Websites are a great way to showcase your business, products, and services to a wider audience. But, if your website isn’t built with careful attention to detail, your visitors might not be getting the best experience possible. That’s why it’s important to avoid common website mistakes so you can provide a better user experience. Here are 17 of the most common website mistakes that you should be sure to avoid.
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Not having a responsive design. Responsive web design ensures that your website looks great and functions well on different devices. Without it, users on smartphones and tablets may have a difficult time navigating your site.
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Not having a clear purpose statement. Your website should have a clear purpose statement that explains the benefits of visiting your site and why they should stay.
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Poor navigation. Visitors should be able to find the information they’re looking for quickly and easily. If your navigation is difficult to use, people may leave your website before they find what they’re looking for.
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Poor visual hierarchy. Poor visual hierarchy can make it difficult for visitors to quickly identify what is important on your website and what is not.
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Not including a call to action. Calls to action provide visitors with a tangible goal and encourage them to take action. Without them, your visitors may not take the steps you’d like them to take.
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Too much clutter. Clutter can make your website look sloppy and difficult to navigate. Do your best to keep things organized and simplify the design of your website.
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Not using a functional search box. Having a functional search box ensures that visitors can easily find the information they’re looking for–even if they don’t know exactly what they’re looking for.
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Not optimizing for SEO. SEO best practices help ensure that your website can be found by the right people. Without SEO, your website may go overlooked.
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Not including optimized images. Optimized images can help improve the speed and usability of your website. If your images are not optimized, your website may take longer to load and be harder to navigate.
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Not having SSL encryption. SSL encryption ensures that a website is safe and secure for visitors. Without it, people may be hesitant to submit personal information on your website.
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Ignoring accessibility considerations. Accessibility standards ensure that your website is easily usable for people with disabilities. Without them, your website may not be usable for everyone.
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Not including social media links. Social media links help improve the visibility of your website and encourage people to follow and share your content.
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Not including contact information. Having contact information clearly visible on your website can help build trust with your visitors.
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Not using proper content formatting. Properly formatting your content will ensure that it’s easily readable and scannable. Bad formatting can make it difficult for visitors to understand your content.
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Having autoplaying sound or video. Autoplaying sound or video can be jarring and distracting for visitors. This content should always be user-activated.
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Ignoring the basics. Things like broken links, typos, and outdated information can drive away visitors. Be sure to regularly check for these types of mistakes so that you’re always providing the best experience possible.
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Not testing your website. Testing your website across both desktop and mobile devices is important for ensuring that everything is functioning properly.
By avoiding these common website mistakes, you can help ensure that your visitors get the best experience possible. Take the time to review the usability of your website from the perspective of your visitors and make any necessary improvements.