Sometimes you find a website that is just a bit too much. These sites are often too bright, too dark, too loud or just a bit off-putting which makes you want to leave as soon as it’s loaded.
Here we go through some of the top website design mistakes that you should avoid at all costs. Whether you built your website yourself or hired somebody to do it for you, take a look at our list and see if your website has any of these eyesores that will make even the most loyal customer run away.
Stop The Blinking!
Nothing is worse than trying to read a blog post and you’re just being distracted by a piece of blinking text or a blinking image. These sorts of graphics are simply annoying and look absolutely desperate on the page. Nothing screams ‘please notice me’ in all the wrong ways more than a flashing piece of text. It doesn’t look good and should definitely be avoided.
No Busy Backgrounds
Everybody loves a good background and they help give your customers a feel for your business and your brand. A good background needs to be appealing to look at and easy on the eye. It’s important to choose a colour or patterned background that will work well with the text and imagery you have displayed on your website.
You should avoid distracting backgrounds as this will make it hard to read the text on your site. Avoid matching the colour of your background to your text as this will make your text impossible to read and try to not use too many bright colours in your background as this will make your website difficult to look at.
Don’t Overdo The Fonts & Colours
When it comes to fonts and colours you don’t want to have too many flooding your website. It’s important to keep it down to a select few and make it consistent throughout the site. Your website displays your professionalism and holds a lot of your credibility online. That’s why it’s not a good idea to tarnish it with an overload of tacky fonts and colours.
Try to pick fonts and colours that compliment your brand and work well with the colour of your background. Having numerous fonts throughout your website can be confusing for your visitors.
If you change up your font and colour too much you could overwhelm and confuse your audience which will lead to them leaving your site sooner than later.
Quantity is definitely not quality in this case and you should aim to have at maximum two or three fonts and colours on your website. Make sure the colours complement each other and aren’t too bright for the eye.
Use easy to read fonts so that your website is as legible as possible and the user has no problem reading your content.
Where’s The Focal Point?
Not having a focal point, a clear focal point or having too many focal points on your website will only confuse your visitors and cause them to run as fast as they can away from your site.
A focal point is a highly important part of a page and should be the most dominant part of your page. It focuses your visitors on taking an intended action. This could be to buy your product, download some free content or schedule an appointment with you.
You should make sure your focal point is crystal clear and is tied into an easy-to-read call to action.
Text Size Is Important
The size of your text might not seem important but it’s essential. If your font is too small then it is difficult to read, if your text is too large then it is annoying to read and if your text is in all caps then why did you even bother to type it.
There is no need to cover a page in bold text or italicize every word you think is important, unless it’s a hyperlink, leave it alone it’s perfect the way it is.
Is It Mobile Friendly?
Your website shouldn’t just look good on a desktop or a laptop it should look good on any device your visitor is using. This includes smartphones, tablets and any other device you can think of.
People are always using their phones to surf the web and if your site isn’t mobile-friendly then they’re less likely to stay for a browse. It’s important for your business to be mobile-friendly, it doesn’t only help your potential clients but also helps increase your search engine rankings.
Products that have a higher number of reviews, with responses, will bring in more traffic and attract more customers.
Outdated & Boring
You need to update your website regularly. There is no point in building something, launching it and then the only time you post a blog is on day one. This doesn’t sit well with search engines and it won’t sit well with your customers either. They both want to see new content and to be reassured that effort is still going into your company.
It is also important to note that keeping references to older posts (like a promotion from 2010) definitely isn’t good for business. Customers want the latest information about all of your products and services. They want to know about your company and all of the recent achievements you’ve accomplished.
Uncontactable
Customers need to contact you. Whether this is by phone, fax or email they need to be able to send you questions, ring about concerns and trust that you’re a reputable business. It is important to have your contact details listed on your website and for them to be clearly visible. It’s not a game of hiding and seeks and customers shouldn’t have to spend hours trying to locate your email. It’s the primary piece of information a visitor will look for so make it easy for them.
No Sing Songs
You may think your jingle is catchy, cute and adds a bit of pizzazz to your website – but in reality, it’s just annoying. There aren’t many people who enjoy automatic music on websites and it’s even more frustrating when you can’t turn it off. So if you’re in the humour to play some music make sure it’s consistent and give the option to pause it.
Does your website have any of these design mistakes in it? If it does and you’re looking to shake things up a bit, get in contact with us to fix your website woes.
At Ireland Website Design, we can provide you with everything you need. If you’re concerned about your website design standards then leave it to us, we can get your website up to scratch and avoid hitting any eyesores along the way! Get in touch today and let’s see how your website can be improved.
