8 Most Common Website Mistakes to Avoid
A professionally designed website isn't optional for businesses anymore—it's necessary. If you want to create a successful brand, you need a website that's built to convert. It's not enough to simply be online.
Frankly, a poorly designed website can be more harmful to your business's reputation than not being online at all. Don't make common website design mistakes that sully your business name.
Did you know that 75% of people judge a business's credibility on how their website looks? Professional web design is crucial to establishing trust in the eyes of your audience. If your website doesn't look credible, you're losing leads.
Effective websites have (1) a clear call to action on every page, (2) brand messaging that directly targets their ideal audience, and (3) a user-friendly, mobile-optimized design.
Before launching a new website (or undergoing a redesign), consider these fundamental questions:
Who is my target audience?
What are their pain points, desires, and needs?
What are my website goals?
How will I drive traffic to my website?
Who is going to update the website, and how often?
Whether you have a website or are looking to launch one in the near future, here are eight web design mistakes to avoid (or fix).
1. Unclear Brand Messaging
I put "Unclear brand messaging" as the number one website mistake to avoid because I believe it's the most important, but most overlooked error.
The most common feedback I get from people inquiring on my website is, "I felt like you were talking directly to ME."
That's the power of clear copywriting, my friends.
When your brand message is lost in blocks of content, people scroll right past it and you miss a huge opportunity to connect with visitors. Instead, communicate how you bring value to clients in a way that's true to your brand, but tells a story—storytelling is the key to website copy that converts.
NEWSFLASH: Your website copy is NOT about you.
Write your website copy like you're having a face-to-face conversation with an ideal client. Your content will be much more effective when you speak to one versus the masses. Position your ideal client as the main character and you as the guide, helping them achieve their personal goals.
Speak directly to your audience's pain points and address their needs. Address frequently asked questions, reservations, and concerns to put your ideal clients at ease, knowing you understand where they're coming from.
TAKEAWAY: Be clear about what you offer, who you serve, and how your offering helps solve a specific problem, leaving your ideal clients better off.
2. Missing Calls to Action
One of the biggest mistakes in web design is not having a clear call to action (CTA) or forgetting to add them on every page. What is a call to action? A call to action is simply the action you want a website visitor to take on a particular page of your website. Typically, it's a button labeled Call Now, Get Started, Learn More, Add to Cart, etc.
The verbiage should be short and sweet. There's no need to get fancy or overly creative with your call to actions. And keep the directions simple—tell users exactly what you want them to do next.
Each page should have one primary CTA, and at most two secondary CTAs. An example of a primary CTA is "Sign up for your free trial." A secondary CTA could be, "Subscribe to our newsletter."
Having too many call to actions leaves visitors feeling overwhelmed by all of the options; too few or no call to actions means visitors are aimless, browsing your site without a goal.
Guide visitors through your website by telling them (1) what to do, (2) where to go, and (3) how to feel.
3. Too Cluttered
We've all landed on a website that's got a lot going on—too many colors, blocks of copy, poor text hierarchy, lots of images...all resulting in slow load time.
Plus, cluttered websites have terrible bounce rates. A website's "bounce rate" is the percentage of visitors who land on a website and immediately leave (or "bounce") rather than exploring other pages on the site.
Lack of whitespace
One common web design mistake I see (especially on DIY websites) is a lack of whitespace. Whitespace is the negative space surrounding your content. The best websites aren't packed full to the brim, they strategically use whitespace to create separation and let the content (and readers) breathe.
Keep important content above the fold
Display your most important information "above the fold." Meaning, the first section of your site before a user scrolls. Include a statement that communicates what you do, who you do it for, and the benefits they can expect to receive from you.
Keep your website navigation menu minimal
Don't overwhelm website visitors with a never-ending dropdown menu with lots of nested pages. Unless you're an eCommerce website, there's no need to have a complicated menu layout with lots of bells and whistles. People want to find things fast, so keep your website's navigation menu simple and straightforward.
4. Not Mobile-optimized
How many website have you been on that take forever to load when you're browsing on your phone or have a terrible mobile design? You likely clicked away after more than 5 seconds or so.
