Starting up a website for your business? Let’s go over some web design mistakes to avoid while designing your website in 2024.

Mistake #1) Not being clear on what you offer

Users form first impressions of a website in as little as 50 milliseconds according to Google’s visual design research. It’s important you are clear in your message about who you are, what you do, or what you offer.

Large blocks of text overwhelm new visitors and increase bounce rates. Most users scan before they ever commit to reading.

1. A clear headline that states who you help and what you offer helps visitors understand your business immediately.
2. Know your audience and what value you bring to them.

Web Design Mistake #2) Not being mobile-friendly

With everyone using their smartphones more than ever, make sure that your audience has the best experience viewing your site off of their phone.

1. Your site must be fully responsive so layouts, text, and buttons adjust automatically for mobile users.
2. Ensure the mobile view is just as clean and clear as viewing it off of a desktop. If the user has a tough time reading what’s on your website off of their phone, they will likely exit so make sure the fonts and images are in an appropriate size for mobile view.
3. Test your site on multiple devices and browsers like Safari, Chrome, Brave, and Firefox to confirm everything loads consistently.

Web Design Mistake #3) Your branding isn’t cohesive

When your branding and design aren’t cohesive throughout your website it can be really confusing for the user.

1. Make sure you don’t use too many fonts as it can be super confusing to read and navigate through the website. I would use a maximum of 2-3.
2. Limit your colour palette to a few intentional colours so the design feels cohesive and professional. Or you can use the 60/30/10 rule where you use 60% of your primary colour, 30% of your secondary colour, and 10% of your accent colour.
3. Use consistent, high-quality photos that reflect your brand’s style and avoid anything blurry or unrelated.

Web Design Mistake #4) Not making it easy to connect with you

If you’re selling a service you want to provide the best user experience possible. Reduce the number of clicks it takes your audience needs to make to click on whatever your call-to-action.

Reduce the number of steps it takes for someone to contact you. Fewer clicks mean higher conversions.”

Here are some ideas on how to make it easier for your audience to connect with you.

1. First, have a clear call-to-action such as “Book a free call” or “Let’s Chat”.
2. Having a Contact page to let your audience easily reach you.
3. State the benefits of filling out the form on your website. Let them know what’s in it for them!

Final Mistake #5) Cluttered or Disorganized

Have you ever come across a website with just too much text? Did you read through every sentence? Most likely not.

Let’s do a deep clean on our websites to make sure we only deliver messages that benefit the user.

1. Clean up your navigation. Know where you want to guide your users and provide the necessary navigations so they have a seamless journey throughout your website.
2. Remove unnecessary copy (text). Keep only what matters related to your user and your business and skip the rest.
3. Keep your website simple and clean. The use of white space will help the user’s attention go toward what really matters on your site. Remember, less is more.

Check out my previous post, “Am I ready to hire a Web Designer” to see if you’re at the right stage of your biz to hire a web designer or book a free call with me and we can discuss your options further!

Naomi