6 Web Design Mistakes And How To Avoid Them

So you’re building your website, a particular spot on the internet that’s all yours. It’s exciting, right? But, just like setting up a real-life shop, there are a few slip-ups that can turn your excellent website into a bit of a headache for visitors. 

Let’s dive into common web design mistakes – from websites that don’t play nice with phones to menus that leave people scratching their heads, and the overuse of complex or overly elaborate design elements that can overwhelm users. 

These mistakes not only detract from the user experience but can also negatively impact a website’s effectiveness and accessibility. Addressing these issues is key to creating a website that is both user-friendly and successful in achieving its online goals.

1. Overlooking Mobile Responsiveness

In our increasingly mobile-first world, a website that doesn’t perform flawlessly across various mobile devices risks losing a significant portion of its audience. Mobile users expect a seamless experience similar to desktops. 

Responsive design refers to creating websites that function equally well on both desktop and mobile devices. This approach ensures that your site’s content, images, and structure adjust seamlessly to different screen sizes, from the smallest smartphone to the largest desktop monitor.

A non-responsive design, on the other hand, leads to numerous issues. Websites not optimised for mobile devices can result in difficult navigation, misaligned content, and a generally frustrating user experience. Since mobile devices often have slower internet connections, optimising for speed is essential to accommodate this shift.

To avoid the pitfalls of non-responsive design and effectively apply responsive design principles, consider the following steps:

1. Start with Mobile in Mind: Design your website’s layout and content to function flawlessly on mobile screens first, then scale up to accommodate larger screens to make them visually appealing.
2. Optimise for Speed: Mobile users expect quick loading times. Compress images, utilise browser caching, and minimise the use of large, complex scripts to ensure your site loads swiftly on mobile devices.
3. Ensure Touch-Friendly Navigation: Make all interactive elements like links and buttons easy to tap. Incorporate mobile-specific functionalities such as swipe gestures to enhance usability.
4. Fluid Layouts and Flexible Images: Use fluid grid layouts that adapt to the user’s screen size. Ensure images are flexible and can resize without losing quality to fit various screen dimensions.
5. Test Across Devices: Regularly test your website on multiple devices and browsers to ensure consistent performance and appearance.

By prioritising responsive design, you ensure your website provides quality experience across all devices, which is not just a preference but a necessity in the mobile-first world.

2. Having Complicated Navigation

Website navigation serves as the guiding framework for a user’s journey through a website. It encompasses various elements that work together to help users find information and navigate a site with ease. Key components of website navigation include:

• Static Main Menu: This is typically a consistent menu bar that appears across all pages, offering direct access to major sections of the website.
• Dropdown Menus: These expand from the static main menu, providing additional options and helping users delve deeper into the site’s content.
• Breadcrumbs: These are navigational aids that show users their current location on the site and the path they’ve taken to get there, making it easier to backtrack if necessary.
• URL Slugs: These are the readable parts of the URL, which can indicate to users where they are on the site and how to navigate to related sections.

Your website’s navigation is its roadmap. Users want to find information quickly and easily, so they’re less likely to explore the website fully if they struggle to navigate. This eventually led to lower engagement and missed opportunities. 

Poor navigation can negatively affect your site’s SEO. Search engines favour sites with precise, logical navigation as it helps them understand and index the site’s content effectively.

To avoid poor navigation, organise your navigation menu by grouping related topics or services together. For instance, if you have a clothing website, group items like ‘Men’s Wear’, ‘Women’s Wear’, and ‘Kids’ Wear’ under a common category like ‘Clothing’.

You may also want to identify the most frequently sought information or pages on your site, and ensure these are prominently placed in your navigation. If most visitors come to your site for product pricing, for example, have a clearly visible ‘Pricing’ tab in your main menu.

