Websites have been around for years, and it may seem that some mistakes should never repeat again. However, a simple search on Google may reveal dozens of sites that ignore some basic rules of proper website design.
Here’s a list of web design errors to get rid of:
Texts organized in long blogs. Firstly, this is boring to read. Don’t wonder that you have a high bounce rate when you put so much effort in your article creation. A brilliant article is not enough to keep your visitors reading! You have to make it easy to read. Split it up into several blocks of 4-5 lines each one and use subheadings, bold, italics.
Create separate pages for each topic on your website. It’s easier to read and target a certain type of visitors. Don’t mix them all together just to have larger pieces of content.
Keep images to minimum. One or two are enough for a page, adding more than increases the site load time. Google do prefer sites that load fast, so do not add images just for the sake of it. Instead, use the ones that are really important for what you are saying.
There are different tools that help you to compress and resize your photos. Just do a search on Google. Also, use this tool to check your web page load time to make sure it’s within recommended limits.
Background music. This feature time is long gone. No one should add background music that starts immediately someone access your page. This is really ANNOYING and totally outdated. A professional web designer will never use it.
No “Contact us” page. Giving your visitors a clear and fast way to get in touch with you should be your first concern. Searching for contact us page and not founding it is not only unpleasant but raise an untrusting flag for you services or products. Whether this is contact page or chat window, make sure they are visible and easy to reach.
Controversial color choice. It’s appealing to use a larger color palette on your website, but also very dangerous. If there’s not enough contrast between them or use too much of one color, then your visitors will leave the page quickly. Stick to 2-3 colors representative for you product or service, and design your website and identity elements with them in mind.
Too many Social Media Buttons. Whether you like it or not, most people do not know all those 15 or 20 networks you added on your site. Even though sharing is very important, don’t fall into the trap of adding all these icons on web page. The basics to include are Facebook, Twitter, G+ and LinkedIn. Consider adding others based on your service type (Instagram, Pinterest, Youtube, etc).
Conclusion
When planning a website design or redesign think about your visitors. What they would like to find on your page, how to make information easy to read and find, how to avoid annoying moments – this is all about proper web design. Don’t run for flashy designs to impress your users. Give them what they really need in the best form ever and they will reward you for this.
Are you a web designer? Add yours most annoying site design mistakes in the comments below!
Thank you for this enlightening article. I am in the very beginning of my career in web design and am glad to read this! Very helpful.