8 Common Mistakes of Website Design to Avoid
*Disclosure - this post contains some affiliate links. This means that if you click on my link and then go on to make a purchase, I will receive a small amount of commission at no additional cost to you.
Did you know that people attribute a website’s credibility based on its design? Your site visitors may perceive your business as less trustworthy if there are design mistakes on your website, which could ultimately be costing you sales. Whether you are in the process of building a brand new website, or overhauling an existing website, avoiding these web design mistakes will ensure that your website and business stand out against your competition.
8 Common Mistakes of Website Design to Avoid
Too many links in your navigation menu
The number of options in your navigation menu should be limited to 3-5 only. This way, there is more chance of your site visitors clicking onto the pages that you really want them to see. If you overwhelm your navigation menu with too many links, there is less chance of the highest converting pages on your website being seen.
There is no need to link to your homepage in the navigation menu - it is now common knowledge that clicking on the site name or logo will take visitors back to the homepage.
You can plan the links in your navigation menu with this free Homepage Workbook.
2. Too many colours
Using too many colours in website design can make the website look unpolished and chaotic. It also makes the overall website difficult to navigate. Colour can be used to guide your website visitors to take certain actions, such as clicking on a button, but if there are too many colours on a single page it will be difficult for a website visitor to know where they should be clicking next.
Bright or clashing colours can make a website seem stressful rather than inviting, so choose your colour palette carefully. I recommend using 3-4 neutral colours and 1-2 accent colours, ensuring that the colours are cohesive and work together well.
Too many colours can also weaken brand identity, whereas using a limited colour palette across your website and other marketing materials will reinforce a strong brand identity.
3. Too many fonts
Just like using too many colours can weaken the overall design of your website, so can using too many fonts. Too many fonts on a website can also make it look unprofessional and chaotic, and also make it difficult to navigate. I recommend sticking to one font for headings and one font for paragraphs. You can also add an optional font as an accent font, but use this sparingly.
The fonts you choose should be easy to read. Avoid using script fonts for headings and paragraphs. Display fonts should be used for headings only.
If you’re stuck between 2 or 3 fonts, open up a Google Doc and look at them side by side. Which one is easier on the eyes? Which one will your target audience find easier to read? Choose that one.
The use of fonts can also have an impact on brand identity, so use the same fonts throughout your website and all your marketing materials.
4. Allowing text to overwhelm the page
When it comes to website copy, there is no getting around a large amount of words. How else will you convey your message and your offerings to your clients as well as address any objections they may have to hiring you? Rather than shying away from writing too many words, think about ways you can lay out your words. The way your website copy is laid out will either entice your website visitors to read more, or it will put them off entirely. Avoid putting your website copy into large sections of text. Instead, use small paragraphs of 1-3 sentences to break up your copy in an easy to digest way. Headings, subheadings, white space and images can also be used to break up the text further.
5. Poor quality photography
The photos you put on your website can either elevate the design or drag it down. I always recommend having a professional branding photoshoot done. The people who buy from you will want to know who they are doing business with so having a professional headshot is a must on your website.
However, it can be difficult to have a professional take every single photo you may want to use on your website, which is why I love Styled Stock Society* It’s a stock photo membership aimed at female entrepreneurs. They upload new photos every month and you can filter the search by colour, photo orientation or photo subject, making it easy to find photos that work well with your branding.
There are also free stock photography sources such as Unsplash or Pexels. These also allow you to curate a collection of photos to use throughout your website, but remember to check the licence for each photo before you use it.
6. CTAs that don’t stand out
Calls to Action (CTAs) are elements of your website that lead your site visitors to take a specific action, such as “book a call” or “add to cart”. If your CTAs blend into the background, your website visitors may overlook them entirely, leading to lower conversion rates.
To make CTAs stand out, you can make use of buttons, contrasting colours, clear typography and using persuasive language. A well designed CTA will guide your site visitors to taking action.
7. Unresponsive design
Almost 60% of website traffic comes from a mobile device, so your website needs to perform just as well on phones as it does on a laptop or desktop. Squarespace makes it easy to adjust the layout of your website on mobile view without affecting the layout on desktop view. Make the most of this feature and check the flow of your website on mobile view before you launch.
8. Not prioritising accessibility
Accessibility is essential for ensuring that anybody, including people with disabilities, can navigate and interact with your website effectively. Low contrast between text and the background can make your website copy difficult to read. TO improve readability, use high contrast between the text on your website and the background. If you are using an image as a background, ensure it isn't too detailed or busy, as this can also make text difficult to read.
Visually impaired users who use screen readers rely on alt text to convey the meaning of an image. Alt text should be descriptive and relevant to the image, and it should be filled out for all the images on your website.
Common Website Design Mistakes to Avoid - The Bottom Line
Website design is so much more than putting words and images together with a colour palette and typography. It’s about creating a seamless and user friendly experience that conveys your message and guides your website visitors to take action. Common mistakes like cluttered navigation, excessive colors and fonts, overwhelming text, poor photos, and weak CTAs can confuse visitors and drive them away. Overlooking responsive design and accessibility can alienate a large percentage of potential customers. By avoiding these common mistakes of web design you can create a website that not only looks great, but works for your business by engaging visitors and driving them to convert.
If you want to get started planning your own website the right way by avoiding these common website design mistakes, you can download this free Homepage Workbook. It walks you through the design and content that you need on your homepage.
Found this post useful? You’ll also like:
◇ The Dos and Don'ts of Great Website Design
↓ Liked this post? Pin it to Pinterest ↓
