In the hyper-digital world we live in, your web design could truly make or break your business. We are not talking about just the way your website looks, but also the way it functions and how easy it is to use.
Did you know that, on average, you have less than 10 seconds to make an impression before someone leaves your website?
We put together a list of 8 web design mistakes to avoid:
- Not Telling a User Right Away What Your Company Does and Why to Choose You
This is big because once your page loads, users form an opinion in less than a second. About 46 percent of buyers immediately leave a website if it’s not clear what the company does.
It’s crucial that your website has your services and/or products clearly visible together with testimonials, awards, industry affiliates, and the company contact info.
- Not Having a Mobile-Friendly Website
Being mobile-friendly matters because people nowadays use their smart phones for personal, as well as professional matters, and more and more when shopping for a new product or service.
Is your website responsive to smartphone based web browsers? This means it needs to be configured to load quickly and display quickly on a screen of any size. If a page cannot be adequately navigated on a smart device, you may be missing out on a significant amount of traffic and conversions.
- Poor Navigation
If your website cannot be navigated in a quick and simplistic manner, you’re bound to lose potential customers.
There needs to be a clearly visible navigation bar that supports a screen of any size, with a good sitemap that allows users to quickly and easily jump to any page within your site.
- Too Many Links That Open New Browser Windows
Opening multiple browser windows at a time can easily lead to a bad user experience. They can easily leave your site with no “back” button for them to return to, making navigation challenging especially on a mobile device, and using up bandwidth.
If your page takes more than a few seconds to load, there’s a strong chance that your users won’t wait. They will leave your site and most likely become your competitor’s users. While there are a few factors out of your control, such as the user’s device and the speed of their Internet connection, you need to make sure they can quickly and easily get to the content they need.
If not, some web redesign may be necessary. Perhaps your homepage does not need all that imagery or the introductory flash animation – the point is to have pages that load quickly.
- Social Media Not Integrated
Social media is a dynamic way to reach new customers and clients, and a great way to get visitors who may not otherwise find your page through a traditional search. You need to embrace the potential of social media by being social via a well-maintained social media presence that links to your website.
If you don’t have an active presence on social media, you’re missing out on potential traffic and conversion, whether you have an E-Commerce shop, or offer any service. Giving users the opportunity to use their favorite social media platforms to share your content and products is a win-win situation.
Don’t’ worry, integrating your social media into your website is a simple enough task.
- Starting a Website Without SEO
Now, even if your website looks great and is easy to navigate, if you haven’t incorporated SEO in your website design – your lovely website is likely to stay undiscovered in the vast realm of the Internet.
SEO is an integral part of your website’s foundation, and as such needs to be factored into its design from the very start.
- Forgetting About Google Analytics
Google Analytics is free to use, yet it’s easy to forget that it’s available. This useful tool is user friendly and customizable, and can be your best friend when it comes to measuring success and seeing where your website needs work.
- Not Planning Your Website
Start by properly planning for your website design and maintenance by having a clear and well thought-out business plan that will cover everything from its very inception, to its target audience, launch, marketing and ongoing growth,
Also, successfully growing a website hugely depends on content marketing, and not incorporating quality content is a mistake many businesses make. Original, relevant, and engaging content helps build awareness of your page, establishes your credibility and authority in your field, and improves your search engine rankings.
So, take a detailed look at your website – is it built well and filled with good content so that visitors can easily find you, stay, and also return to your website?
At RODA marketing, a nationally recognized Internet marketing company, our team of seasoned consultants work together with you to build and implement a well thought out website with Internet Marketing strategies that include SEO, social media, blogging, infographics and more, that will help you grow your business.
When you choose RODA marketing, you are choosing our passion, experience, and proficiency – watch us deliver value and results to your business.
Check out our portfolio and contact us to see how together we can take your business to higher levels of success with web design, web development, SEO, and digital and Internet marketing.