5 Common Web Design Mistakes
When it comes to web design, it’s all too easy to make a mistake that can seriously impact your business. Whether you’ve already launched your site and are getting lost in a sea of competitors or have just decided it’s time for something new, check out these mistakes that small businesses often make. Avoid them and let us know what you think in the comments below!
01. Not having a clear purpose
If you don’t have a purpose, you’ll have a hard time achieving your goals. Your purpose is what brings your goals to life, it’s the reason you’re doing what you’re doing. It provides you with the motivation and inspiration to achieve your goals.
Even seemingly simple questions like: why do we exist and what do we do? or, why are we here? If these questions aren’t answered easily, go back and refer to your goals.
If your intention is to drive conversions or if your site is purely for advertising purposes. Make sure you pick the right objectives with the site you’re building.
02. Not focusing on customer experience
If you don’t pay attention to the customer experience, your business is going to fail. Today, it’s not enough to have a great product. You need to make sure that your customer has a great experience with that product. Too many small business owners forget about their visitors. Part of their job is managing the people who come to their sites, so they need to be good hosts. Just like in any relationship, if you don’t care for your guests, you’re never going to keep them long-term.
It’s particularly important to make sure your customers feel valued and that they have a delightful experience using your site. This means pairing a great product with great service. But, that’s not all. Here are a few other important necessities:
Whenever you see that a business or its representatives are not treating their visitors in a positive way, you have a few options:
- It’s easy to imagine the golden rule of marketing — make sure you’re hanging out with people who love you and your business. Too many people don’t seem to get this. Unfortunately, too many small business owners receive unsolicited emails from competitors asking them for a referral or sharing spam about products or services that make no sense for them or their customers. Don’t be that person!
- Pay attention to your marketing — Are you sharing the frequencies of your best practice campaigns with your email subscribers? Are you using a proven call to action that encourages them to take action? Are you showing your online customers pictures of your helpfulness and how it’s made a real difference for them? If not, take a good, hard look at what you’re doing.
- Build a great community — Do you have any online groups or communities that speak to the interests of your customers or community members? Are you creating something specifically for them? What sort of content can you create to foster that sort of online community? Think about it
03. Relying on outdated technology
When it comes to a website, you don’t want to rely on a technology that’s 20 years old. While it’s true there are always new platforms to try.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with an array of different platforms when designing a website. Even with fewer resources, there are still companies out there that can use innovative techniques to get their message across.
04. Failing to optimize your site for mobile devices
If you don’t have a mobile-friendly website, not only are you going to lose out on a lot of traffic, but you could be penalized or even banned from Google, which could tank your business.
I get emails all the time from small businesses asking about their website’s mobile-friendliness. While the answer to this is generally yes, it’s not as simple as clicking a button and having it work properly. The good news is that most small businesses who are worried about getting a bad ranking have the same basic steps as yours truly.
Running a website is only part of the process. The other pieces include the fact that you must have a decent social media presence as well as keyword tools to be effective.
05. Using confusing navigation
Frustrating navigation can turn users away from a site quickly, especially if they’re looking for something specific. This is especially true on e-commerce sites where users are looking to make a purchase. Make sure your navigation is clear and easy to understand.
” Running a website is only part of the process. The other pieces include the fact that you must have a decent social media presence as well as keyword tools to be effective. “
