Designers have to consider a number of factors while designing a website. Several things can go wrong while trying to choose the elements and arranging them on a web page. These mistakes can make the website difficult for users to navigate, resulting in a bad experience.
Visitors would not be able to connect with the brand or trust enough to convert. It can also increase the bounce rate and other metrics affecting search engine ranking.
One of the easiest ways to get a well-designed website is to hand over the job to professional designers. They can ensure the website meets all the business requirements and operates smoothly for a pleasant web browsing experience. But if you wish to try designing your website yourself, make sure that you avoid these common mistakes.
Cluttering the Website
Adding too many elements to the pages is one of the most common website design mistakes. That is why it is necessary to read and understand the basic principles of web designing before you get started.
Always start by chalking out an initial idea of the business objectives you want to achieve from your website. There is a plethora of web designing software and tools available these days that offer a wide range of functionalities. The vast range of options available can make you feel overwhelmed, especially if you do not have enough experience.
It is best to avoid complicated designs that can overload your visitors with animations and videos. Also, stay clear of themes with cluttered pages and hectic navigation bars. Try to avoid adding too many extra elements on your website pages that can make your visitor feel perplexed. If you cannot explain the purpose of a feature on your page, it should not be there.
Rushing to the Computer
Most business owners and amateur web designers rush to their computers to start designing a website. Even though the website will eventually function on a computer or a mobile phone, the designing process should always begin manually. It is necessary to use traditional methods when you start designing your website before you turn to software.
Professional website designers like Sites by Sara would always tell you that the designing process should start with a pencil and paper. As we mentioned before, the first step should be to write a list of objectives that you wish to accomplish from your website. That way, you will be able to focus on designing your pages to achieve those objectives.
The process allows you to identify design redundancies so you can streamline your website structure and navigation. Most business owners think that web designers charge too much just because they know how to use web designing platforms or tools.
However, it is the manual process of designing that takes most of their time and effort. They know how to structure a website properly and see it from a visitor’s point of view even before they touch a computer.
Ignoring the Grids and Guidelines
The next step should be to build templates for each page of your website. Almost every website building tool or platform comes with options to set up grids and guidelines. They are the core structural elements crucial for arranging the visual elements of any webpage.
Even if the grids and guidelines are not visible on the web page, they should still form the underlying framework to guide the elements proportionally. You can imagine them and split your page horizontally and vertically, so you can maintain the alignment between various features.
Missing Out on Visual Hierarchy
The visual hierarchy of a website may seem a bit complex to web designers, especially amateurs. You can think of it as the process of arranging elements on a web page according to their importance so visitors can reach the desired action. The absence of a visual hierarchy can make all the design features start fighting for a user’s attention and prove confusing.
It can lead to inefficient guidance towards the CTA features, which can result in lower conversions. Therefore, you need to think carefully from a visitor’s perspective to create an optimal visual hierarchy. Conducting UX research can provide you ideas for creating an intuitive and seamlessly visible flow on your website pages.
Forgetting About Accessibility
Website accessibility is not just a moral issue but also a legal requirement. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), all websites should be accessible to people with disabilities. Overlooking website accessibility can attract expensive lawsuits.
Note that almost 20% of the American population live with disabilities of one form or another. Ignoring the accessibility of your website means you are ready to lose out on a significant market segment. On the other hand, making your website design accessible allows you to attract people with disabilities, as well as communities that support their cause.
There are several ways to optimize the accessibility of your website, but the best way is to implement it at the designing stage. Improving the accessibility of a website also enhances the user experience. Moreover, the accessibility techniques can improve your website ranking because most of them coincide with search engine optimization.
We hope this list can get you started on designing a better website to suit your business objectives. Do not forget to implement all of these aspects for the mobile version of your website as well. And if you are unsure, hire a professional website designing company to ensure the best results.