A rule of thumb is to have at least these six main components of a web design:

• About Us: Valuable information about the company, organisation, or individual, including history, values, and team members.
• Services or Products: Detailed sections listing the services offered or products available, sometimes broken down into subcategories.
• Blog or News: A section for articles, updates, news, or educational content relevant to the site’s focus.
• FAQ or Support: A place where users can find answers to common questions or seek help for specific issues.
• Contact: Information on how to get in touch, including contact forms, email addresses, phone numbers, and possibly a physical address.
• Testimonials or Portfolio: Showcasing customer reviews, case studies, or examples of previous work, depending on the nature of the business or organisation.

Keep your navigation consistent across all pages. Changing the layout can confuse users and make finding information harder.

3. Ignoring Website Load Speed

A slow website is an immediate turnoff for users. Factors like unoptimised images, excessive use of JavaScript, and lack of content delivery networks (CDNs) can drastically slow down your site. Search engines, especially Google, use site speed as a ranking factor. 

Slower websites may appear lower in search results, reducing visibility. For e-commerce and business websites, load speed can directly affect conversion rates. A fast-loading site encourages users to complete purchases or sign-up processes.

Large images are one of the primary causes of slow loading times. Compress images and use appropriate file formats like JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP, and WebP that provide high-quality images at smaller file sizes. 

Each element on a page (like images, scripts, and CSS files) requires an HTTP request to load. Reduce the number of elements on your page to minimise these requests. You can achieve this by doing these steps:

1. Minify JavaScript and CSS Files: Minification removes all unnecessary characters (like spaces, line breaks, and comments) from the source code without affecting its performance. This allows smaller file sizes and faster load times.
2. Combine Files: Whenever possible, combine multiple JavaScript or CSS files into single files. It cuts the number of HTTP requests needed to load the page, significantly speeding up load times.
3. Use Asynchronous or Deferred Loading for JavaScript: Asynchronous loading allows JavaScript files to load simultaneously with the rest of the page, while deferred loading postpones the loading of JavaScript until after the rest of the page has loaded. Both methods can prevent JavaScript from blocking the rendering of the page.
4. Optimise CSS Delivery: Identify and directly inline critical “above-the-fold” CSS into the HTML. This ensures that the content visible to the user when the page first loads is styled immediately, while the rest of the CSS can load in the background.
5. Leverage Browser Caching: Set appropriate caching headers for your CSS and JavaScript files so that returning visitors will have them stored in their browser cache. This reduces load times on subsequent visits.
6. Use Content Delivery Networks (CDNs): Host your CSS and JavaScript files on a CDN. CDNs distribute your content across multiple servers worldwide, ensuring that your files are loaded from the server closest to the user, reducing load times.
7. Prioritise Loading of Essential Scripts: Identify which scripts are essential for the initial page rendering and load them first. Non-essential scripts can be loaded after the page has loaded.
8. Remove or Replace Unnecessary Plugins: Each plugin can add CSS and JavaScript files to your site. Review your plugins and remove any unnecessary ones or replace them with more efficient alternatives.

4. Overusing Pop-Ups

A pop-up is a form of online advertising that appears in a separate window or a box within a web browser, overlaying the content of a website. These pop-ups can show up by various actions, such as when a user first arrives at a webpage, after a set time interval, when scrolling, or when attempting to leave the site.

Pop-up windows provide immediate assistance or feedback, making the website more interactive and user-friendly. This can be particularly beneficial in e-commerce sites or service-based websites where instant communication can lead to better customer service and increased sales. 

Pop-ups can be effective but often overused, irritating users significantly if they obstruct content or are challenging to dismiss. Pop-ups can be particularly disruptive on mobile devices due to the smaller screen size, often leading to accidental clicks or difficulty closing them.

Search engines like Google may penalise websites that use intrusive interstitials which block a significant portion of the content and disrupt the user experience, particularly on mobile devices, especially on mobile, as they consider it a negative factor for seamless user experience. 

Avoid using multiple pop-ups that can overwhelm the user and just reserve it for important messages or calls to action.

