Commons Web Design Errors that Hurt User Experience and Conversions
Discover common web design errors that harm user experience and reduce conversions—and learn how to fix them for better performance and results.
Bryan D
Technical SEO Lead
Your website can be referred to as your “digital storefront”. A well-designed website will afford you the opportunity to attract more visitors to your product or service offerings. If your website has elements of improper design, then you run the risk of losing customers long before they ever really get a chance to explore your site. A poorly designed website is actually harmful for your brand and can adversely affect the number of conversions and sales that you generate. Understanding the reasons why you are not generating leads or sales from your website may require some reflection to determine if you are committing any of the following common errors.
Slow Loading Times = Lost Sales
Imagine clicking on a site and waiting... and waiting... and waiting. Isn’t it frustrating? The same goes for your visitors. When your website takes a long time to finish loading, your website will cause your visitors to leave and may affect your ability to convert them into customers. Research shows that if you take longer than 3 seconds to load a site, you lose the visitor. Just like that, your potential customer will be “gone” in seconds!
What are some ways to fix this:
- Optimize all video and image files
- Use a good hosting provider
- Reduce the amount of plug-ins that you have installed on your site to only what is required for functionality
- Use the ability of browsers to cache your website’s content
Web design companies like Websu are capable of assuring you that your website will load quickly and keep visitors coming to your site.
Poor Mobile Experience
More than half of all visitors to a website use their mobile device (smart phones). Therefore, if your website’s design is not mobile-friendly, then you are losing out on more than 50% of your market. If a user visits your website and can only view it on their desktop computer but not read it well, or if it is difficult for them to navigate through the site, this will cause them to abandon any and all conversions from your site to your business.
Ways to fix the mobile experience are as follows:
- Ensure responsive design
- Test your web design on different screen sizes
- Ensure your text and buttons are large enough and spaced properly to allow for easy tapping
At Websu, a leading web design & development company in Las Vegas, we have done everything to create a website that will look good on all types of devices.
Confusing Navigation
Have you ever been to a website that was so confusing that you did not know where to go? If visitors do not find what they are seeking in a matter of seconds, they may leave the site. Too many choices and a confusing menu can cause visitors to become confused and therefore reduce conversions on a website.
The following are some suggestions for providing simple, clean navigation:
- When designing a website, navigation should be as simple as possible
- Consider adding a sticky menu to aid in returning users to common points of interest
- Consider adding a search bar to assist users with quickly finding what they are looking for
A well-structured site by a web designing company creates a better user experience by keeping users on the site longer and increasing the likelihood of conversion.
Weak Call-to-Action (CTA)
Your website may have an excellent design; however, if your visitors are unsure of what action they should take next, they will not convert. A weak or missing CTA may cause you to lose potential leads and sales.
Ways to improve your CTA:
- Create compelling, clearly defined action-based CTAs (such as, “Get Your Free Quote” or “Shop Now”)
- Use bright, bold colors to make sure your CTA buttons are noticeable
- Make a strategic plan so that everything on your website should direct visitors to your CTA
The best website design companies use plenty of CTAs, located at various locations throughout the website, to make sure visitors take the next step.
Cluttered Website Design
A simple, clean website design converts higher than a cluttered website. A cluttered website with excessive text, excessive colors, and a multitude of pop-ups overwhelms your visitor.
Ways to improve the look of your website:
- Keep your design clean and simple
- Stick to a consistent color scheme
- Leave blank or ‘white’ space on your web page to create an easy-to-read page
At Websu, we create high-converting, sleek website designs that do not confuse visitors.
Lack of Trust Signals
Would you shop on a website that looks unsafe? Probably not! If your website does not contain enough trust signals, your visitors are not comfortable sharing their information or completing an online purchase.
How to fix it:
- Including user reviews and testimonials on your website
- Utilizing secure SSL certificates
- Displaying client and customer logos, partnerships and awards on your website
A good website development company adds trust elements to enhance visitors’ security.
Auto-Playing Videos & Annoying Pop-Ups
Visitors hate landing on a website with a loud auto-play video, as well as a continual stream of pop-ups cluttering the screen! These make it impossible to read anything. This means that site visitors will leave immediately because it disrupts their experience of using the site.
Ways to fix these:
- Allow users to play a video if they want, rather than forcing them to watch it
- Limit the number of pop-ups on your site to special offer pop-ups
- Create ease of closing pop-ups for users
Web designing companies like Websu ensures the right balance between engagement and avoiding being intrusive.
Poor Content Structure
A user does not want to read an entire page of text. Therefore, if a user cannot scan or easily find what they are looking for, they will not stay on the site long enough to find what they need.
How to fix this:
- Opt for bullet points and short paragraphs
- Include catchy subheadings for easy navigation
- Use bold text to highlight important points
Good design does not only mean good looks – it is about providing good user experience as well. A web designing company makes sure you have an engaging, catchy and easily understandable content.
Unclear Brands
The message on your website needs to be clear enough so that visitors know who you are and what you do right away. If they are left guessing, they will leave.
What can you do?
- Have a clear logo and tagline
- Keep your branding consistent throughout your site (i.e., color scheme, typography)
- Have your value proposition prominently displayed on your homepage
When a website development company creates a strong brand identity for you, you will stand apart from your competitors.
Ignoring Your SEO
Without good SEO, potential customers will be unable to find your website, and therefore will not be able to use it. By ignoring Search Engine Optimization (SEO), you will be losing out on potential customers and organic traffic.
What can you do?
- Use relevant keywords throughout your website (for example, “The Best Website Development Company”)
- Optimize your images and create meta descriptions
- Create quality content that contains relevant keywords
At Websu, we don’t simply create a website. We create an optimized website that will rank high and attract the appropriate audience.
Let Websu Fix Your Website
If you are experiencing any of these errors, don’t stress – you are certainly not alone. Luckily, they all can be fixed easily! The true purpose of a great website is to convert visitors into potential buyers, and not just for aesthetic appeal alone.
At Websu, a top-tier web development agency, we offer an assortment of website solutions and services that create high-quality websites with fast loading times, eye-catchy design and the ability to attract customers. No matter if your current site requires a redesign or you are starting from scratch with a completely new website, our skilled professionals will assist you in establishing a website that is effective for your unique business.
Contact us today and let us help resurface your website into something better that converts visitors into repeat customers!
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