Website design is an important part of a company's marketing and
branding efforts. Whether it is to purchase a product or to get their
questions answered, it is essential to make sure that visitors get what
they want when they visit your website.
A wrong website design can cost you more than you could have anticipated, especially in terms of potential revenue.
Here are some mistakes you should avoid:
Putting urgency over understanding your target market.
Speed is not always desired. Before you start designing your website, you should first research on the target audience in your specific market to make sure that your website design caters to the needs and wants of your target audience.
For instance, if you are designing for a younger group, you might want to use a fun scripted font and a full width layout. For an older group, you might want to use larger font size. A corporate site would most likely use conservative fonts such as Arial, Open Sans or Helvetica
Design is too busy or flashy.
Many business owners want their website to have that cutting-edge look: animation, music, flash, and other "bells and whistles". These are actually pernicious to their site because they increase download time and are not search engine optimized.
Most people explore websites to find useful information, not to be dazzled by web design, thus there is no need for fancy sidebars, large graphics or anything that will clutter your page with inappropriate elements. Elements such as Flash intros and photo carousels can slow users down and keep them from finding what they are really looking for. You should totally avoid using auto-play videos or audio, since no one likes to be confounded by such media, especially if they are at work. Another reason why fancy website design techniques don't always work well is that unwieldy technology such as JavaScript does not load quickly on mobile devices.
Stale, out-of-date content.
Your website should be updated regularly to contain the latest information about your products, services, and company. This is crucial in order to stay ahead of the competition because a customer, be it existing or potential, might equate a stale website with an unimaginative business.
Complicated Registration Forms
If a visitor has to enter a zillion details to register to your website, they might give up before they are through. It is vital to remember that a user visits a website to acquire information, not to provide information. Make it easy for your visitors: if a particular information is not mandatory, don't frustrate your visitors by marking it as so.
Taking the DIY route.
We all know that we should not judge a book by its cover but first impression counts. Your website is often your customers' first experience with your brand. If you don't have the expertise and experience in website designing, do not attempt to take the DIY route. Leave it to the professional web design companies.
The bottom line is to always remember to put yourself in the shoes of your visitor. Would you like what you have designed? If you don't, chances are your visitors won't like it either.
A wrong website design can cost you more than you could have anticipated, especially in terms of potential revenue.
Here are some mistakes you should avoid:
Putting urgency over understanding your target market.
Speed is not always desired. Before you start designing your website, you should first research on the target audience in your specific market to make sure that your website design caters to the needs and wants of your target audience.
For instance, if you are designing for a younger group, you might want to use a fun scripted font and a full width layout. For an older group, you might want to use larger font size. A corporate site would most likely use conservative fonts such as Arial, Open Sans or Helvetica
Design is too busy or flashy.
Many business owners want their website to have that cutting-edge look: animation, music, flash, and other "bells and whistles". These are actually pernicious to their site because they increase download time and are not search engine optimized.
Most people explore websites to find useful information, not to be dazzled by web design, thus there is no need for fancy sidebars, large graphics or anything that will clutter your page with inappropriate elements. Elements such as Flash intros and photo carousels can slow users down and keep them from finding what they are really looking for. You should totally avoid using auto-play videos or audio, since no one likes to be confounded by such media, especially if they are at work. Another reason why fancy website design techniques don't always work well is that unwieldy technology such as JavaScript does not load quickly on mobile devices.
Stale, out-of-date content.
Your website should be updated regularly to contain the latest information about your products, services, and company. This is crucial in order to stay ahead of the competition because a customer, be it existing or potential, might equate a stale website with an unimaginative business.
Complicated Registration Forms
If a visitor has to enter a zillion details to register to your website, they might give up before they are through. It is vital to remember that a user visits a website to acquire information, not to provide information. Make it easy for your visitors: if a particular information is not mandatory, don't frustrate your visitors by marking it as so.
Taking the DIY route.
We all know that we should not judge a book by its cover but first impression counts. Your website is often your customers' first experience with your brand. If you don't have the expertise and experience in website designing, do not attempt to take the DIY route. Leave it to the professional web design companies.
The bottom line is to always remember to put yourself in the shoes of your visitor. Would you like what you have designed? If you don't, chances are your visitors won't like it either.
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