Small businesses need a digital storefront in order to market their goods and services to a wider audience. Unfortunately some companies opt for the do it yourself web design layouts and cause more harm than good. Investing in a web designer can save your time and ensures that your website will have the most current design features as well as being easy to navigate for the user. Below is a list of web design mistakes to avoid, and tips to consider when designing your website.
1. Too much content/graphics- The old saying “less is more” should be considered when creating your website. You want to simply announce what it is you are selling, promoting or servicing. You don’t want your customer to be bombarded with too much information that it scares them away,
Too much content or flash graphics also don’t display so well on smartphones and the like, which most users are using these devices to search things these days. A website should be user friendly, which means it is easy to navigate and get the right information quickly without clutter.
2. You get what you pay for- When hiring a web designer do research on how to get quality web design service. Make sure the designer has a quality portfolio to show you examples, and skill level, and make sure his service fee is in the market range. If you hire a cheap designer, know the quality will also be cheap. Do some research before hiring a designer, know what type of web design you’re looking for so you won’t be overcharged, and you don’t receive a poor product.
3. DIY route- Some people choose to create their own websites without having the knowledge and thus creating a bad image/brand of their business. Your website is the face of your business and for your future customers it will be the only impression of your business, so unless you’ve had web design experience, don’t do your own site and create a bad impression.
4. Not knowing your audience- Research the demographics interested in your product/service and then build and design your site on your findings. Your website should be designed to our target audiences preference. If your audience is young and techie, your website design should be programmed to be viewed on all types of electronics from pc to cell phones and tablets and more geared to videos and images. If your audience is older, the layout and fonts should be clear and easy to navigate from page to page. It’s important to create the best viewing experience of your website to your target customers.
5. Outdated content- A website is not done once the design phase is over. Like the storefront of your business, when business information changes or upgrades so should your website. If a customer comes across your website with outdated content they will think your business is inactive which will result in loss of sales.
6. Lack of call to action- Design the website so the customer can figure out how to navigate from your home page to your contact page. Know what your customers want to do on your website. Do you want them to buy your products, subscribe to your blog/newsletter, or have them contact you, or just leave comments. Create different forms of call to action features to better interact and communicate with your customers.
These web design mistakes are avoidable if you do some research and hire a reliable web designer. Its important to have a good website since it is a vital way for small business to market and brand their business to the masses.
