It’s not easy to create a website that looks good and is functional. And if you don’t know what you’re doing, your web site could end up costing you customers instead of bringing them in. You need to avoid these 25 mistakes at all costs:
Lack of web design experience
Not having web design experience is a huge problem in the web industry. Unless you have web designers on your team, they will need to work closely with developers and content writers who are not web experts. This can lead to miscommunication that results in mistakes being made when building or updating your site which can cause it’s downfall quickly rather than growing steadily.
Ignoring web design trends
Just like in fashion, web design has trends that come and go. If your site looks outdated, people will assume your company is behind the times too. Make sure to use current web design trends to keep your site looking fresh and modern.
Not mobile friendly
A huge number of web users now search on their mobile devices. If your web site is not optimized for these users, you might as well just give up now because they will never visit your site to begin with.
Not using a web design company
It’s important that the web designers and developer work closely together when designing or updating a web site so there are no mistakes made along the way. If you attempt to build your web site on your own, there is a good chance that mistakes will be made and your web site will suffer because of it.
Not updating web content
It’s important to frequently update web content so visitors know that you are still in business and active even if they haven’t visited in months or years. If your web site looks outdated, then people may assume the worst about your company – especially when it comes to things like product availability or customer service.
Not using web analytics
If you’re not tracking how people are using your web site, then you’re flying blind and won’t know what’s working and what’s not. Make sure to use web analytics so you can make changes to improve your web site’s effectiveness.
Ignoring web design best practices
There are many web design experts who have experience and knowledge to share. Make sure you take advantage of their expertise, so your web site does not look unappealing or difficult to navigate for users which could cause them to leave without staying long enough to see what services you offer.
Slow hosting
If your web site is slow to load or it constantly goes down, people will not visit it again. Make sure you are using a good web hosting company that can provide you with the support you need so your web site is always up and running without any problems.
Making spelling mistakes in content
If there are spelling mistakes throughout your website’s content, then visitors might assume that this mistake has been made elsewhere which could cause them to question if other information provided by you is also incorrect. Make sure all written material is checked thoroughly before being published online. This includes any blog posts as well!
Bad user experience
A bad user experience can be caused by many things – from a web site that’s difficult to navigate to content that’s irrelevant to users. If people are not finding what they’re looking for on your web site or they don’t feel like your company understands their needs, they will leave and never come back.
Popups
Nobody likes popups. If you’re using them on your web site, you can guarantee that people will leave and never return. Keep in mind that web users are becoming savvier every day and they know how to close popups without even thinking about it.
Bad web design
The bottom line is this: if your web site looks bad, no one will want to visit it – period. Make sure you use good web design principles so your web site looks professional and inviting for web users.
Not updating web design for mobile devices
The web is being accessed more and more on mobile devices these days so it’s important that your web site looks good when viewed from a phone or tablet. If you don’t have the time to build an entirely new web site, make sure you are using responsive web design techniques which will allow your web content to appear correctly in different screen sizes without having to rebuild every page.
Using low quality images
Images need to load quickly since most people won’t wait very long before leaving if they’re waiting for pages to load with large images taking forever to download even with fast internet speeds. Make sure all of your images are high-quality JPEGs – no GIFs, PNGs or BMPs – and that they are optimized for web use.
Using Flash on web pages
Flash was once a popular web design technique, but it’s not used very often these days due to the fact that many web users do not have flash installed on their machines which means your web site will be severely limited in terms of how people can view content from your web site since some mobile devices don’t support it either.
Not building links into web page copywriting
In order for search engine robots to find important information on your web site, you need to make sure each page has unique meta tags and text with keywords where appropriate. Make sure all internal links include anchor text so bots know what words best describe the web page content.
Not checking web site links frequently
If you’re not regularly checking your web site for broken links, then there’s no way of knowing if important pages are permanently down or just linking to something that is temporarily unavailable which could cause a drop in web traffic and potential customers. Always check web sites after doing major changes so nothing gets overlooked and users don’t get frustrated with the experience they have on your web site!
Having a slow loading website
If your web site takes too long to load, people will leave without even bothering to look around. Make sure you have a good web hosting company that can provide you with the support you need so your web site is always up and running without any problems.
Using too much text
When web sites use too much text, it can be difficult to read and digest what they are saying which is a turn off for most web users. Make sure your web site does not contain more than two sentences per paragraph so readers stay engaged without getting bored or overwhelmed by all the information that’s being presented.
Lacking original content
It’s important to have web content that is original and engaging because web users are tired of reading the same old stuff. If your web site contains copied or plagiarized content, it will be easy for web users to tell and they will not stick around long enough to find out what else you have to offer.
Generic design
When web sites look generic, it’s difficult to stand out from the rest. Make sure your web site has a unique design that will help you stand out from the competition.
Poor web usability
If people can’t find what they are looking for on your web site or if it is difficult to navigate, they will leave and never come back. Make sure everything is easy to find and use so visitors have a positive experience while browsing through your web site.
Incorrect web content
People rely on web sites to be accurate and informative so they do not have to spend time digging up the information themselves. Make sure your web site’s text is 100% accurate and that all links work as promised or expected.
No email marketing strategy in place
Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to drive traffic back to your web site because people who receive promotional emails from companies tend to open them and click on web links. Make sure to have an email marketing strategy in place so you can boost web sales and revenue.
Not using web analytics
If you’re not tracking how people are using your web site, then you’re flying blind and won’t know what’s working and what’s not. Make sure to use web analytics so you can make changes to improve your web site’s effectiveness.
Don’t make mistakes
Remember these mistakes when designing or updating your web site – otherwise you could end up losing business rather than gaining it. For more information on creating an effective web site, contact Graticle today! (360) 450-3711