Mobile phones generate over 50 percent of all website traffic. If you want to capture more leads, and look like a credible business, you need a mobile-first web design.
It's frustrating for users when your site is not mobile-optimized, considering most of them are scrolling through websites on their phones. In fact, 61 percent of consumers say they are more likely to purchase from mobile-friendly websites.
Let this be a lesson to ensure the mobile design of your website is just as clean as—if not simpler than—your desktop site.
5. Missing Favicon
If you read my blog 4 logo variations every brand needs, you know what a favicon is.
If not, it's the branded icon displayed on the left side of your browser tab. Your favicon should be a simple brand design element with high contrast. Pro tip: make sure your favicon size is 16x16 pixels with a transparent background before uploading to your site.
6. Generic 404 page
A 404 page is where a website visitor will be directed if the link they clicked is invalid.
Generic 404 pages are boring, unhelpful, and off-brand.
Be strategic about this page and keep the copy on-brand. Let people know the link they clicked isn't valid by using a header that communicates the error then provide a button or search bar for people to get back on track with browsing your site.
For some examples of branded 404 pages, read the blog: The top 3 missing pages on DIY websites.
How to add a 404 page in Squarespace
In Squarespace, you can easily design a custom 404 page. Simply add a new page in the Not Linked section of the Pages menu and name it "404." Design as desired with an on-brand headline, a short line of text, and a call to action that sends people back to your homepage. Then, go to Design > 404 Page and in the dropdown select "404."
7. Hard to Find Contact Info
Don't make visitors search for your contact info.
You want to generate leads on your website, right? Make your contact page painfully obvious. A website design best practice is to include a high contrast button on the far right of your website navigation that says "Contact Us." It's a clear call to action people will see at the top of every page.
On your contact page, list all of the possible ways people can get in touch with you: phone number, address, contact form, email, etc. This is also a great place to put your social media links.
And remember to be as responsive as possible to new inquires. Responsiveness will help you establish initial trust with potential clients.
8. Unsecure
You might be wondering, “How do I know if my website is secure or not?” Well, there’s a simple way to find out.
Take a peek at your website’s URL. If you double-click in your browser’s search bar, you should see either “http://” or “https://” preceding your site domain (i.e., yourbusinessname.com). If you see “http://” (without an “s”) then your site is not secure. If your website is secure, you will see “https://” (with an “s”) and a small padlock icon in the top left next to your domain.
Here’s the bad news. If your site isn’t secure, Google Chrome will inform visitors immediately with a big red warning that says they’ve landed on an unsecured site. This experience will stir feelings of doubt and mistrust in your business. Most people will click off your site before even seeing it, leaving them with a bad first impression.
How to Secure Your Website
To ensure your site is secure, you will need an SSL certificate. Depending on your host provider, you may need to purchase one. However, if you use Squarespace, all domains are automatically protected with free SSL certificates.
To learn more about SSL certificates, and why they’re important, read my blog: What is an SSL certificate, and how do I secure my Squarespace site with it?
Don't Be One of Those Websites
Use these eight tips to improve your website and avoid common web design mistakes (like those other guys). Here's a summary of my eight website design tips to implement today:
Present your brand message clearly on every page
Add call to actions throughout your website
Embrace whitespace in your website design
Optimize your website with mobile in mind
Don’t forget to add a favicon
Write an on-brand 404 page
Make your contact page easily accessible
Secure your website with an SSL certificate
Hire a Squarespace Web Designer
But, hey, I get it. You're a busy business owner. Do you really have the time to make these changes or stay up to date on all of the best practices for website design? I highly doubt it. Check out these best practices for website design.
Or, if you’re tired of searching the world wide web for information that reads like pig latin, consider hiring a professional Squarespace website designer (like me!). I will help you build a site that's beautiful, functional, simple, and generates new business. In addition to providing support for your website, I can partner with you to craft a strategic brand identity that connects your services with your ideal audience.
Are you ready to elevate your business online? Get in touch with me, Haley! Start your project today.
