Hayden Morris
Head of Web at Digital Nomads HQ
It goes without saying that websites play a pivotal role in shaping our online experiences. It is often the first point of contact between a brand and their audience, making it imperative that it not only captures their attention but provides a seamless and enjoyable journey!
However, when building a website from scratch or revamping an existing website in 2024, it is important to avoid several pitfalls that can negatively impact its performance, usability and user experience. From non-responsive designs to cluttered layouts, slow loading times to stagnant content, these web design mistakes can be costly.
By addressing these issues you ensure that your website is user-friendly, visually appealing, and optimised for search engine ranking. In this blog post, we explore not only the top web design mistakes that can hinder your website’s success but also provide actionable insights and strategies to overcome them.
"Users expect websites to be intuitive, visually appealing, and easy to navigate, when a website fails to meet these expectations, users are more likely to leave and never return"
By staying ahead of these trends, businesses can adapt their strategies and stay relevant in an ever-changing landscape.
Benjamin Paine, Managing Director at Digital Nomads HQ
Common Website Design Mistakes To Avoid
1. In-Accessible Websites
Prioritising accessibility is crucial for website design because it ensures that all users, regardless of their abilities, can have equal access to information and services provided on a website. Not prioritising accessibility can exclude a significant portion of your users from accessing your website.
The most common accessibility issues include:
- Insufficient Colour Contrast: Low contrast between text and background can make content difficult to read, especially for users with visual impairments.
- Insufficient Heading Hierarchy: Properly structured headings help screen readers and users navigate through content. A lack of hierarchy can make content confusing.
- Text that is too small: Text that is too small is challenging to read, especially on smaller screens or for users with vision impairments.
- Missing or Inappropriate Alt Text: Alt text provides descriptions for images, making content accessible to users who rely on screen readers.
- Non-descriptive links: Links with vague or non-descriptive anchor text can be confusing, especially for users who rely on screen readers or keyboard navigation.
- Empty link text and buttons: Links and buttons without text or meaningful labels provide no context for users.
- Unclear language: Ambiguous or jargon-heavy language can make it challenging for all users to understand your content.
Following accessibility standards and guidelines such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) ensures that not only is your website inclusive to a wider audience but improves the overall user experience for all users.
"47% of consumers expect a web page to load in 2 seconds or less, and 40% will abandon a site that takes longer than 3 seconds."
Source: https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/
Further reading on SEO & Localised content
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2. Not Prioritising Responsive Design & Mobile Optimisation
With the ever rising use of mobile devices, it is crucial for websites to adapt and provide a seamless experience across different screen sizes ensuring that users can easily navigate, read, and interact with the website without having to zoom in or scroll excessively.
Non-responsive websites not only frustrate mobile users but can also lead to missed opportunities and drawbacks such as higher bounce rates and missed conversions. Additionally, Google has moved towards “mobile-first” indexing, where it primarily uses the mobile version of a website’s content for ranking and indexing in search results.
As a result, neglecting mobile optimisation can negatively impact your site’s search engine ranking, potentially reducing its visibility to users.
3. Compromising UX for Style
While visual appeal is important in capturing the attention of visitors, if it sacrifices usability and functionality, it can lead to frustration and deter users from engaging with your content or services.
Websites that utilise flashy designs, heavy graphics, complex animations or an elaborate navigation menu should consider the speed at which it loads. Website loading times play a significant role in user experience and overall website performance. If your website takes too long to load, it can lead to higher bounce rates as well as have a negative impact on search engine ranking.
To improve website loading times it is essential to compress and resize images to reduce their file size. Large, uncompressed images can significantly slow down page loading times, especially for users with slower internet connections or when accessing your site on mobile devices.
Implementing browser caching is a powerful technique for reducing loading times and improving overall site performance. This means that resources such as images can be stored in a user’s browser and do not have to be reloaded from the server in subsequent visits.
"Striking a balance between style and user experience is essential to creating a website that not only looks impressive but ensures that visitors can easily find the information they need"
Faith Taylor, Web Designer at Digital Nomads HQ
4. Lack of Hierarchy
One common web design mistake that can greatly affect the user experience is having a lack of hierarchy. Hierarchy refers to the arrangement and presentation of content, design elements, and features in a way that guides users’ attention and allows them to easily navigate through a website.
Without a clear hierarchy, users may feel overwhelmed or unsure about where to focus their attention, leading to frustration and potentially high bounce rates. When elements on a web page lack clear organisation and prioritisation, users may struggle to find the most important information, resulting in a less effective website.
To address the lack of hierarchy in website design it is important to consider various design principles, such as size, colour, contrast, heading, image and text placement, to emphasise certain elements and de-emphasise others. In doing so users are able to prioritise and focus on key elements, leading to easier decision-making and a more efficient user journey.
5. Complicated Navigation
Much like hierarchy, navigation is a critical element in web design that significantly impacts the user experience. Complicated navigation systems can lead to user frustration and hinder their ability to explore and engage with your website effectively.
When navigation is convoluted, users may struggle to find the information they seek or the actions they want to take. On the other hand, a user-friendly and intuitive navigation structure is essential for guiding visitors to the content they’re interested in quickly and effortlessly.
Simplifying navigation involves streamlining menu structures, using descriptive labels for links, implementing breadcrumbs and ensuring that users can easily access the most important sections of your website.
6. Poorly Designed Call-to-Actions
Effective call-to-actions (CTAs) are a fundamental component of a successful website. A poorly designed CTAs can significantly hinder your website’s ability to convert visitors into customers, subscribers, or engaged users.
Well-designed CTA’s should be visually prominent, use compelling language and offer a clear and enticing reason for your users to take the desired action; whether it is making a purchase, learning more or getting in touch. By considering factors such as placements, colour, size and relevance in the user’s journey you can optimise CTAs to be more effective.
7. Not Effectively Communicating Your Business Purpose
One of the most common web design mistakes is ineffectively communicating your business purpose. Your website serves as the online face of your business, and it is crucial to convey your purpose clearly to potential customers. Failing to effectively communicate your business purpose can leave visitors confused about what your company does and what it stands for.
As such, your website should provide a clear and concise concise statement of your business’s mission, values, and offerings. This not only helps visitors understand your business but also establishes a connection with those who share your values or have needs aligned with your services or products.
Moreover, storytelling can be a powerful tool to communicate your business purpose. Sharing your journey, the problems you solve, and the impact you make can create a compelling narrative that resonates with your audience.
Minimise Web Design Mistakes & Maximise Success with Digital Nomads
Creating a user-friendly website requires careful attention to detail and a deep understanding of user behaviour. By avoiding common web design mistakes such as cluttered websites, issues with navigation, and slow loading times, you can provide a flawless user experience that keeps users engaged and encourages them to return.
As a Sunshine Coast based web design and digital marketing agency, Digital Nomads specialises in crafting responsive, SEO-optimised websites that not only look stunning but also function seamlessly, ensuring exceptional user experiences.
Whether you’re looking to revamp your existing site or create a new one from scratch, our expert team is here to help. Don’t miss the opportunity to create a website that stands out in the digital landscape. Contact us today to learn more!
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