Make sure your pop-ups can be quickly closed with a clear and visible close button, particularly on mobile devices. Tailor the timing and content of your pop-ups based on user behaviour. 

For example, a good use of pop-ups are exit-intent pop-ups. They can be effective in stopping a visitor to leave as they appear when a user is about to exit the site rather than interrupting their browsing.

5. Poor Color Scheme And Typography Choices

Visual design is crucial in web design. Choose a colour palette that aligns with your brand identity and is accessible to all users. Inappropriate colour contrasts and font choices can make content difficult to read, especially for visually impaired users. 

Moreover, colours and fonts that clash or don’t align with the brand’s identity can create a jarring experience for users, diminishing the professional look and feel of the website. Similarly, colours and typography that don’t reflect the brand’s values and message can lead to a disconnect in the user’s perception of the brand.

Select colours that complement each other to avoid one of the biggest web design mistakes. Use tools like Adobe Color to create a balanced colour scheme, and don’t forget to consider your brand identity plus the emotions you want to evoke in your audience.

You may also use different font sizes, weights, and styles to create a visual hierarchy, making it easier for users to navigate through your content.

Select colours that not only complement each other but also align with your brand identity. Colours play a crucial role in conveying your brand’s personality and values. Use tools like Adobe Color to craft a balanced and harmonious colour scheme.

You can also use varying font sizes, weights, and styles to establish a clear visual hierarchy. Larger, bolder fonts can be used for headings to capture attention, while smaller, lighter fonts work well for body text. Consistency in font choices across your website helps maintain a cohesive look.

6. Lack Of Clear Calls-To-Action (CTAs)

One crucial web design mistake to make is not having a Call-To-Action (CTA). CTAs are the guiding lights for user action on your site. Each page should have a clear, compelling CTA that aligns with your business goals. Lack of these cues can leave users feeling lost or unsure about how to proceed.

Use concise, action-oriented language communicating what website visitors can expect when they click. Phrases like “Sign Up Free,” “Download Now,” or “Get Started” are direct and effective. Place CTAs where they are most relevant and where users are most likely to take action. 

Typical placements include above the fold, which is the content visible on the upper part of the page, at the end of content sections and within the navigation menu. This area is given special importance as it’s the first section that catches the reader’s eye. Keep the design of your CTAs consistent throughout your website. 

Conclusion On Web Design Mistakes

Your website is like the digital face of your fantastic ideas or business. The more appealing it is, the more engagements you’ll receive.

By steering clear of these common web design mistakes, you’re on your way to making a website that’s not just a bunch of pages but a delightful place for everyone who visits.

These tips are your secret ingredients, whether you’re sprucing up what you have or starting fresh. Now, create a website everyone will love visiting – where every click brings you precisely what you need!

Best Marketing Agency excels in enhancing your online presence through a comprehensive suite of web solutions. We specialise in a wide array of digital marketing services including Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Content Marketing, Social Media Marketing, and Search Engine Marketing (SEM). Contact us today! 

Frequently Asked Questions About Web Design Mistakes

Are Pop-Ups Always Bad For Web Design?

Not necessarily. Pop-ups can be effective for lead generation or important notifications when used sparingly and designed to be non-intrusive and easily dismissible. The key is to balance their use without disrupting the user experience.

Can Making These Web Design Mistakes Affect My Website’s SEO?

Several of these mistakes, such as ignoring mobile responsiveness and slow page load time, can negatively impact SEO. Search engines prioritise user-friendly sites with fast load times and responsive design.

How Often Should I Update My Website To Avoid These Mistakes?

Regular updates are recommended to keep up with evolving web standards and user expectations. This includes updating content, checking mobile responsiveness, and optimising load speed.

Can I Fix These Mistakes On My Existing Website, Or Do I Need A Complete Redesign?

Many of these mistakes can be fixed with updates to your existing website. However, a complete redesign may be more effective in some cases, especially with outdated designs or severe usability issues.