15 Common Website Errors Many Businesses Make!

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Many business owners make website mistakes that cost them potential customers, lost sales, and reduced revenue. Learn how to avoid these errors.

15 Common Website Errors Many Businesses Make!

 

Common Website Errors That Cost You Customers and Money!

In 2021 having a website that captures a user’s attention and converts them into loyal customers isn’t an option. It’s a necessity. A poorly designed site can cause your business to lose customers and, ultimately, money. Unfortunately, many websites suffer from one or more of these common website errors.

For many small business owners, the thought of hiring a professional web design agency seems out of reach or overly expensive. Therefore they consider DIY options or cheap, lower-quality alternatives. For many more prominent and established companies, their ideas about what constitutes a good website might get in the way of their success.

A well-designed website is a valuable investment that will generate revenue for your business. Many people say they won’t explore a site if they find it unattractive. Suppose you have not updated your website in a while. In that case, your web design could unintentionally be hurting your business by turning people away at the door.

If it’s time for you to build a new website or refresh your existing website, we’ve put together a list of 15 common website errors and how to avoid them. Follow these recommendations as you build or update your site.

 

15 Common Website Errors

 

1. Planning

  • Don’t just start building your website.

Starting to design and build your new website or e-commerce store without a plan is bound to lead to failure. Your online presence represents a significant business investment, and you must treat it the same. After all, you would not lease the first available office or storefront without considering other options. Be sure to evaluate different website options to determine which best suits your business needs.

  • Do plan ahead.

Most websites are not static but evolve as a business grows. Determine what you need to establish your online presence and how you will develop and maintain it over time. Make sure you can scale and update your website without requiring a costly and time-consuming redesign.

 

2. Mobile Optimization

  • Don’t forget to optimize for mobile.

61% of users will never return to a website that is not mobile-friendly. More people are browsing and shopping on mobile devices, and they expect websites to provide an excellent mobile experience. Invest in responsive or mobile-first design, so you don’t miss customers during crucial moments.

  • Do test for functionality.

It’s not enough for your website to look good on mobile—it needs to be fully functional as well. Give your mobile users the tools to get things done, such as product search, store locators, service details, and more. If you can seize these opportunities, you won’t lose customers who are searching on the go.

 

3. Usability

  • Don’t overlook thumb-driven design.

Don’t forget that mobile users are navigating without a mouse and keyboard. When they hold a phone, it’s with the fingers cradling the back of the phone and the thumbs doing all the work. For best usability, make sure all elements are within easy thumb reach and consider moving navigation and other critical components to the bottom of the screen on mobile devices.

  • Do use large, tappable buttons.

Remember that mobile users are on touch screens and tap clicks are not as accurate as mouse clicks. For the best possible user experience, be sure to design your page with mobile users in mind by making clickable elements large enough on all devices. This practice will ensure you retain a mobile-friendly website experience.

 

4. User Expectations

  • Don’t ignore your users.

Always keep your target audience in mind. Your point-of-view, as a professional, might be very different from that of the user. Pretend you’re visiting your website with fresh eyes. Walk through the user’s journey as they explore other pages. Focusing on this experience will help you create a user-friendly website.

  • Do optimize for search.

Websites that don’t rank well on Google and other search engines have very little chance of breaking through the noise. As you update your website and add new pages, make sure you follow the most recent SEO guidelines. Your page titles, meta descriptions, and content are all crucial elements for driving better search signals.

 

5. Conventions

  • Don’t ignore the power of convention.

People are used to specific structures and formats on the web. This familiarity makes it easier for the brain to absorb content and make decisions. Your visitors shouldn’t have to be detectives to figure out who you are and what you offer. The power of traditional web design is that users will understand what your website is about with a single glance.

  • Do be creative & unique.

Still, you do want your brand to stand out from the crowd. Be creative, and use elements that make your site unique without disrupting the flow of information. Whether you experiment with moving images, video, or other design elements, try different things and monitor the results. You might be surprised what works.

 

6. Layout

  • Don’t create a cluttered layout.

Have you seen websites that look like rows of boxes? Everything is different sizes and arranged haphazardly, like some crazy collage. Would you spend more than two seconds sorting through it? Probably not. That’s because cluttered websites are visually confusing; the viewer doesn’t know where to direct their attention. A well-organized layout, on the other hand, guides the viewer where you want them to go.

  • Do create a focal point.

So, where do you want your visitors to go? It depends on the purpose of your website. An e-commerce site will drive visitors to purchase, while a SaaS site might drive visitors towards a demo or a free trial. Whatever purpose your website serves, make it the focal point of your homepage.

 

7. Navigation

  • Don’t make it hard for users to find what they need.

Everything on your website should be easily searchable. Whether it’s the sign-up form, the “About Us” page, or your contact information, readers should not have to spend more than a few seconds finding it. To make things even easier, include a search box to help visitors find other content that doesn’t align with the page’s primary focus.

  • Do set up proper navigation.

If your site requires users to sign up, use colors to make the navigation simple. For instance, if your navigation headers are blue, make your sign-up button green or some other color. Organize your content into categories that users can browse if they like. You can also organize content on various hub pages.

 

8. Colors

  • Don’t use all the colors.

Using too many colors will make your website design clash. Colors have a strong psychological impact, and they will affect a viewer’s opinion of your brand. If you’re unsure how many colors to use, the rule of thumb says your design should not use more than three colors. If you’re working with a brand palette, you might be able to use more, as long as you balance them well.

