Are you in the processing of designing a new website? Cluttered, messy websites are a thing of the past. If yours does not look modern and clean, then you will undoubtedly be losing out on customers.
The website is the digital face of your business, and you have to get it perfect. Below, we give our key features of bad website designs, so you know what to avoid.
No Clear Goal
When wondering how to design a website, you should always aim to get right to the point. When people land on your site, they want to know immediately who you are and what you do. You probably have less than a few seconds to do this before they go elsewhere.
Your homepage should have your products and services as the focus. If you have a large feature image, make sure it clearly relates to what you do. This should be followed or accompanied by a header telling the visitor who you are and why they need your services.
Bad Website Designs for Mobile
You may have a good website design on a desktop, but have you checked it on a mobile? Most of the webs browsing is now done on a mobile device. If your page looks messy, hard to navigate, and becomes unusable on mobile, then you have a big problem.
Choose a website design that is responsive. This is one that will adjust the size of images for a different screen, make menus easier to use and increase the loading time. One of the key SEO marketing tips is to optimize for mobile, as it is used as a ranking factor.
Slow Loading Times
Just because you can do something does not necessarily mean that you should. If you decide to add a host of menus, sliders, and features to your webpage, they may look good, but they all add up and slow the webpage down. A webpage that takes a long time to load is bad for a number of reasons.
Firstly, most people get impatient and just leave. They will go elsewhere for their product or information. In fact, it should take no more than 3 seconds to load on a mobile or desktop.
If people leave your website quickly, this adds to a measurement called your bounce rate. High bounce rates are found on websites where people come and leave quickly. This is used as an SEO measurement and can really impact your score.
There are a whole host of ways you can increase your website loading speed, from having new hosting to installing plugins and minifying images. A quality web design agency will be able to arrange this for you.
Poor Navigation
The website you create should be there to solve a problem for the visitor. They will either need to find information, assistance, or a product. If your navigation is unclear or leads them to the wrong places, you are just making their problem worse.
This inability to find what they need will result in them going elsewhere and lost sales or leads for you. A good website design should be built around the principle of three clicks. If they can not find what they need after three clicks, then you need a redesign.
Streamline your menus into easy-to-navigate categories. Check all of your links work. Finally, plan how visitors will navigate through the site, making sure they can always get back to the homepage easily.
Bad Color Choices
Graphic design for websites centers around the correct use of color. There have been numerous studies done into the psychology of color, what it says about your brand and how to use it. If you had done some research into this when you created your logo, you should already know the colors you will use.
If not, then you need to choose carefully. The colors a visitor sees when they visit your site will impart a lot about your brand. For example, blue will give a feeling of trust, whereas red will signal excitement and exuberance.
Limit the website pallette. Too many colors can just look confusing for visitors. Stick with one main color, two accent colors, and text color.
No Visual Hierarchy
Most good graphic design for websites now incorporates a visual hierarchy. At its basic, this means putting larger items at the top of the page and working down to smaller ones. The purpose of this is that it draws the eye down across the webpage, making it easy for people to read and helping them move across your website.
Start with a large feature image and a large header at the top of the page. As you work down, both images and text should reduce in size. The page should be broken up with a mixture of H1 and H2 subheadings.
All of the smallest text and information, such as the contact details and legal notices, should be kept at the bottom of the page. By doing this, the whole page should be easy to browse and look clean.
Too Many Fonts
Having too many fonts is another way to confuse a visitor to your website. They can give a messy appearance and make it hard to pick out the information needed from a page.
Pick your fonts carefully to match the theme of your page. Limit it to just two fonts. Choose a serif and a san serif that complement each other.
Hire Professional Help
Even though you know the hallmarks of bad website designs, it can be hard to perfect a great website if you are building your own. This is where the expertise of a professional web design company will come in. Consider contacting one for help and advice.
If you need more help turning your business digital, then make our website your first stop. We have everything from technology advice to finance to get you on your feet in the world of e-commerce.