Common Web Design Mistakes

Every business owner loves to hear that it’s possible that their new website might bear a flaw. The good news is that most common web design mistakes are easy to fix. But if they’re fixable, why do website owners make the same mistakes over and over again? Luckily, you don’t have to be one of them. In no particular order, here are few things to avoid when building a new website:

Using PDF for documents. PDF files are great in so many ways. Unfortunately, many people still do not have the software to easily view PDF files. When surfing the internet, coming across a PDF file that they can’t open is frustrating. Try to avoid PDFs if at all possible.

Flash animation. Visual stimulation is fun and it makes your site look fancy. But if visitors can’t experience the animation, your site seems incomplete. If you can’t display animation in a way that people can view, skip it all together.

Horizontal scrolling. Your site should have the ability to adjust to the size of the user’s monitor, no matter what the size. If your viewer has to use horizontal scrolling to fully view your site, they aren’t likely to stay around for any length of time.

No contact or company information. If your visitors can’t get in touch with you, they won’t buy from you. It’s hard to imagine that businesses would fail to post contact information to their site, but it happens. Be sure that your contact info is posted and easy to find.

Bad copy. Website copy is short and to the point. It should be written in short sentences and bullets, not long-winded paragraphs. Make sure your copy is in web-style format and that it addresses customers’ questions and concerns right at the start.

Bad font. There are lots of cool, unique fonts out there. But you don’t want to make your visitors’ eyes hurt. Use a simple, clean font that’s easy to read. Also, try to keep the font consistent without using too many different fonts and styles on the same page.

Crowded pages. Make it easy for visitors to find information they need and read it quickly. In an effort to make web pages look funky and stimulating, they can end up crowded with text, pictures, and graphics only to look cluttered and over done. Keep web pages clean, simple, and clearly labeled.

Browser compatibility. Once upon a time, everyone used Explorer. These days, Safari, Firefox, and other browsers are becoming more and more popular. Make sure that your website is compatible with other popular browsers so that everyone can view your site.

Incomplete pages. There’s nothing more frustrating the landing on a page that says ‘under construction.’ Only load pages that have complete content and are fully functional and ready to go. Incomplete pages send the message that your website is not a priority.

Because almost every business out there has a website, there’s lots of competition on the web. In order to compete, it’s important to ensure that your website is everything it should be. Take the time to ensure that common website mistakes aren’t plaguing the success of your website.

 

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