  • Do use color combinations that enhance your content.

Your website’s colors should reflect the brand, complement the content, and visually delight viewers. Avoid selecting random colors just based on what you like. Instead, think about the brand and its users. Suppose you have a primary color but don’t know how to make color schemes. In that case, you can use an automatic color scheme generator to help fill out your color palette.

 

9. Fonts

  • Don’t use too many fonts.

A website that uses five different fonts loses users in seconds because it takes too much effort to read. Too many fonts on the screen can make a website look chaotic and unprofessional. The ideal number of fonts is three: one for primary headings, another for sub-headings, and the third for the body text.

  • Do select suitable font sizes.

Font size has a significant impact on legibility. It’s essential that they’re neither too big (taking up half the page) nor too small (uncomfortable to read). The sizes of your fonts should reflect the importance of each element. For example, section titles and taglines are more significant than the body text, so they’re bigger. This hierarchy helps readers scan the content, too.

 

10. Text

  • Don’t fill the page with long paragraphs.

Just like the layout, you don’t want to clutter the design with text. If you have long-form content on the website, create a clean, spacious design that divides the content into readable chunks. You can do that by adding ample white space, using images, and creating a better flow.

  • Do make it easily scannable.

If your pages are easy to scan, you have a better chance of luring readers to the bottom. Attention spans are short online, but if you can make your content easy to absorb, readers will get more value from it. In addition to high-quality writing, use headings, bullets, quotes, and blocks to emphasize the essentials.

 

11. Simplicity

  • Don’t use industry jargon.

Some businesses want to show off their expertise by using industry jargon or buzzwords. They forget that their target audience is not in the same industry. Instead of impressing their website visitors, they overwhelm them with incomprehensible mumbo jumbo, causing potential customers to look elsewhere.

  • Do keep it simple.

Create accessible writing for your users. Simple, straightforward, and easy to understand language will get you a long way. Think about what your visitors need or want to know. Direct your copy toward speaking to their interests more than your own.

 

12. Images

  • Don’t use too many images.

Too many images will crowd out your message, so use them sparingly and impactfully. Remember, search engines can’t read pictures very well, so don’t rely on them to convey text. If you’re using a background image, keep it under 1 MB. Large images slow down your site’s loading time.

  • Do make it visually attractive.

People think visually, which is why images are so compelling. Feel free to use images in your web design, but find visually attractive, high resolution, and not pixelated images. Make sure the images you use reflect your brand’s personality. Don’t forget that you can also use textures and gradients to add visual appeal.

 

13. Testing

  • Don’t forget to take it for a test drive.

Once you’re done designing the site, test it to make sure everything is working correctly. Use multiple devices to navigate your website and see if it’s doing what it’s supposed to do. A user’s experience can vary depending on device type, internet browser, and location. Try to recreate different scenarios so you can catch any bugs or performance issues before they do.

  • Do think like a business owner.

A successful web designer needs to think like a business owner as well as an artist. This focus will help you view the website with your business strategy in mind. Critical evaluation will help you create a well-designed site that meets user expectations and supports your business objectives.

 

14. Hosting

  • Don’t go for the cheapest option.

Many business owners select their website hosting provider based on cost alone. While this is tempting, it also puts your website at risk. Cut-rate service providers achieve profitability through scale; they host thousands of websites on shared servers. This practice degrades both performance and security for every site hosted by them.

  • Do choose reliable and secure hosting.

Just as not all websites are the same, neither are all hosting options and providers equal. There are several different hosting options and many reliable hosting providers. Which combination is best for you depends on your website and your business requirements. Be sure to select a hosting plan and provider that offers everything you need to secure and maintain your online presence.

 

15. Updates

  • Don’t just launch your website and forget about it.

Many business owners launch their website and then seemingly forget about it. As CMS and third-party extensions are updated, this can reduce performance and limit functionality over time. Outdated websites are also tempting targets for hackers looking to exploit security flaws.

  • Do make regular backups and updates.

You can do several things to keep your website or e-commerce store updated, secure, and optimized. At the very least, you should make regular backups and keep your CMS and plugins updated. Many web design agencies offer support and maintenance plans that take care of this for you.

 

Fixing Common Website Errors

Making any of these common website errors on your website can have lasting impacts on the long-term health of your business. At the least, you will not provide the user experience demanding consumers expect. At worst, you will cause your website visitors to abandon your site, never to return.

Therefore, you must eliminate any common website mistakes on your website or online store as quickly as possible. We provided you with some easy-to-follow suggestions.

Of course, you can save yourself a lot of time and trouble and have our team fix any errors or shortcomings on your website for you.

Here at PixoLabo, we offer a full range of business website consulting and WordPress web design services, including website design and development, e-commerce solutions, search engine optimization, and WordPress optimization.

 

Any Questions?

And if you are still not sure how to eliminate common website errors, let’s talk. We will listen to your concerns, answer your questions, and help you establish and grow the online presence your business needs!

Do you have any other website errors you would like us to add to our list? Feel free to add your comments below so our audience can benefit and grab our feed, so you don’t miss our next post! And feel free to share our tips for eliminating common website errors with your audience!

 

Thank you! We appreciate your help to end bad business websites, one pixel at a time!

 

By PixoLabo
A Next-Generation Web Design Agency
@PixoLabo