Small Business Owners Beware: Here Are 5 Web Site Design Mistakes to Watch Out For

Running a website can be quite a hassle. Local online marketing requires a lot of work, and it can be all too easy to give up if you don’t see results right away. Often, when a business website isn’t performing well online, it’s because the website itself needs an update.

That’s because great web design can make the difference between customers purchasing from you or going to a competitor. Since most business owners don’t moonlight as web site design experts, we have compiled a list of common web design mistakes to avoid when creating your business’s online presence.

Not Putting the First Impression First
In business, a first impression counts for a lot, and the same is true for your website. Remember, your prospective clients are less likely to return to your website once they have formed an unfavorable opinion.

You will want your website to look clean, clear, and easy to read, with information that concisely explains your product and/or services. Likewise, your contact information shouldn’t just be easy to find, you should have your business’s name, address, and phone number (also called your NAP info) on every single plage.

Unresponsive Web Site Design
Once upon a time, you needed a separate mobile version of your website for customers browsing on their smartphones. Today, you need responsive web design, which means a website that instantly adapts to any device. Considering that Americans are spending an average of two hours per day on their mobile devices, a responsive web site design will go far in enticing your customers to purchase from you.

Confusing Navigation
To succeed online, you need an efficient and easy-to-navigate website. At the most basic level, this means a site that loads quickly, doesn’t feature annoying pop-ups, and includes a simple navigation menu on each page of the site.

No High Quality Pictures
It’s true that a picture is worth 1,000 words, but that doesn’t mean you should overload your site with generic, low quality images. Not only will this clutter slow down your website, but it will make the site harder to navigate. As a general rule of thumb, try to use no more than five full-size images per page.

If you’re selling products directly from your website, then you need crisp, high quality pictures one each product page.

Avoid Giant Blocks of Text
Unless you’re an experienced copywriter, it can be easy to fall into a stream of consciousness style when writing your onsite content. Unfortunately, these long paragraphs can be really hard to read, especially on mobile devices. Instead, break up your content into easily digestible blocks. In addition to using short paragraphs, consider using subheadings, different font sizes, and lists — everyone loves reading lists! Your readers will thank you.

Looking for more business web site design tips and tricks? Our online marketing services professionals are always here to help small businesses get their start online.