. Utilizing various resources and avoiding common mistakes in business website designs is an important step.

Invest in time and energy now to ensure your website design is optimized for success. Contact a professional for a complimentary website review today!

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