Having a custom website built for your business is an often expensive investment and, understandably, you’re going to want to get your money’s worth.
This is why you must have a well-thought-out strategy and plan for every component of your website. In this article, I will walk you through the six most common mistakes you’ll want to avoid for your custom web design project.
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Too Much Going on
Investing in a professional website design is really exciting. There are so many important elements to consider and endless opportunities to promote your products and services.
A big mistake you’ll want to avoid is getting a little too excited with the amount of content, design, and bells and whistles you add to your web pages.
Often less is more when it comes to the design and content that goes on your website. Otherwise, you risk overwhelming website visitors and increasing your bounce rate. Below is an unfortunate example of a website that has way too much going on.
Too Little Going on
On the contrary, not having enough going on can be just as bad. You’ll want to put yourself in the user’s shoes and understand exactly what they are hoping to achieve when they go to your website.
Typically, this involves one of three things: they want to learn something, they want to do something, or they want to find something. When designing the website and creating the content for your custom website, be sure to work that knowledge around your product or service so that the users find value in their visit to your page.
No CTA/Unclear CTA
A CTA, otherwise known as call-to-action, is the gateway to your business. When planning the content and design of your website you’ll want to do it in a way that will entice a person to perform a specific action.
For example, on a product page, you’ll often find CTA buttons with ‘buy now’ or ‘click here to learn more’. Without a clear CTA, there will likely be a higher bounce rate which isn’t ideal if the success of your website depends on users going to more than one page.
Keep in mind that a clear CTA is nothing without great content, so make sure you take steps toward creating quality content for your website.
Not Disability Friendly
Being inclusive is good for business, and in some places, it might help you prevent an unwanted lawsuit. In Ontario, Canada, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act is a law that enforces accessibility standards across businesses, non-profits, and public sector organizations.
If your website isn’t accessible by people with disabilities, such as people with visual impairment or hearing impairment, it can lead to penalties, fines, and potentially a lawsuit from a frustrated user. Below are some steps you can take to ensure that your website is user friendly for those with disabilities:
- Add Images with alt text
- Allow users to enlarge font sizes
- Use headings correctly
- Be mindful of color and contrast
- Make Videos and multimedia accessible
- Use descriptive URLs
Not Designed for All Devices
Mobile accounts for about half of the web traffic worldwide. According to research by Statista, in 2021 mobile devices accounted for over 50% of global website traffic. This number excludes the use of tablets. With this knowledge, it’s hard to overlook making websites user-friendly for all devices. If you want to ensure this, be sure to utilize a responsive web design for your custom website design.
Poor User-experience
User-Experience (UX) is an essential component of a website. It involves the interaction that a website user has once they have landed on your website or page.
For example, how the design looks, how it makes them feel, how each element influences the user, and how they interact with it.
Having a great UX involves making sure everything is intuitive, valuable, and efficient for the users. By making sure your design, content, and CTAs are catered towards what the users need and what they value, it will lead to a great user experience.
Conclusion
Remember that your website isn’t all about you. It’s about the users and how you can serve them. As long as you keep the end-user in mind while planning out your design, content, and business goals, you’ll end up with the best website possible.
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